Review: “Letters to Half Moon Street” by Sarah Wallace

Series: Meddle & Mend #1

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Steam: 💋

Release Date: February 20th, 2022

When shy and bookish Gavin Hartford is sent to London, he is prepared to be very bored and very lonely. But after he accidentally forms an acquaintance with dashing man-about-town Charles Kentworthy, his life is turned completely upside-down.

Mr. Kentworthy seems determined to educate Gavin on how to enjoy city life. As Gavin opens up to Mr. Kentworthy—discussing poetry and magic, confessing his fears about marriage, and expanding his social circle to shocking proportions—he finds himself far outside his comfort zone.

Will he have the courage to face his own growing feelings for his new friend?

This epistolary Regency romance is the first in a historical fantasy series, Meddle & Mend.

Reading Letters to Half Moon Street was an absolute treat and I commend Sarah Wallace for giving us a twist on the historical romance subgenre. Completely told in the form of letters between Gavin Hartford and various members of his family as well as his new friend, Charles Kentworthy, this story will captivate you. And if that’s not enough, there’s a touch of magic that has me so intrigued and excited for more!

Gavin Hartford is sent to London by his father to look into their home in the city as well as run some errands while his older brother and wife come to visit their family home for the birth of their child. Gavin’s an introverted bookworm who would like nothing more than to avoid the people and life in London. But when his younger sister, Geraldine—who is quite possibly my favourite character in this book—starts writing to him and asks him to go explore and discover London, Gavin can’t help himself. What he doesn’t expect is to meet Charles Kentworthy, a man with the reputation of a rake, but friendly and accommodating anyway. Gavin and Charles strike up a friendship that eventually borders on love, but the slow burn of their romance and their relationship is delectable.

While I haven’t read a lot of queer historical romances and I don’t know if this is how things are portrayed in other books, I loved that being queer is not seen as a bad thing in this book. Nobody has to hide their identity or sexuality. The London Season is upon them and they’re openly talking about whether or not they want to meet with eligible men or women and I loved that so much. It’s what we all want to happen in the real world, but escaping into this world in Sarah’s book made me so happy.

The characters are really interesting too. Like I said before, Gerry is truly my favourite character in the book. Not only is she feisty and strong, she’s also dabbling in magic and discovering new spells that make life easier. But she’s also the driving force behind Gavin’s confidence and his strength and that kind of bond between siblings is so wonderful. I love that she teases and bullies him playfully through her letters, but how Gavin craves her support and love so much. Of course, the most important character is Charles and he is so charming. Again, we’re only seeing him through Gavin’s slightly confused eyes, but you can tell that Charles is exactly the kind of trouble that Gavin needs. Their letters are entertaining and fascinating. They’re complete opposites and Charles has taken it upon himself to make sure that Gavin gets out more, experiences life better and generally lives a good life. And I appreciate him so much for that.

Sarah has me really intrigued now and I can’t wait to see what else is coming in the Meddle & Mend series, because I’m hoping for some more Gerry and definitely some of Seb and his chaos too!

Thanks to Sarah Wallace for generously providing me with an advance copy. I am voluntarily leaving an honest review.