by Llama (link)
Genre het, romance
Pairings Taylor/OFC
Length prologue and 20 sections
Status Completed (with sequel)
I’m sure most of you guys are more familiar with Llama’s other story, Lived. It was still fresh enough that people were constantly talking about it when I joined the fandom, and it remains a classic. It took me years to read the entire story, after several aborted efforts, due to just how emotional it was. There was a large part of me that didn’t want to even attempt Glint of Heaven for fear of the same problem, but I’m glad I did.
The chapters are all fairly short, but it still takes the story a while to get going. Once it does, though, it’s a fairly typical story of teenage love, set against the backdrop of Hanson’s rise to fame. It’s a topic that nearly every author tried back in the day, but Llama’s way with words makes her stand out. My only real complaint is that the narrator reads a bit precocious for her age, but the story is sort of set up as a reflection upon an earlier time in her life, so it works in a way. That does, however, lead to the tenses being a little awkward at times. It’s a problem I struggle with sometimes, too, so perhaps that’s why I pick up on it so much.
At around the halfway point, the plot picks up and really gets moving. It’s still a typical teenage romance, though, and the majority of the plot plays out over just a few weeks. The story ends with Taylor boarding the plane to Los Angeles, and the last line is rather sad. I had to go back and re-read the prologue, which didn’t actually call her husband by name, to be certain that the story didn’t actually have such a sad ending. Bits of the prologue tie back into the rest of the story, though, so it does kind of work. Still, I think Llama could have made it a little bit more obvious so that the ending came off as bittersweet, but hopeful. As it is, it’s a little confusing. Overall, though, it’s a fairly quick and sweet read.
Review by Bethany (website)