by Robyn (link)
Genre historical romance
Pairings Isaac/OFC
Length 10 chapters and epilogue
Status Completed
Right off the bat, Robyn gets bonus points for this story — it’s from Isaac’s point of view, which we all know is exceedingly rare in hanfic, and it’s something of a historical story, set in the old west.
A hanfic set in the old west? Yes, you read the correctly! I’m pretty sure A Guarded Heart has to win some sort of prize for being the first of its kind. I’m a big fan of historical fiction, and overall I like what Robyn did with her setting. I don’t know that much about any historical setting, so I rely on the author to really sell me on it with their words, and Robyn does. The writing gets a little awkward at times in its attempt to fit the historical style, but for the most part, it works. Like most fairly short stories, I do think it could have been fleshed out a bit more. It certainly wouldn’t have suffered if it had been any longer, and it would have given me even more time to connect with the characters who are, naturally, quite different from the Hanson we all know and love.
That’s the risk you take with such a unique genre — it’s hard for some readers to connect to it because it hardly seems to be about “the boys” at all. With A Guarded Heart being mostly about Isaac, a lot of that brotherly connection is lost, making it feel even less like a hanfic. But if you like a good story, hanfic or not, A Guarded Heart is still a decent read.
Review by Bethany (website)