Title: HeartswornAuthor: S.E. Wendel
Series: War of the Underhill #2
Pages: 448
Publication Date: Nov. 10, 2026
Publisher: AVON BOOKS
Genres: Fiction / Romance / Paranormal
Synopsis:
Return to the world of Heartsong in the highly anticipated sequel! A reclusive researcher gets the shock of a lifetime when the (very attractive) gargoyle statue in her rose garden awakens and claims her as his mate.
She’s known him all her life…
June Parkhurst is a prodigy, a conservator, and…an empath. Yet, her empathic abilities don’t feel like a gift; they’re a curse, one that’s driven her into isolation.
Overwhelmed by the feelings of others and her own grief, June sticks to what she loves statues. She’s always been fascinated by them, especially the gothic masterpiece in her family’s rose garden.
He’s watched over her for years…
For centuries, Alaric has despaired. Cursed to stone by the cruel Faerie Queen, Alaric has watched the world pass him by. He holds desperately onto a fleeting hope—that one day, June will come to understand what he’s known for she is his heartsong.
Magick stolen can be reclaimed, and curses cast can be broken…
A new museum with enigmatic owners has just opened, full of statues just like hers. Unable to resist, June emerges from seclusion determined to find answers about her statue. Yet, nothing is what it seems in this curious place, and June can’t ignore how…alive the statues feel.
The mysterious statues and their owners are just the start of the strangeness. During an attack by masked thieves, June swears one of the statues comes to life and flies away. But that’s impossible. As impossible as the whispers she hears from her beloved statue…mate.
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I’m really enjoying this gargoyle romance series. It’s intriguing and suspenseful and so swoon-worthy! Heartsworn follows June, a conservator and empath, and Alaric, an ancient warrior cursed and trapped in a stone form for centuries. June’s first touch makes him come alive, but only at night, and he’s sure it means they are mates. As they work to figure out how to rid him of the curse completely, other dangers lurk, and their situation becomes increasingly unsafe.
June’s connection to Alaric goes back to when she was a child and would entertain herself next to his statue. She didn’t know it, but she’s always been kind of like a beacon to him. Now, years later, he still resides in the same outdoor space behind her family home. Living a very secluded life in a different town, June can’t resist the opportunity to return and work for an enigmatic couple who have an extensive collection of statues similar to Alaric. But June is very different from the girl Alaric remembered. Loss, grief, anxiety, and her empathic power have changed her.
I enjoyed June’s story as well as Alaric’s. They both have interesting histories and are well-developed characters. I particularly liked the anxiety rep and could totally relate to June. Her way of thinking, even her empathy and emotional reactions to other people’s feelings, resonated with me. Alaric’s guilt and feelings of responsibility were also really compelling. Patient, understanding, and protective, he’s such a cinnamon roll!
Of course, my favorite part of the story was the romance. June and Alaric have a slow-building love story with a ton of yearning and some pretty swoon-worthy moments. It definitely has the he-falls-first vibe going on, and I love that. I think it’s really hard for June to let people in since she feels their emotions so profoundly. She also is so new to the supernatural world, the idea of curses and fated mates, so her worries made total sense to me. Even Alaric has doubts. It’s one of those romances where you can tell from the start that the connection is there between them, but the relationship is slow-building and gradual. The chemistry is strong, and there’s absolutely a spark, but it takes time to grow. I understood the reasoning and doubts, as well as some torn feelings, and loved that there was this fierce desire to protect and care for each other underneath the conflicts.
I also like that the major characters in book one have significant roles in this book. Some of this story actually overlaps with Heartsong, and it was interesting to see the more intense and suspenseful scenes unfold from a different point of view. It also added context and more layers to the plot, characters, and relationships. Plus, I LOVED seeing some of my favorite characters from the first book in this one, especially Frey and Anna! All of them are connected by the museum and its owners, and they all have prominent and intriguing roles in the curse and the danger that seems to follow.
I thought this was a unique addition to the series. It was romantic and suspenseful, with great characters and an intriguing plot. Plus, can we talk about the cover for a second because it’s so gorgeous! I would recommend checking out the content warnings because the story does focus on some difficult subjects like parental death, grief, anxiety, and more. That being said, I flew through it, much like I did the first book, and I’m excited to find out what happens next!
- gargoyle MMC
- he falls first
- forced proximity
- fated mates
- curse
Alaric’s heart kicked at the confines of his ribs. If he could, he’d pluck it from his chest and lay it before her, a goddess incarnate.
A drawn bow had but two likely outcomes—a loosened arrow, or a broken bowstring. He didn’t know which he was, but as the hope held fast in his chest, for the first time in weeks, Alaric thought perhaps he wasn’t the bowstring.
S.E. Wendel is a graduate of the MA Creative Writing program at the University of California, Davis. She loves maps, magic, and making epic fantasy worlds with romance thrown in. She has been writing fantasies since before she could even type (thankfully her mother was kind and patient enough to take dictation, but is relieved she can type for herself now)! From her first stories about raccoons hunting treasure on a haunted island to her latest sweeping epics, she loves to write strong heroines and noble heroes.
S.E. is a technical editor by day and in the evening loves to lose herself in her fantasy worlds and the stories of other amazing authors. She is currently working on the second part of the Broken Wings Duet. She loves her domineering orange tabby cat, true crime docs, tiramisu, pink nail polish, and swoony romantasies!
