I wanted to like this one sooo badly but unfortunately, it wasn't really my thing. Goodreads ratings are very high so I think I have a bit of an unpopular opinion here but anyway. The story itself was fine and I don't have any complaints about it but for me it was the 2 POVs that killed it: whereas Keeva's was action packed, Maeve's was so slow and repetitive due to her lonely condition, the only change being her mother's story. They were well-written characters and I enjoyed them as such but Maeve's chapters were just boring at times. Their romance was a bit underdeveloped but to the point where it was straight up unbelievable. A good story but I think Maeve's chapters could've been more sparse throughout the book. 3 stars.

Good story, I liked the characters of Maeve and Keeva. There romance was really cute at times. And, Maeve being a gorgon seemed pretty tricky for their romance to progress. I liked that this story was peppered with all sorts of mythological characters and not all of them were good there's some really bad creatures in this story. There's witches, gorgons, and some other creatures that kept me reading into the early morning hours. I would definitely recommend this book to my friends and family and I look forward to what's next from this author.

DNF, the premise of this book seemed really promising. Unfortunately, when I started reading I was quickly disappointed. There were many parallels with a 2014 Wattpad fanfic. If you know, you know.
For me it was a sign to stop reading when the female Gorgon characters looks were being described by having her look into a full body mirror and internally comment on her looks, all her physical flaws and how she is okay with her body shape. Really? Was it necessary to state it in such a way that it seems forced and thus uhm a lie?
Came for the sapphic love story, left before having seen it because I really really couldn’t stand the MC. The writing was repetitive and therefore slow and often plain boring.
I wont rate this book as I don’t think that’s honest for the overall rating of the book.
Thanks to Netgalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this digital ARC in exchange for an honest review

Heart of Stone is a retelling of the gorgon myth with a heartfelt sapphic romance.

I loved Maeve (a gorgon) and Keeva (a princess), they were such fun characters. I felt like they both had such good character development. I don’t always like multiple povs, but I think it helped tell this story well.

"Heart of Stone" by Sam Ledel is a is a beautifully written lesbian romance that delves into the complexities of love and self-discovery. The story involves a fantasy pseudo-retelling with a gorgon descended from Medusa, a princess who'd rather win tournaments than lead, and a mysterious dark force/benefactor.

I am obsessed with mythology and so many of the retellings that come along with it. However, it wasn't until 40% through the story that the MCs finally met. Before that, it felt as though the story was trudging along and I struggled to remain engaged. Once they did, I thoroughly enjoyed the slow burn romance between Maeve, the isolated and lonely gorgon, and Keeva, the warrior princess whose mother is near death's door. While the plot may follow some familiar tropes, Ledel injects enough unique twists and turns to keep me engaged.

Overall, "Heart of Stone" is a heartfelt and satisfying read that will leave readers with a warm and fuzzy feeling.

An enjoyable easy read. I found the characters very interesting, and they had great chemistry. I recommend 4.5 stars.

Thank you, Bold Strokes Books, and NetGalley for this ARC.

Princess Keeva’s mother, Asta, the Queen of Uterni, is deathly ill. Keeva refuses to sit by and do nothing as her mother grows weaker each day. One night in her search for the Gatekeeper to the Otherworld, Keeva saves Maeve, a Gorgon, from an unruly crowd threatening to burn her home. Maeve leads a lonely and sheltered life because her gaze will turn a person to stone. Keeva feels a connection to Maeve that she doesn’t understand but is drawn to return to her time and again.

Heart of Stone is a fantasy romance with subtle gems of wisdom interspersed throughout the story. The story is told from dual view points. Keeva’s is full of action and daring while Maeve’s is more sedate and introspective, that is until the last few chapters. I enjoyed the the differences in the chapters as they balanced each other beautifully. They also work to magnify how one influences the other and vice versa.

This is my first Sam Ledel novel and I will definitely be on the lookout for more.

I received an advance review copy from Bold Strokes Books through NetGalley.  I am leaving this review voluntarily.

2.5 stars

I was curious to read this fantasy novel featuring a romance between a human princess and a gorgon. The novel is told in the point of view of both of them. Weirdly, I found this to be one of my main complaints.

While Keeva's point of view is full of characters and events, Maeve's is, understandably, very slow paced and it just keeps repeating itself, narrating her lonely days with her snake, which is her only companion, and flashing back to memories of her mother. This only changed slightly for the better when the two protagonists met, but even then the two point of views felt too imbalanced.

The romance was cute, if a bit rushed, and I wished we had focused more on it instead of on the many plot points that always seemed to take priority.

If you're a more visual person than me, I think you'd like the descriptions in this book, which felt very detailed (and didn't go well with my ADHD+aphantasia brain, but that's a me problem).

Overall, this didn't fully work for me for too many reasons to be able to round my rating up, but it was a book that I feel like a lot of people could like a lot more than I did.

TWs: death, femicide, abuse

An intriguing twist on the gorgon myth.

A heartfelt tale of a lonely young woman named Maeve; isolated and alone, wanting for more but being very fearful of negative consequences that have been instilled into her since birth.

We also learn about the Princess of this Kingdom, Keeva, who is stubborn and always insists on proving herself.

I enjoyed learning about both ladies, the royal family and their kingdom, plus the fae creatures among them. You really feel for both women in their separate plights to find a place and person that makes them feel seen.

I suspect there could be a sequel since there's a neighbouring kingdom having issues, and I can imagine we might follow that Kingdoms Princess that we were briefly introduced to here.

I think lovers of fantasy, fairy tales and greek mythology retellings would appreciate this one!

I received an ARC copy of this book from the Publisher via Netgalley and voluntarily leaving my review.

Maeve has been hidden all her life to protect everyone and herself but she yearns to have a life. Keeva is determined to keep her mother on throne but more importantly save her life. Keeva meets Maeve when she goes on journey to get help saving her mother as they both get to know each they learns truths that will define them and everyone around them. I enjoy this the take on Medusa and Maeve and Keeva are very strong women who has amazing growth through out the story even the supporting characters were great.

The blurb for this sapphic fantasy romance caught my attention and I’m so glad it did as it was fantastic. Maeve’s character was exactly what I was hoping for and more. As a reader, you felt such a connection to her and the rawness of her emotions. How Keeva fit into her life was perfect. Keeva’s passion in life and her relationships was undeniable and so strong. This book left me in tears multiple times and I could’ve easily read more chapters. The ending left the possibility for more of the story to come, so I’ll be keeping my fingers crossed. Finally, I can’t believe I’m about to say this, but I loved Maeve’s pet…snake.

Enchanting. A mythical story of love and friendship. This story is very well written and the time we spend with Maeve and Keeva as they learn more about each other is spellbinding.
I’m not usually a reader of books with far, gnomes, gorgons and trolls but I really did enjoy this.

Thank you #NetGalley #BoldStrokesBooks #HeartofStone for this ARC

I loved this book. Medusa is one of my favorite mythological stories, and I loved the new take on it. The plot twist at the end also shook me. I was crying and just sitting there in awe of what happened. The representation in this book is also so subtle I loved it. The main character is also so strong, I fell in love with her. The family dynamics were adorable. Character development was amazing, you could really see the characters grow, especially the two female main characters. I wish there was more of her dad but I understand why there wasn't. I hope there's a sequel, but I can't really see how it would happen. Also, I highly recommend reading the little epilogue of the book, it's at the end and ties it all together so well and it's also just adorable. Overall, definitely five stars and I highly recommend this book.