Review of ‘Heart of Gold’ by Luci Dreamer

Now and again, someone suggests a debut book to me. Honestly, I feel both delight and a little trepidation because I don’t know what I might get in the bargain. To be fair, most are decent reads. But I think I’m like many in that I live for that rare time when I’m made giddy from discovering somebody new that’s an absolute gem. ‘Heart of Gold’ is one of those special lesbian debut books.

In the dark of night, Thomasina Miller escapes her parents‘ home to avoid being married off to a stranger. In order to be safe when she’s on her own, she becomes Mr. Thomas Miller in appearance and identity. Then rather than focusing on Thomas’s transformation, the writer moves the narrative 4 years into the future. That’s a power move because it jumps us right into the energy of the story rather than giving us a lengthy background. The year is 1897 and thousands are heading north to the Klondike to stake a gold mine claim. Thomas is one of those “stampeders” and on the journey, he befriends a married woman, Rachel, much to the chagrin of her insufferable husband, Roy. There’s undeniable chemistry between Thomas and Rachel, albeit a respectable friendship.

Tragedy strikes in the wilderness and I found myself awake at 2 am fully invested in the main characters as they battled hardships and achingly fell in love. The details are just enough to give us the flavor of the time. Supporting characters are strong. There’s one historical figure in the cast which could be hokey but the author humanizes him so it works.

‘Heart of Gold’ is a standalone novel but appears to be the beginning of a series. It’s a fast-moving adventure, but also a slow-burn romance that will have you wondering and rooting for two loving people trying to find their way to one another.

Available on Kindle Unlimited.

ARC provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.