WardenRed reviewed The Craft of Love by E.E. Ottoman
None
5 stars
You are my dearest friend. Whatever else you could be or might be to me will never be as important as that.
A beautiful, quiet story about two people—a trans man and a bisexual woman—gradually coming together. I really loved how the leads, upon encountering the initial spark of mutual attraction, kind of take a step back and take the time to build a solid connection first. The book is really short, being a novella, and yet the plot unfolds very gradually, showing Remembrance and Benjamin open up to each other and forge a friendship step by step before they delve into something different. (I hesitate to say, "something more"; it's my firm belief that romance isn't inherently more important, more valuable, or otherwise more than friendship, it's just different).
I really liked how while the story intimately focused on the two main characters, it also remained firmly grounded in …
You are my dearest friend. Whatever else you could be or might be to me will never be as important as that.
A beautiful, quiet story about two people—a trans man and a bisexual woman—gradually coming together. I really loved how the leads, upon encountering the initial spark of mutual attraction, kind of take a step back and take the time to build a solid connection first. The book is really short, being a novella, and yet the plot unfolds very gradually, showing Remembrance and Benjamin open up to each other and forge a friendship step by step before they delve into something different. (I hesitate to say, "something more"; it's my firm belief that romance isn't inherently more important, more valuable, or otherwise more than friendship, it's just different).
I really liked how while the story intimately focused on the two main characters, it also remained firmly grounded in the setting at all times. The 19th century New York wasn't just a backdrop or a decoration; both characters were fully integrated into the world around them, as well as keenly aware of its problems and challenges. The latter is especially true for Remembrance. Her passion about basically improving the society really made me invested in her journey. It was also wonderful to see how Benjamin's gender was handled; I found the portrayal really relatable and sensitive. Another thing I very much enjoyed were the leads' interactions with their families.
All in all, an excellent quick read for a rainy night.
