Sean’s werewolf mentor is captured and the only way Dina and Sean can get to the planet where he is being hidden is to use a portal held by the Dominion. To get permission they have to hold the Dominion’s spouse search in Gertrude Hunt, their Inn. Expanding their Inn to provide comfort, safety, and food to multiple species is all in a day’s work for Innkeeper’s Dina and Sean, but when an assassination plot is thrown into the mix their skills are stretched to the breaking point- and this is all before they can save Sean’s mentor. Life as an Innkeeper is never boring!

This series has all the things that make you love reading fantasy novels. Interesting characters, vibrant world-building, great action sequences, and heart. Dina is the heart of these novels and it’s her actions that drive the story. When she and Sean agree to host the spouse search in return for gaining access to the portals to the world where Wilmos is being held, she goes all in on making this project for the Dominion’s ruler a success. The comfort and safety of all of her guests is of utmost importance to an Innkeeper and managing each species while not killing anyone, or having anyone be killed is a challenge, but this team is up to the task. The descriptions and needs of each species are so varied and interesting, it’s amazing to me that these authors can make a tree species come to life in a way that makes the reader react with feelings of like or dislike is amazing. To steal from Paul Hollywood’s Great British Baking Show – their writing is not style over substance, it’s an amazing balance of the two.

Sweep of the Heart’s spouse search is political machinations at its best. Each species receives an ask for taking part in this competition. If they get sent home without winning, their minor ask is received by the Dominion who chooses to either grant that request or deny it. If they win, their major ask is given and granted. All of these are puzzles pieces on a large playing board that will affect the balance of all of their lives as well as their planets. As a reader we are just along for the ride, and it’s so much fun. I can’t imagine being the author who must put it all together so that it’s cohesive and makes sense! Sweep of the Heart was definitely a master class in writing.

The underlying story that runs through the Innkeeper series- the mystery of the disappearance of Dina’s parents and their Inn, does move forward in the culminating chapter in this book. I know it will wrap up in the next novel which might be the end of this series, which will break my heart, but I do think it’s time for us to know the answer to that storyline. Given the cliff-hanger I hope that the authors don’t wait two years to write the next novel. Of course, if they do I’ll have read and re-read (and listened!) to this book multiple times, so I’ll be ready. ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

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