I received an eARC through NetGalley and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This should have been right up my alley based on the concept, but I still struggled with it. It took me a month to get through half of it, then I had to rush to finish it before it expires, which wasn't a good way to read it. I think it's the kind of book where you have to savor the language more.

Anyway. Coup de Coeur is a gay polyamorous romance in a historical fantasy setting, focusing on three (or four) men whose life is connected by a strange and dangerous magical object, which an infamous secret society also wants. Calix, Ethaniel and Aubrey are quite busy between trying to find out more about the book and running for their lives, but thankfully they still find the time to visit gay bathhouses, which I think are glorious.

The book itself starts with several author's notes, including a description of the four protagonists, which felt very info dump-y to me. I admit I don't really remember any of what was described there, including the modern identity labels, because it was just too much too fast without any context or reason to care. I would have preferred to get to know the characters organically and maybe include the descriptions and the historical context at the end instead.

It's clear that a lot of research went into this book, and there is a very interesting reading list at the end for those who are more interested in the themes of the book. But at the end of the day, I suppose I was bored for most of it. Also, this book did not earn my trust to pull off a cliffhanger like that. But I'll keep an eye on the sequel and decide whether to read it once it has a blurb.