A Heart Full of Hope Review — Is It Worth Reading?

Verdict: A warm, low-angst Australian small-town slow burn between a cheerful amputee handywoman and a buttoned-up city executive, loved for its disability representation and a scene-stealing meddling uncle — though a real share of readers never felt the spark between the leads.

Best for: Readers who want gentle opposites-attract romance, a butch heroine with a prosthetic leg, and a very slow burn.

Heat level: Low to moderate (readers call it sweet; no romance.io steam rating)

Rating: ★★★★☆ (3.8/5 — a 4.02 Goodreads average across 811 ratings, 3.74 on StoryGraph from 211 reviews, and 4.5 stars across 661 Amazon ratings)

Tropes: Opposites attract, bickering to lovers, slow burn, meddling matchmaker, small town, age gap (25 and 34, per a reader), disabled heroine, butch/femme, ice queen.

A Heart Full of Hope is Cheyenne Blue’s 2024 contemporary lesbian romance from Ylva. Hazel Lee, a small-town delivery driver and budding handywoman with one leg, has been looking after her elderly friend George. When George breaks his hip, his niece Imogen Alexander — a high-flying Brisbane executive — arrives and suspects Hazel of angling for his money.

It holds a 4.02 average across 811 Goodreads ratings, with 72% of them four or five stars, 3.74 on StoryGraph from 211 reviews, and 4.5 stars across 661 Amazon ratings.

What Is A Heart Full of Hope About?

Hazel has built a life she loves on her own terms: two jobs, plenty of opinions and no patience for pity. Imogen’s life is planned to the minute, with a promotion lined up and no room for detours. George, recovering from his fall, decides the two women would be perfect together and starts matchmaking without subtlety.

To keep him happy, they go on a few “dates.” Somewhere between the bickering and the caregiving, both start to question what they want.

What Works in This Small-Town Romance

Hazel: Readers call her a breath of fresh air, and several say she is one of the few amputee heroines they have met in sapphic romance.
Disability, handled honestly: Readers praise how the book explores independence, accommodation and the pressure to prove herself.
George: The meddling uncle — and his snappy dog, Chip — are fan favourites.
Low angst: 69% of StoryGraph readers tagged it lighthearted.
Setting: Australian readers enjoy the country-town detail and the Matildas references.

Book Synopsis

Small-town handywoman Hazel Lee lives her best life whatever the universe throws at her — until a bossy executive blows in and questions why she is helping an elderly friend. Imogen Alexander thinks she can run her uncle’s life as tightly as her career, but she did not count on an annoying local woman already being part of it.

With George intent on matchmaking, the two have to decide whether an icy exec in hot skirt suits and a charming butch have anything in common after all.

My Review

This is Hazel’s book. Blue writes her with warmth and specificity — the prosthetic, the pride, the refusal to be less than anyone expects — and her growth, learning to accept help, is the emotional core. The small-town texture and George’s transparent scheming make it cosy, and many readers finish it with a smile.

The romance is where it splits. The most repeated reservation is that the connection between Hazel and Imogen never quite ignites — several readers say they liked the characters more than the couple, or struggled to warm to Imogen. The slow burn is very slow, and a few readers found it lacked the emotional stakes of Blue’s other books. One reader flags food restriction by one character as a content note.

My honest note: Read it for Hazel and the town; if you need fireworks, pick another Blue.

Element	In A Heart Full of Hope
Central relationship	Hazel Lee (handywoman, amputee, butch) & Imogen Alexander (Brisbane executive)
Core tropes	Opposites attract, slow burn, meddling matchmaker, small town
Setting	A small Australian country town, hours from Brisbane
Heat level	Low to moderate
Length	About 290 pages; 9 h 20 min audiobook
Series	Standalone — happy ending
Content notes	Ableism, injury, an elderly relative’s fall, food restriction (one reader), alcohol

How Spicy Is A Heart Full of Hope?

Not very. Readers describe it as sweet, cute and fluffy, and there is no romance.io steam rating or StoryGraph sexual-content flag to suggest otherwise.

Content notes submitted on StoryGraph are ableism, sexism, injury and alcohol; one reader also flags a character’s food restriction.

Who Should Read This Book?

You’ll likely love it if: you want a gentle, low-angst romance with a disabled heroine and a small-town setting. It is on our feel-good and low-angst lists.

You may want to skip it if: you need strong chemistry or real stakes.

In short: A heart-warming heroine in a sweet, slow romance.

What Readers Are Actually Saying (September 2026)

On Goodreads the split is 35% five stars, 37% four, 21% three, 4% two and under 1% one. On StoryGraph, 91% said the character development was strong and 69% tagged it lighthearted. The Tantor audiobook is narrated by Cat Gould.

Prefer audio? Listen to A Heart Full of Hope on Libro.fm — the audiobook shop that supports independent bookstores.

Why readers love it (according to the discourse): Hazel first. Second, the disability representation. Third, George and Chip. Fourth, the cosy small town.

What readers argue about and complain about: Missing chemistry, above everything. Second, Imogen. Third, a very slow burn. Fourth, low stakes.

The comparison worth making first: For more Cheyenne Blue, try Sometimes We Fly or Switcheroo.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is A Heart Full of Hope enemies to lovers?

Lightly. Imogen arrives suspicious of Hazel’s motives for helping her uncle, and the two bicker, but one reader points out it is more mutual dislike than true enmity.

Does A Heart Full of Hope have disability representation?

Yes. Hazel is an amputee with a prosthetic leg, and readers widely praise how her disability, independence and pride are handled.

Is A Heart Full of Hope a slow burn?

Very. Readers describe it as one of the slowest of slow burns, with a long friendship before anything happens.

How spicy is A Heart Full of Hope?

Low to moderate. Readers call it sweet and fluffy; romance.io and StoryGraph have no useful heat data.

Is A Heart Full of Hope on Kindle Unlimited?

Not at the time of writing — the Ylva Kindle edition was listed at $9.99. The Tantor audiobook, narrated by Cat Gould, runs 9 hours 20 minutes.

If You Loved A Heart Full of Hope, Read These Next

Try Sometimes We Fly, Switcheroo or For the Long Run for more Cheyenne Blue. For more, browse our feel-good and low-angst lists, or the full Book Reviews archive.

The Bottom Line

A Heart Full of Hope sets out to be a warm, small-town opposites-attract romance with a heroine rarely seen in the genre, and Hazel carries it. What holds it back is a romance that does not always spark. Worth it for her. Check A Heart Full of Hope on Amazon →