mora55's review
i need to stop picking up anthologies specifically about romances as the focus because i get tired of them very quickly and am rarely invested in the relationships. this wasn't the best anthology i've read and i don't know anything about astrology but i did like a couple of the stories. my favorites were mucho mucho amor by alex villasante, anchor point by lily anderson, and l(train)iminal by karuna riazi, probably in that order.
melanders_07's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.5
As with most short story collections, some are hits and others are misses. I loved about 7 stories and skipped the rest, but this flexibly allowed me to break over a 3 month long reading slump, so I appreciate that! It was so cool to see different authors and their writing style in a quick story. I will be checking out their other works!
cecetomas's review against another edition
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
I was super excited about this set of stories because I love astrology and it was a change of pace from what I had been reading but honestly this was a rollercoaster of weird. I like the astrology set up but the stories are so back and forth between being pretty good and painful to get through.
lisaluvsliterature's review
4.0
I loved how this book went through every sign, even one I hadn’t heard of before, but I think was a 13th that used to be considered part of the Astrological signs we know and use or think about these days. As with any other anthology I read that isn’t all by authors I know and love, and has many new to me authors, some stories worked, some I loved, and some I ended up not finishing. So a few notes from my reading this.
The story that I really liked earliest in the book was the second story, the one about the Taurus. It was a sweet second chance kind of romance story, with so many aspects that captured the world today, food trucks, online influencers, and even set in Canada!
Of course I ended up loving the Libra story, since I am a Libra, the characteristics given at the beginning were so true for me. But I loved that the story was called Fake Scorpio, because I know I’ve had people try to tell me based on my birthdate, October 22nd that I was really a Scorpio. A little different from the actual story, but still this one clicked for me.
All the stories had a little difference to them. Some were magical realism, some were actually even more fantasy, and then there were some just really contemporary romance type stories. There were LGBTQ as well as hetero-romance, and even some stories that weren’t really even romance in the basic plot or storyline. So really, like the synopsis says, there is something in this for everyone.
Review first posted on Lisa Loves Literature.
The story that I really liked earliest in the book was the second story, the one about the Taurus. It was a sweet second chance kind of romance story, with so many aspects that captured the world today, food trucks, online influencers, and even set in Canada!
Of course I ended up loving the Libra story, since I am a Libra, the characteristics given at the beginning were so true for me. But I loved that the story was called Fake Scorpio, because I know I’ve had people try to tell me based on my birthdate, October 22nd that I was really a Scorpio. A little different from the actual story, but still this one clicked for me.
All the stories had a little difference to them. Some were magical realism, some were actually even more fantasy, and then there were some just really contemporary romance type stories. There were LGBTQ as well as hetero-romance, and even some stories that weren’t really even romance in the basic plot or storyline. So really, like the synopsis says, there is something in this for everyone.
Review first posted on Lisa Loves Literature.
choicepotatoes_old's review
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.5
As a whole, this is one of the most diverse anthologies I've ever read. The authors and the characters span a wide range of ethnicities, sexualities, and gender identities, and the stories showcase multiple genres--primarily contemporary, with some fantasy and urban fantasy thrown in.
Although I gave this a 3.5 rating, I would absolutely read some of the stories again. I would also read more stories about witches, which comes as a surprise to me because I didn't think I was interested in stories about witches prior to reading the witch stories in this anthology.
---
The stories I personally rated a 5:
The Taste of a Kiss by Roselle Lim
How lucky that my number one favorite of this anthology just so happens to be the story for my sign!
Anchor Point by Lily Anderson
Super cozy, character-focused, and complete. Reminded me a lot of the sort of thing a good friend would write if said friend wrote straight romances.
Although I gave this a 3.5 rating, I would absolutely read some of the stories again. I would also read more stories about witches, which comes as a surprise to me because I didn't think I was interested in stories about witches prior to reading the witch stories in this anthology.
---
The stories I personally rated a 5:
The Taste of a Kiss by Roselle Lim
How lucky that my number one favorite of this anthology just so happens to be the story for my sign!
Anchor Point by Lily Anderson
Super cozy, character-focused, and complete. Reminded me a lot of the sort of thing a good friend would write if said friend wrote straight romances.
---
My personal rating system, for context (and for my future self):
- 5 - I would read this again
- 4 - I would recommend this without hesitation, but probably wouldn't read it again
- 3 - I enjoyed this, for the most part, but would probably only recommend it to very specific people
- 2 - Not gonna lie, I really struggled to get through this one.
- 1 - There was at least one really problematic thing I just couldn't overlook
midnightbooklover's review
lighthearted
medium-paced
3.0
I’ve been getting into anthologies lately so when I received an ARC of this one I was super excited.
I love astrology so I loved that each zodiac had their own story.
Some of the stories were really great but others were just okay.
My favorite was definitely Libra, I loved that astrology was actually part of the story.
Overall it was cute and I recommend it if you’re looking for a quick read.
I love astrology so I loved that each zodiac had their own story.
Some of the stories were really great but others were just okay.
My favorite was definitely Libra, I loved that astrology was actually part of the story.
Overall it was cute and I recommend it if you’re looking for a quick read.
mailovesbooksblog's review
3.0
This book was so interesting, I've defiantly never read anything like this before!
Rating: 3.75/5
Synopsis:
A haunted Aquarius finds love behind the veil. An ambitious Aries will do anything to stay in the spotlight. A foodie Taurus discovers the best eats in town (with a side of romance). A witchy Cancer stumbles into a curious meet-cute.
Whether it’s romantic, platonic, familial, or something else you can’t quite define, love is the thing that connects us. All Signs Point to Yes will take you on a journey from your own backyard to the world beyond the living as it settles us among the stars for thirteen stories of love and life.
These stories will touch your heart, speak to your soul, and have you reaching for your horoscope forevermore.
Thank you NetGalley for giving me an ARC!
Rating: 3.75/5
Synopsis:
A haunted Aquarius finds love behind the veil. An ambitious Aries will do anything to stay in the spotlight. A foodie Taurus discovers the best eats in town (with a side of romance). A witchy Cancer stumbles into a curious meet-cute.
Whether it’s romantic, platonic, familial, or something else you can’t quite define, love is the thing that connects us. All Signs Point to Yes will take you on a journey from your own backyard to the world beyond the living as it settles us among the stars for thirteen stories of love and life.
These stories will touch your heart, speak to your soul, and have you reaching for your horoscope forevermore.
Thank you NetGalley for giving me an ARC!
icarly's review
emotional
inspiring
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
maple_dove's review
emotional
inspiring
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
First of all, the amount of diversity in this book really warms my heart and makes me so happy. The LBGTQ+ rep, POC rep, etc. Loved it all.
Second, I love Luis (platonically 💛).
Favorite Quote:
Second, I love Luis (platonically 💛).
Favorite Quote:
"I guess I need a love spell."
"No such thing."
She looked up, anger pulling at her eyebrows. "There must something close, though, right? Like something to make someone fall in infatuation or fixation or--"
[REDACTED] waved a hand at her. "Even if there was, I wouldn't give it to you. Sounds like you're more interested in mind control than love."
And that was the thing that people didn't understand. Love was about finding someone you cared about enough to want them to live freely, happily, not someone you wanted to control.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Abandonment and Murder
Minor: Sexual content, Death of parent, Blood, and Homophobia
ericxcherish's review
5.0
My favorites were L(Train)iminal by Karuna Riazi, Formation by Cam Montgomery, and Alternative Combustion by Kiana Nguyen.