britgirlreading's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
relaxing
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Violence and War
Minor: Pregnancy, Vomit, Toxic relationship, and Trafficking
kb33's review against another edition
Update after reading several stories: this is my first time reading a collection like this by different authors, and for other first timers I’ll say this: the stories are unrelated in topic and sub-genre of romance, and styles and lengths vary greatly. Some are stand alone stories, some are teasers or bonus epilogues for their other books. I love that this contributes to a good cause, but I’d rather just donate to the cause myself in the future.
Reviews on a few for my future reference:
Helena Hunting - 5/5 meet-cute with side characters from previous book. Clean romance.
Kate Canterbary - 5/5 I could tell these were probably characters from a previously written book or series, but it was easy to follow, sweet, and now I feel like I’ve found an author I need to check out. TW: mentions death of parent during pregnancy.
Laura Thalassa - 2/5 Definitely feel like I’m missing a lot of background info. Mostly sex. Dumb names.
Skye Warren - 4/5 Not a romance short story, but more of an empowerment short story. TW: sexual harassment.
Tijan - 2/5 Fits a whole novel into forty pages. Unedited. TW: death of family member.
Jennifer Probst - Seven pages. I can’t rate seven pages, can I? Not romance.
Honey Meyer - 1/5, DNF. Something about a kink with little girls and grown men spanking. No thanks. TW/CW: mentions domestic violence. Includes little girl/daddy sex role play.
Amelia Wilde - Cute story about pre-existing characters. Also extremely short. TW: pregnancy.
Meredith Wild/Chelle Bliss - 4/5 This was great until the really rushed ending. TW: infidelity.
Harloe Rae - 4/5 cute, mostly clean prequel.
Robin Covington - 1/5 This is a cliffhanger preview for her new book. Kind of a shameless attempt at hooking new readers.
Jenika Snow - 2/5 “You know I like when you act all afraid of me.” Not my kind of romance.
KA Linde - 3/5 I didn’t like the mmc in this. Also, a whole novel in a few dozen pages.
Ilsa Madden-Mills - 4/5
Melanie Moreland - 5/5 Loved this!!
Lucy Lennox - 4/5 M/M, mostly steamy scene, also a cute story.
Rina Kent - 1/5 bonus epilogue I didn’t understand because I haven’t read any of her books. There about 10 adults and 50 kids at a party, and the mmc talks about all of them, mostly complaining.
LB Dunbar - 4/5
Dylan Allen - 4/5 good story, but unedited.
Julia Kent - 4/5 TW: Discusses trauma, mentions gang rape and child abuse.
Brittney Sahin - 3/5 paranormal/special ops....
Brenda Rothert - 6/5
Susan Stoker - 3/5
Rachel van Dyken - 3/5
Lauren Rowe - 4/5
Samantha Chase - 1/5 It started out well, but turned into a whole novel in 37 pages. And the “my fulfilling job and wonderful friends mean nothing because I’m single” BS made me angry.
Heidi McLaughlin - 5/5 YA, cute, closed door romance.
Kelly Elliott - 5/5 teaser for new book, also works as a complete short story. TW: mentions death of spouse, infidelity, pregnancy.
Willow Winters - 4/5 New Adult Fiction
Debra Anastasia - 1/5 ridiculous antagonist, weird writing - when the author tells the reader, “Girl, sit down,” it’s not my kind of book.
Siobhan Davis - 1/5 like high school mobsters. Hard eye roll.
Roni Lauren - 4/5 MFM spicy
Claudia Burgoa - 2/5 for topic. TW: infertility and pregnancy.
Toni Aleo - 5/5
Reviews on a few for my future reference:
Helena Hunting - 5/5 meet-cute with side characters from previous book. Clean romance.
Kate Canterbary - 5/5 I could tell these were probably characters from a previously written book or series, but it was easy to follow, sweet, and now I feel like I’ve found an author I need to check out. TW: mentions death of parent during pregnancy.
Laura Thalassa - 2/5 Definitely feel like I’m missing a lot of background info. Mostly sex. Dumb names.
Skye Warren - 4/5 Not a romance short story, but more of an empowerment short story. TW: sexual harassment.
Tijan - 2/5 Fits a whole novel into forty pages. Unedited. TW: death of family member.
Jennifer Probst - Seven pages. I can’t rate seven pages, can I? Not romance.
Honey Meyer - 1/5, DNF. Something about a kink with little girls and grown men spanking. No thanks. TW/CW: mentions domestic violence. Includes little girl/daddy sex role play.
Amelia Wilde - Cute story about pre-existing characters. Also extremely short. TW: pregnancy.
Meredith Wild/Chelle Bliss - 4/5 This was great until the really rushed ending. TW: infidelity.
Harloe Rae - 4/5 cute, mostly clean prequel.
Robin Covington - 1/5 This is a cliffhanger preview for her new book. Kind of a shameless attempt at hooking new readers.
Jenika Snow - 2/5 “You know I like when you act all afraid of me.” Not my kind of romance.
KA Linde - 3/5 I didn’t like the mmc in this. Also, a whole novel in a few dozen pages.
Ilsa Madden-Mills - 4/5
Melanie Moreland - 5/5 Loved this!!
Lucy Lennox - 4/5 M/M, mostly steamy scene, also a cute story.
Rina Kent - 1/5 bonus epilogue I didn’t understand because I haven’t read any of her books. There about 10 adults and 50 kids at a party, and the mmc talks about all of them, mostly complaining.
LB Dunbar - 4/5
Dylan Allen - 4/5 good story, but unedited.
Julia Kent - 4/5 TW: Discusses trauma, mentions gang rape and child abuse.
Brittney Sahin - 3/5 paranormal/special ops....
Brenda Rothert - 6/5
Susan Stoker - 3/5
Rachel van Dyken - 3/5
Lauren Rowe - 4/5
Samantha Chase - 1/5 It started out well, but turned into a whole novel in 37 pages. And the “my fulfilling job and wonderful friends mean nothing because I’m single” BS made me angry.
Heidi McLaughlin - 5/5 YA, cute, closed door romance.
Kelly Elliott - 5/5 teaser for new book, also works as a complete short story. TW: mentions death of spouse, infidelity, pregnancy.
Willow Winters - 4/5 New Adult Fiction
Debra Anastasia - 1/5 ridiculous antagonist, weird writing - when the author tells the reader, “Girl, sit down,” it’s not my kind of book.
Siobhan Davis - 1/5 like high school mobsters. Hard eye roll.
Roni Lauren - 4/5 MFM spicy
Claudia Burgoa - 2/5 for topic. TW: infertility and pregnancy.
Toni Aleo - 5/5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Blood
Minor: Death, Murder, Rape, Violence, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Grief, Gun violence, Infidelity, Pregnancy, and Child abuse
anovelglimpse's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
sad
tense
medium-paced
4.0
I feel kind of weird reviewing/rating an anthology that was released to support Ukraine, but I also know readers are bound to be curious about this massive compilation. I hate to admit it, but I didn't read every single story in this book. I am only reviewing the ones I read below.
She's the One by Helena Hunting - ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
If you have read and loved A Favor for a Favor you're going to love this novella. It's Shippy's brother Nolan and Stevie's friend. They meet at a game and cuteness takes over. I couldn't get enough and wanted more.
Expansion by Kate Canterbary - ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
I'll never get enough of Will and Shannon from The Cornerstone. This short and sweet novella reminded me why I love them so much. It also had me wanting a novella for Erin.
A Little Surprise by Katee Robert - ★ ★ ★
Neon Gods wasn't my favorite book by Robert, so I was surprised this novella wasn't my favorite. It was sweet but didn't endear me more to the characters.
Aveke by Tijan - ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Zeke from Rich Pric getting his own novella? Yes, please. I loved hating this guy so redeeming himself was pretty awesome. I loved his connection with Ava. I'm excited that Tijan's going to expand this to a longer story at some point.
Bonus Epilogue from Boyfriend Bargain by Ilsa Madden-Mills - ★ ★ ★ ★
It was fun being back with Sugar and Zach, but it also felt like a really long time since I had read this book and it wasn't fresh in my memory.
The Dance by Kandi Steiner - ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
This was a poem, and it was surprisingly sexy. Great imagery.
Beard in Hiding Extra Scene by Penny Reid - ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Ah, Diane and Jason. The couple I never knew I needed but love none the less. This little additional scene was perfection and made me want more of them.
Homecoming by Rebecca Yarros - ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
How is it Rebecca Yarros can make me fall in love with two characters in a short novella? I adored Braxton and Summer. I love a friends to more romance and this one hit the spot. It was a sweet taste. I need more!!! I want more!!! Can we please get this as a full length novel???
Hard Score by Rachel Van Dyken - ★ ★ ★ ★
I didn't know this couple because I haven't read the series, but I am more interested in it than I was before. I thought this was really sweet!
Love Letters by Jay Crownover - ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
JAY CROWNOVER! YOU KILL ME! This novella was FABULOUS. Like it was perfect as is, but I would read it as a full-length book so hard. Ani and Devlin were just amazing.
Twisted Bonus Scene by Ana Huang - ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
I haven't read Twisted Love, so I wasn't familiar with this couple. That didn't take my enjoyment out of this scene. It was so sweet and adorable.
Hacker in Love by Lauren Rowe - ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
WE FINALLY GET HANNAH BANANA MILLIKIN AND HENN'S STORY!!! This novella was such a delight. Hannah and Henn were a-freaking-dorable. I wouldn't be upset if Ms. Rowe wanted to expand this and turn it into a full-length novel. I couldn't get enough of this couple.
Taken by Moonlight by Pepper Winters - ★ ★ ★ ★
I haven't read this author before, but I've always been curious. This was the beginning of a dark romance she's going to release, and I found it intriguing. I might want to finish it once the entire thing is released.
The Last Ward Wedding by Karla Sorensen - ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
This was basically a couple of really sweet moment from Logan Ward's POV with his 4 sisters and then Paige. I loved it.
The Night We Met by Susannah Nix - ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Um... This was adorable! Two bookworms meeting at bar where both are reading? Yes, please. I just went and requested the book about Tanner and Lucy from my library.
Movie Night by Roni Loren - ★ ★ ★ ★
Oh, boy. I totally wasn't expecting this love-triangle piece. I loved the movie references.
Our New Forever by Claudia Burgoa - ★ ★ ★ ★
I am not familiar with this author or story, but this was a sweet epilogue-y type story. It made me interested in Leyla and Pierce's story. I might have to go back and read their book at some point.
Playhouse by Amo Jones - ★ ★ ★
It's been a while since I read one of Jones' books, so I gave this a try. It felt more like a sneak peek than a novella. It did make me a little curious about Parker and Ivy.
Room for Two by Sara Ney - ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
I LOVED this novella! Eva and Robert were an accidental match made in heaven. Who knew a pediatrician and a football player would be so adorable and fun? I would love to see this made into a full-length book.
Overall thoughts:
This was a great anthology with some really good novellas. Some weren't quite what I was hoping, but for the most part they had me wanting more.
You can find this review and others like it at A Novel Glimpse .
She's the One by Helena Hunting - ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
If you have read and loved A Favor for a Favor you're going to love this novella. It's Shippy's brother Nolan and Stevie's friend. They meet at a game and cuteness takes over. I couldn't get enough and wanted more.
Expansion by Kate Canterbary - ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
I'll never get enough of Will and Shannon from The Cornerstone. This short and sweet novella reminded me why I love them so much. It also had me wanting a novella for Erin.
A Little Surprise by Katee Robert - ★ ★ ★
Neon Gods wasn't my favorite book by Robert, so I was surprised this novella wasn't my favorite. It was sweet but didn't endear me more to the characters.
Aveke by Tijan - ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Zeke from Rich Pric getting his own novella? Yes, please. I loved hating this guy so redeeming himself was pretty awesome. I loved his connection with Ava. I'm excited that Tijan's going to expand this to a longer story at some point.
Bonus Epilogue from Boyfriend Bargain by Ilsa Madden-Mills - ★ ★ ★ ★
It was fun being back with Sugar and Zach, but it also felt like a really long time since I had read this book and it wasn't fresh in my memory.
The Dance by Kandi Steiner - ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
This was a poem, and it was surprisingly sexy. Great imagery.
Beard in Hiding Extra Scene by Penny Reid - ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Ah, Diane and Jason. The couple I never knew I needed but love none the less. This little additional scene was perfection and made me want more of them.
Homecoming by Rebecca Yarros - ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
How is it Rebecca Yarros can make me fall in love with two characters in a short novella? I adored Braxton and Summer. I love a friends to more romance and this one hit the spot. It was a sweet taste. I need more!!! I want more!!! Can we please get this as a full length novel???
Hard Score by Rachel Van Dyken - ★ ★ ★ ★
I didn't know this couple because I haven't read the series, but I am more interested in it than I was before. I thought this was really sweet!
Love Letters by Jay Crownover - ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
JAY CROWNOVER! YOU KILL ME! This novella was FABULOUS. Like it was perfect as is, but I would read it as a full-length book so hard. Ani and Devlin were just amazing.
Twisted Bonus Scene by Ana Huang - ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
I haven't read Twisted Love, so I wasn't familiar with this couple. That didn't take my enjoyment out of this scene. It was so sweet and adorable.
Hacker in Love by Lauren Rowe - ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
WE FINALLY GET HANNAH BANANA MILLIKIN AND HENN'S STORY!!! This novella was such a delight. Hannah and Henn were a-freaking-dorable. I wouldn't be upset if Ms. Rowe wanted to expand this and turn it into a full-length novel. I couldn't get enough of this couple.
Taken by Moonlight by Pepper Winters - ★ ★ ★ ★
I haven't read this author before, but I've always been curious. This was the beginning of a dark romance she's going to release, and I found it intriguing. I might want to finish it once the entire thing is released.
The Last Ward Wedding by Karla Sorensen - ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
This was basically a couple of really sweet moment from Logan Ward's POV with his 4 sisters and then Paige. I loved it.
The Night We Met by Susannah Nix - ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Um... This was adorable! Two bookworms meeting at bar where both are reading? Yes, please. I just went and requested the book about Tanner and Lucy from my library.
Movie Night by Roni Loren - ★ ★ ★ ★
Oh, boy. I totally wasn't expecting this love-triangle piece. I loved the movie references.
Our New Forever by Claudia Burgoa - ★ ★ ★ ★
I am not familiar with this author or story, but this was a sweet epilogue-y type story. It made me interested in Leyla and Pierce's story. I might have to go back and read their book at some point.
Playhouse by Amo Jones - ★ ★ ★
It's been a while since I read one of Jones' books, so I gave this a try. It felt more like a sneak peek than a novella. It did make me a little curious about Parker and Ivy.
Room for Two by Sara Ney - ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
I LOVED this novella! Eva and Robert were an accidental match made in heaven. Who knew a pediatrician and a football player would be so adorable and fun? I would love to see this made into a full-length book.
Overall thoughts:
This was a great anthology with some really good novellas. Some weren't quite what I was hoping, but for the most part they had me wanting more.
You can find this review and others like it at A Novel Glimpse .
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
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