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3.58 AVERAGE
3.58 AVERAGE
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
all the stories were so cute and creative my only critique is that i wish they went on longer
lighthearted
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Ok, so, as always with anthologies, the rating does not apply to ALL of the stories. But dear me, the ones that were good were REALLY GOOD.
My faves:
Print Shop, Nina LaCour
Hourglass, Ibi Zoboi
Oomph, Emery Lord
Something Real, Julie Murphy
Overall, good mix of lesbian and straight couples! No gays? Which is surprising, but whatever. It wasn’t 13 straight couples and a token lgbt, which was NICE.
Overall, I definitely recommend the book. If you just want the gems, stick to the ones I listed above.
My faves:
Print Shop, Nina LaCour
Hourglass, Ibi Zoboi
Oomph, Emery Lord
Something Real, Julie Murphy
Overall, good mix of lesbian and straight couples! No gays? Which is surprising, but whatever. It wasn’t 13 straight couples and a token lgbt, which was NICE.
Overall, I definitely recommend the book. If you just want the gems, stick to the ones I listed above.
Sweet, fluffy romance! I love imagining meet-cutes in real life. There's a fairly good amount of diversity in this book: a few different genres, a few different sexualities, a lot of different ethnicities. There was a LOT of girl-girl romance, which was fine (don't get me wrong, there's absolutely no problem with that!! I have no problem with it!! I loved reading the stories with it!!) but I thought it was interesting because there wasn't a single boy-boy story. I guess I thought maybe it wasn't as rounded out as it could be? But as far as I know, none of the authors are men either (which again, is absolutely not a problem!! I'm all for women authors!! I just thought it was interesting that none were included in this collection!). That's all. Overall it was a fun collection. None of the stories really stood out as AMAZING, but also none of them were super crappy so definitely a solid read!!
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
lighthearted
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
N/A
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I loved this book, each short story was perfectly sized, not too long or not too short. All stories have potential to be an awesome longer story. My favorite was the story with the red coil connecting soul mates
so many passages of this book made me sit and ponder 💙
so many passages of this book made me sit and ponder 💙
The 'meet cute' is my favorite part of a rom-com, maybe even more than the HEA. So this anthology of 'meet cute' short stories was right up my alley.
As with most anthologies, the quality is uneven. A few of the stories were a little too obvious or odd (but not in a good way) or a bit boring. But many were fun and sweet. My favorites were Click and Oomph. I also liked Hourglass but the ending was much too abrupt.
As with most anthologies, the quality is uneven. A few of the stories were a little too obvious or odd (but not in a good way) or a bit boring. But many were fun and sweet. My favorites were Click and Oomph. I also liked Hourglass but the ending was much too abrupt.
Siege Etiquette: 2/5
Print Shop: 2.5/5
Hourglass: 2.5/5
Click: 5/5 (loved this one)
Somewhere that's green: 4/5
The way we love here: 2/5
Oomph: 5/5
The dictionary of you and me: 5/5
The unlikely livelihood of falling in love: 5/5
259 million miles: 4/5 (this one was sad)
Something real: 2/5
Say everything: 3/5
The Department of Dead Love: 2/5
Most of the stories were okay, and some I loved. Mostly it read like the beginnings of different stories, because of this some felt like insta-love, which I didn't enjoy very much. But there were ones that were reaaaally good.
Print Shop: 2.5/5
Hourglass: 2.5/5
Click: 5/5 (loved this one)
Somewhere that's green: 4/5
The way we love here: 2/5
Oomph: 5/5
The dictionary of you and me: 5/5
The unlikely livelihood of falling in love: 5/5
259 million miles: 4/5 (this one was sad)
Something real: 2/5
Say everything: 3/5
The Department of Dead Love: 2/5
Most of the stories were okay, and some I loved. Mostly it read like the beginnings of different stories, because of this some felt like insta-love, which I didn't enjoy very much. But there were ones that were reaaaally good.
Average rating: 3.2/5
My rating: 3/5
This had such high points and low points, which is exactly how I feel after every single anthology I read. I think the concept of this whole collection was nice, but I would have liked a couple more stories from male perspectives - and a m/m story perhaps? Don't get me wrong, I loved how many f/f stories were in this, but I think it could have benefited from some other narrators. But let's get into my specific feelings on all 14 stories.
Breakdown of the stories:
Siege Etiquette by Katie Cotugno - 2/5
A very odd way to start the collection. I think the second person was a bit strange, but I adjusted. However, there was a very cavalier use of cheating that definitely didn't endear me to the characters.
Print Shop by Nina LaCour - 3.5/5
I will always adore Nina's writing. This had a very cute, romance vibe, which is exactly what I was looking for in this collection. It was nice to see a super rom com set up for two girls falling in love (in this instance, falling for each other over Twitter in the midst of customer service frustrations). The POV shift was a bit strange, but still an overall solid story.
Hourglass by Ibi Zoboi - 3/5
I thought this did a great job of tackling issues like body image, coming from a poor family, and college prep, but I felt like the best friend relationship was very lackluster in how it was dealt with. Also, the meet cute itself left me wanting more.
Click by Katharine McGee - 4/5
Such a cute story. I may have been in a particular mood for reading this, considering I had just barely watched the "Don't Hang the DJ" episode of Black Mirror, but I felt like the dating app aspect worked perfectly. Also, a big fan of the split POV. It definitely helped me to know BOTH of the characters more, and to feel more invested in their meet cute.
The Intern by Sara Shepard - 3/5
This was cute, but overall just rushed. I felt like none of the emotional punches were really earned, because I didn't get enough of a chance to know the characters and be impacted by the things they had gone through. The relationship also felt very rushed.
Somewhere That's Green by Meredith Russo - 4/5
I loved this story, and I love Meredith Russo. This was f/f, and it was also split POV. One of the POV characters was a trans girl, and the other was a closeted lesbian, and they both wind up being cast in their high school production of Little Shop of Horrors. This tackles some huge stuff, especially transphobia, but I thought it did it all beautifully and also managed to fit in a wonderful meet cute. It's possible I was even more charmed by this considering my sister is currently in her school's production of Little Shop, but it is what it is.
The Way We Love Here by Dhonielle Clayton - 4/5
This has a really magical vibe and I enjoyed that aspect. I think there is a huge amount of skill involved in worldbuilding within a short story, which Dhonielle absolutely pulled off. This covers years and years of a relationship, and it doesn't feel rushed or forced in any way, which is so impressive.
Oomph by Emery Lord - 5/5
CLEARLY my favorite of the entire collection. This was perfect in every way. Give me a full novel about these two amazing girls meeting in an airport and falling for each other, seriously. I have never read anything by Emery Lord before, but I will definitely be checking out more of her books after reading this.
The Dictionary of You and Me by Jennifer L. Armentrout - 2/5
I think my overall review of this was that I just didn't care? I didn't care about the characters, the story, the stakes, etc. I spent most of the time rolling my eyes. It was a stumbling block in the middle of a really solid run of stories and I just didn't care for it.
The Unlikely Likelihood of Falling in Love by Jocelyn Davies - 3.5/5
This was absolutely ridiculous, but I was still super charmed by it. I mean the concept - seeing someone on the subway and falling instantly in love, then using an AP statistics assignment to track them down again - is absurd, but I loved the way it was written. I don't know how this one got me, but it did.
259 Million Miles by Kass Morgan - 2/5
This was the first story to have a solely male POV, and I really wish it had been stronger. I think this tried to tackle way too much in a limited amount of space, and the love interest was laughably one-dimensional. Also, with how this ended, I don't know if I would really consider this a meet cute?
Something Real by Julie Murphy - 3.5/5
I'm giving out huge points to a great concept right here. I mean, it was solid. I thought it tried a little too hard with the emotional stuff near the beginning, but by the end I was grinning ear to ear.
Say Everything by Huntley Fitzpatrick - 2/5
I read this earlier today and I've already forgotten what it was even about... Yikes, let me go look back at it. Ah, yes. Ok, this one tried to tackle like a hundred deep, emotional issues, and I don't think it really managed any of them well. It was a really bizarre concept that I don't really think worked. And, apparently, it's a bit forgettable.
The Department of Dead Love by Nicola Yoon - 3/5
I thought the worldbuilding of this was absolutely incredible. If you want to know what it takes to build a totally new world in the space of a short story, I recommend checking this out. However, I think the relationship itself was a little weak. This is the only other story with a solely male POV, but I just wasn't very invested in him or the new relationship that was happening.
And that's it, those are my thoughts on Meet Cute. If you like anthologies, I think this is a pretty solid, standard YA anthology, but expect the highs with the lows. My favorite aspect of this book was the diversity, and the sheer number of f/f stories. It was really appreciated, especially in an anthology like this where it was just cute and romantic and simple. Ladies falling in love don't usually get that sort of story in mainstream YA, and I loved how many got the chance to in this collection.
*Thanks to the publishers who provided me with a copy of this book through Netgalley*
My rating: 3/5
This had such high points and low points, which is exactly how I feel after every single anthology I read. I think the concept of this whole collection was nice, but I would have liked a couple more stories from male perspectives - and a m/m story perhaps? Don't get me wrong, I loved how many f/f stories were in this, but I think it could have benefited from some other narrators. But let's get into my specific feelings on all 14 stories.
Breakdown of the stories:
Siege Etiquette by Katie Cotugno - 2/5
A very odd way to start the collection. I think the second person was a bit strange, but I adjusted. However, there was a very cavalier use of cheating that definitely didn't endear me to the characters.
Print Shop by Nina LaCour - 3.5/5
I will always adore Nina's writing. This had a very cute, romance vibe, which is exactly what I was looking for in this collection. It was nice to see a super rom com set up for two girls falling in love (in this instance, falling for each other over Twitter in the midst of customer service frustrations). The POV shift was a bit strange, but still an overall solid story.
Hourglass by Ibi Zoboi - 3/5
I thought this did a great job of tackling issues like body image, coming from a poor family, and college prep, but I felt like the best friend relationship was very lackluster in how it was dealt with. Also, the meet cute itself left me wanting more.
Click by Katharine McGee - 4/5
Such a cute story. I may have been in a particular mood for reading this, considering I had just barely watched the "Don't Hang the DJ" episode of Black Mirror, but I felt like the dating app aspect worked perfectly. Also, a big fan of the split POV. It definitely helped me to know BOTH of the characters more, and to feel more invested in their meet cute.
The Intern by Sara Shepard - 3/5
This was cute, but overall just rushed. I felt like none of the emotional punches were really earned, because I didn't get enough of a chance to know the characters and be impacted by the things they had gone through. The relationship also felt very rushed.
Somewhere That's Green by Meredith Russo - 4/5
I loved this story, and I love Meredith Russo. This was f/f, and it was also split POV. One of the POV characters was a trans girl, and the other was a closeted lesbian, and they both wind up being cast in their high school production of Little Shop of Horrors. This tackles some huge stuff, especially transphobia, but I thought it did it all beautifully and also managed to fit in a wonderful meet cute. It's possible I was even more charmed by this considering my sister is currently in her school's production of Little Shop, but it is what it is.
The Way We Love Here by Dhonielle Clayton - 4/5
This has a really magical vibe and I enjoyed that aspect. I think there is a huge amount of skill involved in worldbuilding within a short story, which Dhonielle absolutely pulled off. This covers years and years of a relationship, and it doesn't feel rushed or forced in any way, which is so impressive.
Oomph by Emery Lord - 5/5
CLEARLY my favorite of the entire collection. This was perfect in every way. Give me a full novel about these two amazing girls meeting in an airport and falling for each other, seriously. I have never read anything by Emery Lord before, but I will definitely be checking out more of her books after reading this.
The Dictionary of You and Me by Jennifer L. Armentrout - 2/5
I think my overall review of this was that I just didn't care? I didn't care about the characters, the story, the stakes, etc. I spent most of the time rolling my eyes. It was a stumbling block in the middle of a really solid run of stories and I just didn't care for it.
The Unlikely Likelihood of Falling in Love by Jocelyn Davies - 3.5/5
This was absolutely ridiculous, but I was still super charmed by it. I mean the concept - seeing someone on the subway and falling instantly in love, then using an AP statistics assignment to track them down again - is absurd, but I loved the way it was written. I don't know how this one got me, but it did.
259 Million Miles by Kass Morgan - 2/5
This was the first story to have a solely male POV, and I really wish it had been stronger. I think this tried to tackle way too much in a limited amount of space, and the love interest was laughably one-dimensional. Also, with how this ended, I don't know if I would really consider this a meet cute?
Something Real by Julie Murphy - 3.5/5
I'm giving out huge points to a great concept right here. I mean, it was solid. I thought it tried a little too hard with the emotional stuff near the beginning, but by the end I was grinning ear to ear.
Say Everything by Huntley Fitzpatrick - 2/5
I read this earlier today and I've already forgotten what it was even about... Yikes, let me go look back at it. Ah, yes. Ok, this one tried to tackle like a hundred deep, emotional issues, and I don't think it really managed any of them well. It was a really bizarre concept that I don't really think worked. And, apparently, it's a bit forgettable.
The Department of Dead Love by Nicola Yoon - 3/5
I thought the worldbuilding of this was absolutely incredible. If you want to know what it takes to build a totally new world in the space of a short story, I recommend checking this out. However, I think the relationship itself was a little weak. This is the only other story with a solely male POV, but I just wasn't very invested in him or the new relationship that was happening.
And that's it, those are my thoughts on Meet Cute. If you like anthologies, I think this is a pretty solid, standard YA anthology, but expect the highs with the lows. My favorite aspect of this book was the diversity, and the sheer number of f/f stories. It was really appreciated, especially in an anthology like this where it was just cute and romantic and simple. Ladies falling in love don't usually get that sort of story in mainstream YA, and I loved how many got the chance to in this collection.
*Thanks to the publishers who provided me with a copy of this book through Netgalley*