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mxhermit's review
3.0
Collection Rating: 3.5 Stars
There's a lot of love and sex and beauty in this collection. Some of the stories had me wanting to read them again and some less so. There's heat levels for everyone, I think, that enjoys a little bit of steaminess to their romance stories.
In the Moonlight by Agay Llanera
Rating: 5 Stars
Caleb and Ezra are two of the most adorable boys I've read about in recent memory. Their story has everything: vacation romance, nerves, and what might be true love winning in the end. Caleb had to contend with coming to terms with feelings for someone he wasn't sure he ever see again. Ezra, though we don't hear things from his side, seemed to have to deal with potential feelings for an ex. Would he hold onto the past or would he look to the future with Caleb?
The writing was excellent and though it ends, it ends on a sweet note and smiles all around.
Come Full Circle by Bobbi Moran
Rating: 3 Stars
The story of unrequited love has potential for sadness and hurt. There was some of that in this tale, but there was also a nice enough ending wherein things blossomed over the years for Alana and Marion.
The reason this isn't rated higher is for a couple of reasons. Primarily, I felt the writing style was stilted and told in a manner that suggested Alana was relating this tale back to Marion when she no longer remembered it herself or had passed on. There was no such conclusion, though, so it turned out to just be an awkward storytelling style.
The second reason is that I didn't realize that Alana, unnamed up to a certain point, was female. Her character is introduced as playing Captain Von Trapp to Marion's Maria and without any other identifiers, I thought she was male. We only find out that their school was an all-girls academy at the end of the story, so I couldn't have used that to deduce Alana's gender.
The friendship was certainly enduring and the locales were nicely described. I wish some events had had more attention paid them, but overall it was an alright story.
Gorgeous by Motzie Dapul
Rating: 2.5 Stars
I can't decide if I liked this story very much or if it falls on the lower end of the scale for me. The writing was alright, perfectly adequate, but I didn't get a spark of interest while I was reading it.
The character whose point of view is our window into the story, I wasn't sure of her name even at the end of everything. There was one person, CJ, that called her mars, but that seemed more like a nickname or a pet name than her name with a capital N. Mars was an interestingly described character. She was plus size, sex positive, and her aesthetic was attractive (pink hair, unique hairstyle, piercings, etc.).
Jays, Mars's love interest, was the most complex character, I think. Apparently an old classmate of Mars, Jays had a certain manner in high school that was adverse to Mars and now, in their mid-20's, not realizing who she is, has fallen in love. Coming to terms with their feelings tugged a bit on my heartstrings and I wish we could have heard more from their point of view.
As much as I liked these two, I couldn't really get into Gorgeous. I didn't feel the soul of the story and while it might technically written well, it fell flat for me.
Shipping Included by Danice Sison
Rating: 5 Stars
Kiko was the best brother. He might be the type to tease Kyra, his sister, for her love of K-Pop, but he was supportive. He watches K-dramas with her, he gets into liking some of the songs and bands even! When Kyra wants to go to a mega K-pop concert, he protests at the price, but is impressed when Kyra is determined to get there by saving her allowance, even going so far as to take whatever side jobs he can so he can help her with the balance. Such a supportive sibling relationship was refreshing.
What I loved, besides the passion for K-pop that was evident, was that this was the story that brought in both points of view from the intended couple. It was easy to get into both Kiko and David's heads, see what they were thinking or feeling, whether it was working extra hard to give their sister a gift (Kiko) or embracing their kind-of-secret interests and sharing them with their niece (David).
There was so much energy in the writing, in creating KPOPOCALYPSE as the main setting, that I was brought back to the anime conventions that I attended until a couple years ago. It brought a smile to my face, feeling like I was immersing myself in that world once again.
Delubyo by Barbie Barbieto
Rating: 2.5 Stars
To start, I can tell this writing was not for me. The style is objectively good, but to my mind it didn't fully embrace the story it was trying to tell.
The author tells us that Pebbles has a policy regarding relationships, but it didn't feel like we saw that. It was more "tell tell tell". Whatever relationship Pebbles was intended to have with Gab in the end, it didn't feel fully formed. Her about face in terms of relationship length and intimacy was sudden and I didn't get the sense that it was authentic.
The Other Story by H. Bentham
Rating: 3 Stars
Marcus and Pablo's story was more than a little bit steamy. After meeting at a sex club, and hitting it off rather well, they find they have things in common and begin a long and seemingly lovely relationship.
It's clear that they're together for a long time and I think they were really nice. I think this story could have benefited from some more detail because the scope of their relationship was painted with broad strokes. It was the one story that I think I could have seen as being a full length novel and would have been pleased to see it.
I'll admit the sex scene made me a bit uncomfortable, but that has to do with my personal identity & preferences. It seemed well written and could be enjoyed by people who like their stories hot and steamy.
Blooms and Hues by Ella Banta
Rating: 4 Stars
I loved the visuals in Blooms and Hues. From the paper Pat used in his sketches to the endless kinds of flowers in Haya's shop and garden, the scenes unrolled before my eyes and enveloped me. Flowers, their scents and colors, are a powerful too in storytelling.
Things moved rather quickly and while that would usually be off putting, Pat and Haya didn't become the end all be all couple. The beginning is there and you could see how things might develop, but for now, a sweet beginning was all that was needed.
Another First by Yeyet Soriano
Rating: 2.5 Stars
Another First was another story in this collection that I found embraced the setting and described it beautifully. From Jesslyn and Lily Rose's zip lining adventure to the animal sanctuaries they visited, I enjoyed really seeing the locale and seeing how interested the characters were at the newness of it all.
That being said, the characters overall didn't appeal to me. The relationship difficulties that existed between Jess and Matt felt like they blew over and were resolved too easily, like it was a convenience that they weren't getting on well and Lily Rose was conveniently there to be a new love interest. They all three fell flat for me, though Lily Rose did have a bit more personality and uniqueness that the other two.
Luck From the Skies by Katt Briones
Rating: 2.5 Stars
A lot of stuff that went on in this story seemed to be crammed into a too small space. While the behind-the-scenes look at a reality competition and modeling work was interesting, the dates and the interactions between Asher and Chan afterwards felt like a little more time could've been put into developing a terrific story. It was hard to distinguish just how much time passed and thus had both the feeling of rushed into "love" and a bit of a dragging development.
The locations where the story started out and where the commercial shoot took place was a bit confusing. The running around, seemingly added for drama, was more confusing that atmospheric.
Asher and Chan could've been a really good couple to read about, but I rather felt that they were okay.
Lemon Drop Friday by Brigitte Bautista
Rating: 5 Stars
I don't like bars and yet, the author's description of Tala's work place had me giving seconds thoughts to the idea. The atmosphere was perfect for a lively Friday night place and the bar food sounded delicious. Even Tala's cooking: maple bacon and chocolate chip pancakes, anyone? Yum.
The tension following the Friday night in question made me sad rather than frustrated. Tala's position was understandable, but it was also hurting Liv, so Tala's confusion was understandable. Short as this story was, I was engaged with these women and loved their energy, despite the sad circumstances in the middle.
The ending, the vision of couch cuddles and breakfasts to come, was sweet. Maybe I'll even try a Lemon Drop sometime. ;)
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
There's a lot of love and sex and beauty in this collection. Some of the stories had me wanting to read them again and some less so. There's heat levels for everyone, I think, that enjoys a little bit of steaminess to their romance stories.
In the Moonlight by Agay Llanera
Rating: 5 Stars
Caleb and Ezra are two of the most adorable boys I've read about in recent memory. Their story has everything: vacation romance, nerves, and what might be true love winning in the end. Caleb had to contend with coming to terms with feelings for someone he wasn't sure he ever see again. Ezra, though we don't hear things from his side, seemed to have to deal with potential feelings for an ex. Would he hold onto the past or would he look to the future with Caleb?
The writing was excellent and though it ends, it ends on a sweet note and smiles all around.
Come Full Circle by Bobbi Moran
Rating: 3 Stars
The story of unrequited love has potential for sadness and hurt. There was some of that in this tale, but there was also a nice enough ending wherein things blossomed over the years for Alana and Marion.
The reason this isn't rated higher is for a couple of reasons. Primarily, I felt the writing style was stilted and told in a manner that suggested Alana was relating this tale back to Marion when she no longer remembered it herself or had passed on. There was no such conclusion, though, so it turned out to just be an awkward storytelling style.
The second reason is that I didn't realize that Alana, unnamed up to a certain point, was female. Her character is introduced as playing Captain Von Trapp to Marion's Maria and without any other identifiers, I thought she was male. We only find out that their school was an all-girls academy at the end of the story, so I couldn't have used that to deduce Alana's gender.
The friendship was certainly enduring and the locales were nicely described. I wish some events had had more attention paid them, but overall it was an alright story.
Gorgeous by Motzie Dapul
Rating: 2.5 Stars
I can't decide if I liked this story very much or if it falls on the lower end of the scale for me. The writing was alright, perfectly adequate, but I didn't get a spark of interest while I was reading it.
The character whose point of view is our window into the story, I wasn't sure of her name even at the end of everything. There was one person, CJ, that called her mars, but that seemed more like a nickname or a pet name than her name with a capital N. Mars was an interestingly described character. She was plus size, sex positive, and her aesthetic was attractive (pink hair, unique hairstyle, piercings, etc.).
Jays, Mars's love interest, was the most complex character, I think. Apparently an old classmate of Mars, Jays had a certain manner in high school that was adverse to Mars and now, in their mid-20's, not realizing who she is, has fallen in love. Coming to terms with their feelings tugged a bit on my heartstrings and I wish we could have heard more from their point of view.
As much as I liked these two, I couldn't really get into Gorgeous. I didn't feel the soul of the story and while it might technically written well, it fell flat for me.
Shipping Included by Danice Sison
Rating: 5 Stars
Kiko was the best brother. He might be the type to tease Kyra, his sister, for her love of K-Pop, but he was supportive. He watches K-dramas with her, he gets into liking some of the songs and bands even! When Kyra wants to go to a mega K-pop concert, he protests at the price, but is impressed when Kyra is determined to get there by saving her allowance, even going so far as to take whatever side jobs he can so he can help her with the balance. Such a supportive sibling relationship was refreshing.
What I loved, besides the passion for K-pop that was evident, was that this was the story that brought in both points of view from the intended couple. It was easy to get into both Kiko and David's heads, see what they were thinking or feeling, whether it was working extra hard to give their sister a gift (Kiko) or embracing their kind-of-secret interests and sharing them with their niece (David).
There was so much energy in the writing, in creating KPOPOCALYPSE as the main setting, that I was brought back to the anime conventions that I attended until a couple years ago. It brought a smile to my face, feeling like I was immersing myself in that world once again.
Delubyo by Barbie Barbieto
Rating: 2.5 Stars
To start, I can tell this writing was not for me. The style is objectively good, but to my mind it didn't fully embrace the story it was trying to tell.
The author tells us that Pebbles has a policy regarding relationships, but it didn't feel like we saw that. It was more "tell tell tell". Whatever relationship Pebbles was intended to have with Gab in the end, it didn't feel fully formed. Her about face in terms of relationship length and intimacy was sudden and I didn't get the sense that it was authentic.
The Other Story by H. Bentham
Rating: 3 Stars
Marcus and Pablo's story was more than a little bit steamy. After meeting at a sex club, and hitting it off rather well, they find they have things in common and begin a long and seemingly lovely relationship.
It's clear that they're together for a long time and I think they were really nice. I think this story could have benefited from some more detail because the scope of their relationship was painted with broad strokes. It was the one story that I think I could have seen as being a full length novel and would have been pleased to see it.
I'll admit the sex scene made me a bit uncomfortable, but that has to do with my personal identity & preferences. It seemed well written and could be enjoyed by people who like their stories hot and steamy.
Blooms and Hues by Ella Banta
Rating: 4 Stars
I loved the visuals in Blooms and Hues. From the paper Pat used in his sketches to the endless kinds of flowers in Haya's shop and garden, the scenes unrolled before my eyes and enveloped me. Flowers, their scents and colors, are a powerful too in storytelling.
Things moved rather quickly and while that would usually be off putting, Pat and Haya didn't become the end all be all couple. The beginning is there and you could see how things might develop, but for now, a sweet beginning was all that was needed.
Another First by Yeyet Soriano
Rating: 2.5 Stars
Another First was another story in this collection that I found embraced the setting and described it beautifully. From Jesslyn and Lily Rose's zip lining adventure to the animal sanctuaries they visited, I enjoyed really seeing the locale and seeing how interested the characters were at the newness of it all.
That being said, the characters overall didn't appeal to me. The relationship difficulties that existed between Jess and Matt felt like they blew over and were resolved too easily, like it was a convenience that they weren't getting on well and Lily Rose was conveniently there to be a new love interest. They all three fell flat for me, though Lily Rose did have a bit more personality and uniqueness that the other two.
Luck From the Skies by Katt Briones
Rating: 2.5 Stars
A lot of stuff that went on in this story seemed to be crammed into a too small space. While the behind-the-scenes look at a reality competition and modeling work was interesting, the dates and the interactions between Asher and Chan afterwards felt like a little more time could've been put into developing a terrific story. It was hard to distinguish just how much time passed and thus had both the feeling of rushed into "love" and a bit of a dragging development.
The locations where the story started out and where the commercial shoot took place was a bit confusing. The running around, seemingly added for drama, was more confusing that atmospheric.
Asher and Chan could've been a really good couple to read about, but I rather felt that they were okay.
Lemon Drop Friday by Brigitte Bautista
Rating: 5 Stars
I don't like bars and yet, the author's description of Tala's work place had me giving seconds thoughts to the idea. The atmosphere was perfect for a lively Friday night place and the bar food sounded delicious. Even Tala's cooking: maple bacon and chocolate chip pancakes, anyone? Yum.
The tension following the Friday night in question made me sad rather than frustrated. Tala's position was understandable, but it was also hurting Liv, so Tala's confusion was understandable. Short as this story was, I was engaged with these women and loved their energy, despite the sad circumstances in the middle.
The ending, the vision of couch cuddles and breakfasts to come, was sweet. Maybe I'll even try a Lemon Drop sometime. ;)
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
kjcharles's review
A collection of #romanceclass LGBT+ shorts of first meetings. I tend to feel that romance is hard to pull off at short length given the fun is in the build up and elaboration of characters, but I am also a total sucker for the UST-to-first-kiss part and some of these stories got it terrifically.
I bought this for the m/m Ajay Llanera story that gives Caleb of Another Word for Happy his HEA *happy sigh*, but the whole antho is worth your time. I particularly liked 'Gorgeous' by Motzie Dapul (f/nb about the fat misfit and the cool kid who hated her meeting many years later without recognition--emotional, fat positive, and honest about how horrible teenagers are and how we change); Lemon Drop Friday by Brigitte Bautista (f/f friends to lovers with two fairly edgy hard-drinking leads, lovely writing); Another First by Yeyet Soriano (f/f where the heroine starts off in a two year relationship with her boyfriend and the consequences are beautifully worked out).
Admirably varied collection--loads of f/f, loads of bi rep, a nonbinary lead. Mostly low heat or off page sex but the H Bentham in particular is scorchio. Overall a strong collection, and it's fab to see more queer stories from this remarkable author collective.
I bought this for the m/m Ajay Llanera story that gives Caleb of Another Word for Happy his HEA *happy sigh*, but the whole antho is worth your time. I particularly liked 'Gorgeous' by Motzie Dapul (f/nb about the fat misfit and the cool kid who hated her meeting many years later without recognition--emotional, fat positive, and honest about how horrible teenagers are and how we change); Lemon Drop Friday by Brigitte Bautista (f/f friends to lovers with two fairly edgy hard-drinking leads, lovely writing); Another First by Yeyet Soriano (f/f where the heroine starts off in a two year relationship with her boyfriend and the consequences are beautifully worked out).
Admirably varied collection--loads of f/f, loads of bi rep, a nonbinary lead. Mostly low heat or off page sex but the H Bentham in particular is scorchio. Overall a strong collection, and it's fab to see more queer stories from this remarkable author collective.
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