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roshreviews's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.0
In a Nutshell: An anthology of lesbian romances set around Christmas. A good collection for the right reader. Unfortunately, many of these weren’t my kind of romance stories, so please take this review with a pinch of salt.
This anthology has eleven stories of Sapphic love connections written by lesbian fiction writers. I never pick up a romance anthology because the genre is a mixed bag for me. What made me opt for this book was one magic phrase in the blurb: “Curries in India.” A lesbian love story set during an Indian Christmas? The curiosity of this Indian Christian was immediately piqued!
What worked for me is the intent and the approach of the collection. The collection is diverse in terms of inclusivity as well as cultural setting, with the stories being set in Australia, England, India, Jamaica, South Africa and Germany amid other locations. Most of the stories, except one (which is about Chanukkah), are set around Christmas time. The themes are also varied, with some stories being lighthearted and other being more sombre. Authenticity of voice is not an issue at all, thanks to the background of the authors. The beautiful cover is the perfect representation of the heterogeneity of the tales.
Where the collection didn’t suit my reading palate is in the writing style and romantic content of a few of the tales. The tagline promises a ‘flirty’ anthology, so I knew there would be oodles of romance herein. But many of the tales had almost insta romances, and one even went too steamy – both of which aren’t what I enjoy reading. Moreover, there is a distinct YA flavour to quite a few tales, again something that isn’t my cup of tea. Because of the YA and insta love factor, the emotions felt somewhat superficial and light-hearted, even when the plot itself was emotionally charged.
As always, I rated the stories individually, but most of the tales ended up on the mid-range of the scale, not because the tales were bad, but because they didn’t suit my reading preferences. My favourite story was Sheryn Munir’s ‘Mask’, which not only was a touching story of closeted lesbian feelings but also had a beautifully representation of an Indian Christmas celebration. I relished the experience of seeing a Christmas tale where holiday food included delicacies like mutton cutlets, fish fry, onion salad, and rose cookies. The traditions of family carol singing and exchanging Christmas sweets with all neighbours – Christians and otherwise – also finds a mention. Indian Christians rarely get a fair representation (if at all we are represented) in fiction, even by Indian writers, so this story made me feel seen.
All in all, this isn’t a bad collection, but I wasn’t the right reader for it. If you enjoy more YA-style romances, and don’t mind insta attraction, you might like this better. I am just going hit the midway rating for this one as the lack of connect was mostly due to my romance-reading tastes.
3 stars.
My thanks to Ylva Publishing and NetGalley for the DRC of “Language of Love”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.
This anthology has eleven stories of Sapphic love connections written by lesbian fiction writers. I never pick up a romance anthology because the genre is a mixed bag for me. What made me opt for this book was one magic phrase in the blurb: “Curries in India.” A lesbian love story set during an Indian Christmas? The curiosity of this Indian Christian was immediately piqued!
What worked for me is the intent and the approach of the collection. The collection is diverse in terms of inclusivity as well as cultural setting, with the stories being set in Australia, England, India, Jamaica, South Africa and Germany amid other locations. Most of the stories, except one (which is about Chanukkah), are set around Christmas time. The themes are also varied, with some stories being lighthearted and other being more sombre. Authenticity of voice is not an issue at all, thanks to the background of the authors. The beautiful cover is the perfect representation of the heterogeneity of the tales.
Where the collection didn’t suit my reading palate is in the writing style and romantic content of a few of the tales. The tagline promises a ‘flirty’ anthology, so I knew there would be oodles of romance herein. But many of the tales had almost insta romances, and one even went too steamy – both of which aren’t what I enjoy reading. Moreover, there is a distinct YA flavour to quite a few tales, again something that isn’t my cup of tea. Because of the YA and insta love factor, the emotions felt somewhat superficial and light-hearted, even when the plot itself was emotionally charged.
As always, I rated the stories individually, but most of the tales ended up on the mid-range of the scale, not because the tales were bad, but because they didn’t suit my reading preferences. My favourite story was Sheryn Munir’s ‘Mask’, which not only was a touching story of closeted lesbian feelings but also had a beautifully representation of an Indian Christmas celebration. I relished the experience of seeing a Christmas tale where holiday food included delicacies like mutton cutlets, fish fry, onion salad, and rose cookies. The traditions of family carol singing and exchanging Christmas sweets with all neighbours – Christians and otherwise – also finds a mention. Indian Christians rarely get a fair representation (if at all we are represented) in fiction, even by Indian writers, so this story made me feel seen.
All in all, this isn’t a bad collection, but I wasn’t the right reader for it. If you enjoy more YA-style romances, and don’t mind insta attraction, you might like this better. I am just going hit the midway rating for this one as the lack of connect was mostly due to my romance-reading tastes.
3 stars.
My thanks to Ylva Publishing and NetGalley for the DRC of “Language of Love”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.
sarah984's review against another edition
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.0
As with most anthologies, this one's a bit hit or miss. I loved the concept, with each story featuring different holiday traditions from around the world. The best stories were sweet and fun, but some of the others were weirdly violent or felt pointless. One wasn't even a romance, which is kind of a weird choice.
Favourites: Mask by Sheryn Munir and Grand Market Bliss by Fiona Zedde
Favourites: Mask by Sheryn Munir and Grand Market Bliss by Fiona Zedde
Content Warnings
Graphic: Car accident
Moderate: Fatphobia and Dementia
Minor: Injury/Injury detail, Mass/school shootings, Classism, Death of parent, Religious bigotry, Sexual harassment, Child death, Grief, Gun violence, Violence, Medical content, Toxic relationship, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Pregnancy, and Sexual content
Weirdly detailed descriptions of dental work in one story.jmontg18's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.0
sarah_bell's review against another edition
medium-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
3.0
kimily's review against another edition
5.0
This is my first experience with all of these authors, and I am very impressed. I appreciate the fact that each story was based in a different country, and highlighted different traditions. My favorite story in the collection is the very first one, The Friend by Lee Winter. The story did not center around a romance, but rather the reckoning between the protagonist and her elderly aunt. By the time I finished the story, I had tears in my eyes, and couldn't wait to read the remainder of the book. I look forward to reading more books by these authors.
elvang's review against another edition
4.0
Enjoyed the majority of these short stories, many written by new and old favourite authors.
Highlights for me were Lee Winter’s peek into a dysfunctional family Christmas dinner and childhood friends meeting when one is home for Christmas in India by Sheryn Muir.
I loved spending time in a wee Wales community with Jody Klaire. I also enjoyed stories by Cheyenne Blue, Lola Keeley, Fiona Zedde and Andrea Bramhall.
Can’t say there is a weak story in the bunch. I especially enjoyed the holidays around the world aspect to this collection. From deep snow to sweltering heat, this was an anthology to remember.
Highlights for me were Lee Winter’s peek into a dysfunctional family Christmas dinner and childhood friends meeting when one is home for Christmas in India by Sheryn Muir.
I loved spending time in a wee Wales community with Jody Klaire. I also enjoyed stories by Cheyenne Blue, Lola Keeley, Fiona Zedde and Andrea Bramhall.
Can’t say there is a weak story in the bunch. I especially enjoyed the holidays around the world aspect to this collection. From deep snow to sweltering heat, this was an anthology to remember.
verumsolum's review
4.0
A really good collection of stories set at the holidays. Most of them were set geographically in places where December weather is warmer than the Canadian winters of my childhood. A good variety.
I enjoyed all the stories and only quibble with two of the selections. One, the holidays were SO incidental to the story that it didn’t feel to me like it belonged in this collection; the other, there were at least two spots were a copy editor could have fixed an incorrect word.
Even with that, I think I want to remember to pick this up again to read in the holiday season.
I enjoyed all the stories and only quibble with two of the selections. One, the holidays were SO incidental to the story that it didn’t feel to me like it belonged in this collection; the other, there were at least two spots were a copy editor could have fixed an incorrect word.
Even with that, I think I want to remember to pick this up again to read in the holiday season.
lunatic_jg's review
4.0
.
I enjoyed this anthology since it had stories written by some of my favourite writers, and I enjoyed the diversity of it all but there weren't many stories that really got me invested or made me wish I could read more about the main characters. I think my favourite stories were “Love Just Is” by Jody Klaire, “Paula Gets a Pony Ranch” by Patricia Penn and “The Night Before Christmas—a Cumbrian Tale” by Andrea Bramhall
I enjoyed this anthology since it had stories written by some of my favourite writers, and I enjoyed the diversity of it all but there weren't many stories that really got me invested or made me wish I could read more about the main characters. I think my favourite stories were “Love Just Is” by Jody Klaire, “Paula Gets a Pony Ranch” by Patricia Penn and “The Night Before Christmas—a Cumbrian Tale” by Andrea Bramhall
wc4's review
4.0
3.5 to 4*. As with any short story collection, there's bound to be some that one likes over others. It's the same with this anthology. But I count it as a win when I do enjoy majority of the stories. The rest are okay, nothing bad, just did not resonate with me as much as the others.