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mcc004's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
socorro44's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
kangokaren's review
5.0
I loved this. Each story felt unique, true, and wonderful. I wanted more, but the stories all felt complete. I was laughing and cheering as I read. I found so much joy in reading this.
unicorn_stampede's review
emotional
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
My stars are based on my enjoyment not the quality.
Pros:
Pros:
- As romance isn't my main genre, I enjoyed the little sprinklings of fantasy or sci-fi universes into some stories.
- The characters were a diverse bunch and anyone who isn't aromantic or asexual should be able to find a story in here that resonates at least somewhat.
- I did actually ship some of the couples.
- This book was not a slog even though it's not my preferred genre and I'm clearly at least a decade (possibly two decades) older than the target audience.
Cons:
- I'm in my thirties and all of the characters in these stories are love stories of people in their teens. I think of them more as my children or students than as my peers. As a result,hearing about their physical attraction to each other was a bit uncomfortable. I prefer adult protagonists if I'm going to read romance.
- Truthfully, most of the characters were a little too insecure for my liking, but I believe that, again, is more a reflection of their age. We are clearly at different developmental levels. It's hard to remember that adolescent feeling of uncertainty and it annoys me in the context of romance. I like confidence.
- Too much angst. Again, no hate- I just don't relate. It would be a great book for someone who can.
polkadotgirl's review against another edition
3.0
3/5 stars:
As with all of the short story collections I pick up, this book had some stories that I really enjoyed and some I didn't. It was a little weak in the last few stories but it was a fun and quick read, nevertheless.
There was one story I really loved and that was And by Hannah Moskowitz. It was the only 5-star story of the book but it was a great 5-star.
As with all of the short story collections I pick up, this book had some stories that I really enjoyed and some I didn't. It was a little weak in the last few stories but it was a fun and quick read, nevertheless.
There was one story I really loved and that was And by Hannah Moskowitz. It was the only 5-star story of the book but it was a great 5-star.
redsilva95's review
3.0
Thank you to the publisher for giving me an ARC of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This collection features 15 short love stories with tons of diverse representation. Sorry in advance for the repeated words in the synopsis. As it happens with any anthology, I LOVED some and really didn't connect with others, here's my individual ratings on each story:
"Silver and Gold" by Natasha Ngan (3 ★)
Prompt: Snowed in Together
A girl has to face her feelings for her competitor in a high stakes competition.
"Five Stars" by Amy Spalding (4,5 ★)
Prompt: Mistaken Identity
A girl is mistaken for an app driver by her high school crush.
"Unfortunately, Blobs Do Not Eat Snacks" by Rebecca Kim Wells (1 ★)
Prompt: Kissing Under the Influence
Two witches are set on a quest and they might have feelings for each other.
"Edges" by Ashley Herring Blake (5 ★)
Prompt: The Grumpy One and the Soft One
Trying to navigate high school without her twin sister, a girl must come to terms with her feelings for a cute girl she's helping out with school.
"What Makes Us Heroes" by Julian Winters (4 ★)
Prompt: Hero vs. Villain
The son of superheroes is trying to get over his famous ex-boyfriend, and is aided by a former best friend who wants more than friendship.
"And" by Hannah Moskowitz (1 ★)
Prompt: Love Triangle
A girl is torn between her boyfriend and his new best friend. My least favorite of the collection. It has good intentions, but it was way melodramatic and I didn't care for any of the characters.
"My Best Friend's Girl" by Sara Farizan (1 ★)
Prompt: Best Friend's Girlfriend
A girl is interested in her superhero's best friend's girlfriend. This one was way too convenient for my taste.
"(Fairy)Like Attracts Like" by Claire Kann (3 ★)
Prompt: Mutual Pining
A girl with secret powers is working on a Disneyland-like camp and is afraid of what could happen if her crush finds out what she's been keeping.
"These Strings" by Lilliam Rivera (3 ★)
Prompt: Sibling's Hot Best Friend
Girl wants to take over creative control over her family's work with puppets while she's also falling head over heels for her brother's best friend. I thought the ending was rushed, but I liked it overall.
"The Passover Date" by Laura Silverman (5 ★)
Prompt: Fake Dating
My favorite one! A girl takes her ex-best friend to a family gathering and sparks fly.
"Bloom" by Rebecca Barrow (3,5 ★)
Prompt: Love Transcends Space Time
A girl travels back in time to kill her mother's killer, only to fall in love with his daughter. This one had beautiful flowery writing.
"Teed Up" by Gloria Chao (3 ★)
Prompt: Oblivious to Lovers
A girl who wants to be at the top of her golf game in a male-dominated sport is falling for a cute boy who's also her competition. Cute story, but I really don't like sports lol.
"Boys Noise" by Mason Deaver (5 ★)
Prompt: Only One Bed at the Inn
Two members of a famous boy band travels to NY to celebrate the birthday of one of them. Very cute and adorable, I loved this one.
"Girls Just Want to Have Fun" by Malinda Lo (5 ★)
Prompt: Secret Royalty
This was a scifi sweet romance between a hard working girl and a princess who's in disguise in order to have some fun.
"Disaster" by Rebecca Podos (1,5 ★)
Prompt: Second Chance Romance
It's 1999, and the end of the world might happen. In the meantime, two girls must work out their feelings for each other.
This collection features 15 short love stories with tons of diverse representation. Sorry in advance for the repeated words in the synopsis. As it happens with any anthology, I LOVED some and really didn't connect with others, here's my individual ratings on each story:
"Silver and Gold" by Natasha Ngan (3 ★)
Prompt: Snowed in Together
A girl has to face her feelings for her competitor in a high stakes competition.
"Five Stars" by Amy Spalding (4,5 ★)
Prompt: Mistaken Identity
A girl is mistaken for an app driver by her high school crush.
"Unfortunately, Blobs Do Not Eat Snacks" by Rebecca Kim Wells (1 ★)
Prompt: Kissing Under the Influence
Two witches are set on a quest and they might have feelings for each other.
"Edges" by Ashley Herring Blake (5 ★)
Prompt: The Grumpy One and the Soft One
Trying to navigate high school without her twin sister, a girl must come to terms with her feelings for a cute girl she's helping out with school.
"What Makes Us Heroes" by Julian Winters (4 ★)
Prompt: Hero vs. Villain
The son of superheroes is trying to get over his famous ex-boyfriend, and is aided by a former best friend who wants more than friendship.
"And" by Hannah Moskowitz (1 ★)
Prompt: Love Triangle
A girl is torn between her boyfriend and his new best friend. My least favorite of the collection. It has good intentions, but it was way melodramatic and I didn't care for any of the characters.
"My Best Friend's Girl" by Sara Farizan (1 ★)
Prompt: Best Friend's Girlfriend
A girl is interested in her superhero's best friend's girlfriend. This one was way too convenient for my taste.
"(Fairy)Like Attracts Like" by Claire Kann (3 ★)
Prompt: Mutual Pining
A girl with secret powers is working on a Disneyland-like camp and is afraid of what could happen if her crush finds out what she's been keeping.
"These Strings" by Lilliam Rivera (3 ★)
Prompt: Sibling's Hot Best Friend
Girl wants to take over creative control over her family's work with puppets while she's also falling head over heels for her brother's best friend. I thought the ending was rushed, but I liked it overall.
"The Passover Date" by Laura Silverman (5 ★)
Prompt: Fake Dating
My favorite one! A girl takes her ex-best friend to a family gathering and sparks fly.
"Bloom" by Rebecca Barrow (3,5 ★)
Prompt: Love Transcends Space Time
A girl travels back in time to kill her mother's killer, only to fall in love with his daughter. This one had beautiful flowery writing.
"Teed Up" by Gloria Chao (3 ★)
Prompt: Oblivious to Lovers
A girl who wants to be at the top of her golf game in a male-dominated sport is falling for a cute boy who's also her competition. Cute story, but I really don't like sports lol.
"Boys Noise" by Mason Deaver (5 ★)
Prompt: Only One Bed at the Inn
Two members of a famous boy band travels to NY to celebrate the birthday of one of them. Very cute and adorable, I loved this one.
"Girls Just Want to Have Fun" by Malinda Lo (5 ★)
Prompt: Secret Royalty
This was a scifi sweet romance between a hard working girl and a princess who's in disguise in order to have some fun.
"Disaster" by Rebecca Podos (1,5 ★)
Prompt: Second Chance Romance
It's 1999, and the end of the world might happen. In the meantime, two girls must work out their feelings for each other.
anaidelawless's review
3.0
So anthologies...I always fall for them hoping to find something special and at the and of the book I always question whether the time spent was worth it.
So the first story was okay and I was almost sure I was in for a disappointment. Then the next like five stories were amazing and I felt like I would finally give an anthology five stars...and then the streak kind of ended and the rest was mediocre...
However to end on a positive note, I really loved the short stories by Amy Spalding, Kim Wells, Ashley Herring Blake and Julian Winters.
So the first story was okay and I was almost sure I was in for a disappointment. Then the next like five stories were amazing and I felt like I would finally give an anthology five stars...and then the streak kind of ended and the rest was mediocre...
However to end on a positive note, I really loved the short stories by Amy Spalding, Kim Wells, Ashley Herring Blake and Julian Winters.
aldarakamey's review
5.0
This book was read thanks to NetGalley
I loved this anthology, it's a good mix of stories that literally have a good material for everyone.
Quick, cute and lovable love stories. I recommend this book to all the book lovers.
I loved this anthology, it's a good mix of stories that literally have a good material for everyone.
Quick, cute and lovable love stories. I recommend this book to all the book lovers.
vrybs's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5