Reviews

"One more step would mean certain death . . ."

Give twenty-six writers the task of creating a story from the same first sentence and you get a twenty-five unique and creative shorts. Some that are encapsulated mini-stories all to themselves and some that leave you wondering where the rest of the story is because you need to read it RIGHT NOW!

I picked up One More Step since a couple of my favorite authors had entries and was pleasantly surprised to find some new-to-me authors to add to my TBR.

Overall Rating: 4 stars

A Meet Cute and Other Natural Disasters by Emma Scott 5 stars
"I leaned in and her eyes shut tight as I kissed her, as if she were making a wish. The deepest wish of her heart—and mine—and I vowed, then and there, I’d find a way to make it come true."
Fun, tropical-themed escape with heat and humor. I'm definitely going to me looking up some Emma Scott books to add to my TBR.

Something Like Kismet by Ginger Scott 3.5 stars
Cute YA romance.

Love at First Fight by K.L. Grayson 3.5 stars
"This was completely unexpected. He was completely unexpected."
A fun meet-cute with a heroine full of moxy. I'll be looking up some K.L. Grayson to add to my TBR.

First Flight by Jessica Sorensen 3.5 stars
A creative fantasy themed short. I'll be looking up some Jessica Sorensen books to add to my TBR.

Something Wonderful by L.K. Farlow 3 stars
NA but the hero has a lot of redemption work to do, and I don't feel like he did so . . . She basically just forgave him after years of resentment. It was a good read but didn't have enough time to complete what it needed to.

Opening Up by T.K. Rapp 3.5 stars
A fun read with great humor. It read more like a book preview, so I thought the kindle formatting messed up and cut out some chapters, but that in fact the end . . . FOR NOW since I hear there's a full book in the works. Yay! I need to know how it works out with Becca and Evan, and if she ever befriends Peggy, lol.

The Ex-Dynamic by S.M. Soto 3.5 stars
I'm a sucker for hockey themed sports romance so I'm eagerly awaiting the rest of this story!

Bound by Cathlin Shahriary 3.5 stars
Cool fantasy themed short that made me curious how the story began, so I'll need to add the series to my TBR.

Saving Ava Grace by Julie Solano and Tracy Justice 3.5 stars
Imaginative YA with dystopian feel. Seem like a great duo to check out if your TBR needs more YA reads.

The Story by Evan Grace 3.5 stars
Delightful meet-cute that has me looking for more reads.

Hail Mary J.B. Salsbury 3.5 stars
This story pulled me in, but I'm not quite sure about the heroine. I think Emery and Spider's journeys could be really interesting so I'll be looking for their full story this Fall.

Whatever it Takes by Gianna Gabriela 3 stars
This feels like it could be a enemies-to-lovers but it read like a book preview and left you hanging! But it's YA so I don't know that I'd be awaiting the full story (if there is one) with lots of anticipation.

Magical Show Down by K.F. Breene 3 stars
Interesting paranormal short. It's not my typical read but I'd be interesting in looking up the books to discover more of the world this short was set in.

Rendezvous Dot Comby Lily Wilde 1 stars
This is a prequel to a full length book - it's not your typical romance - and it turned out not to be for me.

Interceptionby Santana Blair 4 stars
". . . you are everything I want, something I need, and more than I deserve. From the first time I saw you, I knew I needed more of you. Knocking you in the pool was the best thing I’ve ever done because I met you. I only endured watching you attempt to date or talk about my best friend because it gave me time with you.”
I really enjoyed this short and am looking forward to finding more to add to my TBR.

The Brideby Devney Perry 4 stars
This short is to be continued in The Bribe and I'll be looking for it upon release. It was great from beginning to end and left you with lots of intrigue!

Leap of Faith by Jaci Wheeler 4 stars
“That’s the funny thing about brokenness, Elliot. The pieces can be used to make amazing things. In welding, when you solder two broken pieces together, it is stronger than ever before.”
I'm not crying; you're crying! If you do not enjoy a Tear-jerker avoid this, but it's beautiful, emotional, and so worth the tears.

Spy's Heart by M. Lynn 3 stars
"She had a new mission. Keep the man she loved, the man who hated her, alive."
This short ties into her series and I think I need to add it to my TBR; the fantasy section is getting quite a few from these new-to-me authors in this anthology.

8°F by Debra Anastasia 4 stars
Action packed short that leaves me wanting more - what happens!? Total book preview style cliff-hanger. Please tell me there's more!

Kess by Tijan 4 stars
I've only read Crew by Tijan but this NA short would appeal to readers of that series and those within the same world/

Set Fire to the Sky by A.L. Jackson 5 stars

“I never thought I would find someone like you,” she said.
“And you are exactly what I was waiting for. I knew you were out there—somewhere. I refused to give up faith believing in you. And here you are…right where you belong. Not goin’ to let you go, Tessa. As long as you’ll have me, I will be right here, protecting you like the treasure you are.”'

I'm in love with Derrick, Tessa and that adorable little pup Gigi! All the emotional impact of a full length novel contained within a short story that leaves you both completely satisfied and wanting more.

Kick Off by Amy Daws 5 stars
“As long as tomorrow includes forever.”
My emotions! I knew going in it would be a total sob-fest because I adore the Harris Brothers series. Heart-warming and devastating to see how the epic love began and cut too short. I'm just going to need a few more tissues, please.

Call Me Heather by BB Easton 1 star
Not my kind of story. I found it too disturbing and twisted.

The Deal by Althea Romig 1 star
This one is another book preview style. I have no idea if there's a full story to come, but dark romance is not my taste, so I did not enjoy this one. Good voice and writing, so fans of the genre would likely be more please with this type of story.

Saint by Colleen Hoover 1 star
I found the author's writing to be fantastic, but I have zero tolerance for cheating and don't find twisted or darker romance elements to be at all romantic. Fans of the genre or the author may enjoy this story, but regrettably could not enjoy the storyline that went with the writing skill.

jackie_of_all_books's review

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4.0

I’m going to write my review as I go since this book has multiple books inside of it. 1st story was A meet cute and other natural disasters by Emma Scott. This short story was super sweet and spicy and all super quick. Faith went to hawaii for a reset and sprained her ankle on a trail and ended up meeting hunk firefighter Asher. He picked her up from the hospital and took care of her and showed her hawai. They fell in love before the sex and once they had sex it was game over. They tried the long distance flying to each other but Silas asks Faith to marry him and agrees to get a job in the city so she doesn’t have to leave her life and they’ll go back to his house in hawaii for holidays. They fell in love quick, it was a cute meet cute, sprained ankles and all. Well written. If it was a whole novel it would be really good. Something like Kismet by Ginger Scott is the second story inside this book. Frankie’s best friend Shay pushes her to shoot her shot with her long time crush Caleb Walsh who is freshly single but when she heads that way she realizes his ex Abby is there so she bee lines to the new red head and locks lips and then she leaves. The next day he’s on her porch and introduces himself as Hudson, she discovers he is Caleb’s cousin. He asks her out on a date. She says yes. Her and her best friend shay call is kismet. She always wanted Caleb to pick her up in his mustang and her his cousin is picking her up in his mustang. He took her to a park where he said they have their first memory and he’s shocked she doesn’t remmeber him. She won the backwards skating completion and he pushed her down and played keep away with her unicorn and then threw it on a roof. He gave her a unicorn keychain as an apology. They had the best date but she confessed the original target of the kiss had been Caleb. He took her home and the next day she got her courage and marched into the classroom and gave a speal on liking him in front of everyone and he shut her up with a kiss. I feel like this story had good potential to get somewhere it’s just so rushed. It was only 20 pages. But still good and I can’t wait to try an actual book by this author. These stories are like teasers. Love at first fight KL Grayson, Juliette is reading her book when a handsome hunk in a suit slides into her car. He tells her Colin in the coffee shop said she’s the only Uber in town. He interrupted her reading hours, colin comes out with forgiveness coffee and tells her the stranger in her car is named mason. She agrees to drive him somewhere to stay. She takes him to Louise’s B and B. On the way there she tells him why she started ubering. Because her father became a drunk after her mother died of cancer and he drove drunk and hit someone head on and they both died so she started driving drunks home to give them another option. He told her he came to town to start a business separate from his fathers law firm. This town was the only place he remembers being happy at. She leaves him at Louise’s and agrees if he’s still in town in 2 weeks she’ll go out with him. The last person she dated had been Brandon, Louise’s grandson, she worked 2 jobs to help him through college and when it was his turn to help her he left their town to go into the city so she became a nurse on her own. She only knew heartbreak. Mason was determined to show her different. In 2 weeks they met at the diner. Louise had taken Jules book out of the car thinking it was masons. He read it in those 2 weeks. Which touched Jules. The book ended with them kissing. This book was called first fight because when Mason slid into Jules car they had their first fight over him interrupting her book time. GOD I WISH THESE COULD BE LONGER THERE IS SO MUCH GOOD PACKED INTO 20 pages. First Flight: Jessica Sorensen. This is trystan and Havens story, they are death angels. At a young age Haven got thrown off a cliff by the other angels and trystan saved her, from that point on they’ve been best friends. She has to pass the flying test tomorrow to be able to go to school with trystan but she has been so scared of failing that she’s never tried. She leaves and goes home and trystan comes to appologize to her and tells her he wants to be more than best friends and kisses her. After he kisses hee Haven gets the strength she needs and takes Trystan to the cliff where she jumps and spreads her wings and they get to fly together after telling each other they love each other. Ok how the heck was this so good in 10 pages I am getting so mad at these because like I feel like I’m reading the back of a book getting a quick glimpse and now I want more ugh!!! Something wonderful: LK Farlowe. This one was straight up quick spice. Thea sees her childhood best friend dane is back in town and goes to confront him on why he up and ditched her all those years ago. He pretends not to recognize her and treats her like a beach bunny. She signs up for his surfing lessons and they begin to bond but they are both so turned in by the other. Dane takes her on a perfect date in the bed of his truck and they share their first kiss and he confesses he’s in town because of his father having a heart attack. She asks to visit. They become a thing but hold out on sex for 3 weeks because dane wants her to know they have something else. The book ends with them having sex for the first time and it’s the start of something wonderful. Opening up: TK Rapp. This story starts with Bec being greeted by a growling German shepherd who turns out to be named Peggy and belongs to the hot new landlord of her building. He hears she needs a fill in photographer for her best friends wedding and volunteers. Her ex and new fiancé are there so when Evan kisses her she thinks it’s part of the fake boyfriend act but they are all alone. This was super short but had a good plot. The ex dynamic: SM Soto. Camila takes a job as the physical therapist for her exes hockey team, her brother said he would be ok with it but when she arrives he is far from okay with it. After having an injury over watching her get asked on a date she has to help him get better. She falls back into his cycle and they have sex but she is upset because when they broke up all those years ago it was because he cheated. She returns to her brothers to cry only to find out her brother was the one cheating and Reeve took the fall to save Camilas brothers relationship. Camila is mad at her brother and reeve but also herself for not looking into the situation farther. It ends with camila and reeve getting photographed together and him saying he’s glad the world knows she’s his. Awe

rinasreadsnz's review

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4.0

Gah! I need more!
Thea and Dane were super sweet (even if he was a douche to start with) and I got lost in their story. It was over before I knew it and now I have so many questions.
What happens to them?
What happens to Dane's dad?

ladywestfall's review

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4.0

Ok I honestly just read Colleen's part and goddamn Saint...

laughlinesandliterature's review

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3.0

Fun anthology. Full of quick reads.

dayveni's review

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4.0

I love the concept of this collection! As I read different stories, this review will be updated :)

The Deal - Aleatha Romig: Although this story is incredibly short, Aleatha's writing definitely shines through. In the limited time she had to develop the story, her classic and dark twists and turns are still present. This one felt too short to get overly invested in the characters, but it's a promising story I hope we see continued!

ashleyelmreads's review against another edition

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3.0

3.2 stars
I rated each story individually and after calculating them all to get an average, it equaled 3.2.
My favorite/5 star rated stories:
Love at First Sight by K.L. Grayson
First Flight by Jessica Sorensen
Whatever It Takes by Gianna Gabriela
Interception by Santana Blair
Saint by Colleen Hoover (the best story of the group!!) NEED more of this one!!

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