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Love Has No Boundaries Anthology: Volume 2
The stories you are about to read celebrate love, sex and romance between men. They are a product of the Love Has No Boundaries promotion sponsored by the Goodreads M/M Romance Group, and each anthology is published as a gift to you.
What Is Love Has No Boundaries?
The Goodreads M/M Romance Group invited members to choose a photo and pen a letter asking for a short M/M romance story inspired by the image; authors from the group were then encouraged to select a letter and write an original tale. The result was an outpouring of creativity that shone a spotlight on the special bond between M/M romance writers and the people who love what they produce.
Nearly 190 stories were submitted and have now been published as a twelve volume set with two additional bonus volumes, titled Love Has No Boundaries. This edition is Volume 2.
Words of Caution
The stories in this collection may contain sexually explicit content and are intended for adult readers. They may also contain content that is disagreeable or distressing to some readers. The M/M Romance Group strongly recommends that the reader review the General Information section before each story for story tags as well as for content warnings.
Stories in Volume 2:
#FIRST IMPRESSIONS #SECOND CHANCES BY Heidi Belleau
BREATHING SNOW by Dev Bentham
DAVIN’S GUARD by Mandy Beyers
STRAIGHT MEN CAN’T COOK by Anna Birmingham
TAKEN: A NORTHMAN’S SAGA by Brannan Black
WORTHY by Lia Black
STALKING DREAMS by Leta Blake
CREST RIDGE VACATION by A.L. Boyd
PLAYING THE FIELD by Penny Brandon
FLOATING ON AIR by Aimee Brissay
THE CANDIDATES by Bette Browne
MAKING A LITTLE WRONG INTO SOMETHING RIGHT by LL Bucknor
ARES PURPOSE by H.A. Caine
REDESIGNING OLD DREAMS by Dana Cavallon
HEART IN A BOTTLE by Wendy Clements
AN INTREPID TRIP TO LOVE by Charlie Cochet
What Is Love Has No Boundaries?
The Goodreads M/M Romance Group invited members to choose a photo and pen a letter asking for a short M/M romance story inspired by the image; authors from the group were then encouraged to select a letter and write an original tale. The result was an outpouring of creativity that shone a spotlight on the special bond between M/M romance writers and the people who love what they produce.
Nearly 190 stories were submitted and have now been published as a twelve volume set with two additional bonus volumes, titled Love Has No Boundaries. This edition is Volume 2.
Words of Caution
The stories in this collection may contain sexually explicit content and are intended for adult readers. They may also contain content that is disagreeable or distressing to some readers. The M/M Romance Group strongly recommends that the reader review the General Information section before each story for story tags as well as for content warnings.
Stories in Volume 2:
#FIRST IMPRESSIONS #SECOND CHANCES BY Heidi Belleau
BREATHING SNOW by Dev Bentham
DAVIN’S GUARD by Mandy Beyers
STRAIGHT MEN CAN’T COOK by Anna Birmingham
TAKEN: A NORTHMAN’S SAGA by Brannan Black
WORTHY by Lia Black
STALKING DREAMS by Leta Blake
CREST RIDGE VACATION by A.L. Boyd
PLAYING THE FIELD by Penny Brandon
FLOATING ON AIR by Aimee Brissay
THE CANDIDATES by Bette Browne
MAKING A LITTLE WRONG INTO SOMETHING RIGHT by LL Bucknor
ARES PURPOSE by H.A. Caine
REDESIGNING OLD DREAMS by Dana Cavallon
HEART IN A BOTTLE by Wendy Clements
AN INTREPID TRIP TO LOVE by Charlie Cochet
740 pages, ebook
First published October 3, 2013
3 people are currently reading
152 people want to read
About the author
Heidi Belleau
61 books315 followersHeidi Belleau was born and raised in small town New Brunswick, graduated with a degree in history from Simon Fraser University in British Columbia, and now lives outside of Edmonton, Alberta, with her tradesman husband and two kids. A proud bisexual woman, her writing reflects everything she loves: diverse casts of queer characters, a sense of history and place, equal parts witty and filthy dialogue, the occasional mythological twist, and most of all, love—in all its weird and wonderful forms. She is the author of the REAR ENTRANCE VIDEO series, and the co-author of THE BURNT TOAST B&B. Her latest novel DEAD RINGER, co-authored with Sam Schooler, is out now from Riptide Publishing. Her work has been reviewed in PUBLISHER’S WEEKLY, LIBRARY JOURNAL, and BOOKLIST.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
October 26, 2015
I wasn’t interested in too many stories in this anthology to start with and I chose the ones I finally read very carefully. I read blurbs, tags, reviews; still my method was not fully successful.
But overall, I’m glad because two stories out of the four I’ve read were really good.
#First Impressions #Second Chances by Heidi Belleau - 4.5 stars
My review.
Breathing Snow by Dev Bentham - 1 star
My review.
Straight Men Can't Cook by Anna Birmingham - 4 stars
My review.
The Candidates by Bette Browne - 1 star
My review.
But overall, I’m glad because two stories out of the four I’ve read were really good.
#First Impressions #Second Chances by Heidi Belleau - 4.5 stars
My review.
Breathing Snow by Dev Bentham - 1 star
My review.
Straight Men Can't Cook by Anna Birmingham - 4 stars
My review.
The Candidates by Bette Browne - 1 star
My review.
freebies
October 31, 2024#First Impressions #Second Chances by Heidi Belleau ★★★★✩
Breathing Snow by Dev Bentham
Davin's Guard by Mandy Beyers
Straight Men Can't Cook by Anna Birmingham
Taken: A Northman's Saga by Brannan Black
Worthy by Lia Black
Stalking Dreams by Leta Blake
Crest Ridge Vacation by A.L. Boyd
Playing The Field by Penny Brandon
Floating On Air by Aimee Brissay
The Candidates by Bette Browne
Making a Little Wrong into Something Right by L.L. Bucknor
Ares Purpose by H.A. Caine
Redesigning Old Dreams by Dana Cavallon
Heart in a Bottle by Wendy Clements
An Intrepid Trip to Love by Charlie Cochet ★★★✩✩
Cute.
The story was all goofy ridiculous humor with a side of fluff. Basically, an alternative-universe Dex as an alpha husky shifter.
It wasn't long enough for me to get a feel for the MC's personalities, and the plot was mostly cliches. But I still had fun reading it!
Breathing Snow by Dev Bentham
Davin's Guard by Mandy Beyers
Straight Men Can't Cook by Anna Birmingham
Taken: A Northman's Saga by Brannan Black
Worthy by Lia Black
Stalking Dreams by Leta Blake
Crest Ridge Vacation by A.L. Boyd
Playing The Field by Penny Brandon
Floating On Air by Aimee Brissay
The Candidates by Bette Browne
Making a Little Wrong into Something Right by L.L. Bucknor
Ares Purpose by H.A. Caine
Redesigning Old Dreams by Dana Cavallon
Heart in a Bottle by Wendy Clements
An Intrepid Trip to Love by Charlie Cochet ★★★✩✩
Cute.
The story was all goofy ridiculous humor with a side of fluff. Basically, an alternative-universe Dex as an alpha husky shifter.
It wasn't long enough for me to get a feel for the MC's personalities, and the plot was mostly cliches. But I still had fun reading it!
November 25, 2013
Phew! That’s a lot more pages read. ;) This anthology was really very strong. Most of the stories in this one were pretty fantastic. While I didn't love everyone of them and would probably rate this at 4.5 stars for GR purposes I'll rate this at 5 stars overall. I reviewed each story individually so this review is pretty much going to be epically long…ok so apparently it’s WAY too long (14 pages in Word) so I’m going to replace the individual reviews with links to all the reviews as I’ve posted them to the individual story pages.
# First Impressions # Second Chances by Heidi Belleau ★★★★★
Review Here
Breathing Snow by Dev Bentham ★★★★★
Review Here
Davin’s Guard by Dev Bentham ★★★
Review Here
Straight Men Can’t Cook by Anna Birmingham ★★★★½
Review Here
Taken: A Northman’s Saga by Brannan Black ★★★★
Review Here
Worthy by Lia Black ★★★★
Review Here
Stalking Dreams by Leta Blake ★★★½
Review Here
Crest Ridge Vacation by A.L. Boyd ★★½
Review Here
Playing the Field by Penny Brandon ★★★★
Review Here
Floating on Air by Aimee Brissay ★★★
Review Here
The Candidates by Bette Browne ★★★★
Review Here
Ares Purpose by H.A. Caine ★★½
Review Here
Redesigning Old Dreams by Dana Cavallon ★★★
Review Here
Heart in a Bottle by Wendy Clements ★★★★
Review Here
Redesigning Old Dreams by Dana Cavallon ★★★
Review Here
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
I just want to add a note at the end here and say a BIG HUGE THANK YOU to all of the authors donating their wonderful stories to this amazing event! Incredibly enjoyable hours have been spent reading everything you’ve put forth for us. Thanks again!
# First Impressions # Second Chances by Heidi Belleau ★★★★★
Review Here
Breathing Snow by Dev Bentham ★★★★★
Review Here
Davin’s Guard by Dev Bentham ★★★
Review Here
Straight Men Can’t Cook by Anna Birmingham ★★★★½
Review Here
Taken: A Northman’s Saga by Brannan Black ★★★★
Review Here
Worthy by Lia Black ★★★★
Review Here
Stalking Dreams by Leta Blake ★★★½
Review Here
Crest Ridge Vacation by A.L. Boyd ★★½
Review Here
Playing the Field by Penny Brandon ★★★★
Review Here
Floating on Air by Aimee Brissay ★★★
Review Here
The Candidates by Bette Browne ★★★★
Review Here
Ares Purpose by H.A. Caine ★★½
Review Here
Redesigning Old Dreams by Dana Cavallon ★★★
Review Here
Heart in a Bottle by Wendy Clements ★★★★
Review Here
Redesigning Old Dreams by Dana Cavallon ★★★
Review Here
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
I just want to add a note at the end here and say a BIG HUGE THANK YOU to all of the authors donating their wonderful stories to this amazing event! Incredibly enjoyable hours have been spent reading everything you’ve put forth for us. Thanks again!
February 9, 2014
FIRST IMPRESSIONS #SECOND CHANCES BY Heidi Belleau
- ★★★½
BREATHING SNOW by Dev Bentham
- ★★★★
DAVIN’S GUARD by Mandy Beyers
- DNR
STRAIGHT MEN CAN’T COOK by Anna Birmingham
- ★★★
TAKEN: A NORTHMAN’S SAGA by Brannan Black
- DNR
WORTHY by Lia Black
- ★★★
STALKING DREAMS by Leta Blake
- ★★★★
CREST RIDGE VACATION by A.L. Boyd
- ★★★★½
PLAYING THE FIELD by Penny Brandon
- ★★★★
FLOATING ON AIR by Aimee Brissay
- ★★★
THE CANDIDATES by Bette Browne
- ★★★★
MAKING A LITTLE WRONG INTO SOMETHING RIGHT by LL Bucknor
- ★★★½
ARES PURPOSE by H.A. Caine
- DNR
REDESIGNING OLD DREAMS by Dana Cavallon
- ★★★★
HEART IN A BOTTLE by Wendy Clements
- DNR
AN INTREPID TRIP TO LOVE by Charlie Cochet
- ★★★★
- ★★★½
BREATHING SNOW by Dev Bentham
- ★★★★
DAVIN’S GUARD by Mandy Beyers
- DNR
STRAIGHT MEN CAN’T COOK by Anna Birmingham
- ★★★
TAKEN: A NORTHMAN’S SAGA by Brannan Black
- DNR
WORTHY by Lia Black
- ★★★
STALKING DREAMS by Leta Blake
- ★★★★
CREST RIDGE VACATION by A.L. Boyd
- ★★★★½
PLAYING THE FIELD by Penny Brandon
- ★★★★
FLOATING ON AIR by Aimee Brissay
- ★★★
THE CANDIDATES by Bette Browne
- ★★★★
MAKING A LITTLE WRONG INTO SOMETHING RIGHT by LL Bucknor
- ★★★½
ARES PURPOSE by H.A. Caine
- DNR
REDESIGNING OLD DREAMS by Dana Cavallon
- ★★★★
HEART IN A BOTTLE by Wendy Clements
- DNR
AN INTREPID TRIP TO LOVE by Charlie Cochet
- ★★★★
August 25, 2016
#First Impressions #Second Chances
BY Heidi Belleau 2.5 stars - This was so-so for me. It ended up being sweet, and I thought Sebastian's confident-and-sweet-popular-guy-who's-not-a-total-stud was great. My problem, was that I didn't particularly like Jonah. Don't get me wrong, I love the painfully shy guys, but I wasn't getting that from him. Sure he stayed in his room a lot, and mentioned a few panic attacks, but the defense mode snarkiness didn't come off as shy or introverted. And I have a pet-peeve about how being late is so effen rude, so that wasn't a great place to start.
I liked the way the Tumblr posts and hashtags were used, and I get that Jonha's character liked to hide in the internet away from real people. And don't get me wrong, I use social media as much as the next gal. But that whole idea of posting something for the specific purpose of getting 'likes' or a certain reaction or comments. Meh, I don't love it in real life and it got old pretty quick here for me.
Breathing Snow by Dev Bentham -
Davin's Guard by Mandy Beyers 3 stars - Oh my, that pic... I uh, need to go... do... something. Despite the hot pic, this story wasn't just sex. The sex and plot were evenly distributed and appropriate for the short length. I thought the writing was very natural until we got to the emotional reveal and the sex scene dialogue, then it did fall a little into the cliche of too perfectly worded elaborate sentences. For example, "Lord, Davin, I can't imagine how difficult that all was, and for him to then disappear without a word... no wonder you've been so closed off to other chances" and "All I've wanted since we met is to get my hands on those lovely muscles. I tend to prefer more casual dialogue. But otherwise a very nice little short.
Straight Men Can't Cook by Anna Birmingham 3.5 stars - (contemporary, friends-to-lovers) I was pleasantly surprised with this. The beginning was cute but I still wasn't sure if I would like how it progressed. I'll admit I was cringing a little at revelation time because I do not deal well with emotional vulnerability. And after that it could have gone either way BUT I really liked the way it was handled. The smexy smexin didn't hurt but I just liked how they talked and what was said. No big decelerations of love but also an easy acceptance without angst or drama. Very nice.
Taken: A Northman's Saga by Brannan Black -
Worthy by Lia Black -
Stalking Dreams by Leta Blake 3 stars - So, the author is turning this into a full length novel (yippie!) But she didnt have time to complete it for the LHNB deadline. Hence this being a little snippet. I'm fine with that, and am excited for the full length, but couldn't give this more than three stars given that it didn't have time to fully develop it's potential. I might even recommend just waiting for the novel, so you get the full monty, so to speak.
While I liked this, I'll admit I was disappointed we weren't shown the scene from the prompt. Hopefully it will appear in the novel. Also, since there was an established relationship with the MC and Shane, I kept thinking Shane was gonna die or break up with him so he could meet this hottie TA. But they finally revealed Shane is the hottie TA. So that cleared that up. But given some of the disparities you might actually enjoy this more without reading the prompt first (which sux a little cuz Kelly did a great job on it!) I'll be on the lookout for the novel though!
EDIT: This short is like #1.5 in a series. So her first book will take place before it (with River and Shane meeting, thank you!) and the second will be after it (Reed's wedding I would assume).
Crest Ridge Vacation by A.L. Boyd -
Playing The Field by Penny Brandon -
Floating On Air by Aimee Brissay -
The Candidates by Bette Browne -
Making a Little Wrong into Something Right by LL Bucknor -
Ares Purpose by H.A. Caine -
Redesigning Old Dreams by Dana Cavallon -
Heart in a Bottle by Wendy Clements -
An Intrepid Trip to Love by Charlie Cochet 3 stars - Super cute! That first scene/chapter with the spider was a 5 star all the way. Adorable, absolutely hilarious, their banter and relationship between each other and with Robbie (the kid) were perfect. After that it was still good, but I felt some things about their shifter culture were unclear.
The description at the beginning of the story about the history of shifters was really interesting, but it turned out not to really be relevant. Since there were no humans in the story, the shifter-human relationship didn't really need to be explained.
And I was unclear a lot on how close Trip and Boone were. First I thought they secretly loved each other. Then we find out they know they're true mates but can't be together. Then we find out they have been together just can't have full penetration sex... so everyone knows Trip is gay, and even assumed he and Boone were having sex, but no one is allowed to know they're true mates because that's against the rules? That took me a while to figure out.
And to be honest, although sweet, I thought the ending was a tiny bit of a cop out. So that felt a little hypocritical and an unnecessary source of drama for the purpose of setting up the next book. BUT, that being said... I'm really for Hunter's book! :)
I liked the way the Tumblr posts and hashtags were used, and I get that Jonha's character liked to hide in the internet away from real people. And don't get me wrong, I use social media as much as the next gal. But that whole idea of posting something for the specific purpose of getting 'likes' or a certain reaction or comments. Meh, I don't love it in real life and it got old pretty quick here for me.
Breathing Snow by Dev Bentham -
Davin's Guard by Mandy Beyers 3 stars - Oh my, that pic... I uh, need to go... do... something. Despite the hot pic, this story wasn't just sex. The sex and plot were evenly distributed and appropriate for the short length. I thought the writing was very natural until we got to the emotional reveal and the sex scene dialogue, then it did fall a little into the cliche of too perfectly worded elaborate sentences. For example, "Lord, Davin, I can't imagine how difficult that all was, and for him to then disappear without a word... no wonder you've been so closed off to other chances" and "All I've wanted since we met is to get my hands on those lovely muscles. I tend to prefer more casual dialogue. But otherwise a very nice little short.
Straight Men Can't Cook by Anna Birmingham 3.5 stars - (contemporary, friends-to-lovers) I was pleasantly surprised with this. The beginning was cute but I still wasn't sure if I would like how it progressed. I'll admit I was cringing a little at revelation time because I do not deal well with emotional vulnerability. And after that it could have gone either way BUT I really liked the way it was handled. The smexy smexin didn't hurt but I just liked how they talked and what was said. No big decelerations of love but also an easy acceptance without angst or drama. Very nice.
Taken: A Northman's Saga by Brannan Black -
Worthy by Lia Black -
Stalking Dreams by Leta Blake 3 stars - So, the author is turning this into a full length novel (yippie!) But she didnt have time to complete it for the LHNB deadline. Hence this being a little snippet. I'm fine with that, and am excited for the full length, but couldn't give this more than three stars given that it didn't have time to fully develop it's potential. I might even recommend just waiting for the novel, so you get the full monty, so to speak.
While I liked this, I'll admit I was disappointed we weren't shown the scene from the prompt. Hopefully it will appear in the novel. Also, since there was an established relationship with the MC and Shane, I kept thinking Shane was gonna die or break up with him so he could meet this hottie TA. But they finally revealed Shane is the hottie TA. So that cleared that up. But given some of the disparities you might actually enjoy this more without reading the prompt first (which sux a little cuz Kelly did a great job on it!) I'll be on the lookout for the novel though!
EDIT: This short is like #1.5 in a series. So her first book will take place before it (with River and Shane meeting, thank you!) and the second will be after it (Reed's wedding I would assume).
Crest Ridge Vacation by A.L. Boyd -
Playing The Field by Penny Brandon -
Floating On Air by Aimee Brissay -
The Candidates by Bette Browne -
Making a Little Wrong into Something Right by LL Bucknor -
Ares Purpose by H.A. Caine -
Redesigning Old Dreams by Dana Cavallon -
Heart in a Bottle by Wendy Clements -
An Intrepid Trip to Love by Charlie Cochet 3 stars - Super cute! That first scene/chapter with the spider was a 5 star all the way. Adorable, absolutely hilarious, their banter and relationship between each other and with Robbie (the kid) were perfect. After that it was still good, but I felt some things about their shifter culture were unclear.
The description at the beginning of the story about the history of shifters was really interesting, but it turned out not to really be relevant. Since there were no humans in the story, the shifter-human relationship didn't really need to be explained.
And I was unclear a lot on how close Trip and Boone were. First I thought they secretly loved each other. Then we find out they know they're true mates but can't be together. Then we find out they have been together just can't have full penetration sex... so everyone knows Trip is gay, and even assumed he and Boone were having sex, but no one is allowed to know they're true mates because that's against the rules? That took me a while to figure out.
And to be honest, although sweet, I thought the ending was a tiny bit of a cop out. So that felt a little hypocritical and an unnecessary source of drama for the purpose of setting up the next book. BUT, that being said... I'm really for Hunter's book! :)
September 30, 2021
This has been my favorite LHNB so far. Sure, there were some stories that ultimately didn't work for me. But it both started and ended on good notes which left the middle stories easier to forget. I'm leaving remembering more good stories than bad so a solid 3.5 star rating from me
October 25, 2019
Although there were some really good short stories in this volume, I didn't like the majority of them. So, my Rating this time is really low.
December 9, 2022
4+Stars overall.
don-t-read-in-the-closet
June 3, 2015FIRST IMPRESSIONS #SECOND CHANCES BY Heidi Belleau
BREATHING SNOW by Dev Bentham
DAVIN’S GUARD by Mandy Beyers
STRAIGHT MEN CAN’T COOK by Anna Birmingham
TAKEN: A NORTHMAN’S SAGA by Brannan Black
WORTHY by Lia Black
STALKING DREAMS by Leta Blake
CREST RIDGE VACATION by A.L. Boyd
PLAYING THE FIELD by Penny Brandon
FLOATING ON AIR by Aimee Brissay
THE CANDIDATES by Bette Browne
MAKING A LITTLE WRONG INTO SOMETHING RIGHT by LL Bucknor
ARES PURPOSE by H.A. Caine
REDESIGNING OLD DREAMS by Dana Cavallon
HEART IN A BOTTLE by Wendy Clements
AN INTREPID TRIP TO LOVE by Charlie Cochet
BREATHING SNOW by Dev Bentham
DAVIN’S GUARD by Mandy Beyers
STRAIGHT MEN CAN’T COOK by Anna Birmingham
TAKEN: A NORTHMAN’S SAGA by Brannan Black
WORTHY by Lia Black
STALKING DREAMS by Leta Blake
CREST RIDGE VACATION by A.L. Boyd
PLAYING THE FIELD by Penny Brandon
FLOATING ON AIR by Aimee Brissay
THE CANDIDATES by Bette Browne
MAKING A LITTLE WRONG INTO SOMETHING RIGHT by LL Bucknor
ARES PURPOSE by H.A. Caine
REDESIGNING OLD DREAMS by Dana Cavallon
HEART IN A BOTTLE by Wendy Clements
AN INTREPID TRIP TO LOVE by Charlie Cochet
November 14, 2021
5*
#First Impressions #Second Chances
Worthy
4*
Stalking Dreams
An Intrepid Trip to Love
3*
Breathing Snow
Straight Men Can't Cook
Floating on Air
The Candidates
Making a Little Wrong into a Right
Redesigned Old Dreams
2*
Davin's Guard
Taken: A Northman's Saga
Crest Ridge Vacation
Playing to Field
Ares Purpose
#First Impressions #Second Chances
Worthy
4*
Stalking Dreams
An Intrepid Trip to Love
3*
Breathing Snow
Straight Men Can't Cook
Floating on Air
The Candidates
Making a Little Wrong into a Right
Redesigned Old Dreams
2*
Davin's Guard
Taken: A Northman's Saga
Crest Ridge Vacation
Playing to Field
Ares Purpose
May 9, 2016
Love, love, loved these wonderful stories (although, two of them weren't really my "cup of tea")... Thank you, authors, and behind the scenes workers for all of your hard work and dedication that it takes to make this event a reality!
December 12, 2014
I read all the stories - some I like better than others (of course) but the entire event is amazing and so are the people who donate their talents & their time for it.
November 1, 2013
Better than the first one, but the fantasy stories don't do much for me
October 27, 2013
Several nice stories.
January 14, 2014
All these volumes are good, but I have to say this one is a must-read thanks to Charlie Cochet's "An Intrepid Trip to Love."
Want to read
March 29, 2014Free download - https://www.allromanceebooks.com/prod...
November 26, 2017
All these anthologies are great
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews