Candy Hearts: Volume 1

Dahlia Springs #(Love Is in the Ear)

by Lee Blair (Author & Coordinator), Becca Seymour, Beck Grey

What's sweeter than a low angst queer romance at Valentine's Day? How about sixteen of them brought together in one anthology to help support a good cause?

Each novella in the Candy Hearts Anthology is overflowing with red-hot romance and all the good feels. And this time around, every story has a secret—a secret admirer.

The Candy Hearts Anthology will be available for a limited time, and all proceeds will benefit the Transgender Law Center and the National Center for Transgender Equality.

Participating authors in this inaugural volume are:
Becca Seymour - Cupcake Crushes
Beck Grey - Bee Mine, Valentine
Bix Barrow - Voices Harry
Chantal Mer - When We’re Together
D.K. Sutton - Inconveniently Yours
Finn Dixon - Swim Crush
Lee Blair - Love Is in the Ear
Linden Bell - It’s All You
‘Nathan Burgoine - Valentine’s Dave
Nic Starr - Sweet Serendipity
Rain Carrington - The Tip Jar
Riley Long - Love Unplugged
Stella Rainbow - Betty’s Books and Biscuits
Susan Scott Shelley - Heart of the Batter
Toby Wise - A Healer’s Gift
Victoria Gillilan - Yours Truly

Genres: Anthologies, Romance, M M Romance, Ebooks, Queer, Contemporary, Short Stories

1179 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 1, 2024

About the author

Lee Blair is a queer author from Oregon who writes low angst, funny, M/M contemporary romance. She's constantly amused by the antics of her two ginger cats, considers daydreaming about future trips to Scotland a part-time job, and is obsessed with Schitt's Creek to an alarming degree.

Reviews

['Nathan Burgoine]

Edit, July 30th, 2024: Thank you to everyone who bought and shared the inaugural Candy Hearts charity anthology this year! This bundle of low-angst, Valentine’s Day stories raised $4,941 USD for the Transgender Law Center and the National Center for Transgender Equality (now Advocates for Trans Equality). We’re also grateful to those who made donations to the organizations on behalf of the anthology! These organizations are doing such important work for the trans community, and we’re honored that we could support that effort with our stories.

Hey all! As is probably obvious from the cover and list of names, I've got a novella included in this charity anthology, called "Valentine's Dave." It's a Village story, and instead of Christmas or April Fools' Day, this time it's Valentine's Day. This is kind of a "proof of concept" story for me—I wrote it in part to see if I could come up with another group of friends to explore in another wee series like the ones started with "Handmade Holidays," and by the time I was done, I'd decided pretty much in the affirmative.

This collection is for charity, and it'll be out February 1st for a limited time only, with all proceeds benefiting two awesome trans organizations, the Transgender Law Center and the National Center for Transgender Equality. You can learn more here.

[Saimi Vasquez · Rating 3 out of 5]

Con las antologías es difícil colocarles un rating, porque algunas historias son buenas, otras muy buenas, y otras meh. En este caso la cosa fue como 40% buenas, 20% muy buenas y el otro 40% meh, así que le di un rating de 3 estrellas.
No puedo decir que no valiera la pena la lectura, sobre todo por las muy buenas, pero si creo que eran demasiadas para una sola antología y eso resulto en que me costará mucho terminarlo.
Sin embargo, para ser una antología de día de san valentin, resulto bastante entretenida, y conocí algunos autores a los que quiero seguir leyendo, así que para mi fue un ganar-ganar.
Por supuesto, seguiré buscando antologías para leer, e historias de algunos de los autores que mas me gustaron.

[✨Meli the bookworm✨ · Rating 4 out of 5]

What's sweeter than a low angst queer romance at Valentine's Day? How about sixteen of them brought together in one anthology to help support a good cause?

What a fabulous anthology!!
All the stories have a secret admirer theme.❤️💞
Rating based on the stories I finished (I started them all, but some of them were clearly not written with me as the target audience so I moved on to the next one).
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Cupcake Crushes by Becca Seymour

“You got me a cocktus.”

4.5⭐️

8 Chapters. Friends to lovers. They got me at cocktus.
Boyd, a teacher, has been friends with Finnegan, an RN, for a while. Finnegan is coming out of a bad relationship and has reluctantly decided to give a try to anonymous online dating. Boyd has been having a crush on him for ages, stayed away while Finnegan was involved with his partner but now is not willing to miss his chance so he decides to mess with Finnegan’s dating app settings to match him (hacker much?). Imagine thinking you are being friendzoned by the guy you have a massive crush on, so you try to woo him anonymously and turns out that he friendzones the anonymous you because he wants to make a serious move with your real you. Perfect blend of cute, hilarious, endearing, silly and steamy.

Absolutely loved how it was acknowledged that the possibility of getting into a relationship with a friend of years, is something to give some thought to before jumping to it because it can absolutely mess up the whole friendship thing not only with that person but with your entire group of friends.
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Bee Mine, Valentine by Beck Gray

“As your best friend, it’s my job to give you shit while I support you. And I’m acing this.”

4⭐️

7 Chapters. Gus has a new neighbor, Jeremy, who he has a crush on but more importantly his dog seems to have quickly developed a serious attachment with Jeremy.
Started real good, then dragged a little bit in the middle, got somewhat too predictable for my taste about the secret admirer thing, yet it was a funny and delicious read with the right touch of dirty talk and praise kink. Fun read!
Major kudos to the very clever names for the teacher’s bowling teams: Teachers Strike and Whiteboard Warriors.
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Voices Harry by Bix Barrow

“Any hooker worth their salt should know how to make a penis bigger,” he advised.

3.75⭐️

13 Chapters. A low angst comedy of errors.
Mitchell, a graphic designer who works from home and who posts crocheting videos under the name MitchellTheHooker, has two cats, one of which is absolutely obsessed with the voice of a particular voice actor, Harry. Unfortunately the not fanboy cat passes away, which leads to Bumper, the fanboy cat, to become depressed and doesn’t even care about the audiobooks anymore. A friend of the voice actor sees a video about what happened to Bumper’s bestie and decides to enlist Harry in a project to record a special message to cheer Bumper up. Then chaos ensues. And I mean, hilarious chaos. Their meet-cute but I don’t want you to know that I am who I am gone wrong was funny as hell. A bit on the too silly side, but it worked for me.

I think it would have benefited not to be back to back after Bee Mine, Valentine because of their similarities in the last couple of chapters. Still, a very cheeky ending.

And even though it is something that is only very briefly mentioned, due to the particular nature of the anthology, I was heavily pleased to see it was acknowledged how depression can isolate you from the world, from basic socializing with friends, and how that recovery process, once you are feeling a bit better can make you feel so lonely because you have lost so many of the most basic social skills which makes you to continue living on your isolated world, because anything else is just too damn hard.
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Love is in the air by Lee Blair

It might be the world’s shortest dinner, but dammit, we’d have dinner and a proper date before he fucked my brains out.

5⭐️

15 chapters and an epilogue. Second chance at first love, audio porn and date auction.
Oscar is a former child actor on a cult classic 90s sitcom who ran away from Hollywood, moved to Dahlia Springs, Oregon, to become a baker and has had the biggest crush on Calvin for the past 2 years. When they first met was under not so happy circumstances (Oscar was grieving his uncle), Oscar got drunk, flirted with Calvin but because he was clearly not in a state to consent to anything nothing happened and next time they saw each other, when Oscar was moving to town, Calvin had already come back with his ex.

LOVED IT, LOVED IT, LOVED IT!! After I finished, I ran to buy the entire series of Dahlia Springs stories that the author has published. Need to mention, out of all the ones I finished reading, and I clicked with, this one was the steamiest; the edging had me eating my fist🥵🥵. SO SO SO SO GOOD!!!

Special mention here to one of the best descriptions I've read in a while of how it feels to meet your ex: His greeting was familiar and comfortable, like an old favorite jacket but with holes in the pockets and too snug in the shoulders.
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Valentine’s Day by Nathan Burgoine.

“Have we earned candy? Because I feel like candy.” “No earning.” Asher held up one mittened hand. “We don’t have to earn happiness. Misery isn’t the price paid for chocolate.”

5⭐️

Friends to lovers. This one, I recommend going in blind. Trust me, please. Just as an fyi, there is mention of one of the characters having recovered from cancer and chemo, but all good now.

I am a HUGE fan of Nathan Burgoine’s Little Village, and as a review of this story I would like to formally request Burgoine to please give me a Little Village-esque spin off of everyone involved in this story, particularly the Body Positive gang. It is not a want, IT IS A NEED!!!

ABSOLUTELY FABULOUS!! No additional notes.

Finally, I want to mention that all proceeds of this anthology, that is available to buy in any of the usual retailers where you normally buy ebooks (although there is a particular link to buy directly from the authors which takes a smaller percentage to process the payment, and you can do so here) and through March 31 2024, will benefit the amazing real life superheroes of the Transgender Law Center and the National Center for Transgender Equality, so PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE consider buying it not only to have a wonderful time reading but to keep helping these wonderful and relentless human beings to fight the good fight.

In the words of Nathan Burgoine: "Queer folk are strongest when we stand together as much as we can. I know queer people wouldn’t be anywhere without our transgender ancestors, and I intend to never stop saying so".


[I received an advance review copy from GRR, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.]

[Siobhan]

I plan to make my way through all the stories. Thus far, my thoughts are:

Cupcake Crushes by Becca Seymour was a four-star rating. I will be honest and say I was a little bit tentative at the start of this story. It could have gone so, so wrong. However, it ended up being something super sweet that had me smiling. It was nothing overly complex, but that was part of the sweetness. Overall, it was a sweet and very enjoyable quick read.

Bee Mine, Valentine by Beck Grey was a three-star rating. I feel this is going to be a story that will divide people. It is great in that it provides a sweet and easy love story, yet I wanted a bit more intensity from it. It was certainly fun, yet I was left wishing there had been a little more to some elements. However, this was the point of the story, and I respect that. It just meant it did not wow me quite as much as I had hoped it would.

Voices Harry by Bix Barrow was a four-star rating. It was a story that instantly sucked me in, ensuring I fell hard and fast for the characters. There was a lot of silliness in this, which hand me giggling loudly at a couple of points, and I adored watching everything come together. Although I would have liked a little more from the ending, it was not enough to lessen my enjoyment. All in all, this was a fun read that made for perfect quick reading.

When We're Together by Chantal Mer was a four-star rating. It was another story that immediately sucked me in, ensuring I quickly fell for the characters. It was super sweet while touching lightly upon heavy topics, and it kept me turning the pages at a rapid pace. It is certainly a story where I would gladly read more about the side characters.

Inconveniently Yours by D.K. Sutton was a four-star rating. I will be honest and say that I was somewhat tentative about this story at first, as it felt like I was missing information due to the way it was linked to another story from the author. While I do feel like I would have enjoyed this story more if I had the knowledge from the author’s other work, I did come to enjoy this story a lot. Although not perfect, it did have me invested and I enjoyed watching the way everything came together.

Swim Crush by Finn Dixon was a four-star rating. In truth, my rating for this story had me conflicted. A part of me considered giving this a three-star rating, but it won me over enough that I felt it was only fair to round my rating up. Although I feel like the side characters in this story were a bit too over-the-top for forced humour, I enjoyed watching the way things developed. While obvious, the story was sweet enough to keep me turning the pages. I feel like there is more to be told for the side characters, and a part of me is curious about finding out more, so I may jump into those stories should I stumbled upon them.

Love is in the Ear by Lee Blair

It's All You by Linden Bell

Valentine's Dave by ’Nathan Burgoine

Sweet Serendipity by Nic Starr

The Tip Jar by Rain Carrington

Love Unplugged by Riley Long

Betty's Books and Biscuits by Stella Rainbow

Heart of the Batter by Susan Scott Shelley

A Healer's Gift by Toby Wise

Yours Truly by Victoria Gillilan

[B · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating the ones I've read so far, tried to keep track but not doing the best job of it!

Inconveniently Yours - D.K. Sutton
3/5
This was cute. I've read a couple D.K. Sutton books but didn't recognise the two characters who clearly had their own book, and Remi was a side character in that one. He works in a funeral home and is kinda grumpy and hilarious, quite liked him. Jules is a journalist currently out of work, and he's madly in love with Remi. Remi gets a gift and an anonymous "love letter" and Remi and his friends bring Jules in to help. But, they seem to be from Jules. SEEM being important! This was cute and kinda stressful because I wanted Jules to just sort it out 😂 but overall enjoyed it.

Swim Crush - Finn Dixon
4/5
I love Finn Dixon, and I really enjoyed this, would love this as a full length! Mikey has a secret admirer, and he starts to consider every single guy he comes across 😂 I really liked Mike. He's a bit of a himbo and I love that. Also obsessed with Logan and I want a book about him! There's some anonymous app DMs in this which is my FAVOURITE trope, which is why I wanted this to be longer! Mikey had no idea where to start with finding who his admirer is but gets there eventually. This spans over Christmas too, with some NYE goodness. Always get good spice and silly spice from Finn's books and enjoyed this one!

It's All You - Linden Bell
5/5
Loved this. I've really loved everything by Linden Bell and they are quickly becoming one of my fave authors, and I loved that this was a lil prequel! It's such a good introduction to the series (and to Linden's spice levels because they are always off the chart). This was low/no angst, with some doubts from the MCs but really they just sorted it out. Linden characters always communicate so well. Gavin and Beau were of course perfect. Beau turns up on G's doorstep after getting divorced kinda out of the blue, and they end up in a kinda proximity lil situation were Beau has an adorable lil awakening! Overall I loved this! Can't wait for what comes what next from Linden :)

ARC from Gay Romance Reviews ❤️

[Elyse · Rating 4 out of 5]

This anthology contains 16 stories. I have read and reviewed 7 of them ❤️

Bee Mine, Valentine by Beck Grey [Four Stars]
This was a very cute, wholesome Valentine's story. A perfect treat. Two neighbors - Gus & Jeremy - that keep running into each other because of Gus' dog Chip. They have an insta like/lust connection. Their chemistry is undeniable and leaves you with happiness and warmth to witness their falling into each other. This short story even had time for some side characters that were lovable and adorable. It also has the PERFECT secret admirer. It made me giggle each time another gift appeared.
This was my first read by this author and I enjoyed it.


Voices Harry by Bix Barrow [Four Stars]
This one had me laughing so hard. I love those clumsy, anxious 'error' moments. Nothing is going right and you kinda might just die where you are. It was very well executed around the miscommunication and misunderstanding trope. I also loved reading about Harry being a voice actor and narrator. I need more of those main characters in my life.
Only reason it was 4 stars and not 5 is because it was a very similar wrap up to what Bee Mine, Valentine had going on. They both had sex scene and cute pet/family moments in the end. Probably not the best idea to read them back to back.


When We’re Together by Chantal Mer [Four Stars]
Robbie and Emerson were a great pair in this short. I loved Robbie so much that I’d even enjoy reading a long novella or full length about him. He has such an interesting backstory. Sad, but full of all the bad moments that made him into the person he is today. A person he’s proud of, and even Emerson is. I hope they have the happiest life together.


It’s All You by Linden Bell [Five Stars]
Definitely my favorite story so far. There was just something about Beau’s straight to bi awakening that gave this an extra spark. I loved it even more when Beau had this chance to see if he wanted other guys, but it ended up being just about Gavin. I’m a sucker for those ‘I’m one person sexual rather than I want everything’ type of stories.
Gavin being in love with Beau since they were teenagers was the cherry on top. Gavin was so hesitant and worried he could never have his best friend. Finally getting to not only fall more in love, but be loved back? Perfection.
I saw that this is a prequel to the Mars Fitness series. Might go check out the next story and see if I love the other couples too ❤️


Love Unplugged by Riley Long [Four Stars]
Two musicians in the same band. One of them already knowing they have feelings for the other. Callum doesn’t know how to express them though, so he leaves secret admirer notes for Leo.
Leo is oblivious to how Callum feels, and also who his secret admirer is. Although it wasn’t directly said, Leo is most definitely demisexual. I love seeing those characters and it was nice watching Leo catch feelings for Callum in his own slow way.


Betty’s Books and Biscuits by Stella Rainbow [3.5 Stars]
A sweet story about a shapeshifter and a human. Both are a little lonely, shy and unsure what they deserve out of life. Through a letter they’re able to talk with one another and slowly come face to face with the fact they belong together. Mates.
This one didn’t have as much of a Valentine feel as the other stories have so far, but I still enjoyed it.


A Healer’s Gift by Toby Wise [4 Stars]
An enchanting story about an archer that gets injured and needs the magic of a healer. He also happens to be terrified of what mages can do. With a little bit of help, he learns to be at peace with magic. He also finds love along the way.

“The idea that ‘I would die for you’ is the most romantic gesture. It doesn’t make sense. Wouldn’t the most romantic gesture be living for someone. To see everything doomed, yet choosing to fight for your life so you can stay at the one you love’s side? To do everything in your power to find life despite everything around you contrary to that?”

[Bill Bottomley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Voices Harry – Bix Barrow: I received a free copy. This review is submitted voluntarily.

Harry is an audible book and cartoon voice actor. He has an assistant to deal with his social networks and a sound engineer to cover his tapings. The latter points out that a cat has passed away, the sibling of one who loves the sound of Harry’s voice. Mitchell runs a podcast giving instructions on how to crochet (Mitchell-the-hooker). Each admires the other and would really like to meet, especially after Harry records a message for Mitchell’s remaining cat, Bumper. The chance arises after Cole Washburn, a famous film star, contacts Harry about setting up a home studio in Bent Oak, Texas. By coincidence, that’s where Mitchell has recently moved. On meeting Mitchell for the first time, Harry’s voice goes very high (just like his cartoon character) and he introduces himself by that character’s name. They start dating but one can see the trouble coming when Harry keeps being interrupted every time he tries to correct the record. They go through a bit of a tough time but eventually attain their happy ending.

This novella has a straightforward plot line, and the characters are fun. The main ones are a hoot, and the secondary ones play major roles in story development. The book is quite short so it’s an easy read, taking me only about half a day. I thoroughly enjoyed the story.

[Nic]

Candy Hearts is only available until 31st March so be quick and grab your copy now.

Click here for your copy and so support this great cause

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[Liza Broadaway · Rating 4 out of 5]

❤️ARC Review❤️

I've only read Finn's book so far. Swim Crush is filled with all the fun things Finn typically offers...adorable MCs and a friend group you can't help but love!

Mike gets a love letter after swim practice and his best friends are determined to help him solve it! These are college guys so you can imagine all the antics that can happen.....Finn's humor is in full swing in this book!!

In a fun change and where the romance really takes off is when Mike's secret admirer finds him on Grindr and they message back and forth on there! Surprise! Ok not really but Mike does discover his secret admirer and it's just adorable how he reveals that he knows and I just freaking loved it!

This is a short but it's done so well and you are left with wanting more but in the best way!!!

[Dani (Daniiireads) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Candy Hearts was such a cute little anthology with some of the sweetest stories from several new to me authors & some old favorites!

✨rating is based on the following stories✨

Bee Mine by Beck Grey
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Gus is an elementary school teacher who has a crush on his cute new neighbor. Hip dog Chip is also enamored with Jeremy, and the two connect because of him!

While Gus and Jeremy’s story was adorable and I loved them and sneaky little matchmaker Chip to pieces, Jordan 100% stole the show for me 🤣🤣🤣

Voices Harry by Bix Barrow
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

Voices Harry was honestly so silly but so cute!


When We’re Together by Chantel Mer
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Robbie might be a thirty-seven year old college freshman, but he turns into a fumbling nervous teenager anytime his much younger classmate Emerson is around.

Em also has a massive crush on Robbie, but isn’t sure how to approach without scaring him off, so he starts sending Robbie little presents anonymously.

The pair eventually confess their feelings and start dating, and were just too cute for words. I absolutely would have loved a full length novel about these two!


Love Is In the Ear by Lee Blair
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Child star turned baker, Oscar moved to Dahlia Springs to escape Hollywood and to take over his uncle’s estate after his passing. Since moving to Dahlia Springs he’s had a crush on Calvin, a worker at the local dahlia farm.

Calvin has been attracted to Oscar from the moment they met, but their timing has never been quite right. Both want to make their moves so they don’t miss out on each other this time, and things finally click between them.

Coming back to Dahlia Springs is a lot like coming home, and Calvin & Oscar’s story was sweet and steamy! Loved it so much 😍

It’s All You by Linden Bell
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

After his divorce is finalized, Beau heads to NYC to see his best friend Gavin. He’s Beau’s safe place and has always made everything better, but what he doesn’t know is that Gavin has been in love with him since high school.

While in New York Beau starts seeing Gavin in a new light, but Gavin is so insistent on them not ruining their friendship. Things take an unexpectedly heated turn and their friendship levels up.

Beau and Gavin were pretty cute, not gonna lie. I feel like I would have loved if more of it had been a bit more angsty, but did love how Beau was so chill and accepting of the change in his sexuality and just rolled with it (even while Gavin was losing his shit lol)

The Tip Jar by Rain Carrington
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Cute little story about a coffee shop owner getting cute little notes from his secret admirer in the tip jar. Such a cute premise, but didn’t really feel the connection or chemistry between Blake and Caleb.

Betty’s Books and Biscuits by Stella Rainbow
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Bettino is a shapeshifter who runs a cute little bookstore in Mistvale, but is very shy and hides behind the appearance of a sweet old lady named Betty.

Things change when his mate walks through the doors of his shop, and for months Bettino gets to know him as Betty. As he gets to know Anson better, he finally gets the courage to show him his true self, and the pair live happily ever after!

Bettino and Anson were adorable and I loved that this centered around a bookshop!

[isthisakink · Rating 4 out of 5]

Buckle up, buddies. This is going to be quite the ride, but we’re gonna go on it together, whether y’all like it or not.

Enjoy?

First off, before ANYTHING gets said, go buy this anthology, okay? It’s raising funds for two AMAZING charities that focus on the wonderful and bad ass Trans community, and that alone makes anything negative anyone says irrelevant—even me. So. Do the thing.

It took me a couple of days to get through the whole thing, but that’s because I’ve slowed down significantly this year, and I’ve been sick/busy/annoyed/exhausted/friggin’ HUMAN. Now that I have, it’s time to rate and review, and share (most of, not all of) my thoughts. Just remember that y’all already know I’m *that guy*, and I have yet to hide myself away from the internet, so y’all can still find me in all the usual places. Also, I won’t be speaking on mechanics, because it’s not finalized, and I’m sure things will be nice and tidy upon release.

I made a note at the end of every story, attached it to the name of the author in the header for the ‘About The Author’ page, and said I’d share each one for each story and let that be my review. I was overly optimistic and have since decided to just share snippets. So, for you to do with as you will, for better or for worse, here ya go, my dudes.

Cupcake Crushes: Extremely cute short story! Would definitely read this as a full book, and would happily follow it as a series because I love the characters to pieces.

Bee Mine, Valentine: Absolutely precious. Chip stole the show, but I swear this is another short story I’d love to see more added to. Tomatoes in guac should literally be a crime. I would’ve liked just a bit more description of the MCs, just because I like the clear picture for the movie in my head. That’s not a criticism, just a thought. The thing about the tomatoes, however? I’m judging. Hard. Very critically.

Voices Harry: Very cute. Chaotic and hilarious. Some inconsistency and weirdness here and there, but nothing serious. It just annoys me when clothing changes suddenly, and the weirdness can just be attributed to the general vibes of the characters. An extremely adorable love story, though!

When We’re Together: Very, VERY cute and sweet, but also highly inconsistent. Another one I would’ve loved to see in full-length, with characters I want to see in future books getting their HEAs.

Inconveniently Yours: Couldn’t make it through the first two chapters. It made no sense, it was so inconsistent that even the dog didn’t make it out unscathed, and I’m not even sorry. I was so intrigued by the blurb, but it was a lie.

Swim Crush: I will never not love a story from this author. Own voice, adorable, spicy, sweet, and hilarious. They’re always everything they need to be and written the way the characters would think/talk/act. Love that for me.

Love is in the Ear: The story was wonderful, as usual, and there’s still so much I want to see out of Dahlia Springs, but the inconsistency was not easily ignored. I’m sure it’ll get fixed when it’s edited. I hope.

It’s All You: It got a little weird here and there, but it was sweet. I’m not typically a fan of “awakening” stories, but Beau got his stuff together pretty fast. I just really think that using the word “butthole” during a spicy scene should be banned.

Valentine’s Dave: Friggin’ P R E C I O U S. Absolutely fucking (no, I will not censor myself this time, thanks) adorable. No notes. Carry on making this little village an entire series, please.

Sweet Serendipity: I loved it, it was adorable and the perfect little love story, but if you don’t think those spicy bits were awkward asf, idk what to tell you, fam. Because they were.

The Tip Jar: Absolutely NOT. But for real, what did I just read? This was not okay. From using a disabled veteran who’s a singular part of their houseless population as a prop and straight ditching him and never mentioning him again—which absolutely negated the use of him as a “look what a good guy this MC is” schtick—to whatever the fudge that spicy scene was, and all of the jumbled, confusing, uncomfortable mess on every other page, this was not it. I’m not sorry. Do better. Disabled vets, as well as houseless individuals, are never props. Also, the word “ponce” was used…

Love Unplugged: It was cute, but a little abrupt, even for a short story. It wasn’t my favourite, but I enjoyed it. I just feel like the vibe was a little bit off. Idk. It just didn’t hit quite right.

Betty’s Books and Biscuits: Extremely sweet little fated mates story. It’s giving “young love” vibes. Romance movie for sure. It was a simple, great use of a very familiar set of tropes, which made it a very enjoyable, almost comfort read. It definitely makes me want to read the other stories in this world, and I’m adding them to my 2024 TBR if they’re available on KU.

Heart of the Batter: It was cute but it was messy. It drops you straight in, which, I mean, is fair because it’s a short story, but I still felt like I was missing something. Like I should’ve already known the characters and their backgrounds, or like I should’ve already been anticipating this story and known it was coming. I should’ve already been invested, basically, and I hate that feeling. Also, the inconsistency in the chapter about the skating “date” bothered me because like, a big deal was made that the fire pits were full so choosing a space heater to huddle around was IT, then for the rest of the chapter they were by a fire pit. Don’t do that to my smooth brain, please and thank you.

A Healer’s Gift: A little sloppy on details, but very fluffy and interesting. I’d read more things set in this little world. It was cute and refreshing.

Yours Truly: No 😒😑


There you have it, MM romance (and my weird reviews) fans. H I G H L Y edited snippets of my thoughts at the end of each story. I’m going to go forget I ever read “I moved up his @$$” now.

3.75/5. Overall, I loved it. I would definitely recommend it, and I hope everyone goes out and grabs a copy to support an amazing group of folx doing amazing things with their time and talent. I know y’all hate me, but I genuinely wish nothing but the best success for everyone, regardless of my unwanted opinions. Aight bye.✌🏽😗


**[I received an ARC via one of the authors. All opinions and ratings/reviews are my own.]**

[Zoë Miranda · Rating 4 out of 5]

"every story has a secret—a secret admirer"
OMG! My absolute kryptonite - secret/hidden identity (followed closely by its cousin, mistaken identity). Not to mention I'm an absolute sucker for holiday books so I am sooo stoked to read these stories. Books are listed in the order in which they appear in the anthology, my reading order will be denoted beside the titles and will be highly subjective, greatly influenced by my familiarity with and love of the authors in question, followed by my interest in the offerings of those that are new to me (that is the method to my madness, I make no apologies).

My first overall comment is that I love the little synopsis at the beginning of each story to kind of set the scene for the reader, I'd have liked it better had they all been placed at the beginning of the book, with the table of contents, but that's just me because I hate flipping back and forth.

(5) Cupcake Crushes by Becca Seymour - 4.5 candy hearts
First-person, present tense, dual POV (chapter labels would have been nice, but it does alternate in a straight-forward manner)
Finnegan, nurse
Boyd (35), high school teacher

Boyd has had a crush on Finnegan since meeting him several years earlier, though he has hidden his feelings well as Finnegan was already in a relationship. Now he isn't. Newly single and starting to mingle Boyd decides to anonymously slide into Finnegan's DMs on his dating app and try to win him over. Imagine his dismay when Finnegan want to put a stop to their flirty chatting because there is someone in real life who's caught his eye and wants to make his valentine.

This was so sweet, another perfect example of my favourite trope in action. This felt a little rushed though, which is the trouble with short stories/novellas. I'd have enjoyed more in-chat hint dropping before the cupcake swap to tantalize the reader, but it was still very enjoyable as it was.


(1) Bee Mine by Beck Grey - 4.5 candy hearts
First-person, present tense, dual POV
Jeremy (34), accountant for Monmouth College
Gus Stradley, first-grade teacher

Jeremy has recently moved into the house directly behind Gus's so they share a fenceline. Gus's dog, Chip, is used to roaming freely between the two backyards and dog-loving Jeremy is more than happy to entertain Chip and his adorable owner, Gus.

I love the coy dancing around each other that these two do in the beginning of this story, it was adorable and their first date, though neither of them called it that, was so much fun.

They had a ton of chemistry and Jeremy had some serious game and I was definitely here for it as he swept Gus off his feet. Seeing Gus in the classroom was really endearing, I really enjoyed Jordan's knowledge sharing. Chip was an adorable pupper sidekick and perfect Cupid for this couple.

I adored the Valentine's Day tea party the guys had with Gus's niece and nephew, again, Jeremy could not have been more perfect.

What a perfect start (for me) to this anthology!


(2) Voices Harry by Bix Barrow - 5 candy hearts
First-person, past tense, dual POV
Harry Wright (Sasha), narrator/voice actor
Mitchell, social media personality MitchelltheHooker

I loved this story so much!!! It was so clever and funny. I'll admit I teared up at the set-up (tw: death of a pet) because I'm a huge pet lover and owner and incredibly empathetic but it didn't drag me down too terribly. I thought the idea of a cat (Bumper) being in love with a voice actor's voice was pretty ingenious and loved how Harry, the voice actor in question, stepped up and responded so Mitchell and he could begin to get to know each other.

I couldn't stop maniacally laughing at the idea that Harry was so enamored with his crush, Mitchell, that when he finally met him in real life he couldn't talk to him without adopting an incredibly strange high-pitched, cartoon voice. THIS is the mistake/hidden identity that I absolutely adore! The comedy of errors that prevented him from coming clean was perfect. Although this does include a third-act break up, it didn't feel gratuitous and the grand gesture was so perfect, as was the response. This felt like the comfortable and genuinely hilarious 90's rom-coms that I cut my teeth on and I wish I could watch the heck out of it.

Pretty much the entire secondary cast are characters are from Bix's other works, which I've read, so I can't say with any degree of certainty whether they would be overwhelming or difficult to keep track of if you were new to her work. I enjoyed the familiar faces but in general think anthology offerings should pretty much standalone. If this is your first exposure to this world you would still be able to read the other Bent Oak books without any real spoilers.


(12) When We're Together by Chantal Mer - 4.5 candy hearts
First-person, present tense, dual POV
Robbie Lira (37), college freshman
Emerson Silver (25), college student (freshman most likely)

Okay, this story included a lot of elements that I absolutely adored. I was hooked and invested in Em and Robbie's HEA pretty much from the first page. The descriptions of the way they each felt for the other was so relatable I found myself blushing as Robbie clumsily navigated his world while he was so aware of and awkward around Em. Likewise with Em feeling so satisfied seeing Robbie enjoy his secret admirer gift, it made my heart squeeze in the best possible way. I just thought it was so sweet.

I loved all the secondary characters and how they positively leapt off the page with their individual personalities while supporting the romance rather than stealing the show - that's an incredible feat.

I know it's a common complaint with short stories and novellas that people wish they we full length but in this case I really feel these characters deserved it (probably because I simply liked them and felt their potential depth and possibility so clearly). That said the author didn't get lost trying to tell their stories, revealing enough information to make them come alive and get their romance off the ground, but no so much as to weigh things down. Their pasts are more or less in the past and dealt with there or off-page. None of the impediments to the relationship go anywhere and you are left with a heartwarming Valentine's romance.


Inconveniently Yours by D.K. Sutton - # candy hearts
First-person, present tense, dual POV
Remi
Jules


(14) Swim Crush by Finn Dixon - 4.5 candy hearts
First-person, past tense, single POV
Mike Ramsey (20), college student, member of the swim team
????? (??), secret admirer

I quite enjoyed this story, especially with the single POV story-telling to maintain the mystery of who the secret admirer was. I mean, to be fair, it was pretty obvious and I wish it had been a little more subtle but it was a lot of fun following Mike around as he tried to figure out who it was. Mike's roommate, Logan, and teammate, Danny, were a hoot and added quite a bit of comedic relief to the story, though there seemed to be more going on behind the scenes with these two so I have to wonder if they were being set up for stories of their own. The big reveal was well played and I enjoyed the sweet grand gesture Mike made to let his admirer know that his crush was reciprocated.


(6) Love is in the Ear by Lee Blair - 5 candy hearts
First-person, past tense, dual POV
Oscar (thirties), child actor turner baker at House of Sweets
Calvin Yates (thirties), assistant manager of farm operations at Bee's Dahlia Farm and ... nope, I am not going to spoil it, but it is a delicious surprise *cackles with glee*!

As George Takei would say, "oh my!"
*fans self furiously*
Oscar and Calvin had chemistry for days.

I love friends to lovers and mutual pining and crazy random happenstance. After crushing on each other for two years the stars are finally aligning for Oscar and Calvin to act on their feelings, if they can just figure out how... with the Valentine's Charity Gala looming Oscar and Calvin wrack their brains to try and come up with romantic gestures to woo each other and ensure their first dance won't be their last. This story was soooo good. I know I'm going to re-read it every Valentine's Day.

The only thing I didn't love were the not so subtle breadcrumbs/teases left for other stories (looking at you Jameson and Colt Hornsby). I much prefer anthology offerings to stand alone, tie up all the loose threads, and not act as prequels or hooks to other books that the author has, but that pet peeve is mine alone and didn't really affect my enjoyment of this story.

Also, just wondering; will there be an audio version of this story? Asking for a friend ;)


(3) It's All You by Linden Bell - 5 candy hearts
Note: This is a prequel story of sorts, featuring the owners of Mars Fitness, Gavin and Beau, but absolutely stands alone.
First-person, present tense, dual POV
Gavin (28?)
Beau Patterson (28)

Yes, just yes! No notes!

This is a little teensy tiny bit angsty because the recently divorced and straight Beau takes a hot minute to recognized the UST between him and his best friend. With each activity they enjoy together and each passing moment they spend with one another their attraction builds and builds until neither is able to deny it. When they finally come together their chemistry is off the charts. As Gavin has been secretly in love with Beau for over a decade he doubts the longevity of Beau's newly discovered feeling for him but before long they find their happily ever after with each other. It feels so genuine and heartfelt and I found myself rooting for them the entire time.

The sexy times? *Fans self*


(9)Valentine's Dave by Nathan Burgoine - 4.5 hard maple candies
Third-person, past tense, single POV
Dave Girard, layout artist at Kenson Marketing and Sales Promotion Materials
Victor, veterinarian at Furever animal rescue

Oooooh Canada - yay!

I loved the premise of this story! Sending small business themed anonymous Cupid Cards to your crush reminded me of the 'Candygrams' we used to send to friends in school. That's probably not a thing any more, but it was always so much fun, and a great fundraiser. Logistically that would be difficult as adults in the real world, but I just rolled with it. I loved how Dave and his best friend, Asher, painstakingly crafted each of the messages to be as punny as possible. I love the idea of puns as a love language.

The cast of secondary characters was a little daunting for a short story/novella and it felt like I was either supposed to be familiar with at least some of them from other works by the author or they were very well-developed in the author's mind, without necessarily the same amount of familiarity available to the reader. I let them kind of blend together but there is a lot that could be done with this world. The little twist at the end was delightful and made me so happy.


(11) Sweet Serendipity by Nic Starr - 3.5 candy hearts
First-person, present tense, dual POV
Derek Rivers (41), financial planner
Ryan Gardiner (29), independent contractor/general labourer (construction)

Needing a new place to live after a breakup, Ryan moves into his older brother's apartment while he's away for a long-term work assignment on the other side of the country. The silver lining to the whole situation is Derek, his brother's best friend, who has promised to keep an eye on him, as they spend time together they discover their feeling for one another run deeper than either of them dared to hope.

This was a pretty cute story, nothing surprising, but it was well written and satisfying. I'm not the biggest fan of the miscommunication trope, but it didn't cause huge issues, just more of a stumbling block for the couple. I loved the easy camaraderie they shared and the home improvement project at Derek's house that they worked together on was a great excuse to spend more time together. The 'secret admirer' note being delivered by Lily, Derek's niece, was a sweet touch, and inventive way to get these two to their HEA.


(7) The Tip Jar by Rain Carrington - 2.5 candy hearts
First-person, past tense, single POV
Blake Copperton (44), owner of the local coffee café in Bosque Madre (CO??)
????? (38), secret admirer

Adorable premise, handwritten sweet nothings being left for Blake in the tip jar, but I knew pretty much off the bat when the main character introduced himself to the reader that the writing style would be a problem for me, I don't typically enjoy breaking the fourth wall writing as a rule. Also, shoveling a quarter-mile driveway every morning? Is this like the uphill walk my parents made both coming and going to school? There is no way. AND the secret admirer can do it in less than an hour. Is this a paranormal romance? What kind of supe is he?

I did enjoy the single POV story-telling to maintain the mystery of who the secret admirer was and liked how all the single men in Blake's world were discussed in passing to allow the reader the opportunity to guess who the secret admirer was. Too bad the payoff just wasn't there. Once the secret admirer is revealed the relationship progresses at lightning speed (despite the characters stating that they wanted to take their time), with barely any attempt at establishing a solid basis for the couple or any real chemistry beyond initial attraction. What a waste of a spectacular marriage proposal.

Unfortunately, a lot of things didn't work for me with this story; the stilted conversations, superficial character development, the lack of chemistry between the MCs, the instalove, the generally gloomy tone. This one wasn't for me.


(8) Love Unplugged by Riley Long - 3 candy hearts
First-person, past tense, dual POV
Callum (mid-twenties-ish), guitarist with Ember Riot
Leo (mid-twenties-ish), bassist with Ember Riot

Encouraged by his sister, Evie, Callum leaves notes professing his admiration for Leo in his bass case. The set-up was pretty ham-handed, however the notes were delightful, but the story was rather ho-hum.

Callum was incredibly defensive about the mysterious notes appearing in his band mates case, and Leo as the recipient was barely moved or curious at all, which is kind of a bummer, they were just kind of accepted at face value, some positing about who could be behind them occurred, but a little investigating would have been fun. I found aspects of this story to be a little perplexing, like how little they knew about each other after a decade of being bandmates. I thought the V-day concert reveal to the fans was a little cringey, but that's probably a me problem, I can see others viewing as pretty sweet.


(4) Betty's Books and Biscuits by Stella Rainbow- 4 candy hearts
First-person, past tense, dual POV
Bettino/Betty (724+), shapeshifter, book store owner.
Anson (27), plumber, clawed way up from rock bottom after being rejected by his rich family and friends for his sexuality.

Fated mates can be a pretty hard sell for me because it often feels like they don't have to work for it, if you know what I mean. I enjoyed that the supe, Bettino, knew instantly that the human, Anson was his fated mate. That sets the story up for so many delightful things. I also adored the fact that while Anson didn't sense that Bettino was his fated mated, he did feel like he was at home in the bookstore and relaxed and at ease around 'Betty'.

I think I liked this so much because I loved both characters, but didn't find the romance to be particularly compelling. I'd have been more convinced with more showing and less telling. I wish poor Anson's personal situation were a little better so it hadn't felt like he had literally no options other than being with Bettino.


(13) Heart of the Batter by Susan Scott Shelley - 3.5 candy hearts
First-person, present tense, multi POV (3)
Hart Hoffman, former football linebacker, current cake decorator
Toby Walker
Max Doleman

MMM is ambitious for a novella or short story so I had somewhat low expectations going in but what a delicious set-up! The way Toby was so dejected and then cheered up at the prospect of secret admirer flowers, the way Max put his foot in his mouth suggesting they were secret admirer flowers... I immediately got giddy at the prospect of the story ahead, despite the ham-handed way in which Hart and Max teamed up.

Unfortunately, we are almost immediately dumped into a friend gathering at the local bar and there are were just so many characters. I haven't read anything else by the author so doubtless fans will be gleeful at the cameos from other books (I assume/hope because otherwise there is absolutely no reason to introduce so many people in a story this length).

TBC...


A Healer's Gift by Toby Wise - # candy hearts
First/Third-person, present/past tense, dual POV


(10) Yours Truly by Victoria Gillilan - 2 stars
Third-person, past (with some paragraphs in present) tense, multiple POV (subtle switch, not clearly delineated)
Evan, firefighter, admirey (sic)
Ryan, firefighter, secret admirer

This was a cute story that was terribly executed. Part of the draw of a secret admirer storyline is the anticipation for the reader and/or character in trying to figure out the mystery, but this is revealed from the jump. I hope that this was not the final version because this desperately needs a proofreader and editor as it was riddled with typos, grammatical errors, and tense changes. That aside it was a messy, disjointed, confusing narrative overly filled with passive storytelling and stilted overly formal dialogue.


I was given an ARC and voluntarily wrote an honest review.

[Showarst · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cupcake Crushes by Becca Seymour

Oh my goodness was this a sweet one. Boyd and Finnegan have both had crushes on each other for several years. However, since they are members of the same friend group they are nervous to let each other know how they really feel. Both men try to anonymously connect and it leads to some sweet revelations. I wish it could have been drawn out a little bit more but it would have been difficult to do so since Boyd knew about Finnegan’s plan. I would love to see more of these two.

Bee Mine, Valentine by Beck Grey

I have really enjoyed Beck’s Love in the Pacific Northwest series so I was excited to see this short story. I liked Jeremy and Gus, but the beginning felt very repetitive. They would meet, talk for two minutes, and then leave. It happened so many times. Once they had the tea party things began to move. I would love to see more of these two in the future.

Voices Harry by Bix Barrow

I’ve never read a story by Bix before but I did really enjoy this one. Mitchell and Harry were very sweet, and I thought it was hilarious how Harry was so nervous he used one of his character’s voices. I did find it a little unbelievable how so many things interrupted Harry telling Mitchell the truth, but I can overlook the obvious plot devices since it was so stinkin’ cute. I think these two were adorable and I loved how Bumper was so obsessed with Harry’s voice.


When We’re Together by Chantal Mer

I LOVED this one! I have not read anything by this author either, but I will definitely be checking them out. Emerson and Robbie were so stinkin’ cute. I loved how Emerson wanted Robbie to feel seen. The little secret admirer gifts wer sweet and I’m so glad that Robbie did not overreact at the reveal. I would love to see a story about Leon and Maalik. They seemed so lovely. I cannot wait to check out more stories by this author.


Inconveniently Yours by D.K. Sutton

I was really looking forward to Remi’s story after Twelve Gays of Christmas. Remi is receiving secret admirer gifts and letters which sometimes seem a little bitter. He enlists Jules’ help in figuring out who is sending him these items. Little does he know that it is Jules’ letters/gifts but it is NOT Jules who is sending them. This was a neat little mystery though I got frustrated with Jules being in love with Remi but not willing to be honest with him. Remi was so much more than he seemed and he deserved someone to really see him for who he is. I am intrigued by Darcy and Wickett so I hope that we will see these characters in future novels.

Swim Crush by Finn Dixon

Yeah….this one was not for me.


Love is in the Ear by Lee Blair

This was cute and I really liked Oscar. Calvin frustrated me a little by always going back to his ex even when he had feelings for Oscar. But once they got together it was pretty sweet. Loved the epilogue.

It’s All You by Linden Bell

Gavin has been in love with his straight best friend, Beau, for years. When Beau shows up after his divorce to reconnect with Gavin, they both find out he isn’t so straight. This was cute though I would have loved to have seen a little more romance. I’m very intrigued by the new series (Mars Fitness) that this introduces though. I’ll be checking that out.

Valentine’s Dave by ‘Nathan Burgoine

This was a new author for me, but what a super sweet story. Dave has had the worst luck on Valentine’s Day but he hopes this year will be different. With the help of his roommate Asher he sets out to woo the vet near him with anonymous messages. He doesn’t realize love may be closer than he thinks. I really liked the story (even clueless Dave), but it would have been even better with an epilogue.

Sweet Serendipity by Nic Starr

Loved this one though I got a little frustrated by the two of them believing that they couldn’t be together. Super sweet though.

The Tip Jar by Rain Carrington

Loved the notes in the tip jar and how that theme developed throughout the story. I also really liked that we didn’t know who the secret admirer was until the date. Super sweet one.

Love Unplugged by Riley Long

This one was okay but it was just lacking something. The connection or chemistry didn’t quite feel real.

Betty’s Books and Biscuits by Stella Rainbow

Sweet and almost innocent story of a shapeshifter and his mate. I know Bettino was shy but he’d been alive for so long and then mentioned later that he’d been intimate with many people but when it came to his mate he couldn’t approach him. I just couldn’t put those things together. These two were cute but I wanted just a little more.

Heart of the Batter by Susan Scott Shelley

This was okay. MMM is not my favorite and I don’t think it was long enough to develop the emotions for a relationship. Other people will love this. It was well written and the three men were very sweet.

A Healer’s Gift by Toby Wise

This was interesting and I loved Desmond. Colt was such a jerk for a good portion of the story. However, I did like these two together. This would have been better as a longer novel because I feel a little cheated at not getting to see them in the future or taking their relationship to a physical level.

Yours Truly by Victoria Gillilan

This one was not for me.


I received an ARC copy for my honest review

[Melissa Polk · Rating 5 out of 5]

Anthologies can be so hit or miss as it's unlikely every story will resonate with every reader. Overall, this was an enjoyable reading experience. Below are my specific thoughts on each story, though I tried to keep them brief.

Cupcake Crushes - Becca Seymour
That. Was Adorable. Not gonna lie, I was worried things were going to get awkward in the beginning there, but the payoff was so worth it. Not sure I can see the stretched logic of Boyd’s original plan, but also, that’s romance stories for you–logic need not apply so long as I get the feels.

Bee Mine, Valentine - Beck Grey
Ordinarily I’m not a fan of awkward. Or “awwww, kids are cute!” moments. But, man. This story was the best, most adorable awkward ever. I grinned through every page. And honestly, Jordan is the best–even if she is a first grader.

Voices Harri - Bix Barrow
Okay, look, you had me at crochet and cats, honestly. This was so sweet. Painful in the way that romcoms can be where you just want to shake the MC doing the silly, but so sweet. Bumper was the star, obviously, followed closely by Harry.

When We’re Together - Chantal Mer
That was so sweet I might now have a sugar addiction. Wow. I adore how open and honest Emerson and Robbie were–despite the whole secret admirer. I could probably happily read stories about all the side characters in this story and will definitely be checking out other work by this author!

Inconveniently Yours - DK Sutton
Wow. That was a journey. At first I was expecting something pretty dark and then it was…high school drama except the characters were all waaaaaay too old to be high school kids. Which was a little jarring. But the end result was worth it and definitely kept me turning pages.

Swim Crush - Finn Dixon
I was not the target audience for this one. Just gonna leave it at that.

Love is in the Ear - Lee Blair
Hell. Yes. I am an enormous fan of the Tap That Brewery series and this? This was a perfect reminder of all the things I love about it. Oscar and Calvin are lovely and have totally sold me on binge re-reading the series at my earliest convenience.

It’s All You - Linden Bell
Something about clueless best friends (even when it’s only one of them) to lovers hits all my “and now it’s time to be overly emotional” buttons. This story was no exception. Yes, I got teary-eyed. Hush.

Valentine’s Dave - ‘Nathan Burgoine
Cute, quick read.

Sweet Serendipity - Nic Starr
Sweet. A bit rushed, but that’s what you get in a short-form story. Pleased with the low-angst-ness of the conflict.

The Tip Jar - Rain Carrington
Cute but would definitely have benefited from more room to explore emotions between the couple.

Love Unplugged - Riley Long
I was not the target audience for this one. Just gonna leave it at that.

Betty’s Books and Biscuits - Stella Rainbow
Pretty adorable. I mean, you had me at shy bookshop owner, honestly. I can see how Mistvale has enough residents to be an entire series as it seems like a pretty interesting place to live.

Heart of the Batter - Susan Scott Shelley
I was not the target audience for this one. Just gonna leave it at that.

A Healer’s Gift - Toby Wise
I was not the target audience for this one–was very litRPG (nothing wrong with that, just not my thing).

Yours Truly - Victoria Gillilan
Very slice-of-life erotica. Feels like there’s backstory or a larger series I’m missing out on, but still a quick, cute read.

[Foggybottom · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a lovely anthology. Of particular note is the Bix Barrow story "Voices Harry." This wonderful story contains so many of the feel-good elements of love, friendship, pet therapy (and therapy for pets!), that it is definitely a “must have.” Harry and Mitchell are incredibly hilarious both separately and together, and just so ridiculously lovable from start to finish. Mitchell’s cat, Bumperbutt, steals his fair share of scenes by showcasing myriad traits of our loyal, furry companions: sensitivity to sounds (especially to individuals’ voices), signs of depression (same as humans), and the incredible power of animal-human bonding. But there is also a lot of good information regarding Harry’s job in voiceovers and book narration. Harry’s sound engineer, Syd, is a real hoot! Smart, funny, and driven, she is a worthy sidekick. Mitchell’s pals Baz and Steve are the very best kind of friends you could hope for and they’re fun, too. The ending is marvelous! It may also leave readers wondering if there could be any future works with these delightfully entertaining characters, including Bumperbutt’s new sister Raindrop. An added bonus to this fine tale is the chance to reconnect with characters from Ms. Barrow’s Bent Oak, Texas series, which is its own kind of fabulous.

[C. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This anthology was great! It has one of my favorite tropes as a base with secret admirers and the stories are full of more of my favorite thinfs like online/IRL, gift giving, secret notes and sweet mystery.

My Favorites from the book are:

Bee Mine, Valentine - Beck Grey
Another adorable tale of a secret admirer and this admirer is the most adorable. You’ll know what I mean when you read it. This was rather a cute story of neighbors meeting and the events that ensue.

Voices Harry - Bix Barrow
I think this might be one of the cutest stories I’ve read in a while. There is an adorable meet cute as well as a lot of humor and heart. Harry’s reaction to Mitchell is priceless. My only thing is that the steamy scene/s felt unnecessary, and awkward. This is the first thing I have read by this author but they’ve been placed on my TBR.

Love is in the Ear - Lee Blair
Lee Blair is an author that is becoming a favorite. Most of her books and stories re set in the same small town and it is an idyllic place but at the same time it feels real. This story is about a child star and the assistant farm manager It’s got mutual secret crushes and is full of steam and many forms of sweetness. There is an underlining message about letting the past go an moving forward. I can’t wait to read more books based in Dahlia Spring and can’t wait to see what the author does next.

[Christine · Rating 4 out of 5]

A charming collection of light MM romance novellas themed around secret admirers and Valentine’s Day, with proceeds going to a good cause. Definitely recommend!

The stories are short enough to serve as an excellent quick read after a work day, so I read one on days where I had the time. While I was sent an ARC with the intent to read of 1/16 stories, I enjoyed this collection so much I’ve read 5/16 so far, and plan to keep reading more of them as we lead up to Valentines Day. So that tells you something!

All stories are generally sweet, have 1-2 short steamy scenes and deliver a happily ever after. Though “Voices Harry” by Bix Barrow was my favorite for a fun addition of humor to the sweetness, I enjoyed and recommend all of the stories I’ve read so far:
Cupcake Crushes by Becca Seymour
Bee Mine, Valentine by Beck Grey
Voices Harry by Bix Barrow
When We’re Together by Chantel Mer
Inconveniently Yours, by D.K. Sutton

I’m looking forward to reading more of these delightful stories as we get closer to Valentine’s!

[Justine Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm reviewing Inconveniently Yours by D.K. Sutton and The Healer's Gift by Toby Wise curtesy of a complimentary copy. I look forward to enjoying the rest of the stories and definitely recommend.

Inconveniently Yours by D.K. Sutton is a wonderfully written story about Remi and Jules. I really enjoyed this secret admirer puzzle solving story. It seems Jules wasn't so subtle about his feelings for Remi as he thought. Sometimes it takes the push from another to finally admit your feelings, for better or worse. Remi and Jules are sweet together and I'm glad they figured it out.

The Healer's Gift by Toby Wise is a wonderfully written magical story about Colt and Desmond. Colt finds himself injured during a job and is taken to the nearest healer, much to his dislike. Desmond enjoys helping other and is very good at what he does. He is quick to calm Colt and heal him. I really enjoyed this story and the interactions between Colt and Desmond. The secret gifts and the not so secret gifts shared between them. The growing trust and protectiveness shown. They are so perfect together.

[Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Candy Hearts is a Valentine's Day Anthology with all profits going to charities helping transgender folks 🫶 through 16 stories by various authors. 

I'm so thankful for the opportunity to read this as an ARC as it supports a great cause and it's all new-to-me authors on this project! 

I'll edit this review as I read more of the stories but I have to say Becca Seymour is now a new favorite: 
Cupcake Crushes was so sweet and I love how both the characters clumsily tried to reach out to one another. Very cute.

Bee Mine, Valentine by Beck Grey - was cute but I didn't love the writing. The characters were sweet. 

Heart of the Batter was cute as well! The throuple kiss <333

Can't wait to read more of the many stories in this volume and hope to see many more in the future to support this cause. 

[Jeanette Buck · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just reviewing Swim crush by Finn Dixon as I haven't read the other stories yet. I adore this author's work. You know that you'll get a story full of sweetness, snark, steam and lots of hot sporty guys. This was such an adorable story. 22 year old swimmer Mike is still a virgin and he's desperate to find the right guy. When he suddenly gets notes from a secret admirer, he's keen to find out who it is. He eventually finds out it's his coach's son when they become close. I absolutely loved reading this story. Only wish it was longer💜

[Angie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was lucky enough to get an ARC of this book but it is currently available to purchase now!

I just finished Voices Harry and it was funny and sad and cute! I liked the craziness that could realistically happen! I liked the cute short little love stories just in time for vday! The best part is that proceeds from the sale support LGBTQIA charities!

You really can't go wrong with an anthology for charity!

[Sarah ✨ · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 overall
🌶️🌶️🌶️/5 for spice

This was an ARC read of, It's all you by Linden Bell, which is part of the Candy hearts charity anthology, releasing on the 1st of February.

We've met Gavin and Beau before in book 1 of the Mars Fitness series, Ripped, this is their story, so it's a prequel of sorts to the series, because of this, these characters felt mildly familiar, like bumping I'm to someone you've met briefly before. I'm a sucker for the friends to lovers trope, with a heavy dose of secret pining. I don't know what it is about it, I just love it so much and that's what this is, to a T. It's sweet, a little awkward in places and suitably steamy in others.

As always, Linden Bell writes well and you can feel the chemistry of the characters coming off the page. I enjoyed the spicy scenes featuring first times for Beau and emotional times for Gavin. There was just the wording in one scene that was a bit too crude for me, but that's just personal taste and on the whole I did enjoy it 😊

This was an extremely low angst and easy read and therefore I think this is a safe read for most sensitive readers.

Happy and safe reading folks ✨

[Dawn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a Enchanting read. So many wonderful stories, I read through them with pleasure and ease. This book was enjoyable with wonderful sweet moments and sweet words. All them are truly amazing and worth the read. It was a pleasure.

[Ashley -Goldstarreads · Rating 4 out of 5]

I only read Voices Harry by Bix Barrow, it was a very cute and sweet story about Harry, an audio book narrator and voice actor who has the voice of a pornstar and looks like the geeky twink. Then we have Mitchell who does crocheting videos online for a hobby, one of his cats has a thing for Harry’s voice and that is how he comes to Harry’s attention. Mitchell and Harry start to chat and then they bump into each other in person, only Mitchell has no idea what Harry looks like and Harry freaks out and uses the voice of nigh pitched cartoon character he was recording, and he gave the characters name! Of course this miscommunication and lie comes back to bite him in the bum and in the meantime, shenanigans ensue. They are so cute together. There isn’t a lot of steam in this short story, one short scene at the end and eluding to some sexy time in the final chapter (that I honestly would love to have read!!). I was also pleasantly surprised to see Baz and Steve from what’s Santa got to do with it? Which is a very cute Christmas story, I definitely advise reading that (before or after this novella, doesn’t matter). The characters are adorable, sweet and real. It is an endearing story with some emotional turmoil at times.

[Kendra Patterson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a good anthology of Valentine stories with secret admirer stories. I pre-ordered just to support the charity and I wasn't disappointed in the reads. Definitely recommend this book.

Cupcake Crushes Becca Seymour 4 star
Finnegan and Boyd are friends and about to become more. With some sneaky work, help from the friend group and a dating app; things get interesting fast. This would've been a 5 star for me but since one MC had a cheating ex and the two MCs had unprotected sex with just the "I'm clean comments", I took off a star. Not a fan of no protection without recent tests.

Bee Mine, Valentine Beck Grey 4 star
Gus and Jeremy are neighbors and friends. Gus's dog Chip likes to go visit Jeremy and bring him gifts. Gus and Jeremy have good chemistry and are soon dating. Jeremy also seems to have a secret admirer and I really liked who it turned out to be. This was another 5 star IMO but the MCs had unprotected sex just because "I'm on PrEP, me too". No get tested first.

Voices Harry Bix Barrow 5 star
Harry is an audio narrator and rather shy. He comes across Mitchell when he's sent a video of Mitchell's cat listening to his videos. They start talking and decide to meet up but when they do Harry's shyness throws a kink into their meeting and hilarity ensues. Now Mitchell has two guys he's chatting up, or does he? Love that this book ties in with the Bent Oak series and we get characters from there making an appearance. Harry and Mitchell also have have great chemistry.

When We're Together Chantal Mer 5 star
Robbie and Emerson are college students. Robbie doesn't think Emerson would be interested in him because of the age gap, opposites attract though. With a secret admirer trope this book brings two friends together. Good chemistry and a cute story.

Inconveniently Yours DK Sutton 4 stars
Remi is the mortician that was introduced in the 12 Gays of Christmas book. He's not quite as snarky now when someone is leaving him gifts. He's kind of excited and kind of concerned. Jules has loved Remi for awhile now. He's too shy to do anything about it, so someone has decided to get involved to help these two out. There's the is it an admirer or stalker element that I really liked. I liked the gift giving parts. There was a little too much miss or non communication going on IMO. Also too many people keeping secrets.

Swim Crush Finn Dixon 4 stars
Mike is on the college swim team. His BFF and fellow teammate and his dorm roommate are both hound dogs and funny at times too. They are riding along as Mike is trying to get rid of his V card. He decides to get on Grindr and starts flirting with someone and they have such good chemistry they start texting back and forth off the site. Hayden is the swim coaches son and assistant. He has a crush on Mike but is too shy to say anything. He decides to go the secret admirer route. I really liked the story and how Mike and Hayden finally get together. This would've been a 5 star IMO but the author used the "breed me line". This wouldn't even be an attractive thing to hear in a MF book must less a MM book. It's cringe worthy. Ugh!!!

Love is in the Ear Lee Blair 5 stars
Oscar the former child actor turned baker is finally in a good place physically and emotionally. His friend Oscar is a farmer and second in command at a family owner farm. These two are friends and are secretly attracted to each other. They decide to do something special for each other and I liked it. Bachelor auctions, silent auctions of donated items and the charity event bring them together. Not even an ex can keep them apart. Good chemistry with a cute friends to lovers story.

It's All You Linden Bell 5 stars
Gavin and Beau are childhood friends from Georgia. Gavin goes away to NYC for college and stays. Beau stays in Georgia and gets married. They stay in touch but when one is yearning for the other it isn't a close relationship like when they were kids. When Beau abruptly shows up in NYC a mess, Gavin is right there to help him out. It doesn't take long for Beau to realize that he's not as straight as he thought. Now he's questioning, is he gay, bisexual or just Gavinsexual? These two have really good chemistry. The story is really well thought out and written.

Valentine's Dave Nathan Burgoine 5 stars
Dave is not so lucky in love. He has had three Valentines in a row that were a disaster. He has a crush on Victor and enlists his BFF/roommate Asher to help him catch his attention. With the town businesses having Valentines secret admirer events Dave is on the road to having a good Valentines but a miscommunication brings that to a halt. What happens when what you want and need has always been right there next to you? This is such a good story. The chemistry between Dave and Asher is really good, the story is really good. Asher's background had me tearing up a couple of times. This was my favorite story in the anthology. Definitely have to check out this new to me author.

Sweet Serendipity Nic Starr 5 stars
Derek and Ryan are friends through Derek's older brother. Derek's just moved to town and staying in brother's apartment. He's trying to get his life back on track. He's always been attracted to Ryan but with the age gap and the differences in their jobs, he doesn't think he has a chance. So we have a silent pining. Ryan is kind of settled in life and really wants someone to come home to. He's attracted to Derek but doesn't think he sees him like that. When he's helping his niece with Valentine's cards things take a turn. With his niece playing matchmaker what could go wrong? These two have really good chemistry. They have the friends first as a base and mutual respect. I felt like this was a feel good story and really enjoyed it.

The Tip Jar Rain Carrington 5 stars
Blake owns the only coffee shop in town. He gets a steady amount of business every day. Getting secret admirer notes in his tip jar puts the icing on the cake. Getting up early to shovel the snow isn't fun though. One such morning turns into a disaster. With the help of his best employee he's off to the hospital and finding relief in no time. Caleb is the EMT that takes him to the hospital. He's very efficient in his job but he's also very shy. He has never been into the coffee shop, so he gets help with his wooing. I liked the whole flirting thing and the slow romance of this story. I also liked all the supporting characters that had Blake's back.

Love Unplugged Riley Long 4 stars
Callum and Leo are members of the rock band Ember Riot. They are friends and secretly attracted to each other. One day Callum decides to write out his feelings and slip the note anonymously to Leo. This turns into the whole band trying to help Leo find out who is sending the notes. When Leo finds out who his secret admirer is will it tear the band apart? This was a little too short and rushed to get a well flushed out story but it is good. I would've liked a little longer on the mystery part. Also more character and world building.

Betty's Books and Biscuits Stella Rainbow 5 stars
Anson hasn't had an easy life for someone who came from a wealthy family. Life has thrown so much at him in such a short time and he's now getting his life in order. He finds solace in Betty's bookstore. He soon starts getting secret admirer messages, which leads to him and the admirer texting daily. When he finds out who the admirer is, he's first upset but it doesn't take long to realize fate knows what's best. This was a really good story. I liked who the admirer turned out to be and their abilities. I now have to go and read another series from this new to me author because the town is very intriguing to me.

Heart of the Batter Susan Scott Shelley
I don't really like throuple/menage stories and only read when they are in a series I'm already invested in. This is by no means a slight to this author. It's my personal likes that kept me from reading this one. Sorry.

A Healer's Gift Toby Wise 5 stars
Colt is part of a group of hands for hire. He gets brought to Desmond's town because he's seriously hurt. Desmond is a healer. He knows medicine, potions and also uses magic to heal. Colt is against magic and insists that Desmond heal him without it. Later when we find out why it's completely understandable and a little heartbreaking. I really liked this story. I liked how Desmond changes Colt without trying to. He just does what he does and Colt realizes that there are good people/mages out there. I liked the gift giving as it was shown that Colt really paid attention to what Colt liked/wanted. I would've like more world building but it's still a really good story. I definitely want to know why Colt gave the bartender his boots!!

Yours Truly Victoria Gillilan 4 stars
Evan and Ryan are firefighters and best friends. Evan is getting secret admirer gifts and they are perfect for him. It shows that the admirer really pays attention to him. I liked the part where the homophobes are dealt with but I would've liked the punishment to be more strict. The friends to lovers part is always a plus IMO. I did think the story was a little too short and fast paced. It needed more character and world building IMO. Good story though.

[Claudia Fritz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Funny story

I was fortunate enough to receive an ARC of 'Voices Harry' from Bix Barrow and this is my honest opinion on it.
The story (see Blurb for description) is short and, as always with the author, funny and to the point. I had to laugh so much when the Protas drank coffee together for the first time and the cathairs😀... It's also nice to meet other people from previous books. The author knows how to bring people together, with all their concerns and insecurities. 'Voices Harry' is part of the charity anthology 'Candy Hearts'.

[Amy Weller · Rating 5 out of 5]

Phenomenal!

A wonderful collection of 16 stories, centered around Valentine’s Day, of couples who find a way to get the happily ever after they want!

Cupcake Crushes - Becca Seymour - This story gets the collection off to an amazing start! The story of Boyd and Finnegan is sweet and wonderful and an absolute joy to read. I love how the two friends find out they have feelings for each other and give a relationship a try. Full of great friends, one sassy coworker and some very humorous cupcakes, they get their journey off on an amazing start and I loved how it all worked out for them in the end.

Bee Mine, Valentine - Beck Grey - Such a sweet story! Gus and Jeremy are neighbors and meet when Gus is walking his dog, Chip. The lady that owned Jeremy’s house used to spoil Chip and it seems Chip thinks Jeremy should continue that tradition. It makes for some great and humorous meetings as Chip seems to love Jeremy. Mysterious valentines show up on Jeremy’s back porch as the day approaches and I love how they get there! A Valentine’s tea with Gus’s niece and nephew will be a huge success and it is just the start of a wonderful relationship for the two.

Voices Harry - Bix Barrow - Harry and Mitchell are up next and what an adventure their story is! Harry narrates audiobooks and does some voiceover projects as well. He will first learn of Mitchell when his assistant, Syd, shows him a video Mitchell posted about his cats. One of them, Bumper, loves to listen to Harry’s voice and when Bumper gets a little sad, Harry steps up and records a video just for Bumper. It will lead to quite the journey for the two men that will involve a high pitched character voice, a dinner mishap, and finally, a happy ending that will have even Bumper getting a second chance with a new friend.

When We’re Together - Chantal Mer - This is my first time reading a book by Chantal but it won’t be the last! The sweet tale of Robbie and Emerson is fun, flirty and a whole lot of fun to read! They have a class together but Robbie gets flustered everytime Emerson talks to him. It will take some patience, and a few secret gifts, for Emerson to get the chance to be so much more than classmates with Robbie and it’s a wonderful journey!

Inconveniently Yours - D.K. Sutton - I love D.K.’s stories and this one just adds to the list! It’s Remi’s turn and his tale is a bit of an adventure. He’s receiving notes and gifts from a secret admirer. And it started at a Christmas party. Now, he’s asked Jules to help him find out who is sending these gifts. The thing that Remi doesn’t know is that it’s Jules. It’s quite the journey as the two question people at the Christmas party and some of them reveal everything but what Jules is looking for. Remi wants to know where the gifts are coming from but Jules wants to know who is sending his notes and gifts to Remi. The answer they find is quite a shock but it will lead them to their own happy ending.

Swim Crush - Finn Dixon - This next story is the tale of Mike and Hayden. Mike is on the swim team and Hayden is the coach’s son. Their tale begins with Mike getting little notes from his secret admirer. He has no idea who it is but every note is signed with a name from Greek mythology. Some clues will come from the letters but it won’t be until he and his admirer are messaging through an app that Mike will learn the truth. The way he lets Hayden know he’s figured it out is sweet and wonderful and is absolutely amazing!

Love is in the Ear - Lee Blair - Dahlia Springs is a wonderful place and I love every time I get to visit through another one of Lee’s amazing stories. This one is the tale of Calvin and Oscar. The two are friends but Oscar would certainly like to be more but the timing never seemed right. I love how devoted the two are when they finally decide to take the leap to tell the other how they feel. And it ends marvelously as they both feel the same and they get the chance to have their happily ever after.

It’s All You - Linden Bell - Another wonderful story by Linden! I love the peek into the past of the owners of Mars Fitness to see how it all started. Best friends turn into so much more when Beau shows up at Gavin’s apartment after his divorce and losing his job. I love how Beau comes to see what has always been there between them and takes his chance on a happily ever after and wins big!

Valentine’s Dave - Nathan Burgoyne - I love the story of Dave and Asher! It’s a wonderful tale of two friends and roommates who work together to try to break Dave’s streak of disasterous Valentine’s Days. Asher is helping Dave with the notes he sends to Victor through a secret admirer activity the town’s businesses are hosting. But Dave will find out something that will change things and his confession to Asher doesn’t end well. It will take a close friend for Dave to realize that the one he should have been sending the Valentines to all along should have been Asher. He takes the chance and finally breaks his streak of terrible Valentines!

Sweet Serendipity - Nic Starr - The story of Derek and his best friend’s younger brother Ryan. Ryan has come back to town and when his brother leaves town for work, Derek is charged with checking in on Ryan. Derek and Ryan have had feelings for each other for years but are hesitant to do anything about it. A visit from Ryan’s ex will get them a little closer as Derek fights the urge to protect him. It will take some intervention from Derek’s adorable niece for the two to take the jump to a relationship and it’s so worth it when they finally do.

The Tip Jar - Rain Carrington - Blake and Caleb’s story and it starts with a tip jar. Blake owns the only coffee shop in town. When the notes start showing up, they brighten his day. His cabin on the mountain will bring the two together when Blake hurts himself shoveling but he won’t officially meet Caleb until a bit later. It’s a sweet romance that starts with little notes of encouragement and end with a happily ever after!

Love Unplugged - Riley Long - The story of Callum and Leo is the tale of two friends/band mates who find themselves drawn together. It starts with Callum leaving anonymous notes in Leo’s guitar case. But soon, Callum isn’t sure Leo is ok getting the notes anymore. His chance to confess comes in a way he doesn’t expect but it works out for the best. Especially when he finds out Leo feels the same. The rest of the band is ok with their relationship and it will allow them to move forward to their happily ever after.

Betty’s Books and Biscuits - Stella Rainbow - A wonderful tale about Bettino and Anson. Bettino is a shapeshifter hiding in the form of an old woman who owns a bookstore. When his mate, Anson, starts coming to the bookstore, he will need to find the courage to approach Anson and tell him the truth. It will happen, though not how Bettino would like, but it will be so worth it for them both in the end.

Heart of the Batter - Susan Scott Shelley - A tale of Hart, Max and Toby. They work together at a bakery and when Toby has a bad week, Hart and Max are determined to make it better. Hart and Max are attracted to each other and both are attracted to Toby. They take the time to woo him and it will work in the best way. I love all the time they spend together doing fun things and getting to know each other. The big Valentine’s Day reveal is extra special and makes for a very heartwarming story.

A Healer’s Gift - Toby Wise - The tale of Colt and Desmond. Desmond is a healer that uses magic, something Colt distrusts. But a terrible injury will have Colt having to accept the magic, finding it isn’t as bad as he thought. The two get closer and it isn’t long until Colt is telling Desmond the reason for his distrust of magic. I love the way the two come together and find that they are perfect for each other.

Yours Truly - Victoria Gillian - A sweet story of two friends, Ryan and Evan. They work together as firefighters and Evan has been receiving gifts from a secret admirer. The two have feelings for each other and this is Ryan’s way of letting him know. When Ryan gets caught on camera delivering the latest gift, Evan takes a chance to move their relationship to another level and it pays off.

I read an ARC copy of these books and am volunteering my honest review.

[Katriana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cupcake Crushes by Becca Seymour

Finnegan and Boyd's story is full of sweetness and cupcakes! Oh, pickles and cactus's too! This book was funny, sweet, and full of lots of pining!

Bee Mine, Valentine by Beck Grey
This book is full of comedy, sugary sweetness, lots of kids and a dog that's full of shenanigans! I absolutely adore this story, it's so cute! Even with this being a short story, everything works so well and fits wonderfully! I liked how they took things slow and got to know each other first, they built up their attraction before acting on it. And Chip! He was my favorite character, I absolutely adore him!! He's so cute and just wants Jeremy's attention, and his little gifts were so cute!!

Voices Harry by Bix Barrow:
Mitchell and Harry's story is hilarious and.. unfortunate. I love the concept of Harry being a voice actor, and Mitchell having his own crocheting business. I love his car, and I adored how the cost was such a main focus, I thought that was so cool! Harry's voice changing whenever he's around Mitchell is unfortunate, but definitely adds that humor element to their love story. I'm really glad they were able to work things out.

When We're Together by Chantal Mer,
Whenever Emerson is around Robbie gets nervous, dropping things, tripping over himself, stuttering... Which is unfortunate cause he has a huge crush on the man. Emerson noticed Robbie having trouble, so he sends him gifts to hopefully help Robbie warm up to him... And it worked! This story was adorable, I absolutely adored it! It felt like a full length novel instead of the short story that it is, I don't think it was missing anything. I do wish Robbie's past was talked about a bit more because it was mentioned, but other than that I still found the book to be quite good!

Inconveniently Yours by D.K. Sutton,
Oh how I love secret admirers, and this one was truly a secret! The creativity this author had with this story was so interesting and such a fun concept! I loved going on the journey with Remi and Jules while they were trying to find out who was sending the gifts. The concept of someone else seeing them on Jules's behalf was really cool!

Swim Crush by Finn Dixon,
This story was full of spice and so much steam, along with pesky friends, speedos, and a secret admirer. I thought this story was good, the secret admirer part was done well, I loved the banter that Mike had with his best friends, it was so funny, and added that humor element to the story. I really enjoyed how Mike showed Hayden he knew it was him who was his secret admirer, I thought it was sweet.

Love is in the Ear by Lee Blair,
I love the characters that Lee creates, they are all amazing and add so much to the story. There were a lot of side characters featured in this book and all of them had a reason to be apart of it. Oscar being a baker was really enjoyable for me to read about cause, I too, love baking! It was really cool reading about baking in a book. The romance I thought was done well, it definitely gives you a slow-burn feel.

It's All You by Linden Bell,
I love stories that has the friends to lovers trope, as it's one of my favorites to read. I thought that Linden did a good job with that trope. My only note would be it seemed to be very focused on the steamy parts rather than these men actually talking about their feelings and dates.

Valentine's Dave by Nathan Burgoine,
I loved this story! When it first started out I wasn't sold, but once I read more of it I ended up really enjoying it! I really appreciated how Dave didn't know how he truly felt about a certain person until someone else pointed it out to him. I thought this book was written really well, and had terrific characters. I loved all the puns!

Sweet Serendipity by Nic Starr,
I felt as though this story was rushed a bit, the pacing just felt a bit off to me. I think this story would've benefited from being drawn out a bit more.

The Tip Jar by Rain Carrington,
This book was so cute! I love how the person leaving notes was a complete surprise, Blake's secret admirer was a character that I didn't even expect, which I found really fun. I thought the idea of leaving notes on the tip jar was such a cute idea!

Love Unplugged by Riley Long,
I unfortunately didn't care for this short as much, I feel as though the pacing was off. It felt like it was dragged out to far, and then when they got together... That was kind of it. They didn't really discuss much, and I just felt as though the pacing was slow and the story got dragged out.

Betty's Books and Biscuits by Stella Rainbow,
I absolutely adored this story! I love the worlds Stella creates, and this book takes place in her Mistvale world, which I found very cool! I absolutely loved the idea of Bettino being a shape shifter, I found that really unique. And him owning his own bookshop is so cool! I love Anson and Bettino's relationship, they are so cute together!

Heart Of The Batter by Susan Scott Shelley,
Baking, poly, and escape rooms? In addition to surprise gifts?? This book was packed full of sweetness, and I absolutely adored it! I loved how Max, Toby and Hart's relationship was written, they took things slow, and made sure to keep communicating with each other to make sure it's what everyone wanted. I think this one might just be my favorite so far.

A Healer's Gift by Toby Wise,
Desmond and Colt's story was so unique and unlike Toby's other work, I love being able to see a him write a different type of magical world. The concept of their being monsters that Colt and his team were paid to take care of I found really interesting! That, and Desmond being a mage was cool, and I thought everything was written really well!

Yours Truly by Victoria Gillian,
I love friends to lovers romances and this one was so good! I adored how much Ryan payed attention to Evan, he showered Even in so many thoughtful and meaningful gifts. I love how the reveal was handled, I think it was done really well. I enjoyed the pacing and I thought these characters worked really well together!!

[wordsandblankspaces · Rating 3 out of 5]

Just ok for me

Overall- This was ok. There were a few really good ones and a few not so good ones. I've discovered new to me authors and will seek some out to read from again. I think they were all pretty well edited and I enjoyed the little mini blurb at the beginning of each story. I also liked the authors that linked their other books that their stories were tied to. It was a well put together anthology.

Cupcake Crushes by Becca Seymour- This was a cute story. I sort of wish Boyd didn't figure out Finnegan's crush right away. I would have liked to seen Finnegan plan more surprises. I liked it though.

Bee Mine, Valentine by Beck Grey- This was very cute. I really enjoyed this couple and they probably would make a great full length story. The dog was a great side character and I loved the valentines.

Voices Harry by Bix Barrow- This one had some really funny moments. I'm glad that their drama, for lack of a better term without spoiling anything, was small. The cat was funny and I liked most of the side characters. Everyone in the book fit somewhere in the LGBTQ+ community and that's fine and may even be a lot of people's realities but if half of everyone is straight and the other LGBTQ+, it would stand to reason that someone would have a straight friend. It's not anything that makes me angry or I find bad, more just odd to me.

When We're Together by Chantal Mer- I liked this story and the secret admirer thing was cute. I wish I knew if this book was a sort of prequel to other books. Like I would to read Leon and Maalik's story (which I guess would technically have to come first) and maybe see if Atlas and Alejandro get together. Anyway, enjoyed the writing and the characters.

Inconveniently Yours by D.K. Sutton- Was a cute story but honestly was confusing. The way the story was told didn't make sense a lot of the time and secondary characters would sometimes be referred as a her/him only to have it change a little bit later. Wasn't a favorite.

Swim Crush by Finn Dixon- Not so romantic to me. Mike has a secret admirer and spends most of the story thinking it's every other guy he knows except the person it actually is. All I know at the end of this is that these guys are in lust with each other. This one was definitely more on the smut side of things and almost no focus on feelings.

Love is in the Ear by Lee Blair- Was ok. There were a lot of tropes thrown into what is essentially a short story. It would have been nice if, for example, it was just secret crushes and a date auction or any variation of all that was going on in this story. One of the biggest issues I had was that they both didn't seem to be crushing equally. Oscar was all for Calvin but Calvin didn't seem like he was that into Oscar until he saw the Prism notification on Oscar's phone and I think the ex boyfriend had a lot to do with the imbalance. I've read some of the Dahlia Springs universe stories before so I will probably look into more of them.

It's All You by Linden Bell- I liked this story. I wasn't sure what I was getting into with the gay friend in love with the straight friend and 30 chapters including the epilogue. I was expecting high angst (even though it said low angst) or lots of tedious inner monologues. There was some self reflection but it was paced well and the chapters were relatively short. It was nice in a way because it was like we got both characters' pov at the same time. Usually events are only told from one character's pov so I'm always curious about what the other thought of something that happens as well. Anyway, not sure if this is the author's usual style but I liked it and will definitely check out more of their work.

Valentine's Dave by 'Nathan Burgoine- This was cute. About halfway through I was like ok, if Dave and Asher don't end up together, that would be tragic. I liked the author's writing style.

Sweet Serendipity by Nic Starr- Was ok. I think there was a lot of stuff that didn't need to be in there. I also wish the epilogue was farther into the future like say after they adopt their first kid because that was something Derek really wanted. Instead it's 6 months later and they are only at the point of Derek asking Ryan to move in. They've known each other forever and they aren't even living together after 6 months? It's odd for a romance.

The Tip Jar by Rain Carrington- Was ok. Nothing really wrong with it but it just wasn't for me. The characters were fine. The story was fine. Everything was just fine. It ended up being kind of meh for me.

Love Unplugged by Riley Long- This one was good. I liked the characters and demi rep. Even though there is some minor pining with the crushes, I would say this is absolutely zero angst. A nice, fluffy love story. I would read this author again.

Betty's Books and Biscuits by Stella Rainbow- Was ok. I liked the idea. The language was so odd to me. Like one character is really old so it makes sense that he is very eloquent but the other is a young guy and he uses the same language. None of it felt romantic or natural.

Heart of the Batter by Susan Scott Shelley- I wasn't going to read this one because I wasn't in the mood for a poly story and I should have stuck with that. I saw it was only six chapters so decided to read it. It took me three days because I just could not get into it. This isn't the author's fault and it was a perfectly fine story.

A Healer's Gift by Toby Wise- This was a cute read. I enjoyed the slight pining in it by both characters. I liked the characters and wish their story was longer.

Yours Truly by Victoria Gillilan- This one really wasn't for me. Was weirdly written and all the things that should have been sweet came across as mechanical.

[Elizabeth D · Rating 4 out of 5]

4/5 overall. This was a lovely anthology full of sweet Valentine’s stories raising money for some wonderful causes.

Individual ratings below:

Cupcake Crushes (Becca Seymour)
4/5 This is a cute story of mutual pining that is resolved through chat and cupcakes. I enjoyed the silly puns, the move to honesty after a little push, and the sweetness that Boyd and Finnegan demonstrate towards one another.

Bee Mine, Valentine (Beck Grey)
4.5/5 This is an adorable new neighbours romance with an awesome dog, adorable children, and crafting. I loved seeing Jeremy and Gus get to know one another and fall in love with one another—with Chip’s help!

Voices Harry (Bic Barrow)
4.5/5 This made me laugh so much! Poor Harry being ridiculous and Mitchell crocheting hilarious projects and kitties with crushes (and bunnies and movie stars and awesome family, found and otherwise). This was highly entertaining.

When We’re Together (Chantal Mer)
4/5 Robbie is painfully tongue-tied around Emerson, and it’s nice to see him finally actually engage enough to become more comfortable around him. Emerson is sweetly attracted and intent on bringing good things to Robbie’s life. I liked how thoughtful the gifts were.

Inconveniently Yours (DK Sutton)
3.5/5 I was glad how this resolved itself, but I actually found most of it pretty angsty, with the characters upset or struggling with their feelings or the impact of others’ feelings on them. It was nice to see Remi and Jules get an HEA after 12 Gays of Christmas.

Swim Crush (Finn Dixon)
3.5/5 I think I’ve outgrown the college-age romances to a degree, so my rating is probably more about me than the story. It was full of a lot of university-aged boys being university-aged boys, lol. I thought Mike and his friends were a little clueless about the secret admirer identity, but I enjoyed the banter between Mike and his admirer. Them actually getting to know one another was what I liked the most.

Love Is in the Ear (Lee Blair)
4.5/5 It was lovely to see Oscar and Calvin get their chance together after years of it not being the right time. I liked both of them, their careers and back-stories, and their friends. I enjoyed the baking and secret admirer moments. They were great for one another.

It’s All You (Linden Bell)
4/5 I liked how Beau and Gavin actually talked about things and they tried to navigate the surprise of a new type of relationship between them. I couldn’t blame Gavin for trying to protect himself, but it was lovely when he really started to believe Beau. I liked how romantic Beau was and how the two of them figured out a dream life together.

Valentine’s Dave (Nathan Burgoine)
4.5/5 This was both incredibly sweet and made me wince a bit because poor Dave was so clueless, lol. Dave and Asher have the best friendship, the puns made me laugh a lot, and the Cyrano-twist to the story was painful and entertaining at once. I’m glad that Dave had good friends who could set him straight (so to speak!) eventually, lol.

Sweet Serendipity (Nic Starr)
4/5 This is a sweet brother’s best friend story as Ryan moves back home and he answers Derek start spending time together again. I love Derek’s dedication to his garden and house and his determination to involve Ryan in the remodel. There’s lots of mutual pining and some friendly intervention to get them to realise that they want the same thing.

The Tip Jar (Rain Carrington)
4/5 This is one of the sweetest instances of the secret admirer notes. They’re meant to improve Blake’s day and make him happy, and they were just incredibly kind. I liked how much they lit Blake up, how much he cares about his coffee shop, and how much he clicks with his secret admirer.

Love Unplugged (Riley Long)
4/5 I didn’t love Callum trying to set up plausible deniability about the notes, but I liked the sweetness of the content. I liked it best when these two were hanging out and actually communicating.

Betty’s Books and Biscuits (Stella Rainbow)
4.5/5 I enjoyed the return to Mistvale and Fate striking again with a great Mate pairing. Bettino and Anson are different in a lot of ways, but they have a shared love of books and a connection that is fun to watch grow through notes, texts, and phone calls. It’s wonderful to see both of them find somewhere where they can really belong.

Heart of the Batter (Susan Scott Shelley)
4.5/5 It was fun to see Max, Hart, and Toby get to know one another better and take a chance on one another. I loved the escape room, the cake, and their kindness towards one another. Friends and colleagues are supportive, and this just seems like a really genuine group of people. I enjoyed the secret admirer gifts as well as the in-person wooing.

A Healer’s Gift (Toby Wise)
4.5/5 Desmond and Colt are a lot of fun together. It was lovely to see Colt overcome his fear/hatred of magic. The two of them both protect and help people in their own way, and it was entertaining to watch Desmond get under Colt’s grumpy defences. Desmond was hilariously clueless about his secret admirer.

Yours Truly (Victoria Gillilan)
3/5 This might have been an issue only with the ARC I read, but this story had a lot of typos, grammar, and tense issues, which made it hard for me to read. It was also chapter-by-chapter POV changes until starting in the third chapter POV swapped whenever without warning. I did like Evan and Ryan. I liked how thoughtful Ryan’s gifts were, how much their colleagues cared about them, and the mutual pining.

I received an ARC from GRR. This is my honest review.