Head in the Clouds: A Romantic Comedy Anthology

by Chessa Andersen, Cindy Houghton, Theresa Lambe

Love is in the air. On Cloud 9. The Mile-High Club.
These sweet sentiments illustrate that love knows no bounds.
Finding love – or a sexy adventure – is always a possibility among the clouds or under the stars.

🌥 Proceeds of the anthology will benefit Mental Health America (mhanational.org). 🌥

359 pages, Paperback

Published August 16, 2024

About the author

Chessa Andersen smiles any time her friends call her “a genius,” “brilliant,” “an angel,” and her all-time favorite, “a wizard.” When she isn’t arguing with her husband about being a wizard, she begrudgingly mows the huge lawn on hot summer days in Iowa and loves listening to drops of rain hit the skylight above her desk.

She believes sleep cures everything, the bitcoin system is way more complicated than it needs to be, and laughter really is the best medicine. She is obsessed with blended coffee drinks, games on her tablet, and sparkly nail polish.

Connect with her through Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/chessajande.... To catch her attention and make her smile, start the message with, “Hello, you amazing little wizard.”

Reviews

[Jen Aycock · Rating 4 out of 5]

Head in the Clouds was such a fun read with a wide range of “love in the air” scenarios and spice levels. There’s definitely something for everyone. I’m a fan of anthologies because I enjoy experiencing different writing styles and having the opportunity to meet a new author I otherwise might’ve missed. Readers can easily skip a novella from the anthology that they might not be in the mood to read (maybe not enough spice or maybe too much spice). Wanting the full experience, I didn’t skip any of the stories, and I’m glad I didn’t.

Characters were relatable. Of course my favorites were the awkward and quirky ones. Love was a longtime yearning and an immediate firecracker. There’s loss, heartache, mental awareness representations and so much more. If you’re a romance reader looking for a selection of romance novels, this is for you. Adored it!

[Diana Cornelio · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolute loved all of the short stories. They were all gripping from the start, and I loved how quickly they all played out. I wish we had more books like this. So many short stories to fall in love with all at once. All the authors were great with each of their writings. Highly recommend.

[Bethany Latronica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not only do all the proceeds go to Mental Health America(mhanational.org), but this Anthology of reads from multiple different authors and points of view is incredibly neat and exciting. I absolutely love the back to back short stories, filled with mental health representation, lust, love and some smut! All the good things in one 😜 Getting to see the different writing styles from EIGHT authors in one place, truly made my heart happy! 💕

⭐"Ben turned the clouds into blue skies and helped me take leaps I never thought I would take." - Cindy Houghton⭐

⭐"We all may come from different backgrounds and hold contrasting views, but under this infinite expanse, we're all bound together by a shared wonder." - Sara McClaflin⭐

⭐"Tilting my head to face his, I saw the rawness, the trepidation, but most of all, I saw the love he felt for me." - Leigh Raven⭐

@cindyhoughton_author
@chessajandersen
@authorsaramcclaflin
@willow_leigh_raven
@author_theresa
@reginabrownell_author
@saniatism
@elliemackbooks

[Megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading this anthology, a fun collection of eight romance short stories all by different authors! The proceeds from this anthology go toward an excellent cause I support, Mental Health America (mhanational.org), and each story touches on an aspect of mental health awareness. The wide variety of story lines, points of view, character backgrounds, and levels of spice ensure each romantic romp is unique and entertaining. References to the sky, the stars, or flying among the clouds are common themes throughout each story, making ‘Head in the Clouds’ an aptly named title. I also appreciate how swiftly the romantic connections progress and I wish there were more collections like this. If you are a romance reader and looking for a quick and satisfying read or are looking for exposure to new authors in this genre, there is definitely something in this collection for you!

Thank you to the publisher for the gifted ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Readingwithdesi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved all the short stories. Not only does all the proceed go to help mental health America but you had to see a different points of views from different authors and the way they write tells a beautiful story

[Patti C · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Hawthorn & Aster for the ARC copy! This was very cute and fun. I enjoyed all of the short stories especially since I read it while I was traveling via plane. A couple of the stories developed rather fast and therefore felt rushed but could not fault the authors since some of the stories were only 3-4 chapters. Overall a fun light read!

[Alyssa Garza · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars I have read each story and while some were not my personal taste. They were all enjoy able and a great read for checking out new authors. This ARC was well thought out and the stories that stood out to me were; Free fall by Cindy houghton, Tied together by Regina Brownell, and Some hearts by Chessa Andersen. With free fall i personally love an ex military man, fun dialogue between the two MCs. Tied together was about to old friends with a past. Both MCs were authors and again had great dialogue. Some story’s can have unnatural dialogue where it feels forced and this was the complete opposite. With Some hearts i was sitting up with Asher he is super confident. Olivia was really seductive with Asher and you could really feel the vibe between the two. It started as a wedding hook-up which i have not read in a book recently so it was refreshing. Would highly recommend this anthology and helps benefit a great cause.

[Novels & Needles · Rating 4 out of 5]

Received as an ARC.

☁️ Enemies to lovers
☁️ Instant connection
☁️ Class difference
☁️ Forced proximity
☁️ Opposites attract
☁️ Childhood friends
☁️ Forgotten love

This has something for everyone on the contemporary romance spectrum. Lots of different tropes, spice levels and perfect little intro stories to authors you may not have heard of before. Some I adored, some were just not my cup of tea, but that’s perfectly ok and the joys of having an anthology read. This is the ideal way to sample multiple styles of writing in the same book, and who knows, maybe you’ll find a new go to author you can’t help but fall in love with ☺️

[kn_cozy_bookworm · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have really started to enjoy anthologies. They are great when you want to read some short stories and are a great way to get exposed to new authors and writing styles.

Head in the Clouds is full of sweetness and spice! I enjoyed each story. They were all different but also went along with the head in the clouds theme with hot air balloon and plane rides and I thought that was the cutest. It’s full of first times and second chances and will make you smile and gasp (there were a couple very good omg moments scattered about!).

And I also love that proceeds of the anthology will benefit Mental Health America (mhanational.org).

[PurpleGypsyBookLover · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was my first anthology book so I wasn't sure what to expect. I actually really liked it! Each author wrote their own section, about 5ish chapters, and each story was different. One was about overcoming tragedy while another was about rekindled love.

If you like short stories or are looking for a refresher book that's an easy read, this anthology is perfect! Also great for helping you meet those end of the month reading goals you may set since it's a quick read.

[nancyamerica · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such a fun read! I love reading an anthology when I’m in a slump and this did the trick! I appreciated all the different characters and situations I got to read all in one book! I love a good enemies to lovers! Definitely recommend if you’re looking to read more indie authors and love romance!

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

So here is the problem that I find with anthologies is that if you like some but not all it will bring down your overall review of the book. And that is what happened with me. Some of these stories were great but others left me feeling like there was more of the story to tell. Overall if you want a quick hit of romance this is not a bad choice.

[Danika Bellemare · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love how this book focuses on multiple short stories that go into different characters lives and share how the sky and the clouds play a role in their lives. This book reminded me to look at the blue summer sky more and find shapes in the clouds.

⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

*I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.*

[Amanda S. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book so much! It's a perfectly put together anthology of the cutest romcoms. We get 8 short stories that were the perfect length while also making me want more. I will definitely be checking out the authors in this book.

[PrettyLadyMaine Writes · Rating 5 out of 5]

ARC read I loved all the short stories and the spice this was a great read

[Elizabeth Mazzie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This a book composed of many short stories. While I’m not normally a person that likes short stories because to me I feel like I always need more, this wasn’t bad. They had a mixture of stories, and different tropes. They are all quick having to do with something in the sky.

@hawthorn.and.aster.services
#enemiestolovers
#childhoodfriends
#instantconnection
#forcedproximity
#classdifference
#forgottenlove
#oppositesattract

[Chayna · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this anthology about mental health. In each story I loved how it showed how each character had their issues that may have held them back from finding happiness but in the end they were able to overcome it all.

[Alexis Miller · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute and quick book, stories weren’t very long but I like how fast everything progressed

[Lee Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great collaboration of indie authors writing funny and wonderful romantic short stories. When I first started reading I didn't realize this and was like how did that end so fast? Turning the page to realize it was a bunch of small stories was kind of cool. Some stories took my attention over others. Some I read quickly because I couldn't put it down, others took me a little bit longer. But overall I loved how many authors were in one book and now I can look up each one I liked the most and find more of their writings.

I would recommend this book. These authors are great and I can't wait to read more of some of these authors.

[Introvert Booklover · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating is 3.6 stars, rounding up to 4.

I received a free copy of the book in exchange for review. All of the opinions are my own. Thank you!

This is such a decent, but nice anthology. Feel happy, sad, shocked, and surprised. Some stories are too steamy for me, but they are ok. At least I read some sweet romance stories (hahaha). My only problem is that one story is somewhat ended with a cliffhanger, which I think it would continue in the next anthology I guess. I select a few stories that are my favorite.

[Kristin Ware · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall I did really enjoy this book! Some of the stories I just connected to super fast and I was like I love this, and some of the others took me a few pages and then I was like oh okay yep I like this! I normally don’t read short stories but for once I did enjoy this collection of short, spicy, air planes themed stories!! It was a nice change of pace in contrast to the books I’ve been reading recently so I recommend you give it a try!

[Kellie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots of very cute, enjoyable short stories in this book! Each one was unique, but they still all felt like they belonged in this book together. Although I didn't have as much time to get to know the characters, I still became invested in them quickly. I would definitely recommend giving this a read!

[Chantelle-emma Hilton · Rating 4 out of 5]

I absolutely loved these short stories all with the theme of being up in the air, they all had great messages of overcoming adversity and to read that every sale of this anthology benefits mental health charities was the icing on the cake!

The bite sized stories were perfect for a mid book slump, refreshing and at times moving as well as showcasing some of the best indie writing talent out there.

This is a must read for any spicy romance reader

[Arabela Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

You can't really pick one story to show of from this anthology.
As my first anthology I had a great time reading them and discovering new author.
Each story hold different emotions as show another way to see the sky 😍.

Thank you 🙏 to all those author whom give a part of themselves into the book.

[Vanessa Hilario Mata · Rating 5 out of 5]

Head in the Clouds have short stories from amazing authors that had couples finding love and their sexy adventures! Enjoyed reading and a must read!