Foes to Flames: An Enemies to Lovers Autumn Anthology

by A.K. Caggiano, Laura Winter, H.M. Skinner

When autumn winds howl and golden leaves emerge, searing hatred transforms into steamy infatuation…

Foes to Flames is a collection of six fantasy novellas highlighting the vibrancy of fall and the sizzling heat of enemies to lovers romance. From cozy tales to spicy encounters, feel the flames of autumn rivalries turned romances. Follow witches, fae, and shadow princes as they journey through whimsical worlds or hunt enchanted urban streets. With magic sparking on every page, Foes to Flames is full of feverish banter, clandestine touches, and passionate confessions you don’t want to miss.

This fall themed anthology is available for a limited time and features exclusive stories from:

Amber Paige
Laura Winter
Roxie Cohen
A.K. Caggiano
Jana Sun
H.M. Skinner

Genres: Fantasy, Romantasy, Fantasy Romance, Fae, Short Stories, Romance, Anthologies

623 pages, Paperback

Published September 1, 2024

About the author

Ashley is an indie author who likes to write silly little stories that hopefully bring readers joy. She likes cats, guacamole, feminism, and the internet.

Reviews

[Mady · Rating 5 out of 5]

*I received this book as an advanced reader copy

Ohmygosh this is such a fun anthology!!! Truly made me desperate for fall water, changing leaves, and cozy nights. Some stories are spicer than others and while all of them have fae and magic they each feel so unique. One of the best parts of this anthology is how each author took these commonalities and created rich and entertaining novellas that feel different but make total sense as an anthology.

Even more exciting is this has introduced me to some new authors and my TBR just got (somehow) longer

[Shannon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Anthologies are kind of hard for me to review because it's pretty common for me to skim or completely skip the short stories that I don't vibe with. So instead of things I liked/didn't like I'm going to review story by story.

Faeted to Fall by A.K. Caggiano:

My favorite short by far. It was funny and sweet and, at only 100 pages long, a complete and satisfying story. Roan tip-toes on that edge between dickhead and secretly vulnerable so well. Maewyn is smart, surly and stabby, but also lonely and vulnerable. Together they are huge fuckups, at least in the beginning, and it's extremely amusing. The ending was well earned. A.K. Caggiano, please never stop writing. Five stars on this

Cat and Mouse by Jana Sun:

I really, really don't like stories about cops generally, even in fantasy, so I skipped this one. The prose was good and the storyline seemed at least a bit interesting, but bleeeeeeeeeeeeeeh at the whole magical cop thing. I'd probably check out one of the author's other books though. No rating from me on this because I didn't finish it.

Storm and Sacrifice by Laura Winter:

The prince is a very typical HUUUUUGE dude, which is just not a thing that I find interesting personally. The fmc is, surprisingly, not short/regular height, which pleases me endlessly. The storyline is decently interesting, the romance is solidly okay and progresses as slowly as it can within a set page limit. Three stars for this one and I'll definitely check out some of the authors other books.

Hawk and the Heir of Autumn:

I DNF'ed this because it is just absolutely not my jam at all. The characters are all named after animals and it feels vaguely like a children's fairytale, which can be a cool vibe in some cases but it just did not engage me this time around. No rating because I didn't finish.

Greenwood by H.M. Skinner:

A very cool little story about insectoid fae. The fmc doesn't have magic and can't follow her family on their yearly southern migration without help. The mmc is a thief by trade who attempts to pay off a debt to a black widow fae (fucking creepy shit) by robbing the fmc's family vault. They find each other due to her sibling's treachery and the entire journey afterwards is delightful. Four stars to this one and I will be checking out the author in the future.

A Tempting Cure by Amber Paige:

I finished this one because the general story was very much my shit, but both the fmc and the mmc ended up annoying me to the point where it just made the story unappealing. When "good girl" and "on your knees" appeared during the smut scene, along with “she withered around him”, I was basically done. I'm just not a fan of wannabe dominant dudes when it comes to swiving, especially when the sex itself is kind of boring and uninspired. One star on this story, though I might give the author another shot to see if her novels are better.

Overall I liked three of the six stories, which isn't bad for an anthology that is essentially "free" through Kindle Unlimited.

[Lianne Scheepers · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a lovely enemies-to -lovers anthology with fall vibes. I haven’t read all of the stories to be honest, but here are my reviews for the ones I did read.

A tempting cure by Amber Paige

“You remind me of home”

This story is adventurous, cute, and hot as hell. This lovely combination is starting to feel like Amber’s signature move at this point, and I’m here for it!

Serena and Sebastian are lovely. Though they don’t exactly start of on the right foot, they soon learn they share a common goal. I really enjoyed their journey towards this common goal, since we get a lot of witty banter and passion on the side.

And let’s not forget about those pixies! Rebel, Rocky and Betty. Upping that cuteness factor even more!

This story was absolutely lovely.

Cat and Mouse by Jana Sun

“Alette had the beauty of a waning sunset and the heat of a falling star”

What is that saying? Opposites attract? Well that might just be true for Gabriel and Alette. Thief versus police officer, cat versus mouse.

While chasing “the mouse”, Gabriel soon learns that this thief is more like a Robin Hood for the Fae. Being half Fae himself, he actually understands it’s crimes on some level. Alette is usually so carefull when it comes to stealing valuable gems that belonged to the Fae. But there is just something magnetic about the police officer that is hunting her.

I really enjoyed these characters, they both have something vulnerable about them. Which made their story such an angsty yet passionate one.

Faeted to Fall – A.K.

“Was there anything more beautiful in this realm or any other? Yes, it turned out, when she lifted her eyes to spy him across the garden, a wide grin there that felt as though it was just for him.”

A reluctant human bride, sacrificed by her own people for a plentiful harvest. And a Fae prince keeping up appearances while having a hidden agenda.

I really enjoyed Maewyn and Roan. Both acting out of obligation (arranged marriage), both plotting for a way to get out of this arrangement. Until they fall..

I really loved this “enemies to lovers” & “fated mates” story, it had me hooked from the very page. I’m definitely keeping an eye out for this author and what she will write next.

Storm & Sacrifice – Laura Winter

“What a storm we will unleash”

Yet another story that had me hooked from the very first page. One horse, one bed, fated mates, enemies to lovers, hidden identities, shadow daddy. What’s not to love!

There is so much mystery and dangerous twists and turns to the story. A past war creating a divide in the kingdom and between characters. A deadly sacrificial ceremony raising questions and suspicions.

I really enjoyed the banter between Kaelen and Seraphina. And ofcourse their fiery passion!
This story was absolutely unputdownable!

[Sali Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

One book, 6 fall season vibe stories, what more could you want?

This was a great book and i'm actually sorry i don't have a physical copy because this would be fun to read again next year. It has 6 different stories by 6 different authors, all in the fall season theme. It also was a great way to experience the writing style of the different writers but they still managed to make the stories fit together.
The book has banter, enemies to lovers, witches, fae, faeries, pixies, magic, fall vibes, spice and thieves. Each story was complete and i would absolutely recommend it!

[SarahQ · Rating 4 out of 5]

This anthology was so much fun! Sweet and pumpkin spice 🎃🌶️

6 novellas based on autumn vibes and enemies to lovers, and they were each totally unique. Fae, witches, magic, secret identifies, forced proximity, banter, fated mates - there is something in here for everyone!

If you are a fan of any one of these authors, use this as a road map to find more hidden gem writers!!

Thank you for the ARC 🙌

[Katelyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I waited for so long for Foes to Flames to come out and it was well worth the wait!! These stories were the perfect way to usher in fall and cooler weather, and I’m so excited to continue reading cozy fall books for the next few months!

Fated to Fall
4/5 ⭐️
While I really enjoyed this story, there was something about it that was just a little lacking for me and I can’t put my finger on it. I adore A.K. Caggiano and her work but this one just didn’t quite hit the same as some of her past works. Still a cozy and delightful read, but left me wishing for just a bit more out of it.

Cat and Mouse
4/5 ⭐️
I normally despise urban fantasy stories, but I loved this one! It was fun, tension filled, and I was rooting so hard for them to just let each other in and fall! Truly enjoyed this story and the glimpse into the world it gave.

Storm and Sacrifice
3/5 ⭐️
This one was okay for me. There wasn’t anything in particular I didn’t like about the story necessarily, but I think maybe I would have enjoyed it more if it had been more flushed out and was a full length book instead of part of the anthology. I found that the build from enemies to lovers was too quick for me and seemingly came from nowhere which is a huge pet peeve of mine.

Hawk and the Heir of Autumn
4/5 ⭐️
I loved this one!! I loved the names of the fae, though at first I did roll my eyes before I understood how the magic system worked. It was a fun premise that left me feeling cozy as Hawk and Bunny raced to save their lands. I really enjoyed these characters! I don’t love scary things so I enjoyed the mystery aspect without it going into spooky territory.

Greenwood
5/5 ⭐️
My god, H.M. Skinner has quickly turned into one of my favorite authors of all time. I am beyond enchanted by the world that she’s created and absolutely adore the characters. The pacing of this story was simply perfect and everything felt like it was just fast enough without being rushed. I loved her book Gladefolk and this is just another testament to what an amazing author she is!

A Tempting Cure
2.5/5 ⭐️
In every anthology that I read there’s one story I just don’t connect with and find myself rushing to get through. For me, this story was A Tempting Cure. I didn’t connect with the characters or the plot, and the pacing felt way too rushed to be enjoyable. I wanted to like it more but the writing style was not my favorite and that really set the tone of the book as being not enjoyable for me.

[Kari Bates · Rating 4 out of 5]

Faeted to Fall: 4.5⭐️

I’ll read just about anything by A.K. Caggiano, so obviously I had to get my hands on her contribution to this autumn anthology. Perfect comfy + cozy read.

[Bekah Jackson (lit.spo) · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5/5 stars
Absolutely adored this anthology! Highly recommend for fans of enemies to lovers and fun fall vibes. I enjoyed that this was 6 little novellas in one. The set up allowed me to pick a story each night and be able to finish it in one sitting. I read them in order, but I feel this could also be great for mood readers who may find one story more to their liking on a particular day and could skip around. It is also a great way to sample each author's work to find other books that you really connect with. All of stories were great, but I certainly found some to be more catered toward my reading tastes. That being said, I definitely feel there is something for everyone in this book! This is a must have for this upcoming fall season :) Thank you so much to the authors for allowing me the opportunity to be an ARC reader for this collection of stories!

[Amanda Lane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enemies to lovers, multiple authors writing short stories, and fall vibes. What's not to love?! And for me, it is a major bonus that one of them ties to my favorite cozy fantasy Gemma Stone 😍 I'm in love with the cover and look forward to checking out more books from the authors who put this together. As soon as the leaves fall and the weather is cooler I'm breaking this bad boy out to re read, in my opinion it's the perfect way to bring in the season 🥰

[Minty · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this! Just the right vibes to welcome the season.

A couple didn't quite do it for me which is fine, but a few made me want a whole series. I will absolutely be picking up some other novels from Laura Winter and H.M. Skinner after this! I love their stories and enjoyed the worlds they built.

[Bookwyrm_in_KC · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an awesome collection of short stories by some amazing authors. If you love banter, antagonists to lovers or just want to discover a new-to-you romantasy author you should definitely read this anthology!

[Audrey Casadonte · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was so cozy and fun! Absolutely loved it!!

[gio · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this out of order and I’m going to rate kinda separately since most of the authors were new to me.

A TEMPTING CURSE

They banter was a little childish, but the story was very cute. ⭐️⭐️


GREENWOOD

Even though my brain convinced me that this was a Tangled retelling, this was my least favorite story.
The girl was annoying and the guy doesn’t actually deserve her, he didn’t convince me.
I thought about dfn this a couple of times. ⭐️⭐️


CAT AND MOUSE

Very cute and fun but absolutely nothing Autumn about it.
Jana is an author I didn’t know before and I liked her writing ⭐️⭐️

HAWK AND THE HEIR

Roxie is an author that I’ve been meaning to read for a while, so this was a good first try. And this being a prequel to a series of hers is great.
The characters’s name were a bit silly to me, even if it makes sense in the story.
But it was lovely and it just makes me want to read her books even more. ⭐️⭐️⭐️


STORM & SACRIFICE

So Laura is an author that I’ve tried before but I wasn’t able to pass chapter three in her book. I don’t know, there’s just something about her writing and me. But I’m always curious to read her books anyway 🥴
The characters were what I was expecting, so no surprises. The plot was not plotting for me, for a whole book I think it would’ve worked but not for a short novella.
Also, this did not feel like Autumn to me at all. ⭐️⭐️

FAETED TO FALL

So it’s not surprise to me that A.K’s would be my favorite story in this book since she’s the reason I decided to read it lol
Best banter, best characters and best plot. To be fair, not a lot of autumn about it though, and I’d have preferred a better ending. ⭐️⭐️⭐️

[Cat Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great anthology of autumnal themed novellas. Aside from the talented AK Caggiano, whose contribution by the way was brilliant as always, these were new authors for me and I will certainly be reading more of their works. If you’re looking for a combination of enemy to lovers inspired tales that will keep you entertained and feeling all warm and cozy (and a little hot under the collar) you should definitely check this book out. This ARC was kindly gifted to me in return for an honest opinion.

[Angela Potochich · Rating 2 out of 5]

It's a shame to rate this anthology only two stars, but I had to DNF two of the stories and skim through another. The good short stories in here are so good, so clever and cute and spicy. The bad ones are not terrible but they are not pleasant, very mid and difficult to get through.

[DMATMOOBILforever · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall I only rated two of the novella 4 stars, the rest below, so this kinda fell flat for me. It was fantastic timing though, I needed some novellas to get me out of the weird slump.

Faeted to Fall
4 stars
Ch 1 || “What am I to do?” she shouted as she streaked around a bend in the trees he too found himself following. “I don’t care,” Roan called back through the magic of being a raven only in appearance. He dipped lower, gliding between the treetops. “Perhaps find another fae and try to not stab that one.”||
Ch 2 I’m getting a sort of Draco/Hermione vibe here, and loving it lol. I like how they’re bickering and how she stabbed him lol.
Ch 4 A Court of Threats and Ridiculousness
Ch 5 she loves the library? This is totally Hermione!
Ch 7 Roan squeezed a tight fist as if to trap the fleeting feeling of her softness and watched her go. It was the ruse, of course, inspiring such sentimentality, but damn if he wasn’t good at playacting.
Ch 8 Her eyes darted away from Ulric to find Roan in the crowd. The prince stood beside Aunyx, engaged in conversation, but their gazes immediately locked. He had been watching her, and when she finally watched him back, he broke into a wide smile and tipped his glass.
Ch 8 “But they got what was coming to them for hurting my human.” His head cocked, and the grin that crawled up the side of his face told her he knew exactly how her heart had skipped when he called her his.
Ch 8 Roan let out a heavy sigh, his breath caressing her ear. “Now, listen, you will need that human face of yours to properly scowl at me,” he whispered with more mirth, “and that human body to barge in and force me into excruciating work.”
Ch 8 “Come back to me, Maewyn,” he murmured, voice dreamy as his hand slid down from her chest to her belly, the smoothness of her skin lighting up under his fingertips.
Ch 11 “If I could make you mine, truly mine, I would.” Maewyn stilled beneath him, but his next gentle thrust against the layers between them made her eyelids flutter. “No one is stopping you,” she said, legs falling farther apart. “You are,” he growled. “You would be tamed by no fae.” She breathed out heady laughter and gripped the side of his face. “I think you prefer me untempered.”
Ch 11 wow she never got to finish? How rude lol.
Okay… overall that was SUPER cute. I enjoyed the Dramione vibes, the bond, the banter, the lazy prince and studious human, the humour, the nickname Pumpkin, and the whole fairy tale feeling.


Cat and Mouse
3 stars
Ch 3 ||the racism against fae is interesting, I’ve never seen it where fae are considered lower than humans… usually it’s the other way around||
Ch 5 wow she’s bold. Also liking this author’s writing, I am hopeful…
Ch 11 ew omg he had mounted fae on the wall???? Also finally he recognized the perfume.
Ch 15 okay I am loooooving this novella, it’s so cute and sweet. Wish it were a tiny bit more open door but oh well.
Okay this was really really cute but I wish it were a full length novel and not a novella, because it wrapped up way too easy and quick. But I really liked the author’s writing and definitely want to check out what else she’s written.
I was expecting his half fae blood to come into play


Storm and Shadow
3 stars
How is Xeris pronounced?
Ch 8 omg she bit his shadow! Hahah I like it. Never seen that happen before with shadow daddies
3.5 stars

Hawk and the Heir of Autumn
Skipped per Vern and Az


A Tempting Cure
3 stars
Ch 13 ||the ladder thing seemed pretty cool. Idk I’m getting a breaking into gringotts sorta vibe from this whole library break in||
Ch 14 || “Oh, please! You think you can create the cure?” she asks while pushing to her feet. “You can’t even read.” Scrambling upward, we stand toe to toe, fuming in our rage. “I can fucking read!” I growl, and she smirks.
lol I enjoyed this||
Ch 17 ||similar to ch 14… the whole “whose pussy is this?” Did not work for me. Waaaaay too soon. And also MMC not unhinged enough ||
Overall, ||this was cute, basically a smutty fairytale where everything was very easily solved. Everything worked out perfectly. I normally love that kind of dirty talk but it was just like SO out of place here, it did not work for me at all lol. 3 stars.||

Greenwood
4 stars, the only novella in the anthology to give me the feels
Ch 1 wait so she’s supposed to not have powers but then she freezes everyone and walks out the restaurant?
Ch 2 No wonder females loved him, he thought. He was two inches of pure, raw, Meadowhawk stud.
Ch 4 ooooh she got locked in by her own sister
Ch 5 okay the spider wasn’t that bad, just a loan shark spider lol. When I was worried reading the CW list, I was worried the MMC was going to be a spider (in which case I would then immediately DNF)
Ch 8 || The noise was so raucous that she couldn’t tell if the birds were having a heated argument or a genuinely mean-spirited sexual encounter! After last night with Victre, she wasn’t sure there was much of a difference between the two anyway.
lol I like the author’s humor||
Ch 8 || She ignored him through breakfast and for the majority of their flight that morning. She would’ve continued ignoring him all day if it’d had any effect on him whatsoever, but Victre didn’t seem to notice that he was being ignored. By midmorning she was so annoyed by his lack of annoyance that she could think of nothing else.
lol too relatable||
Ch 13 I am so loving this little novella. It seems so well flashed out, more like a novel than a novella. I like the writing a lot, too.
Ch 14 || Victre kept his promise from that first night, never letting her out of his sight, but he was distant. When she tried to speak with him he was taciturn or flippant, and by the end of the first week of their journey, she was convinced that his interest in her had truly run out.
Ugh this made me so sad. ||
Ch 14 || Danae looked away just in time to spare herself the memory of Victre’s lips on someone else’s mouth, but imagination was an equally deadly poison. She sucked in a harsh breath as tears stung the back of her eyes. She turned to leave, but she was trapped on the bench, so instead of running upstairs to lock an unfamiliar door and throw herself onto bed that wasn’t hers to cry out the hurt, she came face to face with Ensi, whose stern face and silent judgment offered no such comfort or escape.
Oof ||
Ch 15 ||I normally hate OW drama but it was nicely done here and I actually liked the innkeeper.
“I saw the way she looked at you,” she smiled. “I’m never going to see you again.”||
Ch 16 || “I can Suncast to keep you safe and warm through the winter. You wouldn’t have to migrate anymore. I’ll build the best life for you that I can and I’ll be whatever you ask, but if you don’t feel the same, please tell me now.||
Ch 17 ||I was honestly getting a little nervous about what fae insectoid sex might be like so for the first time EVER I was relieved that it ended up being closed door lmaoooo||
Ch 18 Victre woke the next morning with the strangest sensation in his chest. It was like he was filled to the brim, despite being utterly depleted.
Okay overall, ||this was adorable and I also enjoyed the author’s writing and humor. I think she did really well for a novella, this is probably tied for favourite in the anthology for me. ||

[ella (luniellar) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a unique fall-themed anthology of spicy enemies-to-lovers romance. If you enjoy matching your read with the seasons or if you need something to read while you cozy up under some blankets with your drink of choice (I had my favorite pumpkin cold brew)... this collection of stories is what you are looking for. I discovered so many new, talented authors through this novella and the special touches to the chapter headers and the dedications were perfect! The authors did an amazing job flushing out each of the characters despite the fact that it was a short story format.

I added my breakdown of each story and some tropes below for a deep dive!

𝓕𝓪𝓮𝓽𝓮𝓭 𝓽𝓸 𝓕𝓪𝓵𝓵 𝓫𝔂 𝓐.𝓚. 𝓒𝓪𝓰𝓰𝓲𝓪𝓷𝓸
- High fantasy fae realm with fun creatures and animal transformations
- Arranged marriage between a fae prince and human but… fated mates too?
- Love confession that is 10/10 will read again

The author of this story was the one I was familiar with going into this novella. Only a few words in, I was already getting the exciting feeling you get when you read your favorite author’s writing. WE WERE SO BACK with A.K. Caggiano’s writing in this enemies-to-lovers story. The banter was top tier and I was obsessed with the connection between the MCs from the beginning. The inclusion of side characters was also fun and I was so sad when it ended because I wanted MORE of this story!

𝓒𝓪𝓽 & 𝓜𝓸𝓾𝓼𝓮 𝓫𝔂 𝓙𝓪𝓷𝓪 𝓢𝓾𝓷
- I mean the cat burglar goes by Mouse, what more can you want?
- Urban fantasy setting with faes, humans, and halflings
- Hot, coiled detective in trench coat and uniform and he falls HARD

The detective of a fae crimes unit and a burglar dynamic was so fun to read about! Gabriel is a hard working, career driven detective working on a case to catch the Mouse who gets away 10/10 times. One night encounter with someone starts to unlock new clues that gets him close to finally catching the Mouse that he can't ignore anymore. The tension in this one was sizzling!

𝓢𝓽𝓸𝓻𝓶 & 𝓢𝓪𝓬𝓻𝓲𝓯𝓲𝓬𝓮 𝓫𝔂 𝓛𝓪𝓾𝓻𝓪 𝓦𝓲𝓷𝓽𝓮𝓻
- Prince, dark haired, most beautiful fae male with dark powers (I mean, say less)
- Touch her and you will lose your favorite appendage and then you will die
- One horse is all you need

This story caught me by surprise! I was so into all the characters and the intriguing plot as well and I wanted so much more of this story AHHH. KAELAN THE SHADOW PRINCE. Sharing is not caring in this story and the MCs tension was very well done in the enemies-to-lovers fashion that we love. Also when that dual POV hit, it was SO GOOD. OBSESSED. I will definitely be checking out more of this author’s work!!! CHAPTER 22 TITLE HAD ME SCREAMING???

𝓗𝓪𝔀𝓴 & 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓗𝓮𝓲𝓻 𝓸𝓯 𝓐𝓾𝓽𝓾𝓶𝓷 𝓫𝔂 𝓡𝓸𝔁𝓲𝓮 𝓒𝓸𝓱𝓮𝓷
- Writing that reminded me a lot of Aesop’s fable stories (with the anthropomorphized animals and natural elements)
- Fated mates
- Rich storytelling with magical elements

This one was interesting because it was a prequel novella from her Magic Defense series, which I was not familiar with but was interested in after I finished the story! I need more prequel novellas like this in my life. The writing really brought out the fable-like, cozy bedtime story vibes and added the fantasy elements with the magic. If anyone read or watched the series Fruits Basket, this story had me thinking back to that as well. The story telling really made this beautiful.

𝓖𝓻𝓮𝓮𝓷𝔀𝓸𝓸𝓭 𝓫𝔂 𝓗.𝓜. 𝓢𝓴𝓲𝓷𝓷𝓮𝓻
- Overly confident, cocky thief too proud to admit he was indeed… a thief
- Forced proximity as a result of being involved in a mission to fulfill debts
- FMC growth, finding her voice and coming out of her shell

First off, I can’t say bug references are something I look forward to, but this story made them cute, which is something I thought I would never say. The references in this story alone were SO unique. I will never get tired of the traveling party forced proximity trope and this one delivered! This one also has no brakes and pushes you right into Victre falling HARD.

𝓐 𝓣𝓮𝓶𝓹𝓽𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝓒𝓾𝓻𝓮 𝓫𝔂 𝓐𝓶𝓫𝓮𝓻 𝓟𝓪𝓲𝓰𝓮
- Return of the high school bully/childhood rival and he is still hot
- Witches and blacksmiths
- Incurable plague and the two childhood rivals need to work together

The banter in this one was so fun! The spice in this was SPICING because of the fun quips and bickering between the characters that give off the familiar enemies-to-lovers tension. The witch vibes with brooms, cauldrons, and portals in this one was also refreshing from the other stories!

Thank you to the authors for giving me the opportunity to be an ARC reader for this lovely collection of stories! I need a refill of my hot tea now!

[Skye · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall, I really enjoyed reading this anthology! I felt the fall vibes in most of the stories and I enjoyed more of them than I didn't. I even found a couple of new authors to follow, so I would say it was a success! I put individual mini reviews of all the stories below:

Faeted to Fall by A.K. Caggiano: 4/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐
I saved this one for last as I figured it would be my favorite in the whole Anthology since I have loved every other one of A.K.'s novels I've read. This one was not an exception. It was a really solid short story and I'm really glad I saved it until the end so that the anthology as a whole ended on a strong note. I docked it a single star, because I didn't get *as* attached to the characters as I have in her other books, but I think it's just because of the short story format. After this anthology, I've cemented that short stories aren't as much my preferred pacing as longer form novels.
That being said the writing, as always, was amazing and I was really transported into the Autumn Fae Realm and loved my stay while there. It was whimsical and magical and the romance was a delicious slower burn which I adored.

Cat and Mouse by Jana Sun: 2/5 ⭐⭐
This one didn't work for me. The characters felt fairly one note and fell into an insta love and I didn't buy into their romance at all. The writing was also underdeveloped, there were some typos and oddly structured sentences that were very distracting and prevented me from getting deeper into the story. I think the premise is really intriguing and perhaps with more time to flesh out and develop, and with an editor's touch, it could be something really fun!

Storm and Sacrifice by Laura Winter: 3/5 ⭐⭐⭐
This one was fairly standard, but it was enjoyable. The romance was decent and I found myself interested enough in the plot even if it was fairly predictable. I thought the writing was simple, but well done and easy to understand. I had a fun time reading it and felt the chemistry between the characters, though the romance moved a bit quick for my taste, though this is likely due to the novella page limitation. I would definitely be interested in picking up more from this author!

Hawk and the Heir of Autumn: 3.5/5 ⭐⭐⭐
This one was so fun and whimsical! I found the world-building creative and the writing style really made it feel just like a fairytale. It was easy to get absorbed into the world and fall vibes. I loved the characters and found the plot really engaging, so it was really easy to read. The only reason I docked stars is that I felt there was maybe a bit too much crammed into a little novella and towards the end it got a bit confusing and just a tad rushed in places. I can see this being an incredible story more fleshed out and its really cool that it acts as a sort of prequel to the author's other work. I'll definitely be checking more of those stories out in future.

Greenwood by H.M. Skinner: 4/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐
This one was a big surprise to me. I honestly can't decide between it and Faeted to Fall for best in the whole anthology. The world-building was superb! I loved how the fairies were actually tiny and related to different insect species, it was so cleverly done. The thoughtful theming and planning was delightful to read and experience. For example, their clothing was made from flowers and leaves and there was even a mention of a trout boned corset! They had special twists on usual sayings such as "a wolfspider in sheeps clothing" or "that lilypad has sailed and sunk". It was all so whimical and I had so much fun experiencing it all. It left me really curious about what even more of the world would be like so I'm definitely going to be reading more from this author. The only con I had was the romance pacing felt a bit off and back and forth to me, but I was rooting for them the whole time and definitely felt their spark and chemistry througout.

A Tempting Cure by Amber Paige: 1/5 ⭐
This one did not work for me at all. I didn't enjoy the writing style and I found it really difficult to connect to the characters who seemed to sort of flip flop personality a lot. The plot sort of dragged on despite the short page count and though there was a deadly virus and a time constraint, I wasn't sold on the stakes so nothing really felt meaningful while it was happening. I was also really put off by the spice scenes and they came across really jarring against who I thought each of the characters were outside of them.

[Neikea · Rating 3 out of 5]

Anthologies are so hard to rate! On the whole, I'd give it three stars.

First, the bad:

* Cat and Mouse (Jana Sun) - DNF. Felt like the FMC was instantly infatuated with the MMC while the MMC felt either dull or completely normal, either (or both) of which made the FMC's infatuation seem obsessive or weird. Did not vibe. What made it worse was that the writing was in DESPERATE need of a beta reader and/or editor. (E.g., "I've found people are much less likely to suspect a lovely face—like mine. It was breathtaking to look at, and I savoured my catch." The first sentence is about her face. The second is about what she stole, but that isn't clear to someone breezing along.)

* Hawk and the Heir of Autumn (Roxie Cohen) - DNF. I agree with the other reviewer who said this felt more in line with a child's fairytale. I completely agree, and it felt tonally off as a result, especially after reading the previous stories. I DNF'd only a couple pages in.

Next, the middling:

* A Tempting Cure (Amber Paige) - 3 stars. Solid storytelling, but demoting for some absolutely cringe moments. ("I would ascend that ladder with my hands bound behind my back and return with a collection of luminescent stardust, because I know that there isn't one in the galaxy that compares to her because she is the galaxy." - Ok so Shakespeare Paige ain't. Made me wince. Oof.) AND there were two places where I wanted to chuck my Kindle across the room. The first is when the MMC, who had been in the middle of smithing, fingers the FMC *BEFORE* she whispers a charm to clean him off. Gross. Took me out of the moment. And then, last but not least, when it has been established that her baked goods are tastier but slower-acting than her nasty-tasting quick-acting potions, I could not believe that she wanted to bake a cure instead of shoving vials at everyone and telling them to down the thing. I mean, if time REALLY was of the essence, wouldn't a big ole cauldron of the cure-all be the answer instead of a fucking scone?

And finally, the good:

* Storm and Sacrifice (Laura Winter) - I'd give a solid 4 stars. You knew where the story was going, but that's okay because it was entertaining anyway. The writing was humorous in parts, which made it fun to read. (I actually paid attention to chapter titles??? Incredible.) There were some parts that I side-eyed, like when the prince says that he knows the FMC hasn't eaten in three days but didn't think to feed her BEFORE they embarked on a journey? Felt like this was intended to be a moment where we see that the prince is being attentive but instead... like... if she hasn't eaten in 3 days you cannot just tell her to stuff her gob, Kaelan, my god man.

* Greenwood (H. M. Skinner) - 4.5 stars. JFC, this was so, SO good. The fantasy world felt so fresh and new, while also giving me Thumbelina-in-Modern-Day vibes. 10 outta 10, I already wanna re-read this again. (Can I get it on its lonesome? I wanna get it on its lonesome.) Definitely checking out this author's work because I want more, dammit. The way I howled with laughter at the line "No wonder females loved him, he thought. He was two inches of pure, raw, Meadowhawk stud." Fucking delightful. Finally, some good fucking food.

I am docking it 0.5 stars because of the ending. If you read the story of an FMC who is socially ostracised because she has no magic in a world of magic-bearers as a disability story—(someone who doesn't fit in because they are not able-bodied in the same way as others)—well, the ending just didn't give me the fuzzies that I wanted. But, it was in keeping with the Thumbelina vibes I had, so there you go.

* Faeted to Fall (A.K. Caggiano) - 5 stars. I will read anything this woman writes. She always does a great job balancing humour with more serious, weightier moments and the banter/dynamic between the MMC + the FMC was top tier. Once again feel like an orphaned Victorian child begging for more.

[CJ · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a great way to kick off the season! I don't normally read stories this short (each one in the anthology is 90-140 pages), but I saw that A. K. Caggiano had a story in this work so I couldn't miss it.

Faeted to Fall by A. K. Caggiano - 4 stars, romance.io steam rating 3/5 - third-person dual POV
Really enjoyed this story. It's Caggiano's somewhat cynical spin on the by-now traditional fae romantasy - seasonal fae courts, human bride for fae royalty, fated mates, etc. Except the fated mates hate each other and spend most of their time trying to figure out how to sever the "tether" that binds their hearts together. This work lacks the 4th wall-breaking cheekiness Caggiano is known for, but it's still fun and has plenty of tender and sweet moments as well. Very well written and well edited (if you've read Caggiano's early works, you know this was a weak point in her writing, but she's gotten way more polished in the last year+). Ends with a HEA.

Cat & Mouse by Jana Sun - 3.5 stars, romance.io steam rating 3/5 - 1st person dual POV
Cat and Mouse is the story of a detective named Gabriel Catts and a thief known as the Mouse playing a game of . . . cat and mouse. *sigh* I promise the story is better than that though. This is an urban fantasy with minimal worldbuilding (humans and fae live together but segregated, with fae relegated to ghettos after humans took their land and wealth - gee, I wonder if that's an allegory for something), which allows the narrative to focus on the story. As a result, even though this is the shortest of the 6 stories, it feels complete. This is an instalove story, with the Mouse, a fae woman named Alette, falling for Gabriel as soon as she spies him from afar as he investigates one of her crime scenes. Shenanigans ensue. Gabriel, who is half-fae himself, finds himself sympathizing with the thief who takes a very hands-on approach to the concept of reparations by stealing fae artifacts from human collectors and returning them to their original owners. Not quite as well-edited as FtF but minor errors don't detract from the reading experience. Ends with a HFN (happy for now)

Storm & Sacrifice by Laura Winter - 4 stars, romance.io steam rating 3 - 1st person mostly single POV until almost the very end
The worldbuilding in this one really intrigued me, so I was happy to find out that the author has started a whole series set in this universe. The chapter titles made me hope this would be a romcom - a bit like Caggiano's signature style - but it edges closer to a dark fantasy, starting with the FMC, a mine-worker named Seraphina, narrowly escaping being the victim of a ritual sacrifice. Her nemesis, Prince Kaelan Xeris, finds her while investigating a string of mysterious murders that turn out to be other victims of said ritual. They fake being a couple in order to investigate together. There's some lore that's central to the plot regarding a race of beings called the Seraphim who were hunted to extinction (maybe) by the fae, i.e. Xeris' ancestors. The one thing that bugged me about this story was that the whole thing is told from Sera's POV until 4 chapters from the end, when we get Kaelan's POV for three straight chapters. Um, don't do this. Having only been in Sera's head all this time, the abrupt shift to Kaelan feels like it comes out of left field. We don't know his inner monologue like we do Sera's, and it comes at a crucial point in the story. I'm pretty sure the author did this so as not to give the story away, but it just felt wrong. I think she could have gotten away with it had the story been written in 3rd person, maybe with a few shorter flashes to Kaelan's POV. She actually has a subscription-only alternate chapter from Kaelan's POV and honestly, if it had been in the actual book instead of the chapter that's in there, it would probably have been better. Ugh. Just so close to being so well done. Ends with a HEA.

Hawk & the Heir of Autumn by Roxie Cohen - 2.5 stars, romance.io steam rating 1/5 - 3rd person dual POV
Okay, I don't want to be mean, but if I weren't planning on reviewing this anthology, I would not have finished this story. Apart from being generally about the season of autumn and featuring fae characters who fall in love, it doesn't really fit with the rest of the stories. For one, the story itself is better suited to a YA or even middle-grade audience (an evil spell has been cast on the fae world that makes the seasons change instead of each territory being one season all year, oh no). For two, I can't stand stories that are written in 3rd person and present tense. It makes me feel like I'm reading a screenplay, and not in a good way. 1st-person present tense I can get used to; I couldn't get used to this. I also didn't feel like the mystery reveal made all that much sense (as in, the character behind the seasonal shakeup has a very specific reason for their actions, and that reason has nothing to do with what their actions actually accomplish). Finally, these characters are never enemies, just strangers. Bunny is scared/distrustful of Hawk for all of like 2 sentences and then they get along fine. This one is also written about 80% from the FMC's POV (although the MMC POV chapters are staggered throughout the work), so we really don't get a sense of him as a character. Mostly I think I am just not the target audience for this author's work. Ends with a HEA.

Greenwood by H. M. Skinner - 4 stars (.5 of which is for novelty, see below), romance.io steam rating 3/5 - 3rd person dual POV
This one was interesting because the characters are fairies in the sense of tiny winged beings whose evolution diverged from insects and arachnids and who still bear some of those traits. So while the faerie upper-class are living in pseudo-Georgian luxury, they also have, like, beds made of walnut shells and daggers made of thorns. It's cute, although - and maybe this is just me - it made the steamy scene feel weird because these are, like, insect-people, with insect wings and thoraxes and the spidery ones have eight legs and eight eyes, but they also have human genitals, sooooo . . . anyway. I didn't enjoy this one quite as much as some of the others purely for that oddness factor, but at the same time, I have to give it points for originality. Oh yeah. FMC is the eldest daughter of a duke but is ostracized by society and her own family due to not having magic. When she's left behind during their annual migration south (they're monarch butterfly-faeries), she's captured/rescued by a thief (dragonfly-faerie) who plans to use her to pay off his troupe's debt to a freaky black widow-type faerie. If you have a problem reading about bugs and especially spiders, you might want to skip this, but otherwise it's a pretty cute story. Ends with a HEA.

A Tempting Cure by Amber Paige - 4 stars, romance.io steam rating 4/5 - 1st person dual POV
This one felt unique to the others in that it's about a witch rather than any fae characters. Serena is a witch who channels her magic into baking rather than potions because that way the magic tastes good. She's hunting for a cure for a virulent plague that has claimed thousands of lives. Her life is turned upside-down when her childhood nemesis, Sebastian, returns to town after a long absence (unbeknownst to her, it's to care for his sister who was infected by the plague previously). Sebastian used to relentlessly tease Serena, Gilbert Blythe-style, and she hates him for it, and while he feels guilty for his past actions, he can't help getting under Serena's skin, and she does the same for him. They're forced to work together to search for information regarding a cure to the plague. This one was pretty well edited and spicier than the other stories. Ends with a HFN.

Overall, I really enjoyed this anthology and look forward to sampling more of these authors' works. Happy fall!

[Reilly · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a perfect way to break me out of a slump and keep be entertained during downtime on vacation. No individual story was bad but you do need to be prepared that their mission on these stories is hard. Enemies to Lovers is notoriously linked to slow burn romances so you have to give these stories some grace knowing that they’re all less than 150 pages.

Ranking of stories:
1. Storm & Sacrifice by Laura Winter - This has the best plot of all of the stories and I could see this easily being adapted to a full length novel! Nothing groundbreaking in terms of story but I felt tension between Sera and Kaeden before there was payoff.
2. Greenwood by H. M. Skinner - Best setting/world building and make me come to terms with how little I know about bugs. I also loved the desperate and pining MMC. This is the only story that had me adding the author’s other work to my TBR.
3. A Tempting Cure by Amber Paige - Much spicier than the other stories but I thought the childhood bully trope played out super well. There’s pretty much nothing of importance happening aside from their kinda forced proximity but I don’t care.
4. Fated to Fall by A. K. Caggiano - This is the only author I’ve read before and her vibe feels very over exaggerated yet self aware and I eat it up. This has a super strong premise (great quick enemies to lovers basis) but I overall felt like the pacing was off compared to some of the other stories.
5. Hawk & the Heir of Autumn by Roxie Cohen - Super cute world, I’m a sucker for taking animals. I think it was easily the most wholesome story which kind of left me feeling nothing. I would not call this an enemies to lovers story at all but the mutual hidden pining was cute. This is technically a prequel to her other works but I didn’t leave this story wanting more.
6. Cat & Mouse by Jana Sun - I liked the detective/criminal vibe and I think it lent itself well to feeling like there was actual stuff of substance that happened between characters prior to the book. However, they said I Love You after the in story equivalent of like 3 days and there was absolutely no closure to the story. Like he found out she’s a criminal and says “don’t worry sweetie” and then the story is OVER?? I don’t know where I wanted it to end except that I wanted something else.

[Cristina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Foes to Flames is an anthology book that features six fantasy novellas from six different authors. I don't think I've ever read and reviewed an anthology book before, so I'm not really sure how to rate it since there are technically six individual stories inside the book. I would have to say that I liked the book overall, but of course, I enjoyed some of the novellas more than others. My favorites out of the novellas would have to Faeted to Fall by A.K. Caggiano, which came as no surprise to me because she has become one of my favorite authors over the past few years, and A Tempting Cure by Amber Paige, which is the last novella in the book. I really enjoyed the autumn vibes that the authors were going for, and it was a perfect read to start the fall season. I had to keep reminding myself that these were novellas, so of course, they weren't going to feel as full or complete as a regular novel. I did feel like a few of them. I was left wanting a bit more out of them, but it was also nice to be able to have a quick read. Overall, this was a nice fall read, and I liked the fact that I was introduced to some new authors considering that A.K. Caggiano was the only one I was familiar with before reading this anthology.

[Hannah Orb · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book 1 - follows the story of an arranged marriage where two people try to get out of it. I loved these two characters and their banter! 4⭐


Book 2 - follows a detective and a jewel thief. I loved this concept but the fantasy aspect seemed a bit of a stretch and the writing was a little weaker than the first novella and a little cheesy at times. 3⭐


Book 3 - mid.  I don't really understand how the two got together? Like an accidental kidnapping and some revenge? the story did not draw me at all, I was hurrying to finish it up, in hopes of something better in da future. 2.5⭐


Book 4 - skipped...

Book 5 - story follows a notable woman who ends up in the arms of kidnappers, and they want to return her home .. for a price. I liked this one because it was a little bit about found family! And I love that ish. 4⭐

Book 6 - two enemies from youth team up to find a sacred flower that should fix the sickness that plagues the town. This author did a lot of telling v showing. 3.5⭐

My overall rating is an average of the 5 books I read and then a round up bc this was a really fun idea.

[Ally · Rating 4 out of 5]

Foes to Flames: An Enemies to Lovers Autumn Anthology
The six different stories in this anthology were all cute fantasy reads all set during the fall. Each one had its very own style and flair. Every story had me wanting more and wishing they were full fledged stories. They are varied with romance and spice levels and were all Fantasy Romance in their own individual way. No two stories were the same which is always a plus. Every story also had an HEA which is a must for me. Great banter through every story. My two favorite stories were Hawk & the Heir of Autumn by Roxie Cohen and Fated to Fall by A.K. Caggiano but all of them were amazing. I hope they get together and do something like this for all the seasons.

I did receive this as an ARC.

[SiSi ❤️ · Rating 4 out of 5]

So for this anthology I've only read A Tempting Cure by Amber Paige so far and I loved it!
I could definitely go for a full version of this little novella sized story.

Sebastian and Serena are the kind of enemies to lovers that I enjoy, there's definitely the fight before giving in and becoming lovers and even then there's always a fight still. 😁

As for Odette, I would love to see a little story for her and it be her happy ending as she definitely deserves one!

As always, I'll be waiting for the next great read from Amber!

[c_reads_books_ · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a big fan of a few of the authors, this anthology has been on my radar for a while and was delighted to be offered an ARC for review.

Each of these bitesize stories were perfect to enjoy in one sitting, under a warm blanket with a cup of coffee (it’s PSL season after all) and some cookies. Each author has put their personal trademark on the enemies-to-lovers trope, and while I came for the stories from the writers I’m familiar with, I stayed for the stories from the authors that were new to me. My TBR just became much longer as I add their other works to it!

[BOOK IT BISHES · Rating 5 out of 5]

If there was an Avenger team for romantsy books, these six talented authors would be it!

This anthology features six incredible stories respectfully written by Amber Paige, Laura Winter, Roxie Cohen, A.K. Caggiano, Jana Sun and H.M. Skinner

Each author offers the perfect size enemies to lovers' morsels. Every unique story will leave you swooning and reaching for a cozy drink to celebrate each story.

If you love enemies to lovers, magic, mystery and adventure with a dash of angst and spice, this anthology is for you! So much goodness packed into one book!

Six perfect cozy morsels to kick of sweater weather!

[Joselyn Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

The five stars is for the first story by A.K. Caggiano, who is arguably the best enemies-to-lovers storyteller of ever (bold statement, I know, but there it is). I just enjoy her writing so much and particularly in that subgenre. It’s how she gives her characters such teeth; like, yeah you say it’s an enemies to lovers but have they actually tried to dismember each other? She’s really good at the enemies part, really good at the lovers part, and just really good at making the whole thing so much fun.

The other stories are also

[Michaela B. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Amazing set of romantic fantasy stories, perfect for fall!
They’re all wonderful to sink your teeth into!

I had the privilege of Beta reading for one of them and ARC reading for the whole, and I have so much respect for all the work these authors put in!

I’m excited to have discovered more indie authors through this deliciously “chonky” book! And I look forward to rereading these lovely enemies to lovers novellas again and again!

[Courtney · Rating 3 out of 5]

Loved Caggiano’s story; I wish it was a full blown one! I feel like it was rushed and there were small things I didn’t like about it, but overall I was a fan of that one! The others were mostly meh! Idk if I’m just not a short-story type of gal, the other ones that were *better* were still just not the best! Overall, I would not recommend this book. Kind of put me in a reading slump and felt like a chore to read. Haha