Higher Learning

Campus Cravings

by KyAnn Waters, Cassandra Carr, Mia Downing

Welcome to Cathia University, where school is in session! Nine of today's hottest gay romance authors have crafted brand-new interrelated novellas celebrating everything wonderful about college, including sophisticated professors, sexy teaching assistants, ambitious grad students, and spirited undergraduates, all looking for the same thing: an A+ in true love. KyAnn Waters: Private Lessons Ryan Kane could lose his scholarship and his position on the pitch. Jake Finely offers to help. Only Ryan and Jake discover their private lessons have more to do with sex ed than Business Ethics. When a tenured professor offers Ryan an indecent proposal to make the grade, will he choose soccer or Jake? Sara York: The Dust Of Everyday Life Cole only has the courage to lust after the swim team from afar. When Seever asks to share a table at the packed coffee house where Cole is studying, he's sure it's a joke. But after one touch and one scorching kiss, Cole thinks the chance meet could lead to something with substance. Cassandra Carr: The Eloquent Jock Hockey jock and English Lit major Brendan knows he's gay, but hasn't come out to anyone, fearing a possible backlash. Then he's tapped to be a TA for a hot professor and feels an immediate connection. Now he must decide how much he's willing to risk to score the ultimate goal. Mia Downing: Switching Leads Coach John Graham needs a new assistant for Cathia U's equestrian team. The last person he expects to get the job walks into the barn and stops his heart. How is he supposed to focus on the team when his ex-lover-sexy horse trainer Finn Parker-wants back into his life...and into his bed? NOTE: Volume II contains the other five stories in this anthology.

Genres: M M Romance, Anthologies, College, Romance, New Adult, Contemporary, Sports

288 pages, Paperback

First published August 20, 2014

Reviews

[~✡~Dαni(ela) ♥ ♂♂ love & semi-colons~✡~ · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 overall (Because in this case, the sum is more than a total of its parts.)

These nine short stories/novellas (they range from approximately 500 to 2,000 locations) are fun and steamy. All take place on a fictional college campus, but the MCs aren’t all students. We have TAs and professors, as well as athletes, musicians, psychologists, equestrians, artists, RAs, and geeks.

The stories don't relate to one another except for being set in the same college town and mentioning some of the same hang-outs (a particular pizza joint comes up a lot).

Unfortunately, this collection didn’t have a dedicated editor, and it shows. Quite a few of the stories have typos and minor grammatical issues.

The expertise of the writing varies from story to story, but overall this collection provides some enjoyable, sexy shorty reads.

If you’re ready to revisit your college years with hot boys to keep you company, look no further.



Hands down, the standout in this collection was:

Winning Bracket
Annabeth Albert
~4.25 stars~
This is a lovely, funny, and charming story about two RAs who are "frenemies." Ollie is the fun, easygoing one, a party boy, known for his kissing skills and social enthusiasm. Edwin is his co-RA in a gay alliance dorm. Edwin is everything Ollie is not: anxious, uptight, (overly) analytical, and a huge rule follower. He is the down to Ollie's boisterous up.

The guys get along, even though they irritate the hell out of one another. A bet is made, and the winner gets a kiss.

This was a very well-written, adorable story about two men whose friendship and banter hides a growing romantic attachment. Edwin really grew on me, but I loved Ollie, sweet Ollie who's so tired of everyone assuming that he's a submissive bottom just because he's Asian, from the get-go.

There is plenty of tension and steam here, and the ending is a gorgeous HEA. Read this one!


Individual Story Ratings

Private Lessons
KyAnn Waters
~2.5 stars~
Little bit of OFY fluff about Jake, an out and proud TA, and Ryan, a closeted soccer star. An ethical dilemma and Big Misunderstanding are thrown in but disposed of quickly; clunky writing with enough steam to keep it interesting.

The Dust of Everyday Life
Sara York
~2 stars~
Two men on campus, a music geek and a swimmer, are “outed” in a public way by a crazy, homophobic student. The romance was lackluster, and the story ended with: “They may not have forever, but they had each other for now.” I get that this is a HFN, but I don’t need be hit over the head with it either.

Campus Craving
Cassandra Carr
~2.5 stars~
A visiting instructor/aspiring author and smart jock get together; the jock comes out. Mild steam, strong HFN. The MCs weren’t particularly well developed and the story a little uninspired.

Switching Leads
Mia Downing
~3.5 stars~
Two equestrians and former lovers reunite ten years later. This was a hot and sweet story about two lost men reconnecting. Because one is very angry with the other, this had a bit of an enemies-to-lover feel to it; HEA ending and strong writing made this one stand out from the pack.

Solid Education
Bianca Sommerland
~3 stars~
A veterinary professor and his student bond over a rescue dog. The professor is gruff and uptight. The student is former military who lost his dog and was injured in battle. This had an enemies-to-lovers feel, as the professor is such a prick; I never understood what the student saw in him. There was a very quick jump from seeming indifference to love, and I never believed in the relationship. But I did love the animal theme, and the ending was lovely.

Did Somebody Order a Pizza?
L.A. Witt
~3 stars~
I had high hopes for this one, because I enjoy Witt’s books, but even though this story was well written, the emotional connection between the MCs just wasn’t there for me. The two MCs were high school sweethearts, until they both rushed a fraternity and one dropped out following a brutal hazing incident. Now his ex wants him back. What bothered me is that the ex (the one who did the dumping) didn’t reach out until after he saw the other MC (who was delivering a pizza) at the frat house. I liked the flashbacks to the awkward first time, but I wanted a much stronger HEA. The ending was too tentative for my taste, and things felt resolved a little too easily.

Artistic Endeavor
Whitley Gray
~3.75 stars~
This was the longest story in the bunch with nearly 2,000 locations, and it was also one of the better ones. A playboy scared of commitment is recruited by a friend to help out the friend's new colleague who was raised in a conservative, religious environment and is still a virgin at age 25. Both men are artists, one a graphic designer who graduated from the college, the other a painter who is an instructor at the college. You can imagine that love is on the horizon. What is meant to be sex with no strings attached turns into something more. I enjoyed these two men together and loved the sweet epilogue.

Lesson Learned
Dalton Diaz
~3.5 stars~
This is a romantic little tale about two men reuniting after three years apart. One of the MCs hurt the other terribly in a moment of selfishness and immaturity. Now, his ex is his summer teacher. Can the two men set aside past wounds and reconnect? The writing was strong, and the flashbacks helped me understand what made the relationship fall apart (it was very one-sided). One of the MCs is a psychology major, so there was a lot of talking at the end, and I liked it. Very steamy; I would have loved an epilogue, but the ending still felt like a HEA.

[Heather K (dentist in my spare time)]

KyAnn Waters: Private Lessons- 3.5 stars

Cute, fluffy story involving sports and a virgin, a winning combination! I enjoyed this one, even if the writing was a bit clumsy at times, and it had a "big misunderstanding" plot element. I have a weakness for a muscular guy who is the (view spoiler) so I was pleasantly surprised by this one. Perfect for a first-timer fix!

Sara York: The Dust Of Everyday Life- 2 stars

This didn't really work for me. A forgettable short story about a guy who lusts after swimmers and then ends up dating one of them. The MCs felt underdeveloped, and I didn't feel the chemistry between the two guys. I didn't really get Cole and Seever. They were sort of in the closet, but sort of out of the closet... but kind of vague about the whole situation. They went from just meeting to very intense at breakneck speed, and I felt very blah about the two of them.

I also didn't love the writing style, which was repetitive and sloppy feeling.

This one wasn't terrible but it was one of the weaker stories in the collection.

Cassandra Carr: The Eloquent Jock- 3 stars

*Virgin alert!*

Cute book with mild taboo relationship (teacher/TA) with some light angst to boot. I think the MCs were a bit under-developed and their communication could have been better, but I liked their chemistry. And the sex scenes... HOT, but I needed MORE! Penetration, please! I also liked the relationship between Brendan and his roommate. A nice, easy read.

Mia Downing: Switching Leads- 3 stars

Sweet but not super memorable story about two reunited lovers. I didn't love the past misunderstandings, and the equestrian plot line was lost on me, but I'm always a fan of second chance love stories. Though it felt a little forced and incomplete, it I enjoyed this in the end.

Bianca Sommerland: Solid Education- 3 stars

The dog saved this one for me.

I really didn't get Derek as a character. I mean, I spent 9 YEARS in post-high school secondary education, and I never had a professor correct my grammar or be that arrogant with me. Real life professors don't act like that. I also didn't get why Gage liked Derek one iota in the beginning. Derek was nothing but a giant douche with a stick up his ass, and not in a fun way. However, Matty, the injured puppy, saved the day.

I will never get tired of reading about combat veterans and their relationships with animals. The scenes where Matty and Gage snuggled and soothed each other almost brought me to tears. It made me a little less grumpy about the relationship between Gage and Derek and start to go with the flow a little. All's well that ends well.

[Meags · Rating 4 out of 5]

This anthology had a bit of everything: a variety of jocks, a handful of professors, a few teaching assistants, a couple of beautifully written first times, a bunch of second chances, a whole lot of man-on-man sexy times and a shit load of pizza! Unfortunately, it also had a heck of a lot of spelling/grammatical errors but I'll brush this aside for my overall enjoyment of the collection.

I wasn’t quite sure how to review these stories so I created a bunch of mini reviews. In each, I’ve attempted to condense plot descriptions to one line each, mainly to save time, but also because I don't believe it's vital to know much in advance, in order to enjoy these stories. I’ve also tried (“tried” being a loose term here) to limit spoilers but sometimes my ranting urges just broke through, uncontrolled - apologies in advance.


PRIVATE LESSONS by KyAnn Waters
(3.5 Stars)
Characters: Ryan and Jake
Plot: Closeted soccer player falls for an out and proud TA.

This was a nice, easy read. I liked both leads equally and the story flowed smoothly without any boring lulls to make me lose focus. I’m always apprehensive with “in the closet” stories, simply because I hate the drama it leads to - and I often end up feeling sorry for the openly gay partner that has to deal with being a “secret” - but this story handled it well and left me satisfied with the overall ending.


THE DUST OF EVERYDAY LIFE by Sara York
(3 Stars)
Characters: Cole and Seever
Plot: A gangly music student and a ripped Icelandic swimmer, find (ridiculously quick) love in a coffee shop. Ignorant bigots ensue.

Cole and Seever’s first meeting was so cute and awkward I couldn’t help but smile throughout the exchange. Unfortunately, the relationship progression felt a little rushed and the dialogue, particularly all the “you’re so sexy” comments, seemed forced and unnatural. My major issues with this story arouse when people started questioning Cole and Seever’s sexuality. I found the majority of reactions by many of their fellow students both ridiculously random and barely believable. Are people really this intrusive?! If so, I’ve been living in a sheltered bubble! I would never say to any of my gay friends, “how long have you been fucking him, or is he fucking you?...You guys love talking about that shit. How big is his dick?” WHAT?! As if! And don’t tell me age is a factor here either because I wouldn’t have been that confronting and inappropriately rude to a friend or a mere acquaintance when I was 19-22 years old - Pfft! I understand there actually are people out there who behave like this, which makes me all the madder and sadder, but it still annoyed me none the less. Overall, it was a pleasant read, regardless of my few issues with story.


THE ELOQUENT JOCK by Cassandra Carr
(3.5 Stars)
Characters: Scott and Brendan
Plot: An older professor and a young inexperienced TA bond over a shared love of literature

Scott and Brendan’s blossoming relationship was sweet and endearing. I loved their shared passion for literature and give props to the awesome references to books and movies alike.


SWITCHING LEADS by Mia Downing
(3 Stars)
Characters: John and Finn
Plot: Old lovers who reunite. Plus, horsey's!

This story started off really slow for me. I didn’t like the whole “we were once in love but it went to shit and I’ll NEVER forgive you…but then I do” plot, but about halfway through I found myself switching leads, as it were, and got into it much more.


SOLID EDUCATION by Bianca Sommerland
(4 Stars)
Characters: Gage, Derek and MATTY!
Plot: An adorable dog, a tortured war vet /student and an uptight vet/college professor

I had to give this story 4 stars, simply for making me cry in such a short amount of time. When animals, particularly dogs, are thrown into the story-mix, I’m done! I really liked Gage as a character but couldn’t quite understand his pull towards grumpy bum Derek. Their relationship felt very sudden, and yes, this is a short story but I didn’t have this feeling with the majority of other stories in this anthology (with the super quick exception of Seever and Cole in “The Dust of Everyday Life”). Regardless, a story that can make me cry on multiple occasions, with only a few chapters involved deserves two thumbs up!


DID SOMEBODY ORDER A PIZZA? by L.A. Witt
(1.5 Stars)
Characters: Paul and Corey
Plot: High school sweethearts, evil frat houses and lots of Pizza

This story annoyed the heck out of me. Why give Corey another chance?! Screw him - just not literally!!


WINNING BRACKET by Annabeth Albert
(4.5 Stars)
Characters: Edwin and Ollie
Plot: Two polar opposite, yet equally awesome, RA’s come together in a funny and adorable little gem of a story

WARNING!! Fan-girl gushing to follow -
This was the best story in the whole anthology! I wish it was a whole book (ETA: It is now!!). I loved both boys equally, with great fervor, and I LOVED the email exchanges (I may even start greeting people as "my pretties"). I had trouble getting into many of the other stories that I read after this one - which I read 4th - because Ollie and Edwin lingered strongly in my mind! I even re-read it, for good measure!


ARTISTIC ENDEAVOUR by Whitley Gray
(4 Stars)
Characters: Cobey and Michael
Plot: Experienced dude teaches inexperienced art teacher the joys of man love

I really enjoyed this one and it was definitely my second favourite story in this anthology. Cobey, in particular, melted my heart. It was well written and could have easily been a full length novel. I’m kind of disappointed it wasn’t, but it ended in the most beautiful way, so I can’t, in good conscience, complain!


LESSON LEARNED by Dalton Diaz
(4 Stars)
Characters: Adam and Tyler
Plot: Past flames rekindle during summer semester

I usually don’t enjoy love stories that involve a couple who have already been together in the past and ended things for whatever reason but I really liked this story. The writing style was fun and flowed nicely. Adam and Tyler were two of the better couples of the anthology and I loved all the psychobabble – "lets talk it all out at length" – discussions.


Anthology recommended!

[Christi Snow · Rating 5 out of 5]

Private Lessons by KyAnn Waters
Characters: Jake and Ryan
My Rating: B+
My Review:
This first story introduces us to Cathia University through Ryan, a soccer player on an academic scholarship, and Jake, the TA for the class that endangers Ryan's ability to keep playing soccer. Ryan is no dummy, but his prof has it out for jocks, so he's giving him bad grades when he doesn't deserve them. When the prof isn't responsive to Ryan's pleas, he goes to Jake. These two have been eyeing each other all semester, but Ryan is a jock...and not so sure he wants to come out of that closet yet.

At the beginning it took me a bit to settle into the characters and setting, but once I did, it was incredibly sweet. I really enjoyed Ryan and Jake. Ryan is pretty inexperienced, but he knows he wants Jake. He just isn't so sure that he's ready to endanger everything to have him. The new relationship is stressful, just in that he is in the closet, but everything about it feels right to him. But he's also dealing with the stress from his grade in this class. Jake and Ryan are fun together. They have great chemistry and I really enjoyed the scenes where Jake was giving Ryan all new sexual experiences. The story is pretty hot and overall, I really liked it.

The Dust of Everyday Life by Sara York
Characters: Cole and Seever
My Rating: B
My Review:
Cole is obsessed with swimmers and their hot bodies. Most days he studies where he can watch the swim team practice merely for the eye candy. So he's in complete shock when Seever, one of those sexy swimmers hits on him at the coffee shop. Cole is scrawny and gangly- not exactly up to this guy's standards. But that's not the way Seever sees him. He's been trying to work up the nerve to approach Cole for a while.

This is a book about two gay guys who have never had a reason to come out. They haven't hidden the fact that they are gay, but have never had a reason to make it public either. This new relationship is changing all the rules for both of them. The story follows them as they navigate the turmoil and stress of coming out, but does so in a positive light. I enjoyed it.

The Eloquent Jock by Cassandra Carr
Characters: Scott and Brandon
My Rating: A
My Review:
I'll admit when I saw Cassandra Carr's name on this antho that I was hoping for a hockey story. Yes...this is one. And even better, this story combines my love for hockey trope AND books since the main characters work together in a creative writing/English class. Double YES!

The premise of this story is that Brandon is an English Lit major in his senior year. He's just been hired to be Scott's TA in his creative writing class. Scott is a prof, but the prof job really is just to pay the bills. He's really a best-selling mystery author. Brandon is the assistant captain on the university hockey team. They both experience the draw to one another, but this relationship isn't a good idea. Scott is a professor and Brandon's boss...and he's 15 years older than Brandon. But as they become closer and realize just how much they have in common, it becomes more and more difficult to resist that draw.

I liked this one. Everything about the premise worked for me and the story flowed effortlessly as I read it. I loved how passionate both these guys are about books. Brandon may be a jock, but his first love really is literature. He's working on his degree in the hopes that someday he can teach at a college AND coach the hockey team. I liked them and the surrounding scenery we got to see in their book. There are some super-hot scenes in this book and a couple of them took place on hiking trails. YUM!

Switching Leads by Mia Downing
Characters: John and Finn
My Rating: A
My Review:
It's been a while since I read a Mia Downing book and I'll admit that I had forgotten just how incredibly well she does angst.

This book is about John and Finn. Now adults, they were once students at Cathia University and were involved then, 10 years ago. It ended really awfully when Finn screwed up and the following blow-up broke both their hearts. Now John is the Coach of the Cathia riding team. Unfortunately, the team has been rocked by a scandal from the an assistant coach who took advantage of John's distractions with his mother's health. The program is in trouble, but John has plans to fix things...those plans don't include Finn coming back as his new assistant coach, but he's been overruled on the choice.

The history between the two is extremely painful, just in that neither one has truly ever recovered from it. Finn knows he screwed up big time. Helping out with the team is just one way for him to pay John back for that. He also is harboring a secret and needs John's help too. Everything about this story resonated with me. The emotions felt true and valid. I love a bit of angst and this book had it in spades. I love the college setting for the entire book just because colleges have such a fantastic vibe to them, but I also really loved that both these mc's were a bit older than college students. It made for an incredible story...both with the back story and the depths of the current stories for both of these guys. I loved this one!

Solid Education by Bianca Sommerland
Characters: Gage and Derek
My Rating: A+
My Review:
Wow, I really loved this story. Two men brought together by the love of an abandoned dog was just perfect. Gage is a recovering former Marine who lost his k-9 partner during the war. After being wounded in the same blast, he was medically discharged. His love for that dog brought him to Cathia University with the hopes of someday being a veterinarian.

Derek is a veterinarian and a professor...a professor who is harder on Gage than other students just to cover by how much he's attracted to the guy. Derek is straight-laced and a by-the-rules kind of guy. Gage has learned way early in life that sometimes you have to grab life and just live. He wants to do that with Derek, especially as he gets to know him better and better as they take care of the ailing, abandoned dog, Matty.

Matty was the perfect addition to this story. Gage's backstory with his dog and his new story with Matty brought me to tears a couple of times during this book. I love that the dog brings out the softer side of Derek so that Gage can see the true man behind the stern facade. I really, really liked this one. Great love story and romance with plenty of back story to be completely satisfying even as a novella.

Did Somebody Order a Pizza? by L.A. Witt
Characters: Paul and Cory
My Rating: C+
My Review:
This story didn't quite work for me personally. There wasn't anything wrong with the writing. The issue seemed to be with the relationship and my perception of it. Paul and Cory were best friends as kids that naturally moved into being boyfriends as teenagers. That all fell apart when they came to college and pledged the same frat where Paul stood up against the hazing and Cory didn't.

My problem with it was that happened 18 months ago and they never spoke again until Paul coincidentally delivered a pizza to the frat. 18 months is a long time to go without ANY contact with your best friend. Would Cory have ever contacted Paul if it wasn't for a pizza? That just felt too convenient and then with the further events in the story, I just couldn't believe the true nature of the supposed feelings behind the relationship. As a reader, I didn't believe in them and it just didn't work for m.

Winning Bracket by Annabeth Albert
Characters: Ollie and Edwin
My Rating: A
My Review:
This was such a fun, cute story. This one is about two RA's that have lived in the same dorm for the last four years. They are complete opposites. Ollie is all about the party, but Edwin is all about the rules. They've had a push/pull relationship over the years just because they run their dorm floors so completely differently, but they've also fallen into a friendship of sorts over that time. They are both playing with an attraction for the other that neither will acknowledge. With Cathia's basketball team headed into March Madness, suddenly they have a way to connect. Betting on the brackets. This is a way to meld Edwin's love of math and computations with Ollie's obsession with sports and parties. It's a win/win especially with the outcome of the bet being a kiss.

I loved the set-up for this one with the partying fun of March Madness. These two guys are such complete opposites that they work together perfectly. I also really loved the fact that neither guy ever guessed he truly had a shot at something more with the other guy. Ollie may play at the party animal who has a different guy every weekend, but it was perfect that a lot of that was just perception. Seriously, I loved these two together. Their small moments together left me smiling and happier for having read their story.

Artistic Endeavor by Whitley Gray
Characters: Cobey and Michael
My Rating: A+
My Review:
I think this was my favorite story in the entire anthology. There was just something about the character chemistry between Michael and Cobey.

On the surface, Michael is a man-slut. He hooks up a lot, but doesn't do relationships. It's not that he's a bad guy...he's just been badly burned by love and wants nothing to do with it ever again.

Cobey is the exact opposite. He grew up in a strictly religious upbringing and series of schools and although he's a professor, this is his first experience out in the world where a gay relationship is acceptable. As a result of his background though, he has zero experience at the age of 25. He's tried on his own, but the gay club scene is too hard and too fast and too intimidating. Mutual friends bring them together knowing they have art in common and that may make things easier for Cobey. Also, although Michael has the experience, he's not a bad guy. He can take things slow with Cobey and not overwhelm him.

What I loved about this story was just how much Cobey overwhelmed Michael. Michael's the one with experience, but in the face of just Cobey's kisses, it shoves him to the brink. I love how unraveled he would become by this guy. And Cobey is just so shy and unsure...I couldn't help but feel for him. It's just a great book and I loved the art elements and Pride things going on in the background. It made for a fantastic novella!

Lesson Learned by Dalton Diaz
Characters: Adam and Tyler
My Rating: A+
My Review:
Wow...what a great way to end this fabulous anthology. This story was about two men with a past. For one, Tyler, it was his first gay relationship so he didn't realize it was so good because of WHO he was with, not that it was just another guy. But by then he had broken Adam's heart and it was too late. That was two years before this story took place and those two years haven't been great for either of the characters. In fact, Tyler worked actively to make sure they never crossed paths in those two years until Adam walked in as his fill-in professor for summer school.

This book started in that classroom with the shock of Adam walking in as the professor and the back story of what happened between the two men slowly filtered out, each revelation even more painful and emotional than the one before. Neither one of these guys is a bad guy and my heart ached for both of them. The emotion jumps off the page and I was completely invested in both their stories. I wanted and needed them to find that happiness together again. I really like that Adam is a psychology geek....he is all about talking everything through which makes Tyler so uncomfortable, but it made the likelihood of success this time around so much better. I loved them together and loved this story.

It's been a GREAT anthology and I love the stories that have come out of Cathia University!!

I received a complimentary copy of this book in return for an honest review.

[*P*u*r*p*l*e* Masochist · Rating 4 out of 5]

Arc provided via Netgalley in exchange for honest review

Oh...my...I'm so freaking excited to read this!!!


***UPDATE***

This review is posted on Way Too Hot Books.

First, let's just take a moment (or five) to properly stare at and appreciate the way too hot cover of this book, possibly without drooling all over the place *_*...*_*...*_*....*Q*....Mission impossible, I know, but who can blame us, right? Damn, who can give me directions to this library, pretty please ;)?


What was I talking again? Oh right *wipes drool and tries to control her dirty mind*, and now to the actual review of this mm anthology consisting of 9 collage mm romance stories. To tell you the truth, I'm not a big fan of short novellas. Most of the time I avoid them, because usually, if they are good, they always leave me wanting for more, as if I'm missing a lot of pages, and that is why I prefer full-length books, but the mm fangirl inside me just couldn't resist this sexy cover and the promising blurb. "She" was in need of her daily dose of mm love and an arc of 660 pages seemed as more than enough to satisfy her cravings and in the end- it sure did.

The plot of every novella takes place or has some sort of connection with Cathia University featuring a lot of interesting characters from professors to students etc., some of which make appearance in other featured stories, but all of them can be read as standalones. Every story explores and celebrates mm love; all the good and bad stuff which follow it- coming of age, homosexuality, coming out of closet, collage, first kiss, first love, first breakup, sexuality, death etc.

Even though the stories felt from time to time as too good to be true and fairy-tale-alike, I enjoyed, if not loved most of them, but there were also a few that didn't quite rock my world, so that's why I'm going to rate each of them as a standalone. Every story counts between 50-70 pages.

1st story: KyAnn Waters: Private Lessons
Blurb:
Ryan Kane could lose his scholarship and his position on the pitch. Jake Finely offers to help. Only Ryan and Jake discover their private lessons have more to do with sex ed than Business Ethics. When a tenured professor offers Ryan an indecent proposal to make the grade, will he choose soccer or Jake?
My Rating: 3 stars

The 1st story features a popular, deeply in the closet football player Ryan & Jake, one of the assistants on Cathia University. Forbidden fruit tastes always the best, right? Well, not so much...
The beginning felt shaky- the dialogues seemed too fictional and not natural enough. I thought that Jake is too passive in their relationship at first. It felt that he was more into it and has much more at stake than Ryan. I didn't feel that strong connection between them in the beginning, and that was the biggest problem for me, but the story did become better, later on.


2nd story: The Dust of Everyday Life by Sara York
Blurb:
Cole only has the courage to lust after the swim team from afar. When Seever asks to share a table at the packed coffee house where Cole is studying, he’s sure it’s a joke. But after one touch and one scorching kiss, Cole thinks the chance meet could lead to something with substance.

My rating: 2.5 stars

The 2nd story is focused on a hot musician & bend member Cole & his even hotter half, Seever, a swimmer. Hm, I think I liked this story the least. It was just too sweet and cheesy for my reading preferences.


3d story: The Eloquent Jock by Cassandra Carr
Blurb:
Hockey jock and English Lit major Brendan knows he’s gay, but hasn’t come out to anyone, fearing a possible backlash. Then he’s tapped to be a TA for a hot professor and feels an immediate connection. Now he must decide how much he’s willing to risk to score the ultimate goal.

My rating: 4 stars

The 3d story is focused on a collage professor and a famous writer Scott & his new TA in creative writing class, Brendon. Oh yes, this is how the forbidden fruit theme is written! The chemistry, the tension, the whole we-need-to-stay-away-from-each-other-but-I-want--you-so-bad-so-fuck-it drama. Deeply emotional & way too hot. Loved it! Definitely one of my favorites in this anthology.


4th story: Switching Leads by Mia Downing
Blurb:
Coach John Graham needs a new assistant for Cathia U's equestrian team. The last person he expects to get the job walks into the barn and stops his heart. How is he supposed to focus on the team when his ex-lover—sexy horse trainer Finn Parker—wants back into his life…and into his bed?

My Rating: 4.5 stars

This story is focused on two ex Cathia's students and ex boyfriends who are now working there together- John, the coach of the riding team and Finn, his new assistant. Things between John and Finn ended pretty badly the last time they saw each other. They haven't spoken to each other in years, but destiny doesn't care. She is a vindictive bitch who puts them in the same room together after years of holding grudge. Vindictive bitch or a Cupid in disguise? It remains to be seen. The story was very emotional and touching. It was a love-hate-love type of relationship and don't we all have a weak spot for those?


5th story: Solid Education by Bianca Sommerland
Blurb:
Gage Tackett comes off as a bad boy—detached and maybe a little dangerous. Definitely not Vet Sciences Professor Derek Paulson’s type. When Gage arrives at Derek’s veterinary clinic with a frostbitten stray dog, Derek realizes his most difficult student has a few things to teach him. Things he’s more than willing to learn.

My Rating: 5 I-want-you-too-be-a-full-length-novel stars

This is my ultimate favorite story of this anthology. It is focused on one of Cathia's porfessors and part time vets Derek & Gage, one of his students who is also an ex-military and then we have a big bonus- their third, but as equally as important and adorable member Matty, the super cute German shepherd. Derek and Gage are totally opposite from each other. You would never think that those type of people could ever like each other romantically.

Derek seems as a intelligent, but closed-off and too serious for his age guy while Gage is cocky, funny and laid-back. Among everything, both of them also have big trust issues when it comes to relationships, but they do have one thing in common which could be stronger than everything else: their love for animals. Who could resist a cute puppy? Not me. Loved this story!


6th story: Did Somebody Order a Pizza? by L.A. Witt
Blurb:
Paul Switzer has been miserable ever since his childhood love, Cory Bowman, chose a fraternity over him. When a pizza delivery to the frat house lands the exes face to face for the first time in eighteen months, the wound is reopened... and so are Paul's feelings for the only man he's ever loved.

My rating: 3 stars

This story is focused on two frat boys and ex boyfriends Paul & Cory. I kind of liked and kind of not liked this story. I didn't like it mostly, because I wasn't the biggest fan of Cory and that's why I wasn't happy how the things between them solved in the end. Yes, he did kind of redeem himself in the end, but it wasn't good enough for me. If I were Paul, I doubt, that I could have forgiven him so easily after everything that happened.


7th story: Winning Bracket by Annabeth Albert
Blurb:
Metrics and tournament brackets—who knew they were sexy? When competing dorm advisors Edwin and Ollie bet on a basketball tournament, neither expects he’s risking his heart. As the challenge becomes a hot bedroom battle to avoid real feelings, the two “frenemies” must change their definitions of losing to win a shot at lasting love.

My rating: 5 stars

Ok, this is my 2nd ultimate favorite story of the anthology :)). It is focused on Ollie & Edwin, two RA's on the dorm of Cathia University. This was a friends to lovers type of mm romance which I devoured in a second. I usually prefer my mcs to be one of those tough bad-asses, but Ollie & Edwin, even though totally opposite from that, were so funny, sweet and adorable together. And yes- super hot!


8th story: Artistic Endeavor by Whitley Gray
Blurb:
When friends ask one-night stand connoisseur Michael Esteban to introduce shy virgin Cobey Miller to the joys of sex, Michael balks—lust is his thing, not teaching. But Cobey’s problem meeting men fuels Michael’s decision to help Cobey become a gay-sex-loving guy. It’ll all be fun and games—unless someone falls in love.

My Rating: 4 stars

This story is about Michael, a painter who is also a have-them-and-leave-them type of a guy & Cobey, a shy, in the closet, university professor in need of popping his cherry. At the beginning of the story, when I got some idea what it's going to be about, I really thought that I wasn't going to like it. I mean: a blind date, a man-slut & virgin all in one? Sounded too cheesy for me to tell you the truth, but Michel & Cobey managed to win me over with their emotions, chemistry and slow building relationship.


9th story: Lesson Learned by Dalton Diaz
Blurb:
Adam Warren is counting down the days until he can put “Professor” next to his name—and his disastrous past with Tyler Ford behind him. When a fluke puts Tyler in Adam’s class, the graduate assistant faces some hard choices while Tyler faces an uphill battle for a second chance at first love.

My Rating: 3.5 stars

This last story is focused on Adam, a fill--in professor on Cathia University & Tyler, one of his students and ex boyfriends. First true love is always the hardest to forget, isn't it? This is a story about that type of love followed by a big break-up, but when life gives you a second chance, can you forgive and forget all the bad stuff and move on? The story was fast-paced, sweet and emotional.

All in all, I really enjoyed this mm romance anthology. It took me three days to read 660 pages-that says it all. Recommended to every mm romance lover in need of shorter, fast-paced, funny, emotional, sexy & drama-free mm stories!

[.Lili.]

At the end I'll average all the ratings together for a final score.

8/28/14 KyAnn Waters: Private Lessons 3.5 Stars
Sweet, sexy, and fun! I really enjoyed this one! My only thing: So Turner just gets away with it? I saw no resolution. I know all the stories take place on the same campus, so perhaps we'll see something later on about it.

ARC provided by the publisher through Netgalley for an honest review.

[Pati · Rating 5 out of 5]

Anthologies are usually very hit or miss in my experience. Generally speaking they contain one or two stories that might 'wow' me and the rest are just 'ok'. This anthology I am pleasantly surprised to say is the exception.

These stories all take place at the same University though only in two of the stories do we have cross characters being mentioned. It was nice though to see the connection through the places, most notably the pizza place & the diner.

Though of course these are short stories, please do not think for one minute that they are going to be fluff. The authors did a great job of bringing us wonderfully realistic characters dealing with many difficult issues, a couple of which brought me to tears. We get to experience teachers, athletes, musicians, nerds, ex military men & other professionals and students deal with life and it's many issues while falling in love. Some of the issues, such as coming out, hazing & bullying were expected since I knew this took place on a college campus. However, I never expected to read about Alzheimer disease, alcoholism, war dogs, loss and second chances in this book. Yet, it contains them all and in such a well put together, well written way that they are all welcome additions.

This quite truthfully is a solid 4.5 Star book for me but since I could not choose a 1/2 star and a couple of the stories were so phenomenal I just have to round up to five. The half star though only factors in because of my personal dislike of one character and his actions and decisions that I just did not find forgivable. Others however may feel totally differently. I highly recommend it to all.

This book was provided to me by one of the authors in exchange for a fair and honest review.

[Jessica Alcazar · Rating 4 out of 5]

OK, so I'm not sure how the authors pulled this off, but it's really good. Each of these stories leads into the next and you get a full novel at the end. That's an incredible feat to pull off and these guys did it well! Of course I have my favorites, but overall, this was a really good read of nine short stories. Law of averages should have put at least one or two stories below average but none were! It was really exciting to read because this rarely happens!
I loved that I got to go 'back to college life' while reading. All the stories were real and had such true emotion it was hard not to feel like you were there. And it has been over 20 years since I graduated from college! LOL The struggles of homosexuality are also not swept under the rug. That was a plus for me. The awkwardness of meeting that special someone when you're that age was also very well represented. I just really enjoyed reading this! It was sexy and something new for me and I was very impressed all around!
GREAT JOB TO YOU ALL!

[Latisha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Can I go to Cathia University? This book of short stories is full of sweet, tender, conflicted & sometimes scared characters. The common denominator that binds them together, is hot! If I had to pick a favorite it would be Switching Leads by Mia Downing. The story flowed well, in the few chapters there was character development that made me love John & Finn, not to mention the witty "Switching Leads" title.
I think readers will be pleasantly surprised, especially at that $2.99 price tag! If you are looking for a book to ease into the m/m genre, I highly recommend this book of short stories. I liked it way, WAY more than I thought I would! Did I mention that it was hot?!?!

[Ebony · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an ARC of this book for my honest opinion and all I can is WOW!!! I could not put this book down and think that all the authors did a FANTASTIC job with their stories. I cannot choose a favorite one out of the bundle. Each author has presented a story that help my interest and made me want to keep reading. They have also made me want to read more by them. I now have of authors to check out and follow ;-) If you are in the mood for a HOT read...This anthology will definitely deliver!!!

[Nic · Rating 4 out of 5]

As with all collections there is some variation between how much enjoyed the stories. These ranged between 3 and 4 stars for me.

I liked the whole concept of each story set in the same university so there is a certain familiarity when reading each story. For example, the pizza place which appears quite a lot. :)

[Tracy~Bayou Book Junkie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Campus Cravings Higher Learning

This was a pretty good read. The best stories were
Private Lessons by By KyAnn Waters
Did Someone Order A Pizza By L.A. Witt
Artistic Endeavor By Whitley Gray
Lesson Learned By Dalton Diaz
These 4 were definitely the best of the bunch.


#Private Lessons
By KyAnn Waters

** 4 stars favorite
Ryan is a smart sexy Jock. Jake is the sexy TA. Jake offers to give Ryan Private lessons, in a class he is failing and sparks fly, but Ryan is deeply in the closet. Will he come out for Jake?

I liked these MC's. They had good chemistry and the sexual tension was off the charts. I liked the dual POV's but found a few times I was confused as to who was talking. It wasn't always clear. It had a good HFN, ending. This had the potential to be made into a really good full length novel. I will look into more from this author.

#The dust of Every Day Life
By Sara York

**3 stars
Cole is a gangly nerdy Bass player. Seever is Cole's dream come true..the hot swimmer. They meet in the Cafe and Cole is shocked when Seever makes his interest in Cole known. I did not care for this story. Even though it had mature sexual content something about it seemed very immature and YA. It was way too sappy and sugary sweet. I didn't feel the characters had chemistry. There was very little development of them as a couple beyond sex.

#The Eloquent Jock
By Cassandra Carr

***3.5 stars
This is the story of the not out Hockey player, Brendan and the Professor he begins TA'ing for, Scott. This read wasn't bad, I just felt it lacked chemistry between the characters. I don't like books with huge age differences. I would have liked this read better if he had fallen for a fellow student. His roommate Tyler and Brendan had really good chemistry, and I felt would have made a better couple. This book left things unresolved. And was very contradictory in some ways. I can't say too much without giving away what happens. I will say my favorite thing about this book is even as a short story it wasn't rushed. It takes place over a 6 month or so period which gives the characters a believable amount of time to fall in love, which is something most short stories and Novellas don't do.

#Switching Leads
By Mia Downing

***3.75 stars
This was a good read. Finn returns to his alma mater, and back to the one person that meant the most to him. The person he threw away 10 years earlier, John. John is the equestrian coach, and Finn has been hired as his new assistant coach.

This was a good story. It flowed well and the MC's had good chemistry. The sex was steamy. I felt more things could have been said between the MC's in the end, but all in all it was a solid read.

#Solid Education
By Bianca Sommerland

**3 stars
This is the story of the Professor Derek and the former Marine and student Gage, and a rescued dog. This relationship happened very quickly and the author didn't give the MC's time to get know each other, or develop the feelings they claimed to have for one another. I never felt a chemistry or connection between them. This story left a lot up in the air when it ended.

#Did Someone Order A Pizza
By L.A. Witt

**4.5 stars
I love L.A., but she is always a hit or miss miss for me. This was a hit. This is Paul and Cory's story. Paul and Cory have been friends since 4th grade. High School sweethearts. Paul follows Cory off to college from their hometown of DeMoines Iowa. After a few months and a hazing pledge for a fraternity gone wrong, Paul decides to leave the fraternity and Cory dumps him, thinking he wants to date other people. When Cory delivers a bunch of Pizza's to the frat house he comes face to face with Cory a year and a half after he was dumped. Will Cory and Paul be able to work things out?

This story was really good. These guys had good chemistry, the sex was sweet and I enjoyed the flashback to their HS days, and usually hate flashbacks. The story flowed well and kept me turning the pages. It ended way too soon for me, but with a HFN ending and I can imagine a HEA, myself!

#Winning Bracket
By Annabeth Albert

*4 stars
This is Edwin and Oliver's story. They are both RA's. Oliver is laid back, while Edwin is uptight and a stickler for the rules. They both want to be with the other, but neither is brave enough to admit it. They place a small bet that starts the ball rolling to get them to that loving relationship they both want. This was a cute, sweet, funny story. Throw in a couple of miscommunications, steamy sex, an awesome epilogue and stir, for a great story!

Artistic Endeavor
By Whitley Gray

**4.5 sizzling stars
This is the story of the player Micheal(who after a failed relationship doesn't do love) and the virgin Cobey(raised in a very strict Catholic family hasn't had a chance to experience anything) Mutual friends approach Micheal and ask him to tutor Cobey in sex. Micheal and Cobey spend a lot of time together. Dinner, movies, lots of making out. Eventually they work their way up to actual sex. This is all about sex. No feelings no emotions, but what happens when emotions do get in the way? Will the run?

This was by far the HOTTEST and sexiest story thus far. Even if it takes a while to get to actual sex, this book is hot. Micheal and Cobey have good chemistry. When they get together you get fireworks. I will definitely be looking at more of this authors work.

#Lesson Learned
By Dalton Diaz

**4.5 stars
Tyler has to take one more class heading into his Sr year. A Phsych class he has been putting off, but a requirement for graduation. He is surprised when the teacher of the class turns out to be his ex, who he hurt very badly. Adam is also shocked to see one of his students is Tyler. He just needs to get through the next 3 weeks then he is out of there. Can he and Tyler coexist in class 5 days a week for a couple of hours a day for the next three weeks?

This was a really good story. Tyler and Adam have a sizzling chemistry. The sex was hot. The talking was sweet. I loved the flashbacks seeing how things were between then in the past. How they started and how they ended. It flowed well and kept me turning the pages to see what would happen next. The story ended really well. It would have been nice to get an epilogue, but it ended on a good HFN/HEA. I will be looking at more from this author in the future.

[Susan Laine · Rating 4 out of 5]

An anthology about gay men in a fictional campus surroundings of Cathia University, with an occasional common hangout, like Palozzo’s pizza joint.

Private Lessons by KyAnn Waters

A fairly simple and predictable tale about an out and proud teaching assistant and a closeted jock student. Both want the other in secret. When they realize the attraction is mutual, sex happens right off the bat. This story had no real tension or climactic scene, as Ryan’s coming out to his teammates is remarkably swift and accepting. The end result didn’t really justify Ryan’s fears of coming out. Also, a professor as bad as Turner should be booted off campus. Basically, a hot little fluff piece.

The Dust Of Everyday Life by Sara York

Cole is into music and Seever into swimming. They get together for some hot loving, and are outed in a paper by a homophobic so-called journalist who smelled a scandal and believed everyone would take her side. The writing in this story is okay but nothing special. When it comes to society’s attitudes toward gays, however, this paints a wonderful positive image of encouraging friends and strangers. So, not bad.

The Eloquent Jock by Cassandra Carr

Being a jock doesn’t mean one doesn’t have a brain. That was a nice twist in the set-in-stone jock character. Brendan plays hockey but he’s also an English lit major. I appreciated that aspect, how one thing doesn’t define you as a whole. A shy professor was also a nice change from the confident and even aggressive alpha male type, and I quite liked Scott, even though at times his reasons for resisting Brendan’s advances seemed a little thin. Nonetheless, the sex scenes are hotter than hot. I admit, too, prior to reading this story I’d never heard the term puck bunnies.

Switching Leads by Mia Downing

Lost lovers reconnecting after a decade. What could be hotter? The tension is already there in more ways than one. Since John, a coach for an equestrian team, has plenty of reasons to hate Finn, his alcoholic ex who is also his new assistant, this read like enemies-to-lovers story, which I liked a lot. Making amends through hot angry sex? Why not. Plus, the memories of what they shared, the good and the bad, added a touch of beauty to their reconciliation.

Solid Education by Bianca Sommerland

A cute little rescue dog, Matty, totally steals the show here, which was good since the characters didn’t grab me. Derek, a veterinary professor, is something of a jerk. Gage, a veterinary student and ex-military man, has traumas, injuries, and a dead K-9. Derek was really mean to Gage a lot, and I didn’t like that. Sure, Matty the dog does bring out Derek’s softer side but by then I already disliked him too much to care. Gage deserved better in my honest opinion. In any case, I found that this tale didn’t quite fit with the overall campus theme. Just felt like the odd story out, so to speak. The sudden one-eighty to love baffled me too.

Did Somebody Order a Pizza? by L.A. Witt

This story was very well written. Especially the flashbacks to Paul and Cory’s student days had quite an impact, reading as awkward and realistic. But… there was a really bad hazing incident and a subsequent breakup. Cory wants Paul back, but I wanted Paul to kick Cory’s tail. Cory was not a likable character, and Paul forgave much too soon. This tale of too quick a redemption, told in first person, left a bitter taste in my mouth. There’s so much hate and violence and cowardice here it was a bit of a downer.

Winning Bracket by Annabeth Albert

By far the best of the bunch, this story delivers where the others in the anthology have failed. We get a beautiful, awkward, cute, realistic love affair even though Edwin and Ollie start out as sort of frenemies (that’s a word, right?). A silly bet over basketball leads to a kiss, and much, much more. Edwin may be the sweet little virgin but he wants his kiss, dammit, and he wants it from popular jock Ollie. I loved their interaction, be it talking or smooching, teasing or goading. Beautifully crafted tale of two young men playing games, bantering, and falling in love. Made me miss real life kissing sessions.

Artistic Endeavor by Whitley Gray

Two artists—a graphic design professor (at 25?) and a painter—are brought together because one is knowledgeable about sex and the other is a virgin. Yeah, the story’s predictable in every sense. But both Michael and Cobey were kinda cute, the former playboy who falls in love for the first time and the other a virgin who finds love on his first go. Even when Michael hurts Cobey’s feelings by rejecting him, I got that Michael’s just scared and falling. There’s a lot of kissing, adorable moments, emotions shared, and a slowly forming relationship. This is the longest story in the anthology. Despite the no-surprises plot, the ending was sweet.

[Julia ♥Duncan♥ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Anthology of stories set around the fictional Cathia University. College stories are totally my catnip right now.

Private Lessons, KyAnn Waters
When an anti-jock professor unfairly marks down Ryan's papers, he has to work with the hot and openly gay TA, Jake, to try to improve his grade and keep his spot on the soccer team. I wasn't really feeling this one, it seemed a bit choppy to me.

The Dust of Everyday Life, Sara York
Cole, a bass player who loves swimmers, finally gets a chance to date one when he meets Seever in a cafe on campus. I liked this story, although I thought the dialogue and the text messages were a bit cheesy at times.

The Eloquent Jock, Cassandra Carr
When hockey player Brendan starts working as a TA for creative writing lecturer Scott, the two are surprised to find they are attracted to each other and have a lot of things in common. I liked this one, but I did get pretty tired of the fights and the hot-and-cold drama the characters had going on.

Switching Leads, Mia Downing
EQUESTRIAN TEAM!!! Sorry, got a bit excited there. This story is about John, coach of the equestrian team, and his ex Finn who returns and takes the job of assistant coach. I don't always like reunited lovers but this worked well because I felt like the characters had grown in ways that made them a better fit for each other.

Solid Education, Bianca Sommerland
Veterinary sciences student and ex-marine Gage brings in a stray dog for his professor Derek to foster and forces Derek to admit that something's missing in his life. I loved Gage and Matty the dog and this story was very sweet.

Did Somebody Order a Pizza?, L.A. Witt
Exes Paul and Cory are reunited after Paul delivers pizza to Cory's frat. I was worried the reunited lovers element wouldn't work for me, but to my surprise I liked this one a lot. I loved the sex scenes between the two of them where things went wrong just like they do in real life.

Winning Bracket, Annabeth Albert
I really liked this one! Party boy RA Ollie challenges Edwin, RA of the quiet floor, to participate in the campus march madness bracket tournament. I loved the bet plot and both characters were super cute together. Must check out more by this author.

Artistic Endeavor, Whitley Gray
Art professor Cobey wants to finally lose his virginity with a man he trusts and his friends set him up with Michael, who agrees to help with the stipulation that it's nothing more than sex because Michael doesn't do relationships. The plot was a bit predictable but it was still a nice slow burn romance.

Lesson Learned, Dalton Diaz
Exes Adam and Tyler are reunited when Adam has to teach a required summer course and Tyler is in his class. Reunited lovers stories are not my favorite and here I didn't really see why Adam and Tyler fell in love in the first place but I did like that they actually really talked about why it had gone wrong.

As with most anthologies, there were some hits and misses for me but in general a fun read. The first few stories were heavily weighted towards jock characters and coming out story lines, but the later stories offered a nice variety. Hard to pick favorites, but I think I liked Winning Bracket the most, although Did Somebody Order a Pizza?, Solid Education, and Switching Leads were also standouts.

[Ro · Rating 4 out of 5]

The stories in this collection are related by the setting – the area of and around Cathia College. As always with anthologies, I had some I liked more than others. In one story, I also had a character that I hated!

Annabeth Albert: Winning Bracket Rated 4

As a huge fan of friends to lovers, this one is a hit, as sort of frenemies to lovers. They like each other, aggravate each other and are total opposites from each other. But when a bet is made with a kiss as the prize, things change. So cute!

Cassandra Carr: The Eloquent Jock Rated 3.5

Hockey jock and English Lit major Brendan knows he’s gay, but hasn’t come out to anyone, fearing a possible backlash. Then he’s tapped to be a TA for a hot professor and feels an immediate connection. Now he must decide how much he’s willing to risk to score the ultimate goal.

Dalton Diaz: Lesson Learned Rated 4

I don’t know – maybe it was my mood. I read this one again and this time I could see why Adam forgave him. Tyler was a jerk but learned

Mia Downing: Switching Leads Rated 4.5

Probably my favorite of the anthology, it’s definitely a case of second chances with a character who actually realizes the mistake he made in leaving his love. There are also misunderstandings (the job, especially) caused by other people that made things forgiveable. This one definitely made me say awwww.

Whitley Gray: Artistic Endeavor Rated 4.25

Another favorite, Michael comes across as the world-weary, been there done that guy while Cobey is the innocent. Yet as it goes on I felt like the roles were actually reversed. Cobey had a lot to show Michael, who has been hurt in the past, about how things can be. Adorable.

Bianca Sommerland: Solid Education Rated 3.5
I wasn’t enamoured with Derek at all but I liked Gage tremendously and I loved Matty. Derek’s tendency to judge people before he knows them, as well as his asshat attitude pissed me off but Gage, Matty and the memory of Gunner made this lovely.


KyAnn Waters: Private Lessons Rated 4

Ryan is a soccer player and he needs his grades to stay high. When he has a professor that seems to happily grade him poorly, he knows he needs some help. This comes in the form of Jake, the TA. The two begin a physical relationship that is tested by the professor. I liked them both, the professor is a jerk but I thought it was a realistic twist.

LA Witt: Did Somebody Order a Pizza? Rated 2.5

I would have rated this higher but I just hated Cory. There is no love evident in how he treated Paul and he never goes looking for him, it’s just a coincidence that he sees him. For 18 months you could have seen what you threw away and didn’t bother. Then when he chooses that pin over Paul, well, you lost me there.

Sara York: The Dust Of Everyday Life Rated 3

Even though I kind of felt like Cole would have liked anyone on the swimming team (he has a swimming man obsession!), I felt the relationship was okay. The homophobic outing was a little OTT.

[Chris, the Dalek King · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is going to be a little different. We (at Love Bytes) decided to split up the short stories in this anthology for individual review. I chose to review L.A. Witt's story, Did Somebody Order a Pizza?. So the review that follows is simply for one of the stories in the anthology. However the rating up above in the stars reflects the entire anthology. Thanks.


"Did Somebody Order a Pizza?" by L.A. Witt

Damn it.

The worst part about delivering pizzas to a university wasn’t getting stiffed on tips. It wasn’t dealing with drunken students who thought they were the first ones to ever play the “oh, we didn’t order that, but we’ll take it for free!” prank. It wasn’t delivering pizzas to my own classmates.

It was the goddamned frats. Specifically Delta Sig.

And guess where tonight’s order was going.

Wow, this was really good…mostly because the sex was really bad.

Not the writing, but the actual sex itself. Usually when you get the whole ‘losing your virginity’ scene in mm, it a little rose-colored. Yeah there are bumps in the road, but then everything turns perfect and they guys bounce off into happy orgasims together. Not here. It is awkward, and it hurts, and the guys don’t really know what they are doing or why it isn’t working…and they are fine with that. I loved it. It helped show the connection that these guys have, and helps us keep cheering for them even as you kind of want to hit Cory over the head with a frying pan.

This was a great short story, and it really flew by. I would have happily read another hundred pages with Cory and Paul. There was a nice balance between past and present, and I liked how the past kept us in a place where we could see why Paul wanted to try and have something with Cory, again, but we could also see just why what Cory did hurt so damn much.

And the fact that the past (both the good parts and the bad) couldn’t just be swept under the rug and forgotten, meant that I believed everything all the more. I loved their first attempt at getting back together, how they thought that maybe the sex would just fix everything, but in fact just makes everything worse.

Loved the story, loved the guys, and really loved all the sex going on here…especially when they finally get it right.

Short Story: 4.5 stars
Anthology: 3.5 stars


This book was provided free in exchange for a fair and honest review for Love Bytes. Go there to check out other reviews, author interviews, and all those awesome giveaways. Click below.

[Rachel Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'll review as I go and then rate the book at the end. I love college set stories!

ETA: Well, my favorites of the anthology were Switching Leads by Mia Downing, Winning rBracket by Annabeth Albert, and Artistic Endeavor by Whitley Gray. I thought most of these stories were well written and fun!

Private Lessons - Kyann Waters - Gotta love a jock and a TA story! Solid story, I liked the characters, and enjoyed this one! 3.5 stars.

The Dust of Everyday Life - Sara York - 2.5 stars. This just felt bland to me, like I couldn't get the connection between the two MCs, and I wasn't a fan of the ending.

The Eloquent Jock - Cassandra Carr - 3 stars for this one. I thought there was a bit too much "have sex and then run away" for me…just talk, already! Had all the things I like…virgin, age difference, but it just didn't fully work.

Switching Leads - Mia Downing - 4-4.5 stars. I just really, really loved this one! I love reunion/second chance type of stories, and I loved the angst and the emotion in this one. I really loved John and Finn and reading about them fall in love and get things right. I could definitely read more about these guys, they were super hot together and made for a great story!

Solid Education - Bianca Sommerland - 2 stars. Unfortunately, this did not work for me. The characters were just flat, I didn't get any chemistry between the two, and the relationship went from zero to love unbelievably fast that I just didn't buy it. I love dog rescue stories, but the rest of it just wasn't for me.

Did Somebody Order a Pizza? - L.A. Witt - 3 stars. I love this author, but it was something about this story that didn't make me love it. I LOVED the flashbacks, I wanted more of them pre-college. I think I felt like what it took to make Cory leave the frat and realize his relationship with Paul was more important, was kinda crappy…like, it was over a year and it was only when Cory saw what was going on he had some sense knocked into him.

Winning Bracket - Annabeth Albert - 4.5-5 stars. My absolute favorite from the anthology so far! I loved the e-mails back and forth, I loved their chemistry, their banter, and pretty much everything about this. I loved Ollie, and the writing, and yep. Everything!

Artistic Endeavor - Whitley Gray - 4.5 stars for me. I really enjoyed this one too! Definitely in my top 3 of favorite stories in this anthology. It was well written, had emotion and characterization, and just excellent chemistry between the two MCs. Hot and a touch of angst and a happy ending! Perfect!

Lessons Learned - Dalton Diaz - 3.5-4 stars for this. I liked this story as well, I love second chance stories, and I really liked reading about them being able to make it work this time around.

Great anthology, aside from a couple that were just so-so for me, I really enjoyed reading this!

[Mary S · Rating 5 out of 5]

10 STARS!!
I sometimes have reservations about reading a book that is written by different authors, and have many stories that are connected. They sometimes go off I. So many different directions I get a bit lost. Well I have met the exception. I could not get enough of the stories and the authors in Campus Cravings. The book starts off with a story Private Lessons, Jake and Ryan. Jake is the TA for a pompous professor,and Ryan has noticed the hot Jake, and agrees to tutor. You really were able to feel the nervousness in Ryan and Jake, as they both tried to figured out their feelings for each other. Loved it! This story opened up the whole view of the campus, what it's about and some of the characters to come. Each story to me kept getting better and better. I'm not sure how each author pulled off this magic, I was so sad to read the last story. I want more!! College life is difficult enough, and each story showed the fears and issues that the characters have to go through being gay. You truly felt the emotions in each character, and the struggles they had to go through. It is a must read book, one of my favorites this year so far. Each story left me feeling live truly is a wonderful thing. :) please read this series!!

[Vanessa theJeepDiva · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have found that anthologies and boxed sets are always hit and miss with me. They are few and far between where I can honestly say that I thoroughly enjoyed every single story. I can point this out by also saying that I can count those on one hand with fingers to spare. I can tick off a finger for Campus Cravings. I loved every story. I loved each what each author had to contribute to this very sexy book.
This book was thoughtfully put together by a group of great authors. They have given readers nine great stories that revolve around Cathia University. The university and its setting is really the only common factor. The characters don’t overlap into other tales, the timeline is loose enough that you can read all of the stories out of order and still enjoy the book immensely.
I was also extremely please that this is not your normal college boy gay romance fare. While many of the stories are college boys the professors are just as likely to end up falling in love as former students are. That was a pleasant surprise and something completely new to me. The mix even includes star crossed lovers, opposites attract, rekindles, and even some hot for teacher. There truly is something for everyone within Campus Cravings.

[Colleen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this anthology which has 9 massively HOT M/M stories.

Private Lessons – KyAnn Waters
This is about closet gay Ryan Kane and out and proud Jake Finely.
Ryan has an academic scholarship and plays for the school soccer team. He has to maintain good grades not only for the scholarship but also to be able to play soccer. He is smart but finds that no matter what he does he keeps getting bad grades from his Business Ethics teacher.
Jake is the Teacher’s Assistant to his Business Ethics teacher and has noticed Ryan in the class. Ryan approaches Jake to make an appointment to see the Professor and Jake offers to tutor him.
What happens next is that Ryan then begins to question whether he needs to be in the closet or whether can he come out.
Great reading.

The Dust of Everyday Life – Sara York
Cole is a musician who finds male swimmers hot. Each day he goes to the coffee spot opposite where the swim team train, in the hopes of catching a glimpse of the athletic guys. Being that he has no athletic ability, he feels there is no chance of him attracting the attention of any of the swimmers.
Little does he know that Seever, one of the swim team members, has noticed him too.
Because they haven’t come out they meet on the quiet, but what they don’t know is that someone is watching and is going to bring their relationship out into the open.

The Eloquent Jock – Cassandra Carr
Brendan is a smart young man who has always liked men, even though he has never had a relationship with one. He hasn’t even been kissed.
Scott, an author who is also a Professor at Cathia University, feels an instant connection to Brendan when he applies to become his TA, but because it could cost him his job he tries to keep his distance from the young gay guy.
Brendan becomes confused by Scott’s constant mixed signals and tries to talk to him about his own mixed feelings about coming out.
Great read concerning some of the issues that young gay guys have to deal with.

Switching Leads – Mia Downing
John is stressed, what with needing a new assistant, money issues and the deterioration of his mother’s health. The head of the Athletics department hires an assistant without any consultation with John. The problem is that the man that was hired was none other than John’s ex, and they didn’t end on good terms.
Finn has been hired to be John’s assistant. He is hoping to try and repair the damage between John and himself, damage that was done ten years ago.
Can they repair what was once broken?

Solid Education – Bianca Sommerland
Gage is a student of Derek’s. Derek is one of the local Veterinarians. Gage finds an emancipated stray dog and takes it to Derek’s practice to get checked.
Derek and Gage share an attraction but Derek is wary of acting on it, not just because he is Gage’s teacher but because of past hurts.
Matty, the dog, brings them together and starts to heal past hurts for both of them. Tthe news that Derek has found Matty’s family has both Gage and Derek scared that their feelings won’t survive without the lovable dog.

Did Somebody Order a Pizza? – LA Witt
Paul works for the local Pizza place as a delivery boy and gets the call to deliver some pizzas to a frat house. Not just any frat house, but the one that he left as a pledge due to a hazing that went wrong. When he left the house his boyfriend at the time decided not only to stay but to end their relationship.
A year and a half has passed since Paul has seen Cory but he happens to see him at the frat house on the night he has to make the pizza delivery. Seeing Cory again has stirred up all the unpleasant memories of their breakup, but for Cory, seeing Paul has made him realize that he has missed Paul terribly.
Cory tries to patch things up with Paul, but has too much happened in the past for them to be together again?

Winning Bracket – Annabeth Albert
Edwin and Ollie are both RA’s to the Gilmore dorm. Edwin is a stickler for the rules and likes to have things just perfect and Ollie is the guy that everyone likes to hang with. Edwin has had a crush on Ollie for 3 years but Ollie has only ever shown interest in jocks.
Ollie convinces Edwin to place a bet on the basketball tournament, by letting Edwin choose what he wants Ollie to do, if he Edwin wins.
The game is on. Edwin does his research and makes up a formula on all the participating teams and places his bet. He really wants to win this bet.
Little does Edwin know, but Ollie has liked Edwin for a while and he also is hoping that Edwin wins the bet.
I loved Edwin and his first experiences.

Artistic Endeavor – Whitley Grey
This story is about a young professor, Cobey, who knows he is gay but due to his strict Catholic upbringing has had no chance to experiment until he comes Cathia University.
Michael is approached by mutual friends to be Cobey’s teacher in all things sexual, at Cobey’s pace.
Michael, who has had past relationships where he has been hurt and plans on never having another relationship, agrees to teach Cobey.
With that being decided, we are then taken on Cobey’s journey, being introduced to all things pertaining to gay sex.
Hot reading.

Lessons Learned – Dalton Diaz
Adam was Tyler’s first gay sexual experience. Whilst Adam was falling in love and wanted an exclusive relationship, Tyler was feeling the need to experience other guys. So they broke off.
Not long after breaking off, Tyler realised that he had made a mistake and that the great sex wasn’t because he knew what he was doing but because it was with Adam.
Two years pass and Tyler feels it’s time to approach Adam and apologize for the huge mistake he made. With Adam still hurting Tyler had his work cut out for him.

[Donna · Rating 4 out of 5]

The moment the idea of each of us reviewing one story from this anthology was raised I leapt right in and claimed this story. As far as I can recall, I didn’t even know the name of the story (or maybe it just wasn’t important at that point). I probably just typed something like – I’M TAKING CASSANDRA CARR!!!! and emailed it to everyone asap because when there’s a blog loaded with females, well and one guy (hey Paul!) you need to be quick on the keyboard and ready to strike. At least, that’s the way I see things. Actually, most of them just said – great idea, assign me a book and I’ll review it. So sure, I can be a little greedy and aggressive, especially when it comes to books, but I think it’s obvious to all of us that I’m the one who’ll be surviving the zombie apocalypse. And the one reviewing Cassandra Carr’s story, although, to be honest, I don’t think the others even realized that there was a competition for the book going on in my head.
Why, you may ask, was I so set on reviewing The Eloquent Jock when there are a plethora of great authors contributing to this anthology? Because I was already feeling the urge to read a hockey story and I’m a big fan of Cassandra Carr’s Safe Harbor series. So while I knew any story in this anthology wouldn’t be a part of that series I was still hoping for some hot jock hockey players. And that’s what she delivered.
Brendan Kohl is the assistant captain of the university’s hockey team. He likes playing hockey, he’s good at playing hockey, but he knows that he isn’t good enough to play professionally. His ultimate goal is to get a teaching degree and teach English lit somewhere while hopefully coaching a school hockey team. Brendan is also aware that he is gay but has come to the decision that right now is not the time to do anything about it. Aside from the fact that he isn’t “out” and has no plans to come out, he just doesn’t have the time to commit to a relationship and isn’t interested in random one-night stands. But then he begins his new job as a TA and meets the man who may just be worth the hassle.
Dr Scott Greenfield is an author who supplements his writing income by teaching creative writing at Cathia University. Getting involved with his TA could potentially cost him his teaching position but as hard as he tries, he just can’t shake his attraction to the gorgeous young jock.
Firstly, yes, we get some hockey! Not heaps, because obviously the book is less than fifty pages long, but still we get in a little bit of training and a game. We also get to meet a few of Brendan’s team mates and see how they react to the fact that their assistant captain is gay.
Another huge plus for me with this story is the age gap. I’m an absolute ho for a good age gap and the fifteen years between these two MCs worked out exactly the way I like. And with Brendan, I liked the fact that he still acted like an overly dramatic, impulsive twenty one year old. The way he just runs off when he doesn’t like what he’s hearing would normally annoy the heck out of me but I rather enjoyed the way it is done in this story. The response his histrionics receives from his friend and the way he has to tuck his tail between his legs and apologize for his behavior was just great.
Obviously I can only recommend this one story but I’ve read a few other reviews and as far as I can tell, readers are loving the whole anthology. I know that as soon as I finish writing this I’m going to dive straight in to the next couple’s story.


My review of Cassandra Carr's The Eloquent Jock can be found at Love Bytes along with reviews for the other great stories in this anthology
www.lovebytesreviews.com

[Amber · Rating 4 out of 5]

*received this free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

Private Lessons - KyAnn Waters

I really enjoyed reading Jake and Ryan's story. At first I was bothered by how closeted Ryan seemed to be but he really embraced it in the end. I loved the passion between Ryan and Jake as well, the chemistry was very hot. I will definitely be reading more from this author.

The Dust of Everyday Life - Sara York

This was way too short. It almost felt rushed, I really wanted to know how Seever reacted to watching Cole play his bass. I did enjoy the story I just feel like there were pretty big gaps. I loved how supportive the swim team was, very endearing.

The Eloquent Jock - Cassandra Carr

This was a good short sweet story. I loved the angst between Scott and Brendan. I do wish there was more sex between the two. And I would have liked to know what happened with Scott's job at the University but I enjoyed the story.

Switching Leads - Mia Downing

I didn't love this story. I think I had a problem with the characters. I didn't find either of them likeable, so I wasn't invested in finding out more about them.

Solid Education - Bianca Sommerland

I really loved this story. I enjoy the college storyline and understand that's the common theme in this anthology but to have another aspect thrown in like Gage's military background was really refreshing. I fell in love with him, immediately. It took me longer to warm up to Derek but I did like him and Gage together. Great Story!!

Did Somebody Order A Pizza? - LA Witt

Not surprisingly I was immediately pulled into this story. I'm a huge fan of the author and she didn't disappoint. I finished this story in less than an hour because it was so good. I did find both characters lacking but the way LA spins a tale is mesmerizing. I loved the prom memory. So good.

Winning Bracket - Annabeth Albert

I LOVED the epilogue!!!! I thought that addition made this story perfect. I admired Edwin's courage to suggest the bet. Ollie's openness won me over too. Sweet story.

Artistic Endeavors - Whitley Gray

This was such a good story! I loved how there was never any question to what Michael was to Cobey. I enjoyed that the friends weren't trying to be sneaky and I enjoyed the fact that Cobey was open to exploring. I think the story developed perfectly and they're feelings were very genuine. I really liked this one. Will look into more stories by this author.

Lessons Learned - Dalton Diaz

This was a good short story. This author gave me what I truly enjoy with shorts, a bit of past, some angst, and a good believable love story.

[Crystal Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have read books by a few of these authors in the past, and I was really excited at the chance to receive a review copy of this bundle because I couldn’t wait to see how some of my favorite authors came together to create this world. I can say that I was extremely pleased about how the whole book ended up working out because the authors were able to create the world so well; it was almost as though it was a real college town.

There were some stories in this bundle that stood out the most for me. Be it for the reason that I just overall enjoyed the story, or that there was just something about it that made it stand out from the others in the series. Winning Bracket, The Eloquent Jock, Artistic Endeavor, and Solid Education are the stories that stand out the most for me personally.

Even though I only called out those stories, that doesn’t mean that I didn’t enjoy the others in the bundle. The others, while they were well written, were not all my cup of tea personally. I am very glad that I did read them because I honestly do not think that the bundle would have been complete without them.

I did enjoy how the stories were not all about sex! I was actually worried that when I started it, that’s what the focus was going to be since the stories are on the shorter end of the stick, but thankfully that wasn’t the case! While there was sex in some of the stories, it was done so well that it didn’t take away from what was happening between the characters. It actually added to it.

Overall though, I would say that if you’re looking for an amazing bundle to read that has something different for everyone, then I would check this one out! You might even end up like me and find some new authors that you can’t wait to read next!

Reviewed by Crystal Marie for Crystal’s Many Reviewers
*Copy provided for review*

[DebbieReadsBooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm not going to break each story down, this review would be far too long but I'll tell you what I thought about it all, as a set.

9 books, by 9 different authors all set around Cathia college (although it took me til the third book to figure that out!) You get every possible combination of jocks, geeks, TA's, professors, sports coaches and assistants and dorm advisors. All wrapped up, in a delicious box set for you! The time lines run from one book to the next, as some are referenced in later books, and some characters pop up in more than one book, but mainly each book is just about the two main characters.

You get first love, first, first chances, second chances, some serious experimenting and so much more! All 9 stories are well written, with such lovable charcters, I liked Winning Bracket best, which is the last book. The two men in that book, Edwin and Ollie, pop up a couple of times in earlier books, but nothing prepares you for what happens when they come together after 4 years of lusting over each other from afar!

All nine books are steamy, some more than others but I didnt mind that. I do love M/M books, and these are all short and sweet. I might not have BOUGHT them, individually, as they are short (the whole set only comes to 390 pages) BUT for the price that it stands at now (Aug 31 2014) of £1.74 or $2.89, its certainly worth it.

A solid four fang read, with 4.5 going to Winning Bracket!

Reviewer for Paranormal Romance and Authors That Rock.

[Lucy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This anthology has nine stories in and is I spoke about each one it would take ages and potentially get a bit boring. To avoid both those issues I'm going to focus on my favourite stories from this anthology and then give a brief summary of my thoughts on Campus Cravings towards the end.

My favourite story from this anthology was Artistic Endeavour by Whitley Gray. I loved it! Arguably this is the story most detached from Cathia University life, as it features an ex-alumni and the new Fine Arts Professor and much of the story takes place in the surrounding town rather than the University Campus. For me this story was brillant due to the two leading male characters, Michael and Cobey; particularly Cobey. Introduced through Mutual friends Michael is asked to guide twenty-five year old virgin into the world of gay sex.

Given that premise this story was sex heavy and was in fact incredibly sweet as we learn why Cobey has reached the age of twenty with next to zero experience. Michael was a complete sweetheart and the perfect guy for shy and nervous Cobey despite being initially presented as a player.

Another brillant story in this anthology was Winning Bracket by Annabeth Albert, a romance between two dorm advisors and best friends...

For a full review visit my blog http://forgettheclassicsireadromance....

[Diane Lynch Lynch · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed every story in this collection. My two favorites were Cassandra Carr: The Eloquent Jock and Bianca Sommerland: Solid Education.

Cassandra Carr: The Eloquent Jock
Hockey player Brendan Kohl is in the closet. When he becomes a TA for Dr. Scott Greenfield, he experiences a never before felt connection. The Eloquent Jock is a five-star story that is now one of my favorites by Cassanda Carr. I love Brendon. He puts his team before himself, wanting to make sure they do not suffer as a result of his sexual preference. He is a likable character that I wanted to flourish.

Bianca Sommerland: Solid Education
Vet Sciences Professor Derek Paulson has misjudged student, Gage Tackett. He sees him in a new light when Gage seeks Derek’s help to save a frostbitten stray dog. I loved this story. It was heartwarming and wonderful. Gage is an amazing character that has suffered and deserves happiness. Being an animal lover it was easy to appreciate both characters.

Campus Cravings is an entertaining anthology. I enjoyed that each story in the collection took place at Cathia University. While each narrative was very different, having them take place at the same campus united them.

[Phuong · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm a huge fan of reading m/m romance stories and was thrilled that I could satisfy my addiction with the Campus Craving: Higher Learning bundle by nine authors. I read a few of these authors regularly so I had no doubt I would enjoy their stories and I'm happy to say that I really liked all the stories written by the others "new-to-me" authors. While these stories centered around the characters' lives at Cathia University and sports, each author wrote unique stories that captured my attention and had me not wanting to stop reading. All these stories were sweet and sexy and I enjoyed watching their journey to finding love and looking forward to their future. The authors wrote likable characters that you could not help but root for, whether trying to come to terms with their sexuality and "coming out", inexperience with sex and losing their virginity, relationship between teacher and student or meeting up with a past love again. I also liked that these couples were able to openly express their feelings for each other around campus. The storytelling was fantastic by each author and I would highly recommend this bundle set.

[8o's · Rating 5 out of 5]

Campus Cravings features 9 novellas by 9 great authors. They all feature around the same college town. The authors must have had some great planning sessions going on cause all of the stories are linked with characters introduced in one story and then featured in another. I enjoyed all of the stories but to have them a continuation with each other was an extra step that I absolutely loved.

I try not to pick favorites when reading a boxed set and it is easy not to pick favorites with this set because they are all so good. But I will say the two most memorable stories for me were "The Eloquent Jock" by Cassandra Carr and "Winning Bracket" by Annabeth Albert. I loved the "The Eloquent Jock" because I am a huge fan of hockey romance. Plus with the added them of hot jock hooking up with a professor, it is a keeper for me. "Winning Bracekt" was also so good. It is the first book I have read by Annabeth Albert. I loved her writing style. I also loved to see serious Edwin get his romance after seeing his name mentioned in several of the novellas.

Highly recommend this boxed set.

[R · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tender, sweet, and at times, scorching hot. This was an anthology interlinked by the common setting of Cathia University. The authors did a great job of creating stories in this shared setting. A few even linked back to characters in previous stories in the book. I thought that was a masterful touch.

There were some editing problems with the stories, but nothing that detracted from the stories, in my opinion. There was not a bad story in the book; however, my least favorite was “Did Somebody Order a Pizza?” I readily admit, that perhaps my own prejudices impacted my judgment in regards to this story as I was Greek my entire undergraduate career.

The characters seemed authentic and there was real emotion in some of the writing. As anthologies can be hit or miss with me, I was pleasantly surprised that this was a total hit.

Note: ARC provided by the publisher through NetGalley.com in exchange for an honest review.

[Brendan Muller · Rating 5 out of 5]

OK, let me start off with saying i enjoyed this more than i thought i would because i thought logically at least one of the short-stories/novella's in this is going to be awful but, i was pleasantly surprised when i liked all of them and they were just the right length as well as to be read quickly and not to drag on and on like some romance stories but this was all short and sweet and passed by in a blur for me, It has great and memorable characters in each story and i especially loved how they are all in the same location and intertwine - kind of - with out any of the characters from the separate stories ever interacting but it was nice to see that this formed a inter-connected timeline where all the stories formed part of the surrounding gossip and story line.I recommend this to anyone who likes romance, short-stories and M/M literature.
5 Stars and i would definitely read this again if i am looking for something short and sweet.