My short review of each story in the anthology (slight spoilers):
Story 1 'Kissing Trails: A Sapphic Citrus Cove Short Story' by Clio Evans
This story follows a sexy one-night, second-chance encounter told through the dual perspectives of Alice and Jenna - exes who just can’t seem to stay away from each other. The story is predominantly spicy🌶 with some BDSM and some seriously hot dirty talk (including a very effective 'good girl' 🫦). It’s unhibited sapphic passion that sets the tone perfectly for the anthology. There are also subtle hints woven through the narrative suggesting a much larger story - possibly veering into horror and messy angst - that I’d love to read more of.
Story 2 'Death's Songbird" by L.R. Friedman
This is a beautifully written, dark sapphic retelling of Hans Christian Andersen’s fairytale 'The Nightingale' 🐦 We’re introduced to an enigmatic first-person narrator who has been abandoned in a forest and grows up in solitude. We soon learn the voice belongs to Lyric, a character whose singing is so mesmerising, it's desired by all.
Once Lyric is captured, I loved the irony of a character meant to be worshipped and adored, yet finding that kind of reverence lacking in depth or sincerity 💔 There’s further irony when Lyric ultimately finds true pleasure, peace, and understanding with the one person they've resisted their whole life ❤️
The story is rich with vivid imagery and characterisation and I found this sapphic tale of two fated lovers (one a ‘shadow mommy’, which must be American because 'shadow mummy' doesn't look right) very romantic and very sexy 🔥🌶!
Story 3 'Just a Kiss' by Mikayla Hornedo
A self-confessed "messy and hot" tale in the fantasy genre, this story blends witches, vampires, and an arranged marriage between the two. Told through the sarcastic, rebellious voice of Dayanara, a witch who couldn’t be less thrilled about her upcoming wedding - the narrative sparkles with mischief and humour. Yet amid the chaos, there’s a tender moment of quiet beauty: a romantic snapshot of Dayanara gazing at the stars with Zuri, the woman assigned to look after her, and someone she finds impossible to resist 🔥
I noticed the tone subtly shifts during their brief encounter, allowing space for softness, magic, and vulnerability to shine through. It feels like a celebration of queer joy - those fleeting but beautiful moments when you’re with someone who makes you feel happy, at peace, and wholly yourself ❤️
Story 4 'A Hankering for Harnesses: A Petalfall Story' by Dalia Davies
This is a sapphic fantasy story, and the only hint the author gave about it online was: “sexy stick bugs” - which made me suddenly appreciate just how wonderfully diverse the tales in this anthology are. Being story number four, I genuinely feel as though I’m travelling through a sapphic multiverse. Here, we follow the dual perspectives of Tana and Fyrn - a Centaur and a Dryad (part human, part horse; and an oak tree nymph) - as Tana, having retired, embarks on a quest to find her true love. This isn’t a genre I usually read, but the beauty of this anthology is how effortlessly it swept me up in a romantic sapphic tale about freedom, resistance, falling in love, and defying ‘the rules.’ I particularly enjoyed Fyrn’s “mine” energy, the playful flirting, the warm acceptance of ageing, and the steamy 🌶 featuring light bondage between two characters who have been longing for each other for so long, they're starving 🔥❤️
Story 5 'A Weekend in Sorealis' by Whit LaVonne
This sapphic story follows fated mates Lellies and Donella and kicks off when Lellies is kidnapped by two witches - though the narrative maintains a humorous, light tone. She’s thankfully rescued by Donella, a demon who doles out playful nicknames like “Muffin,” is fiercely protective, powerful, and a massive flirt. Together, they embark on an adventure in pursuit of justice. And despite being a short story, the plot is exciting and supported by impressive world-building. The narrative features realm-jumping, gods, cuddling, burlesque, and the classic trope of “only one bed,” all underscored by refreshingly direct communication between the characters. There's also 🌶 scenes that include spanking, clear consent, and the interesting nuances of what it’s like to be with a demon😈 Ultimately, it’s a tale that beautifully illustrates how, when you meet the right woman, you’d move worlds for her ❤️
Story 6 'The Hart & The Crane: An Immortal Orders Prequel' by Allison Carr Waechter
This story follows the dual perspectives of Selene and Aurelia. I haven’t read the 'Immortal Orders trilogy' yet, so these characters were new to me. In the trilogy, they’re parents - but this short story explores how they first meet. So for me, it simply reads as a tale of how two women cross paths in what appears to be a beautifully crafted magical world, rich with depth - and it’s a love story that begins with deception 👀
Selene, a thief, sets out to steal a particular book, but the moment she catches sight of the most handsome woman she's ever seen, her thievery is instantly derailed by an irresistible attraction. The stranger turns out to be Aurelia, who, as it happens, is also deceptive and a conwoman - her sights set on Selene for personal gain and survival.
What I didn’t expect was how both women’s truths end up working for them. Selene’s intuitiveness is incredibly endearing, and I adore the reckless, sexy abandon of diving headfirst into passion🔥 - knowing it’s a con, but craving the danger and challenge of the rogue that is Aurelia. And Aurelia’s seduction is “filthy and sensual” so who wouldn’t be begging for more? 🫦 I found this story deeply romantic and sexy because there's no real con involved - and I was left wanting more of their relationship and hoping there’s 🔥🌶 somewhere!
Story 7 'A Wild, Wild West' by Heather Nix
A sapphic Western vampire story? Delicious. Told through the dual perspectives of Luciana and Marguerite via their diary entries, we follow two vampire lovers who journey from London to New York in 1870. Curiosity, a thirst for adventure (and Luciana’s desire to make Marguerite happy) lead them all the way to Colorado. It’s a tale of two women who’ve found a way to be together and escape the rigid expectations of society, and it’s incredibly sexy. I especially loved the irony of them dressing as men for a night just to enjoy the town's saloon - when in truth, these women possess the most dangerous power of all. There felt like a running metaphor throughout this story somewhere... But my particular highlight was when these vampires play teasing games with each other 🫦👅🔥🌶. I didn’t want it to end. I kept expecting some angst or twist, but it remained a short, joyful celebration of queer vampire love (sorry to the drained men 🤷🏻♀️) and I went back and read it again! Can we please have more with these two characters? 🤞
Story 8 'Mistress' by Amity Malcom
We encounter an anonymous voice at the start of a session with ‘Mistress’ 🔥🌶 and it soon becomes clear that this short story centres on two women exploring BDSM, with a particular focus on wax play. I appreciated how the chapters are thoughtfully organised into ‘The Negotiations’, ‘The Scene’, and ‘Aftercare’. The author demonstrates that scene planning, honest communication, regular check-ins (using the traffic light system), and aftercare are all important and sexy elements of this dynamic, leading to immense pleasure - and even earning a “good girl” 🫦 You’ll likely melt🕯by the way these two women carefully create a space of trust to share pleasure, cultivating a relationship where such intimacy can truly flourish ❤️
Story 9 'Horns of Sugar & Spice' by Skyler Drake
This is officially my first venture into the omegaverse (I’m fairly certain, at least - because I hadn’t heard of the term until I did some research and discovered just how vast and popular it is) and I’m thrilled to have a peek into the genre through this sapphic short story!
The narrative centres on Brielle, the Queen of Thieves, who plots to marry a forest goddess purely to execute her greatest heist. But her clever scheme unravels rather quickly when she meets Fawn - the most stunning goddess she’s ever laid eyes on.In a delightful twist, the thief ends up having her own heart stolen 😉 and finds her fated mate💫 And honestly, how could she not? Fawn is sweet, kind, irresistibly sexy - and she wants to have a baby with her ❤️ Through this story, I was introduced to the genre’s hierarchy, the significance of scents, knotting between women, and the hot and original🌶!
Story 10 'Nested' by Rose Santoriello
This is a very short sapphic love story that follows Dalal's perspective as she journeys with her mum from Scotland to Kuwait to visit family. But the trip takes a sudden - and quite literal - dive 🛬 An unexpected detour lands them in Greece, where Dalal surprisingly feels an immediate sense of belonging. From there, the story takes a fantastical turn as she meets Amalthea, a woman/harpy, and discovers a deeper desire to stay. It's a tale about finding a sense of home (or a nest) in a place you're not expecting it, and about meeting a fated partner along the way ❤️💫Oh, and there's an original take on the mile-high club, too🌶 which was a particular highlight!
Story 11 'Nightshade & Jasmine: A Nouveau Magique Story' by Evangeline Priest
A contemporary fantasy romance set in a magical underworld, this story follows master thief Kaelen (a shadow-walker and panthera shifter) on a mission to steal the Amethyst Grimoire 📚✨️ What begins as a smooth heist quickly spirals into chaos when she’s caught by Arisya, a nightshade mage 🧙♀️
What follows is a snarky reunion between exes who are now seemingly enemies - but can’t resist tossing around pet names like “darling,” whether to mock or seduce, who’s to say? They fight hard and make out harder 💥 Both are undeniably badass and a little bit morally grey, but they soon realise they’re even better when working together ❤️
What starts as a sharp-edged rivalry evolves into a sapphic romance full of passion, tension, and a bit of playful kink - light bondage, high heat, and plenty of pleasure as they have a lot of time to make up for 🔥🌶🍆 In the end, it’s a story that reminds us second chances can lead to the most powerful partnerships❤️
Story 12 'The Guy Sure Looks Like Plant Food To Me' by Santana Knox
The only clues I could find to this story before reading were the title and artwork that was giving 'little shop of horrors' 🪴🩸The story itself has a wickedly sardonic tone as we follow Runa, who, driven by loneliness and a bit of questionable spellcasting, creates Chewie: a massive, sentient Venus flytrap that just keeps craving more meat 🧍♂️🗑Conveniently (or not), Chewie's preferred meals are the awful men Runa comes across - so yes, this plant is absolutely murderous. We should be terrified… but it’s also oddly sweet and fiercely protective 🪴 And what blooms is a story of a fated encounter with Meri, a botanist in search of a job, which soon grows into a love story between two women, full of passion, excellent dirty talk 🔥🌶 and a shared goal of being the best plant parents they can be ❤️
Content considerations: death of parents (historical), gruesome descriptions, un-aliving, maiming, cooking of a human, descriptions of human soup and vile men.