Fragments of Tender Hearts: An Anthology of Fantasy Love Stories

by Nastasia Bishop-McHugh, Cat Devlin, Anthony B.T

"Couldn't put it down!"
"Beautifully written."
"Highlighted at least a handful of beautiful quotes in every story."

Fragments of Tender Hearts debuts eleven captivating stories of passion, sacrifice, and destiny, where love is as powerful as it is dangerous. Meet Death and Nature personified, find liberty in defiance, and experience the heartbreak of fate as you explore unforgettable fantasy worlds. Follow dragons, sirens, demons, and fae through the inevitable consequences of love, and the tender hearts who bear the cost.

But beware, gentle reader, for not all love stories have a happy ending.

Genres: Fantasy, Romance, Fiction

323 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 19, 2025

Reviews

[Chasing Silhouettes · Rating 4 out of 5]

"His voice was a spell, full of a dark promise as he said, “I’m not the bargaining kind of faery.” He caught my chin in his fingers, forcing my gaze to his. “I’m the kind who devours you.”" (The Dragon and the Songbird)

Eleven stories from different authors. From dark (adult) fairytales to reminiscing in regret, to curses, gods, elves, and dragons. Magic, fate, fear, longing, demons, horror, sirens, forbidden love, and more... woven through the pages.

An interesting collection, some dark, some spicy, some reflective, some bittersweet.

A few stories that I liked the most: The Dragon and the Songbird, A Fire Rekindled, Bound by Flesh.

“I am more than a siren. I am lust, I am thirst, and I am hunger. I am the creature who deadens men and women. I will no more bow to you than the mountains bow to the sun." (A Fire Rekindled)

".... he intended to ensnare humans deemed unworthy and allow them to be consumed by the darkness...." (Bound by Flesh)

"So I turn and face the darkness, and the fog rushes towards me and surges up like a rogue wave, and I hold out my arms and let it consume me whole." (Echoes of the Lost)

“....We are born of brine, bone, and the souls of women who seek vengeance...." (Song of Brine and Bone)

eARC courtesy of Astronaut Publishing

[Libbies_library · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fragments of Tender Hearts is a collection of 11 fantasy romance short stories. As is often the case with short story collections, especially when each story comes from a different author, it is very much a mixed bag. They also vary wildly in length so we do not get the same taste of each author's prose. My ratings for each individual story is as follows:

💜 The Dragon and the Songbird - 3.5✨
💜 The Stealer of Names Proves Himself to be a Terrible Demigod - 4✨
💜 Death Wears a Feather Cloak - 1.5✨
💜 A Fire Rekindled - 4.5✨
💜 Soulbound - 3✨
💜 Echoes of the Lost - 2✨
💜 Bound by Flesh - 4✨
💜 Song of Brine and Bone - 3✨
💜 Even the Weeds Say Let Her Go - 2✨
💜 The Jersey Devil - 3.5✨
💜 The Are of Summer - 3✨

Average: 3.09/5 rounded down

Thank you to NetGalley and Astronaut Publishing for providing an ARC copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

[Beau · Rating 3 out of 5]

*Thank you to Victory Editing for a complimentary arc of this book. All opinions expressed are my own. *

The 11 short stories within Fragments of Tender Hearts have something for every type of romantasy lover. I found it to be a great palate cleanser between other books, and some of the shorter stories were great company while waiting for my coffee to finish brewing.
As with most short story collections, it is a bit of a mix - and with the variations of proses and themes, there were some I found entertaining and fun, but some I either really struggled to get into and/or finish.

Overall, I would still suggest this to romantasy readers that want to pick up a short story here and there.

[Lamia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Includes two dark and beautiful short stories that will leave you wanting more!

Thank you Astronaut Publishing for an eARC copy.

I only had time to read The Dragon and the Songbird and Song of Brine and Bone so far but I will definitely be reading the rest when I have time. I love anthologies they are little buffets to introduce me to new authors to love!

The Dragon and the Songbird by Cat Devlin
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
🌶️🌶️

“I’m going to claim you in every way that matters.”

A darkly beautiful fairytale retelling with unexpected twists and turns that made me love that much more. If you think you know how it will end, you don't! I wanted at least an epilogue or a few more chapters! I can't wait to read more from Cat Devlin. Her brand of dark fantasy romance is exactly what I love!

🖤🖤🖤🖤

Song of Brine and Bone by Hypatia Rhodes
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
🌶️🌶️🌶️

Men that beautiful should remain clothed for the sake of a person’s sanity.

Hypatia definitely channeled her inner siren and sang her song to suck me in and did not let go as we descended deep into this feminine rage-filled romantasy. The depths of world-building in this short story is that of legends. I am not too proud to say I had to fight the currents trying to surge from my eyes as I read this one. The epilogue should be a case study on how to end a short story. I guess the best are saved for last.


🖤🖤🖤🖤
If you only want to see books I rate 4-stars or higher, get book recommendations or just connect and talk books follow me on Booksta
🖤🖤🖤🖤

[mars ⋆✮˚｡⋆ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Upfront I'll say, I'm usually not big on Romantasy, as I'm just not a great enjoyer of romance in general. I took my time reading this anthology of love, desire and sacrifice, set against the backdrop of fantastical and mystical worlds, or the shadows hidden in ours. I'd say the range of the stories is very broad, reaching from explicit love and greek mythology to demons and the underworld, or tales steeped in folklore.
Personally, I particularly enjoyed "Echoes of the Lost" by Nastasia Bishop-McHugh, "Even the Weeds Say Let Her Go" by Sam Trathen and "The Jersey Devil" by Rae Windsor. Though I've highlighted at least a handful of beautiful quotes in every story, or even bookmarked entire pages that have had me trying not to turn the page too fast because I just couldn't wait to know what happened next.

I loved how there was an entire playlist with a song for every story, since I'm someone who always listens to music while I read, I absolutely adored how each song set the tone of the tale and I could get immersed in its world.

The layout and design of the book (as read on Kindle) is also beautiful, I love it when books are designed accordingly to their content. I can't wait to see what else we'll get to see from Astronaut Publishing in the future, as this is their debut publication.

3.75 stars rounded up (of course!)

Thank you Netgalley and Astronaut Publishing for the e-Arc.

[Dayvn Kai · Rating 3 out of 5]

Firstly, I would like to thank the publisher and NetGalley for an early e-arc of this book! I have decided to rate this book 3 stars. This book is a collection of short stories written by a few different authors. I enjoyed two of the short stories in this book. I thought they were not only written beautifully but the stories actually were really well thought out and not rushed for only being a few chapters. The other ones I didn't enjoy as much. I thought those stories while written beautifully as well were confusing at times and I just found it harder to enjoy them. Overall, great job to all the authors in this book. This was really cool to read. Thank you again to the publisher and NetGalley for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review!

[Mia · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a Collection of short-storys about love in a different kind of way. They are beautiful written with interesting characters.
I enjoyed some of the storys more than others but over all, a interesting fantasy read.

Sometimes you need a complex worldbuilding and sometimes novellas are what you need ;)

A thanks to NetGalley for the ARC

[Karin Ivens · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley & Astronaut Publishing for allowing me to read this ARC collection of short stories.
Like all collections my opinion of each story is mixed, all are well written although a little chaotic for some. I enjoyed some more than others.
The range of stories is different, some are spicy, some fairytale like, some contain mythical creatures and some have a melancholy vibe.
My favourite story although short was A Fire Rekindle by Becca Ryden

[Tasmin Bradshaw · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved the story A fire rekindled by Becca Ryden. I honestly wish there was more of it. and will definitely check out any of her other books.

the other stories were ok. I liked the mix of long and short, and how each story was very different. but nothing stood out as much as the first siren story.

I was gifted this Arc from Netalley for an honest review

[Brandys_bookography · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 ⭐'s rounded up….This has 11 romantasy stories with different stories. They were interesting but I do think I may not be as interested in short stories because they often do not allow for a full development of the story and often feel rushed. I did like that they were all very different and I could take breaks between the stories to read other books and come back to it.

Each story has a unique premise and there were definitely some better than others. I would still recommend others to read it if they are definitely romantasy readers.

Thank you to NetGalley and Astronaut Publishing for providing an advanced copy. All of my opinions are my own.

[Lisa (Queenie) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've not really read many anthologies but I really enjoyed this one and it's made me want to try more.

So many well written and beautifully told stories it flew by!

I think my favourites were Soulbound by Starr Z Davies and The Dragon and the Songbird by Cat Devlin.

There's something for everyone - love, sadness, action, adventure and spice. The playlist for each story was such a good touch!

I've discovered authors I've never heard of before and added their books to my never ending TBR.

This was a fantastic collection of stories!

Thank you to NetGalley and Victory Editing for the arc. This is my own honest review of the book.

[Courtney Fitzgerald · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this! each story was unique in its own way and I loved each story and now have some new authors to enjoy!

[Katie · Rating 3 out of 5]

A massive thank you to NetGalley and Astronaut publishing for this ARC collection of fantasy short stories. This collection would be ideal for fantasy readers who need a palette cleanser from some of the more marathon-length novels/ series available across the genre and are keen for a smorgasbord of more bite-size stories.

This collection gets 3 stars as an average across my ratings for each story.

THE DRAGON AND THE SONGBIRD (a Rapunzel retelling)
Fine idea, poor execution. I struggle with stories where it’s a high stakes “lust at first sight” and the spice is there to tick off a box instead of building tension and easing into the romance. In a short story format, I think this could have been improved if Liora and Morrdryn knew each other beforehand instead of being complete strangers to each other and focused on a reunion of a love that was already there to fuel the passion. Good effort on the twist in this one, unfortunately I was just put off by the romance side of this story. 2 ⭐️

THE STEALER OF NAMES PROVES HIMSELF TO BE A TERRIBLE DEMIGOD (the grim reaper comes to terms with his new role)
This one went right over my head. I am a dumb reader - I don’t want to guess at hidden meanings, I need things laid out on a silver platter for me. I had no idea what was happening. Writing style wasn’t my cup of tea, felt a bit juvenile, and I didn’t understand what was going on, so for me it didn’t hit the mark. 2 ⭐️

DEATH WEARS A FEATHERER CLOAK (a woman by day, tree by night, Lark tries to break her curse)
Again, this has the same problem as the Dragon and the Songbird - the romance feels like it’s been shoved in to tick off a box, rather than feeling natural or like something the reader wants. While the story is generally written well, it’s another damsel in distress tale with a sudden ending and an unexplained plot point (what was the bargain with Death and how did the MMC meet Death?). 2.5 ⭐️

A FIRE REKINDLED (an enslaved siren is saved by a god)
At this point, I’m groaning when I get a couple pages into a story and it’s just more hooking up between two strangers. This is the point where I realised the stories felt like caricatures of stereotypical pornos. 1 ⭐️ because there was absolutely zero substance to this story, and zero delivery on the excitement I had when the blurb noted there was a siren story included. I couldn’t make heads or tails of who the master was or the presence of the god among the rest of the political entourage, so this also lost points for lack of clarity and the introduction of random elements (like the special magic metal) that weren’t explored further.

SOULBOUND (forbidden romance between an elf princess and human commander)
This started out answering all my complaints from the above and then just devolved into another sex scene (albeit, closed door), which really cheapened the story. While the dialogue felt a bit cliche and unnatural, and I think the story would have benefited from another chapter to tie up what happened with the demon battle, it did have a good setup, great pacing and was a clear improvement from other stories in the collection. 3.5 ⭐️

ECHOES OF THE LOST (where the FMC goes through a breakup and makes a deal with the devil)
Fantastic, give me 14 more. This lives up to the blurb of the collection – great setup and references to other well-known works to situate the reader in the world while still hitting the short story format. A good twist and a satisfying ending; I have no notes. Great for fans who enjoyed the setting of Crescent City or the broad strokes of Dante’s Inferno. 4.25 ⭐️

BOUND BY FLESH (a sorcerer falls in love with a woman he finds through a magic mirror)
This feels like it could be a Grimm Brothers story. Appreciated that it was short and punchy. 3.75 ⭐️

SONG OF BRINE AND BONE (a siren and a man who doesn’t drown)
An introduction to the world of tentacle porn. Somehow I didn’t hate it. I’m taking no further questions on why I rated this so high. 4.5 ⭐️

EVEN THE WEEDS SAY LET HER GO (three women found dead and a devil hidden in plain sight)
Short and sweet, with a sapphic element. Although I did find this to be another example of a story that missed the mark of the difference between romance and sex for the sake of it – as with almost every story in this collection, I don’t understand what the sex added to it. 3.5 ⭐️

THE ARE OF SUMMER (where air falls in love with summer and wants to prevent the passing of the seasons)
A longer story which felt a little like Hades and the abduction of Persephone and the impact it had on the seasons. I really liked this, but once again felt the scene involving sex was entirely unnecessary. 4 ⭐️

[NamReadz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fragments of Tender Hearts is a collection of eleven short stories from various authors depicting, love, grief, mythology in their own ways. Most chapters were relatively short and easy to follow. You can spend a small portion of your afternoon reading one short story a day I heavily enjoyed the idea of being able to take my time to digest every story. My favourite was "A Fire Rekindled" - Becca Ryden. Some stories contained more gore or spice than others so that's something to keep in mind. I personally adore anthologies so I had a blast reading through this collection. Here are my individual ratings for each story:


- THE DRAGON AND THE SONGBIRD: 4 stars

- THE STEALER OF NAMES PROVES HIMSELF TO BE A TERRIBLE DEMIGOD: 4 stars

- DEATH WEARS A FEATHERED CLOAK: 3 stars

- A FIRE REKINDLED: 4.5 stars

- SOULBOUND: 4 stars

- ECHOES OF THE LOST: 3 stars

- BOUND BY FLESH: 4 stars

- SONG OF BRINE AND BONE: 3.5 stars

- EVEN THE WEEDS SAY LET HER GO: 3 stars

- THE JERSEY DEVIL: 3.5 stars

- THE ARE OF SUMMER: 3 stars

Overall I give this anthology 4 stars, really enjoyed it. Some stories I felt were a bit rushed, I understand that they are short stories but I believe that many of these could have had 3 more chapters or so for more even pacing. Great read!

Thank you to NetGalley for giving me an ARC of this book

[MrsEnginerd · Rating 4 out of 5]

Solid 4.25 Stars, well worth the discovery and effort.

I paid for this book during the Emerald City Comic Con and got on of the stories signed by the author. The mix of stories called my attention, and since I am not a true fantasy fan, decided to give it a go based on the fact that the authors all seemed to be female.

The spicy rating was true to its word; sadly there were no 5 spices stories in the mix, and the one rated as a four delivered. The British style of some stories and the plethora of strong and rich female characters gave me something to treasure in a genre that is gaining popularity because of the sexy scenes AND world building. Each story gave me a reason to love the genre a bit more, and the twists were satisfying - even if some were predictable.

Lovely gift for the romantasy fans in your life, the teenagers that may be looking for a read that is interesting and not vanilla, and for those interested in short bursts of lust, seduction and redemption. There's a story for everyone!

Enjoy!

[Anastey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you Netgalley and Astronaut Publishing for sending me this advance review copy for free. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This was a pretty good mix of short stories. I love books like this because it gives me a taste of authors I might not have seen before.

I enjoyed most of the 11 stories in this book. As always there are some that are better than others, but that is fairly normal with an anthology. Everyone has different tastes. There weren't any that I felt like I wanted to skip. None of them stood out to me as being unforgettable either though.

This is one of those books that would be great for traveling. Nice quick reads you can pick up and put down as needed, and that don't take a ton of concentration to enjoy.

Overall it is a good mix of stories and authors, and I enjoyed it.

[stephanie cox · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fragments of Tender Hearts: An Anthology of Fantasy Love Stories is a beautifully written collection that explores love in many forms—passionate, tragic, and transformative. Across eleven stories, readers encounter dragons, sirens, demons, and fae, each tale offering a unique perspective on the cost and power of love.

The writing is consistently strong, with vivid imagery and imaginative worlds that make each story feel distinct. The characters are intriguing and often emotionally resonant, even within the shorter format.

As with most anthologies, some stories stand out more than others, but the collection as a whole remains engaging. The variety in tone and theme keeps things fresh, making it an interesting and worthwhile fantasy read.

[Megan O'Brien · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting mix of romantasy short stories - this anthology truly has everything!! Horror. Greek myths. Every possible type of magical being. A gargoyle named Angela. Happy endings. Sad endings. Love. Hate. And overall - great stories!

Thanks so much to the authors, the new Astronaut Publishing house, and NetGalley for a chance to read in exchange for an honest review.

[Holli Mattox · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was my first series of short stories and I really enjoyed them. I loved that there were so many romantasy stories with so many different writing styles. Of course, some were better than others, but overall they were great!

[Sophie_Faith GlowUp · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fragments of Tender Hearts has 11 short stories with a fantasy theme and we had dragons, demons and sirens and more.

I wanted so much to love this and some of the stories I really got into and absolutely loved and then some I just didn't really enjoy - how it often is for an anthology.

However, I would really recommend this. With the stories all having different authors and different themes, I think you'd be really unlucky if there weren't any stories you didn't like. Well written, and just something a bit different.

[Addled Rabbit]

This book is a series of short stories all based around matters of the heart. Some of the stories are extremely short, others are several chapters long (although the chapters themselves aren't long even in that case). Some stories are much spicier than others, some are more melancholy. Some are very fairytale vibe and others a little less. All in all there really is a little (or a lot) of something for everyone. While I did enjoy some stories far more than others there weren't any bad stories.

A fun little extra, which might be a leftover from my fanfiction days, but I really liked the playlist the book had for the stories. It was a fun extra bit to listen to it while reading the stories.

Thank you to Netgalley and Astronaut Publishing for the ARC copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Pà · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5
It was a collection of short stories, and like always with these kinds of books, I liked some more than others. The styles were very different, which I actually enjoyed, it kept things interesting. Some stories felt more emotional, some more magical, and a few had a darker or more spicy tone.
I liked how each author brought their own vibe. I also liked that I could take breaks between stories and didn’t have to rush. It made the whole experience feel relaxed. It wasn’t perfect, and not every story hit the same, but as a whole, I was glad I read it. Thank you so much to the author and Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read the book in advance, I received this for free and I'm leaving a honest review

[PrettyPhantastic · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 Stars

First I would like to thank NetGalley for giving me an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I liked the addition of the playlist. I listened to it while reading the book, and felt that it was a nice touch that created the perfect vibe and ambience for each short story.

The Dragon and the Songbird
This story wasn’t for me. At times the descriptive writing was pretty good, but the dialogue between the characters did not feel real, and it relied on too many one-liner mmc lines whose purpose is to make everyone swoon. It had the bare bones of an enemies to lovers romantasy novel, but in short story form the elements that makes those stories work are so distilled here that it didn’t work. It felt rushed, the world building was limited, and resolution came too quick and continently, the romance was not believable at all, and the explicit intimate scene felt really unnecessary to the story. She’s running for her life trying to escape and then they suddenly have an insta-lust connection that they act on right away is ridiculous. The concept was interesting but the execution just didn’t land. The short story format just doesn’t work for this plotline.

The Stealer of Names Proves Himself to be a Terrible Demigod
This second story was more interesting and I was definitely intrigued but the magic and the decision MC had to make. It still felt too short to be fully fledged out but it was still beautifully written. I did feel the emotional turmoil in the decision that was made. I wish it was longer but this one was enjoyable.

Death Wears a Feathered Clock
This one was also disappointing. There’s so much internal musings that we don’t actually get much development between the two characters. The timeline was write, it felt rushed, and the romance was not believable or fleshed out. It didn’t make sense to me and their instant connection didn’t really make sense. They met once as a bird and a tree and they didn’t talk but fell in love? At most it’s an escape from a lonely existence but this story just wasn’t for me.

A Fire Rekindled
Um I don’t know how to feel. In such a short story it dealt with heavy topics, and I found the story to be compelling with her finding her power after being enslaved and abused. I just didn’t like how the power imbalance played out with the supposed romance of the siren and the god. It also was really rushed as well. I’m glad the god fought back against injustice but at the same time the line about how he would leave her to still be enslaved if she didn’t fight back and defy her “master” was icky. This one was a bit better than the other ones I’ve read.

Soulbound
The world-building and establishment of characters was far better in this story. I understood the characters and the world more easily. I liked this one. Nothing too different or innovative about soulmates and forbidden love but it was enjoyable.

Echoes of the Lost
Choosing to make the main couple have an obsessive toxic love was definitely a choice. The FMC broke up with him because she knew their relationship was chaos yet she is still so in love with him she wants to save him and put herself in danger?? The romance that’s supposed to be the backbone of this story was not working for me. She’s fighting so hard for a love that she knows is toxic for her so I’m not rooting for the couple and I don’t want them to end up together. If the couple was given a better backstory this story would’ve been so much more compelling. I didn’t like this one. The writing was good but I don’t like the storytelling choices of promoting toxic relationships.

Bound by Flesh
This story is about a guy who stalks a woman by watching her in a mirror and then takes revenge on her when she moves on from him?? The writing had a lot of telling rather than showing since I think the story is told from a named third person’s perspective reporting on Bael, which made it seem rushed and clunky. Since it was so short i don’t think I really got to connect with the characters, but I honestly didn’t want to because this story was just about the creation of evil.

Song of Brine and Bone
The tentacle sex bordering on rape came out of nowhere. I actually liked the message of this story a lot more than the others. The explicit scenes were a bit much and the love was so rushed in the timeline of the story that it seems far fetched that they both would care so much in so little time. But the ending was sweet and this one was more enjoyable as a whole than other stories in this book.

Even the Weeds Say Let Her Go
This one was confusing. The world building was weak and I didn’t really grasp what was going on until the second to last chapter. And I didn’t really like the up in the air ending.

The Jersey Devil
I actually liked this one. It painted a picture of the world and dealt with topics that are still relevant today. We love to support women’s rights and wrongs.

The Are of Summer
I really liked the concept of this story and the writing was good. I didn’t really like the ending because I felt this story couldn’t make up its mind about what it was. Is it a story about how selfishness can bring destruction - but then erasing the memories of the mistake prevents you from learning to not repeat things. Or is it just about the inevitability of time and nature to run its cyclical course? If it’s the latter I feel like it falls a bit flat. Nonetheless it was enjoyable and easy to read through.

[reader · Rating 4 out of 5]

1 story.
The way she wanted to kiss the guy was a little weird, not explained. She just liked that he was powerful and bad? He said her name and she asked ‘do you learn the names of all your victims’ after he just SAVED her from drowning. It felt like a weird wattpad story.
The whole smutty scene was a little wattpad-like too, but it wasn’t too bad.
3/5

2 story. I read the first two pages on kindle and there was a lot of ‘but’,
Very big paragraphs with a lot of info dump throughout the whole story that would better be made into smaller ones.
At the beginning it says that the first son of the first son is a stealer, but later in the story there is inner monologue that it wouldn’t skip over him and choose his sister. It can’t choose his sister because it should be a son? Why was that ‘sister’ reference even necessary if it is impossible for other reasons? Or did I miss something?
Also, I somehow thought that the person the narrator refers as ‘you’ was dead, but at the end it says that they’ll come to bed later to ‘you’. I don’t know if it was me or the story itself that made me think that an not really understand it.
4/5

3 story. She is a tree in love with a bird?
The story itself was very different from everything I have ever read before, but it was interesting and read fast. I liked it.
It was a little not clear why he was death and how the curses exactly came to be and how exactly they were broken. Everything else I really liked.
5/5

4 story. Why did the god want her? Why did he kiss her? It was a good story, it read fast and well. There could be more reasoning for the things that were happening.
3/5

5 story. This was a short and cute story, reminding me of Romeo and Juliet, only with a good ending. I liked it. It was good and had everything it needed.
4/5

6 story. I read the words ‘first true love’ and they feel wrong. Maybe it would be better to write ‘first love’? True love is the one and only, no? Its somewhere in chapter 3. The whole story was interesting, easy to read. I liked it.
4/5

7 story. It would be interesting if the stories intertwined a little. For example the mirror from this one could be briefly mentioned in another story, so that the reader could remember how it came to be. It was an interesesting and very short story, maybe a little too short.
4/5

8 story. I like the inspiration from Greek mythology. The romance felt rushed and not developed.
4/5

9 story. It was very not clear what exactly was the Bonnie hunting lad and the Boru and what was happening in her head. It would have been better if it was explained more and maybe more context added to the story. But overall, I liked it, it was a very interesting concept.
3/5

10 story. A big yes to making stupid men pay and women win.
5/5

11 story. I really liked this story. The concept was very unique and very interesting.
5/5

[Joani · Rating 5 out of 5]

This review is for Song of Brine and Bone and The Dragon and the Songbird

**I'll edit my review as I read through the rest of the books and include reviews for more of the stories included!

Song of Brine and Bone by Hypatia Rhodes

Hypatia has an incredible way of writing strong female roles that somehow help heal a few more of the small broken bits of my younger self that I have tried to bury and forget about for too long. Every time I read Hypatia's work, a bit of my younger self is healed. Me and her characters are forever trauma bonded over.

The characters, action, emotion and trauma that is packed into just a few chapters in magical!
This is my plea for more from this world and more from these characters! I could not put it down, straight up devoured this story like a book gremlin and fell in love with the characters!
If you read this and loved Hypatia's story be sure to check out her other books, novellas and anthology stories!

The Dragon and the Songbird by Cat Devlin

This story was the perfect piece to leave me begging for more! Perfect for fans of Romantasy, Dragons and Spice!
This Rapunzel retelling is absolutely one of my favorites! I am begging the author for more from this story and these characters! The Author really set an incredible stage (and unique lore tied in) for a much larger story later on and I ate this one up!!

The potential for great danger but still giving in to your desires anyways, gahhh it was PEREFECT and I will die on this hill!! Morrdryn and Liora are incredible characters and I am so excited (and hoping) the author gives us more of them!
I loved the eerie sea vibe with pirates, bones, and the description of the tower and cave. It was like Pirates if the Caribbean meets Rapunzel but add a sexy Dragon Shifter and a dash of spice!
Honestly the spice was the cherry on top of already incredible story and was so well done.

I was so sad when I turned the page only to see it was over. This is such a great addition to this anthology and I am beyond excited too see what Cat brings readers next! This story made me an immediate fan of hers and I am excited to follow her author journey afterwards!

[Erin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for a free ARC in exchange for a review!

This is the first book from a brand new publishing house, and it's a collection of short fantasy stories. Obviously, with any short story collection, especially from different authors, the quality does vary.

In my opinion, the first story is the strongest. It's a straightforward but fun Rapunzel plus Dragon retelling. The Jersey Devil story was also really enjoyable with some gay feminine rage. A Fire Rekindled was okay, and I also didn't mind Even the Weeds.

However, my main issues were that these were not short stories. Most of them were insanely condensed novels, and even had chapters, which just didn't work for me. The structures didn't make sense with the lengths and meant that the stories often came off as rushed and even confusing.

Don't get me wrong, most of the stories had very interesting concepts or characters but we're really let down by the format. I wish they had taken maybe three stories and tripled their length, or even just expanded them into at least novellas. I'll keep my eye out for the publishers' next work but you can probably give this collection a miss.

Two and a half stars rounded up to three for Goodreads.

[Kamiye · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 rounded 4

This type of book is always incredibly hard to rate because the stories are different, the styles are different. I like some more than others.

Overall, the book was quite enjoyable. I would recommend it for readers who enjoy fantasy but might not want to commit to a long series or a long book. This way, you get several stories to read and enjoy. Some are happier than others.

Remember to read the trigger warnings; some stories might not be to your taste.

Thank you to Astronaut Publishing for the e-copy. I remember applying for this book very early on, when I started reviewing books this year, so thank you for your trust. This review is my own, and I'm leaving it voluntarily.

[Maddie · Rating 1 out of 5]

First I want to thank NetGalley and Astronaut Publishing for this E-ARC. Fragments of Tender Hearts is a collection of short stories from various different authors. I am very happy I got to opportunity to read and review this. I went into this not knowing what to expect and sadly, I ended up not finishing this book at about 50% through. Some of the short stories were really interesting and fun, however others I found to be a little confusing and clunky. I wish we got more of “A Fire Rekindled” sad to see that it was only one chapter as I found that to be the story I enjoyed the most. I would definitely read more from these Authors.

[soph · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5!

this was a collection of short stories about love and loss in many different ways—beautifully written and very atmospheric but i’d recommend checking the trigger warnings beforehand. some were a bit confusing or felt a little rushed due to their length. still i really enjoyed it overall, some stories more than others, but it made for a nice and quick read

thank you to netgalley and the publisher for this ARC — opinions expressed in this review are my own.

[Amelia Muttock · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 ⭐️

I think this is a great book to read to get a taste for the different types of writing for each of the authors. However, I do feel that some of the short stories were better than others but there were a majority that had me very confused and having to re-read multiple chapters due to random things being thrown in there.