Another Fish in the Sea: A Short Story

by Amy Kelly

"As endearing as it is irrepressible, Amy Kelly’s Another Fish in the Sea is a love story set to the sound track of life. Singing in the shower will never mean quite the same thing to you again." —Jacquelyn Mitchard, author of The Deep End of the Ocean and The Birdwatcher

Dating was survival of the fittest for Marie—until a disastrous blind date ended in a car accident. As she recovers post-surgery, she wonders if it’s the lingering effects of the anesthetic or something more when she hears the voice of a stranger singing along with her behind the curtain in the post-op room. Their brief, strange moment ends as he’s wheeled away—but not before he mentions he’s a chef at Dockside.

Thanks to her friend Janey’s careful orchestrations, Marie soon discovers the man behind the curtain’s name is Jack, and he is, indeed, the Dockside chef. Through texts, she discovers he’s eager to get to know her, but Marie has sworn off first dates—too many heartbreaks and pain, and a broken leg to prove it. Jack hatches a plan to never go on a first date with her at all. Could undating Jack become the relationship Marie has always wanted, or will he be just another fish in the sea?
Additional Praise for Another Fish in the Sea

“Amy Kelly packs a fully realized romance into the small package of Another Fish in the Sea. This fresh and immersive premise unfolds deliciously through Kelly's sparkling prose and sure-footed pacing.” —Andrea Rinard, author of Murmurations

"Another Fish in the Sea is Amy Kelly’s smart, funny, and endearing story of reaching rock-bottom in the search for love and then stumbling upon the jackpot. And when at last the big moment arrives, it is electric—and feels like a dream come true." —Brian Payton, author of The Wind is Not a River
A Note from the
A variation of this story originally appeared in Recipes for Romance, published by And You Press in January 2025. This ebook expands on that story, inviting the reader to see what Marie and Jack got up to after their hilarious post-op meet-cute.

Genres: Romance, Short Stories, Contemporary, Novella

32 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 17, 2025

Reviews

[Jana at ThatArtsyReaderGirl.com · Rating 5 out of 5]

So, SO cute. I LOVED IT. If you're looking for a sweet and swoony little morsel of a book, this is the one for you. You'll be done in 20 minutes or less and you'll be grinning from ear to ear. There's humor, heart, and the swooniest man ever. Marie is super relatable, and Jack is the man we all want to end up with. There's no language, no steam, just some sweet kisses. It's everything I needed and I hope Amy Kelly decides to write more romance (this is her only one so far). She did a lot with 32 little pages, and I really enjoyed myself!

[Jessica Franklin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Short, sweet, and put a smile on my face.

Another Fish in the Sea is thoughtful, sweet, and irresistibly romantic. Marie and Jeff’s unique love story is heartwarming from beginning to end. I can’t wait to read more from Amy Kelly. Five stars!!

[agus ᯓ★ · Rating 4 out of 5]

only 32 pages and I fell in love with Jack

[Olivia Mason · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a cute love story!

[Erica · Rating 4 out of 5]

I give this 4 1/2 Stars!

I want to start by saying I received an ARC of this book. This is clean short story and part of the series Short & Sweet. The main characters are Marie and Jack. They both end up in the hospital on the same night from bad dates. They talk but never meet while in the hospital. Marie is considering giving up on love. Will she give Jack a chance? Will they get the love they both deserve? There were some funny parts in this book that I loved. I loved the dates in this book as they were so unique. I did hesitate in what to classify it as some things mentioned were geared more towards closed door but if you read the book you will understand why I labeled it as clean. This was a very short book (32 pages) so I won’t say anything else. Overall, for a short book I enjoyed it. I do think this story had great potential for a longer book though.

[Kirsty Gudmundsson · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 ⭐️
0 🌶

Meet-Cute
Second Chance At Love
Texting Romance
Cinnamon Roll Hero

After a disastrous date ended in a car accident, Marie finds herself recovering in hospital wondering if it’s the lingering effects of the anesthetic or something more when she hears the voice of a stranger singing along with her behind the curtain in the post-op room. Their brief, strange moment ends as he’s wheeled away—but not before he mentions he’s a chef at Dockside.

Thanks to some meddling by her best friend, Jayney, learns her mystery man is named Jack. Through texts, she discovers he’s eager to get to know her, but Marie has sworn off first dates—too many heartbreaks and pain, and a broken leg to prove it. Jack hatches a plan to never go on a first date with her at all.

This was such a sweet short story with a very swoon-worthy MMC.

[Desi Stowe · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read the short version of this story in Recipes for Romance, a short story anthology published by Nicole Frail Books.

This is an expanded version of that story, though still a short story and perfect to read between longer books.

The FMC Marie has had her share of bad dates (this is rather relatable to any woman who has ever dated, ever). After a particularly bad date, she ends up in hospital after breaking her leg in a car accident. She meets Jack, who duets show tunes with her in their post-surgery drug induced state.

Her friend Janey is an absolute gem and tracks down Jack, cares for her friend both physically and emotionally.

This story is filled with heart-warming moments and relatable humor that will have you rooting for Maire.

[Sharmeen · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a charming little gem of a love story! Short and sweet, yet packed with vivid characters and enough emotional oomph to make my hopelessly romantic heart do a happy dance. It kept me grinning from beginning to end - I loved the unexpected twists. My only criticism is that it's a short story and not a long delicious beach read or rom-com movie script - I definitely want more from this amazing writer! Like a decadent truffle—small, but utterly satisfying. I adored it from start to finish!

[Sandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I haven't read this author before but was impressed how she was able to squeese such a beautiful story in so few pages. I thoroughly enjoyed each and every page. The story had me smiling and left me with a full heart at the end.

[Carol Gadient · Rating 5 out of 5]

So cute!

This was cute and lovely...I was confused for a second because she was supposed to be going on a date and then wakes up in a hospital but the explanation was adorable...her meet cute was adorable...his date idea was PERFECTION and I am jelly!

[Author J.L. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another Fish in the Sea is thoughtful, sweet, and irresistibly romantic. Marie and Jeff’s unique love story is heartwarming from beginning to end. I can’t wait to read more from Amy Kelly. Five stars!!

[Kym · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sweet!

[Meg Williams · Rating 3 out of 5]

Didn’t really enjoy this one.

[Gina 🥰 · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was adorable and sweet! A quick palette cleanser. 🥰

[Diana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very short and sweet story. Absolutely love them together and their dates are adorable.

[Cee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lovely story

What a heartwarming story, well paced and a gorgeous ending! ♥️ I got enough about the characters to enjoy the story without it dragging on too much.

[Samantha · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very cute but very short.

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute short story.

[Cassidy · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best short stories I have read in a long time! It is so cute and has so many cute little details in it. Great quick read.

[Kelly Winfree · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cute

Talk about setting high standards! Jack is an absolutely perfect man who planned the most perfect dates. . . .

[Elizabeth F. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Short sweet romantic story with a happily ever after. Loved it.