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It's a Queer, Queer Summer
297 pages, Hardcover
Published January 1, 2025
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
August 22, 2026
Avg. rating of the 12 short stories: 3.25 stars
September 1, 2025
2.5 rounded up
I hate to give this such a low rating because I love Rainbow Crate and everything they stand for, and I love that they're publishing anthologies! The cover art, endpages, and sprayed edges are all absolutely beautiful and inviting. But several of the stories in this one are just... not well-written. It feels like many of the authors have only ever written novels and don't know how to tell a short story that is paced appropriately and feels complete. It also feels like a few of the authors were given the theme "summer" and dug up something they had already written where it just happened to be summer, instead of writing with the theme in mind (I have no idea how these were curated or whether or not this is actually the case, so I'm not trying to make any claims here, but this is how it feels to read).
The summer theme, the cover and endpage design had me expecting light, breezy summer romances, but many of these are actually quite depressing in tone. I'm not against that, but I do think the marketing of this book does not match what's inside, and I wish I knew that before diving in since I was hoping for something light and fun. There are content warnings before each story, but that doesn't always indicate tone.
Disregarding whether or not I think they fit the theme, these ones are my favorites due to them being interesting and having impressive character development within so few pages:
-Where the Water Held You by Simon Doyle
-Ghosts of Summer by S.E. Gallant
-Game, Set, Matched by M.A. Grant
-Oasis by Deanna Grey
-It's the Endo the World by Rosiee Thor
-Tung Tree & Porcelain Jade: A Diorama by Addie Tsai
I'll still read Rainbow Crate's anthologies despite not loving this one, as I want to continue supporting their work, and I think anthologies are a fantastic way to discover new authors (and also figure out who might not work for you).
I hate to give this such a low rating because I love Rainbow Crate and everything they stand for, and I love that they're publishing anthologies! The cover art, endpages, and sprayed edges are all absolutely beautiful and inviting. But several of the stories in this one are just... not well-written. It feels like many of the authors have only ever written novels and don't know how to tell a short story that is paced appropriately and feels complete. It also feels like a few of the authors were given the theme "summer" and dug up something they had already written where it just happened to be summer, instead of writing with the theme in mind (I have no idea how these were curated or whether or not this is actually the case, so I'm not trying to make any claims here, but this is how it feels to read).
The summer theme, the cover and endpage design had me expecting light, breezy summer romances, but many of these are actually quite depressing in tone. I'm not against that, but I do think the marketing of this book does not match what's inside, and I wish I knew that before diving in since I was hoping for something light and fun. There are content warnings before each story, but that doesn't always indicate tone.
Disregarding whether or not I think they fit the theme, these ones are my favorites due to them being interesting and having impressive character development within so few pages:
-Where the Water Held You by Simon Doyle
-Ghosts of Summer by S.E. Gallant
-Game, Set, Matched by M.A. Grant
-Oasis by Deanna Grey
-It's the Endo the World by Rosiee Thor
-Tung Tree & Porcelain Jade: A Diorama by Addie Tsai
I'll still read Rainbow Crate's anthologies despite not loving this one, as I want to continue supporting their work, and I think anthologies are a fantastic way to discover new authors (and also figure out who might not work for you).
December 15, 2025
I’ll read anything Deanna Grey Writes!!
July 29, 2025
a fun mix of short stories from all genres with all sorts of rep and endings. lighthearted and low stakes, it was a relaxing porch read for summer evenings.
July 8, 2026
Overall, I liked most of the stories in this Anthology. Some were not exactly my taste. I will try to add a brief note to each story. I should also preface this by saying that this is my first anthology read; I am not very familiar with short stories.
Lover: A History by Ashley Davis --> A lot of info-dumping, not much plot, x4 Fast-forwarded Hallmark plot with queer main character. Felt like a lot of backstory for the main character, and the "romance" was an afterthought. More explaining of Delilah's mental state, and I am even more confused because the title page claims this is a bisexual male lead, but it's all about Delilah, using she/her pronouns, so where is the male lead? This story almost made me put the book down instantly.
Where the Water Held You by Simon Doyle --> A story of friendship, growing feelings, and a hard goodbye. Short and sweet, I enjoyed it.
Hating Her Eden Emory --> This started so cute and, at the last second, became a potential dark romance that I need a whole book for. I have to check out this author and see if this short story is, in fact, an introduction to characters who appear in a full-length novel. I NEED MORE
Ghosts of the Summer - S.E. Gallant. This story was not exactly my cup of tea. It is a slow, gentle read, which is in no way a bad thing, just not the type of story I prefer. It was cute back-and-forth communication with a supposed ghost; the second character's true nature is more ambiguous, but the title mentions ghosts.
Game, Set, Matched by M.A. Grant — absolutely loved this one; right up my alley for sure. I liked that, even though it was a short story, we got a full story with the characters following them for years. This was done well.
Oasis by Deanna Grey, you know my girl knows how to write Sapphic stories; never disappoints. I really need to read her backlog. 😩
Of Moons and Sun Kisses by River Hale - it was a fine sci-fi-ish story where a girl ends up creating a separate digital universe to run away to escape depression. Not bad, just bland for my tastes. More of a stream of consciousness.
First Communion by Craig Montgomery - total Lord Eternal Night by Ben Anderson vibes, so I really enjoyed it.
It's the Endo the world by Rosiee Thor- it's fine as a short story, doesn't leave me wanting to read more that much.
Tung Tree & Porcelain Jade: A Diorama by Addie Tsai - bit of a haunting tale, written well, somewhat magical; comes across like a mythical legend. I liked this; it's a bit hard to explain its vibe, but it brought to mind elements of several other books I enjoyed, making it an enjoyable experience.
Catch Me by Sunset by Ali Williams --> The element of them being like superior beings seems unnecessary to the plot; also, as much as I like the chemistry between the characters, it feels rushed. Almost insta lust/love, whatever it is. I am not within the SubDom community to know if interactions are quite like this, but it's a bit hard for me to believe the instant "You let's go play in the woods" 2 minutes after meeting and dropping all this information on her about Gods and other beings.
Adrift by T.N. Wren--> At first I was a bit unsure about this story because it was again just a stream of consciousness about the character's mental health and social struggles. It just wasn't feeling like a story at first. But as we got into his journey underwater, I was able to connect more. So I did enjoy it in the end; there is something so healing about exploring underwater, and this character's interaction with a new creature went even further to help in how he sees himself. In the early stages of one's transition, I can assume there is that feeling of being in limbo: you are on a journey into becoming yourself but also letting go of who you were and not being where you want to be in your identity yet. This is a sweet story of a trans man getting a new perspective of himself and his presentation through the eyes of someone outside of the social norms/ standards he is usually surrounded by.
Lover: A History by Ashley Davis --> A lot of info-dumping, not much plot, x4 Fast-forwarded Hallmark plot with queer main character. Felt like a lot of backstory for the main character, and the "romance" was an afterthought. More explaining of Delilah's mental state, and I am even more confused because the title page claims this is a bisexual male lead, but it's all about Delilah, using she/her pronouns, so where is the male lead? This story almost made me put the book down instantly.
Where the Water Held You by Simon Doyle --> A story of friendship, growing feelings, and a hard goodbye. Short and sweet, I enjoyed it.
Hating Her Eden Emory --> This started so cute and, at the last second, became a potential dark romance that I need a whole book for. I have to check out this author and see if this short story is, in fact, an introduction to characters who appear in a full-length novel. I NEED MORE
Ghosts of the Summer - S.E. Gallant. This story was not exactly my cup of tea. It is a slow, gentle read, which is in no way a bad thing, just not the type of story I prefer. It was cute back-and-forth communication with a supposed ghost; the second character's true nature is more ambiguous, but the title mentions ghosts.
Game, Set, Matched by M.A. Grant — absolutely loved this one; right up my alley for sure. I liked that, even though it was a short story, we got a full story with the characters following them for years. This was done well.
Oasis by Deanna Grey, you know my girl knows how to write Sapphic stories; never disappoints. I really need to read her backlog. 😩
Of Moons and Sun Kisses by River Hale - it was a fine sci-fi-ish story where a girl ends up creating a separate digital universe to run away to escape depression. Not bad, just bland for my tastes. More of a stream of consciousness.
First Communion by Craig Montgomery - total Lord Eternal Night by Ben Anderson vibes, so I really enjoyed it.
It's the Endo the world by Rosiee Thor- it's fine as a short story, doesn't leave me wanting to read more that much.
Tung Tree & Porcelain Jade: A Diorama by Addie Tsai - bit of a haunting tale, written well, somewhat magical; comes across like a mythical legend. I liked this; it's a bit hard to explain its vibe, but it brought to mind elements of several other books I enjoyed, making it an enjoyable experience.
Catch Me by Sunset by Ali Williams --> The element of them being like superior beings seems unnecessary to the plot; also, as much as I like the chemistry between the characters, it feels rushed. Almost insta lust/love, whatever it is. I am not within the SubDom community to know if interactions are quite like this, but it's a bit hard for me to believe the instant "You let's go play in the woods" 2 minutes after meeting and dropping all this information on her about Gods and other beings.
Adrift by T.N. Wren--> At first I was a bit unsure about this story because it was again just a stream of consciousness about the character's mental health and social struggles. It just wasn't feeling like a story at first. But as we got into his journey underwater, I was able to connect more. So I did enjoy it in the end; there is something so healing about exploring underwater, and this character's interaction with a new creature went even further to help in how he sees himself. In the early stages of one's transition, I can assume there is that feeling of being in limbo: you are on a journey into becoming yourself but also letting go of who you were and not being where you want to be in your identity yet. This is a sweet story of a trans man getting a new perspective of himself and his presentation through the eyes of someone outside of the social norms/ standards he is usually surrounded by.
August 15, 2025
It’s a Queer, Queer Summer is the second anthology produced by RainbowCrate, this time summer-themed, that collects 12 queer short stories ranging from 15-30 pages each. This was a bit of a mixed bag as I was expecting it to be brighter and more fun given the theme.
Mini reviews of each short story:
Lover, A History is a confusing and quite messy small town romance about a bisexual baker still grieving her brother with scattered flow and too many named but poorly introduced characters. 2.5⭐️
Where the Water Held You is a bittersweet YA story of two teenage boys, their four summers as best friends, and their last meeting before one moves away, delivered with the perfect melancholic tone and immaculate understated storytelling. 5⭐️
Hating Her is a short dark sapphic story about two young women—the bully and her victim—confessing their mutual crushes right before one leaves for college that is well written but unremarkable and comes with an unnecessary twist ending. 3⭐️
Ghosts of Summer is an eerie story about a nonbinary author that rents a cabin in the woods for the summer which may be haunted as they exchange notes with an unknown being that I found to be slow, kind of boring honestly, and left me with more questions than answers. 3.5⭐️
Game, Set, Matched is an MM sports romance about two rival tennis players that perfectly channeled Heated Rivalry (just without the spice) plus a little bit of Challengers. 5⭐️
Oasis is a spicy sapphic romance about two black women that bond over their music careers and bud a romance at the start of a kid-free summer. 4⭐️
Of Moons and Sun Kisses is a sad sapphic story about a woman who abandons real life for the virtual world she created. 3.5⭐️
Holy Communion is a sensual MM vampire romance between a freshly turned vampire and his sire with a writing style that feels a bit off. 3.5⭐️
It’s the Endo the World is a contemporary post-zombie apocalypse story about an enby recovering from endometriosis surgery on their birthday that was quite nice but with a lot going on. 4⭐️
Ting Tree & Porcelain Jade: A Diorama is a contemporary fable about biracial twin girls turning into something objects that was unsettling and with a deeper meaning that probably went over my head. 3.5⭐️
Catch Me by Sunset is a sapphic fae romance with BDSM elements that fails really connect. 3⭐️
Adrift is a paranormal story about a lonely asexual trans man finding a connection with an unexpected creature that was achingly beautiful and bittersweet if a bit overwritten. 4.5⭐️
Mini reviews of each short story:
Lover, A History is a confusing and quite messy small town romance about a bisexual baker still grieving her brother with scattered flow and too many named but poorly introduced characters. 2.5⭐️
Where the Water Held You is a bittersweet YA story of two teenage boys, their four summers as best friends, and their last meeting before one moves away, delivered with the perfect melancholic tone and immaculate understated storytelling. 5⭐️
Hating Her is a short dark sapphic story about two young women—the bully and her victim—confessing their mutual crushes right before one leaves for college that is well written but unremarkable and comes with an unnecessary twist ending. 3⭐️
Ghosts of Summer is an eerie story about a nonbinary author that rents a cabin in the woods for the summer which may be haunted as they exchange notes with an unknown being that I found to be slow, kind of boring honestly, and left me with more questions than answers. 3.5⭐️
Game, Set, Matched is an MM sports romance about two rival tennis players that perfectly channeled Heated Rivalry (just without the spice) plus a little bit of Challengers. 5⭐️
Oasis is a spicy sapphic romance about two black women that bond over their music careers and bud a romance at the start of a kid-free summer. 4⭐️
Of Moons and Sun Kisses is a sad sapphic story about a woman who abandons real life for the virtual world she created. 3.5⭐️
Holy Communion is a sensual MM vampire romance between a freshly turned vampire and his sire with a writing style that feels a bit off. 3.5⭐️
It’s the Endo the World is a contemporary post-zombie apocalypse story about an enby recovering from endometriosis surgery on their birthday that was quite nice but with a lot going on. 4⭐️
Ting Tree & Porcelain Jade: A Diorama is a contemporary fable about biracial twin girls turning into something objects that was unsettling and with a deeper meaning that probably went over my head. 3.5⭐️
Catch Me by Sunset is a sapphic fae romance with BDSM elements that fails really connect. 3⭐️
Adrift is a paranormal story about a lonely asexual trans man finding a connection with an unexpected creature that was achingly beautiful and bittersweet if a bit overwritten. 4.5⭐️
November 7, 2025
Overall Rating- 3.54 ⭐️
I liked this collection as a whole. It had some great stories featuring different queer identities. It wasn’t exactly what I expected based on the summer theme and cover. I was expecting light and fun romance stories. I did still enjoy a good portion of the stories.
Lover, A History by Ashley Davis- 2 ⭐️
My least favorite of the collection. I was bored and didn’t feel like we got to know enough about the characters.
Where the Water Held You by Simon Doyle- 4.5 ⭐️
I really enjoyed this story! It was a little sad and bittersweet but had really sweet moments.
Hating Her by Eden Emory- 3.5 ⭐️
Intriguing but too short. I liked it but wish it was just a little bit longer. It felt like a teaser more than a short story.
Ghosts of Summer by S.E. Gallant- 4.5 ⭐️
I really liked this one! It was more of a quiet and cozy read than I was expecting.
Game, Set, Matched by M.A. Grant- 4 ⭐️
I know nothing about Tennis but I liked the story. It was interesting seeing the characters through snippets over the years
Oasis by Deanna Grey- 3 ⭐️
It was okay but the relationship was a little too quick for me. It was cute and the characters were interesting.
Of Moon and Sun Kisses by River Hale- 3 ⭐️
Hmm I’m not sure how I feel about this one. It was sad. I would’ve liked to see more of Nora and Cameron’s relationship. I think it would’ve made the ending make more sense.
First Communion by Craig Montgomery- 3.5 ⭐️
I liked this one but there was something about it that didn’t connect. I’m not sure if it was the writing, characters, or the world but I wasn’t as entertained/intrigued as I would’ve liked.
It’s the Endo the World by Rosiee Thor- 4 ⭐️
Tung Tree & Porcelain Jade: A Diorama by Addie Tsai- 3 ⭐️
I liked the writing but was confused. I feel like there was a deeper meaning that I didn’t understand.
Catch Me by Sunset by Ali Williams- 4 ⭐️
This was a fun story! I liked the paranormal and kinky elements.
Adrift by T.N. Wren- 3.5 ⭐️
This was sweet and a little sad. Noah was a very relatable character for me. The relationship between him and Heli was sweet.
I liked this collection as a whole. It had some great stories featuring different queer identities. It wasn’t exactly what I expected based on the summer theme and cover. I was expecting light and fun romance stories. I did still enjoy a good portion of the stories.
Lover, A History by Ashley Davis- 2 ⭐️
My least favorite of the collection. I was bored and didn’t feel like we got to know enough about the characters.
Where the Water Held You by Simon Doyle- 4.5 ⭐️
I really enjoyed this story! It was a little sad and bittersweet but had really sweet moments.
Hating Her by Eden Emory- 3.5 ⭐️
Intriguing but too short. I liked it but wish it was just a little bit longer. It felt like a teaser more than a short story.
Ghosts of Summer by S.E. Gallant- 4.5 ⭐️
I really liked this one! It was more of a quiet and cozy read than I was expecting.
Game, Set, Matched by M.A. Grant- 4 ⭐️
I know nothing about Tennis but I liked the story. It was interesting seeing the characters through snippets over the years
Oasis by Deanna Grey- 3 ⭐️
It was okay but the relationship was a little too quick for me. It was cute and the characters were interesting.
Of Moon and Sun Kisses by River Hale- 3 ⭐️
Hmm I’m not sure how I feel about this one. It was sad. I would’ve liked to see more of Nora and Cameron’s relationship. I think it would’ve made the ending make more sense.
First Communion by Craig Montgomery- 3.5 ⭐️
I liked this one but there was something about it that didn’t connect. I’m not sure if it was the writing, characters, or the world but I wasn’t as entertained/intrigued as I would’ve liked.
It’s the Endo the World by Rosiee Thor- 4 ⭐️
Tung Tree & Porcelain Jade: A Diorama by Addie Tsai- 3 ⭐️
I liked the writing but was confused. I feel like there was a deeper meaning that I didn’t understand.
Catch Me by Sunset by Ali Williams- 4 ⭐️
This was a fun story! I liked the paranormal and kinky elements.
Adrift by T.N. Wren- 3.5 ⭐️
This was sweet and a little sad. Noah was a very relatable character for me. The relationship between him and Heli was sweet.
November 9, 2025
Rainbow Book Box edition
A collection of short stories - which I find frustrating as they give just a taste of a storyline and leave you wanting more!
A collection of short stories - which I find frustrating as they give just a taste of a storyline and leave you wanting more!
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