Being Aro: A Collection of Aromantic Fiction about Love, Connection, and Empowerment

by Madeline Dyer, Rosiee Thor

Explore expansive aromantic love and connection in stories across genres

These twelve stories showcase aromantic people breaking generational curses, finding acceptance, and protecting the vulnerable while highlighting the infinite ways people find connection and love without romance.

A high school matchmaker learns a lesson about love. A rebellious spaceship pilot defies his culture’s compulsory coupling. A boy magically transforms banned romance novels into living dragons. A teen immune to romance, and the zombie virus, fights to survive the apocalypse. Being Aro is full of stories throughout real and imagined worlds that cross genres and disrupt the status quo.

Genres: Queer, Young Adult, Anthologies, Short Stories, LGBT, Contemporary, Fantasy

304 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 26, 2026

About the author

Madeline Dyer is a Lambda Literary Award finalist. A novelist, poet, and anthologist, she is drawn to all things dark, spooky, and scary.

Reviews

[fede · Rating 3 out of 5]

I started reading this anthology with high expectations since this was one of my most anticipated reads of the year. The idea behind the collection is beautiful: showing that there isn't just one way to be aromantic, but endless - I really liked that. Sadly, most of the stories felt lackluster and not very memorable to me. Still, there are a few good ones in here. I really liked 'Joust friends' and 'Thomas Marley's fake bride'. Good ideas, but the overall result was just okay.

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I’m so excited to read this soon! It’s one of my most anticipated reads of 2026

[Cherie • bookshelvesandtealeaves · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

Kimberly Ma Meets Her Match by Ann Zhao
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This was a really sweet aroace awakening story. It was a bit goofy and a lot heartfelt. As with most good short stories, I desperately want more while appreciating it didn’t leave anything left unsaid.

The Binding by Soumi Roy
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This was such a fascinating concept. I was worried it would be too short for all it was trying to tackle but it ended up being the perfect length for this story. I love the idea of aromantic people having the power to stop a God who feeds on love until they’re drained and empty.

Lovesick by Taka Owen
⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

Well this was…devastating. I feel like it would have worked a little better if it were a little longer. It was a bit info-dumpy and obviously, being so short, I felt nothing of the build-up of what eventuated. But that loneliness still punched me in the gut.

Preservation by Kemi Ashing-Giwa
⭐️.5

This one just bored me. I honestly skim read the second half of it because I wasn’t at all interested.

Joust Friends by Rosiee Thor
⭐️⭐️⭐️

I liked this well enough but it did feel a little over-dramatic without any real context. But the characters were good and I liked the way it was resolved.

Thomas Marley’s Fake Bride by Ian M. Carlisle
⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

This was a lot of fun. Very silly, sometimes a little over the top in its silliness, but enjoyable. I loved the very specific aro-allo rep and I loved the platonic marriage resolution.

Swordmaiden by Kalyn Josephson
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

I adored this. I only wish it were longer. This is the kind of incredible story that deserves more time and more fleshing out. But it was still really good as it was. I adored Mira and her fire and passion and I’d love a series of her travelling with her sword and cat.

Flying Solo by Claudie Arseneault
⭐️⭐️⭐️

This was a lot of fun but I didn’t really connect with the character. I loved the sci-fi of it all and the parallel of aromanticism vs this sci-fi pilot pairing.

Paper Rebellions by Rukman Ragas
⭐️⭐️⭐️

This was a really cool concept. I loved the magic system, turning books into dragons that can go spread their tale. I loved this as a form of rebellion against book banning. But I also felt like this story was being too obvious, like the reader couldn’t be trusted to understand its meaning.

Do You See Me? by Isa Fiel
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This was brilliant! It was eerie and haunting and so full of compassion. I loved that Yoli had people in her life who understood and loved her as she was and because of that, she could show love and compassion and understanding to someone who’d done terrible things because she’d had no one.

Daughter of Tile by Madeline Dyer
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This was such a beautiful story of two people from very different worlds stumbling across one another and giving each other the strength to be as they are. I really loved the connection between Nala and Orla.

Indulge the Other by Laura Pohl
⭐️⭐️

I just didn’t connect with this one. It was an interesting idea but didn’t work for me as a short story. I never cared about the MC or what they were doing.

[Mela · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this anthology, just like the “being ace” one. I’m not huge on short stories collections, but I’ll never pass up on seeing representation like these ones. I did like some stories more than others and that is why I’m giving it a three stars, because it’s a balance of the different ratings. My favorite one was “lovesick”, I do enjoy zombies stories and this one was a really good one and packed a punch. Some of the lines in this collection had me in tears.
Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an e-arc copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Alexx (obscure.pages) · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a good day to be demiromantic and to read a bunch of short stories featuring aro leads 🥹🫶🏻

Being Aro is such a delight to read, like a balm to the soul. Reminds me so much of all the times I hated the love at first sight trope in media, and the rushed or unnecessary romantic subplots. Here, on the other hand, we see stories where romance or romantic love isn't at the forefront and how that's more than okay. We see platonic love and relationships that matter equally as romantic love. And we see different aromantic people create their own story and live their truths. This is so special to me. 🥹

The stories go from contemporary to science fiction to fantasy. It's just amazing to see all these different stories and settings, and how aromantic identities and connection will look like in each character and each setting.

Some of my favorites are Swordmaiden by Kalyn Josephson (I knew Kalyn Josephson wouldn't disappoint 😆), Indulge the Other by Laura Pohl, and Preservation by Kemi Ashing-Giwa.

Full review on the blog soon! Thank you so much to Page Street YA for sending an ARC 🥹

[ Marking this book as part of my reading challenge: Read Queerly 2026.

Find me elsewhere: Instagram | Storygraph | Fable | Blog

[Astrophel R · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and Page Street YA for an arc. All opinions are my own.

★ Rating: 5/5
Genre: misc anthology
Are There Gay People in this?*: ✅

A collections of entirely aromantic stories getting published a few days after my birthday? It's like a little treat just for me :]

How I would rate each story individually:
- Kimberly Ma Meets Her Match by Ann Zhao -- 4/5
- The Binding by Soumi Roy -- 3.5/5
- Lovesick by Taka Owen -- 3/5
- Preservation by Kemi Ashing-Giwa -- 5/5
- Joust Friends by Rosiee Thor -- 3.5/5
- Thomas Marley’s Fake Bride by Ian M. Carlisle -- 5/5
- Swordmaiden by Kalyn Josephson -- 4.5/5
- Flying Solo by Claudie Arseneault -- 3.5/5
- Paper Rebellions by Rukman Ragas -- 3/5
- Do You See Me? by Isa Fiel -- 3/5
- Daughter of Time by Madeline Dyer -- 2/5
- Indulge the Other by Laura Pohl -- 5/5


Overall: As is often the case with anthologies, it is hard to give it a single rating or review. However, I will say I am so glad that this book exists. I myself am aroace, and while asexuality is definitely still underrepresented, aromanticism is almost impossible to find in fiction. I've read SO many romances where the protagonist isn't interested in love, but what they really need is for someone to come sweep them off their feet or break through their cold exterior etc etc. And so, seeing a book where aro people get to be the protagonists and have their happy endings really means a lot to me. Additionally, the stories are really good in their own right! Some of them didn't really click for me personally, but I think even the ones I didn't enjoy were well crafted.

Who I would recommend this to: Pretty much everyone, but specially to anyone who identifies as, or is questioning if they might be aromantic.

* I count a book as including gay people if any of the main or secondary characters are implicitly or explicitly queer or trans. This does not necessarily mean the protagonist is queer or that there is a queer romance

[spacedoll · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to the collection authors, and to Page Street YA for allowing me to check out this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

This is a nice short story collection spanning multiple genres, all revolving around a central theme of aromanticism and the stigmas the aromantic characters face as they try to navigate their situations. I appreciated the list of content warnings in the beginning, as well as the wide swath of genres from fantasy to sci-fi and beyond!

[Lizzie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great collection spanning across a range of genres! Each story is written for a YA audience, exploring aromanticism, but otherwise they varied hugely.

The collection starts off strong with ‘Kimberly Ma Meets Her Match’, which focuses on a high school match-making fundraiser. Another favourite of mine was ‘Thomas Marley’s Fake Bride’, a fun, comedic historical fantasy, that lightly poked fun at many romance tropes we see in genre fiction. One of the other fantasy stories, ‘The Binding’, stood out to me for the opposite reason, embracing a much darker tone.

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What was really interesting was seeing the similar themes that started to crop up, especially in the sci-fi and fantasy stories. Many of these authors used the alternative settings to turn the social expectations of romance into something more enforceable, such as an established custom or a law.

Nearly all of the writers, in every genre, chose to explore the way that romance and romantic relationships are not just the norm but the expectation in our society. Some stories depicted the loneliness an aromantic person can feel, and the way they’re perceived by alloromantic people. Some others depicted other kinds of relationships, and celebrated the strength and beauty that can be found in platonic or familial relationships.

As well as celebrating aromantic voices and stories, this collection is also a great reminder of the importance of all different kinds of relationships in our lives. As queer people we are constantly defying the expectations of heteronormativity, and this book is an ever-important reminder to include aromantic and asexual people in that process too.

I received a free copy for an honest review.

[Audrey S · Rating 5 out of 5]

Actual rating: 4.25 stars - bumping up to 5 stars on GR because I can and Aro books deserve all the love <3
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This collection was so cozy and fun to read and pick up but like every short story collections they’re are going to be favourites and of course I have mine 😘
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I’ll start off by saying that a majority of these stories are from the Aromantic-Asexual spectrum, which I understand because it seems like they are a larger portion of the aromantic spectrum as we know it now, but second, they also appear to be a little easier for Alloromantics to understand.
.
However, we did get one story with an explicitly Aromantic-Allosexual story and oh my god I ate it up!! I was thrilled and kicking my feet with every page and ended up highlighting almost every single sentence. I kid you not when I tell you that I went back and re-read that story immediately once I had finished it the first time before continuing on with the book. It is rare that I ever feel seen in a book but damn, it feels really fucking good, doesn’t it? I wish there had been more but I get that this is a YA collection so there are limits. But I adored my little portion 💚
.
Of course, this story was my favourite. It was Thomas Marley’s Fake Bride by Ian M Carlisle. My other favourite stories were Joust Friends by Rosiee Thor (which I will shout out for having the best opening line of the entire collection), Preservation by Kemi Ashing-Giwa, & Daughter of Time by Madeline Dyer. I loved that this collection made a point to bring a diverse range of authors to the telling of aromantic stories.
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Being Aro is a fun and thoughtful of genre stories and I would be happy to put it into the hands of any young adult. I hope that some young Aros can feel seen in this collection just like I did 💚
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*I received an eARC from Page Street YA & NetGalley. All opinions are my own*
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Hisses & Kisses 🐍

[Charlie Tombini · Rating 3 out of 5]

I feel quite neutral about this anthology, as that's how I felt about most stories, although it has a very compelling and important premise. The introduction is interesting. It talks about diversity inside the diverse category itself and queerphobia inside the queer community. It has a big plathera of stories, with very varied themes, which I appreciate. I love the cover, too. Now have my rambly thoughts of each story (except for the ones i DNFed) as I read them:


kimberly ma meets her match
- i'm a little confused
- entertaining writing
- actual issues i went through as an aroace in discovery
- interesting!

lovesick
- cool setting
- interesting characters
- so relatable
- very interesting!! had fun

preservation
- i'm sorry, but this was so uninteresting

Joust Friends
- i guess it did its job because, oh god, that was frustrating.

Tomas Marley
- cool topics and setting
- overall is lukewarm

Swordmaiden
- a lot of descriptions of small mundane activities that bore me so much
- cool setting, again

Paper Rebellion
- love the setting and like the characters
- "part of fighting is knowing how to choose your battles"

Do you see me?
- quite eerie
- i'm confused as to who is who ? maybe i AM stupid

Daughters of Time
- Very compelling plot
- Being aro but yearning for affection is so real
- Not very credible, despite being charming

Indulge the Other
- Very engaging narrative
- So cool, probably my favorite story from this anthology
- "You are wanted for what you can give. You give it freely, and it is enough."

Thank you, NatGalley and Page Street Publishing, for this eARC! This review was honest and interely unbiased.

[Liz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to NetGalley and Page Street YA for the free e-ARC. (I received this ARC two days into Aromantic Spectrum Awareness Week, so the timing was perfect.)

Giving this anthology, overall, 4 stars. It's a collection of short stories by different authors, so of course there are some stories I enjoyed more than others. But generally I thought the quality was high, and it's always a delight to read more aro stories.

To my surprise, my favorite of the short stories is Lovesick by Taka Owen, which is the zombie apocalypse one. I don't generally read a lot of zombie/dystopian stuff, but something about this one hit hard. I even highlighted a line (something I NEVER do): "How he'd never understand how devastating this was - for anyone, but especially for me, knowing that I would always come second to someone else's more important relationship." As you might guess, this is not one of the happy stories, and the tragedy makes it all the more poignant.

If I had to pick a few other favorites, I'd probably say: Swordmaiden by Kalyn Josephson, Flying Solo by Claudie Arseneault, and Do You See Me? by Isa Fiel.

Overall, this is a solid collection of short stories. More importantly, it's a rare example of centering and exploring aro experiences. Whether you're aro yourself, or just an ally, definitely give this a try.

[Emma · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this anthology and the spotlight it shines on the assumptions made about human connection when a society values romantic/sexual connection above any other. By placing platonic relationships lower in the "hierarchy," we are cutting ourselves off from a whole range of love. Even as someone who is not on the ace/aro spectrum, I still related to the ways many characters felt isolated, abandoned, and objectified because they did not want to follow the path laid out for them. The stories went well together, although a few more realistic fiction or horror would have been a good complement to all the sci-fi and fantasy. Lovesick by Taka Owen was my favorite story and really impacted me emotionally with its themes of betrayal, friendship and self esteem. Some, like Preservation by Kemi Ashing-Giwa and Paper Rebellions by Rukman Ragas, confused me a bit with their plots and symbolism. I would recommend this to anyone who wants to examine their own relationship with romance and sexuality, as well as fans of short stories, fantasy or sci-fi.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the e-arc!

[RedReviews4You Susan-Dara · Rating 4 out of 5]

🌼 An Anthology to open your heart and mind 🌼

I was so excited to read this anthology of aromantic (aro) stories — and it made me realize just how romance‑forward our world is. We’re constantly defined by our relationships: Are you married or single? In a relationship or a situationship? Committed or open?

No matter where you turn, you’re framed in terms of who you’re with… or who you’re not with.

But what if you’re someone who feels complete without needing that kind of connection? What if your sense of self isn’t tied to romance at all? I’d honestly never stopped to consider that before reading Being Aro.

These stories are emotionally sharp, psychologically insightful, and deeply compassionate. They explore what it means to enjoy people’s company without needing that intense romantic pull — and what it feels like to live in a world that assumes you should want it.

It’s like the pressure to have “someone special” on February 14th… but every single day.

And yet, this anthology also shows the beauty of aro community, friendship, and connection on your own terms. It’s tender, validating, and eye‑opening in all the best ways.

[Em (Diversify Your Shelf) · Rating 3 out of 5]

*I got an arc*

Importance of the book: 5 stars

Content: 3.5 Stars I think

Note: I am not aromantic so definitely give the reviews of aro people more weight than you do mine!

CW: before the table of contents but also I had to DNF because it felt like each story was trauma dumping a bit?

I *love* that this anthology exists! The introduction makes an excellent point that it is much easier to identify with stories rather than textbook definitions (especially for marginalised groups that aren't surrounded by people like them).

Again I am not aro so don't consider my voice as important but, to me, this didn't feel like showcasing the many different ways people are aromantic; instead, it seems to showcase the many ways aro and aroace people are abused, traumatised, and abandoned by those around them? Granted, I haven't read all the stories in here yet but I have read enough of them to feel faintly nauseated. I didn't expect every story to be about the powers of platonic love, but I expected a bit more about non-romantic relationships versus the trauma of solitude.

[Blue · Rating 3 out of 5]

There are a variety of trigger warnings listed for the collection of stories in Being Aro. I would advise checking them before starting.
☆
☆
"Everyone has the ability to be lonely if they don't find a community. So, you know, here I am. Being your community." I loved this story, and this quote. It felt important to me. It's also very accurate. For aspec people, their friends and their community are key, always, but especially when someone is just figuring out where they might fit on the spectrum of asexuality and aromanticism.
~
Anthologies aren't usually my thing. I don't like when stories don't have any connecting features or any kind of link between them. That being said, I do think that this anthology is incredibly important. Aromantic people deserve to see their stories being told. We deserve to see people like us in stories and being the heroes and main characters in fantasy and science fiction, as well as contemporary stories.
•
Thank you to NetGalley for sending me an ARC copy of this book.

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Explaining what Being Aro made me feel is like trying to catch the rain during a storm. Being Aro made me smile, sigh in annoyance, laugh, and cry. It broke me open and made me feel so whole, like another book hasn‘t managed to in a while.

The anthology features a range of genres as well as a wide range of aromantic experiences and are all relatively fast-paced, which makes them perfect for everyone who wants to learn about what aromanticism is and how it affects your experience of the world around you. Every single author did an incredible job by building a unique setting in a short period of time, while also leaving space for the characters and their personalities to shine. There is a story for everyone, no matter what genres you usually prefer.
It also cemented my belief that we deserve more diverse voices in media. I have gotten a taste of what representation could be like, and I desperately want others to also get the experience of feeling so utterly understood.

No matter if you are aromantic yourself, know someone who is aromantic, or are just interested in the aromantic experience, this book is a must-read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Page Street YA for providing me with this ARC in return for an honest review.

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Net Galley for the advanced copy!

I’ve recently come to love short story collections after years of struggling with them being hit or miss. This one was definitely a hit for me, and had everything I love about short stories.
This is a lovely collection of stories that encompass different aspects of being aromantic, and the characters who are living in worlds where not wanting a romantic relationship can demonize you or make your community think of you as “other.”
Each story packs a punch, and some I’ve found myself thinking about over and over for the last few weeks. The characters and worlds are so well-developed that it’s hard to believe these are short stories and not whole novels. And while I would LOVE to see many of these worlds expanded on, they are whole in their current form and say exactly what they need to say.
I think this is a perfect example of what a short story collection can be, and I need more that give me this feeling.

[Oli R · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love a short story collection and this one did not disappoint. Especially ones that decenter the cis-heteronormative experience and explore queer identities.

Each story was unique, well written and shared a different facet of the aro experience.

Being Aro is a solid collection of short stories that show just some of the facets of experience of aromantic people. Love and connection is so much more than sex and romance and these stories help share that with its readers. Aro stories are so hard to come by because there is so much focus in modern storylines on love and romance.

I particularly enjoyed Paper Rebellions by Rukman Ragas. I could read a whole series in this world.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

[Maria · Rating 4 out of 5]

I decided I wanted to read this book to become mor aware of that being aromantic means and how that can impact their life and relationships. This book was all short stories written by various authors and some of the stories were great, really got me hooked, like my favourite, the one about what being aromantic can impact in a zombie apocalypse. A few other stories were not as gripping, it is short stories and they tried to squeeze in a bit too much in the limited number of words and thus missed the mark. Overall, a nice read though.

I received a free ARC via NetGalley and voluntarily leave an honest review.

[Nicole Zelniker · Rating 5 out of 5]

“In all my years, I’ve seen so many bonds flare to life, with all kinds of love. And you have to believe me and keep putting your heart out there, keep being vulnerable, because there are people who’ll love you with the same ferocity you love them, even if it is not the same kind.”

I spent the last third of this book crying, not because the book is sad, but because my secretly soft aromantic heart couldn't take all the gorgeous ways in which my identity, which is so rarely depicted in popular media, took center stage in these stories. From the friendships, to the heartaches, to the found family, BEING ARO a vital contribution to queer cannon.

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

The collection had a mix of genres and is more SFF and YA compared to what I normally read, but I liked reading about different perspectives and identities that don't have a lot of media representation. I recommend checking out this collection and Being Ace: An Anthology of Queer, Trans, Femme, and Disabled Stories of Asexual Love and Connection. Thank you to Page Street YA and NetGalley for the digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Zana · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.25 stars

Stories like these make me so happy that the younger generation has access to aromantic representation in fiction. It does wonders for your self-esteem to be seen and appreciated.

While most of the stories didn't personally have a real impact on me as an adult, I really hope that kids can get something out of these stories. Despite what society says, romance isn't the be all and end all, and these stories are great examples of how living a life without romance or a romantic partner is absolutely valid.

My favorites were "Kimberly Ma Meets Her Match" by Ann Zhao and "Daughter of Time" by Madeline Dyer.

Thank you to Page Street YA and NetGalley for this arc.

[Bree · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Toppling Stacks Tours for an ARC of this anthology. I really enjoyed this anthology. To read about so many aromantic characters was super heartwarming for me. I enjoyed how many different genres were touched and how the characters had different feelings about and reactions to being arospec. I did enjoy this set much more than the Being Ace anthology, this group of short stories felt like they fit better together, and I felt like this anthology was more explicit in the Aro identities than Being Ace was in the Ace identities. My favorites were The Binding, Paper Rebellions and Do You See Me?. My least favorites were Preservation and Flying Solo.

[Paz · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's an overall nice collection of stories, and aromantic perspectives are more or less never centered, so the mere existence of this book is already a step in the right direction.
I do think I'm a lot older than the intended audience and somewhat well-versed in the queer discourse, so in places I was a bit bored or had a hard-ish time relating to the characters. The plots can get a bit repetitive, too.
This could be a nice introduction for young people who want to explore aromantic identity.

Thank you to NetGalley for a digital copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

[Mx Phoebe · Rating 5 out of 5]

One expects in this type of anthology to find a story that talks about discovering that you are aromantic, but this book has that AND so much more. The diversity is awesome. Plus, there is a little bit of everything here: paranormal, mystical, post-apocalyptic, and friend code. I want to read more from these authors. Being Aro is a must read for me.

“Thank you, Page Street YA, for providing this book for review consideration via Toppling Stacks Tours and NetGalley. All opinions are my own.”

[Ann Zhao · Rating 5 out of 5]

i wish this book existed when i was an aroace teen but i suppose i’ll have to settle for contributing to it as an aroace adult

seriously though i’m so excited for this to come out and i can’t wait for you to meet kimberly ma and all the other lovely characters in the lovely stories in this collection!!