13 Little Love Stories: An anthology inspired by Taylor Swift songs

by Elise Bryant, Jennifer Dugan, J. Elle

From bestselling YA authors comes thirteen dazzling contemporary romances inspired by the songs of Taylor Swift!

If you could live inside one Taylor Swift song for a day, which would you pick? In this shimmering anthology, thirteen best-selling and acclaimed authors do just that, reimagining some of Taylor’s most iconic songs as love stories. 

Whether you’re in an era of fairy lights and folktales or diss tracks and dance floors, here’s a playlist that features all the The soaring high note of first love. The minor key of heartbreak. And the steady rhythm of true friendship and self-discovery.

As clever and unforgettable as the songs that inspired them, these stories are sure to play on repeat in your head and your heart. 

Stories
Elise Bryant
Jennifer Dugan
J. Elle
Jessica Goodman
Sloan Harlow
Crystal Maldonado
Krystal Marquis
Katharine McGee
Julie Murphy
Lynn Painter
Laura Sebastian
Sara Shepard
Jesse Q. Sutanto

Genres: Romance, Young Adult, Anthologies, Short Stories, Contemporary, Young Adult Romance, Fiction

336 pages, Paperback

First published June 30, 2026

About the author

Elise Bryant is the NAACP Image Award-nominated author of Happily Ever Afters, One True Loves, Reggie and Delilah’s Year of Falling, It’s Elementary, and The Game Is Afoot. For many years, Elise had the joy of working as a special education teacher, and now she spends her days reading, writing, and eating dessert. She lives with her husband and two daughters in Long Beach, California. You can visit her online at www.elisebryant.com.

Reviews

[tasiaaaa (semi hiatus)]

LYNN PAINTER IS IN THIS. I REPEAT LYNN. PAINTER. IS IN THIS

[ଘRory]

💖 pre-release vibes💌:

Cause the players gonna play, play, play, play, play♪.
And the haters gonna hate, hate, hate, hate, hate♪
But the writers gonna write, write, write, write, write...༄
And the readers gonna read, read, read, read, read...༄
Baby, I'm just gonna shake, shake, shake, shake, shake♫ ♪
I shake it off,I shake it off ♪ .

[Annabella⁷ (henry li’s version)]

WAKE UP LADIES🗣️ I LOVE THE SOUND OF THIS💌🪩🏹🥂💖

[angelpompom · Rating 2 out of 5]

Short stories just don’t seem to hit with me much anymore. Lynn’s Painter’s was good though!

1. Grand Gesture by Elise Bryant ✨Fifteen✨ 3 stars
2. Everything Unspoken by J. Elle 💕Love Story💕 2 stars
3. This One’s Just for Us by Jesse Q Sutanto 💋Ours💋 2 stars
4. It Happened One Wednesday by Lynn Painter 💌Begin Again💌 4 stars
5. Group Project by Krystal Marquis 😎Style😎 1 star
6. Brake for Me by Jessica Goodman 🚘Getaway Car🚘 3 stars
7. Five Summers by Sloan Harlow ☀️Cruel Summer☀️ 2 stars
8. The Cardigan in Question by Julie Murphy 🧵Cardigan 🧵 1.5 stars
9. Once a Upon a Grad Party by Crystal Maldonado 🌿Willow🌿 3 stars
10. We’re Here Now by Katherine McGee 🎧Hits Different🎧 2 stars
11. Fool’s Gold by Laura Sebastian 💎Bejeweled💎 1 star
12. Ali Gets a Clue by Jennifer Dugan 🐶The Black Dog🐶 2.5 stars
13. Creative Differences by Sara Shepard 🖤The Tortured Poets Department🖤 3 stars

[sophia_thesecond (in my noah kahan era) · Rating 3 out of 5]

started on 5/26 finished on 6/1

this was interesting. there were a few stories that I really really liked, but the rest were just okay. I love the idea of each story being connected to a taylor swift song, but I feel like most of them didn't really portray the songs. for a few I felt like they could be continued and be made into a full book, or just longer short story. most ended kind of abruptly. overall, this was alright a few (especially lynn painters) were pretty good, but most were just mediocre.

my ranking of the stories:

it happened on wednesday- lynn painter
five summers- sloan harlow
once upon a grad night- crystal maldonado
group project- krystal marquis
this one's just for us- jesse q sutanto
we're here now- katherine mcgee
brake for it- jessica goodman
the cardigan in question- julie murphy
creative differences- sara shepard
the grand gesture- elise bryant
ali gets a clue- jennifer dugan
fool's gold- laura sebastian
everything unspoken- j. elle

[zoya ᯓ★]

wait stop, the premise for this book is actually fire?? and why are all the authors my fav YA authors???
I cannot WAIT for this !!

[NJB sandwich ౨ৎ (Taylor’s Version) · Rating 3 out of 5]

⭐️2.5

The stories just didn’t pull me in and failed to grab my attention… I feel bad bc ik a lot of work probably went into this but it just wasn’t at all what I feel like was marketed as…

[☆ Savannah Moreau ☆ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall rating: 3.2 🌟

The Grand Gesture (Fifteen): 2.8 🌟
Everything Unspoken (Love Story): 3 🌟
This One's Just For Us (Ours): 3.2 🌟
It Happened One Wednesday (Begin Again): 4 🌟
Group Project (Style): 2.5 🌟
Brake For It (Getaway Car): 2.8 🌟
Five Summers (Cruel Summer): 3.8 🌟
The Cardigan In Question (Cardigan): 3 🌟
Once Upon A Grad Night (Willow): 3.2 🌟
We're Here Now (Hits Different): 3 🌟
Fool's Gold (Bejeweled): 4 🌟
Ali Gets A Clue (The Black Dog): 2.5 🌟
Creative Differences (The Tortured Poets Department): 4.2 🌟

At some points, I questioned if the authors even listened to the song they were writing about..

[liz ౨ৎ · Rating 2 out of 5]

As a Swiftie who doubles as a romance reader, I thought this book would be perfect for me. It was not…

The writing? Painfully juvenile (even for a YA book). The T.S. references? Extremely underwhelming. The book itself? Not what I was hoping.

This just fell incredibly flat for me, and I disliked a majority of the stories. The only one that stuck out to me as enjoyable was the one written by Lynn Painter.

Yeah, this is a no from me.

[Haley]

I received an advanced digital copy from Penguin Teen Canada in exchange for an honest review.

DNF @ 28%/94 pages.

I read the first 3.5 short stories and didn’t feel any interest to continue. I feel like I might be TOO big of a Taylor Swift fan because the comparisons to the songs references were too small for me. Additionally, of the three stories I read completely I would individually rate around 1-2 stars each. Writing short stories is a skill, but I found all of the stories so far suffered heavily in the pacing department and tried to fit too much in.

[Emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

not my favorite. most of the stories felt a little too detailed and then the ending was rushed. also not a huge fan of most the story concepts, but i do think they fit the theme of the songs very well.

[Emilia · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a cute anthology! I love that there was such a diverse group of authors contributing. I enjoyed reading the creative ways each story interpreted Taylor’s songs, which lend themselves so well to storytelling. I also liked that the stories progressed in order through her discography. Due to the amount of stories and length of book, each author didn’t get a ton of page space, which left a lot of the stories feeling rushed or lacking depth. The most successful of these stories didn’t try to do too much with the word count, but tracked a love story through one event or day. I’ve never really reviewed an anthology, but here is my ranking of the stories from most favorite to least favorite!

Once Upon a Grad Night - Crystal Maldonado
It Happened One Wednesday - Lynn Painter
Group Project - Krystal Marquis
The Grand Gesture - Elise Bryant
The Cardigan in Question - Julie Murphy
Creative Differences - Sara Shepard
This One’s Just for Us - Jesse Q. Sutanto
Ali Gets a Clue - Jennifer Dugan
Five Summers - Sloan Harlow
Brake For It - Jessica Goodman
We’re Here Now - Katharine McGee
Fool’s Gold - Laura Sebastian
Everything Unspoken - J. Elle

Thank you Netgalley, Putnam, and all of the authors for the chance to read and review 13 Little Love Stories ahead of its publication, in exchange for an honest review!

[cyd · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review. This book had a super cute idea and i loved some of the author’s contributions. When reading short story book where each story has different authors it’s to be expected that some are better than others. I think some of the stories were super strong and interesting while others dragged on. I understand why they book hadb13 different stories for the Tayloe Swift reference but I do wish they cut some of the stories to allow the other ones to be expanded on. Each story was super short so the good ones were super underdeveloped. I did love the idea of each story being inspired by a Taylor Swift song. Overall this was cute but I wouldn’t pick this up if you aren’t a huge Taylor Swift fan.

[Esther]

Do not waste your time on this. I love Lynn Painter’s, but every other story was just…honestly quite bad.

[Sahana Ramnath · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely perfect set of songs and stories for them, I had an amazing time reading this anthology over the last few days! See below for my review of each story!


The Grand Gesture, by Elise Bryant (Tay song: Fifteen) -
A perfect, heartfelt beginning to this anthology, this story captured everything that Fifteen represents about best friends and character growth and grand gestures ❤️ I was desperately hoping for this ending to the story, and I was ecstatic when Elise ended it that way!


Everything Unspoken, by J. Elle (Tay song: Love Story) -
Ok so this one was SO immersive? Halfway through the story, I forgot that I was reading a song-inspired anthology, and I was thinking that "Love Story" would so perfectly represent this story, when I remembered that yes, this story *was* written for this song :")


This One's Just For Us, by Jesse Q. Sutanto (Tay song: Ours) -
I think we can agree this place is ours -- (from the story)
I am screaming at how lovely this story was, it had pining and swoon and angst and the best resolution :")
"Ours" is my favorite song on Speak Now (which is a top-3 album for me), and this story absolutely crushed it!


It Happened One Wednesday, by Lynn Painter (Tay song: Begin Again) -
Ok this *perfectly* captured the melancholy to hesitant happiness to elation of this song. The last line of the story was amazing ++ I loved that in this story we get to also see the pov of the guy from "Begin Again"!


Group Project, by Krystal Marquis (Tay song: Style) -
Ok this story very much represents the two pre-choruses of "Style", I loved it! Style's lyrics are bittersweet but also hopeful, and this story was amazing at putting in all those emotions in ++ I love that the story ended with the beginning of the song ❤️


Brake For It, by Jessica Goodman (Tay song: Getaway Car) -
I *loved* this story, it focused on a part of "Getaway Car" that often gets brushed past (aka the reason *why* a getaway car was needed). I was rushing through the story because I had no idea which direction it would go, aaand it ended in the perfect manner! ++ Loved that actual getaway car in the story!


Five Summers, by Sloan Harlow (Tay song: Cruel Summer) -
And I screamed "For whatever it's worth,
I love you, ain't that the worst thing you ever heard?"
Stahppp, this was such a perfect story for Cruel Summer, I feel like listening to the song on repeat now! The story is split across five summers, and it's amazing how I felt the actual passage of time (but also connected with each summer) in such a short story. I was tearing up by the last summer :")



The Cardigan in Question, by Julie Murphy (Tay song: Cardigan) -
First of all, yay for the sapphic romance! I'd been wondering if we would get one in this anthology, and this story SO lived up to my hype. This was so so sweet and swoony, and I loved the slow-burn between Betty and Augustine :") I can't accurately convey how much I am freaking out about this story, it was just >>>>> I'm so going to reread it soon ❤️


Once Upon a Grad Night, by Crystal Maldonado (Tay song: Willow) -
You know the part at the end of the Willow mv where she finds her soulmate and they just hold hands in the sweetest way possible and walk away together? That's *exactly* the vibes this whole story gave, it was insanely swoony and cute ❤️


We're Here Now, by Katharine McGee (Tay song: Hits Different) -
Hits Different is such an underrated song, I love that this story was built inspired by it, and the way the heartbreak surrounding the song eventually turned into the MC finding her true love ❤️


Fool's Gold, by Laura Sebastian (Tay song: Bejeweled) -
This story was such a clever play on both the meaning behind the word and the meaning behind the song! Like YES, the MC is both kinds of Bejeweled and I love that for her ❤️ she still *can* make the whole place shimmer on her own ❤️


Ali Gets a Clue, by Jennifer Dugan (Tay song: The Black Dog) -
Huge yay for the second sapphic romance in this anthology!! The best friends to bi awakening to lovers was so raw and sweet in this one ++ I loved it so much ❤️ ++ I loved that the music in the coffee shop played such a huge role in this story, similar to the music in The Black Dog in the song!


Creative Differences, by Sara Shepard (Tay song: The Tortured Poets Department) -
Ahh this was the perfect story to end the anthology on, it had everything from love to crushes to revenge and to mystery! I loved that this book showed both the desperate parts of TTPD and also spun the typewriter and poets angle into a hopeful new love ❤️

[Hailey Miller · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall, a solid 4-star read! Below are my individual ratings for each of the 13 love stories and the songs that inspired them!


Elise Bryant: The Grand Gesture 4.00 (Fifteen) 👑
J. Elle: Everything Unspoken 4.00 (Love Story)👑
Jesse Q. Sutanto: This One's Just For Us 5.00 (Ours)🔮
Lynn Painter: It Happened One Wednesday 5.00 (Begin Again)🧣
Krystal Marquis: Group Project 3.00 (Style)🌊
Jessica Goodman: Brake for it 5.00 (Getaway Car)🐍
Sloan Harlow: Five Summers 4.00 (Cruel Summer)🏹
Julie Murphy: The Cardigan in Question 3.00 (Cardigan)🌲
Crystal Maldono: Once Upon a Grad Night 4.00 (Willow)🍂
Katherine McGee: We're Here Now 4.00 (Hits Different)🌌
Laura Sebastian: Fool's Gold 3.00 (Bejeweled)🌌
Jennifer Dugan: Ali Gets a Clue 3.00 (The Black Dog)✍
Sara Shepard: Creative Differences 4.00 (The Tourterd Poets Department)✍

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short story collections are hard to rate so we’ll go with 4 stars. I loved some, enjoyed others. They were all quick, cute reads.

Favorites:
- The Grand Gesture, Elise Bryant
- It Happened One Wednesday, Lynn Painter
- Five Summers, Sloan Harlow
- Once Upon a Grad Night, Crystal Maldonado
- Ali Gets a Clue, Jennifer Dugan

Thanks to Goodreads Giveaways and G.P. Putnam’s Sons for the print ARC.

[Yvonne W · Rating 4 out of 5]

First off, I love books that are collection of short stories by different authors! It's refreshing to see different styles of writing all in one book. And when the shared topic is Taylor Swift songs?! Count me in! If you love love and Taylor Swift, then I hope you will give this book a chance and check it out!

13 Little Love Stories is a collection of love stories, each story based on a Taylor Swift song and each written by a different author. I found the best way to enjoy this book was to play and listen to the Taylor Swift song first then dive into the story. It's so interesting to me how each author interprets the song and tries to bring the gist of the song to life in the story. Some do a better job at that than others but nevertheless I still enjoyed each story. My favorites are the ones by Lynn Painter and Jesse Q. Sutanto. Both stories I would definitely read a whole book of, if it were ever expanded!

Thank you so much to Penguin Young Readers Group, GP Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers, and NetGalley for a chance to read this advance copy! Highly recommend to all my Swifties!

[Kaitlyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5⭐️
Some were defiantly better than others, but I really only picked this up bc it had Lynn Painter.

[Taylor]

Honestly, this is exactly what it sounds like it is

[Bob McBob the Farmer · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an incredibly interesting read for me as I am personally not a Taylor Swift fan. Please don't come at me Swifties, I can respect her but the songs aren't my style. So let it be known that I listened to all of these songs before I read the respective short stories and these are just my opinions based on how they relate to the song and the stories itself. Was I a fan of the songs? Not particularly. Did I enjoy the stories? We'll get into that shortly. As I typically do with anthologies, I'm rating them individually since these are different works.

"The Grand Gesture" by Elise Bryant with the song "Fifteen" - 3/5 stars. This was a cute story to start off with. I think the story fit really well with the song and it was obvious it was taken pretty much directly from it. The "plot twist" was incredibly obvious but it was really sweet. The characters needed to be fleshed out more though.

"Everything Unspoken" by J. Elle with the song "Love Story" - 1/5. Okay, for one let me talk about Romeo and Juliet. Something I absolutely hate about modern day adaptations of this play is how it's all love stories now. Romeo and Juliet is quite literally a tragedy. In the First Folio, it is printed quite largely The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet. The whole point of the story is the danger of teenage love and how wrapped up teenagers become in it. It is by all means not a love story. They kill themselves in the end, how the hell does that say a love story? I think because of my personal thoughts about the song I already went into this story with a bad mindset so I apologize in advance if I judge it too harshly. The reimagining of Romeo and Juliet was there with the names somewhat. Marlo with Montague. Quinton was obviously Tybalt. The throwing rocks after the cupcake shop was the ball meeting and the balcony scene. But where the fuck do you get Vale from Capulet? Also Jules, obviously Juliet, is Jules Marlo. It's Juliet Capulet, not Juliet Montague. ROMEO MONTAGUE! The author clearly didn't fucking read the original play and went off of purely the song and maybe a Wikipedia summery of Romeo and Juliet if they even bothered. And then the random ass mind reading? It made absolutely no sense. The one saving grace of this was the writing itself. Fuck this story, it was absolute ass cheeks.

"This One's Just For Us" by Jesse Q. Sutanto with the song "Ours" - 5/5. This was by far the best story in the whole book. It was just so cute and heartwarming! The banter was absolutely adorable and I loved the origami. It read as incredibly real and raw. Ting's an absolute badass and the two of them are so cute together! My only complaint is that this isn't a full length book. I need more!

"It Happened One Wednesday" by Lynn Painter with the song "Begin Again" - 4/5. This was a super cute story that really fit the song well. It was giving cozy-up-in-bed-with-a-hot-cup-of-tea-and-a-book-on-a-cold-fall-day vibes. I loved it so much. The banter and everything was cute. And that card game reveal? I actually laughed out loud. It did drag a bit though during the first half and I wished it picked up more. Super sweet overall though.

"Group Project" by Krystal Marquis with the song "Style" - 1/5. For one, this story did not fit the song at all. I listened to the song and thought I knew exactly what I was getting into. At the end of the story, I had to listen to the song again because I was so confused about how the two even connected. I mean, there are some similarities but there isn't much else to draw from. The two don't belong together in the slightest, I didn't like either of the characters, and the writing was god awful. I was waiting for the story to be over the entire time. I really wanted to DNF it. I then looked at the author's profile and what do you know! I DNF'd one of her books. I typically don't DNF so that shows you something, haha! Anyway, here's one little snippet that shows how bad the writing was. "Ryan hesitated at each open door and peeked around every corner for Principal Tanner, who liked to wander the halls and catch students outside their classrooms. Or worse still, another student." It took me three reads to understand that they meant another student catching them. How an editor didn't catch this misplaced modifier, I have no clue.

"Brake For It" by Jessica Goodman with the song "Getaway Car" - 3/5. I listened to the song and at the beginning of the story, I was confused at first why this was a romance. Then the twist came in. It was really clever and I really enjoyed it. I only wish that we saw at the end maybe some flashbacks of the planning and all that. I just wish he maybe did something even a little worse and I think it would've hit even better. Girl power!

"Five Summers" by Sloan Harlow with the song "Cruel Summer" - 2/5. To me, this story was not the song at all. For one, the writing was also really bad here and was the perfect example of telling instead of showing. I think the idea was there but it shouldn't have been a short story. Also, the story was breaking up and getting back together where to me the song seems very "fuck him and that whole summer." I think it should've been the breakup and then that, like the last one. That's an issue with the later stories of this book, the songs focus on being yourself and you don't need a man but the stories seem to say the opposite. I just don't understand it I guess.

"The Cardigan in Question" by Julie Murphy with the song "Cardigan" - 4/5. I thought this one was adorable and really matched the song quite well. The whole cardigan spiel was really cute and I enjoyed the romance. It made me smile. I do think though it was a bit stalker-ish at first so that does put me a little on edge. Otherwise, adorable.

"Once Upon a Grad Night" by Crystal Maldonado with the song "Willow" - 3/5. I thought this one was incredibly underwhelming. I totally get the draw between the song and the story but the song was a lot more mellow where in the story they ditch prom for a head-banging concert. I think it would fit the song more if they ditch for pizza or something instead. I thought it was just mediocre overall. Neither of the characters were all that interesting.

"We're Here Now" by Katharine McGee with the song "Hits Different" - 2/5. This story was incredibly forgettable. For one, it was all over the place. Also, it had nothing to do with the song! The song is a "fuck you" breakup song but there's a literal romance at the end? It made no sense. I think the whole second romance should've been scrapped and ended with the "fuck you" of her ex and still going back to the company. That's badass and powerful but how it was made out in the story was giving a weak and a girl who needed a man to be her own person. Gross.

"Fool's Gold" by Laura Sebastian with the song "Bejeweled" - 2/5. I was more confused by this one than anything else I guess. I think the story matched the song really well but it just didn't fit in. I really liked the whole fantastical element and how she did it but it just didn't fit with the song or with the love story concept. It wasn't even like it was getting revenge on her ex, it was more so just stealing the jewels. Very cool concept but it should've been a standalone book.

"Ali Gets a Clue" by Jennifer Dugan with the song "The Black Dog" - 1/5. Anyone who knows me by now knows I despise Jennifer Dugan books. This short story was no different. It's not her writing, it's actually somewhat decent. It's her stories and the plots if that makes any sense. For one, the song is another "fuck you" breakup song. It's longing to get back but knowing that you shouldn't. This just... wasn't? It had basically nothing to do with the song at all other than the coffee shop name. I get the pining but it's for someone else. And the "fuck you" over the breakup but she also didn't even care about it? There was so much wrong with this story but I'm so over Jennifer Dugan I'm not even going to get into it.

"Creative Differences" by Sara Shepard with the song "The Tortured Poets Department" - 4/5. Finally, the queen to end it off strong! I'll be totally honest, I bought this book just for her and it was a little bit of torture sitting through those other stories just to get to hers. And she did not disappoint! She did an amazing job using the song. Other than the "Getaway Car" one, this was the only other that used a breakup song and did it right. It actually spent time on the breakup and then had a little hint of hope at the end which was really sweet. That's what the others should've been doing. As always, the others having to take notes from the greats. No surprise there. Anyway, a really cute story. I just wish the ending wasn't so rushed. Otherwise, pretty much perfect.

For all of one person wondering what my ranking of the short stories are, here you go.
1. "This One's Just For Us" by Jesse Q. Sutanto with the song "Ours" - 5/5.
2. "It Happened One Wednesday" by Lynn Painter with the song "Begin Again" - 4/5.
3. "Creative Differences" by Sara Shepard with the song "The Tortured Poets Department" - 4/5.
4. "The Cardigan in Question" by Julie Murphy with the song "Cardigan" - 4/5.
5. "Brake For It" by Jessica Goodman with the song "Getaway Car" - 3/5.
6. "The Grand Gesture" by Elise Bryant with the song "Fifteen" - 3/5 stars.
7. "Once Upon a Grad Night" by Crystal Maldonado with the song "Willow" - 3/5.
8. "Fool's Gold" by Laura Sebastian with the song "Bejeweled" - 2/5.
9. "We're Here Now" by Katharine McGee with the song "Hits Different" - 2/5.
10. "Five Summers" by Sloan Harlow with the song "Cruel Summer" - 2/5.
11. "Group Project" by Krystal Marquis with the song "Style" - 1/5.
12. "Ali Gets a Clue" by Jennifer Dugan with the song "The Black Dog" - 1/5.
13. "Everything Unspoken" by J. Elle with the song "Love Story" - 1/5.

The average of the short stories is 2.69 so I'm rounding that up to 3 stars overall.

[Stefani · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was very cute, a collection of YA short stories inspired by your favorite Taylor Songs written by your favorite YA authors.

I found I liked these more when I was reading them one at a time, like one a day or one between two days. I sat down to finish the rest of them all at once and most of them were just too similar to really stick. There were a few that took a fantasy route and those stood out, but the regular romances all started to blend together. Some felt unfinished, simply stopping and not feeling like the story really ended. Others I felt like too the songs too literally, and I think they could have challenged themselves to do more than just tackle the title of the songs, YA readers are smart and I’m sure would have enjoyed a short story with Easter eggs of the song rather than being so obvious.

A few didn’t even really feel like love stories.

Overall, a really cute idea, I’d recommend reading one a day instead of trying to tackle this whole thing at once. Savor it little by little instead.

Thank you @netgalley and @putnambooks for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

[Rebecca Love · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️ as an average of all 13 stories ratings

A bit of a mixed bag here. I will say this collection helped me realise that I prefer my short stories in books like this to have a connecting thread (an invisible string if you will) between them. That being said i think for the most part the essences of the songs were captured well and some would make great longer stories. I also appreciated that not all of the stories focus on romantic love.

The grand gesture - elise Bryant (fifteen)
2⭐️

Very sweet story about not giving up who you are and your friends for a romance. I appreciate it not being about romantic love at its core but it was a bit dull.

Everything unspoken - j. Elle (love story)
4 ⭐️

Romeo and Juliette with a little magic thrown in. I enjoyed this one but i wish we got a little beyond the ending. What happens after that, i want to know.

This one's just for us - Jesse q. Sutanto (ours)
5⭐️

This one is really cute, I actually teared up a bit. Its hard for me to read short stories because they often feel unfinished to me but this one didn't.

It happened one Wednesday - Lynn painter (begin again)
5⭐️

Lynn never fails, this captured begin again perfectly. I love the focus on how where you are doesn't matter if it's with the right person.

Group project - krystal marquis (style)
2 ⭐️

I sadly was not a fan of this one. Something about it didn't click with me. We learn very little about the characters and even with how short it is they didn't seem to work as a couple (but maybe that was the point?)

Brake for it - jessica goodman (getaway car)
3.5⭐️

Okay I was not jiving with this one, until the end. Love that for them and a great way to capture getaway car.

Five summers - sloan Harlow (cruel summer)
2 ⭐️

Sadly i wasn't a fan of this one. The whole clearly liking your bestie while being in a relationship with someone else thing has never worked for me.

The cardigan in question Julie Murphy (cardigan)
3.5 ⭐️

This one was really cute. I wasn't sure on it at first but I like the way the author approached the story of the cardigan and what it means.

Once upon a grad night- crystal maldonado (willow)
4 ⭐️

Aww this one was really sweet. Very simple but I like the way it felt like a story that was both complete and yet just beginning

We're here now - Katherine McGee (hits different)
3 ⭐️

This one felt a little rushed to me, the endgame winds up feeling like it is a rebound and the connection between the main characters isn't the best

Fools gold - Laura Sebastian (bejeweled)
5⭐️

Loved this one, good for you tourmaline. I would very much like to read an extended version of this.

Ali gets a clue - Jennifer Dugan (the black dog)
4⭐️

I liked this one. Especially the little nod to another song with Ali in love being the playlist name. I do wish we got to see her interact with the end game a bit more though

Creative differences - sara shepard (TTPD)
3 ⭐️

A 27 second breakup phone call- the lore is strong with this one. I like the message of this story but the ending was a little anticlimactic

[Rach · Rating 4 out of 5]

A sweet collection of stories about love, heartbreak, and friendship, all tied to a different Taylor Swift song. Like most short story collections, some of these worked better for me than others, whether it matched my interpretation of the song well or had characters I instantly liked or existed as the perfect little story nugget. If you’re a fan of Taylor Swift, you’ll enjoy reading this collection, listening to the inspiration songs, and thinking about how they relate to one another.

Here are a few of my favorite stories:

It Happened One Wednesday (Begin Again) by Lynn Painter
This one is so funny and cute, I was giggling and kicking my feet (metaphorically). I love second chance romance and dual POV and cuties who are so into each other they can’t help but stare at one another in delight. Sadie and Jess are adorable and I’m so glad Jess banished that ex from Sadie’s mind. It’s pretty clear he was always the one for her. Sigh. Also, it’s not surprising to me I loved this one after loving Lynn Painter’s The Do-Over last year

The Cardigan in Question (Cardigan) by Julie Murphy
Cardigan is one of my favorite Taylor songs and I love the way Julie Murphy (already a favorite author) spun the song and turned it inside out to tell a new version. This one was so sad but also hopeful, dealing with grief, loss, and fear. Despite the sadness, there’s also so much love and joy to find, of you’re willing to seize it. And I always did wish Betty and August would get together.

This One’s Just for Us (Ours) by Jesse Q. Sutanto
I’ve read almost everything Jesse Q Sutanto has ever written so it’s no surprise that I loved this sweet, thoughtful story about two kids who don’t fit in trying to survive in a racist, bigoted town, and finding community and friendship with each other. I get why Ting’s dad moved them away from there, and why she hadn’t told Eric about her feelings and risked “ruining their friendship” but Taylor’ would tell you it’s worth it. The ending of this was perfect.

Once Upon a Grad Night (Willow) by Crystal Maldonado
Willow is my absolute favorite Taylor song and I’m so glad it had such a good story inspired by it, about letting go of your carefully arranged life, being spontaneous, and seizing the moment you desperately want. Pretty much the only thing I didn’t like was how short it was - it definitely needed to be longer because it had so much potential for character growth. I need to know how long Luca has liked Deja and if he came to grad night only to see her. I want to watch they fall In love.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin for an early copy of this book for review purposes.

[Alina West · Rating 5 out of 5]

'The grand gesture' ⭐⭐⭐⭐
"Grand gestures are my favourite parts of romance books and movies. When someone realizes their mistake in letting their one true love go and rushed through the airport to get them back"

'Everything unspoken' ⭐⭐⭐⭐
"I still want to sit and soak her in like the sun"

'This one's just for us' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
"The problem is, the more I like Eric as a friend, the more terrified I am of telling him that I really, really, really like him as more than that"

'It happened one wednesday' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
"Honestly? It's the expression i wear when I'm trying to convince myself not to be a jackass and kiss you when you in the middle of a sentence. It's rude to interrupt, but I was this close"

'Group project' ⭐⭐⭐⭐
"Aren't you missing out?"
"The only thing I miss is you"

'Brake for it' ⭐⭐⭐⭐
"I can't talk to anyone like I can talk to you. Not even her"

'Five summers' ⭐⭐⭐⭐
"Yeah, if we broke up, it would ruin me. But you're worth the risk, will, because I love you. I would love you even if you lost all your hair, your teeth, your arms, your toes."

'The cardigan in question' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
"I like spending time with you. I like that you're shy but underneath you're hiding a cute little sour attitude. I like your birthmark even though you always turn your head to the side so you can hide it. I like the way your eyelashes brush your cheeks and I like the way your mouth tastes."

'Once upon a grad night' ⭐⭐⭐⭐
"If tonight has taught me anything, it's that sometimes it's okay to let go of the ship's helm and get lost in the current"

'We're here now' ⭐⭐⭐⭐
"Like I said, I've wanted to go on a date with you for a long time. I'm not losing my chance now that you've finally said yes"

'Fools gold' ⭐⭐⭐
"She could still see him leaning over the cohnter at her father's shop, looking at her like she was the most beautiful thing in it"

'Ali gets a clue' ⭐⭐⭐⭐
"Hello, bi awakening, could you have not come at a worse time?"

'Creative differences' ⭐⭐⭐⭐
"I shouldn't have said all that. It's just the moment got away from me. You came in and started talking, and i've always wanted to talk to you. But our paths never crossed. I tried telling you the truth, but then i thought that if I told you I wasn't the school repairs- whatever department, you'd turn around and leave, and i didn't want that. The truth is, I've noticed you for a couple of years now."

[Liz ☆ · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 ✨️ rounded up | I think this was a very cute idea and I enjoyed it as a whole. My biggest complaints are: Fifteen felt very misplaced somehow and some of them felt like they were missing something or made no sense to the song chosen. I did find some new authors to check out, so I consider that a plus.

My individual rankings below:

3☆ - The Grand Gesture | Thought it was cute to see their friendship (+ Oliver SUCKED), but 'Fifteen' didn't click for me in this. Could've been replaced with literally any other song from TS2 or 3, but I digress lol

3☆ - Everything Unspoken |  A fun take on Romeo + Juliet with its 'Love Story' ending rather than tragedy. The magic element was pretty fun too.

4.5☆ - This One's Just For Us | YOU'RE KIDDING! Made me a lover of 'Ours' all over again and the 2 main characters have my whole heart.

3.5☆ - It Happened One Wednesday | Painter knows cute romance + she did 'Begin Again' justice. (lovingly) lay OFF the chucks + redheads. it's her main go-tos and it's getting boring lol

2.5☆ - Group Project | Got to be honest - had no idea how this really went with 'Style'. It lacked a lot, but the dark room scene was pretty good.

4.5☆ - Brake For It | I thought this was going exactly how 'Getaway Car' went until right at the end and what a treat the ending was. I support women's rights... and wrongs.

4☆ - Five Summers | Love a good complicated yearning to messy situations to not speaking to lovers in true 'Cruel Summer' form.

4☆ - The Cardigan In Question | August + Betty are together in my mind, so it was so fun to see 'Cardigan' turned around in this one to make it a reality.

3.5☆ - Once Upon a Grad Night | A very sweet and pure version of 'Willow' that had me routing for them. A lot of brushed off serious talk though, so it felt odd.

2.5☆ - We're Here Now | Wanted to like it so bad because of 'Hits Different', but this one was a pretty big let down. Main characters' dynamic was nice, though.

4☆ - Fool's Gold | The concept of magic + gemstones coming together in this way is amazing. The whole time, I was picturing the 'Bejeweled' music video! Eh on the ending though.

3.5☆ - Ali Gets A Clue | Loved how complicated the feelings were, especially between best friends. 'The Black Dog' tie was basically the cafe lol didn't fully feel it with this one, but loved their confession to each other.

4.5☆ - Creative Differences | This was so cute and really played heavy on obvious references to 'TTPD', which was so fun. A fated meet-cute that I will always route for!

[K. Schroeder · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well this was adorable.

13 authors choose 13 Taylor Swift song to give us 13 short stories about love.

Some were truly great and some were a little weird. Many of them had fun twists at the end.

The Grand Gesture - 4/5 - Had me worried for a second but that ending was a win.
Everything Unspoken - 3/5 - A little more melodramatic then my tastes but fun.
This One's Just For Us - 5/5 - This was the first one where the payoff was exceptional. Usually you need a whole book to get that lighthearted feeling at the end.
It Happened One Wednesday - 5/5 - Lynn Painter got me kicking my feet in happiness again. So unexpected in its sweetness.
Group Project - 2/5 - Not bad but it felt unfinished.
Brake For It - 4/5 - Hilarious, I was anxious, I was annoyed and boy did I have egg on my face at the end.
Five Summers - 3/5 - I'm sorry I need more of Will groveling to let me forgive him. His redemption was not earned.
The Cardigan in Question - 3/5 - This was cute but so awkward.
One Upon a Grad Night - 3/5 - I feel like there is a good way and a bad way to do a Manic Pixie Dream Boy. This was somehow both.
We're Here Now - 4/5 - With so little story there was so much payoff.
Fool's Gold - 1/5 - This just did not fit here. It's not a love story, and there is suddenly magic?
Ali Gets A Clue - 4/5 - Yes, give me that yearning and feelings expressed in playlists!
Creative Differences - 4/5 - This is not how I would have ended the book but it was a cute story.

I think The Grand Gesture was a great way to start the collection but I would have ended with Ali Gets a Clue. I think it would have rounded out better because it uses music to tell a love story. Overall, we got a lot of diverse stories and I think they did a great job of linking the story to the song. As a Taylor Swift fan but not quite a swifty I think this collection will be a win with most of her fans.

[Kaela · Rating 4 out of 5]

My thoughts on each of them:

The grand gesture: This one was pretty cliché, but it matched the song “Fifteen” so well. I really liked how it showcased that you need your best friend more than any guy.

Everything unspoken: I love how they made Romeo and Juliet into a fantasy short story.

This one’s just for us (ours): this was soooo cute.

It happened one Wednesday (begin again): THIS ONE WAS SOO CUTEE. Ahh I love Lynn painter’s writing.

Group project (style): AGHH WHATT. I want more from this, it was way too short!!

Brake for it (getaway car): I loved the plot twist of this one. It really was giving getaway car!

Five summers (cruel summer): when I didn’t think these short stories could get better..THEY JUST DID! Omg, I was so hooked into this one. I swear I was so immersed, I was going to start tearing up near the end. I’m always a sucker for friends to lovers, but the heartbreaking points and yearning... Omg. This was sooo short, but it was written so well, this was all I needed.

The cardigan in question (cardigan): I always enjoy the classic love triangle but this one had a twist!

Once upon a grad night (willow): no comments, but it’s still good.

We’re here now (hits different): mmmm idk abt this one, I feel like Nate deserves better..

Fool’s gold (bejeweled): I need to read more heist stories.

Ali gets a clue (black dog): love the Gracie Abrams shoutout.

Creative differences (ttpd): this one didn’t really have much attention…

Overall, these short stories were fun to read! My favourite were definitely “It Happened One Wednesday”, “Group Project”, and “Five Summers”!

[Lauren · Rating 2 out of 5]

13 Little Love Stories takes the cute concept of giving each author a Taylor Swift song (one from each album/era) and asking them to write a short story inspired by said song with the focus on love - be it romantic, familial or platonic.

Besides the Taylor Swift influence, this collection is not for me so I have taken that into account with my rating and reflected more on if I think it nailed the concept it was trying to achieve or not. I think it was a reasonable effort but apart from a few standouts (Lynn Painter's witty writing elevated her story above most; Jesse Q. Sutanto's story was very sweet; Julie Murphy's story was the most on point with its Taylor inspiration centering the story around the elusive cardigan) the rest either felt quite samey-samey - two stories in a row featured characters who were photographer's for the school paper/year book. Quite a few of the short stories also felt very surface level with how Taylor's highlighted song was used, which was disappointing.

My one final quibble is the intended audience for this collection doesn't sit quite right: it's supposed to be 12 years and up but a few of the stories deal with quite heavy matters, as well as characters who are out of high school and dealing with grown up relationships and situations. I think it should be 14+ at the earliest.

2.5 stars rounded down.
Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC!

[cara ☾ · Rating 3 out of 5]

I requested this because I am such a big Lynn Painter fan and must read everything of hers. I was hesitant since I don’t normally love short stories as much since they are all typically fast burn and very rushed. However, I figured this would be a good way to try to expand my horizons and try some new authors as well.

My favorite of the stories were “This One’s Just For Us”, “It Happened One Wednesday”, and “The Cardigan in Question”. The rest were good, but didn’t stick out to me as much. I enjoyed how some of the stories weren’t just focused on romantic relationships but friendships as well, that was so refreshing to read. The friends to lovers ones were my favorites as well, can never go wrong with that. I did have fun and these are super cute if you want a sweet, lighthearted read.

Thank you to netgalley, the publisher and the author for providing me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.