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

336 pages, Paperback

Expected publication 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, and the forthcoming It’s Elementary. 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

[𝜗𝜚 𝙩𝙖𝙨𝙞𝙖 (semi hiatus to lock in)]

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

[ଘRory (Hiatus )]

💖 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💌🪩🏹🥂💖

[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 !!

[angelpompom]

If Lynn Painter writes it, I read it. Simple math.

[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.

[Taylor]

Honestly, this is exactly what it sounds like it is

[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.

[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.

[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.

[Livvy ｡𖦹°‧ {Gerard Gibson’s #1 supporter} · Rating 3 out of 5]

𝕊𝕡𝕠𝕚𝕝𝕖𝕣 𝔽𝕣𝕖𝕖

୨ৎ 𝘚𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘕𝘦𝘵𝘎𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘶𝘣𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘨𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘦 𝘢𝘯 𝘈𝘙𝘊 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘯 𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸 <3

✮ ˚｡𖦹𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐆𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐆𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 {𝐧𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐚 𝟏} 𝐛𝐲 𝐄𝐥𝐬𝐢𝐞 𝐁𝐫𝐲𝐚𝐧𝐭 ⋆｡°✩

｡𖦹🌷°‧𝒮𝑜𝓃𝑔: 𝐹𝒾𝒻𝓉𝑒𝑒𝓃 𝒷𝓎 𝒯𝒶𝓎𝓁𝑜𝓇 𝒮𝓌𝒾𝒻𝓉

⋆˚࿔ This novella was cute! I loved all the Twilight references and it was fun and quirky! It wasn’t perfect by any means but it was a cute and fun one to start out with! It was mostly about friendship which I think is sweet! Friendships are some of the most important relationships a person can have imo lol. The thing that I loved most was when she was “dancing like Kendrick Lamar's halftime show”. I got flashbacks to that super bowl that I did not know I needed 💀 Harriet was kinda meh at first but redeems herself in the end obv lol. I loved Gaile! She was so sweet and iconic! Overall this wasn’t the BEST novella but it was a good intro! 3★

⋆ ˚｡ ⋆𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐔𝐧𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐤𝐞𝐧 {𝐧𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐚 𝟐} 𝐛𝐲 𝐉. 𝐄𝐥𝐥𝐞 ♡⋆ ˚｡ ⋆

✧˖🕊️°.𝒮𝑜𝓃𝑔: 𝐿𝑜𝓋𝑒 𝒮𝓉𝑜𝓇𝓎 𝒷𝓎 𝒯𝒶𝓎𝓁𝑜𝓇 𝒮𝓌𝒾𝒻𝓉

⋆˙⟡ Ok so this one was def different… I wasn’t expecting any of these to be paranormal so that RLY took me by surprise. I have another book by this author and now I’m kinda scared to read it. This novella wasn’t awful but it was just kinda weird to me… I loved that it was forbidden romance which is what Love Story is abt lol but it felt weird and forced to me. The guy has anxiety and the girl has strict mean parents. And oh yeah she can read minds 💀 This one was not my favorite and it wasn’t as cute and fluffy as the last one but it was meh. 2★

⋅˚₊‧ 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐎𝐧𝐞’𝐬 𝐉𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐅𝐨𝐫 𝐔𝐬 {𝐧𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐚 𝟑} 𝐛𝐲 𝐉𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐞 𝐐. 𝐒𝐮𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐨 ‧₊˚ ⋅

⋆.📚˚ 𝒮𝑜𝓃𝑔: 𝒪𝓊𝓇𝓈 𝒷𝓎 𝒯𝒶𝓎𝓁𝑜𝓇 𝒮𝓌𝒾𝒻𝓉

✮⋆˙ AHHH ok this one was so cute and it filled me with sm happiness. First off I want to say that I love and admire this author for making diverse characters and a good autism rep. It was such a cute story and the plot was so cutesy. I loved that they made origami!! The whole meeting for lunch on the ledge was so so cute as well. It was very well written and I loved both the mc’s! Ting was so adorable and I loved her name 🤭 I also loved Eric and he was such a cutie patootie 💕 he was like a golden retriever but in human form! 5★

⋆｡‧˚ʚ 𝐈𝐭 𝐇𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐎𝐧𝐞 𝐖𝐞𝐝𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐝𝐚𝐲 {𝐧𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐚 𝟒} 𝐛𝐲 𝐋𝐲𝐧𝐧 𝐏𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫 ɞ˚‧｡⋆

-'🍷⁠*⁠.⁠𝒮𝑜𝓃𝑔: 𝐵𝑒𝑔𝒾𝓃 𝒜𝑔𝒶𝒾𝓃 𝒷𝓎 𝒯𝒶𝓎𝓁𝑜𝓇 𝒮𝓌𝒾𝒻𝓉

⋆⭒˚.⋆ When I tell you that this novella healed my soul I mean it. I ADORED THIS. omfg this one is hands down the best one. Am I biased because I love Lynn Painter? Yes. Do I care? Fuck no. I was giggling and kicking my feet the whole time and I was playing Begin Again and the vibes were VIBING. It felt like New York in fall mixed with a little Gilmore Girls magic and Sadie Sink. I will get to that in a min lmao. This novella was HILARIOUS. Just the little moments where they went to his uncle's house to ask him a favor and him and his buddies are playing uno like its poker like that is iconic. The little details like her wearing converse and her little niches that he remembered made me so happy. And the fact that they met in Freshman year in high school and finally see each other again in college?! So so cute. Ok so I will start with the fmc! Sadie was SO SO SWEET AND SASSY. I loved her and THE FACT THAT SHE WAS LITERALLY SADIE SINK MADE ME SO HAPPYYYY. She had red hair and that spunk to her with all the Sadie Sink vibes 🤭 I loved her and now for the mmc… *drum roll* JESSS!!! Ok so he's literally Jess Mariano? He was giving those vibes and they share the same name so my simple mind obv went there 💀 He was actually so sweet omg?! And the fact that he was riding a fucking scooter just for his sister was so funny and sweet! He was such a good listener and obv he remembered everything about her omg even her chapstick she had on her backpack. Like AWWWW that's a real man. I need them to have a full novel pls and thank you Lynn. I loved the romance and it was so sweet but also spicy yk? I don’t know how to describe it. It's mostly sweet but with hints of innuendo and flirtyness! I just love Lynn sm and I would happily inject the words she puts on paper into my bloodstream. Actually, I should look into that… But this novella was just the cutest thing ever and it has brought up the idea that Jess Mariano (a fictional dude) should date Sadie Sink (a real person)... I have been thinking on it and the more I think abt it the more it just makes sense lmfao. ♾️★

˙✧˖°𝐆𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐩 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐣𝐞𝐜𝐭 {𝐧𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐚 𝟓} 𝐛𝐲 𝐊𝐫𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐬 ༘ ⋆｡˚

✴︎👖˚｡⋆ 𝒮𝑜𝓃𝑔: 𝒮𝓉𝓎𝓁𝑒 𝒷𝓎 𝒯𝒶𝓎𝓁𝑜𝓇 𝒮𝓌𝒾𝒻𝓉

☾⋆｡°✩ Yeah so how about no? I rly did not like this one… at all. It was so odd. It was alr odd cos it was in 1989 (haha) and thats kinda when my parents were “in their prime” and that is so weird to me. I liked the 80’s and 90’s aspect of it… it was just weird either way lmao. To me it felt like if Harry and Taylor got back together but were my parents 💀🥀 Ryan not only needed to get the stick out of her ass but she needed to run far far away from that ugly James Dean Harry Styles wannabe. And Lando was not only a Harry Styles and James Dean wannabe but he also wanted to add a little Jonathan Byers flair in it. He was giving Jonathan standing outside of Nancy's window taking little pictures for him to look at at a later date… he was just ew. I DON’T HAVE ANYTHING AGAINST GUYS THAT TAKE PICTURES AND DO THAT KINDA STUFF BUT THIS GUY WAS CREEPY OK 😭 Not for me ig. 1★

𖦹 ׂ 𓈒 𝐁𝐫𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐅𝐨𝐫 𝐈𝐭 {𝐧𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐚 𝟔} 𝐛𝐲 𝐉𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐜𝐚 𝐆𝐨𝐨𝐝𝐦𝐚𝐧. ⋆ ۪

⋆˙🏎️⟡ 𝒮𝑜𝓃𝑔: 𝒢𝑒𝓉𝒶𝓌𝒶𝓎 𝒞𝒶𝓇 𝒷𝓎 𝒯𝒶𝓎𝓁𝑜𝓇 𝒮𝓌𝒾𝒻𝓉

❯❯❯ Uh ok wtf. I guess I should have expected what happened cos of the song but ummm… that was odd. This one was ALSO more about the friendship which I admire but also it wasn’t a great novella overall. The plot twist was def a surprise but that was abt it that I rly enjoyed. I liked Willa ok and same with Drew. Obv I hate Cam lol and I also didn’t like the fact that he was in a band… AGAIN NOTHING AGAINST BANDS OR GUYS IN BANDS BUT HE WAS ODD! So I don’t have many thoughts on this one lmao. 2★

𓆉°⋆𝐅𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐒𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐬 {𝐧𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐚 𝟕} 𝐛𝐲 𝐒𝐥𝐨𝐚𝐧 𝐇𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐨𝐰.࿔*:･

⋆˚☀️｡𝒮𝑜𝓃𝑔: 𝒞𝓇𝓊𝑒𝓁 𝒮𝓊𝓂𝓂𝑒𝓇 𝒷𝓎 𝒯𝒶𝓎𝓁𝑜𝓇 𝒮𝓌𝒾𝒻𝓉

⋆.˚ 𓇼 Ok so this one gets REALLY weird. Not only did the fmc mention she wanted to taste the guys sweat but when she actually did it was not pretty to read. I need a magic eraser for my eyeballs. It was very physical for a ya book too which doesn’t bug me but a TON of baby Taylor fans I’m sure will be wanting to read this and this one gets freaky. I liked the summer vibes but nothing else. The whole friends to lovers thing did not work out great here lol. Both Alex and Will were both annoying af too… 1.5★

˚˖𓍢ִ໋✧𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐢𝐠𝐚𝐧 𝐈𝐧 𝐐𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 {𝐧𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐚 𝟖} 𝐛𝐲 𝐉𝐮𝐥𝐢𝐞 𝐌𝐮𝐫𝐩𝐡𝐲˚.⋆

⋆.˚🧣⋆ 𝒮𝑜𝓃𝑔: 𝒞𝒶𝓇𝒹𝒾𝑔𝒶𝓃 𝒷𝓎 𝒯𝒶𝓎𝓁𝑜𝓇 𝒮𝓌𝒾𝒻𝓉

༄.° This one was actually cute!! I loved that it was sapphic!! However this book also made me question my very existence. This novella also had a dark side just as a warning. But COULD THIS LITERALLY BE THE FOLKLORE LOVE TRIANGLE BUT GAY?! {lmfao this is bringing out my inner swiftie from 2 years ago 💀} Like obv it has to be cos the one fmc is Betty and the other is August and the other one is… irrelevant apparently. This book had me giggling but also gagging cos WTF?! It was like all the songs in Folklore all mashed together {first part of This Is Me Trying and Mad Woman and mash them together and see what you get… iykyk} But it was cute!! I loved August and the fact that she stole the cardigan was so funny and cute! It was a super fun one and I loved the concept! Dark? Yes. But still cute? Also yes! Def a good one in here! 3.5★

⋆.˚✮ 𝐎𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐔𝐩𝐨𝐧 𝐀 𝐆𝐫𝐚𝐝 𝐍𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 {𝐧𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐚 𝟗} 𝐛𝐲 𝐂𝐫𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐌𝐚𝐥𝐝𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐝𝐨 ✮˚.⋆

⋆.🎤˚ 𝒮𝑜𝓃𝑔: 𝒲𝒾𝓁𝓁𝑜𝓌 𝒷𝓎 𝒯𝒶𝓎𝓁𝑜𝓇 𝒮𝓌𝒾𝒻𝓉

♬⋆.˚ This one was meh. It was good and not as creepy and weird as some of the other ones so that was refreshing 💀 I liked both the characters but I don’t have much to say about them because it was just meh. It wasn’t one of the ones that kept me hooked but it wasn’t awful. I liked Deja and Luca and it ended cute and Lucas' obsession with the band was funny but overall it wasn’t rly anything memorable. 3★

⋆｡°✩ 𝐖𝐞’𝐫𝐞 𝐇𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐍𝐨𝐰 {𝐧𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐚 𝟏𝟎} 𝐛𝐲 𝐊𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐌𝐜𝐆𝐞𝐞 ࣪✧˖°

.✦🌃݁˖ 𝒮𝑜𝓃𝑔: 𝐻𝒾𝓉𝓈 𝒟𝒾𝒻𝒻𝑒𝓇𝑒𝓃𝓉 𝒷𝓎 𝒯𝒶𝓎𝓁𝑜𝓇 𝒮𝓌𝒾𝒻𝓉

⏾⋆.˚ So when I would start all of these novellas I would write down all my thoughts so I could compare and I had HIGH HOPES GUYS. I adore this song and I was BEGGING for this one to do it justice… it didn’t. I feel like most of these novellas are made up of weird cheating assholes and guys with a superhero complex trying to swoop in and save the day…It was ok at first like forbidden love? Yes please. But then the whole cheating thing WITH A GIRL NAMED OLIVIA LIKE NO. And then her running to the next best thing? No thank you. It wasn’t super sweet and at first it was looking promising cos of the song and it kinda matched up and I loved how it said “love is a lie” I thought that was cool but overall it was odd and the romance was weird. It was also very physical and lusty for a ya novel but yk who am I to judge? I HATED Thomas and Carly and Nate were just meh. But the fact that carly worked at Google was kinda funny. 2.5★

˚⟡⊰⋆ 𝐅𝐨𝐨𝐥’𝐬 𝐆𝐨𝐥𝐝 {𝐧𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐚 𝟏𝟏} 𝐛𝐲 𝐋𝐚𝐮𝐫𝐚 𝐒𝐞𝐛𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐚𝐧 ⋆⊱⟡˚

‧₊˚💎✩ ₊˚𝒮𝑜𝓃𝑔: 𝐵𝑒𝒿𝑒𝓌𝑒𝓁𝑒𝒹 𝒷𝓎 𝒯𝒶𝓎𝓁𝑜𝓇 𝒮𝓌𝒾𝒻𝓉

✧˖°. Ok that was actually kinda good! It REALLY felt like Bejeweled by Taylor and really the whole Midnights album! It wasn’t rly a romance but it was good! It also made me laugh that all of their names were gems lol. It was cute! Tourmaline was sweet and I liked her friends! I didn’t like Jasper tho lol. I have nothing else to say cos it was just there lmaooo. 3.5★

♫⋆｡♪ 𝐀𝐥𝐢 𝐆𝐞𝐭𝐬 𝐀 𝐂𝐥𝐮𝐞 {𝐧𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐚 𝟏𝟐} 𝐛𝐲 𝐉𝐞𝐧𝐧𝐢𝐟𝐞𝐫 𝐃𝐮𝐠𝐚𝐧₊˚♬ ﾟ.

📼⋆.˚𝒮𝑜𝓃𝑔: 𝒯𝒽𝑒 𝐵𝓁𝒶𝒸𝓀 𝒟𝑜𝑔 𝒷𝓎 𝒯𝒶𝓎𝓁𝑜𝓇 𝓈𝓌𝒾𝒻𝓉

✩♬₊˚. The moment I realized I had read a book by Jennifer I was screaming and losing my fucking mind cos I LOVED the book I read and knowing this was by the same author gave me hope and IT DID NOT LET ME DOWN! I loved that it was lgbtqia! The diversity is so good and The Black Dog fits so well!! “Old habits die screaming” I loved the fact that it was best friends to lovers too! It was written so well considering they had like 20 pages to write it lol. It was just a rly cute novella!! I loved Ali and I also loved Brynne!! Brynne especially cos I related to her FARRRR too much!! So cute!! 5★

✧˚ ༘𝐂𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐃𝐢𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐬 {𝐧𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐚 𝟏𝟑} 𝐛𝐲 𝐒𝐚𝐫𝐚 𝐒𝐡𝐞𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐝 ⋆｡˚

⊹₊ 📜⋆ 𝒮𝑜𝓃𝑔: 𝒯𝒽𝑒 𝒯𝑜𝓇𝓉𝓊𝓇𝑒𝒹 𝒫𝑜𝑒𝓉𝓈 𝒟𝑒𝓅𝒶𝓇𝓉𝓂𝑒𝓃𝓉 𝒷𝓎 𝒯𝒶𝓎𝓁𝑜𝓇 𝒮𝓌𝒾𝒻𝓉

‧₊˚ ☾. ⋅ This was cute! It felt like Chicago the musical meets He’s All That lolll. It was a good ending!! Even though it wasn’t my fav by any means it was good! I liked Max and the vibes he gave but I did not love his long hair lmao… I really liked Vi too! Not anything super special but it was cute and it fit the vibes of the song! 3★

⏔⏔⏔ ꒰ ᧔ෆ᧓ ꒱ ⏔⏔⏔

‧˚꒰💕୭ ˚. ᵎᵎ 𝐎𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐥𝐥
₊˚⊹♡ This was a super quick and easy read!! I averaged my ratings and got 3 stars and I think that fits perfectly!! Even though I may not have loved some of them, thank you so much to all the authors and CONGRATS!! You’ve got a great book on your hands <3

[Page-Turner]

𐙚⋆.˚ Pre-read 𝜗𝜚⋆₊˚
Lynn Painter AND Taylor Swift??!?!
Talk about worlds collide.
Don't wake me up, I'm living the dreammm 🩷🩷🩷

[donutqueenie · Rating 3 out of 5]

OVERALL- ⭐️⭐️⭐️
I love Taylor Swift’s music!! There’s a lot of variety here. Some characters are in high school and some are in college. Some stories have good plot and development despite few pages and some are just poorly written. Some are in third person POV and some are dual first person POV. Most stories were very cute. I thought the song choices were a little odd and was surprised when some of Taylor’s most popular songs weren’t included (like All Too Well, You Belong With Me, Shake It Off, and Blank Space). This book is marketed to children 12 and up and had content I would definitely not deem appropriate for a child. My favorites are Creative Differences, Once Upon a Grad Night, and Group Project.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.
Release date 6/30/26.



1- The Grand Gesture by Elise Bryant
🎵“Fifteen”

Harriet is a freshman at a new high school and finds her first love and a new BFF.

4⭐️ I love the Football Team is a BAND!! So cute. It captured the first half of the song “Fifteen” and that pain of first love so well! The tone is whimsy. The layout of the story was a bit weird with the flashbacks and “artifacts.” This is a story about friendship.
—

2- Everything Unspoken by J. Elle
🎵 “Love Story”

RJ and Jules come from warring families in a small town but they just want to be together. (TW: parent hitting child)

2⭐️ I liked the magical realism but it was so oddly intense for no reason that it was unintentionally funny. The tone is dark and I cringed more than once. I don’t think this one matches the song very well except throwing pebbles.
—

3- This One’s Just For Us by Jesse Q. Sutanto
🎵”Ours”

Ting and Eric are seniors in high school and both bullied for different reasons but find solace in each other.

3⭐️ I liked the representation but I didn’t the cursing because it was distracting from the story. I think this one matched the song well but the tone of the writing feels dry. Very cute ending.
—

4- It Happened One Wednesday by Lynn Painter
🎵“Begin Again”

Sadie is waiting for a blind date and runs into an old friend. (TW: alcohol, cigars)

3⭐️The tone is sweet. It’s dual POV and very cute. It fit the song very well (based on reading all of Lynn Painter’s other books, this wasn’t surprising!)
—

5- Group Project by Krystal Marquis
🎵“Style”

Ryan gets paired with her ex boyfriend Lando for a group project.

4⭐️ The tone is cute and the story is about second chances. I think it fit the song well.
—

6- Brake For it by Jessica Goodman
🎵“Getaway Car”

Willa finds out her crush and best friend Cameron is newly single during their senior year of high school. (TW: mar!juana)

2⭐️ I didn’t like the vibe of this one. I don’t think it matched the song well.

——

7
Five Summers by Sloan Harlow
🎵”Cruel Summer”

Will and Alexandra are ex-friends with benefits that reunite unexpectedly.

3⭐️I liked the structure of this story with the flashbacks. The ending was super cute. The tone is serious.
—

8- The Cardigan in Question by Julie Murphy
🎵“Cardigan”

Betty loses a sweater and must agree to date the girl that found it in order to get it back.

1⭐️ DNF Not for me. I did like the vascular (port wine) birthmark representation. I do think it fit the song well with all the names Betty, August, Peter, and Wendy.
—

9- Once Upon a Grad Night by Crystal Maldonado
🎵“Willow”

The overachieving premed student Deja ditches the event she planned for the senior class when a cute friend Luca invites her to a concert.

4⭐️ I liked this one. It was very cute and well written. It fits the song.
—

10- We’re Here Now by Katherine McGhee
🎵“Hits Different”

Carly navigates a secret relationship with a coworker. (TW: alcohol, infidelity)

3⭐️ Cute story but it doesn’t go with the song well because it’s reversed. In the song the breakup hits different because it wasn’t easy to move on from. Carly moves on very fast in this story. But I do love a good friends to lovers, “it was always you” moment.

—
11- Fool’s Gold by Laura Sebastian
🎵“Bejeweled”

1⭐️ DNF Not for me. I didn’t like the content or writing in this one.

—
12- Ali Gets a Clue by Jennifer Dugan
🎵 “The Black Dog”

1⭐️ DNF Not for me. I didn’t like the content or writing in this one.

—
13- Creative Differences by Sara Shepard
🎵 “The Tortured Poets Department”

Violet is in detention and get a mysterious message that leads her to meeting a mysterious person.

4⭐️This one was so fun to read! Very well written and goes well with the song. The tone is truly for the swifties and very tongue in cheek. I loved it.

[Em · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars
13 Little Love Stories was a sweet collection of short stories that I ultimately had an okay time reading. As a pretty big Taylor Swift song that knew all of these songs, I was very excited to see them come to life. I loved how some of the authors interpreted the books, and it was nice to just read something short and easy. I got through it very quickly, unlike some other books.
One of the issues I found in this book was that the stories were not consistent at all. Of course, it was written by 13 different authors, so their writing styles aren’t going to be the same, but some were a lot longer than others, and the degree of similarity with the songs the stories were based off of them were huge. The varying lengths aren’t too much of a problem when I think about it now. I just had a few stories I really liked that seemed very cut short, while some stories (a particular one) I disliked a lot, and I was just wondering when it was going to end. Writing down all of their page numbers now, the longest story was 28 pages, written by Elise Bryant, who I also believe is the one hosting this collaboration, and the shortest was 20 pages. It may not seem like a huge difference, but when 10 pages are ⅓ of a story, it is a lot of difference in my opinion. Whether the length of the stories is decided by the authors themselves or the publishing company/Elise Bryant, I really wish some could’ve been expanded on more. Next, the amount of references towards Taylor Swift were close to barely anything in most of the stories, and when an author really tried to follow the song, I just had to hate the story because of how cheesy it was, and it made me kind of sad. Like it’s fine to deviate from the song but if you didn’t tell me which song was which for half of them I wouldn’t have known. Some of the stories were great while others were absolutely horrendous. For a book called 13 Little Love Stories, some weren’t even love stories, which I don’t mind, but for branding purposes that’s pretty bad.

Here’s a compilation of all the short stories, their names, what song they were based on, the author, and the page number, ordered from most liked to least liked according to me. For the page count, this might change because I read the advanced reader's copy, so keep that in mind. My full reviews of each one will be below.

It Happened One Wednesday - Begin Again - Lynn Painter - 25 pages
I think this was my favorite story out of all of them, but This One’s Just For Us is a close runner up. It was a perfect mix of Begin Again and Lynn Painter’s romcom style, it felt like being wrapped in a fuzzy blanket of a new love. The humor is great and so is the fact that they met each other in high school and its kind of a reunion!

This One’s Just For Us - Ours - Jesse Q. Sutanto - 21 pages
I really liked this story and how Sutanto interpreted Ours, I absolutely ate it up, she totally deserved to have more pages in this book. One part of it felt very rushed, and I wonder if it’s because of a possible page limit? Anyways, super sweet and great.

The Cardigan In Question - Cardigan - Julie Murphy - 25 pages
Really liked this story, I liked how the author interpreted the song well enough to include themes from it but change it ever so slightly to show their creativity, which some people did not do (cough cough J. Elle).

We’re Here Now - Hits Different - Katharine McGee - 25 pages
Loved this story honestly, from the tech bros to the friends to lovers, again even though I really enjoyed it and have nothing I would change, I don’t think it relates to Hits Different because she and her lover had never broken up and instead it was a relationship beforehand that the main character had broken up with, yet she never cared about him that much. So why Hits Different? And that song is not happy, this story was very happy, which isn’t a bad thing, the storyline is just entirely different.

Creative Differences - The Tortured Poets Department - Sara Shepard - 23 pages
So a pretty fun and kind of “get over him” story. I do like how the characters show their little quirks and the slight plot twist but it doesn’t go very in depth, nothing really happens, but it was nice!

Brake For It - Getaway Car - Jessica Goodman - 23 pages
This was a really fun story! I liked the break from romance after romance, and played into the actual song very well. 9/10 actually going back to this it is a compilation of love stories so I guess it didn’t follow the theme given very well?

Fool’s Gold - Bejeweled - Laura Sebastian - 20 pages
The worldbuilding was great, but again this wasn’t a love story. There was a lot that I think could’ve been elaborated on, it’s very surface level.

Once Upon A Grad Night - Willow - Crystal Maldonado - 20 pages
This was a sweet story, it didn’t stir anything in me, but I think if Maldonado had more pages to fully flesh out both of the characters it would’ve been better. I see no correlation between this story and the song Willow though, aside from her following him around but that’s not enough for me. Their love is almost instantaneous, it’s only the first day in the story while Willow’s lyrics make it seem like a more long and deep term relationship.

Ali Gets a Clue - The Black Dog - Jennifer Dugan - 23 pages
Only thing related to The Black Dog was the fact that the coffee shop was called that. What happens has nothing to do with what happens in the Black Dog, which is kind of disappointing because the story itself isn’t terrible, and I really wish that Dugan used the song more when creating her story.

Group Project - Style - Krystal Marquis - 20 pages
Sweet, but got absolutely nothing from it. They just argue and make up. I wish there was more to it, honestly.

Five Summers - Cruel Summer - Sloan Harlow - 27 pages
This did not have to be as long as it was. The whole story is just miscommunication after miscommunication which was a bit frustrating, but it wasn’t bad. The Summer idea was repeated a lot in the story but other than that there was nothing that was similar to the actual song.

The Grand Gesture - 15 - Elise Bryant - 28 pages
Nice idea, this just felt very self insert for the main character, I wish it was another short story that started this book off. I feel like Bryant really wanted to make that quirky high school teenager who’s obsessed with Twilight and romance movies. She also turns her nose up at the art deco, lit fic and band player kind of stereotype, if you understand what I mean. Like the people who watch the Dead Poet’s Society and write poems and music in their free time and think they’re better than those who read smut or something. I kind of understood where she was coming from, I’ve met people with that sort of complex, but honestly I think some of those people were really cool and it kind of icked me out to hear her talk to her friend about how much she loves Edward Cullen because like girl you are not better than those people. It’s giving pick me, and gave me bad vibes. Again it just felt like she was a character written right out of a Wattpad fanfic of “One Direction Kidnapped Me” and yeah if you can get that vibe. In no way did it have to be this long, but I guess it’s because Bryant is hosting the collab.

Everything Unspoken - Love Story - J. Elle - 25 pages
Elle tries to play into the fantasy genre for this but everything is just so cheesy like two families own different shops in this town yet their rivalry is bad enough to get someone hanged? It wasn’t realistic at all, it was like she owns a meat shop and he owns a cupcake shop but their families hate each other the same way Romeo and Juliet did? This was the one story I think the author tried a bit too hard to have it relate to the original story. She tried to make the rivalry sound really bad but the reason for it made no sense. If she really wanted them to hate each other she could’ve made it into something in modern high society or they’re academic rivals or something. She wants the best of both worlds yet she gets absolutely nothing out of it. And then she has to include this random thing about reading minds? It just made everything chaotic, and not in a good way. It made me cringe the whole time I was reading. It was so bad. I mean, at least it didn’t have any spelling mistakes or grammatical errors, but that’s its only saving grace. If I was rating this separately it would be a 2 stars. This was also the story I wish was shortened or completely removed or rewritten because some of my favorite stories are 20 pages while this one gets 25. Like what?

This book had a lot of highs and lows, so read if you’re fine with that, but honestly I wouldn’t recommend unless you’re a big Taylor Swift fan. It’s not bad, it just could’ve been a lot better, and I was a bit disappointed.

[astra]

was not expecting that list of authors

[Catherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a delightful collection of short stories! Of course given the nature of it, I loved some more than others, but it was all in all really enjoyable. And I say this as someone who is mostly unfamiliar with most of Taylor Swift's recent songs.

1. The Grand Gesture by Elise Bryant - 5/5
This was such a surprise! I wasn't sure where the story was going but when I realized what it was trying to tell it made me smile so much. I love the main relationship in this and how Harrite figured out what matters most!

2. Everything Unspoken by J. Elle - 3.5/5
This one was quite intense. I found the mind reading and romeo and juliet concepts really interesting. But the pacing for this concept was way too quick and I feel this didn't fit a short story format.

3. This One's Just for Us by Jesse Q. Sutanto - 4/5
A really cute story! Ting and Eric found each other at the exact right time when they needed someone and their connection was so authentic and sweet. The messages were adorable and so was the ending.

4. It Happened One Wednesday by Lynn Painter - 5/5
Swoon! I love Lynn Painter's banter in dialogue. The reunion between Sadie and Jess was so full of sparks and chemistry and it's no wonder they didn't want to end their time together yet. I also loved the group of older men and the cards, how fun!

5. Group Project by Krystal Marquis - 3/5
I loved the angst of this, the conflict of going in different directions and disagreeing about life is compelling, but I also didn't feel that attatched, I don't know why, maybe it's because there wasn't enough time to see these characters interact before caring about their relationship. Plus the ending gave no certain closure.

6. Brake for it by Jessica Goodman - 3/5
I don't really know what to think of this one. I loved the ending because I didn't see it coming, and it was quite a twist. But at the same time, maybe it was too misleading for the reader? Not sure how to put it, but yeah it was fine.

7. Five Summers by Sloan Harlow - 5/5
Oh, I thought this one was so good! And I say this as best friends isn't my usual favourite trope. But the format of showing each summer and then the present was so good, I loved it. And it had some amazing yearning in it. The ending was also super sweet. Love love!!!

8. The Cardigan in Question by Julie Murphy - 4.5/5
Another surprise of a story! Even though the pace was fast I thought it was lovely. At first I wasn't sure about August considering she was a bit forward at first, but it was clear that's what Betty needed. The grief was portrayed well, and I loved Betty and August's talk in the tree. And the ending was sweet with how nervous August was!

9. Once Upon A Grad Night by Crystal Maldonado - 5/5
Oh I loved this one too! There's no better night than grad night to do things you've never done before. The chemistry and atmosphere in this book was so good and I loved the vulnerability and the cupcakes. The dance was so picturesque and romantic. Can I also say the fortune tree is a beautiful concept.

10. We're Here Now by Katherine McGee - 2/5
This one.. felt a bit strange to me. The story felt kind of distant and unemotional, and the way the couple got together in the end felt anticlimactic, especially since she'd just broke up to it felt too sudden.

11. Fool's Gold by Laura Sebastian - 3/5
The powers and the settings with the jewels were super cool. I found myself pretty confused with the plot, though the revenge and friendships the MC made were really great.

12. Ali Gets a Clue by Jennifer Dugan - 5/5
So cute! I loved this one! The yearning and hiding of feelings of both of them was such an epitome of pining. I loved the MC's introspection, it was really funny and made me laugh. And the playlist used as a sort of confession? That was PERFECT. The ending was so emotional and just perfection!

13. Creative Differences by Sara Shepard - 4/5
This one was really fun. I loved the dynamic between the two as she stumbled into his room by accident and they started talking. The chemistry was sweet, and I loved how she wrote that essay about her ex. Not the best idea but still amazing! Max the poet is definitely swoony and I love how the story didn't rush anything and left it be for the future!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced copy!

[Elizabeth Nicole · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found the thirteen stories in this anthology to be quite a mixed bag. There were some I thought were excellent, a few I thought were kind of a mixed bag or forgettable and a few I downright didn't enjoy. Overall I would recommend it if you're a Taylor Swift fan though because most of them do a pretty decent job at catching the essence of each of the songs they're inspired by.

The following is each of the stories and a little bit of what I thought about each one so this doesn't get to be too long.

1. The Grand Gesture - Elise Bryant
I found this one to be super fun, it was probably one of the most directly and closely inspired by a song, Fifteen. Definitely one of the highlights.

2. Everything Unspoken - J. Elle
I felt that this one was trying to do too much within a limited number of pages. I don't think being able to hear each other's thoughts and such was needed. Could've just been a bitter rivalry for getting her brother arrested.

3. This One's Just For Us ~ Jesse Q. Sutanto
This one was really sweet. I liked seeing people from different walks of life that were both bullied coming together and experiencing a deep affection for each other. Cute!

4. It Happened One Wednesday ~ Lynn Painter
I liked this one so much. Loved their banter. Loved that he remembered things about her. Loved that it was a reconnection. Loved his uncle and their fancy uno. So much fun. I think this may have actually been my favorite story in the entire collection.

5. Group Project ~ Krystal Marquis
This one was fine.. It's a much more loose adaptation of the song. It was more like the song happened after the story. It wasn't all that exciting but it wasn't exactly bad either. Sorta middle of the road.

6. Brake For It - Jessica Goodman
I actually didn't think I'd like this one at first but it took a fun female friendship twist and I loved it. Heck yeah. Show the man who's boss and that he can't lie to ruin your reputation. This one ended up being a highlight.

7. Five Summers - Sloan Harlow
This one didn't really work for me. He showed disinterest basically the entire time except for the end and it was almost exhausting to read at points. She deserved better. Definitely not my fave.

8. The Cardigan in Question - Julie Murphy
This one was sorta unexpected. I didn't know what direction it was going to take at first, I wouldn't say I was totally in love with it but I didn't hate it either. It was fairly solid. I liked the connections it made to the song Cardigan.

9. Once Upon A Grad Night - Crystal Maldonado
Thoroughly enjoyed this one. I thought it was super sweet and cute. It didn't feel that connected to the song other than he wrecked her plans I guess. Don't have a lot to say about it.

10. We're Here Now - Katherine McGee
This one I didn't really like at all. It felt poorly paced, it felt like he was just a rebound and I didn't buy their relationship dynamic at all. It sorta followed the song but that's about the only compliment I'm willing to give it. I also found it boring.

11. Fool's Gold - Laura Sebastian
This one was honestly weird. Like it wasn't really a romance. They were stealing gemstones from rich people and her ex was the guy who taught her to steal them. I kinda liked the magical powers and stuff in this one when I didn't in the Love Story inspired one because it felt more natural. But this one was almost odd?

12. Ali Gets A Clue - Jennifer Dugan
I found this one to be pretty cute overall, but it wasn't super memorable. It got the point of the song across but compared to some of the other stories it just wasn't as exciting or interesting.

13. Creative Differences - Sara Shepard
I actually really liked this one a lot and I found it to be a fantastic way to end the anthology. I won't give too much away but I feel like it almost had a small magical element to it? even if it wasn't directly addressed /as/ magic and it made for a fun and intriguing reading experience. I also kept picturing the Fortnight music video so that was fun.

Thank you to Penguin Young Readers Group, GP Putnam's Sons and NetGalley for the ARC to honestly review.

[Cadence Boudreaux · Rating 2 out of 5]

I can’t earnestly review an entire collection so i’ll write my reviews for each story separately!

Story one - fifteen.
BAD! I’d probably give this one star by itself . I understand and see what it was attempting to achieve it obviously didn’t have the proper space to try and do that. I didn’t really establish her friendship as important and so when she lost it i didn’t care as much as she did . Sorry girl. Also jesus , chill on the twilight mentions a bit? also isn’t this a love story collection? and it opens with a story about love sucking because she personally lied in her relationship? not for me .


Story Two - Love story
maybe i was too harsh on story one because this was even worse than the last? Romeo and Juliette has to be one of the easiest stories to retell , especially with the song for a storyboard . And yet? it falls so flat of the emotions and story. Again it doesn’t go with the song really , they’re forbidden lovers yes but they do not run away they end up defying standards . I don’t know i didn’t like this one at all.

Story Three - Ours

Definitely the best so far , it’s not how i interpret the song but it’s much closer to what it’s trying to be and i admire that. I do wish the ending was a bit different! but this was very fun and i liked the chemistry!

Story Four - begin again (LYNN!!!!)
PERFECT!
This is the type of energy i want the entire collection to have . Now i’m biased i admit, I love Lynn painter and her writing , but i can also tell through her story that she gets the song and is adapting it . Calling back to lyrics , banter , laughing . It’s all so fairytale and so taylor swift . This was a perfect novella and such a good adaption of begin again. I wish the entire collection was like this .

Story 5- Style
Please hold your shock when i say i wasn’t a fan of this . It was okay! It had several callbacks to lyrics which was nice but it felt like a weird song choice and storyline for a collection about love stories . It did what it needed not much to say.

Story 6- Getaway Car
this is not a love story again, which means it’s bad for the collection??? but it was such a funny ending i laughed . This one feels like a tumblr imagine that’s like “one direction does this and harry looks at you like this…”

Story 7- Cruel Summer
THISSSSS!!! this is where the collection needs to be. Super good , so cute , yearning !!!! I loved this one .

Story 8- Cardigan
Unlike how some of these are too subtly related to to the songs or taylor this one is OVERLY connected and it doesn’t work well. Peter and wendy mention was so funny , but augustine and betty already have established stories so for me i can’t picture them outside of that. I’m also never a fan of a kiss amidst a sad trauma moment so i didn’t like it .


Story 9- Willow
It’s cute ! very subtle and simple . I liked it i didn’t connect with the characters all that much but it’s good .

Story 10- Hits Different
The idea of writing a love story to hits different sums up my feelings on this story pretty much. Who is PICKING these songs?? I liked the ending but definitely a little bit jumbled the switching between past and present is a bit strange !

Story 11- Bejeweled
by far my least favorite , it’s not a love story AT ALL! and it also just didn’t make much sense

Story 12- The Black Dog
I love this one! I don’t think black dog should’ve been on the playlist to go with it but the story itself was cute! I liked it a lot . The ending was super super cute.

Story 13 - The Tortured Poets department
Not a love story so it doesn’t fit the collection, but it was well written ! i did like it .

Overall this collection was very dissatisfying to me . I went in expecting taylor swift themed love stories and several weren’t even love stories at all! Lynn painter really drove this collection home for me ! Cruel summers story as well.

[‎Lia .☘︎ ݁˖ · Rating 5 out of 5]

★★★★★ ~ five stars

⋆ 𖤓 ⋆˚࿔ I just finished *13 Little Love Stories* and I genuinely cannot remember the last time I flew through a book this fast — I read the entire thing in one sitting. It was one of those “I’ll just read one more story” situations that turned into me finishing the whole collection in one sitting.

⌗ This anthology is basically a lineup of short, romantic meet-cutes, and what surprised me most is how *complete* each story felt despite the length. None of them felt rushed or unfinished — instead, they captured that very specific, magical moment of connection when two people first meet, and then left just enough to the imagination. Some were funny, some were softer and more emotional, and a few leaned into that slightly bittersweet feeling of “what happens after this?” which I actually loved.

⌗ Lynn Painter’s story was easily my favorite. It had that perfect balance of banter, tension, and emotional payoff, and the characters felt so vivid right away. Without getting too vague — the way she builds chemistry in such a short space is honestly kind of insane. It felt like a full rom-com packed into just a few pages, and I would 100% read a full-length novel about those two.

⌗ A few other stories really stood out too — especially the ones that played with unique settings or slightly unexpected twists on the meet-cute trope. There’s one where the connection feels almost accidental but ends up being incredibly meaningful, and another that leans into miscommunication in a way that actually works instead of feeling frustrating. I also appreciated how different each author’s voice was; you can really tell this is a collection of distinct styles rather than everything blending together.

⌗ That said, I do think some stories were stronger than others (which is kind of inevitable with anthologies). A couple didn’t hit me emotionally as much or felt like they ended just a little too abruptly. But even then, none of them felt like a miss — just more like “not my personal favorite.”

⌗ As for the Taylor Swift theme… I have mixed feelings. I love the *idea* of it, and you can definitely see the inspiration in certain stories — whether it’s specific tropes, emotional beats, or vibes that feel very “this could be a song.” But it’s not always super obvious, and if you went in expecting direct references or clear parallels to specific songs, you might not always find that. For me, though, it didn’t take away from the reading experience — it just felt like a loose creative prompt rather than something you needed to track while reading.

⌗ One of my favorite things about this book was actually discovering new authors. I went in mainly excited for Lynn Painter, but I came out with multiple writers I want to check out next, which is honestly the best outcome for an anthology like this.

・❥・ Overall, this was such a fun, cozy, bingeable read. If you love romance — especially those early sparks, awkward first meetings, and “this could be something” moments — this collection absolutely delivers. It’s perfect for when you want something light but still emotionally satisfying, and I would highly recommend it for getting out of a reading slump.

⋆ 𖤓 ⋆˚࿔ Definitely one of the most enjoyable, easy reads I’ve picked up in a while.

xx! Lia 

[Sarah Miller · Rating 4 out of 5]

The idea for this anthology of love stories inspired by Taylor Swift songs was so cute! Overall I would give it an average of 3.75 ⭐️ . This is geared towards Young Adult - but some of the stories felt more for middle schoolers while others felt more college aged. But they were quick and cute and feel like each really embodied the song they were inspired by. Further breakdown of each story below. I could totally read more of these and am now requesting an adult version :)

Breakdowns:
The Grand Gesture - “Fifteen” - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ cute! Definitely takes you back to being a teen in their first relationship. You think it’s everything and consume yourself in it. But don’t lose sight of yourself or your friendships.

Everything Unspoken - “Love Story” - ⭐️⭐️ reminding myself this is for teens but it was just a little too cheesy spot on Romeo and Juliet. The magical realism of hearing each others thoughts felt like an odd addition.

This One’s Just for Us - “Ours” - ⭐️⭐️⭐️ Sweet friend to lovers meet cute. Touches on bullying and racism in teens which was

It Happened One Wednesday - “Begin Again” - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ second chance romance, I liked getting both of their perspectives. It was believable and super cute.

Group Project - “Style” - ⭐️⭐️⭐️while the couple definitely shouldn’t stay together post graduation, this fit the song and was a classic high school couple that can’t stay away from each other.

Brake for It - “Getaway Car” - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ besties > testes

Five Summers - “Cruel Summer” ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ No Notes. Just like the Song. This was probably the most adult story. Set in college, friends to lovers.

The Cardigan in Question - “cardigan” - ⭐️⭐️⭐️ the first half of this I didn’t like and then it turns into a more heartfelt story. I just didn’t love how pushy August was even if it got Betty out of her comfort zone.

Once Upon a Grad Night - “Willow” - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ felt like a cute teen Freeform movie. Paired nicely with the song.

We’re Here Now - “Hits Different” - ⭐️⭐️ While the story felt believable, think it needed fleshed out more to root for the mfc

Fools Gold - “Bejeweled” - ⭐️⭐️⭐️ the idea of this read like a fun Taylor music video. But the names being the same as gems got a little all over the place

Ali Gets a Clue - “The Black Dog” - ⭐️⭐️⭐️ Liked there being some LGBTQ+ representation in the anthology. But in general the story felt lack luster. Think a duel POV could have amped up the yearning.

Creative Differences - “TTPD” - ⭐️⭐️⭐️ Think some magical realism could have been cute here. Fit the song but was just okay.

Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin Young Readers Group for this ARC!

[Reading_seas0n · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you, Penguin Young Readers Group | G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers and NetGalley for the chance to read and review this graphic novel. I am a part of the Penguin Teen Influencer program but I can happily say I will also give my honest opinion and I honestly enjoyed this!

I saw and wanted to reminisce about going to the ERA's tour with my Hard-Core Swiftie BFF. A Swiftie that I think would love this, so this might be a gift for her when it releases now because this was very very sweet and heart-warming.

Ratings for each short story:
>The Grand Gesture 'Fifteen' - 4.5 stars
Relationships come and go but friendships can last forever and you have to remember they nurture you as you nurture them.
>Everything Unspoken 'Love Story' - 4 stars
Ohhhh a little supernatural/mind connect twist with an adorable (happy ending) Romeo & Juliet couple? LOVE!
>This one's just for us 'Ours' - 4 stars
Finding a spot that became 'Ours' a safe place when you are adapting to a new place and finding a person that helps. SWEET!
>It Happened one Wednesday 'Begin Again' - 5 stars
This had me hooked! When your date doesn't show up but the crush you liked more does and it feels like a restart. UGH YES!
>Group Project 'Style' -3.5 stars
Cute! Not what i expected when thinking of the song but Cute.
>Brake for It 'Getaway Car' - 5 stars
YESSSS! GALS BEFORE PALS! Revenge is sweet and asshole men deserve to lie in the beds they make.
>Five Summers 'Cruel Summer' - 4 stars
Boys needs to figure their shit out before they break girls and their own hearts!
>The Cardigan in Question 'Cardigan' - 4 stars
Okay, okay. Now I like that way, they moved the story.
>Once Upon a Grad Night 'Willow' - 4.5 stars
Take the chance because the moment is never perfect and I think that is a great lesson to give.
>We're Here Now 'Hits Different' - 3.5 stars
(My friend is gonna be made cause I couldn't for the life of me remember this Taylor song, So I had to pause and listen and then come back and read this short story)
> Fool's Gold 'Bejeweled' - 4.5 stars
Ohhh a jewel thief, a heist vibe? I like that!
> Ali Gets a Clue 'The Black Dog' - 3 stars
Strangely that one didn't feel believable as I wanted it to be.
>Creative Differences 'The Tortured Poet Society' - 4 stars
We love a potential rivals to lovers.

Some songs were a different choice that I didn't think of when I thought Love story & Taylor Swift. Some a pleasant surprise, some aren't my fave but their story was and some didn't match as much as I wanted them too. But this overall is a great and fun time!

[Breanna · Rating 2 out of 5]

Star Rating: 2 out of 5 stars

Summary:
13 Little Love Stories is a collection of short stories inspired by Taylor Swift songs, such as “Fifteen,” “Getaway Car,” “The Black Dog,” “Ours,” and “Love Story.” The stories feature a mixture of teenagers and college students, so the collection is geared towards a YA audience.

Each short story looks at love from a different perspective. Some stories focus on the power of female friendships, other stories follow friends as they slowly turn into something more, some focus on the struggle of not fitting in, and others focus on the heartbreak that follows the end of a relationship.


Review:
While I love Taylor Swift, this short story collection didn’t quite hit the right note for me.

Although I enjoyed a few of the stories, I found that most lacked what I love the most about Taylor Swift songs… deep emotion, vivid storytelling, and a growing tension. It’s understandable that a short story won’t get quite to the depth of a full length novel. However, they also lacked the emotional intensity I enjoy in Taylor’s songs. As a result, most of the stories did not leave a strong emotional impact on me as a reader.

My favorite story in the collection had to be “The Grand Gesture” by Elise Bryant, which is inspired by the song “Fifteen.” I found the writing style easy to read, and I liked how the author focused on the friendship aspect of the song. The characters and conflict felt more developed in this story than in some of the other stories.

I also really enjoyed the story “This One’s Just for Us” by Jesse Q. Sutanto, which is inspired by the song “Ours.” The story follows two characters who face discrimination in their town. The relationship was sweet, and this story had the most romantic ending out of the collection for me.

“The Cardigan in Question” by Julie Murphy, inspired by the song “Cardigan,” was also another favorite of mine. Out of all of the stories, this one had the strongest emotional punch. Though the story was short, the main character had a clear and complete emotional arc, which made her character more memorable than others in the short story collection.

Unfortunately, my least favorite stories were “Everything Unspoken” (inspired by “Love Story”) and “Fool’s Gold” by Laura Sebastian (inspired by “Bejeweled”). While I found the magical elements to be intriguing in the story, they weren’t quite clearly explained or fully developed.

Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin Young Readers group for the ARC!

[Stephanie Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75
Cute concept. I’m not a huge Taylor Swift fan but I recognized several of the authors so I thought I’d check it out.
I really enjoyed some of these stories but I disliked three of them. I found some new authors and reaffirmed my love for others. It’s hard with short stories because you only have so many pages to get your story told. Even so some of these dragged and some felt rushed but I enjoyed the majority.

The Grand Gesture 4 stars cute story I enjoyed that is about friendship.

Everything Unspoken is the one I liked the least. 2 stars It a a Romeo and Juliet retelling with magic elements and it just doesn’t work. If I wasn’t reviewed I would have dnf’d.

This One Is Just for Us 4 stars. This was cute felt a bit rushed but hey are short stories so what do you want.

It Happened One Wednesday 4.25 stars Loved this one! Lynn Painter never fails and this is no exception

Group Project 4 stars cute story I’ve never read anything from this author. This is my sign that I need to.

Brake for it 3 stars I wasn’t a fan. I liked the idea but it didn’t come together for me. I like Jessica Goodman but I think I prefer her thrillers.

Five Summers 4 stars I enjoyed this one. I’ve never read anything by this author but I would be interested to try more. I loved the way the story unfolded

The Cardigan in question 4.25 stars I loved this. I’m already a Julie Murphy fan. I loved the two main characters. It was just great story.

Once Upon a Grad Night 4 stars this was a really cute story. I’m already a fan of Krystal Maldonado’s work. I thought the characters were really sweet.

We’re Here Now 3.75 stars I enjoyed this story but thought it was odd that Carly was able to start something with Nate a week after ending it with a guy she dated and loved for three years. Maybe that’s just me. I still enjoyed it though. I’ve never read anything by her and would be interested in doing so.

Fool’s Gold 3.5 this wasn’t bad but it just didn’t come together for me. I can’t really explain it. Maybe it’s that it has a magic system and it’s hard to world build a fantasy in such a limited amount of pages.

Ali Gets a Clue 3 stars just didn’t hold my attention
Very average

Creative Differences 4 stars I enjoyed this one. I liked the way the story unfolded. This is another author I haven’t read but plan to look up.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for providing me a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

[SJARR ✨ · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. Am I a Taylor Swift fan? Yes! Am I a big enough Taylor Swift fan to read a book inspired by her music? Maybe.
But, when I saw that this collection of short stories had something written by a few authors that I have really loved in the past (Jennifer Dugan and Crystal Maldonado), I got pretty excited about it!

In general, I think that short short collections with works by many different authors can be a hard one to get right sometimes! Simply because each one has such a unique vibe and writing style.
Something I noticed while reading, is that some of the stories feel a lot younger and more middle-grade, while some others seem much more mature. With this being in the teens/YA category- this didn't bother me too much. But, it might be something to note if you are specifically interested in older YA books.
I will say that I didn't totally love every single story. But that's okay! Because there were a few that I thought were really great.

There are two in particular that I would love to highlight, because I thought they were extra wonderful.
Those being "The Cardigan in Question" by Julie Murphy, and "Ali Gets a Clue" by Jennifer Dugan.
I thought these were so sweet, endearing and emotional. Honestly, they made the entire thing a lot more worth it for me!
Dugan is basically an auto-read author for me, so I was expecting to enjoy hers. But Murphy's story was such a pleasant surprise for me, and I will absolutely have to go see what other books she has written.

I think this collection would be really cute for the Valentines day season, or perhaps just an everyday read for all of the passionate young swifties out there in the world.

Thank you to Netgalley, Penguin Young Readers Group | G.P Putman's Sons Books for Young Readers and authors Elise Bryant; Jennifer Dugan; J. Elle; Jessica Goodman; Sloan Harlow; Crystal Maldonado; Krystal Marquis; Katharine McGee; Julie Murphy; Lynn Painter; Laura Sebastian; Sara Shepard and Jesse Q. Sutanto, for providing me with eARC of "13 Little Love Stories", in exchange for my honest review!
Publication date: June 30, 2026

[Kelsey Elaine · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 but rounding down

First, I want to acknowledge how fun of a concept this book is. I really enjoyed reading this anthology with a variety of authors included. Although this is marketed at a YA book, I would definitely say that this is for an older YA group and not a younger YA group. I would probably suggest 15 years and up reading this. There is nothing too overtly sexual in this book, but it is definitely suggestive in some stories.

Elise Bryant, Lynn Painter, and Julie Murphy wrote exceptional stories that I really loved. They truly hit the mark perfectly and absolutely encompassed Swifty-ness as well as a the whimsical nature of Taylor's songs. I would recommend this book older Young Adults that enjoy Taylor Swift as well as any of-age Taylor fan.

I do feel like several of the authors completely missed the mark of this project, though. Some of these stories were not up to par and rather dull. Several of the stories had the EXACT same details and it is clear that the editor/publisher did not fully comb through these stories to make sure that teenagers wearing converse shoes didn't come up in 3 stories back to back. Two kids in different stories have a photography/developing photographs hobby... There were just too many of the same anecdotes throughout all of these stories that did not make them feel original. There were two fantasy type stories in the book that felt out of place as well. Some of the stories felt like the author did not even really listen to the lyrics of the Swift song their story came from.

Overall, this book is a really cool concept, but perhaps it can be more fine-tuned if a second volume is released.

As always, thank you so much to NetGally for the advance copy!

[Chels ✌&#x1f3fb; · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the cutest collection of stories ever! 13 absolutely precious YA short stories from well known authors like Lynn Painter, Julie Murphy, Sara Shepard, Katharine McGee and more and all based on Taylor Swift songs! This is such a fun concept to write a short story to and I absolutely adored them ✨

I think if you’re a taylor swift fan (which let’s be honest, who isn’t at this point) I really think you’ll like this, knowing the stories are based on her songs. I could tell which song we were pulling from based on the vibes of the stories which is so fun & I also recommend listening to the song while reading if that’s not too distracting to really immerse yourself into the story.

Lynn Painter is my all time favorite YA author and her short story in this collection was (not surprisingly) my favorite! She just knows how to write the sweetest, cutest love story that makes me kick my feet while reading 🥰

What I love about these collections of short stories is that I usually am drawn to it because of a certain author being included, which was Lynn Painter in this one but then I discover other authors I haven’t read from before. I love that it introduces me to new people and new stories and this did exactly that!

I’m rating it a 3.5 ⭐️ overall but some were higher than others when breaking them down individually. I highly recommend reading these because they’re quick easy reads but very entertaining!

Thank you NetGalley & the publisher Penguin Young Readers Group for the eARC of this book in exchange for my honest, unbiased feedback.

This book will be released on June 30, 2026!

[Lee Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

13 Little Love Stories - Numerous Authors

13 Little Love Stories: An Anthology Inspired by Taylor Swift songs.

1. The Grand Gesture - Elise Bryant —> 🩷 #friendship
2. Everything Unspoken - J. Elle —> ❤️ #forbiddenlove
3. This One’s Just For Us - Jesse Q. Sutanto —> ❤️ #reunited
4. It Happened One Wednesday - Lynn Painter —> ❤️ #oldflame
5. Group Project - Krystal Marquis —> 🩷 #younglove
6. Break For It - Jessica Goodman —> 🩷 #bestfriend
7. Five Summers - Sloan Harlow —> 🩶 #emotionalblackmail
8. The Cardigan In Question - Julie Murphy —> 🩶 #guiltylove
9. Once Upon A Grad Night - Crystal Maldonado —> ❤️#firstkiss
10. We’re Here Now - Katharine McGee —> 🩶#efficiency
11. Fool’s Gold - Laura Sebastian —> ❤️ #tourmaline
12. Ali Gets A Clue - Jennifer Dugan —> 🩷 #beloveddimple
13. Creative Differences - Sara Shepard —> 🩷 #unnoticed

Firstly, it has to be said just to get it out of the way…I must be getting old, or just plain boring as fuck…I am not a Swifty! This book could have quite easily have been named something else and I wouldn’t have even guessed it was inspired by her songs 🤷‍♀️ I just wanted to read the book of ‘Little Love Stories’ around Valentines and it’s lasted way beyond because I have been reading one at a time as a gap filler/brain cleanser after some pretty shitty books. 🥴

Secondly, what I can say as a positive for the book itself is that the stories are short, sweet and well written with variety. 👏

My favourite was - It Happened One Wednesday by Lyn Painter. ❤️

And Lastly, I recommend this book if you want something quick and lighthearted to read between other books. It was so much better than anticipated.

[inmyreadingera321 · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such a creative and fun idea! What I really liked about this was that not every story went the way you would expect; even the stories based on sad songs had happy endings, and the happy endings weren't always the endings you would predict. That made things really fun to read, because you were constantly on your toes. Some songs and approaches were more well suited for this exercise than others, in my opinion, but the anthology as a whole was overall quite good. The stories that introduced some more fantasy elements were the weakest, I think, mostly because a short story/novella didn't seem to offer enough time to really develop the world building that was necessary to really understand the story and feel deeply connected to it. My personal favorite was Lynn Painter's (of course!), which was based on the song Begin Again. I absolutely love Lynn's writing, and I think her approach to this song/story was just so well thought-out. I also really loved the story based on Hits Different, mostly because that one wrote out a story that didn't follow the song exactly but still really kept the heart of it.

This is the kind of anthology that really embodies why people love Taylor Swift's songs so much -- because they really are micro stories. And it's also evidence of why we all love love so much! In all its renditions and sources and ways of popping up in life, it's just something that always offers hope and joy and pure, unfiltered sunshine.

---------------

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC!