Candy Hearts Volume 3

by A.D. Ellis, B.A. Tortuga, Becca Seymour

What’s sweeter than a low angst queer romance at Valentine’s Day? How about twenty-one of them in one anthology to help support a good cause?

Each novella in Candy Hearts, volume 3, is overflowing with red-hot romance and all the good feels. This volume is full of “meet-uglies” and bad first impressions. What’s more satisfying than a happily ever after that started on the wrong foot?

The Candy Hearts LGBTQIA2S+ anthology will be available for a limited time, and all proceeds will benefit the Rainbow Railroad, which helps LGBTQIA2S+ people get to safety worldwide.


Tent Poles & Tackle Boxes by A.D. Ellis
Explosion of the Heart by BA Tortuga
Always This by Becca Seymour
Mugs & Kisses by Beck Grey
Magic Fate Ball by Bix Barrow
tea & vodka by BL Jones
Love Thy Neighbor by D. K. Sutton
Hiding Fate by D.C. Emerson
Alexander and the Meet-Cute Potion by David Gray
Beau’s Stormy Romance by E.J. Stoll
Grounded by E.M. Denning
The Baker and the Kraken by Ellie Ash
Unsportsmanlike Conduct by Essie Sloane
Angel Kisses by Evie McGlynn
Fortune Candy by Madalyn George
The Weekend Boyfriend by Merry Farmer
What the Heart Wants by Minerva Howe
Checked Baggage by Riley Long
All I Want Is You by Rye Cox
My Demon Boyfriend by Stella Rainbow
Ruff Day by Susan Scott Shelley and Chantal Mer
The Tattoo Parlor by Vinni George

(from candyheartsanthology .com)

Genres: Anthologies, M M Romance, Romance, Contemporary, LGBT, Spicy, Novella

1581 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 30, 2026

About the author

Escape into addictive, sexy, emotional queer M/M romance.
A.D. Ellis is an Indiana girl, born and raised. She spends much of her time in central Indiana as an instructional coach/teacher in the inner city of Indianapolis, being a mom to two amazing teens, and wondering how she and her husband of over two decades haven't driven each other insane yet. A lot of her time is also devoted to phone call avoidance and her hatred of cooking.
She loves chocolate, hot tea, sweet wine with friends, pizza, and naps along with reading and writing romance. These loves don’t leave much time for housework. Who would pick cleaning the house over a nap or a good book? She uses any extra time to increase her fluency in sarcasm.
A.D. uses she/they pronouns.
Sign up at http://www.subscribepage.com/ADEllisN... for a FREE male/male romance book.

A.D. Ellis does not use generative AI to create books or covers.

Reviews

[Bee · Rating 3.75 out of 5]

3,75 stars, rounded up.
Overall rating is the average of the stories I've read so far, reviewed below.

Like I've done with previous anthologies, I selected a few stories to read for the purpose of this review. I do plan on going back and read more stories and if I do, I will add reviews of those here.

Candy Hearts volume 3 is all about meet-uglies and second chances. It has a mix of both contemporary and paranormal/urban fantasy stories, so it has something for everybody to enjoy. Anthologies are a fun way for me to discover new authors, and this one was no different!

Grounded - E.M. Denning - 4 stars
This was really sweet and cute! I loved Troye and Matthew a lot and their connection seems so genuine and real. Truly wonderful! But I kind of wish there had been one extra chapter to tie things up a bit more and get a look into their future, though.

Mugs & Kisses - Beck Grey - 3 stars
This was cute, but it lacked any sort of emotion to me. I’m giving it three stars because I know the author can write feelings really well in full-length books. I’m not sure if it’s the limited word count or something else, but I didn’t get any feelings from this. Just rushing through plot beats. It’s still a cute story though.

Tent Poles & Tackle Boxes - A.D. Ellis - 4 stars
This was so adorable and funny. A.D. Ellis is a new-to-me author, but I’m definitely going to try and check out more of their books this year! A heartfelt second chance romance that made me smile.

Explosion of the Heart - BA Tortuga - 4 stars
Another new-to-me author that I will look into further this year! This was another sweet second chance story, this time between a married couple (with adorable kids) who find their way back to each other.

Love Thy Neighbor - D.K. Sutton - 4 stars
Yeah okay, lots of new-to-me authors in this one. D.K. Sutton is another author I will have to check out this year. Love Thy Neighbor was a sweet story that had me all in my feels in the best way.

Beau’s Stormy Romance - EJ Stoll - 3.5 stars
Very cute and sweet, with some humor sprinkled in. I liked this one, though I felt it was missing something at the end.

[Claudia · Rating 5 out of 5]

oh, this was so sweet. here you can find whatever you are looking for
sweet
spicey
friends to Lovers
second chance

especially the stories by Bix Barrow and Ellie Ash were my favourites.

this book was so good for me: I had a very stressful time and these stories were perfect to get me relaxed again

[Dani (Daniiireads) · Rating 4 out of 5]

**𝗥𝗘𝗩𝗜𝗘𝗪 𝗕𝗔𝗦𝗘𝗗 𝗢𝗙𝗙 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗙𝗢𝗟𝗟𝗢𝗪𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗦𝗧𝗢𝗥𝗜𝗘𝗦**

This is my third year reading the Candy Hearts Anthology and it has hands down my favorite anthology series by far! This volume is chock full of meet-uglies, bad first impressions, and misunderstandings, while still giving me all the low angst queer HEAs I love!

𝗟𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝗧𝗵𝘆 𝗡𝗲𝗶𝗴𝗵𝗯𝗼𝗿 𝗯𝘆 𝗗. 𝗞. 𝗦𝘂𝘁𝘁𝗼𝗻
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
What to expect: neighbors, age gap, first times, secret relationship, queer awakening, found family

𝗚𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝘆 𝗘.𝗠. 𝗗𝗲𝗻𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
What to expect: strangers, only one bed, light kink, HFN

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗪𝗲𝗲𝗸𝗲𝗻𝗱 𝗕𝗼𝘆𝗳𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗱 𝗯𝘆 𝗠𝗲𝗿𝗿𝘆 𝗙𝗮𝗿𝗺𝗲𝗿
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
What to expect: fake dating, hurt x comfort, different worlds

𝗖𝗵𝗲𝗰𝗸𝗲𝗱 𝗕𝗮𝗴𝗴𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗯𝘆 𝗥𝗶𝗹𝗲𝘆 𝗟𝗼𝗻𝗴
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
What to expect: grumpy x sunshine, nerd for nerd

𝗠𝘆 𝗗𝗲𝗺𝗼𝗻 𝗕𝗼𝘆𝗳𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗱 𝗯𝘆 𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗮 𝗥𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗯𝗼𝘄
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Tropes: human + demon, fated mates

[ds321 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Candy Hearts Anthology

Solid 4 stars for this anthology, with some variation (both up and down), after reading several of the stories. Some of them felt a little compressed, as if their author was struggling to stay within a page limit, but not terribly so. No more than reasonable for an anthology that I assume had page limits!

I’ve jotted down reviews of some of the ones I’ve read so far. Some of the authors are ones I discovered through a previous anthology, have since read more from, and enjoyed again here. Others knew to me that I look forward to seeing more from in future.

Magic Fate Ball by Bix Barrow
Super cute (and romantic and sexy) story about a fated mates connection between a shifter and a human with magic abilities. The author effectively balances trope with originality and manages a good amount of character development for a short story. Handling of a serious health issue was also well done. Not overblown, not glossed over. The instagram element was cute. Only *minor* criticism, I could have done without the “nutrient rich food can’t be tasty” element (seems like it would’ve been easy enough to include a “food as caretaking” element without dissing all those food options… could even have been like “i know you haven’t been enjoying what you’ve been eating; here is a meal that is delicious as well as meeting your nutritional goals”). Like I said, a minor point and one that probably won’t bother many readers. I wouldn’t drop a star off the rating or anything. Final note: be aware that one element of the story is a teaser for an upcoming book. Not a cliffhanger, but enough to pique my interest.

Mugs and Kisses by Beck Grey
Very sweet! Matt and Jake are good people and their meet-ugly as well as their follow-up meeting were original and cute. Enjoyed their direct approach to communication, both in lack of game playing about their interest in each other, and the first time they had sex. They were able to talk about what they wanted without it sounding like a checklist or instruction manual.

The Baker and the Kraken - Ellie Ash
From the beginning I loved how chill Calder was. I also think the author did a good job with Adam’s clumsiness. It was extreme, but not to the point of slapstick. And the two of them were adorable together. There were a couple of big reveals from one character to another; one was a little meh but the other was very well written and a lot of fun.

Hiding Fate - DC Emerson
I guess I’d have to say this one is sweet AND savory. :-) DC Emerson is amazing at finding just the right balance - queer and especially genderqueer characters who find their people and demonstrate strength and resilience - without downplaying the very real harms resulting from nonacceptance, uncaring exes, shitty families, subtle and explicit -phobias and -isms, and all the other crap that life can throw at people.

Explosion of the Heart - BA Tortuga
Not my favorite. I’ve enjoyed BA Tortuga stories. But the ones with cowboy/rodeo rider types, especially those with children, not so much. Conversational cadence, vocabulary, and the basics of the plot tend to be, or at least seem, very similar from one to the next. Not to mention the country cutsie-ness of the children, at least one of whom alternates between baby talk and random mispronunciations they’re probably too old for, and the perspective of a kid at least 5 years older than they’re supposed to be. Other than the similarities and the kids (which might be just a me thing), nothing really wrong with this story, and if you like BA Tortuga’s other cowboys-and-kids, you may like this one.

My Demon Boyfriend - Stella Rainbow
Not bad, but not this author’s best work.

Angel Kisses - Evie McGlynn
Ok, technically a meet-ugly, but it was actually pretty cute. Not quite instalove… I guess more like mutual “exactly my type” insta-crush that rapidly developed into “yes please.” That’s not a criticism - it works very well. Among other things, I liked that Charlie was working in his field even though some might see “bookstore” and think it was a typical retail job, that Hunter recognized this, and that Hunter didn’t assume Charlie’s past trauma meant he wouldn’t want sex.

Fortune Candy - Madalyn George
So sweet! A little predictable, but enough heart (no pun intended) to keep it thoroughly enjoyable.

The Tattoo Parlor - Vinni George
Another good one. I liked Misha’s backstory, and also that Tucker wasn’t a “manly” species like wolf, bear or tiger, as is so often the case for alphas in a/b/o stories.

[Rebecca Park · Rating 5 out of 5]

Travis and Joey have been best friends since they were little but one event led them to going their separate ways but still loving each other. Joey lived his life miserable loving Travis but not knowing if he felt the same way, Travis lived his life doing something he loved but living with the regret of what transpired between them and not admiring how he really felt about Joey. Now they are both home, taking over the family business’s, and finally talking about what happened. This story was super sweet with two people who are in love with each other finally reuniting. ❤️ Jack and Dalton have been separated for a year but neither one of them truly wanted it. One statement made in a very scary moment caused a ripple effect neither of them expected. My heart hurt for both of them throughout their entire story, had they just talked they might have prevented the heartache they both endured. I’m glad Lissa was there for Dalton but I’m not a fan of her sticking her nose in their business, making it worse honestly even if she had good intentions. A miscommunicated text set of a chain of events that finally brought them back together and started the road of repairing their marriage. This story was super sweet and their happy ending was amazing to witness, their girls are beyond adorable. ❤️ Maverick and Graham are so sticking cute, I love the insta love books just as much as the slow burn ones. Their first meeting isn’t ideal but it’s the start of something wonderful. This was a short but very sweet read. The perfect short story to bring your spirits up. ❤️

[Ash · Rating 5 out of 5]

hiding fate by d.c. emerson
6 ⭐️
2 🌶️

go look up a picture of a mandarin duck right now!!!!

jae - a mandarin duck shifter and koda - a kodiak bear shifter were absolutely everything. i couldn’t stop smiling. they gave me all the warm fuzzies and all the swooniness.

koda’s quiet confidence and ability to be unapologetically themselves stole my heart. i love them so much. 😭

jae and his omega duck was so stinking cute!

jae and hollis’ friendship is something i’ve always wanted. i loved their platonic love for each other so much.

d.c. emerson is one of my favorite authors. they never miss for me. i cannot wait for the fate beyond the binary series.

third person dual pov
omegaverse
mx romance
rep: agender
alpha x omega
fated mates

♥️♥️♥️

magic fate ball by bix barrow

3.5 ⭐️
1 🌶️

elton and rafferty were really sweet. i loved rafferty’s obsessiveness over elton.

my heart broke for elton and all he’d been through. and rafferty ugh that man was super sweet and so caring.

first person dual pov
mm romance
wolf shifter x empath
mates
rep: testicular cancer

♥️♥️♥️

grounded by e.m. denning

4 ⭐️
2 🌶️

troye and matthew were surprisingly sweet. troye’s brattiness matched matthew’s domminess and i was here for it.

i need a full length novel of these two stat. this was my first story by e.m. denning and i definitely need more.

first person dual pov
mm romance
brat x brat tamer
kink: spanking
one bed
forced proximity

[Nadia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review for the novella Magic Fate Ball by Bix Barrow:

Bix Barrow has such a wonderful way of writing. It let's me escape from the day and relax. The humor she brings out in each character and overall reading experience made it very enjoyable.

The story, Magic Fate Ball by Bix Barrow, follows Elton who is an empath and Rafferty who is a wolf shifter and their meet-cute at a bookstore. I mean nothing can be better than meeting your fated mate at a bookstore right? However, the recurring theme of Rafferty returning to said bookstore for pregnancy books may be a little weird to say the least.

Even though this is a short story, Bix Barrow added her magic and made it a story that left me feeling extremely happy with the HEA of these two characters. It was written in such a way that it felt as if I was reading a longer story than it really was.

And the way she also gave us a glimpse of the upcoming book by adding Manny as a side character made me so excited for Manny's book I KNOW it's going to be so good. I can't wait for whatever Bix Barrow has in store for us next!

[fortheloveofmmromancebooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review for Becca Seymour
Always This


At 39 Ant has left his home in Canberra and moved to the Sunshine Coast along with his son Henry.
While playing football in the park, Henry kicks a ball knocking a cyclist off his bike. Ant apologies profusely on his son’s behalf.

Eli is the cyclist who comes into contact with Henry and his Dad. Bruised but ok and carries on with his day. Eli works as a maintenance guy at the local school, the same school that Henry will be attending.

Eli and Ant see more and more of each other and slowly build a friendship that then turns romantic.

I loved this short novella from Becca Seymour. I would loved to have read more from these two and to discover where their relationship went.

[Janet (iamltr) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ok so...

This was fine.

Not overwhelmingly bad nor good.

As with all anthologies, some stories are better than others and I was happy to help donate funds to a good cause.

But

Yes there is a butt, lol, couldn't help it, sorry.

But, we all know that in a couple of months all these authors will release these stories as stand alones with fleshed out details that you don't get in the charity form.

Eh, I'm beginning to think that if you offer a story up for charity, then it should stay that way, not become a part of a regular book series.

[Bkwrm24 · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 Stars ⭐️


A little bit of this and a little bit of that, supper cute collection which has something for everyone ❤️. I would recommend .

* I received and ARC from GRR, this is my open and honest review *

[Faiza · Rating 4 out of 5]

This anthology is really good. All those books are in this one is great. I really loved each one and enjoyed it very much.

[Amy Weller · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a fantastic collection!

I love these anthologies! A wonderful collection of heartwarming stories from a lot of great authors, I look forward to this anthology every year and it never disappoints!

Tent Poles & Tackle Boxes - A.D. Ellis - The story of two teenage best friends, Travis and Joey, who find themselves back in each other’s lives after ten years apart, when their respective remaining grandparents decide it’s time to move to Florida. They have some apologies to make and feelings to acknowledge but when they do, it will change everything and give them a second chance at everything they wanted as kids. Throw in Ward, the campground cat with an attitude and you get a great story that is an absolute must read.

Explosion of the Heart - B.A. Tortuga - One of my favorite authors, B.A. brings us the tale of Dalton and Jack. Their marriage took a bit of a detour when Dalton got hurt and Jack demanded he retire. Now they are living separately and sharing custody of their two daughters. But Valentine’s Day comes and a pity beer with his cousin has Jake getting read the riot act by Dalton for leaving their girls with a babysitter instead of spending time with them. The misunderstanding will bring them back together and give them a chance to fix their marriiage and strengthen the love they have for each other.

Always This - Becca Seymour - The story of Ant and Eli. The two meet when Ant’s son, Henry, takes Eli out with a shot to the head with a soccer ball. They will meet again when Henry starts school and Eli’s nephew becomes Henry’s new friend. I love how Ant and Eli fold seamlessly into each other’s lives as they revolve around the kids. Soon, Ant and Eli find their feelings are more than friendly and they take the next step together and it’s wonderful how their story ends.

Mugs & Kisses - Beck Grey - The first time Matt and Jake meet, it isn’t a simple meeting. Jake mistakes Matt for the man who keeps taking credit at work for ideas that belong to Jake’s best friend, Lee. When Jake learns the truth and is really embarrassed. They meet again at Lee’s party and the two agree to go out for an apology dinner. It will turn into so much more and I love how the two find their rhythm together as a couple and find their happily ever after!.

Magic Fate Ball - Rafferty and Elton will find themselves being drawn together after a chance meeting at a bookstore and again at a local clinic. Rafferty is a wolf shifter and Elton an empath. Rafferty knows Elton is his mate but with Elton dealing with a health crisis, he is unwilling to tie himself to Rafferty for fears that the Alpha will one day come to regret it. I love how Rafferty continues to reassure Elton that nothing will change his desire to be mates but Rafferty will continue to do whatever Elton asks of him to prove he is all in. The two will get their happily ever after and I love how their story ends.

Alexander and the Meet-Cute Potion - David Gray - What a fantastic tale! Alex is looking for the ideal romantic partner and he wants the fairytale meet-cute. He takes a chance on Emerik and one of his magic potions and the adventure begins. The potion is a bit stronger than expected and is only focusing on the meet-cute not the after part. Their adventure will carry them through town and in the end, Alex and Emerik take the chance on a first kiss and it’s exactly what Alex was looking for.

Hiding Fate - D.C. Emerson - Jae is finally getting out and being social again with his best friend Hollis after a bad break up. A bar crawl will lead Jae to finding his fated mate, a bear shifter named Koda. I love how the night unfolds for not only Jae and Koda but for Hollis as well as he is included in the night’s adventure. A great story about finding love when you least expect it.

Love Thy Neighbor - D.K Sutton - Another one of my favorite authors, D.K. gives us a wonderful story about falling in love with your neighbor. Jace has had a crush on Lannie since he moved in next door. Five years later, he still has that crush and can’t seem to make a relationship work with someone else. A check in to ease the worries of Jace’s mother will have Lannie finding out a thing or two about himself. Jace and Lannie give being together a chance but are hiding from Jace’s family. But Jace’s mom is more perceptive than they give her credit for and when the next Valentine’s Day rolls around, she gets the chance to meddle and bring two of her favorite people together.

Beau’s Stormy Romance - E.J. Stoll - Beau and Vincent’s story doesn’t start out the best but a second chance will change everything! The first time they meet, Beau is having a horrible day. Neither realizes the date they have that night is with each other until they are both at the theater. Set up by a mutual friend, their date is a disaster. But time will change things and the two give it another try and find out their friend was right, the two have a lot in common and when they take the chance, they find out that they fit together just right.

Grounded - E.M. Denning - Troye is just trying to get back home after a friend’s wedding and things are just not going his way. When he gets to his seat, someone is already sitting there and refuses to move. What happens next gets them both removed from the flight and stuck in an airport hotel together. What happens next will change everything as Troye finds out just who Matthew is and there is more between them than the animosity from the plane incident. Matthew finds that Troye is exactly the type he goes for and the two get to have a wonderful night together.

The Baker and the Kraken - Ellie Ash - Adam works at a bakery making all the goodies but will find himself having to go to a bridal shower when the bride to be says there is a problem with the cake. It is there that Calder will catch his eye and it will end in disaster. Calder knows immediately that Adam is his mate and is determined to make a relationship happen. But Adam isn’t fond of shifters due to some family tragedies and Calder will keep the fact that he is not only a shifter but a kraken a secret. That will all chance when Adam is in danger and it will cause a bit of a problem. Adam’s friend Simon will make him see reason and it will bring Adam and Calder back together again and I love how their story ends!

Unsportsmanlike Conduct - Essie Sloane - Vic and Jason meet when their respective football teams face each other in the playoffs. It doesn’t go very well but they will run into each other again and Vic will find out that Jason isn’t as bad as he was during the game. The two will begin to spend time together and find that they have so much in common. Feelings develop and they find themselves still together and in love after almost a year. I love how their story unfolded and how it ended.

Angel Kisses - Evie McGlynn - Charlie and Hunter meet when they literally run into each other outside a local coffee shop. Hunter is immediately drawn to Charlie and finds out where he works and will show up later in the day to see him. Charlie’s boss lets him leave early and trouble will arrive after Charlie has left in the form of his ex. Hunter will bring his new coworkers in on the situation and they will help to keep Charlie safe while getting his ex to head back to where he came from. This will give Charlie the chance to find out just what love really is and he will do that with Hunter.

Fortune Candy - Madalyn George - The story of Bryan and Ollie begins in a snowstorm. Bryan is headed to the Lavender Sea Bed & Breakfast to stay for his sister’s wedding and Ollie is the owner. Bryan had always wanted to stay there when he was a kid but his mom always chose the hotel next door. Bryan will arrive late and covered in snow but once he gets a chance to thaw out a bit, he and Ollie will get the chance to spend some time together getting to know each other. But more will develop as the two spend the next few days together and it will lead to Bryan moving to the Lavender Sea from Pennsylvania and helping Ollie to fix his Gran’s wonderful garden and so much more!

The Weekend Boyfriend - Merry Farmer - An unwanted Valentine’s Day singing telegram will be what brings Desmond and Javier together. Desmond is the unwilling recipient and Javier is the one singing the telegram after one of the models in his agency, who set the whole thing up, defects for another job and another agent. What starts out as a humiliating situation for both will end up being so much more when Javier agrees to be Desmond’s date to the symphony at the end of the week. I love how the two slip right from pretending to be boyfriends to keep Desmond’s ex from bothering him at the event to agreeing to be real boyfriends by the end of the weekend.

What the Heart Wants - Minerva Howe - Yet another favorite author of mine, Minerva brings the story of Maverick and Graham to this collection. Maverick is in Secret Springs for Valentine’s Day but his date canceled last minute. He tries to cancel his stay at the hotel but is unable to and decides to stay and try to enjoy it. Graham is a concierge at the hotel and Maverick gets grumpy with him at the beginning but an apology will have the two going to dinner and it will end up changing everything for them both. Graham is everything Maverick wants and his trip gets much better once he and Graham give in to the chemistry between them.

Checked Baggage - Riley Long - Switched luggage will bring Dallas and Ace back together after they first meet on a flight home after attending conferences separately in Atlanta. At first, Dallas is a little gruff with Ace but it isn’t long until the two find common interests and begin to spend more time together. Feelings begin to build between them and it’s wonderful to see how their story unfolds. Attending a joint conference the next year will bring their story full circle and will eat them on the path to their happily ever after.

My Demon Boyfriend - Stella Rainbow - Theo and Arnick meet when Arnick saves Theo from being hit by a car - by throwing him into a display of flowers. Arnick is a demon and forget about his super strength. He will get a second chance to try with Theo and things go really well between them. Arnick will also find out Theo is his mate, which is good, but he’s afraid to tell him, thinking the truth may be too much. When he is forced to tell Theo in a way he wasn’t planning, he is pleasantly surprised by how well Theo actually takes the news. And it will let them move forward to their happily ever after.

Ruff Day - Susan Scott Shelley and Chantal Mer - Jagger and Ian’s story gets off to a bit of a rough start as neither is having a good day when they meet. After talking with friends they both realize they need to apologize and make a plan to do so later. Things take off after that as the two find they get along very well. Add in some very cute and attention seeking dogs and you get a really great story!

The Tattoo Parlor - Vinny George - Another one of my favorites, Vinni brings the story of Misha and Tucker to this collection. Misha has moved to Key West from Alaska to get away from his family and live his own life and Tucker owns the tattoo parlor where Misha is getting his first tattoo. Their first meeting doesn’t go well as Tucker is having a bad day but he gets the chance to make it up to Misha and finds out that they are fated mates. But Tucker knows Misha’s story and is determined not to push him. It’s a great story and I love how it ends!

I read an ARC copy of this book and am volunteering my honest review.

[Eileen Adams]

overall 4.5 stars
A.D. Ellis Tent Poles and Tackle Boxes **** TW snakes
Travis is returning home to try and help run his family's business. Just getting back he runs into a long line at the coffee shop and someone cuts in front of him to boot. But he is taking over a campground and bait shop. Lucky him. Then he finds out the cutoff jerk bought the last of all his favorites. Joseph is returning to town to take over his grandmother's business. Feeling on top of the world he is in town in his brand new truck eating his favorite meal ever. Then he hits the Bait and Tackle shop and the Campground. Oh no... what are the chances of this? Can they rekindle what they once had?

BA Tortuga Explosions of the Heart ****
Dalton is in for a grumpy Valentine's Day. He is no longer with his husband and since this weekend is the weekend his kids are with Jack this makes him more angry. Now he finds Jack at the bar with another guy. However Jack wants Dalton back. It's been a year and neither of them had filed for divorce so what is the real story? Can they see beyond their pain to find the love they had?

Becca Seymour About Always This ****
Ant and his son Henry have moved, to a new school and new job for them both. After a sporting mixup with a ball Ant meets the school's groundskeeper Eli. Ant is stressed over being the only dad picking up kids and feels out of place until Eli shows up and makes him feel a little calmer. Soon Henry shows up and Ava and Noah who turns out to be Eli's niece and nephew that he takes care of during the week for his sister. Another plus is that Henry and Noah have become friends. Now can Ant and Eli become friends too? Will someone come back from the past? Can Eli and Ant overcome the visit?

Beck Grey Mugs & Kisses ****
Jake thinks he is sticking up for his best friend when he accosts the most gorgeous man in the local coffee shop. The man has no idea what he has done and tells the barista to start serving him decaf as he leaves to get to his meeting. However it was mistaken identity and this man is a new friend to Lee. When Lee invites both Jake and Matt to her Valentine's party she did not know they had met but she does have time to explain that Jake told off the wrong man before Matt gets to the party. Will Matt take the time to listen? Will they decide that "I am so sorry dinner" for a first date? Will there be more dates?

Bix Barrow Magic Fate Ball ****
Elton has survived his first bout with testicular cancer. He is taking classes to become a therapist when he finds another lump. Now he will have to have his other one removed but before he does that he heads to the clinic to have some sperm saved for the future. While at the clinic he runs into someone he knows from work. Rafferty is a wolf shifter and when he hears the person in the next room at the clinic crying, he does what a pack leader does and reaches out to him. He can feel the magic between the two and he knows what it means. Will Elton allow Rafferty to show what he means? Will his health issues become a big deal for them? WIll magic help them both?

BL Jones Tea & Vodka need to reread...

D.C. Emerson Hiding Fate ***
Jae is done with dating. He thought his last guy Robert was the one but alas not true. Now he needs to get out with his bestie Hollis. They are doing a pub crawl and getting 10 specialty drinks and 5 shifters for Jae... or so they think. Koda is stunned to find his favorite place full. Seems like a large group but he has a feeling that someone or something is there for him. So when I little beta bumps into him he thinks he has found just what he needed. Could it be fate?

David Gray ALEXANDER AND THE MEET-CUTE POTION
Emerick needs some items to help make a potion. But Alexander wants to give hair instead of what magician Emerick needs. Alexander finally gives in but he is overwhelmed by what is happening. He wanted a dating potion but this was crazy. Will the potion work? But just how well does it work?

D.K. Sutton Love Thy Neighbor ***
Lannie has been crushing on his neighbor for years. But he never did anything about it thinking he was straight. Now he gets dumped by his boyfriend and who happens to be there??? Jace, and why is he there well because Jace was sent by Lannie's mom. Now years after both have been lusting after the other what can it mean to be back with each other? Will this trip be the start of something new? Did the mom's know all along?

E.M. Denning Grounded
Troye is getting onto his plane for a flight but he finds a man in his seat. After words and physical shoving they both end up getting taken off the plane. Matthew and Troye now have to find new flights home, but not until the following day. Matthew thinks Troye needs a spanking. When Matthew figures out that Troye got the last room in the hotel he has decided he will be coming with him. Can these two who were so bad they got kicked off the plane behave in a hotel room? Will they find some common ground that can help each other?

EJ Stoll Beau's Stormy Romance
Beau is not having a great day. A cold shower, and broken down subway with people vomiting and now running to get coffee for work he has to be out in the rain. Now he is soaked and more miserable but now that he has the coffees he thinks he has it made till someone wipes him out. Vincent does not understand why his friend is setting him up but when he gets to the movies, he never expected to see the guy that was so rude to him in the coffee shop. Will they see the movie? Will they meet up in the coffee shop? Will their friend be correct on the idea of setting them up?

Ellie Ash About the Baker and the Kraken ***
Adam is a baker who has another interesting job... he is a witch. However he needs no one to be his mate. But when his fated mate, who has spent years looking for him, finally finds him will Adam change his mind? It has taken forever for Calder to find his mate so when he does and there is an issue he uses his magic to help out. But in doing so Adam is able to sneak away. When Calder finds him at his job his coworkers help Calder get to Adam. Will Adam cave? Can Calder get Adam to change his mind in finding his mate especially with him right there?

Essie Sloane Unsportsmanlike Conduct ***
Jason is a huge fan of his boyhood local football team. So much so he always thought about what he would wear and how he would be at a playoff game. Now that he has grown up he has not grown out of that. When he moves across the country he can not believe that his favorite team will be playing the local team, so he gets tickets, hotel and heads to the game with his jersey. Knowing he is enemy territory he sticks close to those with his same jersey. That is till he gets to go to his seat he gets the most annoying person sitting next to him. Just his luck. However he can be as crabby as he wants since Jason's team won and is moving on. All is great till they lose. And then to top it all off he runs into the crabby man at a bar. He learns his name is Vic. And they are able to talk about real football since neither has friends that share their love of the game. But will talking be enough? Will it lead to more?

Evie McGlynn Angel Kisses ****
Charlie is running from his past. He left an ex boyfriend behind after escaping and leaving no trace. He completed his studies and has two degrees. He loves his current job of working in a bookstore. When his boss asks him to make an important delivery he jumps at the chance. But then he runs into someone and knocks himself unconscious. Luckily the man helps him up and the coffee shop worker who knows him comes to rescue and is worried about a sugar drop. Hunter, the very nice man, helps him up and into the shop. They share a coffee but Hunter needs to head to an interview. Charlie still needs to make his delivery as well. Both thinking it maybe chance, but Hunter was smart enough to find out where Charlie works... Will he search him out? Will the ex find Charlie? Will Hunter save him?

Madalyn George Fortune Candy*****
Olliver is now in charge of his grandmother's inn after her passing. He is worried about running it like she did and worried about the big snow storm coming for the beach on Valentines Day. He only had a single man coming but with this storm he wonders if he will be a no show. Bryan is so angry that he has to go to the beach in the dead of winter. His sister is getting married and they thought it would be perfect to get married where they met. But this storm is bad, Bryan still needs to do work and because as kids he has always wanted to stay there. So he decided to stay away from all of the wedding party and his own family to stay there. But having to walk the last little bit he is thankful the owner has a large fire waiting for him. But is there more waiting for him? What about the conversation hearts will they mean more? Does Bryan head to the wedding? Alone?

Merry Farmer The Weekend Boyfriend ****
Javier does not know how low is low until he dresses up as a cupid and goes to a business to do a singing telegram. He has no idea how bad this is going to be.

Minerva Howe What the Heart Wants****
Mav is having a crappy day. His boyfriend dumped him just as he arrived for their weekend getaway. A getaway that Mav did not want to be at for Valentine's Day. When he asks for a supervisor to cancel his stay he finds out he can not. Taking it out on Graham the supervisor is not what Mav wanted to do but he did it anyway. At the very end of a double shift Graham is asked to make a delivery to the Honeymoon Suite. Knowing who was there Graham tried to get out of it but they rest of the team is swamped. Mav is much nicer this time but he needs to do more. He asks Graham out to dinner on his last night in town. Will Mav win Graham over? Will he help him with his car? With anything else?

Riley Long Checked Baggage*****
Dallas is trying to get away from an annoying woman at the airport. She is trying to get him to go to a bar for a drink so she will not have to drink alone on Valentine's Day. Finally she gets the hint and moves on to someone else. Soon, as they board the three of them are in the same row. Then Ace and Dallas start a series of events with luggage and a car out of gas, and a shower of coffee. They realize they have chemistry. Do they also have the same timing? Will it be perfect or will there by a misunderstanding? Will they see the annoying woman from the airport again?

Stella Rainbow My Demon Boyfriend****
Arnick has finally found his mate. It took a long time but when he did he had to save him from a speeding car. But in the process he damaged Theo's groceries and that upset Theo a great deal. But Theo eventually got over it and the two have been dating for some time. Now the time has come for Arnick to tell Theo that is a Demon. He is not completely sure how it will go but broke the ice by telling Theo the book he was writing had that storyline and he was impressed with the way Theo thought it through. Will Arnick ever tell Theo? How will Theo react? Does he accept the truth?

Susan Scott Shelley & Chantel Mer Ruff Day *****
Jaggar wants to rethink a charity softball game in the snow. Even though it is for a good organization, a dog shelter his day is not good. He seems to have a bigger issue as to why is it so cold in his house and why does he hear a dripping sound? Why then does he hear hissing?  Taking care of the water he hurries to get to the game. but after sliding on ice and pothole filled roads he gets there late. Then he argues with the umpire and gets sent to a friend's shower to cool down. Once at the bar he and the umpire share their misery of the day. Ian wants to apologize to Jaggar. He was injured and cold and was asked to do more work than he agreed to before he was hurt. When he hears of one of Jaggar's issues it is something he can do to help him out. How far will the help go? Can their intense attraction continue? Will Jaggar get what he has always wanted?

Vinni George Tattoo Parlor *****
Can a hare and a porcupine shifter ever see eye to eye? Tucker heads to the bakery not realizing it is Valentine's Day. He just wanted to get his staff some treats. Not happy about how busy the place is he is rude to the person who is helping him pick up his order. Tucker is misunderstood by his family but is happy with his choices. He is getting ready for a new client working on his request. But when the staff member returns with his order something happens and his order ends up on the floor. The worker tries his best but one item is missing. While Misha is explaining to his boss what happened he continues to cry and explains how he feels about not only Key West but also alphas. Misha is struggling since he is on the run from Alaska. His father was starting to match him up and he wanted to live his own life. He is working with his landlord on bees keeping and he is so thrilled to learn this he is also looking forward to getting a tattoo which will have his life story. Will Misha be stunned to find out who his tattoo artist is? Will Tucker use his new client to say he was sorry for being rude and anti Valentine's Day? Will the tattoo lead to more? So much more for both of them?

[Nadia · Rating 3 out of 5]

An anthology of Valentine's romance stories. I enjoyed this book. Many cute stories filled with love and friendship. My only complaint was the book's length. It was really long to read. Thank you to the author for gifting me the ARC of this book.

My longer review of each story will be on my blog.

[Kendra Patterson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to all of the authors who took their time and effort to make this anthology a success.

Tent Poles and Tackle Boxes by A.D. Ellis
Story: 3⭐️
Heat: 🌶 🌶
This is a second chances, old BFF's romance that starts off with a misunderstanding that snowballs. Joseph and Travis are both laid back guys that come together to continue a family tradition. I could sort of see the old BFF but I wasn't sold on the romance. I didn't feel any chemistry and the sexy times were meh.

Explosion of the Heart by BA Tortuga
Story: 3⭐️
Heat: 🌶🌶
Here we have husbands that have been separate for a year, that are supposed to be divorcing but neither want a divorce. Both guys are a little hotheaded and allowed an accident to dictate their actions into something they didn't want. I loved that the story starts with a bang but it fizzled out fast. The ending is really abrupt and left me hanging. The sexy times were meh.

Always This by Becca Seymour
Story: 3⭐️
Heat: 🌶🌶
Single dad meets the groundskeeper of his son's new school. It is a really sweet, low drama romance. I didn't feel like the MCs had much chemistry. The sexy times are meh and no condom or safe sex talk. Also with all the Australian words and phrases used, I had to frequently stop reading to look things up because I couldn't figure out what the author was saying. This dragged the story down for me.

Mugs and Kisses by Beck Grey
Story: 5⭐️
Heat: 🌶🌶🌶🌶
Jake and Matt meet at a coffee shop and fireworks happen. Jake mistakes Matt for someone else and lays into him. Matt just goes with the flow and lets it go. When Jake finds out his mistake he tracks down Matt to apologize. These two get into texting each other and dating and a match is made. Lots of fun, laughs and chemistry.

Magic Fate Ball by Bix Barrow
Story: 5⭐️
Heat: 🌶🌶🌶
This is a really sweet, emotional romance between an alpha wolf shifter and a magical human. It shows that being perfect doesn't have anything to do with body parts. The MCs had good chemistry and made me root for them.

Tea and Vodka by BL Jones
I don't read FF so I can't give an opinion.

Alexander and the Meet-Cute Potion by David Gray
Story: 5⭐️
Heat: 🌶
Alexander wants true love. He's tired of guys just wanting hook-ups. He goes to Emerik, who's a witch for a potion that will weed out the guys not looking for true love. Emerik and his fellow witches over due the potion and now Alexander is beating guys off. Some good LOL moments. Good chemistry between the MCs. Sadly the sexy times were just meh.

Hiding Fate by D.C. Emerson
Story: 5⭐️
Heat: 🌶🌶🌶🌶
Jae is recently broke up with his possessive BF and has realized that said BF has alienated him from his friends, so Jae and his BFF Hollis sign up for a bar crawl. They're hoping to get drunk, have fun, and re-connect. Along the way Jae meets Koda a nonbinary, alpha Kodiak bear. Jae and Koda hit it off and sparks are flying. Fated mates that can't keep their hands off each other. Looking forward to reading Hollis's story.

Love Thy Neighbor by D.K. Sutton
Story: 5⭐️
Heat: 🌶🌶
Lannie moves in next door to Jace when Jace is a senior in HS. He goes to introduce himself and gets a cold, wet surprise. Lannie is invited to the family game nights and is soon part of Jace's family. The chemistry between these two is sweet and felt. I loved the Dad Jokes that Lannie and Jace's dad told back and forth. This is a sweet found family romance.

Beau's Stormy Romance by E.J. Stoll
Story: 4⭐️
Heat: 🌶🌶🌶
This is a romance that gets off on the wrong foot. Beau is having a bad day and it only gets worse when he's tripped and drenched with coffee by a hottie who blames him. Well things do get worse when later that evening his blind date turns out to be the hottie who tripped him. The only saving grace is the good friend they have in common insists they have a do-over and things work out awesomely. LOL moments with sweet romance.

Grounded by E.M. Denning
Story: 4⭐️
Heat: 🌶🌶🌶
What's happens when an airline assigns a single seat to two different people? Well hijinks happen and one scuffle later both men are getting escorted off the plane. Then to make matters worse, the hotel only has one room available. They begrudgingly agree to share the room and it doesn't take long for them to find out they have a lot in common and a connection is made. Good chemistry and sweet sexy times.

The Baker and the Kraken by Ellie Ash
Story: 5⭐️
Heat: 🌶🌶
Adam is a clumsy, accident prone baker that has given up on love. When he has to go sort out a bridezilla and gets a face full of cake he's not surprised. His fated mate Calder is smitten from the get-go. Calder doesn't let Adam's clumsiness or love aversion stop him from pursuing Adam. He's so patient and sweet with Adam and wins him over. LOL moments with ahhh moments mixed in.

Unsportsmanlike Conduct by Essie Sloane
Story: 5⭐️
Heat: 🌶🌶🌶
Jason hasn't been able to catch his favorite football team in person in a decade, so this one is really important to him. Having to sit surrounded by the opposing team's fans isn't going to stop him from having a good time. Having to sit next to the most obnoxious fan ever just might though. The only saving grace is that his team wins. A week later he meets Vic at a local bar and finds out that away from football Vic is a really great guy. They also have a lot in common. Mr. Obnoxious turns into Mr. Right.

Angel Kisses by Evie McGlynn
Story: 5⭐️
Heat: 🌶🌶🌶
Charlie is running from an obsessive ex and lands in NYC. He runs into (literally) a hot guy and is smitten by the care he gets from him. Hunter is on his way to a job interview when Charlie runs into him. He's not hurt but he's concerned about Charlie. After the job interview he comes to check on Charlie and finds Charlie needs more than just a sweet guy to take care of him. I did feel like the sexy times was too fast but since the character asked for it, okay.

Fortune Candy by Madalyn George
Story: 5⭐️
Heat: 🌶🌶🌶
Oliver owns the Lavender Sea B&B that Bryan has always wanted to stay at. When Bryan's sister is getting married in the town over he gets his wish. Finding out that Oliver needs him makes him realize where his life is and where it should be. These two have good chemistry and make this sweet romance a joy to read.

The Weekend Boyfriend by Merry Farmer
Story: 4⭐️
Heat: 🌶🌶🌶
Javier is trying to save his modeling agency by taking on a singing telegram for Valentine's Day. He has no idea that Desmond is 100% unreceptive to his efforts. Desmond is trying to unhook his ex-BF's claws and isn't having much luck. Desmond hopes to get the message across to said ex by taking Javier to a concert with him. The ex doesn't take it well and sabotages Desmond in a horrid way. Now he's sick and Javier is not about to leave him alone. They soon find things in common and a sweet romance starts. This would've been a 5* but the ending just stops abruptly without an adequate finish.

What the Heart Wants by Minerva Howe
Story: 4⭐️
Heat: 🌶🌶🌶
Mav plans a hot weekend with his FWB partner but said partner cancels at the last moment for a better offer. Mav can't get most of his money back so after being a royal AH to the front desk people he decides to stay the weekend. Graham is the manager called to mediate Mav's complaint. He's winding down an eighteen hours day and not in the mood. Having to take the abuse is just the cherry on the top. Mav does end up showing that he's a great guy and let his mood get out of control. It is a sweet romance that is too short for the way things end up IMO.

Checked Baggage by Riley Long
Story: 4⭐️
Heat: 🌶🌶🌶🌶
Dallas just wants to listen to his book and get on the plane for home. Between a determined blond and hot guy it isn't working out all that well. Then getting home with the wrong luggage just makes it worse. Finding out that the hot guy and he have taken each other's luggage starts these two on a sweet path of romance. They have a lot in common and their chemistry is pretty good.

My Demon Boyfriend by Stella Rainbow
Story: 5⭐️
Heat: 🌶🌶🌶🌶
This is an established couple Theo the coffeeshop owner and Arrick the demon. Arrick has been hiding things from Theo and now Theo thinks Arrick is cheating on him. This story goes back and forth from present to past frequently to give the reader an insight to the couple's relationship. The part describing their first meeting was LOL funny. Theo and Arrick have good chemistry. Cute story.

Ruff Day by Susan Scott Shelley and Chantal Mar
Story: 4⭐️
Heat: 🌶
Jagger and Ian are both having a bad day. It gets worse when they meet over a charity baseball game and don't agree with the baseball calls. Jagger gets himself thrown out of the game and Ian gets a talking to from a friend. Later in the day they meet up at a bar and apologize. Afterwards they bond over Ian helping Jagger with a pink elephant and Jagger adopting a dog. I did feel like the relationship was a little too fast to be believable.

The Tattoo Parlor by Vinni George
Story: 5⭐️
Heat: 🌶🌶🌶🌶
Misha fled Alaska and his family to avoid an arranged marriage. Ending up in Florida seems to settle nicely with him. Tucker is having a bad day and takes it out on Misha. When Misha gets upset and drops Tucker's order it only gets worse. These two definitely don't want anything to do with each other. It comes as a surprise to them both that they've been emailing each other about Tucker doing a tattoo for Misha. Fated mates and tattoos bring these two together and chemistry keeps them there. Fated shifter mates for the win.

[Zoë Miranda]

This volume is full of “meet-uglies” and bad first impressions.
What’s more satisfying than a happily ever after that started on the wrong foot?

Books are listed in the order in which they appear in the anthology, my reading order will be denoted beside the titles and will be highly subjective, greatly influenced by my familiarity with and love of the authors in question, followed by my interest in the offerings of those that are new to me (that is the method to my madness, I make no apologies).

Tent Poles & Tackle Boxes by A.D. Ellis - # candy hearts
Travis
Joey

Explosion of the Heart by BA Tortuga - # candy hearts
Dalton
Jack


(3) Always This by Becca Seymour - 5 candy hearts
1st person, present tense, dual PoV
Ant (39), office worker
Eli, school groundskeeper / furniture maker

Ooooh, I loved this one, which was an unexpected surprised since I typically don't gravitate towards single dad stories. I picked it to read third because it was highly recommended in the ARC group I'm a member of. This meet-ugly was actually kinda cute, I thought it was really clever and I adored the fact that this encounter was just the beginning for these two after Ant's son, Henry befriends Eli's nephew, Noah and they were able to further bond during subsequent play dates. The building tension and friendship felt very slow burn and not rushed at all, which is quite an accomplishment for a short story. I was cheering so hard when they finally came together. The supporting characters (kids and Eli's sister, Mel) were a great addition to the story, adding depth without overshadowing the main couple.


(2) Mugs & Kisses by Beck Grey - 4.5 candy hearts
1st person, present tense, dual PoV
Jake Butler (35), fundraiser for the Salem Art Foundation
Matt Ward, potter / owner of Pottering Around pottery studio

Beck is one of my favourite authors so naturally I read their contribution on the heels of Bix's. Knowing the theme of this year's anthology and the setup of the story from the synopsis I had to read the first chapter while peeking through my fingers and cringing. Oh my goodness, Jake really stepped in it and while his heart was in the right place it was hard to imagine him being able to recover from that first impression! Recover he did, with a pretty epic apology date and an even more epic Valentine's Day date. I loved the banter between these two (I hope you can appreciate some excellent puns!) and had a lot of fun reading their story.


(1) Magic Fate Ball by Bix Barrow - 4.5 candy hearts
1st person, past tense, dual PoV
Elton Johnson, human empath, book store manager / studying to be a therapist / content creator 'ejvibes' on Instagram
Rafferty, wolf shifter, pack alpha

I got my ARC copy from Bix (who wrote my favourite contribution to last year's anthology) so I thought it only fair to read her contribution first. It was no hardship though since I love her writing, especially her Wonderfall series. I'm not the biggest fan of fated mates, but enjoy how the concept is presented in Bix's world. When I do read fated mates I am a sucker for when a shifter scents their intended and goes all in trying to convince their (often human) intended that they are a great match.

Rafferty is such a goober in this way, trying waaaay to hard to win Elton over while trying not to overwhelm him while simultaneously doing faaaaaaar too much. It was immensely amusing to me and provided a great counterpoint to Elton's more somber personal journey and circumstances. Overall this story had a very hopeful tone - I love the way Bix blends any heaviness in her stories with sweet swoon-worthy moments and subtle humour. Fans of the author are in for a treat with a cameo from a character who's story is yet to be told. I'm a fan of this world, these characters and this story, it'll be hard to top.


tea & vodka by BL Jones - # candy hearts
Azrael, angel
Lilith, demon

Alexander and the Meet-Cute Potion by David Gray - # candy hearts
Alexander
Emerik


(7) Hiding Fate by D.C. Emerson - 3.5 candy hearts
3rd person, past tense, dual PoV
Jae, omega mandarin duck
Koda (34), alpha Kodiak bear

I wasn't the biggest fan of the writing style here. There was too much passive telling rather than active telling of the story. Maybe it's a word count issue but I'd rather read the dialogue of characters telling each other things than a paragraph stating they had a conversation about a topic. I can't immerse myself in a story that way. There were also a ton of side characters mentioned that made it feel very obvious that other stories were being set up or teased. Honestly, as much as I loved the idea of a duck x bear shifter mash-up and two fated mates finding each other on a F*ck Fate bar crawl I think I was more invested in all the platonic love and Jae's best friend, Hollis, than in the two MCs and their fated mate status.


Love Thy Neighbor by D. K. Sutton - # candy hearts
Jace (22)
Lannie (almost 30)

Beau’s Stormy Romance by E.J. Stoll - # candy hearts
Beau
Vincent

(10) Grounded by E.M. Denning - 4 candy hearts
1st person, past tense, dual PoV
Troye, video game streamer
Matthew Kincaid, game developer/owner of Gemstone Games

Ouf, these two had such a rough start that I wasn't sure how they would come together when all was said and done. This was a pretty quick, slice of life story. As much as I loved the light kink brat/tamer dynamic I also enjoyed the common ground these two established through their mutual professional interests and I became pretty invested in their shared success.


(9) The Baker and the Kraken by Ellie Ash - 4.5 candy hearts
3rd person, past tense, dual PoV
Adam, witch (32), baker at Devine Confections
Calder, kraken shifter (ancient), ocean conservancy

I am a... sucker... for a good hidden identity trope and the fact that Calder decides not to correct Adam's mistaken assumption that he's a witch as well brings some tension to the story as it's revealed that events in Adam's past make him reluctant to form a magical bond which would most assuredly happen were he to mate with a shifter. As these two get together and start to become friends and then more than friend it's evident how well suited they are for one another. I loved how accepting Calder was of all Adam's awkward clumsiness.


(8) Unsportsmanlike Conduct by Essie Sloane - 4.5 candy hearts
1st person, past tense, single PoV (Vic)
Vic Summers, history teacher at King’s Bay High
Jason, 3rd grade teacher

I didn't think I would enjoy this as much as I did, but I typically enjoy this author's writing so I bit the bullet and gave it a shot, winding up pleasantly surprised by the slow burn friendship turned more. I quite liked the way Jason's enthusiastic smack talk was described as something he enjoys as he roots for his team and isn't really vitriol directed at the opponents.


(5) Angel Kisses by Evie McGlynn - 4 candy hearts
Charlie Gallagher, bookstore clerk and research assistant at Time to Read bookstore
Hunter McLaughlin

I'm an absolute sucker for a size difference and protective MC. I also just have to complete my first aid recertification so a book beginning with a first aid rescue peaked my interest. There is a huge cast of secondary characters that are clearly from the author's other published works, which impeded my enjoyment a little bit as it's clear there's more going on than meets the eye but the reader is left wondering what is really going on at Time to Read as there is heavily implied magical dealings afoot. I did love the instant connection between Charlie and Hunter and would read more about the Angel Security crew


Fortune Candy by Madalyn George - # candy hearts


(4) The Weekend Boyfriend by Merry Farmer - 4 candy hearts
3rd person, past tense, dual PoV
Javier Rivera, owner of Rivera Talent agency
Desmond White

Man, this was so disappointing. Merry Farmer (or MM Farmer, one of her other pen names) is something of a comfort read for me. If I'm in a book slump I know she's good for a solid sweet swoony read. Honestly, this was well on its way to being a 5 candy heart read for me, but I just can't get behind a HFN half-finished story.

This had an epic beginning with Javier unknowingly delivering a saccharine signing telegram to Des on behalf of his toxic ex-. God, it was so unbelievably cringey in the best way. Des picks him up after that fateful encounter, they hit it off, and he enlists Javier's help to act as his date at an upcoming event to demonstrate to his ex-, Matthew, that he's moved on - delicious! Des falls ill and Javier nurses him back to health. OMG *swoon*. They connect so well. Their chemistry is palpable but more than that they read see each other. Let's cook together, garden together, watch a movie together... Yes, yes, yes, (and yes!).

BUT we never get to see the evil ex- get his just desserts, we never see Javier really succeed with his fledgling modelling agency, etc.

I'm bummed. I will read the full-length novel when it comes out but I feel cheated by this inclusion in the anthology. I'm trying really hard to rate the work as is and not have my rating reflect my disappointment. Teasing another work is forgivable (I hate it but understand that authors want to tease their other works to increase engagement and readership) but this hits differently.


What the Heart Wants by Minerva Howe - # candy hearts
Maverick Grainger
Graham, omega

Checked Baggage by Riley Long - # candy hearts
Dallas, museum curator

My Demon Boyfriend by Stella Rainbow - # candy hearts
Arnick

Ruff Day by Susan Scott Shelley and Chantal Mer - # candy hearts
Jaggar Michaels
Ian Vale

(6) The Tattoo Parlor by Vinni George - # candy hearts
Misha Zimov, omega
Tucker Sharpe, alpha


I was given an ARC and voluntarily wrote an honest review.

[Megan McGrath · Rating 5 out of 5]

21 Incredible stories from 22 incredible authors. I absolutely love multi-author anthologies because they give me more stories from authors I love while also introducing me to several new authors that I hadn't necessarily read previously.
I love the fact that though the underlying touch on Valentine's Day is there in every story. Some stories definitely have it as a more prominent plot point and some barely touch on it at all but when they do it's still sweet and meshes with that story perfectly.

1. Tent Poles and Tackle Boxes by A.D. Ellis 4.5 ⭐
Travis and Joey
A cute, short and sweet best friend second Chance romance in small town Haven Grove. Enjoy watching these two friends stumble over there. Decade of loss and tension and find themselves at home where they grew up. Taking over the family businesses and finding their love all over again.

2. Explosion of the Heart by B.A. Tortuga 4 ⭐
Dalton and Jack
I'm not all that familiar with VA tortugas material yet, but I enjoyed the story. There were moments of heartbreak and sadness in memory form but the couple took the time they needed and deserved to communicate and figure out what went wrong and find their way back to one another to make sure their family stayed home.

3. Always This by Becca Seymour 5 ⭐
Ant and Eli
Adorable meet cute, unfortunately painful, but adorable. 😄 The story is very low angst and very sweet. The MCs are perfect gentlemen and the kind of people you want to know and want in your life. They're both wonderful father figures and role models.
The story feels very soft and reads like you breathe out a sigh at every sweet moment. You know these guys are endgame and it was easy to see from the onset of their friendship. And each personal and intimate moment we get between them brings out a smile and a quiet, pleasant memory.

4. Mugs and Kisses by Beck Grey 5 ⭐
Jake and Matt
Hilarious meet-cute and incredibly sweet story once the MCs get to know one another. They have instant chemistry, but Jake makes an error that gives this story a fantastic edge. I loved how these two correct said mistake and how their sweet story evolves from there. I would love an extended version of this story, but it's not technically necessary. ☺️


5. Magic Fate Ball by Bix Barrow 5 ⭐
Elton and Rafferty
Not your typical first couple of meet-cutes, that's for sure. Everything about this duo is sweet yet somewhat strained, because of Elton's personal issues. I really enjoyed the way these two spent time between their Discovery and creating their mating bond. Many of the stories in the Wonder universe form those bonds so quickly. It's nice to see them. Take the time to really get to know one another.
And I'm absolutely salivating over waiting for Manny's story later this year. He deserves an HEA.

6. Tea and Vodka by B.L. Jones 3.5 ⭐
Azrael and Lilith
This story was a slow build for me, but I enjoyed the general premise. The intensity between the characters was fun, and I imagine an expanded story of getting back Azrael's "before" memories would be a fantastic read.

7. Alexander and the Meet Cute Potion by David Gray 5 ⭐
Emerik and Alexander
Light-hearted, chaotic and sweet. Happy magic built into potions to find love. I'm not very familiar with this author's work, but it was a very fun read.

8. Hiding Fate by D.C. Emerson 4 ⭐
Jae and Koda
This was a wonderful fated mates story between shifters, one of which identified as agender/non-binary. It had a lot of wonderful information that may not be as readily available in other stories, and I loved learning that writing these types of stories helps the author personally explain and explore their own identity. A very sweet read.


9. Love, Thy Neighbor by DK Sutton 4.5 ⭐
Jace and Lannie
Super sweet oblivious romance between neighbors. Jace spent his early adult years crushing and loving on lannie and lannie. Never even noticed anything beyond the crush. And when he starts to see Jace in a new light, it doesn't scare him and he lets those feelings take over even while scared that he will lose everything he's come to love since he moved in next to jace's family. It's an incredibly sweet story and it's always fun to see new characters discover their shifts and changes in their sexuality.


10. Beau's Stormy Romance by E.J. Stoll 4 ⭐
Beau and Vincent
A rather unfortunate meet-ugly between these two, but it seems that instant chemistry between them also allowed them to continue interacting even when they were both wary. Their interest became too obvious to avoid, and once they really talked things through, they knew they had something special. The Valentine's Day connection in this story is avoidance because they simply mention the day, but all of their important interactions happen after that day.

11. Grounded by E.M. Denning 4.5 ⭐
Troye and Matthew
Super short and intense meeting stemming from a double-booked plane ticket. The two men start at uncomfortable odds but quickly find more in common than they ever would have expected. Their time together is hot and it's too bad it was just a short story, because I think they could easily have had more to share.

12. The Baker and the Kraken by Ellie Ash 4 ⭐
Adam and Calder
Cute fated mate romance between a wary witch and a mythical shifter. No spice beyond kissing, but the story was really fun to read and was, yet again, one I would have loved more of.

13. Unsportsmanlike Conduct by Essie Sloane 3.5 ⭐
Vic & Jason
This was a fun and silly story between two rivaling football fans. Their competitive nature comes out strong, but the commonalities between them bring their relationship together. They form an easy friendship that slides right into the interest they both had for one another. The whole story is written from Vic's perspective, so it would have been fun to see what Jason was thinking during all his insulting rants, but it was a fun read.

14. Angel Kisses by Evie McGlynn 4 ⭐
Charlie and Hunter
A wonderful meet-cute between the MCs, although I hated the DV premise that followed Charlie into their story. Hunter is a perfect match for his little man and the best protection. This story sits alongside the Angel Security series that I now know I need to check out.

15. Fortune Candy by Madalyn George 5 ⭐
Bryan and Oliver
These two were a perfect story right out of the rom-coms they both love. Very much a grumpy/sunshine couple, but so much fun to follow. I really enjoyed their sweet story and the simple, small town setting and found family.

16. The Weekend Boyfriend by Merry Farmer 4.5 ⭐
Javier & Desmond
I love a good, seemingly mismatched pair, and Merry does a wonderful job with those connections. These two definitely met under unfortunate circumstances, but made the best of their shared grievances to step up and be the better men.

17. What the Heart Wants by Minerva Howe 3 ⭐
Mav & Graham
The story was cute, but it felt a bit scattered at times, and I had a difficult time managing the POV. I wanted to love these guys, but it felt too rushed and incomplete.

18. Checked Baggage by Riley Long 4 ⭐
Dallas and Ace
An excellent romance with a non-binary MC to add to the story. They had an unusual first meeting and first impression, but it didn't take them long at all to find their commonalities and shared work interests. It's always fun when the MCs can come together to co-create something that deals with their jobs. It feels like it brings everything full circle.

19. My Demon Boyfriend by Stella Rainbow 4 ⭐
Arnick & Theo
An interesting way to tell the story, with the tense going back and forth between past and present. It was an interesting story that introduces new readers to the demon universe that Stella has created. I certainly haven't read anything from it yet, but this story intrigued me enough to want to take a look.

20. Ruff Day by Susan Scott Shelley and Chantal Mer 4.5⭐
Jaggar and Ian
An unfortunate way to meet when they're both having bad days, but after they apologize to one another for their attitudes, everything takes off from there and their chemistry is off the charts. I love that this story has a backing of a shelter charity. I love hearing when animals get adopted, especially ones that aren't necessarily the "prettiest". These two were a lot of fun to read and it just was a very overall suite and very low angst story.


21. The Tattoo Parlor by Vinni George 5 ⭐
Tucker and Misha
The story was really fun and had a lot of sweet moments between the MCS once they got over their initial awkward and uncomfortable first meeting. Most of the scenes take place in the tattoo parlor, but that's not a bad thing because there's a lot of description and a lot of anticipation that just makes for a fun read if you're into that kind of thing. The story is omegaverse and shifters. But the shifter part takes very little in the plot and even the Omega verse is fairly muted. It fits more because of the faded mates part of the story which I love because faded mates always give the romances that extra tinge positive angst.

I received an authorized copy of this book and am volunteering my honest review.

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

********** Contains Spoilers**********

I thought this was a good collection of stories. The Candy Hearts Volume 3 Anthology raises money for the Rainbow Railroad Charity. There’s a mixture of real life & paranormal reads within this collection but each starts off with a meet-ugly or bad first impression. Please see below a snapshot of reviews for some of the novellas featured.

Always This by Becca Seymour - ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ - This was a quick & enjoyable read. I thought Ant & Eli were good together. There was something pulling them together from their first introduction and what a way to meet lol. I thought Ant’s son Henry, Eli’s niece Ava, nephew Noah & sister Mel were great additions to Ant & Eli’s story. I loved seeing the bond form between Eli & Henry and it was awesome to see how protective Eli was of Henry, even if he kind of overstepped a tad but he did apologise but it definitely needed to be said. Ant & Henry are better off without Owen, as he didn’t even seem interested in Henry even though it’s been months since he’s seen him. At least he has Ant, Eli, Noah, Ava & Mel who absolutely adore him.

Mugs & Kisses by Beck Grey - ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ - I really enjoyed this novella. From their disastrous first meeting all due a case of mistaken identity to eventually meeting again at a Valentines Day party held at Jake’s BFF Lee’s house who he was trying to protect when he went off at Matt in a coffee shop. The stupid pottery and coffee puns made me smile. I thought Jake & Matt were cute together. I would’ve loved to see them reenact the pottery wheel scene from Ghost lol. I hope that this isn’t the last we’ve heard from this world as I’d love to see Matt’s brother Charlie find his own happily ever after and see if Lee & Marti end up together.

Magic Fate Ball by Bix Barrow - ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ - I really enjoyed this novella and thought that it was a good addition to Bix’s Wonderfall Series. I thought Rafferty & Elton were great together. Man, my heart hurt for Elton and everything he’s already been through, and just about to go through again. I loved how patient Rafferty was with Elton’s wariness about being mates, he does get Elton to give him a chance of going on a date to see if they’re actually compatible. When Rafferty actually finds out the real reason Elton is apprehensive about their mating he tells him that he or his wolf aren’t going to change their mind due to Elton’s surgery, but even though he doesn’t want to wait he’s still accepting of Elton’s choice. I enjoyed meeting Manny and I’m really looking forward to reading his story in Unprecedented, in Bix’s upcoming Singular Magics Series.

Hiding Fate by DC Emerson - ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ - I’m new to DC Emerson’s work and I’m looking forward to reading more. I thought that this was a good addition to the upcoming Fate Beyond the Binary Series. I thought Jae & Koda were cute together. I’m so glad that Jae’s best friend Hollis dragged Jae out for the F*ck Fate bar crawl as that’s where he literally bumped into his fated mate Koda. I liked that Koda was genuinely happy about Jae & Hollis’s closeness and could see how happy their friendship made the both of them. They were happy to actually get to know Hollis and hopefully form their own friendship with him.

Grounded by EM Denning - ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ - I enjoyed this novella. All I can say is that Troye didn’t deal with Matthew sitting in his assigned seat on the plane, even though Matthew had also been assigned the same seat as it was really the final straw that broke the camels back. His overtop reaction was the reason both him and Matthew got kicked off the plane. They end up getting tickets on the next available flight which isn’t until 4pm tomorrow. They have to get a hotel room which Troye books the last one. Matthew invites himself to stay with Troye since he’s the reason Matthew was kicked off the plane. When these two actually start talking to each other over dinner they realise that they actually have more in common than they first thought. Matthew could see the Troye would benefit greatly from a firm hand and it turns out he was right.

The Baker and the Kraken by Ellie Ash - ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ - I really enjoyed this novella and thought that it was a good start to the Mythical Mates for the Holidays Series. Adam is an extremely awkward and accident-prone witch and I don’t blame him for not wanting a familiar bond considering what happened with his mother & aunt but I did love that when his friend Simon pointed out how prejudice he was being against shifters without even realising it that he felt absolutely horrible and fixed his behaviour.

Calder, a Kraken shifter knows that the clumsy and adorable man is his fated mate, so he tracks him down to the bakery he works at to apologise for being a distraction and possibly the reason why Adam fell into the cake at the wedding the other day. I can understand why Calder didn’t tell Adam that he’s not only a shifter but that they’re fated mates straight away, considering he overheard Adam telling his friend Simon that he doesn’t need nor want a familiar bond with a shifter. Calder wanted them to get know each other before opening that can of worms, but the truth always has a way of coming out. I thought that they were cute together and I absolute adored Simon and I’ve got my fingers crossed that he gets his own story. I’m looking forward to reading more from the Mythical Mates for the Holidays Series as it continues.

Angel Kisses by Evie McGlynn - ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️- I’ve read all of Evie McGlynn’s stories which I really enjoyed. I thought that this was a good addition to her Angel Security Series. This was a cute, quick & enjoyable read. Poor Charlie for everything he’s been through with his a*sehole abusive stalker of an ex but I’m so glad that he literally ran into Hunter as he’s found someone who treats him and going to keep doing so like he should’ve always been treated. I thought that Charlie & Hunter were cute together and it was great to see Hunter’s new work, Angel Security come together in Charlie’s time of need.

The Weekend Boyfriend by Merry Farmer - ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ - I really enjoyed this novella and I’m happy to see that this is just the start of Desmond & Javier’s story, which continues in Merry’s upcoming Rent-a-Boyfriend Series. Man, I really just wanted to reach through the pages and throat punch Desmond’s toxic as f*ck ex boyfriend, especially after the antics that he pulled at the Symphony Orchestra that Desmond & Javier attended, Javier as Desmond’s fake boyfriend to be the buffer between him and his ex. I can’t wait for karma to kick him in the a*se during the continuation of Desmond & Javier’s story. I loved seeing how comfortable Demond & Javier are in each other’s company and it was great seeing Javier stay and take care of Desmond after his ex tampered with food he knew that Desmond would eat because he thought that it was safe.

What the Heart Wants by Minerva Howe - ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ - This was a quick, sweet & enjoyable read. After Mav was dumped by his casual weekend hookup right before they had a Valentine’s Weekend planned, as because he apparently got a better offer. To say Mav is pissed off is an understatement and growls at the cutie front desk worker at the hotel he’s staying at, he knows that it’s not Graham’s fault so he apologises to him for the way he treated him but goes the extra mile and invites Graham to dinner on his last night at the hotel as another way to apologises. The two completely hit it off and realise that there’s something special between them.

My Demon Boyfriend by Stella Rainbow - ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ - I really enjoyed this novella and it has all the sweetness that I’ve come to expect from one of Stella Rainbow’s stories. I thought it was a good addition to the Demon Debacles Series. This is fated mates story between Arnick (demon) & Theo (human). I thought that they were cute together. Theo hasn’t had the best of luck with past relationships so Arnick came along at the right time but him being cagey doesn’t help with Theo’s anxiety. I’m glad that he finally got around to telling Theo what he’s been hiding and why? I liked getting some snippets of them spending time together over the course of their dating, when even got to see their disastrous first meeting lol.

I’m looking forward to checking out more books from the authors featured in this Anthology. I’d definitely recommend this collection, each novella and all of the authors to everyone.

[Zoe · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this anthology! It was full of wonderful romances that have rocky starts. I’m a big fan of novellas so I love anthologies and this one was so fun especially since I love Valentine’s Day! This anthology is filled with lots of different queer relationships and has both contemporary and paranormal/fantasy, it really is just a perfect mix of everything. For the readers who want to sample new subgenres or are looking for new authors to add to their TBR this is the perfect read. I found a bunch of new authors that I have added to my TBR and I’m excited to read more books from them!

Tent Poles & Tackle Boxes by A.D. Ellis
This was a wonderfully cozy second chance romance between two guys who used to be best friends and are now back in their small town running their families businesses together. Their reintroduction to one another started with a very angry outburst but I like how quickly they reverted back to being best friends. This book has a one bed trope which I love and I just thought these two were very cute together! I loved being introduced to their small town through this book because it definitely sparked my interest in the other books that take place here.

Explosion of the Heart by BA Tortuga
This book was a second chance between two husbands who were separated because they had a fight. I really enjoyed the beginning of this book and thought it was an exciting start. And I liked that they did end up talking things out and listening to one another. Emotions were definitely high with these two but I’m happy that they worked things out.

Always This by Becca Seymour
This story was so much fun. I loved these two from the moment they met to the very end and I would love to read more about them. I liked how they kept spending time with one another because they wanted to even though they didn't need to. I was also a big fan of how well they clicked with each other’s families and how Eli treated Ant’s son like he was his own. The protectiveness was so perfect and they just made such a lovely family. I am also a big fan of Eli’s sister who was so supportive and the two of them. And I liked reading all the Aussie slang even if I didn’t understand all of it.

Mugs & Kisses by Beck Grey
This book starts off with a terrible case of mistaken identity and a very public scene for poor Matt. Jake thinks that Matt is someone else who has wronged his best friend and immediately goes in to defend her and ends up having to apologize to the poor man he yelled at in a coffee shop. I liked the puns in this book and their meeting was definitely an interesting one. This book was also a very fast burn and Jake did not learn from his mistakes at all.

Magic Fate Ball by Bix Barrow
This was an interesting magical world. I would like to know more about the magic system in this world and I liked how the two MMCs were in sync when it came to helping someone. I did think that their relationship felt more based on the bond and I would have liked to see them spending more time together.

Tea & Vodka by BL Jones
This is the only sapphic romance in this anthology and I actually really enjoyed it. I’m a big fan of books that have mythology/gods/demons etc. and this hit all those points. The way the relationship progressed in this book was very natural and sweet. I loved seeing Azrael be introduced to new things and finding things she likes. I really enjoyed the dynamic between Azrael and Lilth and I would love to know more about what happens in this universe because it felt like the beginning of something bigger.

Alexander and the Meet-Cute Potion by David Gray
This story had a really interesting concept. Alexander, trying to find true love, enlisted the help of a witch for a potion that happens to lead to a LOT of meet cute moments (like a lot). There were many fun moments in this book and I really liked the concept. I also liked that he ended up with the witch who he went to for help, and that their friend groups meshed well.

Hiding Fate by D.C. Emerson
This was one of my favourite stories in this anthology. It was so cute and cozy I just wanted to stay in it forever. Jae who’s finally getting over his ex and joined his best friend on a f*ck fate bar crawl happens to meet his fated mate, Koda, an agender bear shifter who is so sweet and perfect. I love how well these two clicked almost immediately and the way that they both wanted to spend more time together. I was so happy that they decided to continue on with the bar crawl and I loved how Koda was just as sweet to Hollis, Jae’s best friend. The way that Koda accepted their friendship and closeness while also keeping Hollis close and making sure that they were all comfortable was so sweet. I also loved all the mentions of their shifter forms and every time they thought about cuddling together in their shifted forms made my heart happy. I love how physical they all were and I can’t wait to read more of this universe because it is the cutest!

Love Thy Neighbor by D.K. Sutton
This book was between Jace and Lannie who were neighbors for years. Jace had a crush on Lannie but nothing happened until Lannie went to go check up on him. I really liked how close Lannie was with Jace’s family and it was cute how they accepted him. I did find the relationship between Jace and Lannie a little confusing because we don’t really get to see too many moments between them and there is a bit of drama but their relationship with Jace’s family was very sweet.

Beau’s Stormy Romance by E.J. Stroll
This book was so much fun to read. I adored the entire story and love this author’s writing which is why they have been added to my TBR! This book had grumpy x sunshine vibes with Beau who makes a terrible first impression after having a terrible day and Vincent who’s very sweet and very confused about why he was set up with a grumpy jerk. Beau and Vincent’s blind date might not have gone the way they expected but I loved the slow burn of them bumping into each other accidentally and eventually on purpose. When they finally do get to a proper date it is super sweet and goes much better than the first time and I love all the little caretaking moments in this book because they are definitely needed! As always their meddling bestie was 100% right because these two are perfect together and I loved them!

Grounded by E.M. Denning
If I could stay in this book forever I would! Troye and Matthew have a very interesting meeting where tensions are high and Troye ends up in Matthew’s lap and then kicked off a plane. I found the beginning of this story very funny and I loved their dynamic from the start. These two are both very stubborn and luckily end up in a one bed situation where they have to tolerate one another. But don’t worry because the tolerating turns into something else when Troye continues to be a brat and Matthew’s had enough. I really loved the interactions between these two characters. I thought the story was funny and adorable and I would 100% be happy to read more about them because they were perfect together and made me so happy!

The Baker and the Kraken by Ellie Ash
This was a very sweet fated mates book with an ancient shifter who finally finds his mate in a very clumsy baker and it was sweet as cake! While Adam and Calder do have a few bumps in their road their story was very lovely! I really enjoyed how much Calder respected Adam’s job and baking abilities and was willing to do whatever he needed to spend time with him and had no issues accommodating Adam’s schedule. I was also a big fan of Adam constantly almost falling around Calder but being caught again and again! I just love caretaking elements and this was a delight! I am happy that these two got over their issues and ended up together because they are adorable.

Unsportsmenlike Conduct by Essie Sloane
This book was a very fun friends to lovers between two people who meet at a football game sitting next to one another while cheering for different teams. There is some strong trash talk at the game but when they bump into each other outside the game they realize that maybe a friendship wouldn’t be so bad and maybe that friendship could turn into something more. This book has a very happy ending because Vic realizes that Jason isn’t terrible, just passionate and feelings develop between the two of them. This was a very fun take on romance with sports!

Angel Kisses by Evie McGlynn
This was perfection. So much protectiveness and loveliness from these two characters. There is a clear size difference which makes the protectiveness so much cuter (I am a sucker for classic tropes). Hunter is a gentle giant when it comes to Charlie because everyone loves Charlie (as they should). Charlie is so sweet and I am so happy that he has someone like Hunter to protect him and show him just how amazing he is. I am also almost certain that all the people around Charlie are witches because they knew way too many things and I was very intrigued by the side characters in this book from both Hunter and Charlie’s POVs. This story was perfectly cozy and I need more of these two in my life because they are too cute!

Fortune Candy by Madalyn George
I really liked the idea of this story. We have a nervous inn owner and a cranky landscaper who’s staying at the inn for his sister’s wedding. These two meet during a snowstorm when Bryan finally arrives after trekking through the snow and Ollie very quickly does everything he can to make his guest comfortable. I thought Ollie was very sweet and while Bryan was a little cranky at first, things heated up very quickly between them. I like that they both had sweet memories of Ollie’s gran and the garden and I’m happy that they got to fix it up!

The Weekend Boyfriend by Merry Farmer
I loved this story. There was so much wonderful caretaking and domestic bliss. Javier meets Desmond dressed as a cupid in his office but as luck would have it they bump into each other on their way home and that kicks off their ruse to get back at Desmond’s evil ex. This book has a lovely fake date that ends in a bit of a disaster but leads to a perfect weekend of pretending to be boyfriends and doing all the cute things together as if they’ve been together forever. I thought this story was so cute and I absolutely loved the two of them together and was so happy that they ended up together!

What the Heart Wants by Minerva Howe
This book was very cute! It’s a fast burn and omegaverse with a grumpy alpha and a sweet omega. Maverick doesn’t make the best first impression when he growls at Graham because his date was cancelled last minute but he does eventually make it up to him and things are smooth sailing from there. Their relationship definitely picks up very quickly from there but it was cute and I liked that we got to see some of what their life looked like together in the epilogue.

Checked Baggage by Riley Long
Dallas and Ace meet at the airport on their way home and Dallas is very serious and just wants to relax in peace and get home as soon as he can, meanwhile Ace is more sunshiney and the opposite of Dallas. But with the help of mixed up luggage and some common interests, Dallas gets to make an apology and realize that he might have more in common with Ace than he thought. I think the phrase opposites attract works very well here in terms of their personalities and I love how Ace helps Dallas loosen up and have some fun. This book was very sweet and I really enjoyed reading about them!

My Demon Boyfriend by Stella Rainbow
Big fan of Stella Rainbow’s magical universe and this book was no exception! This story has an established relationship between a human and a demon who has been keeping his identity a secret. I love how there were flashbacks to the beginning of Arrick and Theo’s relationship because their first impressions of one another were very funny. I love how sweet Arrick is and how he’s trying to figure out the best way to tell Theo he’s a demon while Theo is trying to figure out why his boyfriend is being weird. I thought these two fit very well together and I loved how quickly Theo accepted that Arrick is a demon.

Ruff Day by Susan Scott Shelly & Chantal Mer
I really enjoyed this book! It has dogs and two people who are having very very bad days and end up taking it out on one another. But don’t worry because this is a romance so the apologies are very sweet and it turns out they might work better together than they expected. I love seeing Jagger and Ian realize that they actually enjoyed one another’s company and didn’t want to stop hanging out together. They were very cute together after their initial terrible impressions and I would be happy to read more about them and their lives together!

The Tattoo Parlor by Vinni George
I am obsessed with this story, this was the perfect end to the anthology and I immediately went to look for more of this author’s books. Misha is absolutely adorable, he’s on his own in basically a whole new world and able to do whatever he wants. He’s a little shy and nervous and I just want to wrap him up in a blanket and give him a hug because he’s so sweet and brave. Tucker on the other hand doesn’t make the greatest first impression in real life but he does make up for it. Also he gets his second chance he they realize that they were supposed to meet for Misha’s first tattoo! This story was so sweet and spicy with fated mates and the cutest characters!

Thank you GRR for the ARC!

[Tia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Candy Hearts Volume 3 is about a meet-uglies and bad first impressions. The overall rating is the average of the books I have read, the rating 4,4/5.

Tent Poles & Tackle Boxes 5/5

Tent Poles & Tackle Boxes is about Travis and Joey. They were childhood best friends but they grew apart. Their families has a share business, so when their grandparents wants to retire, Travis and Joey will take over the family business.

This was a perfect second chance story. I would like to read more about them. I haven't read the Man of Haven Grove series but I need to change that so I can learn more of that town.

Explosion Of the Heart 3/5

Explosion Of the Heart is about Dalton and Jack, they are soon to be divorced and they have a two small girls. When Dalton hears that Jack is in the bar with another man when their kids are at home with a babysitter. Dalton goes to the bar and gives Jack a piece of his mind.

This story was fine, I didn't like the writing and how Jack started call Dalton so soon "baby" after they have been broken up and haven't been living with each others for a year.

Always This 4/5

Always This is about Ant and El. Ant just moved with son after divorce. Eli works at the school where Ant's son Henry goes.

This was a nice little read. I liked how Eli is with Ant's son and how Ant is with Eli's niblings.

Mugs & Kisses 4,5/5

Mugs & Kisses is about Jake and Matt. Jake's best friend, Lee, has a asshole coworker, Matt, and when Jake heard a coffee order to Matt and Ainslee aka Lee. Jake sees a red, he starts to insult Matt not to realizes that he insult wrong Matt.

I liked this story. I liked how Jake apologies to Matt. I want to know did Charlie find someone on Lee's Valentines day party.

Magic Fate Ball 5/5

Magic Fate Ball is about Elton and Rafferty. Elton is an empath and Rafferty is a wolf shifter. They meet a bookstore were Rafferty is buying a pregnancy related books.

I loved this! I don't read much of shifter books but this was a lovely story. I liked the characters and I liked how the main characters were to each others. Love it! I need to read more and I can't wait Manny's book

Tea & Vodka

Sorry, I don't read FF so I can't give a good review of this so I won't review it.

Alexander and the Meet Cute Potion 5/5

Alexander and the Meet Cute Potion is about Alexander and Emerik. Emerik makes Alexander a meet cute potion for Valentine's Day, but he somehow messes that up because Alexander has a lot of meet cute interactions.

This was a lovely read, I liked it! Daniel is new writer to me, I need to read more of his books because I liked this book.

Hiding Fate 4,5/5

Hiding Fate is about Jae and Koda. Jae is done dating and is going to go on bar crawl with his best friend. Jae meets at the bar Koda and that meeting rock both of them lives.

This was a nice first book of D.C's new series. I liked it, I liked the characters and the world setting.

Love Thy Neighbor 5/5

Love Thy Neighbor is about Jace and Lannie. Jace has a crush on his older new neighbor, Lannie. When Lannie sees Jace getting dumped on Valentine's Day, Lannie wants to teach Jace how to flirt to guys even thought Lannie is straight.

I loved this, I liked how Jace's family were there to Lannie whose own family disowned him.

Beau's Stormy Romance 5/5

Beau's Stormy Romance is about Beau and Vincent. Beau has had a bad day, it's raining and he gets coffee all over himself when a man in the coffee shop bumps into him. Beau has a blind date after his disastrous day and the same man from the coffee shop is his date.

I loved it, I could read more of them. Beau was a little grumpy but Vincent was a sunshine.

Grounded 5/5

Grounded is about Troye and Matthew. Troye just wants to get home, so when he finds someone sitting on his seat on plane. Because of the short temper they both was kicked out of the flight.

This was a funny read. Troye was a brat but luckily Matthew knew how to handle brats.

The Baker and The Kraken 4/5

The Baker and The Kraken is about Adam and Calder. Adam is a baker and he is the clumsiest so he trips over a wedding cake when he sees Calder for the first time.

This was a lovely story about witch who did had a bad experiences with shifters. I liked how patience Calder was and I bet he gives a best hugs as a kraken.

Unsportmanlike Conduct 4/5

Unsportmanlike Conduct is about Vic and Jason. Vic is in football game watching his favorite team playing in playoffs when a obnoxious opponents team fan, Jason, is sitting next to him.

This was a good story, I liked how Jason could be civil when his team wasn't playing.

Angel Kisses 4,5/5

Angel Kisses is about Charlie and Hunter. They meet when Charlie run into Hunter and Hunter's coffee gets all over himself.

This was a great story, I liked how Hunter was there helping Charlie. I liked the set up, I need to read more of this world.

Fortune Candy 4,5/5

Fortune Candy is about Oliver and Bryan. Oliver inherits his grandmothers B&B, he tries to keep it floating. Bryan is always wanted to visit rustic B&B with beautiful garden, so when his sister has a wedding near the B&B he gets to visit the B&B.

This was a lovely story, I liked how sweet this was and I liked Oliver's friend Chase.

The Weekend Boyfriend 4/5

The Weekend Boyfriend is about Javier and Desmond. They meet when Desmond's ex hires Javier to deliver a Valentine's Day singing telegram. Desmond needs a date for an important event where his ex will be so he wants to Javier be his boyfriend in this event.

This was a great story, it was a great start of the new series.

What the Heart Wants 4/5

What the Heart Wants is about Mav and Graham. They meet at the hotel where Mav is a having a romantic Valentine's Day getaway when his date cancels to him and Mav tries to get his romantic package to cancel.

This was a great insta love story, I liked it!

Checked Baggage 5/5

Checked Baggage is about Ace and Dallas. They sit next to each others on the plane and at the luggage carusel pick up each others baggages.

This was a great story, I liked how they create a proposal how to fit each others jobs in the new exhibit in the museum.

My Demon Boyfriend 4/5

My Demon Boyfriend is about Arnick and Theo. Arnick has been keeping secret from his boyfriend, Theo, that he is a demon. Arnick wants to tell truth to Theo and has decide that he will tell Theo on Theo's birthday.

This was a good story, I liked how Arnick didn't realizes how much stronger he was than an normal human.

Ruff Day 4/5

Ruff Day is about Jaggar and Ian. Jaggar doesn't have a great start of his day and when charity softball game has a scowling umpire, that meeting doesn't go well.

This was a great story, I liked the characters and I liked the dogs, this was a perfect story.

The Tattoo Parlor 4/5

The Tattoo Parlor is about Tucker and Misha. Misha wants to have a tattoo, so when he moves to Key West he starts to emailing Tucker about his tattoo.

This was a good story, I liked how careful Tucker was with Misha because Misha's background.

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I received an ARC of this book, and this is my honest review.

[Merit · Rating 3 out of 5]

Review of an ARC. Hopefully the typos and other mistakes are fixed in the final version.
3 stars overall. All but one of the stories are MM, one is FF, and the rest of the letters in LGBTQIA2S+ don't seem to be represented at all or very minimal. Mix of contemporary and paranormal.

Individual stories reviews:

A.D. Ellis - Tent Poles & Tackle Boxes
Lot of history, introducing the rest of the series, not smutty at all, and nothing really happening, no chemistry, no felt connection. Thing that happened years ago and no one spoke about didn't add anything to the story, no tension or such, and was only briefly spoken about in a 'everything is fine now' way. Interchangeable voices. Also, how can they make a list of everything that needs to be fixed on the camping without having walked the grounds to check things (and there is no mention of checking papers/books)? I'm tired of small towns where everyone seems to be gay. Once again, this shory story seems to have been written with the sole function of introducing the author's MM series.

B.A. Tortuga - Explosion of the Heart
Again a couple that wants to get back together but this time well fleshed out. Shows that it takes time to talk and think about things and to make things up to each other. Good story, well written - hopefully the typos will get corrected before the release.

Becca Seymour - Always This
Two adults falling in love in this story written like a lazy sunny afternoon. No rush. No unnecessary info either. Kids that don't take up too much space but aren't forgotten either. Good writing - the story flows easily.

Beck Grey - Mugs & Kisses
A light-hearted, fun story about a funny meet-cute and falling in love over pottery and lots of puns.

Bix Barrow - Magic Fate Ball
I'd say this is a low-angst story but it deals with pretty serious stuff that had me a bit emotional at times (content warnings are given before the story). I wished one of the MC's could have gotten some more (physical) comfort - lots of hugs! That would have made it better for me. But the story couldn't allow that. :( Anyway, it's still a sweet story with lots of care coming from the other MC. I didn't think the IG reels in between the chapters contributed to the story and I'll never understand the appeal of sharing personal things to the public like that that are just not interesting to me but to each their own. Story-driven PNR short and introducing the author's PNR book series in a subtle way that didn't make it the whole focus of this short.

BL Jones - Tea & Vodka
FF PNR/fantasy short about angels and demons and other biblical figures but with artistic freedom. I didn't fully get the world-building and the story felt unfinished. It was all a bit random.

David Gray - Alexander and the Meet-Cute Potion
This was a fun and cute story! About a potion and lots of meet-cutes and of course meeting The One. Very well written and highly entertaining.

D.C. Emerson - Hiding Fate
A funny idea: meeting your fated mate on a Fuck Fate bar crawl. But the story focused more on showing that a close friendship shouldn't be a bother to a relationship, even/especially when there's a lot of physical affection. I totally agree but I felt at times that the story didn't focus enough on the budding romance and that the best friend was more on page than the love interest. Also, the story dragged a lot and I became a bit bored with it.

D.K. Sutton - Love Thy Neighbor
While I'm not a fan of the tropes and themes in this story, I recognize it is well written and it easily pulled me in. Still a bit cliche but well done - I think fans of these tropes will like this story.

E.J. Stoll - Beau's Stormy Romance
This is indeed a stormy romance. It has a disastrous meet-cute and first date. Brownie points to the two men for still giving each other a chance, even if it took a lot of time and effort. It's something different for a short story.

E.M. Denning - Grounded
Another meet-cute with a rocky start, like a lot in this anthology. Has more emotional depth than most other stories here. Very well written and sexy too. But a very abrupt ending - could have used just a couple more pages to finish it up.

Ellie Ash - The Baker and the Kraken
Simple, low angst story. Lots of musings and telling instead of showing. Especially from the baker MC, whom the story seems to revolve around - the reader doesn't get to know the kraken MC to the same extent.

Essie Sloane - Unsportsmanlike Conduct
I like the premise of this story and I suppose it turned out fun but it was a lot of telling and summarizing instead of showing. I didn't really get to know the MCs or to feel their connection.

Evie McGlynn - Angel Kisses
One of the better stories here, in my opinion. Sure, they move fast and the story was a bit cliche but it was well done and enjoyable.

Madalyn George - Fortune Candy
One of my favs from this anthology. Lots of cozy vibes and candy hearts. Adorable MCs.

Merry Farmer - The Weekend Boyfriend
I never want to read another story with a singing telegram dressed as Cupid again. That aside, the story was well written and enjoyable, just a bit cliche.

Minerva Howe - What the Heart Wants
This story didn't work for me. There was zero attraction or interest in the other MC when they suddenly got on a date while previously they had only been annoyed with each other. Things were moving fast but the reader didn't get to see them developing. Lots of time jumps in the story that weren't tied together well.

Riley Long - Checked Baggage
Two people keep bumping into each other and start dating. I didn't feel their connection, though, and the story didn't hold my interest. Not for me but I think others will like this story.

Stella Rainbow - My Demon Boyfriend
The reader knows everything within a few pages. There is no surprise or suspense left. Chapters jump between past and present, never my favorite because it makes it hard for me to feel connected to the story. Add to that that the story basically is about one MC worrying about something the reader knows won't be an issue for the other MC, yeah, this story wasn't for me.

Susan Scott Shelley & Chantal Mer - Ruff Day
A lot of bad luck, dogs and sports - that's what this story is about. It's probably fun but I think I'm at that point where I'm desperately hoping there are still stories in this book better suited for me. Also, why is everybody in this story gay?

Vinni George - The Tattoo Parlor
Now this is how you write attraction and connection! A story focused on the budding relationship and getting to know the MCs without too much background stuff that takes away from it. A steamy end to this Valentine's Day anthology.

[morgan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall average rating of novellas read: 3.8/5 -> rounded to 4/5 for GR

All of the novellas I read were incredibly sweet, low angst, and perfect for the season! If I didn’t read a novella on the first round, it’s nothing against the author or tropes, it just didn’t grab me or seem like something I’d normally read. My favorite of the ones I read was definitely Checked Baggage by Riley Long. Grounded by E.M. Denning was the runner-up. I think it’s funny that both of these revolve around airports and flights when I’ve never been on a plane at 27 💀

1. Tent Poles & Tackle Boxes - A.D. Ellis
Rating: 3.75/5
- second chances + small town setting
- one bed!

This was a cute second chance romance! I did, unfortunately, feel like there were too many side characters to keep track of. I’m sure these are main characters in the series this novella is set in, but I seriously glazed over any mention of peoples’ relationships because I had no idea who they were. I wish there had been a little more regarding the MMCs’ backstories and why they stopped being friends in the first place.

2. Mugs & Kisses - Beck Grey
Rating: 4.5/5
- mistaken identity + terribleeeeee first impression
- cute dates

Super cute tbh! This one didn’t feel like it had a billion side characters that were almost just an advertisement for the series this is set in. I’m sure Lee and Marti might have a book and whoever the fuck Uncle Tink is, but still. The spicy scene was good, too! I’m sad fisting was hinted but we’re never gonna get it from them, unfortunately

The whole Asshat Matt vs. Nice Matt was a good meet-ugly and I’m glad that Nice Matt didn’t hold it against Jake for long. Their jobs were super cool, too. I feel like most authors have their MCs doing boring normal people jobs, but these two had jobs that were interesting and also connected them a bit!

3. tea & vodka - BL Jones
Rating: 4/5
- sapphic
- demon x angel
- amnesia

This is such a cool take on a Valentine’s themed story! I really wish there had been more about why the angels had their memories erased or why Azrael was suddenly breathing like normal. I would’ve liked slightly more world building bc of the paranormal/fantasy aspects, which I know is hard to do in novellas without making them too long.

4. Grounded - E.M. Denning
Rating: 4.5/5
- SPICE!!
- brat x brat tamer
- spanking session

This author writes suuuuuuch good smut it’s ridiculous. It’s also obvious that the author wrote this to stand by itself without being part of an existing series/universe (or if it is, it wasn’t obvious to me). Novellas can have questionable pacing sometimes since they’re so short, but this isn’t my first novella by E.M. Denning and boy, do their novellas always hit.

5. The Weekend Boyfriend - Merry Farmer
Rating: 3.5/5
- fake relationship
- one of the MMCs has a shitty ex that plays a role in the novella

It was just okay, tbh. I’ve never read anything from this author (or their omegaverse pseud, MM Farmer), so I had no expectations going in. We meet Javier and Des in an unfortunate situation where Javier is a singing Valentine and Des is Not Having It. It’s a very fast burn (obvi bc it’s a novella), but’s revealed in an author’s note at the end that this is being continued as a full length novel in the future. I prefer when novellas can stand on their own or there’s a natural end, even if it’s being continued as a full length.

6. What the Heart Wants - Minerva Howe
Rating: 2/5
- MM omegaverse where mpreg is possible BUT does not occur in this novella
- questionable phrases used by author to (potentially?) describe a secondary character’s race (tbh, I don’t know if it’s just me reading into it, but describing someone who’s named Ephraim as having “red hands” rubs me the wrong way and the character wasn’t wearing gloves or anything)

Kind of cringe??? The MMCs have very little chemistry imo, and the whole omegaverse portion of it all was really only relevant with the knotting. It’s super super instalove, which, yes it’s a novella, but 🥴 I won’t spoil it, but if you read it, you’ll see what I’m talking about

7. Checked Baggage - Riley Long
Rating: 5/5
- accidental suitcase swap
- history nerds in luv
- nonbinary MC

I really really liked this one!!!! Their meet-ugly was so00 good and it didn’t feel forced. Dallas is just a big grump who’s straitlaced af and Ace is slightly chaos incarnate; true opposites attract. Their chemistry felt super natural and their relationship’s evolution was evident on page without feeling rushed. So so so good. I’ll definitely be checking out more of this author’s work

8. Ruff Day - Susan Scott Shelley & Chantal Mer
Rating: 3/5
- Jaggar’s having the worst day ever (like, seriously)
- charity softball game for an animal shelter
- dogs

It started off okay, I actually laughed at the first few scenes of Jaggar’s morning. I felt soooo bad for him lmao. Once the two of them meet up again after their original interaction, I felt it went downhill a bit. I just didn’t feel like the main characters had much chemistry and this one also suffered from being set in the authors’ existing world. Too many side characters for me to care about tbh. There was also a big emphasis on the dogs and, maybe this is too zillennial of me, but I… it just felt very cute doggo millennial 🫣

Thank you to GRR for the eARC! This review was left voluntarily and these are my honest thoughts and opinions.

[Denise Burris GremoryKohta · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am so excited to be reading this anthology. Valentine’s Day is the best time for it. What makes it even sweeter is that all the proceeds will benefit the Rainbow Railroad. Take a look at the author lineup. There’s such a great mix here.
A. D. Ellis starts us off with Tent Poles & Tackle Boxes. It gave me all the warm feels of love and home. It definitely had me putting The Men of Haven Grove series in my tbr.
BA Tortuga is a favorite of mine. Explosion of the Heart was everything I love about their work. The realness of family and the strong emotions involved. Though I’m not a fan of Alissa I know her heart was in the right place.
Next up is Becca Seymour’s Always This. I thought this was so well done. I loved all the characters except for Owen. He was an important part of the story though because it showed how awesome Eli is and what a great dad Ant is. Mel totally rocked.
Mugs and Kisses by Beck Grey was so good. I fell in love with this author’s work when I read the Maplewood author collaboration series. I adore Matt and Jake. I need Charlie’s story and to find out how things go for Lee with Marti.
Bix Barrow has a talent for creating wonderful worlds. In Magic Fate Ball we are in their Singular Mates universe. I highly recommend reading the Wonderfall series. I have been patiently, okay somewhat patiently, waiting for more. Getting Elton and Rafferty’s story was such a great surprise.
Now we come to an author I haven’t read yet. BL Jones with Tea & Vodka. I had to skip this one because its start was a bit dark for me.
I have read a David Gray book before and had a blast reading it so I was eager to read Alexander and the Meet-Cute Potion. It was just as fun to read. I’d love to hang out with the all of them.
I have read a couple of D. C. Emerson books and loved the emotional journeys in them. Hiding Fate was amazing. I loved it so much that I not only grabbed Rain’s story, I also clicked the link to book one so I can get it once it’s live.
I have read a lot of D. K. Sutton’s books and was eager to read Love Thy Neighbor. My heart hurt for Lannie. Suz said what I was thinking at just the right time. That family is so full of love and so fun. I loved it.
Next up is Beau’s Stormy Romance by E. J. Stoll. This is my second time reading their work. I enjoyed it. It was funny, sweet, and sexy with a realness that I really liked.
I have been a fan of E. M. Denning for years so you know I couldn’t wait to get to Grounded. It was a sweet fun read. Matthew and Troye get a HFN but you can see where it could go. I really hope the author expands their story.
Ellie Ash is another author I haven’t read before. The Baker and the Kraken was so good. It’s the first story for a series called Mystical Mates for the Holidays that will be coming this fall and I can’t wait. I am definitely going to be watching for it.
Unsportsmanlike Conduct by Essie Sloane is next. I’ve read a couple of there books before and really enjoyed them. OMG is was adorable. I couldn’t imagine how the author would make it work but they did beautifully.
I love getting the chance to read new to me authors and Evie McGlynn is another one. Angel Kisses surprised me. Yes it’s a short read with a fast pace but it was so good. I am going to need to read the other stories in this world. I love the book mention in here too. One of my favorite authors for this sub genre.
I am excited to see another new to me author. Fortune Candy is by Madalyn George. This had all the sweetness, sexiness, and grand gesture energy I love. Perfect fit for this anthology.
I love reading Merry Farmer. The Weekend Boyfriend was just a taste of what will come later and is a HFN but you can bet I’m going to want to read the expanded version. I need to see that they get their HEA and someone finds their due.
Now we come to one of my top three favorite authors, Minerva Howe. I have read everything by them so you know I was excited to see What the Heart Wants here. We went back to Secret Springs. Those books are so good. Graham is such a sweetheart. Mav took me a minute but they got to a sweet HEA.
Next up is Checked Baggage by Riley Long. I’ve been wanting more in this world since I read Jake’s story so it was nice to step into it here. I always enjoy how real their stories feel.
I love Stella Rainbow’s work. My Demon Boyfriend wasn’t what I expected and I’m glad. I thought the series might be too dark so I haven’t read it but now I see that I will love it. Definitely going to be reading them and waiting for more.
Ruff Day is a collaboration by Susan Scott Shelley and Chantal Mer. I’ve them in other anthologies and their Maplewood work. Jagger and Ian are two sweet guys who meet during a really bad day. I love seeing some familiar faces too. This was such a great read.
Vinni George closes this out with The Tattoo Parlor. I read a couple other anthologies with this author and I remember this world. So glad to be back in it. After reading Tucker and Misha’s story I know I’ve got to read more of their books. What a sweet way to close out the anthology.
This was a great way to introduce me to new authors while getting some of my favorites. Plus it’s for charity making it a win win. I highly recommend grabbing yours.

[Mel Polk · Rating 5 out of 5]

As I’ve come to expect from the Candy Hearts anthologies, this collection was both impressive and diverse. All kinds of dynamics, gender identities, orientations, and presentations were included. Like any collection, I enjoyed some more than others but every single one was well-written. I tried to write a few lines about as many of the stories as I could. Overall, if you like sweet and hot and sexy in short, easy to digest snippets, give this collection a try.

Tent Poles & Tackle Boxes - AD Ellis
Somehow my brain didn’t realize this was connected to the Haven Grove series (despite the story opening with Travis arriving in Haven Grove–I’ve been sick, cut me some slack) until about halfway through. Travis and Joey are so super sweet and cute and I love them. Seeing the crew at the Roadhouse makes me want to reread the series pronto.

Explosion of the Heart - BA Tortuga
Cute and sweet story about an established couple working through a few relationship hiccoughs.

Always This - Becca Seymour
I’m a huge fan of Becca Seymour’s work so it was really no surprise that I adored this story. It’s sweet and syrupy in the best ways–and I mean syrupy like thick and decadent rather than cloyingly sweet.

Mugs & Kisses - Beck Grey
Adorable. And the puns were A+ material. Add in the coffee obsession and giant cat, how could I not love this story?

Magic Fate Ball - Bix Barrow
I was already in love with the world this story was set in, so it was no great leap to adore this story as well. I love the emotion in this one. The angst was low but powerful and I really like the way Rafferty always came through for Elton.

Alexander and the Meet-Cute Potion - David Gray
This was the epitome of a rom-com. The author knew what they were doing and pulled no punches. The escalation of meet-cutes was hilarious and each side character made me want to read more.

Hiding Fate - DC Emerson
Okay, while this was cute and hot and all that, can I just say that the emphasis on platonic love was everything I wanted? So pleased that it worked out the way it did. I’ll definitely be checking out the series this is related to once it’s released.

Love They Neighbor - DK Sutton
As expected from a DK Sutton story, this destroyed me in the best possible ways. I was rapt but also dreading every page because as wonderful as it was, my heart broke repeatedly over Jace’s emotional torment. The payoff was definitely worth it in the end, though.

Beau’s Stormy Romance - EJ Stoll
This one starts rocky enough that I wasn’t sure at all how the two characters would work it out, but in the end my patience was rewarded. Love the blind date trope being used in a way that doesn’t feel forced. The frustration both characters experienced seemed earned, making their eventual relationship that much better.

Grounded - EM Denning
“Oh, God, and I was wearing his pants.”
This might be my favorite of the whole collection just from that line alone.
Alright. Confession: I love EM Denning’s work. Grounded had so many great tropes and pieces expertly stitched together to form a story that was both sexy and emotional. I would have happily read an entire novel about Matthew and Troye.

The Baker and the Kraken - Ellie Ash
This was beyond adorable. I’m completely enamored with the whole bakery crew and will be searching out more books by this author immediately.

Angel Kisses - Evie McGlynn
Adorable. I will definitely be seeking out more book that may be related to this one. I have a weakness for the very specific pet names used in this one, so there was no way I wasn’t going to love it. Best part, though? One of the main characters actively notes that he has no idea who all these other people are–who are obviously characters from related books. Enjoyed how that let me know I could let myself not worry about it.

Fortune Candy - Madalyn George
I could easily have read an entire novel for this one, it was so good. Ollie was such a great character–unfailingly sweet and wonderful. It was a nice twist on the sunshine/grump trope (since Bryan wasn’t really a grump).

The Weekend Boyfriend - Merry Farmer
Very much enjoyed this one, but then I’m not sure I’ve ever met a Merry Farmer story I didn’t love. Very happy with the way “fake boyfriends” was spun in the end and I’m excited to know there will be more of these two in future books.

Checked Baggage - Riley Long
This was not an author I’m overly familiar with, but I definitely had a good time with this story. Give me two history nerds and I’m a happy camper. Make one sunshine and rainbows while the other is a bit reserved and you’ve ticked even more boxes. This was a great little story that had me smiling the whole way through.

The Tattoo Parlor - Vinni George
So sweet. I’m a huge Vinni George fan so, again, not surprised I loved this one. I appreciated how tender this was despite the high heat. Tucker proved himself over and over again in all the best ways. Wish I could have spent longer with these two.

[Marion · Rating 5 out of 5]

This anthology is filled with well written and interesting novellas based upon the premise of meet-uglies, bad first impressions, and misunderstandings. There is something for everyone in this book. It has both paranormal and contemporary stories. I love anthologies because it gives you exposure to a writer you may not have normally chosen but after you read the story, wonder why you haven't been reading them sooner. I always find at least one new to me author to enjoy. I sat down and read this book from cover to cover in one sitting. I received a complementary advanced review copy of this book from A.D. Ellis and I am voluntarily leaving a review. I noticed that there are numerous submissions that review each and every story in the anthology already. So I have decided to just comment on a few of my favourites.

1. My Demon Boyfriend by Stella Rainbow
This is the story of Arnick and Theo. Arnick is a demon who has come to earth and has no concept of all "modern" implements and conveniences. Luckily he had Theo to introduce him to all the fun things that humans did. Paintball games, an arcade and amusement part were just a few. After dating Theo for 10 months, Arnick wants to find out if Theo is his fated mate. But before that happens, he has to tell Theo what he really is. A demon and not an author like he claimed. Both Theo and Arnick are afraid of doing anything that would cause the other to leave. This is their story. This is a fun to read book. I enjoyed the characters. One of my favourite quotes is, "I pulled him in for a soft kiss. I'd gotten good at telling when he needed to breathe, and I pulled back just in time." This alone tells you the tone of the story. I really enjoyed it.

2. Mugs & Kisses by Beck Grey
This is a contemporary romance. It is also the story of Jake and Matt. Jake works for the Salem Art Foundation and is best friends with Lee. The same Lee who complains about the co-worker who keeps stealing her ideas and taking credit for her work. So when at their favourite coffee shop, his ears perk up when he hears Lee's very individualized and complicated drink being ordered by a tall, dark and handsome man. When he identifies himself as Matt to the barista, all of Jake's indignation and anger on behalf of his best friend comes rushing forward. Jake lambasts Matt about his thieving and horrible behaviour in front of the entire coffee shop. He feels redeemed until Matt says, "you have the wrong guy. Maybe lay off the caffeine?" and leaves. Turns out they both know Lee and Matt was bringing her a coffee for their meeting. When Jake realizes his mistake, he is embarrassed and worried that Matt now thinks that Jake is a crack pot. The two meet at Lee's Valentine's Day party. Not wasting any time, Jake immediately offers Matt a heartfelt apology which luckily, he accepts. This is their story. Another well written story that was fun to read. I really enjoyed it.

3. Tent Poles & Tackle Boxes by A.D. Ellis
This is the story of Travis Dean Cooper and Joseph Carl Morton. Both men have just returned to their old hometown of Haven Grove to take over their respective family businesses. It has been years since the two of them left. Best friends that went their separate ways; finding their way back home again. It is not until they both arrive at Cooper's Campground and Morton's Bait & Tackle that they meet once again. Putting past differences aside, they both work together fixing up the campgrounds to get it ready for spring. This is their story. Another well written novella. I enjoyed watching their relationship grow.

4. Magic Fate Ball
This is the story of Elton and Rafferty. Elton is the manager of the local book store. He is an empath and is dealing with a recurring medical issue. All of his employees are obsessed about the man who keeps coming in, months apart and buys pregnancy books. When Elton checks his books out, he realizes that he is a shifter of some sort. As he buys the same books each time, Elton was wondering how he gets so many people pregnant. Rafferty is that man. He is also the alpha of his wolf pack. The two meet unusually at a sperm collection clinic. It was Rafferty's sixth time donating for pack members and Elton's first time donating for himself. The two meet up for coffee after the collection process is finished. It is there that Rafferty drops a bomb on Elton. He identifies that Elton is his mate. Elton is shocked as they don't know each other at all. But Rafferty is certain. His wolf knows and their magic resonates. This is their story. The novella is well written and easy to read. I loved how honest and straightforward Elton was. His empathy will be an asset when he is finally qualified to be a licensed therapist. I really enjoyed the introduction of Manny to the story. A great addition to this anthology.

There are a lots more stories that I could review but I will stop at that for now. I really enjoyed reading the entire anthology. It is an upbeat read with little to no angst. Great for curling up with a blanket and a cup of tea.

[Flick · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very cute addition to this anthology series!

I haven't had a chance to read all the stories in this volume but what I have read has been very sweet and whilst not all, entirely, to my personal taste fun nonetheless. I've put individual reviews for the stories below. I will say, I always enjoy this anthology because it tends to have a really good mix of authors and has a bit of everything to suit a range of tastes.

Magic Fate Ball
Bix Barrow
4 stars

This was a sweet story, albeit it felt a bit unfinished in some ways. I certainly think it could happily be extended to a full novel that would allow some of the looser threads to be resolved a bit more neatly. It does have a mate pairing but it's nice to see that there was a pretty easy acceptance of a human needing a bit more time than a shifter in accepting a mating. I also found it interesting the idea of touch creating a bond that they hand't consented to; it's unusual for intent not to be a strong part of magic so it would have been interesting to learn more about how magic worked specifically for mates. There's a relatively good pace in terms of getting to know each other, keeping in mind that this is a short story and takes place over less than a week. Despite the quick timeline, it actually really doesn't feel overly fast. What I think I would have liked was a bit more in terms of once they actually were mates. Everything kind of petered out after the (in large part) resolution of the health issue so it felt a touch unresolved, though you do see that they're happy together. Overall, fun, sweet and sets up an interesting plot for a further story/book.

The Baker and the Kraken
Ellie Ash
5 stars

This was very cute. To be fair I do seem to like anything this author writes but this was slightly different to her usual stories in that it was exceptionally low angst. There's a moment of contention which is not only very swiftly resolved but also dealt with well (there's prejudice resulting from parental bigotry). I will say, as an aside, that the beginning captures every reason why I am glad I only spent a short time in a customer service based job. Karen's are unfortunately alive and well even in magical worlds. The romance is sweet and well-paced. It's, in some ways, instalove for Calder but you never get the feeling that Calder takes his connection to Adam for granted. There's a genuineness in the way he gets to know him that makes any mate connection similar to really one person feeling like it's love at first sight and the other simply being attracted to them. It worked really well too with how Adam assumed Calder would react to his clumsiness. It meant that Adam wasn't forced to just ignore what a lifetime of casual cruelty had taught him; instead, he learned that Calder was as genuine as he seemed through actions (and sometimes that's really the only way to get beyond old traumas). I'd be interested to see more from this world and the way in which magical beings exist around humans.

Alexander and the Meet-Cute Potion
David Gray
3 stars

I think this was one of those stories that just wasn't right for me. The premise was cute and the theory of a meet-cute potion working a little too well was fun. Unfortunately, I just couldn't get into it. It felt a touch slap-stick at parts (which is just not my jam) and I couldn't connect with the characters. That being said, if you wants something light, fun, and a little silly this will be perfect for you.

Explosion of the Heart
BA Tortuga
5 stars

I do love BA's stories, especially their second chance romances (which is often a trope I struggle to enjoy). I think it's because the characters actually talk to each other. There's never a sense of just everything magically being okay. Things are actually talked through and the characters actually make an effort to make amends/heal/grow to make sure their relationship is built to be that much stronger. It's refreshing for characters to be imperfect but willing to accept and acknowledge that in their quest to actually make things work.

Mugs and Kisses
Beck Grey
3 stars

This just fell a bit flat for me though I got the distinct feeling that may have just been that the length hampered the level of emotion I was hoping for. That being said, there was really great communication between the Matt and Jake which really reinforces, at least in my mind, that with a bit more word count there would have been a lot more emotion/connection between them. It was still an enjoyable story, just left me feeling a little wanting.

[CatOnABlueBackground · Rating 4 out of 5]

These stories all revolve around Valentine's Day, when their main characters get their HEAs. I received an ARC from A.D. Ellis, but of course could not possibly read everything in this anthology in the 2 weeks given. I liked eveything I read – there are lots of great authors in here. I'll update when I get through more of the stories, but for now.....

Tent Poles & Tackle boxes by A.D. Ellis
Joey & Travis come back to town after 10 years away (& apart) to run their famiys' campground/bait shop. They had been chidhood best friends, but hadn't spoken in years due to a falling out over the attraction Joey felt for Travis (that Traivs also felt for Joey but wasn't ready to admit yet). They find the attraction is still there, and work together to keep the campground/bait shop running. Sweet story with little drama.

Explosion of the Heart by B.A. Tortuga
This one involves an impending divorce between Jack & Dalton. Dalton, cowboy, breaks his neck. Jack, overwrought, demands he retire. Dalton DOES retire, but is mad at Jack for the ultimatum. The story begins a year later. They are still apart, ferrying the kids back and forth, and not yet divorced, but clearly there is still something there between then. Sitting down to actually talk does wonders for their situation – especially when the figure out a meddling sister had been part of what broke them up. Lots of kids in this one, and a nice make-up.

Always This – Becca Seymour
This one takes place in Australia (so it's hot in January). Ant and his son, Henry, move to town for a fresh start after Ant's ex, Owen moves away for work. Ant meets Eli, the school groundskeeper, on the first day of school and there's instant attraction. Henry becomes best friends with Eli's nephew on that first day, and then there are lots of play dates between the kids that keep Eli & Ant together. It's a low drama, cute romance between 2 guys who have a lot of chemistry.

Mugs & Kisses – Beck Grey
Cute romance that begins with mistaken identity. Jake mistakes Matt for a Matt that had been undermining his friend at work, and yells at him in the coffee shop. He tells his friend what he did, and she explains that he yelled at “Sweet Matt”, not “Asshole Matt”. Jake is able to apologize to Matt at a party later, all is forgiven, and they embark on a low drama romance.


Hiding Fate - D.C. Emerson
This one involves fated mates and shifters. What I read of it was cute, but I mostly skimmed it because shifters aren't something I enjoy.


Grounded – E.M. Denning
Troye and Matthew meet on a plane when they are assigned the same seat number. They end up both getting escorted off the plane due to an altercation. They aren't able to get another flight out until the next afternoon, so they look for hotel rooms. Troye is the only one able to book a room due to bad weather and overcrowding, so Matthew ends up in the same room with him. They figure out they're in the same business and decide to work together on a new computer game. Spanking is part of the spice.

The Baker & The Kraken – Ellie Ash
Adam (baker, witch) is extremely clumsy, which has always kept him from a real relationship, as he ends up being 'too much' for most people. Calder, a several hundred year old kraken shifter, meets Adam and realizes he's his mate. This is a cute fated mate romance.

Unsportsmanlike Conduct – Essie Sloane
Cute romance between 2 football fans who are cheering for opposite teams. Their first meeting, sitting next to each other in a football stadium, cherring for the opposite team, does NOT go well. They meet again weeks later in a bar, realize they got the wrong impression of each other, and the romance begins.

Checked Baggage - Riley Long
Ace and Dallas meet at the airport. Dallas has had a hard day and is not in the best of moods. He wants to be left alone, but a female passenger keeps trying to talk to him. He is even more annoyed when she and Ace are in the same row as him, and talk the entire time. To make his day crappier yet, he takes home the wrong suitcase and has to bring it back. Fortunately Ace was the one who has his suitcase and they meet at lost luggage where they can exchange bags. They discover they have a lot in common - one a museum curator, the other a history teacher - and their romance begins.

[...]

STILL READING | REVIEW IN PROGRESS

I am sooooooo happy the publisher included blurbs! Not having them is always my pet peeve in anthologies like this, and I'm beyond thrilled that this time, I get a glimpse of what each story is about before having to dive in cold. Even though that means I'll (probably) skip some of them, I'm still super grateful that it was put together this way. 😊

-------- THE STORIES --------

🚫 TENT POLES & TACKLE BOXES by A.D. Ellis
I'll probably skip this one since the blurb doesn't grab me.

🚫 EXPLOSION OF THE HEART by BA Tortuga
I'll probably skip this one since the blurb doesn't grab me.

▢ ALWAYS THIS by Becca Seymour
Still to read...

▢ MUGS & KISSES by Beck Grey
Still to read...

▢ MAGIC FATE BALL by Bix Barrow
Still to read...

🚫 TEA & VODKA by BL Jones
I'll skip this one since I'm not into FF.

👍 ALEXANDER AND THE MEET-CUTE POTION by David Gray ⭐⭐⭐⭐
4 STARS. Adorable! Lighthearted, no steam, and fun! This one left me smiling.

🚫 HIDING FATE | A BEYOND THE BINARY SHORT STORY by D.C. Emerson
I'll skip this one since I recently tried this author for the first time and determined that their style isn't for me, but I'm glad to see the trans rep in the anthology!

🚫 LOVE THY NEIGHBOR by D.K. Sutton
I'll skip this one since it sounds like the conflict is going to revolve around one MC feeling like he needs to stay in the closet. I'm not (ever) in the mood for that. 🤷‍♀️

👍 BEAU'S STORMY ROMANCE by E.J. Stoll ⭐⭐⭐⭐
4 STARS. This is a new-to-me author, and I was initially a little put off of the story by just how extremely unpleasant Beau was in the beginning. I can't say I ever fully saw what had Vincent so hooked on giving him another chance, but regardless, it sucked me in and left me smiling... and really, what more could I ask for from a short story? I would definitely consider reading a full-length book by this author. 😊

▢ GROUNDED by E.M. Denning
Still to read...

▢ THE BACKER AND THE KRAKEN by Ellie Ash
Still to read...

▢ UNSPORTSMANLIKE CONDUCT by Essie Sloane
Still to read...

👎 ANGEL KISSES by Evie McGlynn ⭐⭐.5
2.5 STARS. After reading through all the blurbs, this was the story I dove into first.. and at first, I thought it was going to be everything I wanted it to be - a protective mc, a massive size difference, a psycho ex, a nerdy little sweetheart who needed to be kept safe from him 😍 This is seriously all total heart-eye catnip for me. But then the rug was kind of pulled out from under a great setup by the insta-love that was way too sudden, complete, and overpowering even for my ridiculously romance-addicted taste. I'm assuming this is supposed to be a real world contemporary romance despite several weird little moments where a few different people seem to psychically know things about Charlie in a way that felt like any minute now, there was going to be a magic-behind-the-scenes reveal, but no. And therefore, it's not a world in which fated mates or anything like that exists, which *could* have sold me on going from strangers to let's be together forever in less than 24 hours. But for the everyday current world? Charlie's boss pushes him to take the afternoon off and take the stranger he just met that day on a date, they're both head over heels for each other immediately, and when Charlie gets a threatening text Hunter immediately tells him he's taking him home to Hunter's place. Tells, not asks. Charlie is all for it, grateful even, and they not only fall into bed almost immediately, but go for full on cock-in-ass fucking almost as soon as they walk through the door, which is of course the best sex Charlie has ever had and they're already promising each other that Charlie can stay forever and Hunter won't leave him and all of Hunter's new coworkers who he JUST met because he just got hired and hasn't yet started his job at Angel Security are *also* all-in and telling Charlie that they know they'll be seeing a lot more of him...? 🙄 Anyway, it ended up pretty disappointing because of how hard I had to stretch to try and buy into all of that, but the great thing about these anthologies is there's always another story to try, so I'm on to the next!

👍 FORTUNE CANDY by Madalyn George ⭐⭐⭐⭐
4 STARS. This was a sweet little feel-good story that I would have happily read as a full-length novel.

👍 THE WEEKEND BOYFRIEND by Merry Farmer ⭐⭐⭐⭐
4 STARS. This was a fun, heading-for-five-star short that I absolutely adored! It turned out to be only a teaser / intro to a full novel vs a fully self-contained short story, and without the HEA I just can't give it a full five stars, but where usually that would annoy the shit out of me in an anthology like this, it was fun enough that all I feel is anticipation for the full novel, whenever it comes out. Desmond is lovely. Javier is fierce. Matthew should be shot. I can't wait! 🤣

👍 WHAT THE HEART WANTS by Minerva Howe ⭐⭐⭐
3 STARS. The insta-love in this one worked for me since it's omegaverse/mates. It's always nice to see a plus-size MC, and while I found Mav's attitude about the sex bordering on being a little bit creepy, I'm forgiving that and some of the other rushed aspects due to the short story format.

👍 CHECKED BAGGAGE by Riley Long ⭐⭐⭐⭐
4 STARS. Awww, so sweet! 😊 I'm also exactly nerdy enough that they're trying history project sounded super fun 😂😂😂

🚫 MY DEMON BOYFRIEND by Stella Rainbow
I'll skip this one since the blurb doesn't grab me and, more importantly, I've learned this isn't an author whose style works for me.

▢ RUFF DAY by Susan Scott Shelley and Chantal Mer
Still to read...

👍 THE TATTOO PARLOR by Vinni George ⭐⭐⭐.5
3.5 STARS 🥰 Very sweet!

[Traci S · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you for the book; here is my honest opinion:
It’s time for Candy Hearts again, I always look forward to these. Volume 3 is full of lovely stories, all for a good cause, by some favorite authors and some that are new to me. I love a good meet cute story and I appreciate how lighthearted the authors kept this overall, plus, the variety of tropes is excellent. Some of my highlights include:

Mugs & Kisses by Beck Grey
5⭐️Matt and Jake were all fun banter and sizzling chemistry, this was excellent! I love their charming, pun filled texting and their forthright communication was refreshing. A delight!

The Weekend Boyfriend by Merry Farmer
5⭐️Javier and Desmond have a wonderfully awkward and awful first meeting, an eventful fake date, loads of kindness between them. Great characters, l really enjoyed these two together, maybe the most authentic couple, for me.

Fortune Candy by Madelyn George
5⭐️Oliver, Bryan and the Lavender Sea have ooddles of charm. I love a B&B romance and this one was lovely, I loved seeing Bryan fall for both Oliver and the Lavender Sea. I especially loved the wistful vibes, you can feel Oliver’s Gran hovering over her beloved Lavender Sea, just keeping an eye on what she left behind. Wonderful!

Explosion of the Heart by BA Tortuga
4⭐️Dalton and Jack are fiery, soon to be ex husbands who are colossally bad at communication. This author writes with such a signature style and charm which I enjoy - but gosh these two were dense. This had some fun family drama, life lessons on the danger of ultimatums, well meaning but meddling siblings, and a delightful six year old who might be the smartest person in her family. As ridiculous as these two were, them choosing forgiveness and a second chance was pretty romantic.

My Demon Boyfriend by Stella Rainbow
4⭐️Theo and Arnick, I love established couple romances and this was sweet. How do you tell your boyfriend that you are a demon? This is how Arnick does it. I really enjoyed this one, sweet and spicy, great characters, and a cool ideas around demons in this world.

The Tattoo Pallor by Vinni George
4⭐️I love how this author writes shifter romance, this one had the best blend of heat and heart. I love all the prickliness between these two, super satisfying to watch it turn into a lovely fated mates romance for Tucker and Misha.

Hiding Fate by DC Emerson
3⭐️Jae and Koda, this was fun and spicy. I like these two together and the mountains of kindness and acceptance they treat each other with was wonderful. However, this felt more about Hollis and Jae’s platonic love than it did a fated mates romance. The platonic love thing, I’ve run into a couple of times recently, and it’s just not for me. That being said, Hollis is lovely and deserves his own big happy ending. Bonus- I now know what Mandarin ducks are!

Grounded by EM Denning
3⭐️Troye and Matthew get kicked off their flight, have only one bed, and a bit of spice. Not much in the way of relationship or romance, and just a whisper of happy for now.

Unsportsmanlike Conduct By Essie Sloane
3⭐️Jason and Vic meet at a football game, start a football friendship, watch football and fall in love. These two were cute, I liked how excited they were to spend Valentines together.

The Baker and the Kraken by Ellie Ash
3⭐️Very sweet and wholesome, a clumsy baker and a really lovely mythical sea monster. Adam and Calder are fluffy, practically zero drama, and no spice. Cute, lovable characters, maybe a bit slow moving but I enjoyed the bit of world building and cozy vibes.

What the Heart Wants by Minerva Howe
3⭐️Graham is in the midst of a rough double shift at the hotel when he has a run in with disgruntled guest Mav. Cute age gap romance, Graham was super endearing.

Ruff Day by Susan Scott Shelley and Chantal Mer
3⭐️This started fun, an epically bad day turns into love for Jagger and Ian. For how short this is, it felt like way too many side characters to keep track of and too much time leading into the actual relationship. And, can’t believe I’m saying it, too much dogs.

Angel Kisses by Evie McGlynn
3⭐️Hunter and Charlie are saccharine sweet, very insta love, with a touch of suspense.

[Sandy Kay · Rating 4 out of 5]

A new charity anthology, full of sweet, low-angst Valentine’s season meet cutes and true love, just in time for love’s favorite holiday. A mix of contemporary and PNR stories.

Tent Poles & Tackle Boxes by AD Ellis—no rating. I haven’t read this author before, and this story was not for me. It’s a solid reunion/second chance romance, but, too mature for me, with the MCs very calmly accepting that they didn’t get any firsts together and are oh, so glad they had those 15 years after their teen friendship blowup to live their lives and learn all about sex with other people before they actually got together, even though they supposedly loved each other/still do. How…nice for them. But I don’t read for realistic scenarios. The attitude was just too grown-up for me! 😂 Safe for me in the present, but, just not my thing.

Explosion of the Heart by BA Tortuga 3 stars—A nice estranged-husbands (1 year separated) who-don’t-actually-want-a-divorce story. These two chuckleheads needed someone to bang their heads together, not one’s sister-the-lawyer to actually help with divorce papers and keep one away from the other. One point off for being fools, and one MAJOR point off for one letting the sister keep him away when the other was re-learning to WALK AGAIN after a bad accident. Like bro, if that’s your man, and you aren’t there for him for that? Honestly, maybe accept the divorce because for me there was no coming back from that. But in the present, they were sweet together. The voice is seemed cringey for me, but, kind/sweet. Kids are involved and they didn’t seem authentic, but, not unbearable. At least no one slept with anyone else during the separation, so, okay.

Always This by Becca Seymour—4 stars—super cute recently divorced single-dad Antony and favorite uncle Eli romance, starting with a bike accident meet-cute-leg-scrape and continuing when Ant realizes Eli is the groundskeeper at his son’s new school…and Eli’s nephew is Ant’s son’s new best friend. These two never stood a chance of remaining apart!

Mugs & Kisses by Beck Grey—3 stars—Cute little meet-ugly turned apology turned romance story, starting with a mistaken identity scolding and moving into lovely dates and a future together. Star off though bc first times together with no condom...?! What? PreP does NOT protect against anything except HIV. Please let's not be foolish. (Someone school me if I'm wrong? I never understand this "let's go bare! We're both on PreP! with someone you barely know. What am I missing?)

Magic Fate Ball by Bix Barrow—4 stars—Poignant and lovely fated mates story, featuring Elton Johnathan (😂), an empath and bookseller with testicular cancer who feels less-than, and Rafferty, a wolf shifter pack alpha whose wolf is filled with excited puppylike joy when their magics meet and reveal they’re a mate match. I had a great time, though Rafferty fathering many of his pack’s children via sperm donation when asked was outside my wheelhouse of enjoyment. The two of them together are adorable though, and I loved Rafferty’s adoration of and support of Elton as he went through treatment. Not sure why we had to meet Matty the healer who declined to heal Elton bc his cancer wasn’t dire enough (Matty didn’t have enough energy, he was depleted and saving his ability for life or death moments); that felt like unneeded filler to set up another book and was making some point I didn’t understand. But whatevs. These two were cute together.

My Demon Boyfriend by Stella Rainbow—4 stars—Sweet and fun. Arnick the demon’s in trouble bc he couldn’t tell Theo, the man he started dating, what he really is and has relied on a series of near-truth lies to explain his day to day life….but now he knows Theo’s his mate, and it’s time to confess…

I’ll add more stories when I have a chance to read them!

HEAs and HFNs abound. No OM action; little to no OM drama, safe for me so far. Recommended, and a wonderful way to support LGBTQIA+ causes.