The Hopeless Romantic's Guide to Enchantment: Twelve Magical Romantasy Tales

by Marie O'Regan (Editor), Jen Williams, Hannah Nicole Maehrer

Rivalries ignite into heated romance, lost lovers seek second chances, and friendships turn to something more in these 12 stunning Romantasy stories.

Including brand-new stories from beloved and bestselling authors including Hannah Nicole Maehrer, Kelley Armstrong, Alexis Hall, L. R. Lam, and more.

Tumble head-over-heels for these 12 gorgeous Romantasy stories from bestselling and beloved authors.

A pair of harried servants try to romance their respective bosses into a universe-saving marriage. Two bitter political rivals discover they have interests in common, and decide not to let a little thing like murder get in the way. After years apart, childhood nemeses come together to resolve their differences, and face down a common foe.

From Regency England to a mysterious Romanian forest, and from a city made of flowers to a sinister faerie train, love conquers all in these 12 beautiful tales.

FEATURING BRAND-NEW STORIES
Hannah Nicole-Maehrer
Kelley Armstrong
Rebecca Thorne
Alexis Hall
L. R. Lam
A.Y. Chao
Juliet Marillier
Chloe Neill
Olivia Atwater
Jen Williams
Greer Stothers
Vida Cruz-Borja

Genres: Romance, Fantasy, Anthologies, Romantasy, Short Stories, Novella, LGBT

352 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 15, 2026

Reviews

[Chronically Bookish Steph · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a quick, and somewhat satisfying read.

Some of the stories I really enjoyed, a couple of which were from authors I’ve enjoyed in the past, but also discovered a couple of new authors who I will now be looking at other books by.

Overall though, most of the stories were just a bit too short for me to fully engage with the characters. The world building wasn’t so much of an issue, but I do need to understand the characters to really enjoy a story.

I received this book free as an eARC through NetGalley.

[Nicole Reads Romance · Rating 3 out of 5]

An anthology of twelve Romantasy short stories. These are truly short stories and most of them felt it.

I read a snippet of each one, most by new-to-me authors, and finished and very much enjoyed four of them:
Double Trouble by Kelley Armstrong,
Unearned Luck by Alexis Hall,
The Last Train from Fairfield by Olivia Atwater, and
The Brocade Prince by new-to-me author A.Y. Chao.

This is maybe worth picking up if you see a fav, or to find some new-to-you authors. But for 4/12 enjoyed and at that price ($19 CDN) - it’s hard to truly recommend. But the Alexis Hall story will specifically appeal to many of my booksta friends - in which the FMC literally chooses the bear. I cackled.

Thank you to Titan Books for an eARC. All opinions are my own.

[Natalie all_books_great_and_small · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review to follow

[🥀]

New short story by Juliet Marillier set in the world of Wildwood Dancing? Consider me sat!

[Camilla_Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Overall I enjoyed this anthology - I love a good collection of short stories and also find it a great way to discover new authors. I feel like I really need to do a mini review of each story to show a fully rounded opinion, so here we go:

1. 'Tis Pity He's An Elf - Jen Williams
Rating: 4 stars
Quote: “Love is unpredictable. It runs where it wants, like quicksilver, and we are all left in its wake. It can blow up out of nowhere, like a summer storm, washing everything else away, and you are left hollow, and desperate. It is both food, and hunger, at once."
Thoughts: Mortal Molly and elf Tristaine are trying to matchmake between their employers to fulfil a prophecy, but end up falling for each other instead. This was sweet, with cosy vibes, and a good amount of worldbuilding for such a short story.

2. Silver Dahlia, Golden King - Chloe Neill
Rating: 3.5 stars
Quote: This kiss wasn't about the fire that sparked between us. It was soft and warm and tender. He pulled back, and I felt the loss keenly. A tiny death. A small grief.
Thoughts: This felt much shorter than the previous story so I felt it lacked a little development with the romance. But I really enjoyed the story itself, which read a but like an old tale of knights and princesses. Enemies-to-lovers I suppose, but the enemies part doesn't last long at all!

3. Fool In Love, Ghoul In Hate - Greer Stothers
Rating: 3.25 stars
Quote: "Good heavens, he appears to be open-mouth kissing that ghoul."
Thoughts: This was a fun one, short and sort of sweet. A lot managed to be packed into a short story, and I appreciated the bickering between Waldemar and Lambert, especially even after Waldemar is turned into a ghoul.

4. The Brocade Prince - A.Y. Chao
Rating: 4.25 stars
Quote: He fought as if he had learned to spar with a teacher rather than bandits. Polite. Rule-abiding. Feifei knew better. When it came to life and death, the only rule was to survive.
Thoughts: I really liked this, it was reminiscent of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon with rooftop chases and hidden identities! I found myself wishing I could read a whole book about these characters, because in some ways it felt too rushed (of course, because its a short story).

5. Double Trouble - Kelley Armstrong
Rating: 4.5 stars
Quote: I can take almost any form I wish. And yet I stayed and tried to convince you to listen to me.
Thoughts: This feels like the prelude to something and I genuinely, desperately want to read more. A monster hunter and a doppelganger teaming up and falling in love? Its so dreamy! Loved the world, loved the set up, and really hope the author decides to explore it again in the future.

6. Unearned Luck - Alexis Hall
Rating: 4 stars
Quote: "So you're going to marry a bear?"
"Well, it's that or a man," Miss Penworthy pointed out. "And in honesty I find the latter prospect more galling."
Thoughts: a sapphic spin on Beauty and the Beast, wherein a perfectly adequate young woman of middling nobility ends up married to a princess cursed to be a bear. Thr writing style of this was delightfully witty, but I feel as if I couldn't have abided it for an entire novel - thankfully for a short story it worked perfectly. This was funny and charming in equal measure.

7. Speaker and Calligrapher - Vida Cruz-Borja
Rating: 4.75 stars
Quote: "And then golden eyes. They belonged to the most beautiful woman I'd ever seen. I thought it would be alright if I died then, if death was as lovely as you."
Thoughts: Academic rivals to lovers is one of my faaaaavourite tropes, so this was very fun. I'm just mad its not a full book because I needed further development of the magic system. However, the relationship between the characters Verda and Lin is so well done in such a short amount of time that it makes up for it a bit. A solid read.

8. The Moonlit Pathway - Juliet Marillier
Rating: 3 stars
Quote: There's something new between us now. A feeling like coming home. A feeling like wanting to hold on. The physical longing, not to be denied.
Thoughts: This one was kinda weird and felt almost like magical realism than a romantasy. I did like the idea of dance as a kind of magic, but the story itself didn't quite work for me.

9. Warbirds - Rebecca Thorne
Rating: 3.5 stars
Quote: They smirked at each other, and Cera’s heart squeezed. Don’t fall for him. What a joke.
Thoughts: This was fun, if not a little boring in the middle. I liked the idea of it, but it felt like it needed a slight bit more action to fully flesh it out. It definitely didn't really feel romantic though tbh, so not sure if it fits in this anthology! But still, a good story.

10. Every Rose Has Its Thief - Hannah Nicole Maehrer
Rating: 3 stars
Quote: “You were the only person in my life who looked at me as an equal rather than a burden, and you didn’t even say goodbye.”
Thoughts: This was okay, but the writing was a bit too juvenile for my tastes. I didn't completely feel convinced by the enemies-to-lovers narrative, and never totally warmed to the characters. However, the idea of magical flowers was an interesting one!

11. The Last Train From Faerie - Olivia Atwater
Rating: 5 stars
Quote: She was falling in love with the poor man all over again. How dare he be so kind and sensible and conscientious? It was terribly unfair of him, especially while he still held her hand with such familiarity.
Thoughts: This is the best story in this anthology. Perfection. I want to read a whole collection just like it. A faerie train, a long-lost professor and a daring women risking it all for love. Brilliant, witty and touching.

12. Rose Bloom, Rose Bud, Rose Blood - L. R. Lam
Rating: 4.75 stars
Quote: I’d worshipped her every day since I’d met her, I wanted to say, but the words died on my tongue.
Thoughts: The daughter of a hedge witch falling in love with a village girl turned goddess-sacrifice, and feeling powerless to help her? Wow the amount of longing and yearning and tender sadness in this story was impressive, and I loved the hopeful ending.

[Brooke · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's so hard to review a compilation of short stories without diving into each one separately. So I'm going to do that here because it's easier to give my thoughts that way. I will preface this with saying that I know these are shorts but I still expect good build up and character development as I know it can be done in short stories.

'Tis Pity He's an Elf by Jen Williams
This story was cute. I kind of saw the ending from the beginning but it was fun to watch it get there. I know it's a short story but I do wish there was more growth between the two main characters. More chemistry so we could see what happened at the end made sense. I did like the author's writing. This is my first time reading anything by this author and I'd be happy to pick up more titles.
4 Stars

Silver Dahlia, Golden King by Chloe Neill
This one was just ok for me; rather disappointing and, in all honesty, boring. There was nothing special about it, to be honest. I was expecting more but it was just a straight story with no money in the game. The writing was nice enough and I would probably pick up something from this author in the future. But the short story really didn't give me any kind of enchantment vibes and the two main characters were way too quick to just dedicate themselves to one another without an ounce of them knowing each other.
2 stars

Fool In Love Ghoul in Hate by Greer Stothers
This one was just...weird. Interesting enough with the ghoul background. Kind of stunted without much lead up for the actual plot, though it's resolved in the end. I do wish there had been more character development for the supporting cast. Overall not horrible but just too weird for my taste.
3 stars

The Brocade Prince by A.Y. Chao
I really enjoyed this. I can see it's steeped in Asian folklore. I wish I knew more of it so I could truly understand it. I did get the jist. of it, though. I liked the idea of the two characters being masked and not knowing who the other was even if I kind of saw it coming. It was still fun to see it unfold. The author did a nice job with plot and character development given the shortness of the story.

Double Trouble by Kelly Armstrong
Now this one I really enjoyed. This one has the beginnings of a slew of books where the monster hunter and doppleganger team up to fight for justice. I love this idea so much. I hope the author thinks about keeping with this theme for future books. This is my first time reading this author. I've seen many books by her but have not picked on up. Now I will!
4.5 stars

Unearned Luck by Alexis Hall
This was different. There's a curse involved, but it doesn't get solved. I guess it's a lesson on accepting people/persons the way they are. Loving them no matter their differences. The narrator is a what looks to be a shifter, but not really? Yeah, I'm not 100% sure what went on but it was cute.

Speaker and Calligrapher by Vida Cruz-Borja
Now this one I really liked. I loved the romance and chemistry between the two characters. The banter and push and pull. The magic was fun, as well. The plot was nice with it's before and after, though I'm not quite sure where they fall with each other timeline wise. Overall I liked the writing and would definitely look into this author's other works.

The Moonlit Pathway by Juliet Marillier
Interesing that this author chose to write a story in a world she created for a series. I was worried I might not understand it. And, to be honest, there might be some stuff I missed since I don't know her books at all, but I enjoyed it, nonetheless. The author notes at the beginning it's an adult story, so I was expecting some spice, but there is none. Overall it was fun but I do wish I had the background of her previous series to truly understand what I was reading. On another note, it is steeped in some Romanian folklore, which sounds quite interesting to me.

Warbirds by Rebecca Thorne
I enjoyed this one a lot. I loved the idea of riders on giant birds. Of the two women fighting for some justice for these animals. I was not wholly expecting the twist, though I knew one was coming and had a feeling there was more the the female relationship than the write originally let on. Overall, I liked the writing and would look into more stories from this author. I did try to read one of her books a while back but could not get into it. Perhaps I will have to give it another try.

Every Rose Has Its Thief by Hannah Nicole Maehrer
This installment was actually the reason I requested this book for review. I asore Maehrer's Assistant to the Villain series so much. It's such a great story and I wanted to see what she had in store here. I loved this one just as much and could totally see this as a stand alone novel (or even a series if done right). It was fun and she did a great job developing the characters, showing their animosity, then their attraction and chemistry. And the plot was cute. I'll certainly read anything she chooses to write!

The Last Train from Faerie by Olivia Atwater
Oh but how I love a faerie story! This one was quite good. Lots of great elements with different types of fae and bargains. I enjoyed the writing a lot. It was smooth and the author kept great pace. Another story I could see as a full length book. My first by this author and, dare I say, I will be searching for more to read.

Rose Bloom, Rose Bud, Rose Blood by L.R. Lam
This one was short and sweet. It's a short sapphic tale. I enjoyed it enough but it didn't peak my interest to where I'd maybe want more of it. The writing was nice but didn't pull me in like some of the others. I'm not sure if I would read more from this author or not.

[Lukas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
3.5 stars, rounded up to 4 for goodreads because I'm generous.

'Tis pity he's an elf ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Predictable but wonderfully entertaining. I really felt we got to know all the tender bits of these characters so that we too could fall in love with them.

Silver Dahlia, Golden King ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Pretty simplistic and fairytale, as stories go. I liked the first meeting between these lovers, but I wish it had stayed more antagonistic. I suppose that is the limitation on the short story format, as they had to hurry along to their happy ending while barely knowing each other.

F̶o̶o̶l̶ ̶i̶n̶ ̶L̶o̶v̶e̶ Ghoul in Hate ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Knowing Greer Stothers had contributed to this anthology was my entire reason for pre-ordering it. They did not disappoint; Ghoul in Hate was perfect for a short story, a full plotline that did not leave me feeling unsatisfied. Stothers always succeeds in writing unusual romances without any unnecessary fluff to bring it back to the norm. It stands complete on its own, though I would have loved to get to know these two characters better.

The Brocade Prince ⭐️⭐️⭐️
I am an absolute sucker for secret/mistaken identity lovers, but I was left a little wanting with this story. The underlying plotline felt quickly swept aside, enough to introduce our characters with a flash of quick, exciting action, but not enough to hold any sway over the whole story. I feel that this, more than any other story in this anthology, would have been better served as a full length novel.

Double Trouble ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This was a wonderful romance - the energy between Marielle and Volkir was charming. I liked that the backdrop to this story; a setting of hunted monsters and magic, was explained enough to focus on our main characters, but not over-complicated or under-utilised. This felt like a wonderful prelude to a further expansion of these characters teaming up to hunt injustice, but the reader would not be left too wanting if it were never re-visited.

Unearned Luck ⭐️
I did not vibe with this story at all, likely due to the presentation of it by the eminently unlikable narrator. Besides this, the story had little to like; the characters were flat and one-dimensional and the plot was never properly explained. I doubt I'll ever try anything else by this author.

Speaker and Calligrapher ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I adored this romance! Though the nature of Speaker and Calligrapher being a short story precludes it from fully delving into it's own setting, it felt rich and interesting - without leaving the reader behind! I loved Lin and his easy devotion to Verda.

The Moonlit Pathway ⭐️⭐️
This story was... fine. I found myself feeling uninterested in what was going on several times. Perhaps I would feel differently if I had read the author's past work.

Warbirds ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Not a typical romantasy, but I loved the setting and a very satisfying ending. A lovely bit of comeuppance for someone perpetuating a nasty tradition.

Every Rose Has Its Thief ⭐️⭐️⭐️
The rivalry between Leanna and Edward was wonderful, and Edward becomes such a sweetheart. The story began to go a bit wonky toward the end for me, unfortunately. It felt a little rushed, as if the author had fun establishing the characters but then faltered when it came to neatly wrapping up their plotline.

The Last Train from Faerie ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This story had charm and action and wonderfully utilised fantasy lore. The romance was a little light, but I think this was a perfect plotline for the short story format, perfectly resolved without any loose threads to trip over.

Rose Bloom, Rose Bud, Rose Blood ⭐️⭐️⭐️
I found the first half of this story compelling and sweet, but for me, the ending felt rushed. The limitations of a short story, I suppose.

[Raelene · Rating 3 out of 5]

I appreciate that these were all similar in length (until the very last one, which was a bit shorter). Some stories seemed a bit rushed, as is to be expected with short stories like this sometimes, but overall I did like this! I reviewed every book individually, so my overall rating is an average of the individual ratings (2.8 out of 5, so rounded up to 3):

Tis Pity He's an Elf - Jen Williams
3.5/5 - this was a really cute way for this anthology to start! A bit rushed at the end, but overall I did like it.

Silver Dahlia, Golden King - Chloe Neill
4/5 - very insta-love, but I ate it up. The interactions between Darien and Dahlia were all so fun. The sex scene was fun, but felt unnecessary.

Fool In Love Ghoul in Hate - Greer Stothers
1/5 - I didn’t like anything about this, unfortunately. The characters and story both never grew on me, and this wasn’t romantic at all, there were just some sex scenes thrown in quite randomly.

The Brocade Prince - AY Chao
3/5 - this was fine, very cute ending, but I didn’t care much about the story until the very end when everything basically was revealed, and then it was over.

Double Trouble - Kelly Armstrong
2/5 - this was the story I was most excited for, because this authors story in the first anthology was my favourite & the intro said this was a prequel to that. The story itself was okay, but there’s no romance?? I looked at her story from the last anthology and see it’s the same characters (it’s been over a year, I couldn’t recall) so I guess that helps but I’m reading this romance anthology wanting romance and it just wasn’t there. I don’t want to have to go reread her other story to see these characters get together, so this felt incomplete & that’s a bummer.

Unearned Luck - Alexis Hall
5/5 - I love weird stories that just embrace being weird. The writing style was SO funny, I’ve never read anything by this author and can’t wait to change that now. Loved this.

Speaker and Calligrapher - Vida Cruz-Borja
4/5 - pretty instalove, but also cute as hell. The romance really was adorable, and I appreciate that the spice was more subtle. Not sure if I cared much about the story aside from the romance, but I still really liked this.

The Moonlit Pathway - Juliet Marillier
1/5 - the FMC seemed very ‘not like other girls’ and she just simply never became likeable to me. I haven’t read anything by this author before and unfortunately the writing style wasn’t something I enjoyed, so I don’t feel inclined to look into more by her.

Warbirds - Rebecca Thorne
2.5/5 - interesting ending, but I found the rest to be only okay.

Every Rose Has Its Thief - Hannah Nicole Maehrer
3/5 - I feel like it’s not too much to want even 5 minutes between a first kiss and going down on someone when it’s supposed to be a loving couple.

The Last Train from Faerie - Olivia Atwater
3/5 - pretty cute, but I didn’t really buy into the romance. The story and characters were fine, it was just the romance that I wasn’t sold on.

Rose Bloom, Rose Bud, Rose Blood - L.R. Lam
2/5 - it’s too bad that I didn’t love the last story to end this anthology. I found myself quite bored as I read this, and was just ready for it to be over. It felt more lustful than loving, which I don’t love.

[Cherie • bookshelvesandtealeaves · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you Titan Books for the eARC. All thoughts are my own.

Tis a Pity He’s an Elf by Jen Williams
⭐️⭐️⭐️

I didn’t love the writing style of this one but the romance was really sweet and I especially loved the way it ended.

Silver Dahlia, Golden King by Chloe Neill
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This was a really well written story that managed to hit all the notes of a full fantasy story. I really enjoyed reading this and would love if the author expanded it to a novella or even a full length novel. I was so drawn in by this world and these characters and want to know more.

Fool in Love, Ghoul in Hate by Greer Stothers
⭐️

I really just did not enjoy this. The writing was awful, the humour didn’t land for me, and I’m still confused as to how this was actually a romance.

The Brocade Prince by AY Chao
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I ADORED this story. It’s always tempting to lower my rating simply because I want more, but I can’t deny this is a five star short story. The pacing is perfect, it’s deliciously obvious which lets the reader revel in knowing what the characters don’t, and the tension was expertly crafted.

Double Trouble by Kelley Armstrong
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

This one was a lot of fun. I instantly loved Marielle and her bond with Volkir felt genuine. Just the start of a spark in this short time, rather than insta-love. I love the idea of them fighting “monsters” together, and I’d absolutely read more stories of their adventures and developing romance.

Unearned Luck by Alexis Hall
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This was a lot of fun to read, set in a world I already know and love. This was a lovely romance infused with the kind of humour I expect from Hall and I really did enjoy this lovely little story. It’s made me want to reread Mortal Follies and Confounding Oaths again.

Speaker and Calligrapher by Vida Cruz-Borja
⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

This was a great little romantasy, but I’ll admit something didn’t quite work for me emotionally, I’m just not sure why. These characters were great and their banter was fun to read.

The Moonlit Pathway by Juliet Marllier
⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

This was really sweet and I loved the Romanian folklore woven into it. A lovely little cosy fantasy read.

Warbird by Rebecca Thorne
⭐️⭐️⭐️

This was fun but lacking a spark for me. I like that Rebecca Thorne often goes with an established relationship but I didn’t feel ANY romance from this. I did like the bird liberation plot though.

Every Rose Has Its Thief by Hannah Nicole Maehrer
⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

I thought this one was lovely and a lot of fun but the story it was telling would have worked better if it were longer, in my opinion. It felt far too rushed to me.

The Last Train From Faerie by Olivia Atwater
⭐️⭐️.5

This was a great idea but fell flat for me. I’m unsure if it was meant to be cosy or not? They were in a dire situation but it never felt that way. I also felt no chemistry or tension between these characters.

Rose Bloom, Rose Bud, Rose Blood by LR Lam
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

This was beautiful and I only wish it had been a bit longer - it was the shortest in this collection by far! The yearning was strong and their romance was so beautiful. I’d love to know more about the flower magic.

[Nina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was so happy so see that they made another romantasy anthology after enjoying last years so much.
And it did not disappoint, there are some repeat authors but also new ones not known to me. Anthologies are such a great way to get a glimpse at an authors writing style without commiting to a full length book.
Due to how short the stories are I preferd the ones where the characters had a backstory already as it is quite difficult to establish a meaningful relationship in so short of time
The following three all suffer from this which made them less enjoyable to me:
’Tis pity he’s an elf | Jen Williams ⭐⭐⭐,
Silver Dahlia, Golden King | Chloe Neill ⭐⭐⭐,
Fool in Love Ghoul in Hate | Greer Stothers ⭐⭐⭐ .

The Brocade Prince | A. Y. Chao ⭐⭐⭐⭐ cute childhood friends to lovers with a few twists

Double Trouble | Kelley Armstrong ⭐⭐⭐⭐ : prequel to last years short story and I think I like this one better, girl goes hunting monsters and finds unexpected help

Unearned Luck | Alexis Hall ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ : really liked the story telling in this one and the story overall was cute

Speaker and Calligrapher | Vida Cruz-Borja ⭐⭐⭐⭐ : rivals to lovers

The Moonlit Pathway | Juliet Marillier ⭐⭐⭐ : very unusual for me to read something form Juliet Marillier that is contemporary, it is supposed to be a short follow up on wildwood dancing which I havent read so I cannot comment on that, thought overall it was ok but I was a bit confused

Warbirds | Rebecca Thorne ⭐⭐⭐⭐: less of a romance really but I liked the worldbuilding, we get people flying on giant birds and some intrigue

Every Rose Has Its Thief | Hannah Nicole Maehrer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐: I seem to really like her writing style
my favorite line Leanna’s life was not sad. It was under construction, cute little enemies/rivals? to lovers

The Last Train from Faerie | Olivia Atwater ⭐⭐⭐⭐ : I love Atwaters faerie stories as they really go into the faerie myths and word plays and this one did not disappoint, but a bit lower on the romance

Rose Bloom, Rose Bud, Rose Blood | L. R. Lam ⭐⭐⭐⭐ : nice fairytaily story

Thanks to Titan Books and netgalley for the free copy

[Dotti · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Hopeless Romantic’s Guide to Enchantment is a short story collection by a number of Romantasy and fantasy romance authors. The stories span the fantasy genre, the romances ranging from a small subplot to the only element. There are straight and queer stories, which is a nice addition to the genre.

Generally, I think these stories were generally solid, but none stood out as truly excellent. Below is my review of each story, in a sentence or two:

‘Tis a pity he’s an elf by Jen Williams: 3.5 stars. The story felt a little too predictable.

Silver Dahlia, Golden King by Chloe Neill: 4 stars. Felt fleshed out compared to some of the stories.

Fool in Love, Ghoul in Hate by Greer Stothers: 3.5 stars. Engaging, fun premise, but the story felt rushed.

The Brocade Prince by A. Y. Chao: 4 stars. Enjoyable. Succeeded in great world building with an interesting story.

Double Trouble by Kelley Armstrong: 4 stars. Good twists and turns, a solid story without feeling too short.

Unearned Luck by Alexis Hall: 4 stars. Clever writing, but I did feel like I missed something having never read her other books. Really takes the question “would you choose a bear or a man in the woods” seriously.

Speaker and Calligrapher by Vida Cruz-Borja: 4 stars. Did an excellent job of twisting the reader’s expectations, especially using omniscience well.

The Moonlit Pathway by Juliet Marillier: 3 stars. I felt lost because I was missing most of the context. The story didn’t feel magical despite the slight fantasy elements.

Warbirds by Rebecca Thorne: 4 stars. Great twist at the end, appreciated the story.

Every Rose has its Thief by Hannah Nicole Maeher: 3.5 stars. The characters felt underdeveloped.

The Last Train from Faerie by Olivia Atwater: 3.5 stars. The romance in this story felt underwhelming.

Rose Bloom, Rose Bud, Rose Blood by L. R. Lam: 4 stars. Did an excellent job of developing the relationship but unfortunately didn’t explain the magic well enough.

Thank you to Titan Books and NetGalley for this advanced copy.

[Bookish Emili Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Hopeless Romantic's Guide to Enchantment by Marie O'Regan is a charming fantasy romance that blends magic, adventure, and heart in a way that makes for an enjoyable escape. With its whimsical atmosphere and engaging cast, the story captures the feeling of a classic fairy tale while adding plenty of modern humor and emotional depth.

The characters are easy to connect with, particularly the protagonist, whose optimism and romantic ideals make for a refreshing perspective. The chemistry between the leads develops naturally, and the magical elements enhance the story without overwhelming the relationships at its center. O'Regan creates a vivid world filled with enchantment, mystery, and just enough danger to keep the stakes interesting.

The novel's pacing is generally strong, though some sections in the middle feel slower as the story focuses on character development and world-building. A few plot points resolve a bit too neatly, but the warmth and charm of the journey make these issues easy to overlook.

Overall, The Hopeless Romantic's Guide to Enchantment is a delightful read for fans of cozy fantasy and lighthearted romance. It offers memorable characters, a magical setting, and a satisfying mix of humor and emotion. While not without a few minor pacing issues, it delivers an entertaining and uplifting adventure that leaves readers smiling.

[Alyssa Reads and Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Hopeless Romantics Guide to Enchantment is an entertaining collection of romantasy short stories. Editors Marie O’Regan and Paul Kane have collected a wide range of stories from a variety of authors, and brought them together in an enjoyable, cohesive collection.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I think it’s impressive how well all these stories work with such limited time for world building. Not only that, they tend to contain fabulous humor and banter, which I always adore. And, a bonus is that a good portion of the stories contain queer rep too.

It’s no surprise that Alexis Hall’s Unearned Luck is one of my favorites. It feature the hobgoblin Robin narrator from the Mortal Follies series, involves a bear, a curse, and romance, and is a blast to read. I’m also convinced that Rebecca Thorne is an author I need to read more of. Her story Warbirds has plenty of snarky quips, but also balances more nuanced themes.

I had a great time reading The Hopeless Romantics Guide to Enchantment. If you are a romantasy fan who doesn’t always want to tackle a 500+ page story, these story tales are worth checking out.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Alyssa · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Hopeless Romantic's Guide to Enchantment is a hard one for me to review because I want to give low stars to every story simply because I wanted more from each one. How unfair would that be? What I can tell you is that nearly every story in this anthology had me pining for more and adding each author that I didn't already know to my TBR. If I am being honest I picked this up because it had Juliet Marillier's name attached and she is and always will be my number one favorite author. Her story is set in the world of Wildwood Dancing which was so exciting to me. I was surprised that Marillier's short story wasn't even my favorite! I loved so many of them. I found Hannah Nicole Maehrer's story very fun and especially liked A. Y. Chao's. Honestly they were all great and I was surprised to see that some of these author's might be dabbling in romantasy for the first time. I found myself hoping that some of these stories turn into prequel novellas for series to come. If you enjoy short stories you will love this anthology. There is something for everyone, and loves of all kinds represented.

[Moth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to Netgalley, Titan Books, and the wonderful authors of this anthology for giving me an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!

I was really looking forward to this anthology! I had the pleasure to read ‘The Secret Romantic’s Book of Magic’ last year, and absolutely loved it, so was chuffed to receive the ARC for this next book from the same editor!

There were a few stand out stories here, most notably from Alexis Hall. If you have ever wondered if women would *always* choice a bear or a man, this short will tell you the answer. It was so funny, I ended up reading all of it to my wife in 10 minute sections because I kept having to show her all of the different lines I liked, which did, in fact, end up being all of them!

I always enjoy the work of Rebecca Thorne too, and their short was no exception, with a charming story which included giant birds, which made it an instant win.

If you are a fan of romantasy and fun, lovable and charming short stories, then I would highly recommend this! And get the previous one too, if you missed it!

[Helen Bradley · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is just for Unearned Luck / Alexis Hall.

I simply adore Alexis Hall on a level that prevents me from unbiased assessment - which is to say that this is definitely a 5-star read and you can totally trust me.

Every bit of this is, as the collection states, is enchanting and romantic.

Bickle and Penworthy are the most epic besties, our narrator is a fantastical creature with an unrivaled narrative pacing, and the bear princess herself is such a satisfying heroine that I almost definitely fell in love with her, too.

Simply put, this is a love story and fairy tale. There are grand gestures, adventures, jokes, satire, and triumphs. Because Hall.
Alexis Hall can write brilliantly across so many genres that I would wonder if he is actually a dozen authors combined if he didn't have such an identifiable voice and a marked habit of turning everything into light, beauty, and queer joy. His writing brings me hope and inspires me to tell my own stories. His characters keep me company on my best and worst days and those really important days in between and there's just nothing better.

[BookishSteph1 · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun collection of short stories all with the theme of romance in one form or another with a varied mix of protagonists, be they straight, queer or non-conforming, all set in different fantasy worlds.

I thoroughly enjoyed this collection and there wasn’t a bad story in the bunch. Some I enjoyed more than others but simply due to personal preference of the theme of that particular story. Some examples of the stories include an enthralled professor trapped and in need of rescue on a faerie train, missions involving huge warbirds, a princess cursed to live as a bear and a world of magical flowers with childhood enemies that reunite years later.

My absolute favourites were The Brocade Prince by A. Y. Chao, Warbirds by Rebecca Thorne, Every Rose Has Its Thief by Hannah Nicole Maehrer, and The Last Train From Faerie by Olivia Atwater.

Hopefully there will be another of these books soon!

[Rebekah W. · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Hopeless Romantic's Guide to Enchantment is full of truly great romantasy short stories. If this caliber of writing and execution was what we were getting from current romantasy releases, it would be my favorite genre. There are such heavy hitter authors in this anthology, and I of course, I wished every single one of these stories was a full-length novel. L.R. Lam, Juliet Marillier, Alexis Hall, Jen Williams and Chloe Niell wrote my favorite short stories in this collection. L.R. Lam's Rose Bloom, Rose Bud, Rose Blood was absolutely captivating, haunting, and lovely, and my favorite of the entire collection. And shout out to Alexis Hall for writing an absolutely HILARIOUS story about the man vs. bear dilemma but make it sapphic. I will absolutely be buying this book for my collection and I will be rethinking when I say, "I'm a bit tired of romantasy".

[Lissa]

Stories:
1. "Tis pity he's an elf by Jen Williams 3 stars. gate bewteen fairy will fail unless nobilist man of fairy and most ambitious mortal woman told from their servants POV.
2. Silver Dahlia, Golden King by Chloe Neill.- basic king falls for princess of land he's threatening
3. Fool in Love Ghoul in Hate by Greer Stothers -weird
4. The Brocade Prince by A. Y. Chao
5. Double Trouble by Kelley Armstrong
6. Unearned Luck by Alexis Hall gender bending East of Sun, West of moon told by Puck
7. Speaker and Calligrapher by Vida Cruz-Borja I think this was a dual time line but it was never made clear. Also the purpose, function, rules of magic aren't clear
DNF here. these stories were too short to be interesting.
8. The Moonlit Pathway by Juliet Marillier
9. Warbirds by Rebecca Thorne
10. Every Rose Has Its Thief by Hannah Nicole Maehrer
11. The Last Train from Faerie by Olivia Atwater
12. Rose Bloom, Rose Bud, Rose Blood by L. R. Lam

[Emmie Rose · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such a fun anthology, featuring authors I love and a lot of new-to-me authors who I would happily read from again. I always find it hard to review collections of stories, so will just mention my absolute favourites!

'Tis Pity He's An Elf by Jen Williams - i throughly enjoyed this one and just loved how cosy it was. Seeing the two trying to matchmake their employers to save the world was so cute and I really enjoyed the world-building considering how short a story it was!

The Brocade King by A. Y. Chao - my first time reading their work, I very quickly found myself invested in this story and wish it was a full story! I would love to see more of these characters and this world.

Every Rose Has It's Thief by Hannah Nicole Maehrer - my most anticipated story in the collection and it didn't disappoint. I loved everything about this one. The characters were great and I really enjoyed the whole premise.

The Last Train from Faerie by Olivia Atwater - again my first story by them, this was such a lovely story about a woman risking everything to save someone she loves. It was so witty and the world-building was fantastic, so much so I would die for a full novel in this world!

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love collections of romance stories. They are like comfort food, Each comes with a guaranteed happy ending and because they are not full length novels, there is usually less miscommunication. So, I was excited about this collection, which I found mostly because of Alexis Hall’s contribution, and that story is possibly my favorite, or certainly among my top 3-4. Interestingly, the queer stories are my favorite stories from the collection - I am not entirely sure why that is; whether they are objectively better than the other stories; if they are more original and/or better written, or if they just seem more original because of the queer elements. I liked all the stories well enough, but those four were the best for me.

[Kelvin Buck · Rating 2 out of 5]

tl;dr only the last two stories are worth reading

most of the writing in this collection is absolute dogshit. the characters, the plots, even the sentence structure, its all painful to get through. there were a handful of competent authors, who have other books ive enjoyed, but they went so far into absurd slapstick plots that it was also painful to read. and then olivia atwater comes in at the eleventh hour with a steel chair, by which i of course mean a charming, funny romance with an interesting plot that could be explored thoroughly in a short story. id started to think that wasnt possible based on the rest of this book. and then the last one after that was quite good and not just because it had lesbians

[Cathryn Moore · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Hopeless Romantics Guide to Enchantment is an anthology of romantasy short stories by twelve talented authors, some of whom I’d read before and some were new to me. The anthology has a wide range of stories with the common theme of romantasy. There is something here for everyone, from fantasy worlds to magical realism, all of them quick and enjoyable reads.

Whether you’re unsure about romantasy or already a fan of the genre, this is a lovely book to add to your collection.

Thank you to NetGalley for the arc.

[Becks · Rating 3 out of 5]

A collection of short romantasy stories. The ones I enjoyed most are Unearned Luck, The moonlit pathway, Warbirds and Rose bloom, Rose bud, Rose blood.
The rest I found good, not as gripping as the above mentioned though.
I have found some new authors thanks to this collection.
Thank you NetGalley for an eARC of this book.

[Ash · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed only 2 stories in the series.
EVERY ROSE HAS ITS THIEF By HANNAH NICOLE MAEHRER
This book was readable and enjoyable and not abrupt as other stories.

THE BROCADE PRINCE By A. Y. CHAO
This had good potential but had a rather sudden ending as if the author just had few pages remaining and somehow had to end it.

[Chrissy · Rating 3 out of 5]

The reason I bought this was:
Double Trouble by Kelley Armstrong - 3 stars (just looking at the story without considering genre expectations it would be 4 stars, but in a romantasy anthology I would've wanted a bit more on-the-page focus on the romance)
Nice story about a monster hunter and a doppelgänger. This is a prequel to Designated Virgin Sacrifice from last year's The Secret Romantic's Book of Magic and tells the story of how the main characters first met and partnered up. I enjoy these characters and I would love to learn more about them. Maybe we'll get to see them again in another anthology.
I'm still not sure Romantasy anthologies are the best place for these though, as there's barely any romance, at least not actually happening on the page. (We wouldn't even know definitely that these two end up a couple at all if it wasn't for Designated Virgin Sacrifice. And we barely get to see them actually interacting with each other.)

Other stories in here I enjoyed were: 'Tis Pity He's an Elf by Jen Williams (like a fantasy version of that movie Set It Up with Zoey Deutch and Glen Powell but with fae), Unearned Luck (I enjoyed the breaking-the-fourth-wall writing style), Warbirds by Rebecca Thorne (good twist), Every Rose Has Its Thief by Hannah Nicole Maehrer and The Last Train From Faerie by Olivia Atwater.

[Mare Thear · Rating 4 out of 5]

Delightful glimpses into authors I haven't experienced before and new work from authors I already love.

[☽⋆Katarina⋆☾ · Rating 2.25 out of 5]

This was a slog to get through.

[Jess Claire · Rating 3 out of 5]

What a wonderfully enchanting collection of cosy fantasy short stories. With 12 brand new Romance stories by a variety of authors this collection would be a great jumping off point to discover some new authors or just enjoy a further taste of your familiar favourites.

A few of my favourites from the collection were:

Warbirds by Rebecca Thorne
I will always enjoy the chemistry and banter of Thornes fantastic characters and this story was no different. Wonderful moments of humour, sexual tension and women in control. Loved it!

The Moonlit pathway by Juliet Marillier
A beautiful tale of secrets, research and fairy tales set in Transylvania. This story comes generations after Wildwood Dancing and Cybele’s Secret by the same author. Intriguing and mysterious with a hint of magic in an academia.

‘Tis Pity He’s an Elf by Jen Williams
A lovely story of two worlds co-existing under the threat of them being separated forever unless saved by a great love. Everyone hinging their hopes on the royal couple who just can’t seem to connect on anything, meanwhile their servants become closer as they try to save their worlds.

Altogether a great collection of stories of love, longing and animal companions such as helpful gargoyles, allergic unicorns and fierce birds bred for war.