The Improbable Meet-Cute: Second Chances Collection

by Christina Lauren, Hannah Bonam-Young, Julie Soto

12 hours, 19 minutes

Fate works in mysterious ways—and this Valentine’s Day, it’s feeling particularly mischievous. From accidental Zoom crashes to graveyard resurrections, six beloved romance authors bring you a collection of increasingly steamy second chances.

Accidentally Yours by Christina Lauren
When marketing consultant Veronica accidentally crashes the wrong Zoom meeting, she’s shocked to receive a job offer from the company’s intriguing CEO. Their professional email exchanges quickly turn flirty, but Veronica’s mind keeps drifting to her reserved but gorgeous new neighbor. As Valentine’s Day approaches, she’ll discover that sometimes the most improbable meet-cute can lead to the perfect match. (2 hours, 10 minutes)

Time Will Tell by Hannah Bonam-Young
When a history teacher receives a letter from her deceased grandmother revealing a secret love affair in the 1950s, it leads her to a time capsule hidden decades ago. But it’s the charming grandson of her grandmother’s lost love who changes everything, proving that sometimes the heart knows exactly where—and when—it belongs. (2 hours, 9 minutes)

Second Act Romance by Julie Soto
When food poisoning takes out the lead in their Valentine’s Day production of Oklahoma!, TV sensation Colby J. Turner swoops in to save the show. But for leading lady Bex Hardgrave, this last-minute casting is more drama than she bargained for. Eight years ago, their onstage chemistry sparked real-life fireworks—until a misunderstanding brought down the curtain. As showtime approaches, Bex and Colby must decide if their second-chance romance deserves its own standing ovation. (1 hour, 24 minutes)

A Play for Love by Trilina Pucci
Years ago, during a college production of Romeo and Juliet, Rory and Oliver shared one unforgettable stage kiss before fate pulled them apart. Now, while drowning her Valentine’s Day sorrows at brunch, she spots her former Romeo, wearing nothing but gold shorts and wings, playing Cupid for the lovelorn masses. Their chemistry still sizzles, but these former leads will need more than Shakespeare’s guidance to turn their second chance into a true romance. (2 hours, 3 minutes)

Death to Valentine’s Day by Catherine Cowles
After her boyfriend’s betrayal, the last thing Maia St. James wants is Valentine’s Day. But when friends drag her to a Death to Valentine’s Day masquerade ball at a mountain lodge, she ends up kissing a masked stranger—only to discover he’s her ex’s older brother. And when a guest is found murdered, the party becomes a deadly mystery. Now Maia must unmask a killer before her second chance at romance is cut short. (2 hours, 20 minutes)

Valentine’s Slay by Navessa Allen
Louisiana gravedigger Noah Evans’s Valentine’s night shift takes an unexpected turn when his high school crush, Emma, starts screaming from her freshly dug grave. As they unearth a deadly family conspiracy, Noah and Emma discover that old flames burn even hotter the second time around—especially when someone’s trying to kill them. (2 hours, 13 minutes)

Genres: Romance, Audiobook, Contemporary Romance

Audiobook

Published January 20, 2026

About the author

Christina Lauren is the combined pen name of long-time writing partners/best friends Christina Hobbs and Lauren Billings. The coauthor duo writes both Young Adult and Adult Fiction, and together has produced twenty New York Times bestselling novels. Their books have been translated into 30+ languages. (Some of these books have kissing. Some of these books have A LOT of kissing.)


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Reviews

[buket]

second act romance by julie soto ⭐️⭐️⭐️

i liked the concept but this was too short😭 also covid mention is always a jumpscare in books✋🏻

accidentally yours by christina lauren ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

i LOVE the “oh my real life crush is the same person as my online crush?” trope so much

[Amity Bailey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Collectively I give this collection 4 stars!! There were some awesome narrators with this and some really good Valentine theme novellas!! The narration for these were truly fantastic!!

My fave by far was Death to Valentine’s Day by Catherine Cowles. Easily a 5 star and such a fun twisty romantic suspense with both swoony worthy moments & murder mystery vibes! Narration by Erin Mallon & Connor Crais! Fantastic! 5 ⭐️

Nevessa Allen’s Valentine Slay was a close second with yet again a thrilling romance with twists & fast past drama I didn’t see coming!! I wasn’t sure where this one was going, but it was great!! Narration by Allie Piper & Alastair Hanesbridge! They did this one lots of justice! 5”4.5⭐️

Christina Lauren gave us a fun, humorous story with Accidentally Yours as well & I really enjoyed the characters and narration by Dominic Salvation & Andrew Gibson! Those two really made the humor stand out! This story about a work interview Meetcute had me laughing and swooning! 4⭐️

Julie Soto is a new to me author, but I really loved her novella Second Act Romance! This one was cute, fun, and theatrical love story. Therese Plummer carried this narration on her own & was absolutely lovable!!! 4⭐️

Hannah Bonam Young gave us a cute/history filled story about family history that made for a cute & sweet love story!! Time Will Tell was narrated by Maxium Reston and Victoria Connolly! This narration was the perfect match for this story!! 4⭐️

Last but not least my girl Trilina Pucci gave us a Play For Love one of my other faves of the series! This was a cute, fun, and so lovable story about love going the distance & making it work regardless of how far. I loved this story & characters so much!! Narration by Jessie Valenski and Stephen Dexter, absolutely loved their emotion and the way they pulled this story together!! 4.5⭐️

Thank you NetGalley & all the authors for allowing me to listen to this collection early!!!

[Meghan JaMonkey · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5⭐️ These Amazon Original short stories always bring together a great collection of authors. I discover new authors all the time. This is the second Valentine’s collection for Improbable Meet Cutes, and the theme is Second Chances. One of the best aspects of these collections is a nugget that appears in each story. For this collection, it was a pair of comets called the Star-crossed lovers. It was a fun way to put the second-chance romance into perspective.
My favorite from this collection was Time Will Tell by Hannah Bonam-Young. It tackles the secret love of two women in the 50s who didn’t stay together but kept their love alive over the years and left a time capsule for their families. It brings together their grandchildren in a touching story as they plan to open it and learn more about their grandmothers. This story pulled at my heartstrings because of lost love in a time of intolerance and how we still struggle with this in modern times. It was so beautiful.
Next favorite is Valentine’s Slay by Navessa Allen. This story is a wild ride, and the spice was 🥵! It is dark, but oh-so-rewarding.
Thank you to Brilliance Audio for the ALC.

[alicia · Rating 4 out of 5]

as a whole I would give the collection 4 stars. I love the novella collections that amazon does so I was thrilled to have received this as an ALC! Each of these stories was very unique and fun to listen to! I will say I am slightly confused about the "second chances" of it all bcecause not all of these stories included a second chance in any sense? I still enjoyed them, and the last chunk of them definitely held true to the second chance, this was just an observation!
my mini individual reviews are below!

Accidentally Yours - Christina Lauren 3⭐️
Very cute!!! I love email romance novellas so this was fun!!! The narration lacked something, and fell kind of flat for me but i really enjoyed the premise!!!

Time will Tell - Hannah Bonam-Young 4⭐️
SOOOOOO CUTE!!!! the narration was chefs kiss!! I love duet narration a pretty good bit so i was eating this up. The blot was very unique which made it more fun to read!!

Second Act Romance - Julie Soto 4⭐️
THIS WAS SO GOOD!!! The chemistry was palpable from the first interaction. I loved the flashbacks throughout the whole story. The audio was fun and i felt like the narration style matched the character really well!

A Play for Love - Trilina Pucci 2⭐️
the idea and plot was really cute!! I really was obsessed at first. But the mmc was really cringey and i don’t know if it was the actual thing he was saying or the way the narrator delivered it? Or both?? Either way he really bothered me and that deterred this from being a 3-4 star rating😭

Death to Valentines Day- Catherine Cowles 4⭐️
BY FAR MY FAVORITE IN THIS COLLECTION!!!! There was so many twists and turns but they didn’t take away from the romance at all! It didn’t feel choppy or like we were left hanging at the end! It so well put together and thought out. LOVE!!!!!!

Valentine's Slay - Navessa Allen 4⭐️
Leave it to Navessa to write the most insane plot for a valentines day novella. Start to finish I was HOOKED. i really enjoyed the suspense, the spice, the romance. Truly the craziest story and I devoured every minute. not to mention the duet narration of it all! Loved it very much thank you!!

Thank you to Brilliance publishing + NetGalley for the advanced listeners copy!

[Kaat SweetOnStories · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Improbable Meet-Cute: Second Chances is a collection of 6 "increasingly steamy" second chance romance novellas for Valentine's Day 2026, written by beloved romance authors. I will briefly review each novella individually first, and then I'll add my thoughts on the collection as a whole.

Christina Lauren - Accidentally Yours - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Still sore from being let go by her previous employer, marketing expert Veronica meets Jude, CEO of a tech company, by accidentally joining his staff Zoom meeting, during which she unloads her frustrations and gives the company's lackluster marketing strategies a lashing. Jude is intrigued and both eager and desperate to hire her as their new freelance marketing consultant.
Accidentally Yours is a solid opener, and one of the lovelier stories in the romantic collection. It's written in dual PoV in mostly epistolary style (save for the chapters where we, readers, know they are other's new neighbors, while both of them remain entirely unaware of that fact, resulting in them crushing hard on each other both physically AND epistolary). It's smart to format a short story this way, packing in a lot of background information background information within its limited space. Writer duo Christina Lauren really brings their characters to life. I like that they fall in love through writing, first and foremost, and the physical attraction they don't know about yet is icing on the cake for readers to really feel the potential of their romance. When it all comes together, it sparks and really clicks.

Hannah Bonam-Young - Time Will Tell - ⭐⭐⭐⭐

When history teacher Georgia receives a letter from her recently deceased grandmother Bonnie, in which she comes out as a lesbian who was in a relationship with Englishwoman Martha decades ago, Georgia makes it a mission to reach out to Martha's grandson Callum, a small town UK doctor: she hopes he'll be open to helping her open a time capsule Bonnie and Martha left behind. 
As with Accidentally Yours, Bonam-Young has written a lot of this in epistolary style, and here it really amps up the story's progression. What I like about this pairing is Callum's rather shameless flirting; he really shoots his shot and it's smile-inducing. Their connection evolves into phone calls and live meetings, and their relationship is rather sweet. I think this story would have benefitted from a few more pages though, and a slightly slower pace, to help deepen the relationship before they actually meet in England. 
What stands out though, is that this is a second chance for Bonnie and Martha. They are both no longer among the living, but their romance is received, accepted and celebrated by their loved ones years after. I think that's a rather wonderful and romantic sentiment.

Julie Soto - Second Act Romance - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

The third story brings us backstage with an Oklahoma! musical touring company... that almost sees its full cast knocked on its ass with shrimp taco related food poisoning. Right before their sold out Valentine's Day show. The female lead actress Bex is fine to play Laurey, but the male lead (and any understudy) for Curly is out. As they scramble to find a replacement, Bex reminisces about another time a stomach bug threw a wrench in things. Years ago, she performed two shows opposite Colby, who's since become a famous TV-star. Their chemistry had been off the charts, as well as their ease with each other on and off stage. But they lost touch due to her becoming ill, and all that remains are memories and what ifs. So of course, as fate would have it... the man happens to be available to reprise his leading role for the Valentine's day show... and he's never quite forgotten about Bex, either. 
This one is brilliant. The high-energy, fast-paced setting is crazy original, and it's obvious author Julie Soto pulled from her own experience with working in musical theatre. I thoroughly enjoyed being along for the ride this way. The backstage experience, if you will, is thrilling. The moments of romance - which reignites as they perform the show - allow you to take a breath, slow down for a little bit. I savoured these little moments along with Bex and Colby, because their anticipation is so palpable. Their shared excitement for the show and for each other, the elation they feel about having this second chance - it translates well and results in a tiny but fierce romance story. Loved it.

Trilina Pucci - A Play for Love - ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Pucci's story begins in a flashback, to a moment in college where Rory is required to perform a Shakespeare scene with a classmate. She's hoping against all hope that she doesn't have to do Romeo + Juliet, because the idea of having to kiss one of her male classmates is... off-putting, to say the least. Until a late arrival walks in: Oliver. The hottest guy in school. And luckily for Rory, the professor picks her to do R+J opposite him. A "screw it" moment ensues with Oliver kissing her... and we cut to 5 years later. Oliver is a "failed actor" in New York and in the midst of being roped into an embarrassing stripping act involving golden short shorts and wings when he sees none other than that one girl from college he had a major crush on. But Rory is leaving NYC the next day... Oliver has one chance to give her the best date ever. 
Another adorable story. The New York date has notes of Before Sunset, with these vignettes of shared experiences, moments of connectedness building on the pre-existing sexual attraction between them. Their chemistry is charged and their romance and the choices made in the end are believable. 
I also love how Pucci is such a visual thinker in her writing and humor. I've read a few of her books and this story is no different: her work is very vibrant.

Catherine Cowles - Death to Valentine's Day - ⭐⭐⭐

For Valentine's Day last year, Maia got the live visual of her boyfriend doing the nasty with her cousin. Not only did she lose her boyfriend that night, but things have also become awkward with his parents and brother Decker. Although, things with Decker had already been awkward for a while. So this year for Valentine's Day... she'd rather ignore it. But her friends drag her to a masquerade, eager to see her friend have a little fun. But no one could have predicted the evenings turns (plural) of events: not only does Maia almost run into her ex, she actually runs lips first into Decker (who's all too eager to plant one on her). Annnnd there's also a murder. 
My least favorite story of the second chances bundle was still enjoyable. This one was sexier, but at the same time a little less deep than its predecessors. I enjoy the ex-boyfriend's older brother trope immensely, and wasn't disappointed here because Decker is a yearner with a good heart and a strong body. Solid. I just wasn't feeling the murder subplot and the killer reveal. Maia was a bit of a Mary Sue and "all the boys want her", and I don't need that. Decker desiring her was enough. Cowles could have built on that some more.

Navessa Allen - Valentine's Slay - ⭐⭐⭐⭐

When one hears moans in a graveyard, the first instinct isn't to run to a fresh grave and rescue whomever was surely buried alive. It isn't Noah's, anyway. So as he walks around trying to chase away what HAS to be a couple getting freaky, he's the one freaking out when he indeed discovers the woman he'd help bury earlier today IS STILL ALIVE AND SHE'S ALSO THE GIRL HE CRUSHES ON. Just another day in paradise. So he rescues the damsel who lives to tell the tale of her bastard doctor husband attempting to kill her by way of induced comas and a failed overdose, and keeps her safe in his cottage while they plan for revenge. And bang it out. Hard. Hoo boy. This is Navessa, guys. I mean. 
The story is a little out there, but we're taking it with a grain of graveyard sand, because Navessa Allen's stories are about having fun with and in the dark. This is what she does and what she does best. The story's resolution suspends disbelief but isn't any less satisfying. We love a good comeuppance after a good cum- 
I'm not sorry. Sure, I would have liked for Emma to have a chance to get to know and fall for Noah, but... when the smut was smutting, I ceased having any objections and I read the hell out of it anyway.

I think a collection such as this is impossible to rate as one book. I'd urge you to look at the stories individually, and that's why I rated them all individually along with my collective 4 star rating (averaging out the individual ratings, rounded down). There's enough in here for everyone to enjoy with different themes and different spice levels (the bundle starts with the mildest of bell peppers and ends with Navessa "Pepper X" Allen). 
A charming detail about this collection, is that every author wove in a part about star-crossed "second chance" comets, destined to cross paths this fictional Valentine's Day. Every story highlights this taking place, and it gives the collection a Love Actually kind of vibe: one big story of interwoven romances. While one couple is finding love again in New York, another couple is celebrating a long lost queer love, and another is feeling the possibility of a second chance while on stage, and another... And so on and so forth. You can almost visualize the way these stories happen simultaneously and I think that's a lovely way to experience a set of standalone stories. With that little bit of connection still there. It's something we humans all crave.

Thank you NetGalley and Amazon Original Stories for generously providing me with a copy of this book; all opinions expressed are honest, voluntary and 100% my own.

[Brooke · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Amazon Original Stories and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this title to read and give my honest review. The opinions expressed here are my own.
I'm in my novella phase. I read the short stories Amazon put out last year and adored them. I was excited to see there were more coming out for the season of love and couldn't wait to read them! I'm excited I got to read them. I loved all the different themes that were presented. I will say I was expecting them all to be second chance romances given the title but they were not.

Accidentally Yours by Christina Lauren: I don't think there's anything Lauren can write that I don't love. This one was totally charming and funny as all get out. I loved the accidental zoom, the fact that the FMC, Veronica, (who had nothing to lose), calls the men out on their BS. How she and Jude communicate via email and get to know one another. It totally had You've got mail vibes with that (one of my favorite movies). Is there some miscommunication with this one, there is, and normally it makes me crazy. But it truly worked with this story. This would be a great full length story and I gave it 4.5 stars just because I needed more!

Time Will Tell by Hannah Bonam-Carter: Another author that is aut0-read for me. I really love her all inclusive stories. This was probably my favorite story out of all the ones presented. I loved how the two characters form a relationship via email, then texting, then phone calls. The build up was a lot of fun. There was flirting and a bit of pining. The romance between Georgia and Callum was truly charming and I enjoyed how they got to know each other. Even the side characters were fun. This is another title that would be a great full length story and I gave it 4.5 stars just because I needed more!

Second Act Romance by Julie Soto: This author can be hit or miss for me. I did like the idea that this story was actually a second chance, which is what I was expecting. However, I think because I don't know all that much about theater, I lost my edge understanding this story. Often times while reading I didn't really understand what was going on. This made it hard to feel the chemistry between the two characters. Plus there is a lot of focus on the side characters which I usually enjoy but as a novella I feel like it was too much. I needed a bit more focus on the FMC and the MMC. This was fun but not my favorite of the stories. 3 stars.

A Play For Love by Trilina Pucci: I have not read anything by this author before, I always love being introduced to new authors to see if I'll enjoy their writing. This did meet the second chance romance vibe I was looking for. I really enjoyed the initial meet-cute and then the subsequent follow up. The first part was a good build up for me. I loved how Rory reacted. And then to get Oliver's POV later on as he's struggling to find work and takes on a job he truly doesn't want just to make some money for rent. I would have liked to see more of him and his love for teaching kids. We're really just told about it rather than being shown and I feel like that would have made the ending make more sense. But overall I enjoyed the writing and the short story and could see myself reading more from this author. 4 stars.

Death To Valentine's Day by Catherine Cowles: This is another author I've never read before. But her books have been on my radar so I was excited to have a chance to get to know her writing through this novella. I will say this story took a turn I didn't think it would take, murder mystery. I did love the idea of it, though. The chemistry between the two main characters was lacking for me. I needed more between them as it came off as inst-love and I am not a fan of that trope. I just didn't feel like they had a chance to ramp up their chemistry given the side story of the murder. And the ultimate murderer was definitely a shock but I also would have liked to see more finger pointing to other characters first so we could be kept guessing more. 3 Stars.

Valentine's Slay by Navessa Allen: I have enjoyed the dark romance this author has written and I was excited to see what kind of novella she would give us! I love the idea of a graveyard romance. I will say the build up between the characters was lacking. While I know it's hard to create that tension in such a short time, it's totally doable and I just didn't feel that from the FMC, Emma. The MMC, Noah, yes. He told us over and over about his attraction to Emma and how he never thought her marriage was right for her. But overall their connection just wasn't there. The story line was cute enough. Kind of mysterious but not really as I guessed it from the very start. I'll continue to give Allen a try as she comes out with more books. 3 stars.

Overall, this was fun to read and I hope Amazon continues to put out fun short stories. I'm loving the holiday themes and I hope they continues to publish them as they truly are so much fun!

[Becky · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an eARC of this audiobook from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Accidentally Yours by Christina Lauren
What’s It About: Veronica, a recently unemployed marketing expert, enters a Zoom meeting and quickly realizes that it is not her job interview but a marketing pitch for a tech start-up. Veronica, in a moment of disgust about the weak presentation, shares her honest take on it. Jude, the company’s CEO, is impressed and tries to hire her. Their professional correspondence quickly turns flirty. Will their connection move beyond email and into real life?

Review: This story was all about sexual tension, and it worked. Veronica and Jude’s flirty texts were adorable and sizzling. It’s flirty, and, fun and worth listening to.

Would I Read More: In some ways, this story ended just when it was getting good. There is potential for an entire book of flirty emails that I would love to read.

Rating: 4 out of 5

Time Will Tell by Hannah Bonam-Young
What’s It About: Georgia, a history teacher in Toronto, decides to integrate her grandmother’s time capsule into a lesson and uncovers a secret that leads her to England and the charming Callum. What starts as an exploration of her grandmother’s life leads to a friendship through correspondence that could become more.

Reviews: Bonam-Young took the opportunity to turn a simple love story into a deeper commentary without feeling heavy handed. The parallel journey of Georgia and Callum, and their grandmothers, was engaging and romantic. Georgia and Callum’s story felt like a classic romance, and I was all in.

Would I Read More: This story was engaging, and I enjoyed it, but I was satisfied with where it ended. I would love to see Georgia and Callum as secondary characters in other romance stories, but for me, I just want to think they got their happily-ever-after.

Rating: 4 out of 5

Second Act Romance by Julie Soto
What’s It About: Bex Hardgrove is the lead of the national tour of Oklahoma!. She is lucky because she loves her job, and she didn’t go out with her co-stars for fish tacos, tacos that gave the entire company food poisoning. The company is desperate; they need a new male lead. Enter Colby J. Turner, the star of a popular medical TV show and someone Bex shared the stage with before he was famous. As they play love interests, their chemistry becomes explosive.

Review: First, a confession: I am a musical theater nerd. I love going to see big splashy musicals. This story, for me, was a perfect glimpse behind the scenes of a musical with fun characters and flirty moments. This story felt like a movie, and I would love to watch it.

Would I Read More: Yes please! I was sad when this story ended. Bex and Colby have the potential to be the stars of an amazing book. I would be happy to read an entire novel about them staring in a show together filled with their flirty romance.

Rating: 4 out of 5

A Play For Love by Trilina Pucci
What’s It About: During college, Rory’s drama class final required her to kiss her crush, Oliver. The kiss was perfect, but they never spoke again until years later on Valentine’s Day. They spend the perfect day together exploring New York City,and their chemistry is undeniable. Can they find a way to turn their flirtation into more?

Review: This story features another one of my favorite tropes, finding love all in one day. I enjoyed exploring New York with Rory and Oliver, with all of their flirty banter. Also, this story definitely gave the main characters a more concrete ending that was satisfying.

Would I Read More: I would read another book in this universe, but I don’t need more about Rory and Oliver. The story had a satisfying ending, and I’m happy with where it was left. I plan to read more by this author.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Death to Valentine’s Day by Catherine Cowles
What’s It About: Maia St. James is still reeling from her long-term boyfriend’s betrayal when her best friends force her to go to a Valentine’s Day party. Maia doesn’t want to be and is desperate to hide when her cheating ex-boyfriend shows up. Maia kisses a stranger to hide, only to find out that it’s Decker, her ex’s brother and her childhood friend. Maia needs to come to terms with her sizzling reaction to Decker, but a murder may derail their HEA.

Review: I had a mixed reaction to this story. I enjoyed Maia and Decker and rooted for them. It was a classic romance filled with yearning and sizzling chemistry. The murder storyline made the story feel uneven and out of place. Also, the resolution of the murder was over-the-top and didn’t quite fit with the rest of the story.

Would I Read More: I would read more about Maia and Decker, but I don’t know if I would revisit the universe. The murder storyline felt awkward, and I wouldn’t want an entire novel about it.

Final Rating: 3 out of 5

Valentine’s Slay by Navessa Allen
What’s It About: Noah was working his job at the cemetery when he heard someone scream from a grave. He discovers Emma, his former high school crush and recently buried town sweetheart. Noah and Emma investigate how she ended up in the recently dug grave and uncover a dark town secret while old feelings resurface.

Review: I was thrown by this story. It didn’t really fit in with the rest of the collection. Noah and Emma did have sizzling, spicy moments, but I was distracted by the plot around Emma’s “murder”. I never warmed up to the world or the story.

Would I Read More: Probably not. By the end of the story, I was ready to be finished with Emma, Noah, and their world.

Rating: 3 out of 5

Entire Collection Rating: 3.5 out of 5

[Melissa (BWM) Lynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley and Amazon Original Stories for an eARC of this six book set in exchange for my honest review! As these books are ALL published with the audiobooks free (with a Kindle Unlimited subscription) I listened to all on audio on release day!

Accidentally Yours : 4⭐, 0.5🌶️
Cute and fun, but it did feel similar to a novella story that was included in the Winter novellas.
Narrators: Dominique Salvacio and Andrew Gibson were great for the MC's voices. Fit perfectly and an enjoyable audiobook.

Time Will Tell: 4.5⭐, 1🌶️
I loved this premise of Georgia finding her grandmothers old girlfriend, and falls for her grandson again. And while I recognize this is a short story, I wish we got more of Georgia and Callum actually together, and not just them talking virtually. Lacing the two "virtual" relationships back to be was too many "online love stories" in a row which kept this from being a 5 star read for me. HOWEVER, this book had so much potential and I definitely would have read more now or even in the future.
Narrators: Victoria Connolly and Maxim Reston did grate with their narrations. I loved Maxin's British accent and they fit the characters voices perfectly.

Second Act Romance: 4⭐, 1.25🌶️
This story was cute. Its a one night/ theater chaos event. And a second chance romance between two stage actors that worked together years ago and a missed moment. It was cute, but I wasn't really invested in the romance due to alllll of the chaos of the play events,
Could have done without the narrator adding the throwing up/ dry heaving sounds in the beginning of the book tbh 😅
Narrators: I've officially decided that Stephe Dexter is the perfect narrator for a piningggg and cinnamon roll MMC.

A Play for Love: 3.5⭐, 1.5🌶️
While I enjoyed that this book was longer than the previous others, I again thought it was weird that we were listening to a similar theme (theater) in two novellas in this series back to back. The similarity with Second Act Romance was kind of weird, and I was hoping for something more wild/ saucy and off the cuff like typical Trilina books. But this was an early 20's encounter and a future encounter. The personality of the FMC wasn't someone I related to, but overall it was a tad quirky. Not my favorite of the novellas but it wasn't horrible.
Narrators: Jesse Vilinsky and Stephen Dexter great narrators. I love Stephen’s voice for a man down bad, and Jesse narrated Rory’s quirky FMC voice wonderfully.
***Unfortunately, based on Trilina's mean/ insensitive actions in the past, she is not an author I will read if given the chance and I don't promote or recommend her stories. Simply read this as it is part of the series set and as an arc reader, I wanted to review the full group.

Death to Valentine's Day: 4.25⭐, 2🌶️
Ahhh Catherine, how you managed to write a novella that still has romance, pining, romantic suspense, an a surprise villain. Honestly, if you’ve never read a Catherine book and her interconnected worlds are a tad intimidating, this book is a GREAT place to start
Narrators: Erin Mallon & Connor Crais: With these two as the narrators, there is nothing else to say but, OF COURSE THEIR VOICES WERE PERFECT AND FIT THE CHARACTERS! I could listen to them narrator my CVS receipts.

Valentine's Slay: 4.5⭐, 3 🌶️
Hello to my favorite book of this set! Navessa balanced romance and suspense and her brand of dark chaos perfectlyyyy in this novella – I seriously wanted so much more of the story! It went by so fast and I think getting it as a full length novel would have truly made it perfect.
The premise of this man simping over a women her knew that is DEAD, but she’s NOT DEAD AND BURIED ALIVE, and then she pops out and is like “trauma? Never met her? Lets go fuck with my POS husband” and 😜. All the spice thats in this book was an ADDED bonus, especially because only one other book has explicit scenes.
Narrators: Allie Piper and Alastair Haynesbridge are two narrators I dont believe Iv'e listened to before, but they both were great! They fit the characters wonderfully and I really liked both of their voices.

[Mary Gosse · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed all short stories in this set! I especially liked that they were all set on Valentine’s Day and all mentioned the comets appearing - it made it feel like all of these stories were happening concurrently in the same fictional world and really tied them in together. I also loved the variety of stories and plots - they all involved second chance romances but they were also all very unique!

*Accidentally Yours by Christina Lauren:
I really enjoyed this book! Veronica and Jude had great, witty banter and chemistry - over email, texting, and eventually face-to-face. Plus, I loved the setup of accidentally crashing a zoom meeting! I highly recommend this short story!

*Time Will Tell by Hannah Bonam-Young:
This was a sweet story and a unique setup, revolving around a time capsule shared by their grandmothers. Even though all of Georgia and Callum’s early communication was done via email, it was fun to see their connection grow into something more than friendship. I especially loved the article wrap-up at the end! I definitely recommend this sweet short story!

*Second Act Romance by Julie Soto:
This was a great novella and the first book I’ve read by this author. I really enjoyed the unique behind-the-scenes theater production perspective of this story, and how that was woven around Bex and CJ’s relationship - both how they met and how their paths crossed again years later. I liked seeing how both actors had grown over their years apart (while advancing in their acting careers), but fell back into being comfortable around each other, just like old times. Overall, I definitely recommend this short story!

*A Play For Love by Trilina Pucci:
This was a hilarious and fun short story! I also loved how the story was broken into three “Acts”. I could really identify with Rory’s shy and nerdy character in college, fawning over her crush, Oliver, in class. And the whole premise of their second-chance meeting a few years later really had me laughing! I also loved everything about the day they spent together afterwards, and the ending was perfection! I highly recommend this novella!

*Death to Valentine’s Day by Catherine Cowles:
This was a good “slightly murdery Valentine’s Day story”, and my first book by this author. I loved Maia and her besties, and was drawn into the shared backstory of Maia, Jackson, and Decker. I also really enjoyed the side characters and am interested to see what happens with their friend group in the future. The murder mystery made for an interesting side-plot (and ending!) too. Overall, I enjoyed it and I would recommend this short story.

*Valentine’s Slay by Navessa Allen:
I really enjoyed reading this short story! The basis of the plot seemed like a stretch, but it was interesting and the dialogue was smooth throughout. I liked that all but the last chapter was told from Noah’s perspective - it helped frame the story that Emma (and Noah) was still figuring things out about what happened to her. The spiciness ramped up quickly, but it just added to their story and connection. I highly recommend this novella!

Overall, this was a fantastic set of Valentine’s Day themed novellas, and I highly recommend them! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the free advanced copy - this is my honest and voluntary review.

[Jen Sheldon · Rating 5 out of 5]

verall rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley and Amazon Original Stories for this eARC! These types of stories are my favorite and always get me in my feels! Improbable meet-cutes are always full of swoon and unexpected romance, and I loved each of these from some of my fave romance authors!

Accidentally yours
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: none

This quick, quirky and sweet novella was such a good one to start this anthology of meet cutes! Jude and Veronica have instant physical attraction (unbeknownst to them) but get along just as well with witty banter, easy conversation, and cute flirting. I liked how they met both virtually and in person, and how well-matched they are for each other! I just wish for one more chapter about them and their relationship!

Time Will Tell
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: none

This novella was especially heartwarming and bittersweet! Georgia is bold and so moved by her grandmother, and I love how she took such a leap to reach out to Callum. He’s also English, so that made him especially dreamy 🫠 I enjoyed this one more because of the ending article-such a good HEA for them! This had so many good tropes in such a short story, and I loved the sad twist of fate that brings them together.

Second Act Romance
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: none

Julie Soto really made this such a *good* backstage romance! This second chance romance was full of last minute sickness hijinx and an unexpected reacquaintance with a dream guy that Bex performed with once before. I loved how instant their chemistry still was, and it was so well-detailed with performance lingo and explanations that I felt like I was a part of it! I do wish for just a little more about their date after the show but I imagine it went verrrrry well 😉

A Play for Love
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: closed door

I LOVED this one! It’s so much a short and sweet story that makes you believe sometimes fate is a real thing and true love exists! The way they meet multiple times in such unlikely and highly tense moments were so swoony, and Oliver was such a romantic, easy-to-love guy. Their HEA was perfect, with such a lovely grand gesture!

Death to Valentine’s Day
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: 🌶️🌶️

This was a great romantic suspense, with a good mystery that surprised me! It starts out with Decker and Maia reconnecting and admitting that there’s always been something there between them, and then turns into a good murder plot twist! I’m glad they got their HEA!!

Valentine’s Slay
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️

Talk about THE MOST improbable “meet-cute”? As always, Navessa Allen comes up with some dark and quirky ideas, and this was such a good one! I also liked this was completely from Noah’s POV, which is uncommon. He’s a true good guy, and Emma sees that in him quickly, and while their connection happens fast, given the circumstances, it’s understandable. Their HEA was so good and a great way to end these short stories!

[KJ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have really liked all of the Amazon Original Stories romance collections they've done, and this was no exception. Some of my favorite authors were included, as well as a new to me author, and while I liked some more than others they all definitely delivered on the swoony, love vibes for Valentine's Day.

Accidentally Yours, 5/5 stars - This story had me laughing and literally giddily kicking my feet. Was the general setup totally silly and I didn't believe for a second that any 'professionals' would immediately devolve into email flirting? Yes. Were the vibes still impeccable? Also yes. Christina Lauren has a knack for writing stories that pack a punch in this format, I was invested the whole way through and smiling ear to ear when we got to see the (start) of the HEA for this couple.

Time Will Tell, 5/5 stars - This was very sweet and a bit less romantic but still gave a lot of swoony vibes, and the depth of the storytelling in such a short format impressed me. I think the methods used for storytelling in this one set it over the top, and I liked the sort of 'epilogue' we got at the end.

Second Act Romance, 4/5 stars - I loved this and CJ was such a heartthrob! The ending was a bit abrupt for my taste (I wasn't expecting it!) but overall I was definitely bought into this couple and their burgeoning showmance.

A Play for Love, 3/5 stars - I'll be honest that the first 60-70% of this was about 2 stars for me, this was a new to me author and I didn't love the writing style or the contemporary references. BUT the ending gave me butterflies, I thought it was perfect, so it averages out to a 3/5!

Death to Valentine's Day, 3/5 stars - This is a typical Catherine Cowles book in that it delivers romantic suspense, but an 80 page format is a lot to fit in quirky side characters, a literal murder, sexy scenes, a plot twist villain, and a romantic HEA with an epilogue. Not my favorite but if you're a CC stan you'll probably love this.

Valentine's Slay, 3/5 stars - Again this was a pretty typical Navessa Allen story, so if you're a fan you'll love this. There was the unbelievable setup and story circumstances, followed by some surprising horniness (if I was saved from being buried alive I don't think sexing up an almost stranger would be my personal first move, but to each their own) and a big dramatic breaking and entering scene. Another that wasn't my favorite, but I'm sure fans of this author will eat it up.

Thank you to NetGalley and Amazon Original Stories for the ARC!

[Ecem · Rating 5 out of 5]

*****Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC copy of The Improbable Meet-Cute: Second Chances in exchange for an honest review.

When I started this collection, I honestly didn’t have any strong expectations. Of course, there were authors I already love, so there was some quiet curiosity there, but overall, I went in pretty open-minded.

What I didn’t expect was to laugh out loud through almost the entire collection, sigh during the romantic moments, and yes, tear up more than once. Not because the stories were overly tragic or emotionally heavy, but because even in such short formats, they managed to portray love in a way that felt genuine, warm, and deeply satisfying.

The first story by Christina Lauren was pure fun. The banter was sharp and effortless, the kind that makes you grin without realizing it, and my only complaint was how quickly it ended. It felt like the beginning of something I would happily read as a full-length novel.

Hannah Bonam-Young’s story leaned more into emotion. It was funny, tender, and incredibly romantic, the kind of second-chance love that makes you pause and wish for something just as real. Julie Soto followed with a sweet and light second-chance romance that balanced humor and heart perfectly, with moments that genuinely made me laugh out loud.

By the time I reached the second half of the collection, I was already sold, but the stories still managed to surprise me. Trilina Pucci delivered strong 90s rom-com energy, the kind that makes you laugh, tear up a little, and close the book wanting a love like that. Catherine Cowles took a slightly different route, blending romance with suspense, and the unexpected plot twist genuinely caught me off guard. It wasn’t as overtly romantic as the others, but it stood out in its own way.

The final story by Navessa Allen was, unsurprisingly, the funniest of the bunch. The opening caught me completely off guard, and I loved how bold and playful it was. I finished it, hoping she might someday turn this idea into a full novel.

Overall, this collection felt like a perfect Valentine’s Day read, short, charming, emotional without being overwhelming, and full of distinct voices. It reminded me that even the shortest stories can make you believe in love when they’re written with care.

[Elle · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars

As a whole, I really enjoyed this collection of novellas! They were all cute and romantic, some steamy and thrilling while others charming and funny.

Christina Lauren's Accidentally Yours was so fun! It has one of my favorite dynamics to read in books and I'm very happy with how it ended up. It was my first work from them and I'll definitely read more from them in the future.

Time Will Tell by Hannah Bonham-Young was my favorite of the collection. She was also a new-to-me author, and I simply fell in love with her writing. Her novella brought me to tears and I'm excited to check out more of her books.

Having only read Rose In Chains and The Thrashers from her, Second Act Romance was my first contemporary romance from Julie Soto. I'm happy I already own her contemporary romance books because the way she writes tension between her characters is godtier. I'll be leaving for a trip soon and I know what books to bring with me. The chemistry between Bex and Colby was seriously insane!!! I needed to read more.

A Play for Love by Trilina Pucci was probably my least favorite of the collection. It wasn't bad, but the writing didn't click for me and I found I didn't care about the characters at all.

Catherine Cowles was also a new author to me, and I really enjoyed Death to Valentine's Day. I didn't see that plot twist coming and I loved the chemistry between Maia and Decker, but I was not a fan of the whole "everyone-is-in-love-with-her" plot, nor the love confession in front of everyone. Still, I'll be checking out her books in the future!

Lastly, Navessa Allen's Valentine's Slay was probably my second favorite. This novella was so absurd and yet so addicting, I literally couldn't put it down!! Besides the plot and the romance (which I loved), what I really appreciated about this novella was the topics it dealt with and the care that went behind them.

Overall, what I really appreciated was that I got to discover new authors, and got to read more from some of my favorite authors!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for my advanced copy.

[Amanda (A.NovelAdventure) · Rating 4 out of 5]

✨B O O K R E V I E W ✨

📚 The Improbable Meet-Cute: Second Chances Collection

Accidentally Yours - Christina Lauren
This was adorable! I loved the premise of this and found it sweet that our leading lady was sweet and salty. I also liked that our main male character was humble and not intimidated by a strong female! Certainly a perfect novella for Valentine’s Day.

Time Will Tell - Hannah Bonam-Young
This was so fun and cute! A couple connecting because of a time capsule from their Granny’s is my idea of sweet. And I love the way email is integrated into this story. I found myself grinning while reading the flirting.

Second Act Romance - Julie Soto
This was adorable and sweet. I loved that it was based around a musical, super fun and makes me want to see the show now so I can watch the magic unfold on stage! This was a good one!

A Play for Love - Trilina Pucci
Aweeeeee, romantic gestures and second chances and love at first sight. And Valentine’s Day. This series is the perfect lead up to Valentine’s Day. So sweet.

Death to Valentine’s Day - Catherine Cowels
This was the perfect combo of romance and murder mystery! The twist was perfectly executed and I loved this coupling! This is the first I’ve read from Catherine Cowels but it won’t be the last!

Valentines Slay - Navessa Allen
How does Navessa’s brain even work to think up these ideas? I absolutely loved it. I was hoping there would be some.. darker elements here and I was not disappointed. This was memorable and probably my favorite from the bunch!

🌟If you’re looking for some fun Valentine’s Day novellas, then you’re going to want to pick this series up! I read one a day and they were the perfect, bite-sized stories. Love, laughter, and an increasing amount of spice as you work through these. (If you’re a closed door girlie, the first four are approved for you!)

Thank you to NetGalley and each of these authors for sharing an advanced reader copy!

If you want more trustworthy reviews be sure to give me a follow!

#Romance #ContemporaryRomance #ValentinesDay #NetGalley #TBR

|| ARC, Audiobook, Book Review, Book Recommendation ||

[Rose Guzman · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun collection of 6 sweet and charming novellas from multiple authors. I was able to read along while listening to the audiobook, which made the experience a hundred times better.

Accidentally Yours (Christina Lauren) – 4 ⭐️ Dual POVs and narration. Email correspondence and neighbors, a slight work place romance, and a hidden identity. She accidentally crashes his zoom business meeting and is then hired as a marketing consultant for his company. Cute and lighthearted, but no spice.

Time Will Tell (Hannah Boman Young) – 5 ⭐️ Dual POVs with duet narration. Email correspondence/pen-pals. She’s a history teacher, and he’s a doctor. Their grandmothers had a secret relationship, and they get to know each other while uncovering their grandmothers’ time capsule. I absolutely loved this one. So heartwarming and sweet! No spice.

Second Act Romance (Julie Soto) – 3 ⭐️ Heroine’s POV only with single narration. Musical costars who had sparks when they were partnered for a show years ago. They’re reunited after most of the cast gets sick, and he steps in to fill one of the roles. This was okay, nothing too special or memorable, to be honest. No spice.

A Play for Love (Trillina Pucci) – 3.75 ⭐️ Dual POVs and narration. In college, they shared a kiss during their drama class. 4 years later, they randomly reunite and spend the entire day and night together. They catch up and do touristy things in NYC as she prepares to leave. Cute and sweet, with fun banter. No spice.

Death to Valentine Day’s (Catherine Cowles) – 4.5 ⭐️ Dual POVs and duet narration. Ex-boyfriend’s brother, close proximity, it’s always been you, and snowed-in. The romantic suspense was amazing. I never guess the villain correctly. I loved how sweet their relationship was, and there was a bit of spice too.

Valentine’s Slay (Navessa Allen) – 4 ⭐️ Mostly hero’s POV, with only one chapter from the heroine’s POV. Duet narration though! This was such a fun dark romance read. He’s a grave digger and her husband tried to kill her, and was presumed died/buried alive. Their development was great and very spicy!

**ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange of an honest review.**

[Booksblabbering || Cait❣️ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I giggled, I swooned, I cringed. The best you can ask for from such a collection. This was delightfully fun.
I have included my rankings and small thoughts for each author’s story.

Christina Lauren:
These two are the biggest simps ever. Also, if I could ever get this lucky with who I crush on and who I chat to online, sign me up.
Sweet, but SO unrealistic. From the set-up to the perfect match immediately.
Ranking: 3

Hannah Bonam-Young
A history teacher with a time capsule and a deceased grandmother’s sapphic lost romance.
Email-initiated crushing between the UK and USA.
What’s impressive is that they keep the formal email signings all the way through. Apparently, these two were love at first email.
Ranking: 4

Julie Soto🥇
A theatre company with extreme food poisoning leads to a love story.
My theatre geek heart loved this.
Ranking: 1

Trilina Pucci
I loved the chaotic, freak-out inner monologue of our girl, but then she mentions using ChatGPT and I was instantly turned off. Despite that, I enjoyed being in the messy whirlwind, instant romance of these two.
New York City, a long term crush and a whirlwind day.
Ranking: 2

Catherine Cowles
Revenge on an ex leads to a masked kiss with his brother. Oops. Oh, and then a murder mystery.
I just don’t connect with Cowles’s writing or characters. It always feels flat sadly.
Unexpectedly the most spicy. Also the most boring despite the murder.
Ranking: 6

Navessa Allen
Nothing like finding your long time crush screaming from the grave.
You’ll have to ignore how medically unrealistic this would be.
Predictably the most spicy. My second least favourite.
Ranking: 5

The narrators were amazing - every single story was dual narrator and had different narrators for each story.

Audiobook arc gifted by publisher.

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[Blair Warner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall, I think it’s a solid collection I really enjoyed it overall and thought it was a great collection of authors.
If I had to rank the collection overall, I think it would go in this order:
Navassa Allen’s Valentine Slay
This is a story about a woman who is buried alive and her gravedigger/someone she knew in high school end up saving her and they try to figure out what her husband was really up to. I really liked the story. I thought it was the best one of them all. I’m a huge Navassa fan if she writes it I have to read it.

I think next I would have to go Christina Lauren Accidnetally Yours.
I really enjoyed this one as well it has an epistolary format built into it for the conversations going back-and-forth in between our main characters and I really love that type of narrative. I thought the story was cute and lighthearted and I would 100% read this over and over again.

The next one is a tie for me between Time will Tell by Hannah Boman-Young
Not only is this one epistolary with the emails as well but it has a backstory of the families grandmothers having a forbidden love in a time where being in a LGTBQIA+ relationship wasn’t accepted nor legal. And the time capsule just brought everybody together and I love that.

It was a tie with Catherine Coweles Death to Valentines Day. This is exactly what you expect from her and I absolutely love it. I also love the exes’s brothers aspect. It was chef kiss


For the last two, I just wish they were a little bit longer specifically Julie Soto’s Second Act Romance.

Put overall a great collection for Valentine’s Day and I think I’ll read them again around that time, but I’m gonna grab the audios!

Thank you to Amazon Orginal Stories for the complimentary copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Emilie]

I always find these Amazon collections fun! Here are my thoughts on the novellas: 

Accidentally Yours by Christina Lauren was a cute start to the collection. I really liked the online and text exchanges between Jude and Veronica. The classic romance plot was well done. The scene where Jude knocks on Veronica's door and she blindfolds him was funny. This one was light and charming. 

Time Will Tell by Hannah Bonam-Young was my favorite. I liked how Martha and Bonnie’s love story led to Georgia and Callum’s relationship. Just like the first novella, this story did a great job with the online exchanges between the main characters. I wished we got a full story from Georgia and Callum! I liked the epilogue and how everything was wrapped up. 

Second Act Romance by Julie Soto was a sweet and hopeful story. Compared to the other novellas, the romance took more of a back seat. The relationship between Bex and Colby was very tame and focused more on them reconnecting. I thought Soto did a good job explaining theater and Oklahoma for readers.

A Play for Love by Trilina Pucci was hard for me to get into. I didn't finish this novella. 

Death to Valentine’s Day by Catherine Cowles wasn't bad! I liked that Maia and Decker had a history. It helped ground their relationship and made their dynamic believable. The murderer did come of out left field for me. 

Valentine’s Slay by Navessa Allen had the most intriguing plot out of the collection. I liked that we got Noah's perspective. I wasn't the biggest fan of when the spice happened in the story. It felt very rushed and weird to me. 

Thank you to NetGalley and Amazon Original Stories for the ARC. 

[Karen B · Rating 4 out of 5]

Collectively short and sweet and perfect for Valentine’s Day. All fun takes on a second chance romance.qAccidentally Yours: Cute and fun! Like the book from last year’s collection, the epistolary elements stole the show and added so much charm. Really cool, relatable concept of crashing a Zoom meeting! 4.25 stars
Time Will Tell: This one was overall sweet. The plot moved a bit slow and I think I was expecting a bit more spice. Appreciated the unconventional to the time, generational, secretive romance references. 3.5 stars
Second Act Romance: The tension and banter in this romance stole the show. I love the idea of never forgetting how one kiss can affect you from nearly a decade ago. The word to describe this one: charming. 3.5 stars
A Play For Romance: Any Romeo and Juliet take is always sentimental and puts a smile on my face…this romance was sweet, and really focused on a true second chance. 3.5 stars
Death to Valentine’s Day: Romantic suspense is a favorite sub-genre, so I appreciate the nod to that in this story… however I also think that this would have been absolutely fantastic if it were a bit longer! Also, Jackson’s character was a great villain, I did not like him. 4 stars
Valentine’s Slay: My favorite of the bunch! I loved the plot (suspending belief), I loved the connection and chemistry between the characters, I loved the spice. Again another good villain character, this time in ex-husband Beau. The epilogue in this was also adorable. 4.25 stars
**I did not do the audiobooks of this but Goodreads did not have a collective book collection.
Thanks to Amazon Publishing for the eARCs via NetGalley.

[Bosy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderful audiobooks
My ranking:

1) A Play for Love by trillina pucci ,(I don’t know why but I connected with these characters and thier story the most💕)5⭐️1🌶️

2) Death to Valentine's Day by cathrien cawoles,( the yearning from the MMC was just so sweet +childhood friends and brother’s ex I was sooo entertained and then the plot
twist at the end had me gagging!! Like whattt!!) 5⭐️ 2🌶️

3) Valentine's Slay by nevessa allen ( honestly I thought this one would be my fav. But the other two surprised me in the best possible way still top teir though🫶🏻) 5⭐️ 3🌶️

4) Accidentally Yours by christiena lauren ( I liked it but I didn’t like the love via email but it was better than the other one with the same trope in this series because they already had known each others in real life but it also laked the second chance concept a bit but i liked it nontheless🫶🏻) 3.75⭐️ 0.5🌶️

5) second act by julie sutto (Idk it took me a minuiet to get into it but I liked the theatre aspects so much I don’t have much to say about it ather than I wanted more like at least show me thier date? ) 2.75 ⭐️ 0.5🌶️

6) Time Will Tell by hannah bonam yong ( as i previously mentioned I don’t like love via email or social media i prefer real life action hence my fav. Scene was the one in the train station , also thier first meeting was a month after valentine’s day so it lacked the comet concept all the other books had followed
so this one wasn’t for me although I liked the idea of thier grand mothers setting them up and the love that transfered through generations ) 2⭐️ 0 🌶️

[charmette.books · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed each story in the Improbable Meet Cute: Second Chances collection. This book is a collection of Valentine’s Day novellas. Each story is related to or takes place on Valentine’s Day. The theme of this collection is second chances, and in each story, the couple knew each other at some point in the past, but they get together in the present.

All of these stories were great! My favorite novella in the collection is Time Will Tell, by Hannah Bonam-Young. I loved how this couple met, through their late Grandmothers, who were a couple in the 1940s. This story had so many emotional elements and the couple's chemistry was so strong. I always love a romance where a couple gets to know each other through emails/letters before they meet.

Several of the novellas were theatre-themed, with actors/students meeting as they acted together, and then reuniting later in life. Second Act Romance, by Julie Soto, and A Play for Love, by Trilina Pucci both fit into this category. Death to Valentine’s Day, by Catherine Cowles, and Valentine’s Slay by Navessa Allen had darker love stories, but the main characters are just crazy about each other and all have great chemistry. Christina Lauren’s cute novella, Accidentally Yours, tells the story of a couple who accidentally meet through work, discover they are neighbors and fall in love.

Thank you to Amazon Original Stories and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this Valentine's Day collection in exchange for an honest review. I loved all of them!

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fun, easy-to-read selection of short stories based around Valentine's Day and second chances. My favourite was Hannah Bonam-Young's, which uses written communication (emails) between the main characters as they get to know each other, and a beautifully unusual angle for the 'second chance' part. The Christina Lauren story also uses email and text message communication to great (and humorous) effect, and that particular tale left me with a lovely warm feeling. With Julie Soto's story I found myself less interested in the romance, and more drawn in to the unfolding chaos of a show that must go on despite widespread food poisoning; it was very well depicted and left me wondering what on earth was going to go wrong next. The Catherine Cowles offering was the other way around: great romance, but not so keen on the situation that encompassed it. Trilina Pucci is a new to me author, and her writing style and humour in a story of two people reconnecting in improbable circumstances years after college make me want to seek out more of her books. Finally, Navessa Allen brings a slightly macabre, but ultimately satisfying tale to the table with a Valentine's Day that neither of the main characters will forget in a hurry. If you're looking for some bite-size reads that will make you smile, go "aww", and occasionally think "What the heck?", I definitely recommend checking these out.

[Nichole - The Beauty and the Bookish · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Improbable Meet-Cute: Second Chances
Overall Series Rating: ★★★★

Accidentally Yours by Christina Lauren
★★★★★
I just loved this story! I loved the banter and the way the characters were so open with each other. The instant connection without actually meeting had me hooked! I also loved the fact that they were much closer than they really knew!

Time Will Tell by Hannah Bonam-Young
★★★★
This was a sweet story with great characters and a family history that brought them together. The immediate connection was fun and the idea of a time capsule discovery that finally brought them together in person was beautiful!

Second Act Romance by Julie Soto
★★★
This story wasn’t my favorite. It was cute and had fun characters but I felt lost a little bored in the end.

A Play For Love by Trilina Pucci
★★★
This was similar to the above. It didn’t land the way I would have liked. I thought the idea was cute but the delivery left me hoping for more.

Death to Valentine’s Day by Catherine Cowles
★★★★★
This was definitely my favorite of all the stories. In just 100 pages we got a full and complete love story filled with suspense, desire, and captivating characters. In true Catherine Cowles fashion I didn’t see the ending coming!

Valentine’s Slay by Navessa Allen
★★★★
I really enjoyed this story and the crazy mystery behind what was happening. While it was a bit far fetched I was completely invested the entire way through!

🎧 The audios for this series was the best way to go! With how short the stories were it was nice to get more of a connection to the characters with the narration of the stories.

[TheBookishHen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Accidentally Yours - Christina Lauren
4 🌟

Super cute! The banter is top notch and really drew me in. Love the overall story and how it plays out. Audio is fantastic 👌

Time Will Tell - Hannah Bonam-Young
4 🌟

Not to sound repetitive, but this one was also super cute! What a unique little story with the time capsule. This one also has great banter. Loved the audio, I'm a sucker for an accent.

Second Act Romance - Julie Soto
2 🌟

Unfortunately the 3rd person in this one immediately left me disconnected. If I never hear the words shrimp taco again it will be too soon. This just didn't work for me. I was a bit bored.

Death To Valentines Day - Catherine Cowles
4.25 🌟

I always love the way Catherine Cowles ties in the suspense. I loved their friendship and the pinning. Just kinda wish he wasn't her exs brother, little weird. Definitely didn't see the twist coming.

Valentine's Slay - Navessa Allen
3.5 🌟

Bonus points for being in Louisiana. The romance though felt entirely too quick for me. I didn't feel any tension and the spice was out of pocket for the situation. Like who gets buried alive and comes out of it horny 😅

**Did not read Trilinas

Overall enjoyable series. The audios are definitely well done.

[LM · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Improbable Meet-Cute: Second Chances Collection is a fantastic variety of short stories from some truly impressive authors, and there’s something here for everyone. I loved the “mini novel” format—it made it easy to read one or two stories at a time and then come back later for something new.

Every story was entertaining, but I definitely had a few favorites. Valentine’s Slay by Navessa Allen stood out with its suspenseful and spicy plot—Emma being buried alive and rescued by Noah, who had a longtime crush on her, was intense and unforgettable. Accidentally Yours by Christina Lauren was a fun, modern meet-cute sparked by an accidental Zoom call. Time Will Tell by Hannah Bonam-Young was especially sweet; I loved the email correspondence and the slow, romantic build-up to the meet-cute. Death to Valentine’s Day was another favorite, with fate drawing Maia to her ex’s brother—the one who had always been there for her quietly in the background.

Honestly, every story was great. I love collections like this because they give readers a chance to sample the work of so many talented writers in one place. Thank you to the authors, Amazon Original Stories, and NetGalley for the ARC.

[Michal Wolfinger · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC! I have been loving these Amazon holiday novella collections over the last few years. These ones were super fun. I love the mix of just fluffy romance in some, and also romance with some mystery/thriller additions in others. I also love the Second Chance aspect of all of these stories, It already sets up for a great way to do novellas with their past already there, but a second chance always is so cute. To preface, I will say I do already love a good novella and love when a story an be tied up quickly. That said, though these were short, I will say they felt like good full enough stories. I felt the background build up set up each novella well to make them feel like you get a pretty full story. My favorites were Christina Lauren's Accidentally Yours and Time Will Tell by Hannah Bonam-Young. I already love how those authors add emotional connections so well into their stories. Overall all of these were great fun, Valentines reads!
I will say to the publisher, the PDF format was a very frustrating format to read these in so it took me longer than I wanted to read these for that reason.

[The Romantic Rush Blog · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some cute stories, some real misses. Love the concept here- I do think second chances often work best for a novella/short story type book because you have characters who already know each other and established chemistry so the pace can move, and love the idea of building on a meet cute....I think some authors capitalized on this well and others, not so much.

The ones I most enjoyed? Christina Lauren's was definitely my favorite of the batch. Smart use of the trope, great banter, believable connection even for a shorter book, great narration, and such a fun premise. I also loved Catherine Cowles' entry. VERY Catherine with the suspense dynamic, arguably trying to do too much or a short novella, but the experience I crave from her and great on audio. I also felt Hannah Bonam-Young's really capitalized on her strengths with a focus on connection, family, and a nostalgic and moving dynamic. Those all were 3.5- 4 star reads for me, though rating the series as a whole.

Definitely recommend the audio experience- fast, well done listens that add a bit more character substance and dynamic to a shorter format.

[Meredith Redding · Rating 4 out of 5]

Like any collection with several authors like this, some are going to be better than others, but they were all pretty good! The first three stories are written by several of my favorite authors, but I’d never read anything at all from the last three, so it was a bit of a mixed bag going in! I enjoyed trying out some new authors I wouldn’t typically pick up, though. Short stories are always a little hard to rate, because no matter how good they are, they still leave you wanting more, but here’s the attempted roundup:

Christina Lauren: 5 ⭐️
Hannah Bonam-Young: 5 ⭐️
Julie Soto: 4 ⭐️
Trilina Pucci: 3 ⭐️
Catherine Cowles: 3 ⭐️
Navessa Allen: 4 ⭐️

I was a little bit worried about the spice rating scale at the start of the series, since it has a couple of them listed as dark or suspenseful, but none of them were too intense. For the most part, they were all cute, sweet stories, and even the more serious ones had quite a bit of humor.

Thanks to NetGalley and Amazon Original Stories for the ARC of this collection!

[Allie Brenner · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved The Improbable Meet Cute Series last year, and this years Second Chance Series was jus as amazing! I also loved that they added a cute spice rating to the beginning, so that readers will know exactly what they’re getting into. I read the recent Christmas holiday series from Amazon, and I did not catch it they also had this rating, but I was a little bummed when each novella was pretty spice-less.

I have to say that Catherine Cowles book took me by surprise the most! The plot twist was EPIC. I really enjoyed Julie Sotos book as well, I thought it was the most unique! Christina Lauren, Trilina Pucci, and Hannah Bonham Young had really sweet characters and stories, which make sense because theirs always hit! And lastly, I think we all know what to expect from Navessa Allen, and she absolutely DELIVERED!

I love these cute series, and the Valentines one has consistently been the best annually for me. Thanks so much for the ARC, I loved it so much!

[Serafina Sunflower · Rating 4 out of 5]

Second Chance romance ratings:
Accidentally Yours: ⭐⭐⭐.5- I really liked this one but not super memorable. I enjoyed myself while reading it and liked the storyline.

Time Will Tell: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐- this was so cute! I wish it was longer because I was eating up the banter between the MC's. Giggling and blushing Everytime they exchanged flirtatious emails.

Second Act Romance: ⭐⭐- this did not need to have 25+ characters. It got to be all too confusing when those characters also played characters in a play. Plus I just didn't feel the connection between the MC's.

A Play for Love: ⭐⭐⭐- it was fine if a bit cringey.

Death to Valentine's Day: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐- as always, I'm thrown for a loop when the killer is revealed. Never successfully guessed the bad guy in a Catherine Cowles book. I'll guess it right one of these days. Another read I wish was longer because I was really loving the chemistry between the MC's.

Valentine's Slay: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐- no notes. I loved this so much.