Love In The Time Of America

by Matt Snee

Two teen boys fall in love at a summer camp in the 1950s. John Wayne discovers an infant in a dumpster. The daughter of a cable news gasbag is suddenly unwed and pregnant. And a young American man tries to find himself in a near-future Tokyo that's sinking beneath he rising waves...



What does it mean to live in a country of free trade and bound hearts? How do we measure out our goodness and our evil? And what does it take to love... in the time of America?

94 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 21, 2026

About the author

Born in Nebraska, but raised in Wilmington, Delaware, Matt Snee is a neurodivergent writer, painter, composer, and photographer. He has published multiple novels and poetry books, toured around the country in a band, and even worked as a movie theater projectionist. He currently lives in Phoenix, Arizona, with his dog Molly.

Reviews

[heptagrammaton]

   Mostly middling and oddly normative. Has some understanding for character nuance and a feeling for enchantment, but the prose expression is not up to task:

A tear wells in my left eye. It is because I'm sad.

   I quite liked We Thought We Could Find Beauty in the Rubble, the last of Love In the Time of America, and that alone made it worth it: it was wondrous weird, and wild, and beautiful. An outlier. Does retain some archetyped, patriarchal sentimentality in its narrative, and yet— It aches. It sings. It breathes. It slithers, swims, tumbles, gyres in the silted toves.

There was a house that was alive. I watched it sit pretending to be inhabited by nothing by air. I could see its face. I could see its guilt. The house was ours. I knew every room.

_____
This review is based of a digital advanced read copy; to Venus Comics and NetGalley: a thanking.

[Jess Svajgert]

*Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this free ARC in exchange for an honest review. Pub date: April 21, 2026

Yay Pittsburgh mention on page one! A collection of 5 short stories, all quite brief but captivating. They all explore different types of love across varying timelines…I could have easily read another 5!

[Kendall McClain]

#arc
Quite enjoyable. I love when all the stories in a collection feel intentional. Gay summer camp experience leading to lifelong regret my favorite naturally.

[Jen]

A summer camp marking an impressionable chapter in a young boy’s life that will leave a lasting influence, an infant found near a dumpster by John Wayne and the plans he drunkenly makes for the sickly baby’s life, an existential crisis of a privileged existence spurred by an unplanned pregnancy that changes more than one life, a chance encounter seeming to speak directly to a sudden infatuation of circumstance with haunting highs, and a remembrance of a life and love lost while endeavoring to keep living comprise the various stories that fill out the pages of Love in the Time of America by Matt Snee.

To read this, and other book reviews, visit my website: http://makinggoodstories.wordpress.com/.

In the five short stories collected, a society, its basic framework for affection, and its general values are presented and reflected upon, offering commentary and an opportunity for the reader to consider the specific concept depicted more deeply and how it could be applicable more generally. Each of the stories tackles the concept of love in a different yet accessible way that makes it easy to either relate to and identify with the characters or the scenario they’re in, or at the very least to empathize with the emotional ordeals they are enduring. While each story is impactful in its own manner while addressing various topics, “Princess” is longer and more involved, including and addressing the most heavy sociopolitical topics of a more timely nature, helping it to pack more of a hefty punch than the others, particularly as it feels more grounded in reality whereas some of the other shorts may occasionally feel a bit more on the speculative, cerebral, or ephemeral side in the way topics or the stories’ worlds are presented and addressed, though they are nonetheless engaging.

*I received a copy of this book via BookSirens in exchange for an honest review as requested by the author.

[Alex]

What does the American promise offer people who are desperate to live, be loved, and find themselves, and what does it demand in return?

America has long promised that love, freedom, reinvention, and identity are things a person can earn through determination and hard work. Love in the Time of America quietly asks a more difficult question: What happens when those promises collide with history, prejudice, disaster, or simply being born into a particular set of circumstances? Each of these stories illustrates a different setting and tone, but are centered around a similar theme: building a life and finding love within larger social forces that shape the options available. The collection culminates in its most devastating story. What makes the story so affecting isn't simply its grief, but its insistence that survival itself becomes an act of hope. The character keeps moving forward not because the future promises happiness, but because stopping is no longer an option.

Snee writes with remarkable empathy, allowing the reader to feel immersed in the stories and their characters. You are invited to walk a moment of their lives with them, making them emotionally recognizable and accessible. Love in the Time of America is not so much a collection of stories but rather an examination of how people preserve their humanity while navigating the promises and failures of the American ideal. Across decades, identities, and imagined futures, Matt Snee portrays love not as an escape but as a fragile force that allows people to endure.

[Adrienne]

This collection of short stories was so good! I could have kept reading all of them and found myself wanting more. All of the stories touch on different time periods and aspects of American history, from the 50's where forbidden love was rampant to the 60s and racism, and later to the 2000s and feminism and women gaining stronger voices to choose their own destiny and finally an uncertain...but totally plauseable future. Each story resonated with me for both their plot and the deeper meaning in each one.

The first story is short and sweet about young, summer love and I really wanted something to be resolved for Alex. The story with John Wayne was a little sad and his hope to raise the child to be something great was heartfelt. The story with the biggest impact was the one about Margaret and choosing to keep her baby despite the odds being stacked against her. The strength in her choice was very moving and I loved her character so much, I would love to see what happens next in her life. My favorite short story was the last one, with its cryptic wording, allusions to lost loves and the personification of a house. It was beautifully written and full of rich imagery, that I could imagine this decrepit house and destroyed world with ease. I hope to see more of this author's short stories and maybe even a longer book, as the futuristic Tokyo would be a fun one.

[Viga Boland]

If the title of this short book of short stories intrigues you as much as it did me, you'll be surprised, but better yet, touched by its contents. I didn't expect to read about a Tokyo of the future where people live suspended above the city by high-tech ballooons and suspension cables, but where attraction and love is as fleeting as the clouds. I was confused and saddened by the even more futuristic world in the final story where our planet and those we love have been washed away in a tsunami of apocolyptic type events. Both of these were in sharp contrast to the simple, almost childlike style of the first story about two pre-teen boys feeling their first stirrings of passion for each other, while a more mature delivery told of the legendary John Wayne loving a black infant he finds in a dumpster. But bringing home all the depictions, meanings and heartbreaks of love throughout the ages in America, was the middle and longest story about a young woman deciding to keep her baby without the support of the baby's father or her parents. Her parents', especially her wealthy father's reaction to her decision is despicable, making readers think about what love truly is, especially when both sides are worlds apart in understanding and showing love.

[Maggie Wilson]

I overall enjoyed this collection of short stories from a fresh voice. The stories themselves were a bit mixed, and both the writing and concepts got stronger as they went along.

I didn't immediately feel hooked by the first two stories (A Great Assembly and The Misapprehensions of John Wayne). Princess, which is the longest story, was much more engaging and had an interesting premise, as the privileged college-aged daughter of a Fox News-like host grapples with an unexpected pregnancy. The pregnancy forces Margaret to confront the truth about her father, her parents' relationship, and her own place in the family, just as her father faces sexual harassment allegations. The writing in this painted an evocative picture of New York City in various scenes, and Margaret's youth and naivety felt true and natural in her voice.

The final two stories, While Neo-Tokyo Weeps and We Thought We Would Find Beauty in the Rubble, venture into speculative fiction territory. In While Neo-Tokyo Weeps, David, an American visiting a near-future Japan, has an interesting encounter with a nurse named Emiko. David's loneliness and longing come across very clearly.

We Thought We Would Find Beauty in the Rubble is the strangest story, taking place in the aftermath of an explosion where the narrator's lover has been killed. The narrator is seeing the house they lived in together as alive and talking to it, in some way able to process the loss of his planned future by personifying it. I'm not 100% sure this story worked for me, but it was an interesting concept and approach.

Thanks to NetGalley and BooksGoSocial for the eARC.

[Donna Emperador]

I want more!

In LOVE IN THE TIME OF AMERICA, the author weaves tales of the human condition that are relatable. The stories take place in different decades and traverse different issues such as homosexuality, unplanned pregnancy, and lost love.

The characters are well developed, making you feel as if you know them. They were easy to emotionally connect with.

The stories are quick reads, making this a great book for people who enjoy reading but have a hard time finishing a long book. The longest story is about 40 minutes, but the rest are shorter, making it easy to complete one while waiting for an appointment or in a car line, etc.

[Kinga]

Beautiful five stories written in a way that touched my heart. The author talks about love in a very specific, lovely way, showing that this feeling isn't always easy.

As I said, I enjoyed the writing and the topics of the stories, my only concern is the last one. It was interesting, but whenever I started to love it, the topic of sex would come up in the most emotional moments, which put me out of it a little bit. I also think it just lacked a few more details to the story of the narrator. The other four first stories were amazing, and I don't have anything negative to say about them.

[James Kinsley]

While it's true that not every story is equally engaging, there's no denying that Snee has achieved something astonishing here. The authentic female voice Snee articulates in Princess and the beautiful blend of fantastic futurism and tender romance in While Neo-Tokyo Weeps are worth the price of admission alone, and who wouldn't want to read a story about a drunken John Wayne adopting an abandoned black baby he stumbles upon when taking a leak in an alley? It's a remarkable collection, and one that deserves a wide audience.

[Elaine]

*Special thanks to LibraryThing and the publisher for providing this free ARC in exchange for an honest review. Pub date: April 21, 2026

A collection of 5 short stories, all quite brief but captivating, slightly reminiscent to Haruki Marukami short stories collections due to wide array of time, place, character, and setting. The plots centered around adjacent themes and kept me captive. Length was appropriate for each story and the prose was overall intriguing.

[Kaela]

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this in exchange for an honest review.


This one sounded interesting in theory, but did not click with me. Usually with short story collections, I like there to be a cohesive theme between the stories and I did not feel that way with this one. The writing was also really choppy and seemed underdeveloped.

[Kristi]

This book is so well written that I wish each story could have been their own book! The author has such a way with words and I will be searching out his other stuff to read some more!

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book.