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Missed Chances: Short Love Stories with a Hint of What Might Have Been
Classic love stories… with a twist.
A collection of classic love stories featuring "the one that got away:" light-hearted, with undertones of tragedy and a lingering comic finish.
The flight includes:
Aunt Philippa and the Men, by L.M. Montgomery
The Kiss, by Kate Chopin
The Victory, by Rabindranath Tagore
The Mystery of Wilhelm Rütter, by Helen Hunt Jackson
A Florentine Experiment, by Constance Fenimore Woolson
A collection of classic love stories featuring "the one that got away:" light-hearted, with undertones of tragedy and a lingering comic finish.
The flight includes:
Aunt Philippa and the Men, by L.M. Montgomery
The Kiss, by Kate Chopin
The Victory, by Rabindranath Tagore
The Mystery of Wilhelm Rütter, by Helen Hunt Jackson
A Florentine Experiment, by Constance Fenimore Woolson
142 pages, Paperback
Published November 3, 2015
About the author
M.R. Nelson
11 books37 followersM.R. Nelson is manager of people and projects in the biotechnology industry, specializing in the intersection of science and information technology. After more than ten years as a hiring manager at various companies, she recently became an independent consultant. You can find her online at BeyondManaging.com, where she writes about management and productivity.
She is also the mother of two daughters, and an insistent child asking for stories when reading someone else’s stories was not possible led her to discover a love for inventing stories for children. She eventually decided to start writing these stories down, and is delighted to see them out in the world, entertaining other children.
She is also the mother of two daughters, and an insistent child asking for stories when reading someone else’s stories was not possible led her to discover a love for inventing stories for children. She eventually decided to start writing these stories down, and is delighted to see them out in the world, entertaining other children.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
August 15, 2018
I've always said that I don't like short story collections, my reasoning being that my favorite part of a novel is character development and short stories don't give you enough time to really get to know characters. Thus, I'm always left wanting more. However, I've recently taken a liking to The Moth and LeVar Burton Reads podcasts and have re-examined my stance on short stories. Perhaps I've been uncharitable to this form of fiction. Perhaps I should instead focus on the positive aspects of short stories: the shorter form means that the author is challenged to pull the reader in quickly and gives the chance for the author to get creative in framing an episode in interesting ways.
So I'm not quite sure if it's my new more favorable attitude or if this was a really great set of stories, but either way, I just loved this collection, or "flight." I enjoyed it both for the theme, which catered to my spongy romantic heart, and for the way editor M.R.Nelson chose the stories to fit the theme. It was an entertaining variety, and from the first word I was wondering how the missed chance would come into play. I also appreciated the thoughtfully chosen illustrations that accompanied the pieces.
My favorite story was the L.M. Montgomery piece. I've ever been a fan of Anne of Green Gables, and this story had much the same feel as the series about Anne with an E. Plus, in a parallel universe, I might be Aunt Philippa. But I can see myself re-reading all of the stories. So 5 stars.
So I'm not quite sure if it's my new more favorable attitude or if this was a really great set of stories, but either way, I just loved this collection, or "flight." I enjoyed it both for the theme, which catered to my spongy romantic heart, and for the way editor M.R.Nelson chose the stories to fit the theme. It was an entertaining variety, and from the first word I was wondering how the missed chance would come into play. I also appreciated the thoughtfully chosen illustrations that accompanied the pieces.
My favorite story was the L.M. Montgomery piece. I've ever been a fan of Anne of Green Gables, and this story had much the same feel as the series about Anne with an E. Plus, in a parallel universe, I might be Aunt Philippa. But I can see myself re-reading all of the stories. So 5 stars.
November 13, 2015
https://thechroniclesofjen.wordpress....
Missed Chances is a collection of five short stories that all feature themes of love and loss. The book was edited by M.R. Nelson and the authors include L.M. Montgomery, Kate Chopin, Rabindranath Tagore, Helen Hunt Jackson and Constance Fenimore Woolson. What is unique about this book is that although all of the writers lived in the 1800s, their stories are still relevant and have stood the test of time. They are heartwarming, melancholic, with just enough humor to keep it lighthearted (Aunt Philippa, I'm looking at you).
Speaking of Aunt Philippa, she is by far my favorite character in the book. She's a man-hating woman and an absolute riot to read. Her simple explanation of “that’s the men for you” for every undesirable situation that arises with the opposite sex is funny to say the least. I don’t want to give too much away but there’s a cute twist at the end that I rather enjoyed. Bonus: the story takes place in PEI, which isn’t too far from my corner of the world.
The stand out story for me is The Victory by Rabindranath Tagore. As silly as it may sound, it reminds me of a rap battle gone wrong between two poets (read it – you’ll know what I mean) which obviously wasn’t how the author intended it when he wrote it back in the 19th century but for some reason that’s how I imagine the scene would go down if it happened in today’s day and age. Rap battle aside, Shekhar’s decision at the end reminds us that it’s important to never give up as we don't know what the future holds. Sure, the ending is sad but then who doesn’t love a good love tragedy?
I’m really happy that the publishing company, Annorlunda Books, approached me to review this book. I wasn’t familiar with any other the authors and I’m grateful to have had the opportunity to discover their work. It may not cater to everyone depending on taste however if you’re a fan of romantic tales from the Victorian era, pick up Missed Chances - you're sure to enjoy it.
Note: This book was given to me by the publishing company in exchange with an honest review.
Missed Chances is a collection of five short stories that all feature themes of love and loss. The book was edited by M.R. Nelson and the authors include L.M. Montgomery, Kate Chopin, Rabindranath Tagore, Helen Hunt Jackson and Constance Fenimore Woolson. What is unique about this book is that although all of the writers lived in the 1800s, their stories are still relevant and have stood the test of time. They are heartwarming, melancholic, with just enough humor to keep it lighthearted (Aunt Philippa, I'm looking at you).
Speaking of Aunt Philippa, she is by far my favorite character in the book. She's a man-hating woman and an absolute riot to read. Her simple explanation of “that’s the men for you” for every undesirable situation that arises with the opposite sex is funny to say the least. I don’t want to give too much away but there’s a cute twist at the end that I rather enjoyed. Bonus: the story takes place in PEI, which isn’t too far from my corner of the world.
The stand out story for me is The Victory by Rabindranath Tagore. As silly as it may sound, it reminds me of a rap battle gone wrong between two poets (read it – you’ll know what I mean) which obviously wasn’t how the author intended it when he wrote it back in the 19th century but for some reason that’s how I imagine the scene would go down if it happened in today’s day and age. Rap battle aside, Shekhar’s decision at the end reminds us that it’s important to never give up as we don't know what the future holds. Sure, the ending is sad but then who doesn’t love a good love tragedy?
I’m really happy that the publishing company, Annorlunda Books, approached me to review this book. I wasn’t familiar with any other the authors and I’m grateful to have had the opportunity to discover their work. It may not cater to everyone depending on taste however if you’re a fan of romantic tales from the Victorian era, pick up Missed Chances - you're sure to enjoy it.
Note: This book was given to me by the publishing company in exchange with an honest review.
January 23, 2016
Liked almost all of M.Nelson choices for this lovely Taste Flight book. Authors I haven't read before and were a pleasure to discover, lovely little stories with a twist or without.
December 13, 2015
This is the first of Annorlunda Books' Taster Flights and consists of 5 stories in the public domain, edited by M.R. Nelson.
It's a very nice compilation of short stories with the common theme of what might have been and, as promised in the introduction, the stories play up one another nicely. The darker, heavier fare is sandwiches between the sunnier, lighter pieces.
"Aunt Philippa and the Men" by L.M. Montgomery opens the collection, and is a quick, engaging, funny read. It was written in first person from the standpoint of a young woman who seems real and relatable. You will love both her and her Aunt Philippa.
"The Kiss" by Kate Chopin is short, cynical, and delightful.
"The Victory" by Rabindranath Tagore employs stylistic elements that I probably did not appreciate as much as others might and I felt it was perhaps a misfit for this collection.
"The Mystery of Wilhelm Ruetter" by Helen Hunt Jackson was the most difficult one to read. The writing would be considered quite cumbersome by modern standards and the phonetic transcription of the characters' broken English with a thick German accent did not help.
"The Florentine Experiment" by Constance Fenimore Woolson was quite enjoyable to read. It will be a treat for the fans of Jane Austen.
Apart from Tagore's story, this collection also offers a nice window into the portrayal of women by North American female writers in the 1800's, some of whom were willing and able to write about real female characters, with agency and a range of thoughts and feelings. Those characters stand strong and appealing today.
Full disclosure: The publisher provided me with a pdf of the book in exchange for an honest review.
It's a very nice compilation of short stories with the common theme of what might have been and, as promised in the introduction, the stories play up one another nicely. The darker, heavier fare is sandwiches between the sunnier, lighter pieces.
"Aunt Philippa and the Men" by L.M. Montgomery opens the collection, and is a quick, engaging, funny read. It was written in first person from the standpoint of a young woman who seems real and relatable. You will love both her and her Aunt Philippa.
"The Kiss" by Kate Chopin is short, cynical, and delightful.
"The Victory" by Rabindranath Tagore employs stylistic elements that I probably did not appreciate as much as others might and I felt it was perhaps a misfit for this collection.
"The Mystery of Wilhelm Ruetter" by Helen Hunt Jackson was the most difficult one to read. The writing would be considered quite cumbersome by modern standards and the phonetic transcription of the characters' broken English with a thick German accent did not help.
"The Florentine Experiment" by Constance Fenimore Woolson was quite enjoyable to read. It will be a treat for the fans of Jane Austen.
Apart from Tagore's story, this collection also offers a nice window into the portrayal of women by North American female writers in the 1800's, some of whom were willing and able to write about real female characters, with agency and a range of thoughts and feelings. Those characters stand strong and appealing today.
Full disclosure: The publisher provided me with a pdf of the book in exchange for an honest review.
January 5, 2016
Short love stories with a hint of what might have been.
In these five stories, we take a ride on the rocky (sometimes nauseating) rollercoaster of love.
"Aunt Phillipa and the Men" had a more historic feel to it. I wasn't sure if there really was a prince somewhere in there or if that was just the name of the town. It almost felt like a world out of Jane Austen.
The other four weren't much better.
Stories just seemed to babble on and on, never really leading to an interesting point. I mean, they sounded compelling enough and I thought I'd get through them rather quickly being that they were short stories. Sadly, that wasn't the case.
In these five stories, we take a ride on the rocky (sometimes nauseating) rollercoaster of love.
"Aunt Phillipa and the Men" had a more historic feel to it. I wasn't sure if there really was a prince somewhere in there or if that was just the name of the town. It almost felt like a world out of Jane Austen.
The other four weren't much better.
Stories just seemed to babble on and on, never really leading to an interesting point. I mean, they sounded compelling enough and I thought I'd get through them rather quickly being that they were short stories. Sadly, that wasn't the case.
July 18, 2016
This book was a beautiful combination of a number of popular loves stories. I needn't tell you whether or not this book was good...because all of the stories in the book are quite popular (for a reason). I found that the stories complemented each other very well. I'm not really into 18th century love stories, so I can't say that I would for-sure read this book again....but if you're into stories like that, or are wishing to test the waters, pick up Missed Chances.
You can find this review, and many more, on the CommonBookSense Blog.
You can find this review, and many more, on the CommonBookSense Blog.
July 7, 2016
Short stories from the turn of the 19th century. I thought that The Mystery of Wilhelm Rutter was the most unique. In particular, the structure of the stories were very similar showing a common style that is different from today.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews