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Between Hearts: A Romance Anthology

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What happens when you bring twelve romance authors together? They get amazing lifelong friendships, and YOU get a collection of spectacular short stories ranging from sweet to naughty. Be it a sports romance, best friends to lovers, a story of self-discovery, a second-chance romance, a lucky encounter, a mystery to solve... There's a story for everyone.

This anthology contains everything from YA, NA, M/M, to a touch of menage. Find a comfy chair, kick up your feet, and come meet new authors and characters in the pages of Between Hearts.

670 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 8, 2016

8 people are currently reading
175 people want to read

About the author

Erica Alexander

13 books532 followers
♥ Heart & Hope with a Side of Sexy ♥

My love affair with books started at a very early age. I was already an avid reader at five and I remember reading everything I could put my little hands on. It did not change as I grew older and my love affair became my obsession.
I used to sneak my mom’s books that were in no way appropriated for my age and spent countless hours at the library and Barnes & Nobles. While most parents tell their kids to read, mine told me to stop reading because it was all I did.
I’ve been writing as long as I can remember but up to now, I have been a closet writer. Well, it is about time I left the closet.
I have degrees in Communications and Computer Science but left all that behind a few years ago to dedicate myself to my family and my children and in doing so, I found the time to write again.
Life is Good.

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Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
Profile Image for Cheryl McIntyre.
Author 37 books2,161 followers
September 4, 2016
This is an incredible anthology with a great group of new authors every reader should be keeping an eye on! Seriously. Keep an eye out for anything from this bunch.

I've read some of the stories so far and they are AMAZEBALLS!!! Sweet, sexy, intense, and so much fun.

It's stories like these that remind me why I love to read. That whole butterflies-in-the-tummy feeling you get from great writing, great characters, and getting lost in the pages of first-time love.
Profile Image for Sunniva Dee.
Author 29 books2,128 followers
September 10, 2016
Bleeds hope, belief in humanity and life and love.

I haven't read all the stories in the Between Hearts anthology yet, but if I'm to judge by the first, there's a lot of awesome in store! This review is for Promises Broken.

I have a weakness for real stories told with extraordinary craftsmanship, depth, and insight, and if you ever wondered how YA should sound at its best, this is it. “Promises Broken” was straight out magical to me.

Starting out in the simple, true voice of a young man, it instantly transported me back to my early reader life. I felt like someone who had just discovered a first big book treasure. Hundreds of novels, decades of reading, years of writing floated away, and I found myself fully immersed in Briggs’ reality before I’d even reached the end of the first page. Do you know how hard that is to do?

The mixture of brutal honesty and hinted truths used in the descriptions made my writer heart so damn happy.
A good birthday for me in Lenox Hill meant going unnoticed, flying under the radar.
Do you have to learn to get a gift?

The friendship between Briggs and Declan, made me tear up already at 13%.
You’re out of the system as of today, which means you are no longer my foster brother. You’re just my brother.

And then came Paige, the slowly revealed truth around the past Briggs shared with her, their re-meet, and their unspoken feelings for each other.
I have no f***ing idea how to deal with the swarm of emotions her little speech stirred in my gut.

Yes, “Promises Broken” is a story that begs to be read. It’s also a story I want more of. Thankfully, more is coming. I look forward to it. A lot.
Profile Image for Kristy /Obsessed with Romance.
327 reviews37 followers
September 5, 2016
Every story I have read in this anthology has be wonderful. The first story, Seventeen Wishes simply blew me away. Snapback is spectacular MM with all of the feels. And the Tryout I've probably read three times, that story is so perfectly hot. Spaghetti and Roses is has two of my very favorite characters from Kata Cuic's First & Goal. Never Sorry...wow, just beautiful and heartbreaking (and damn hot too.) I can't wait to make my way through the rest of these stories.
Profile Image for Indica Reads.
73 reviews5 followers
September 7, 2016
what have I been reading for the past two days?! seriously !
I'm so happy that I got to read this before the rest of the world, all of you are amazing authors and every story is much more consuming than the other , every time I finish a story I end up being sad because there are no more chapters , I can't talk about each story because that would talk more than 19635 characters , I'm not exaggerating, believe me .
I couldn't go further than stories rated more than 4 , I blame Hl Miller for that , thank you lol.
I loved spaghetti and roses so much , the title itself is the story of my life , it made me laugh so much and I really was connected to the story in some type of twisted way , Kata Cuic , I almost fainted , rob's thoughts were just ... I really didn't want to know how boys my age (im a sophomore ) think , but it was funny , and sweet.
Promises Broken was just so heart breaking and creative I cant even with the words.
same goes to the rest of the stories , each author had their own path to my heart , had their own technique to make me laugh , cry and ..probably swoon over the male characters.
I really appreciate and love all the authors for doing such a generous thing such as donating all the money to the book worm box!
all of you are going to be something big one day , this is just the beginning , I can feel it , just send me arcs please , because I love you and I will stalk you forever .
i cant wait for the book to be released tomorrow , the world will be blessed.
Love,
Contessa

@bookishcontessa on instagram

Profile Image for Ana.
272 reviews3 followers
September 16, 2016
I mean I have yet to finish this incredible compilation of short stories, but I did get to read Seventeen Wishes (which happens to be the first story feature in the book), and it was fenomenal. I have never fallen in love with a pair of characters as fast as I did with Zac and Lilly.
It filled my heart with hope for the world that I have been in a happy place since I read it.

A more complete review will be coming soon (as soon as I finish the book), but I wanted to let you guys know, that if you read one story in this book, let it be Seventeen Wishes, you will not regret it!
Profile Image for Nora Fresse.
307 reviews9 followers
September 7, 2016
There are some great authors in this anthology. While I have only read 3 stories, I am very pleased with what I've read so far. I want to purchase the ones I've already read samples of.

Meghan Matthews' Lag - On the Island was so romantic and sweet. I was left wanting to read more.

Kata Cuic's Spaghetti & Roses was full of angst. I wanted to go into the story and smack Rob and Evie around a bit. I enjoyed the story and will definitely continue their story in First & Goal and Second Down.

The Try Out by Parker St. Rose was super HOT!! OMG!! Enough said.

I can't wait to read the rest of this Anthology and keep reading these fabulous stories by these great authors.

I was given an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Profile Image for Bookobsession83.
194 reviews13 followers
September 9, 2016
-Received an ARC for an honest review-

I have read most of these short stories and I am really impressed with what I have read so far.
The short stories were all well written, my only negative comment is they all left me wanting more. I need more details, I feel like some were cut off way to soon or some leaving to many unanswered questions. I would love if some of these were full length stories. Thank you to all the authors who made this book possible, I will definitely be looking for more to come.
Profile Image for Becky A..
101 reviews1 follower
September 6, 2016
Received an arc for an honest review--
Read this last night and absolutely loved it! Loved all the short stories which had me on an emotional roller coaster of feelings.. A couple had me very teary eyed especially Seventeen Wishes to a few hot reads. But all were soo good! Thank you to all the authors for creating such an amazing book!
Profile Image for Erika Kelly.
Author 45 books1,857 followers
August 30, 2016
This is pretty awesome--a whole collection of new authors to discover! There's a lot of talent in these pages.
Profile Image for Amanda.
279 reviews30 followers
September 11, 2016
I was super stoked for this to come out because I love Colleen Hoover and buying this Anthology was for a good cause.

My biggest issue with this Anthology is that most of the "short stories" are more like teasers for actual novels or soon to be released novels. I hate more than anything when a story ends with "to be continued ..." - Really? Ughh. And most of the stories are pretty good. I just couldn't swallow the fact that none of them were complete. I wanted to stop halfway though reading because I just couldn't take another story not ending properly - short story or not.

Between Hearts started off great with Seventeen Wishes. There was a beginning, middle, and even a proper ending with closure. I was completely content with where and how it ended. This was probably my favorite story out of all of them. Gave it 5 stars, hands down.

Lag on the Island by Megan Matthews was also really good. Obviously noting that her "short story" in this anthology is actually the first 6 chapters of an actual novel. Then I had to put Between Hearts down to read the completed version of Lag. Which, by the way, is a really good read.

Spaghetti and Roses by Kata Cuic was another favorite but again is apart of a series. The first book of the series is already out but in the description it is noted that there is a cliffhanger. I hate cliffhangers. So, I will wait until the end of the month until the second book of the series is released and then I will be able to read both books back to back.

Obviously, once the majority of these "short stories" are completed, I will read them because I need closure. I need to know how Adam and Jamie work out in "Snapback". I need to know if Opie and Owen get passed their shit to be more than friends in "Beginning of The Storm". And ohmigod, Paige and Briggs in "Promises Broken" - I NEED to believe that they will be together now or in one year when he comes back for her, somehow. Stupid dads, that is all about that.

If you are able to read with out getting immediate closure, than this anthology is for you.
Profile Image for Lidia Fell.
81 reviews5 followers
September 24, 2016
This is a great collection of authors with all proceeds supporting a great cause. It's worth buying just for that. But bonus: there are so many amazing stories here too! I was really surprised that many are from first-time authors because they were all really well written. The stories are also super diverse—from sweet to bittersweet to super hot. I also love that a lot of the stories have sports themes or athlete characters. yum.

To get you started,

If you like friends to lovers: read Seventeen Wishes, an adorable coming of age for two neighbors who have always been it for each other

If you like M/M: read Snapback, one guy realizing he wants his gay best friend—adorable, hot, sweet and surfers

If you like slow burn: read Beginning of the Storm, two grieving people who find friendship in their shared place in life.

If you like high school awkwardness and humor and horniness: read Spaghetti and Roses.

If you like your romance in threes: read The Tryout, there's lots of sweating and water sex.

And so much more.
Profile Image for SunshineGirl79.
480 reviews3 followers
September 2, 2016
***I received a copy for an honest review***

I have read three of the stories so far & have been blown away. Great new authors for me to follow.

The first story got 4 tissue stars. Oh the emotions & tears that were shed. Beautiful story and very emotion filled. Young love is braced but also must balance a difficult condition that could rip them apart.

The second story I read was Never Sorry. I wish there was more to this story. Many unknowns about the situation and characters. However, what you do know about the characters is strong and intense. They have a hot & intense encounter together.

My third and not last story was Lag which took place at beach resort. Two unknowns meet by chance and hit it off. No steamy sex scenes but lots of connections & building intensity between the two characters. A must read more by this author (Megan Matthews).
Profile Image for Maïwenn B.
309 reviews2 followers
September 8, 2016
I haven’t read all the stories yet.
I must confess that I find them so good, I want to savour them and pick one each time I have a little down moment. They are perfect to cheer me up!

Promises Broken was the perfect amount of “OMG who is this author? Where can I read more about her? How can I bribe her to write more???” I just couldn’t get enough of the writing. Definitely a must read.

The Try out is just amazing, I can’t even form a sentence to describe this book. It was HOT.

Spaghetti & Roses made my day. I love these characters and cannot wait to read more about Rob and Evie!

I have yet to read the other stories but from what I’ve read so far, I can tell you, you need to keep an eye on those authors!
Profile Image for Renee.
211 reviews30 followers
September 16, 2016
This is 5 Star worthy on the fact that 100% of proceeds went to my favorite human's (Colleen Hoover) charity, The Bookworm Box. I am not normally an anthology kind of gal, but I did read almost all of the stories. I won't break down each one, and there were some I definitely liked more than others. After reading this book, I was reminded why I don't like short stories, because I am always left wanting more from these awesome characters! I was also excited because I discovered some "new to me" authors and am interested to read what they write in the future!
Profile Image for Giseli.
176 reviews
August 26, 2016
Seventeen Wishes by Erica Alexander
Oh, the feels! This novella is perfection! I don't want to tell too much and spoiled it. Your heart will beat together with Zac and in each page will stutter with him. You will finish the novella and want to know more, what's next? Seventeen wishes will make you wish for more! Read it!
502 reviews3 followers
September 8, 2016
This was an amazing read filled with stories by 12 sensational new authors. I loved each of these stories. Add In the fact it's all for charity! Wow. I look forward to reading more from these up and coming authors.
Profile Image for Melinda.
661 reviews
September 8, 2016
I’m so excited about this anthology! I’ve been waiting for it to come out for awhile and it’s finally here! This anthology has 12 short stories that range from Y/A to N/A to M/M. 100% of the proceeds go to author Colleen Hoover’s charity The Bookworm Box. I’m going to review just a few of the stories here and also want to give away a copy of the kindle version – scroll down to the bottom to find out how to enter!

First up to review is Snapback by Keller Ramsey. Full disclosure that I’m friends with this first time author but I also really love Jamie and Adam so much that I can’t wait for other people to read this story. I’m always looking for new male/male quality writing and I know Keller is too so I love that she chose to start writing some!

The character of Adam deals with severe anxiety and just killed me. He was portrayed so realistically and I loved everything about him – I wanted to alternate between giving him hugs or lust after him depending on what was going on in the story. I haven’t found a ton of anxiety ridden characters pulled off all that well but Adam was written with accuracy that really touched me. But beyond that the friendship between Adam and Jamie made me want to know more, right this second! This accomplished what a short story should – made me want more of this couple. I need to know the rest of the story, it left me wanting so much more.

Next up is Spaghetti and Roses by Kata Cuic. This is a prequel type story to Kata’s First & Goal that I reviewed on the blog recently. That was her first book and I was incredibly impressed with the writing and the humor.

In this story we get to see even more humor from both Evie and Rob and I loved it. It made me like Rob even more, if that was possible. I really enjoyed seeing a glimpse into their early years before First & Goal happened. And if anything it made me even more excited to get Second & Down – which is out at the end of this month. I really love that I got to read her first book and will be following what she does for sure.


Last up (and the first in the anthology) is Seventeen Wishes by Erica Alexander who is completely new to me. This was such an adorably sweet story and Zac and Lily make such a great couple. The story is full of emotion and the wishes made me just kind of melt. I loved that it even included an epilogue since I’m such a big fan of those.

This anthology definitely has something for everyone and all of the stories are worth reading! Check them all out and check out the authors as well as The Bookworm Box where all of the proceeds go!
Profile Image for Mel.
1,699 reviews4 followers
September 8, 2016
I love a good anthology and this one, at only 99 pennies has a double bonus in that all the proceeds go towards the Bookworm Box, a worthy charitable cause. It's a win-win! Discover some great new authors, read some fantastic short stories, and do something good as an added benefit.

I love that there's something for everyone here:

Want a sweet high school romance where both MCs are feeling all the feels for each other, unbeknownst to the other? Check out Seventeen Wishes by Erica Alexander

Locked In by Katharine Leigh is a bit lighter on the romance but has plenty of drama and suspense if that's more your speed.

Keller Ramsey's Snapback, a personal favorite, is a short m/m story that packs quite the punch, giving us a brief but beautiful glimpse into the lives of best friends Adam and Jamie, who have feelings for each other and all the complications that ensue.

Spaghetti and Roses by Kata Cuic is a witty and clever, incredibly well written prequel story to her debut novel.

There are many more stories to enjoy in this awesome anthology. It really does have something for everyone.
Profile Image for Book-Lover-49.
939 reviews6 followers
September 8, 2016
Great mix of stories. There are 12 of them, one from each author. Some stories are YA, some NA and some adult contemporary. Prepare for a roller coaster of emotions because these stories will make you laugh, cry and cringe at a times. I know I did. Also, just 99 cents and the authors are donating all the proceeds to the The Bookworm Box, which is a great charity that in the last year alone has donated over half a million dollars to several organizations. That alone is a reason to buy this book, but the great stories are a huge bonus and a win-win anyway you look at it. Go forth, one-click this baby, do something good and then read the stories and feel good all over again.
Profile Image for Melissa Jones.
337 reviews13 followers
September 8, 2016
How can any reader pass up Between Hearts anthology....you're getting 12 stories from 12 talented authors for an incredible price with all proceeds going to The Bookworm Box which equals a ONE CLICK in my book!!

I've only had the chance to read one of the stories included, Spaghetti & Roses by Kata Cuic which I absolutely loved and if you haven't met Evie & Rob Falls #swoonyAF then I recommend you get to it because they will bury themselves into your heart all while making you want to leap in the book to shake some since into them LOL!! All the rest of the authors are new to me and I'm looking forward to reading and falling iin love with their stories!!!
Profile Image for Trish Bedroom Bookworms.
390 reviews23 followers
September 9, 2016
So far I've read 2 of these stories and loved them both. The Tryout is H-O-T, and Promises Broken hit me right in the feels. I can't wait to read the rest.
12 stories for under a buck, and all for charity - can't go wrong.
Profile Image for Chitra.
172 reviews
September 9, 2016
Good compilation of stories! Each story is different and I loved them. One-click this anthology because all proceeds go to the Bookworm Box :)
Profile Image for Yvette.
566 reviews27 followers
September 13, 2016
I haven't read them all yet but I really liked what I did read. I hope the SnapBack story is continues. I'll update as I read more.
Profile Image for EscapeNBooks.
809 reviews
October 31, 2016
Spaghetti and Roses is a novella in the Moving the Chains series by Kata Cuic, and was included in the Between Hearts Anthology.

"It's just like football. You only get out of it what you put into it. You wanna reach the goal? Work harder."

This novella was just perfection. Told from both Evie and Rob's point of view, Author Kata Cuic offered a more in-depth look into the thoughts and feelings of our hero and heroine for each other and those around them. I goofy-grinned, laughed, sighed, swooned, and silently cheered when reading. There also came one point in the book in which a tinge of violence ran through me and I wanted to throttle a secondary character or two.

The moral of this novella, people come in all shapes, sizes, attitudes, and behaviors, but Evie and Rob are here to stay. It made me fall even harder for this series.

#TeamEvieAndRob
Profile Image for Jo Garcia.
109 reviews26 followers
September 8, 2016
Each and every one of these stories will make you swoon. These authors are mostly debuting with this anthology, and if their stories are a little taste of what's to come from them, be sure to be on the look out!

There are varying levels of heat, all helpfully rated with a heat index. And there's a little bit of everything. I felt like a little kid a candy store who had no idea what to choose first.

I'd strongly encourage everyone to give these new authors a shot. You will not be disappointed.
Profile Image for Dina Littner.
Author 8 books63 followers
September 5, 2016
I could not be more excited for the release of Between Hearts. I was fortunate to get an early copy and story-by-story have found myself left with wanting more from these very talented authors. Each story is unique and engaging, with believable characters you root for to find romance ~ from the subtle to the, umm, yeah, hot ~ this book has something for everyone.

Between Hearts is also donating all profits to support The Bookworm Box charities. Choose Between Hearts and tell your friends to read it, too. You won't be disappointed.
Profile Image for Jenny Mcintyre.
279 reviews
September 17, 2016
4.5 stars, some I loved, some were good and some not for me. Over all a really good anthology.
Profile Image for Ea_reader.
1,051 reviews3 followers
October 19, 2016
I'm not actually done with it, but I'm over half way; I've read the first 7 stories. I'm incredibly disappointed. At least two of these "short stories" are really the first several chapters of a novel, so you don't actually get any resolution. And they aren't so great that I'm going to go out and buy them. The only story I enjoyed enough to mention is the m/m story Snapback with Jamie and Adam.

Maybe I'll come back and finish the other ~5 stories one day when I'm bored, maybe not.

---
update: I finished it by reading & skimming the rest of the stories. There were even more stories that are actually the beginnings of novels - annoying because there is no resolution and also because none of them really made me want to read more anyways, so I wasted a bunch of time AND didn't get a resolution.
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