Rogue Acts

Rogue #3

by Molly O'Keefe, Ainsley Booth, Andie J. Christopher

When resistance turns to action, love always wins. Seven new romances for readers who love as hard as they believe.

Make You Mine by Molly O’Keefe
Jay Schulman has come to his breaking point and he has a choice to make: walk away from his best friend and love of his life. Or take a chance and make her his.

Personal Audition by Ainsley Booth
Camilla’s living on her ex’s couch, working a few more weeks on a contract before she can leave the city and head west to pursue her comedy dreams. Elizabeth is the last woman she’d expect to get tangled up over—so what harm is a one-night stand? Or a second date?

Brand New Bike by Andie J. Christopher
Jake Lieberman is incensed that billionaire Michael Garcia is going to join the president's council on technology. But when the tech mogul unexpectedly agrees to defend himself on Jake's podcast, sparks fly and the two men decide to team up inside the bedroom--and possibly out.

Cover Me by Olivia Dade
Elizabeth Stone has no health insurance. No savings. No one to turn to when she finds a lump on her breast…except James Magnusson. Even during his doomed first marriage, James considered Elizabeth a special friend—one he had to keep at a safe distance. Now he’s free, and she needs him...but will they finally have the chance to be together, only to have everything torn apart?

The Long Run by Ruby Lang
A Harlem stalwart is reluctantly drawn to the cheeky gentrifier who moves in across the hall, but can she forgive his opposition to her bid for a space in the building?

Never Again by Stacey Agdern
Actor Sam Moskowitz has an overdeveloped sense of social justice and strong feelings for preschool teacher Deb Taubman. Deb adores Sam but doesn't trust him (or their chemistry) enough to let him into her life. In the wake of anti-Semitic attacks, they're drawn closer together, but will their newfound closeness be shattered when the secret he’s been keeping is revealed?

His Neighbor’s Education by Jane Lee Blair1 rookie charter school teacher + 1 veteran public school teacher + an unexpected attraction and a shared alley: can it equal true love?

Genres: Anthologies, Romance, Contemporary, Contemporary Romance, Short Stories, Novella, LGBT

378 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 17, 2018

About the author

This author is also published under: M. O'Keefe.

Molly O'Keefe has always known she wanted to be a writer (except when she wanted to be a florist or a chef and the brief period of time when she considered being a cowgirl). And once she got her hands on some romances, she knew exactly what she wanted to write.

She published her first Harlequin romance at age 25 and hasn't looked back. She loves exploring every character's road towards happily ever after.

Originally from a small town outside of Chicago, she went to university in St. Louis where she met and fell in love with the editor of her school newspaper. They followed each other around the world for several years and finally got married and settled down in Toronto, Ontario. They welcomed their son into their family in 2006, and their daughter in 2008. When she's not at the park or cleaning up the toy room, Molly is working hard on her next novel, trying to exercise, stalking Tina Fey on the internet and dreaming of the day she can finish a cup of coffee without interruption.

Reviews

[Molly O'Keefe · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an AMAZING anthology and I'm so thrilled to be a part of it!!! There's a wide variety of stories in this antho - something for everyone! My story is a friends-to-lovers story between a man who has carried a torch for his best friend for most of his life - when he hits his breaking point it's time to decide: make a move or let her go.

Preorder your copy:
Google Play https://play.google.com/…/books/d…/Mo...…

Amazon US https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0793DLNYJ/

Kobo https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/rogu...

Amz UK https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0793DLNYJ/

Amz CA https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B0793DLNYJ/

[Ellie · Rating 5 out of 5]

My rating is for Molly O'Keefe's, Olivia Dades's and Ruby Lang's stories which I loved.
I haven't read the rest yet

[Xan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rogue Acts is the third book in a series of collections of resistance romance, and my personal favorite. One of the core things I appreciate about this collection is that it has a wider range of resistance in the stories. The bulk of the stories in the previous two collections focus on resistance in the form of direct action protest, breaking news, or things related to politicians (local, state and federal) and folks working in the national government. This book has those things but also includes activism that’s more community and neighborhood-based, art as a form of activism, and teaching as a form of activism. I really appreciated that. It also feels like some of the stories treat activism as a long term, lifelong, everyday thing that then becomes the context within which the romance takes place. I really appreciated that perspective being included in this collection. Prior collections had long term politicians, but also concentrated more on folks who were newly galvanized into activist efforts.

Rogue Acts (all m/f except for one f/f and one m/m) is less queer than the last collection, containing only one story with queer MCs. Rogue Affair had four stories with queer MCs (an m/m, a f/f, an m/f with a trans MC, and an m/f with a bi MC). I am missing a story in my ARC that is an f/f romance. I want to note that it is odd to end an anthology that has been all m/f with an f/f story an then an m/m story. It makes queerness feel like an afterthought.

This collection of romances is a mixed bag, as most anthologies are. There were some stories I adored, and some that didn’t work as well for me.

Read my full review with discussions of each story on my website.

[Jess · Rating 3 out of 5]

Make You Mine by Molly O'Keefe, 4/5 stars
I liked this and it felt relatively complete for all it also felt like the missing scene from a longer work. It didn't explicitly deal with the 45th presidency, which usually have a better hit rate for me in these anthologies. I appreciated it.

Personal Audition by Ainsley Booth, 4/5
Nice little steamy snippet.

Brand New Bike by Andie J. Christopher, DNF
I did not sign on for Crooked Media RPF.

Cover Me by Olivia Dade, Did Not Read
Can't do the subject matter.

The Long Run by Ruby Lang, 5/5 stars
I really loved this. Excellent use of short format.

Never Again by Stacey Agdern, 3/5 stars
So I really did like this, but I felt like I was missing something the whole time? I THINK it is supposed to exist in a universe with other stories from these anthologies, but I don't know which ones and I didn't enjoy that.

His Neighbor's Education by Jane Lee Blair, Did Not Read
This author has not worked for me in any of the other anthologies I have tried, so not going to bother this time.

[Timitra · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rated 3.5 Stars

Rogue Acts is a collection of short stories that deals with activism and resistance among other issues that are very relevant to what's happening in the world today. I enjoyed reading them all especially the way love grew in the midst of such adversity. I recommend to those who love romance with a political slant.


ARC provided by author in exchange for a honest review

[Leyna · Rating 3 out of 5]

1/ Make You Mine by Molly O'Keefe - 4.5 stars
MF, cis, straight

2/ Personal Auditon by Ansley Booth - 3.75 stars
FF, bi, les

3/ Brand New Bike by Andie J. Christopher - 2 stars
MM

4/ Cover Me by Olivia Dade - 4 stars
MF, cis, straight, plus-size female

5/ The Long Run by Ruby Lang - 3 stars
MF, cis,straight, black, asian, older couple

6/ Never Again by Stacey Agdern - DNF
MF, cis, straight, Jewish

7/ His Neighbor's Education by Jane Lee Blair - DNF
MF, cis, straight, Christians

Overall 3.5 stars

[Book Gannet · Rating 4 out of 5]

This collection of political resistance themed novellas was a bit of a mixed bag for me – two I absolutely loved, two I could barely finish, one I really liked, one I was indifferent about and the final one wasn’t included in my review copy. Which probably means there’s something for everyone here.

The first two novellas had a fair bit in common. They were my favourites, they both had older characters and both featured long term crushes, but after that they were quite different.

Make You Mine by Molly O’Keefe takes place over less than 24 hours, pitting a high powered woman (running for Mayor of New York) against her campaign manager as pressure and recent events finally bring their long denied feelings to the fore. It’s full of sexual tension and repressed emotion and I really enjoyed it.

Cover Me by Olivia Dade was what brought me to this collection and it’s my absolute favourite of the lot. It takes place over several months, features ordinary people and the struggle that is medical bills and lack of coverage, not to mention the terrifying threat of cancer. Elizabeth and James are plain adorable together, while the story itself is at times heart breaking, but also warm and funny and ultimately uplifting. Loved it.

The Long Run by Ruby Lang also featured a more mature romance, with two empty nester neighbours striking sparks off each other as their paths continued to cross and meet. It’s cute in places, a little sad in others, and has one moment that made me cackle very loudly. It’s an opposites attract tale with added political resistance and I liked it a lot.

The next two stories, Never Again by Stacy Agdern and His Neighbour’s Education by Jane Lee Blair, were a struggle to finish. Never Again’s writing style didn’t work for me, and despite a really cute kitten, I didn’t buy the romance. There were too many characters I had no reason to know and there wasn’t any believable chemistry. His Neighbour’s Education also had a lacklustre romance that wasn’t really believable, plus a plot that didn’t really go anywhere.

Personal Addition by Ainsley Booth was missing from my collection, which is a shame.

Finally, everything ended with Brand New Bike by Andie J. Christopher, which I found underwhelming. The plot jumps about quite a bit, leaving important gaps, and I never felt like I got to know any of the characters too well. Maybe if I’d read the other Rogue collections I might have got more out of this, but as a newcomer, I found it less than enthralling.

So, overall, it’s quite a mix, starting out really strongly with the best three stories, then tailing off to an underpowered end. However, those first three stories are worth the asking price, so if you like your romance with a little political bite, then this is definitely worth a go.

(Review copy provided by one of the authors.)

[MJLovestoRead · Rating 5 out of 5]

This review is for Molly O'Keefe's Make You Mine.

Oh wow. A short story about unrequited love that made me sigh with happiness. Maggie and Jay, friends, collegues and confidantes but never lovers. Neither ever admitting out loud what they meant to the other until a very crazy day where Jay's actions put their own into play and so begins a love story that was twenty years in the making.

Once again, the author pulled me in from her very first words and again, I have a huge smile on my face. Despite its length, I am extremely satisfied with this tale of a second chance at love featuring more mature characters, both so caring and loving, who have so much more to give and finally get the night of passion they've both longed for. Make You Mine is simply wonderful and I can't wait to read more in this anthology.

Thank you Molly O'Keefe for a story that captured my heart.

[Em]

Hard to review this since I've decided not to finish it and there are two stories left to read.
I enjoyed the O'Keefe and Lang shorts.
DNF.

[Jeanne Stone · Rating 4 out of 5]

Several stories in this anthology were 4.5 and 5 stars worthy. Others, I was not as fond of. I loved the theme of mature couples finding love. It was refreshing to read about people closer to my age who were still vibrant and capable of great desire and romance. The stories tended to include many of today's political situations and were sometimes a bit preachy but not so much that I couldn't enjoy the characters and the romances.

Molly O'Keefe is an amazing writer. Her story, Make You Mine, was wonderful. I admit to ugly crying over part of it. What a touching story of human struggles and love conquering all. I loved both the characters and their interactions.

Cover Me by Olivia Dade was equally touching and compelling. Dade is new to me and now on my authors-to-read list.

The Long Run brought together two vastly different people and showed the kinder, gentler side of a curmudgeon as he falls for his quirky neighbor.

Overall, the anthology was a good solid read and a bargain at the current price.

[Kini · Rating 5 out of 5]

Full review to be posted soon.

[Shawna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Make You Mine - 4 stars
Personal Audition - 3.5 stars
Brand New Bike - 3.5 stars
Cover Me - 5 MILLION stars (Seriously, I love LOVE this story. Already re-read it, will be re-reading again.)
The Long Run - 4.5 stars
Never Again - 3 stars
His Neighbor's Education - 3 stars

[Leigh Kramer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Make You Mine by Molly O’Keefe:
4 stars. The pining!!! So many years of unrequited longing. I really enjoyed how this came together. The declarations of love seemed premature at the end but I liked that at least Maggie’s deceased husband wasn’t thrown under the bus in the process. That felt more true to life, especially since Jay was best friends with him.

Character notes: Jay is a 40 year old white Jewish campaign manager and political analyst. Maggie is a 40 year old white candidate for the governor of New York and the former NYC First Lady. This is set in NYC.

Content notes: MMC punched a political show guest on TV (off page), past death of husband (cancer, 5 years ago), on page sex, alcohol, inebriation, gender essentialism, gendered insult, references to misogyny FMC has experienced


Personal Audition by Ainsley Booth
3 stars. This was cute but it seemed to be missing some character development. For instance, it made it seem like Camilla had previous housing insecurity as a teen but then it was never addressed beyond vague statements or reactions to the charity gala. I would have liked to have delved more into that, especially in light of the fact that she’s in temporary housing at the start of this short story. Also very insta-love, especially since Camilla moves to LA after they’ve had a couple of dates and they barely talk for 6 months before Elizabeth shows up in LA to surprise her and resume things. I guess they were VERY good dates!

Character notes: Camilla is a white lesbian comic and HS math teacher with glasses and a nose ring. Elizabeth is a white philanthropist; not clear if she’s lesbian or bi. This is set in NYC.

Content notes: FMC is in the process of divorce, apartment lost in a fire (recent past), charity supports LGBTQ+ youth shelter, possible past housing insecurity, on page sex, alcohol, vomit (off page, unnamed person)


Brand New Bike by Andie J. Christopher:
DNF after page 8. The characters felt very fetishized to me. I’m uncomfortable reading any further.

Character notes: Jake is a white podcaster and former White House speechwriter. Michael is a billionaire tech mogul. I think they might both be gay but it’s possible one is bi. This is set in San Francisco and Culver City.

Content notes for the first 8 pages: ableist language


Cover Me by Olivia Dade:
5 stars. This was brilliant! A friends-to-lovers marriage of convenience so that Elizabeth will have health insurance after her mammogram reveals she’ll need a biopsy. She’s resistant to James’s proposal but she accepts in the end and then James, who had never looked too closely at his feelings for his friend, especially when he was married, realizes he wants their marriage to be real and permanent and sets about convincing her. I love the sharp relief of moments like that, when all becomes clear and you know exactly what you need to do. It was lovely to watch it play out on page. I would have read a full-length book about Elizabeth and James! They were both lovely and took such good care of each other, her cooking for him and him surprising her with nail polish and then painting (poorly) her toes. I loved it.

Character notes: Elizabeth is a 47 year old fat white part-time employee at an art store and customer service rep for an online art company. She sold her bakery two years ago. James is a 47 year old white house painter with a belly and a beard. He has two adult sons. They were college roommates and have been friends for almost 30 years. This is set in Marysburg, VA.

Content notes: concern of breast cancer Diagnosis doesn’t occur in the story—she’s waiting for the phone call after the biopsy. In the epilogue, it’s revealed she’s been cancer-free for 8 years and that she has a scar from the mastectomy., on page mammogram and biopsy, FMC’s mother died of dementia two months ago, past caregiving for mother, ex-wife is an alcoholic (mentions of her behavior, arrests, etc.), MMC divorced 4 years ago, on page sex, alcohol (more referenced than on page but MMC doesn’t drink; it’s not clear if he had a past issue or if this was due to his ex-wife’s alcoholism), gender essentialism, transphobic line (equates mammogram with “female stuff”), FMC’s mother had threatened suicide if they were to put her in a group home (her grandmother was at a bad long-term care facility and she feared this), FMC’s parents divorced when she was 10


The Long Run by Ruby Lang:
4 stars. Such a cute neighbors-to-lovers story! I wish there had been a little more time to breathe between Monroe and Annie admitting they were interested in each other and then declaring love. It was a little too quick, especially after Monroe’s initial animosity. But this had such a strong sense of place and I loved learning about Annie helping people with their citizenship exams.

Character notes: Monroe is a Black administrator for the Museum of Harlem History and Heritage. No age given that I saw but I’m guessing he’s in his 40s or 50s. Annie is a 54 year old Chinese American city employee. Monroe has an adult son and Annie has an adult daughter. This is set in Harlem, NYC.

Content notes: walking pneumonia, gentrification, on page sex, past divorce, reference to 9/11, reference to past racism

Disclosure: I’m friendly with the author online.


Never Again by Stacey Agdern:
3 stars. This was cute and I appreciated seeing what being Jewish meant to all the characters. However, it was underdeveloped. The story wanted to accomplish more than the structure of a short story will allow for. Deb didn’t feel three-dimensional to me; she was just Preschool Teacher. I didn’t have a sense of why Sam was so immediately interested in her, beyond thinking she was an innovative teacher. He’s been anonymously funding her school projects and knows who she is but doesn’t reveal that until much later and it’s a non-issue to her, which didn’t feel entirely earned. While the activism component of the documentary was interesting, the antisemitic attack took away from that subplot and was too close to the end to feel like it was properly dealt with. And as a result, everything felt too rushed, the romance included.

I’m fascinated that Agdern is connecting her novellas across each Rogue anthology. Each one features different characters but they’re connected (friends, colleagues, etc.) in some way. It’s a pretty brilliant idea!

Character notes: Sam is a white Jewish actor. He has a Devon Rex kitten named Toby. Deb is a white Jewish preschool teacher. This is set in DC.

Content notes: antisemitic attack (Nazi symbol and shattered window at temple), on page sex, best friend will be battling for custody of younger sister against her toxic father, pregnant secondary character (epilogue), ableist language, news about bomb threats at JCCs, references to President Crosby’s racist, antisemitic, and homophobic views


His Neighbor’s Education by Jane Lee Blair:
DNF after one chapter. Not feeling how judgy the FMC is, especially when she rationalizes about what kind of Christian she is.

[Tammy Walton Grant · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars for “Make You Mine” by Molly O’Keefe - good lord, I wish this had been a full-length novel.

The other stories I read were - what’s the word - nice? I jumped around a bit, reading “Cover Me” and “The Long Run” before giving up part-way thru “Never Again” (too many characters, couldn’t follow).

Perhaps it wasn’t fair to lead the anthology off with Molly O’Keefe, and her angsty, pitch-perfect tale. The stories I read after that suffered by comparison - like sitting in a jet-tub after having gone white-water rafting.

Perhaps I’m approaching the anthology the wrong way. I was reading simply for the romance, and found myself pulled out of the book at times. The romance aspect felt muted and secondary to the other themes (probably as it should, DUH, Tammy), but it made me feel like I was reading my Twitter feed. And that ain’t why I read romance.

What I am going to do though, is go find other works by some of these authors. And, of, course, re-read my Molly O’Keefe books.

[Elizabeth Connor · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an ARC of this book collection. Protest romance - brilliant!! I didn’t realize there was such a thing and I loved it! Every story focuses on a couple who could be, and in many cases has been, marginalized in today’s toxic political climate.

Make You Mine - Molly O’Keefe
We miss all of the shots we don't take. Jay has been in love with Maggie since the first time he saw her in college. Apparently, she felt the same way. But Jay’s best friend Bob had the courage to do what Jay didn't and ended up married to her. And she thought Jay didn't care. Fast forward - Bob has died and they finally find the courage to be honest. This was well-written, poignant, and relatable. Thank God, as we get older we no longer care so much about what people think of us! It's so much easier to be honest and real.

Personal Audition - Ainslie Booth
I am a longtime fan of Ainslie Booth, though I prefer the books of her alter-ego Zoe York. Her writing is easy and comfortable, very conversational. Her characters are complex and real. That said, the characters and the plot in this one didn't grab me in the way that her other stories have. Technically, there was nothing wrong with it, but it was missing something - something I'm going to call heart. It just didn't move me. If this is your first book from this author, you'll think she's pretty good. But if you read more from her, you'll realize she's amazing.

Brand New Bike! - Andie J Christopher
Intriguing title, but I still didn't understand the meaning of it at the end of the story. The “love” between Michael and Jake seemed a bit rushed to me. I didn't have enough time to fully understand the characters. This would be better as a full-length novel.

Cover Me - Olivia Dade
I absolutely loved this one! It made me laugh and cry and was just so sweet!

The Long Run - Ruby Lang
Characters were well-developed and relatable. The story was even-paced and character- driven.

Never Again - Stacey Agdern
After reading the warning at the beginning of this story, I was expecting far worse, like a physical attack on a person. Fortunately, there was nothing worse than graffiti. I am not minimizing the impact of graffiti, but it could have been so much worse. Although well-written, at times this story felt a bit too preachy to me.

His Neighbor's Education - Jane Lee Blair
I found it difficult to relate to these characters, perhaps because they were so unlike anyone I've ever known. The writing was tentative and innocuous (sorry).

[The_Book_Queen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm going to be honest here, overall this is my least favorite in this anthology series.

I absolutely adored O'Keefe's novella, which was fucking perfect, really.

I enjoyed Booth's, which was a quick and cute F/F.

Christopher's had so much potential with the dynamics of the couple (M/M, btw), but this was simply far too quick of a story to get into anything -- characters, plot, or falling in love. It was just meh for me and left me wanting so much more.

Dade's was also enjoyable -- with a punch of emotions -- TW: cancer -- but also a very sweet, caretaker hero. Plus a curvy heroine. I would have liked this one to be longer, but I was still happy with what we got.

Lang's also had some great potential, but I think it just didn't quite work for me in this short span of pages.

Gotta say, the star of Agdern's story? The hero's fluffy kitty. <3 And overall it was also okay, I liked it.

My least favorite? Blair's novella. I just couldn't get on board with this one. It's not written in a inspirational way or anything, nor is it preachy, but I have a hard time connecting with characters who have a strong connection to their religion, as that's just not my own experience [....especially when it locks their sexuality down until marriage, but whatever, that's just me and my preferences and views].


Did I hate any of these stories? No! In fact, for the most part I liked these stories (and again, looooooved Molly's!). But it took me a bit to work through this anthology, and it's not even that long, especially compared to books 1 and 2! I felt like these stories were not quite as well developed and planned out as many of the previous novellas in the Rogue collections. :/

Ah well, it happens. Still, for variety -- and Molly's story alone! -- this is still worth grabbing while it's only $0.99 for a few more days! http://amzn.to/2rz8BRo



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[Katherine · Rating 3 out of 5]

    Make You Mine by Molly O’Keefe
(r Apr 6/19) m/f A good second chance romance. I like that there wasn’t a huge amount of angst - there simply wasn’t room in such a short story.

    Personal Audition by Ainsley Booth
f/f I’m still not sure what the title had to do with the story, and I don’t care. The romance is so sweet and hot. I loved both characters. And the ending was perfect - no instant HEA, just a solid HFN with a solid hint of a HEA.

    Brand New Bike by Andie J. Christopher
m/m I don’t get what this story has to do with bikes, but regardless, this is a really good story. The heroes are exciting, have great chemistry, and I wanted more by the end.

    Cover Me by Olivia Dade
m/f This story features an older hero and heroine (in their 40s, old in Romancelandia). It’s a sweet friends-to -lovers story with a large political bent. There is an excellent speech that made me weep.

    The Long Run by Ruby Lang
m/f Another older couple (~50?) featured in this story. It was sweet and thoughtful. More subtle politically than others, but with a sense of urgency.

    Never Again by Stacey Agdern
m/f A sweet romance that features two Jewish people. The fear and descriptions of anti-semitism are tough to read, and so necessary.

    His Neighbor’s Education by Jane Lee Blair
m/f Hero and heroine are both Christians, waiting to have sex until marriage, and it’s all done quite well. The love story is quite sweet, as is her passion for teaching underprivileged children in the public schools.

Bought from kobo.

[Angie Flanagan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I won this as an ARC for Molly O'Keefe.
- Make you Mine: I loved her story Make you Mine so much!!! I loved Jay and Maggie's story. How they had known each other for all this time, and FINALLY it happened! So much twisting and turning with the storyline kept it very interesting!!
- Cover Me by Olivia Dade: OMG! What a story! Such a tear jerker too!! Jame and Elizabeth are the sweetest people ever. What an emotional rollercoaster it was!
- The Long Run by Ruby Lang: Harlem and Annie was an odd couple I thought, but the book flowed very nicely, their story line and how it came about was really good though! It was a bit confusing because it would jump from one thing to another.
- Never Again by Stacey Agdern: Sam and Deb! OMG! I loved their story too!!! How Sam used his status to help her was so sweet!
- His Neighbor's Education by Jane Lee Blair: Sarah and Mark I loved them both! Mark needed to be more forward I thought throughout the whole book LOL! Just go for it man!! But it was what made him a good guy! Sarah was so funny!
- Brand New Bike by Andie J Christopher: Michael and Jake what a pair!! They fought at the beginning and FINALLY gave in!! I loved their story too!! Some of what was going on in each others lives made little sense to me until they came together, then it made sense.
These books are about at least one person in each story standing up for what the believe in!! Like we all should!

[Tricia · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a fantastic compilation of hot and sexy short stories, which prove that not only does love have no gender, but you should never give up hope of finding what your heart desires.

Despite its length, Make You Mine by Molly O'Keefe certainly packs a punch. It's hot and sexy with intelligent, witty characters who show that you don't have to be in your 20's to bring on the passion. Maggie and Jay have been friends and colleagues for years but it takes an incident, a moment of madness on Jay's part to finally get him to admit that he wants more than just friendship. I love this author's writing and the way she brings her characters to life. I thoroughly enjoyed this story of hidden desires and second chances.

Personal Audition by Ainsley Booth is wonderfully hot and steamy. Camilla and Elizabeth meet in a club where Camilla is attempting to realise her dreams of becoming a comedian. What initially starts out as a one night stand soon starts to become more. Despite being burned emotionally in the past, and coming from very different backgrounds, the more time they spend together, the more their feelings grow. Will they take a leap of faith and take their relationship to the next level? Another great story from this very talented author.

[Armenia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Make You Mine and Brand New Bike

Make You Mine by M.O’keefe is a wonderful novella about unrequited love, and after so many years it’s time for Jay Schulman to show Maggie Perkins how he feels about her. Ms. O’Keefe really knows how to draw you into her stories. Her words mesmerize by painting characters with emotional depth and a heartfelt plot that is unique. Irresistible dialogue and banter. I love the main theme features mature characters whose love finally come to fruition for a second chance.


Brand New Bike by Andie Christopher is impressive. Andie Christopher does not mince words in this opposites attract romance. When opposing teams go at it, Michael Garcia and Jake Lieberman show the sparks can fly in and out of the bedroom. Absolutely delightful banter full of wit, humor and oh so, sexy! Loved it! New-to-me author and looking forward to reading more of her work.

I received and voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy of this book.

[Becky · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review of Ainsley Booth's story in the volume.

This rushed by, so much, so fast. At least for me, it was one of those stories that you start and HAVE TO FINISH in the same sitting.

Camilla and Elizabeth, there's so much more we could know about their backstories and yet what we do know draws us in. Then Booth takes us on the most magical of rides. The dialog between the characters, the looks, the feels, the emotions... this writing is staggeringly good. I've liked/loved all of her books, but this one blew me away. In general, I read MF romances, so it's not that it's the genre, it's the writing. You're there, in the middle of their relationship, watching them work it out.

So beautiful. I hope that it gets expanded in a future volume. Until then thank you for such an amazing example of writing, a beautiful story on so many fronts.

[Juli · Rating 3 out of 5]

I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book (given by the author)...

Make You Mine by M O’Keefe

I really liked the idea of the unrequited love plot between the longtime friends. However, after reading the story I think this wasn’t exactly unrequited love, but more like a missed opportunity. Jay’s character had both alpha and big softy tendencies which at times were frustrating. Maggie was my favorite because she went through a lot but didn’t let that rule her life and she went for what/who she wanted. I was shocked to realize these characters were in their 40s because their behavior had adolescent tones.

[Diana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Smart, sexy, and undeniably topical, Rogue Acts emphasizes the many forms resistance can take in the world we're helping shape. Though romance provides the basis for each story, acts of resistance and solidarity are the connective tissue between tales of Net neutrality, community preservation, and education. Ruby Lang and Olivia Dade's stories were two stand-outs for me, both beautifully balanced between sexy, heartfelt romance and true-to-life concerns. It's always a joy to see queer pairings, realistic bodies, and middle-aged relationships on the page. From podcasting and documentaries to politicians and healthcare, there's sure to be something for every reader in this collection!

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

This anthology is pretty mixed, but it was still worth it. The stories I loved I really loved, but there were a few that made me roll my eyes out of my head.
I loved The Long Run by Ruby Lang, but then I love everything Ruby writes, because she makes places and people believable. And especially in an anthology with a theme that could really end up with just DIDACTIC YELLING (and really did, in a few of the other stories I'm not discussing), she makes angry, afraid, real characters who you want to root for.

Also, I really enjoyed Personal Audition by Ainsley Booth. It was sweet, I liked both women, and it felt real.

[Courtenay Bennett · Rating 4 out of 5]

I do so enjoy a good anthology, particularly one that deals with current social issues. Having never read a Rogue anthology before, I didn’t really know what I was getting into. I loved that the couples in these stories were so different to the normal romance tropes, I loved that second-chances featured heavily, and I love that each story dealt with a very hard-hitting and completely relevant issue. Some stories I enjoyed more than others, some made me sad/frustrated in parts. But I like that the authors haven’t shied away from difficult topics. An excellent array of quick, heartfelt stories.

[Shayay · Rating 4 out of 5]

*So far, I've only read Make You Mine by Molly O'Keefe"

This is a cute story about best friends, Jay and Maggie, who wanted each other, but didn't act on it when they were in college. Each went on to do there own thing, but they remained best friends. Now they are 40ish, and Jay can't handle it anymore. Maggie is a political figure and Jay works with her, but he does something that puts that in jeopardy. Jay was a bit whiny, and he really should've been honest with Maggie much sooner than he was. It's a cute story though, and has some heat to it. I enjoyed the quick read.

[Debbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great way to try various authors. This review is for two of the seven stories. I read Personal Audition by Ainsley Booth. Nice short story of finding love when you're not looking for it. The story was well written. Ainsley Booth is a wonderful author, her series Frisky Beavers (love in Canada, no shifters) is great. I also read Make You Mine by Molly O'Keefe, wonderful story of second chance romance between two best friends.This was my first book by Molly O'Keefe. Well written with main characters you'll like.
I voluntarily received this arc in exchange for an honest opinion.

[Ruth McDonnell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Molly O’Keefe’s “Make You Mine” is EPIC! What this woman can do with a few words should put the masses to shame! I was immediately hooked with Jay and Maggie’s story. It is a second chance at love that will having you cheering for the super sexy heroine who is forty now—along with her bearded hero who has a great right hook among other things—ahem, I digress! This is a must read! 5 sexy stars!

***I was given an ARC in exchange for my honest review.***

[Michelle Claypot_Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love these Anthologies. Every release gets better. The stories are always original and you get a great blend of MF, FF, MM love stories that are so different to each other but all work together perfectly. This Anthology runs from sexy to sweet, from loves that start out as one night stands to best friends for 20 years who become lovers. It's a beautiful blend of smart, witty and emotional reads. Highly recommend.

I received an arc of this book

[Rhonda Brant · Rating 4 out of 5]

One thing you know you will get with Molly O’Keefe’s writing is great writing and hot steamy characters in every story. I enjoyed Make You Mine, two lifelong friends finally have that one mind blowing night together which makes them both realize what they have both missed out on for all these years. I’m not a big short story reader, but this touched all the marks. Keeps the reader engaged, great storyline and great writing.

I voluntarily reviewed an ARC copy of this book.