Winter Hearts

Must Love Chickens #1.5

by Eliza Andrews, Lila Bruce, Giselle Fox

13 Festive F/F Fiction Tales from 13 Authors | Over 860 pages of seasonal cheer for women who love women

Including:
Eliza Andrews - Her Holiday Song
Lila Bruce - Easier Said Than Done (A Love Bites Christmas)
Giselle Fox - The Perfectly Imperfect Storm
Anne Hagan - A Sweetwater Christmas
Jea Hawkins - Full Circle: A Must Love Chickens Christmas
Cara Malone - Christmas in Angel Valley
TB Markinson - A Christmas Miracle
Susan X Meagher - Family Matters
A.E. Radley - Holly Hollydays
Adan Ramie - Drive Me Wild
Emma Sterner-Radley - Greengage Holiday Cheer
Em Stevens - The Gift
Natasha West - Stock Take

All profits from this festive box set will be donated to The Trevor Project and to Stonewall

Genres: Romance, Lesbian, LGBT, Lesbian Romance, Anthologies, Novella, Christmas

961 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 16, 2018

About the author

When I started thinking of a new pen name to write fiction featuring lesbian protagonists, I commandeered the name of an ancestor. Eliza Frances Andrews was an interesting woman, one I have mixed feelings about. A southern belle who lived through the civil war as the privileged daughter of a prominent plantation owner, she refused to marry "below her station" after the war and therefore set about creating her own career -- highly unusual for a woman of her day and age. Eventually she became a teacher, novelist, and world-renowned botanist. And interestingly, a socialist.

But she was quite racist and I can only imagine what she would have to say about LGBTQ people. It is therefore somewhat tongue-in-cheek to borrow her name; it is my reimagining of Eliza if she'd grown up in the 21st century rather than the 19th, after women's lib and the Civil Rights movement and Stonewall. Perhaps a 21st-century Eliza would grin at me and say, "Right on." Perhaps the 19th-century Eliza is rolling over in her grave -- if she is, call it karmic justice.

Reach out anytime: eliza@ninja-writer.com.

PS, I also write young adult science fiction / fantasy under the name R. A. Marshall (another borrowed name). LGBTQ readers might enjoy the Lost Children trilogy.

Reviews

[Luce]

A 2018 collection of holiday novellas and short stories. Most have multi-chapters. It’s nice to read favorite authors, revisit a few familiar characters and discover new authors (for me). All profits will be donated to The Trevor Project and to Stonewall.

Anne Hagan - A Sweetwater Christmas 3 Stars
Novella
I dunno, I just wasn’t feeling any chemistry between them.

Cara Malone - Christmas in Angel Valley 3.75 Stars
Novella
I’ve been meaning to read Cara Malone. After this story, I’m definitely putting her on my TBR list. Serenity owns Sugar Plum Bakery in her small hometown. Unfortunately, a large grocery has just opened down the street and is harming her business. Olivia (Liv) Winters has returned to town for the holidays and perhaps longer. Liv “applies” to help out at the bakery. A sweet romance develops between the two as Serenity deals with keeping her business open, and growing attraction to Liv. My only complaint is the reason Liv is on leave for exhaustion is glossed over. I would have like to have seen Liv dealing with her natural type A personality. But I guess something has to give in a Novella.

TB Markinson - A Christmas Miracle 3.25 Stars
Dagny is on her dream vacation –with her partner, of 12 yrs, Steve. Only he surprises her. “You flew me all the way from New York to dump me outside of Winter Wonderland in London on Christmas Eve?” Dagny is devastated, shocked and decides to go to the festival anyway. While in line she meets another fellow American, Allison who lives and works in London. It could’ve been rated higher up until Markinson wrote one of my pet peeves that makes me cringe – eye color references. In two consecutive sentences we learn that Dagny had “…eyes that truly sparkled like emeralds” and Allison had “sapphire eyes burned brighter…” and what follows doesn’t get any better IMO. But it ends well and the last line saves story. So partial star added for final 3.25 Stars

Susan X Meagher - Family Matters 4 Stars
Short Novella/long short story
Jessica, Gabriella, & Sutton are CPAs in a large company. Jessica knows both of them, but Gabriella and Sutton never officially met. Jessica thinks Gabriella and Sutton would hit it off. They all agree to rent a cabin in Lake Tahoe for some skiing. Sutton is bringing along her twin sister, Paisley. Unfortunately, Paisley is a first class bigoted jerk. Or as Gabriella calls her a zorra (bitch). Gabriella and Sutton do hit it off, but Paisley is a problem if she comes with Sutton.

A.E. Radley - Holly Hollydays 4.25 Stars
Novella
First Christmas in the Victoria Hastings/Holly Carter household from Bring Holly Home. They have been a couple for 6 months and Holly is panicking trying to find a perfect present for Victoria. To add to the stress, Holly meets someone from her past.

Emma Sterner-Radley - Greengage Holiday Cheer
Greengage novel is on my TBR list. I’ll wait to read this after I read the novel.

Natasha West - Stock Take 3 Stars
Novella
Emily, with a degree from Cambridge has been working at a Target/Walmart type store. Despite her hatred of the job, she has been there for 4 years and keeps being promoted, each time threatening to quit. New hire Kat, shy, never been kissed and at 22yrs is on her own for the first time. Her mother recently died and left Kat bankrupt, having to sell their small store and house. It would have been 4 stars but the “incident” just didn’t work for me. So disappointing.

Eliza Andrews - Her Holiday Song TBR
Lila Bruce - Easier Said Than Done (A Love Bites Christmas) TBR
Giselle Fox - The Perfectly Imperfect Storm TBR
Jea Hawkins - Full Circle: A Must Love Chickens Christmas TBR
Adan Ramie - Drive Me Wild TBR
Em Stevens - The Gift TBR

[A.E. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I never rate my own books... but this one I will for one reason and one reason only! ALL profits from this book goes towards The Trevor Project and Stonewall and it's only $0.99 at the moment (rising to $2.99 soon) which is an absolute bargain for the volume of stories in this box set. Thank you to everyone who has purchased a copy, we appreciate your support in allowing us to support these fantastic charities.

[Heinerway · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yey! Already getting into the Christmas mood...

[Jo reece · Rating 3 out of 5]

How can you decide a rating on a book full of short stories?

Emma Sterner-Radley's, Greengage Holiday Cheer And Em Stevens, The Gift were by far was the best stories in the book.. Ill give them both 4*. But i'm afraid the the rest of the stories are going to be either a 2 or 3 star rating.

So I'm just going to give an over-all rating of a 3*

I've come to conclusion that short stories are really not for me...

[Dee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall rating 3.75 stars

Her Holiday Song by Eliza Andrews - 3.5 stars
One for the music buffs. This story is interjected with many references to artists, songs titles, and lyrics most people will be familiar with.

Easier Said Than Done by Lila Bruce - 3 stars
Cute story told from Moose, the dogs, point of view, the kittens, another dogs, and the heroines.

The Perfectly Imperfect Storm by Giselle Fox - 4 stars
A lot to like here.

A Sweetwater Christmas by Anne Hagan - 3 stars
The heroines in this story drove me bat-shit crazy.

Full Circle: A Must Love Chickens Christmas by Jea Hawkins - 4 stars
Well I never - talking chicken. Well, not talking, talking. But this story starts with a chicken's POV. It was kinda cute.

Christmas in Angel Valley by Cara Malone - 4 stars
My first story by this author and I thoroughly enjoyed it. This is what I love about anthologies, finding new authors with a backlog of books to read.

A Christmas Miracle by TB Markinson - 4 stars
Cheating, ditched x-mas eve, bisexual lead. F/F hook up, crass language. Brilliant, in your face dialogue.

Family Matters by Susan X Meagher - 4 SXM stars
Although this is one of the shorter stories in this anthology, it's far from lacking.

Holly Hollydays by A.E. Radley - 4 stars.
My fav story so far. Loved the amnesia angle.

Drive Me Wild by Adan Ramie - 2.75 stars
Drive me Wild would've been more aptly named Drive me Crazy. The heroine, Jesse?, drove me nuts. I couldn't find one redeeming quality about her.

Greengage Holiday Cheer by Emma Sterner-Radley 4 stars
Although this story had a number of grammatical errors, and I don't mean the Brit English, it featured as a favourite. Pinky! hehe.

The Gift by Em Stevens - 3.75 stars
This one falls in the Young/New adult category. I liked it.

Natasha West - Stock Take - 2.5 stars
This was my least favourite story of all of them. The plot was interesting enough, but what killed it for me was the head-hopping. Even shoulder pads couldn't stop me from getting reader whiplash.

SUMMARY - At only 0.99c for almost 1000 pages you can't go wrong by grabbing a copy of this anthology.

[Elske · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved most of the stories in this book. Enjoyed the warm-hearted atmosphere. I will read a lot of the stories again next year at Christmas time. I gave this compilation 4.3 stars.

[Amy Girard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great holiday read!

This is a great collection of short stories, perfect for the holiday season. I enjoyed some more than others but they were all entertaining in their own way. Some of the stories centered around characters from other books while some were totally new to me. If I have any complaint it's that a few of the stories left me wanting more but that's just me. I always want the rest of the story!

[Manon · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've read all the stories except for Jae's one and the other was Emma Sterner Radley. I quite enjoyed most of the stories well apart from Drive me Wild that left me wondering what just happened in this.
I have to say that the most memorable are Cara Malone, Giselle Fox and Natasha West's one but in its whole it was still a great feel good Christmas book

[Endlesscribbles · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was nice to read Christmas short stories from my favourite authors. It does set the mood for the festive season.

[Patricia OHara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book

I thoroughly enjoyed each and every story in this series of short stories. Each one was presented differently which kept me very interested. Good job.

[K. Aten · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 rounded up - Get it for the cause, for the sheer volume of holiday fiction, and for the hidden gems!

Winter Hearts is a massive anthology about the winter holiday season, and just perfect this time of year when you're looking for fluffy holiday fics. Each story contained within somehow how embodies the real heart of it all.

Inside you find 13 stories written by a variety of well-known contemporary romance authors. Some will be delighted to hear that a few of the stories are mini windows into some of their favorite character's lives. Tales such as Easier Said Than Done by Lila Bruce, Full Circle by Jea Hawkins, Holly Holidays by A. E. Radley, and Greengage Holiday Cheer by Emma Sterner-Radley. Those particular stories feature established couples with novels that have already been written but the author is treating us to little glimpses of them during the holidays.

However, all the stories contained within are standalone and you don't have to have read previous books by the authors to enjoy these shorts. Some may think the books is simply too long, others may consider the length a real boon. My thoughts on anthologies (as they are not my favorite things) is that you can always skip the tales you don't like. FYI, I didn't skip any of the selections in Winter Hearts, even the ones that weren't necessarily to my tastes and there were a few.

I will say as a con that there are a few minor typos in many of the stories within but they are so minor that while I noticed them, they didn't detract from my enjoyment in the least.

The things I loved about Winter Hearts was first and foremost the LGBTQ+ causes that the book supports. What a phenomena idea! I also loved (and hated, because I wasn't prepared for it) the size of it. You get a lot of entertainment for such a small price, AND it's for a good cause to boot. Lastly, I found a real shining gem inside and now I'm going to check out more of this particular author's works. Christmas in Angel Valley by Cara Malone was so sweet and gorgeous and had the perfect ratio of romance, hope, and happy ending that every holiday tale should encompass to leave us feeling jolly and light. It was the best of the bunch in my opinion and made the entire anthology worth reading.

This ARC was given to me in exchange for an honest review.

[Lorraine Rusnack · Rating 5 out of 5]

Holiday magic

There were some new and some familiar characters in these holiday short stories. I really enjoyed this collection of authors and their stories. I highly recommend this book.

[Renate · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must buy for a feel good Christmas time. These stories are all well chosen and leave you with a really warm feeling. Thoroughly enjoyed it!!

[Kathryn]

Eliza Andrews - Her Holiday Song (4 stars)
Lila Bruce - Easier Said Than Done (A Love Bites Christmas) (4 stars)
Giselle Fox - The Perfectly Imperfect Storm (3.5 stars)
Anne Hagan - A Sweetwater Christmas (2 stars)
Jea Hawkins - Full Circle: A Must Love Chickens Christmas (3 stars)
Cara Malone - Christmas in Angel Valley (3.5 stars)
TB Markinson - A Christmas Miracle (3 stars)
Susan X Meagher - Family Matters
A.E. Radley - Holly Hollydays
Adan Ramie - Drive Me Wild
Emma Sterner-Radley - Greengage Holiday Cheer
Em Stevens - The Gift
Natasha West - Stock Take

[Carol Hutchinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great collection of wintery wonders from a wonderful selection of authors, and all for a great cause too.

I really enjoyed the variety of the festive stories, discovering new authors, and falling in love with characters from some of my favourite novels and they celebrated the holidays.

Each story had a unique set of characters, different scenario or trope, and was written so well. This is a great anthology, crammed with amazing work and good short stories that you can really take your time to enjoy! (Most were like mini novellas in their own right which was lovely)

I thoroughly enjoyed the Winter Hearts collection and would highly recommend it to anyone who just wants a nice variety of stories to indulge in, while sipping cocoa (wine if you prefer!) and wrapped in a nice blanket during the holiday season, or just when it’s all cold this winter. Whenever you choose to read it, undoubtedly you’ll feel festively fulfilled with delight!

[Jaie · Rating 5 out of 5]

13 short stories, though on the longer/novella side.

I would give 11 of these stories a 4 or 5 star. Two I didn't like so I didn't finish them.

Overall though, this was a very enjoyable read with some solid authors.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent!

These short stories are as diverse and enjoyable as the authors are talented. They are complex enough to draw the reader in, yet light enough to buoy spirits. This collection of women who love women te ales belongs on your must read list.

[Heidi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great Christmas reading

Many great stories of love and Christmas time. Some I liked better than others, but there is a little bit for everyone to enjoy.

[Jess Crowell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Anthology of Thirteen Lesbian Romances Set at Christmastime

I really liked reading this book. I guess I’d say I liked some of the stories more than the others. I’m definitely going to check out the eleven authors I just discovered through reading this book. I wish KC Luck had a story in it, though. I love her stories too. Content warning: mild, brief violence in the first story (which is long enough to be considered a novella), some stories have mild profanity and/or a slightly risqué sex scene, and about half of the stories are pretty tame by comparison. All in all, I’m glad I read this book. Be warned, though, it takes quite a while to finish it. The average reading time is about 15 hours.

[K D · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 1/2 stars - Her Holiday Song - angst due to cheating / ow
3 stars Easier Said Than Done.... A poor choice as an introductory piece in a sampler anthology, this piece is more of an epilogue.
3 stars. The Perfectly Imperfect Storm.
3-ish stars: A Sweetwater Christmas.
2 1/2 stars Full Circle
4 stars Christmas in Angel Valley a sweet Christmas romance
3 1/2 stars A Christmas Miracle
3 stars Family Matters...
3 stars Holly Hollydays
2 stars Drive Me Wild.... just meh. Something about the writing seemed simplistic
3 stars Greengage Holiday Cheer
4 stars The Gift by Em Stevens....might be the best story in this collection
3 stars Stock Take

[Janice · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars for each story!

It's really not fair that the star rating goes out up to five. Because all these short stories should get their own 5 star rating.


One of the best things about this is that at least some of the stories are like epilogues of stories the authors already wrote. And since I read and loved so many of these stories, it's like learning something more about old friends.

[Aris Duarte · Rating 5 out of 5]

There were stories that I loved, stories where one of the characters I didn't liked, other stories where I had to get the "prequel" so to speak, authors from the short stories that I went to download some of their books and stories that made me feel that they were to short (I know, I know: short stories).

Overall, Winter Hearts it's a book that makes you feel that christmas miracle that (maybe) you don't feel anymore and makes you believe that sometimes, everything that went/it's wrong can be fixed.

Plus, when you have stories from all of your favorite authors in one book, you know that nothing can't go wrong with that book. What I loved the most about the whole thing, was that all the money from the purchase of the book went to charity.

[Ellie Mackin · Rating 5 out of 5]

A truly amazing collection of FF romances set in Winter. Very inclusive; with well written people of colour, disabled people, bisexual people, people of different religions. From the hilarious {a mystery involving a stolen strap-on or a wedding ring swallowed by a labradoodle} to the tear-jerking {a shy girl's first kiss, a couple reconnecting with their families after a bereavement} to the downright ridiculous {chapters from the perspective of dogs and chickens} this collection has it all.

[monica.b.czuba · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Stories

A lovely collection of Christmas stories . By a group of great authors.
Want to get into the spirit of it then read these great stories. Each one should help you get that feeling of love, hope and more.
Each author in their unique way did it and made it fun.

[Line · Rating 3 out of 5]

Worth picking up.
Not all the stories were great, but there were some good ones also.
Think I found a couple of new authors (to me) I want to try out and some other nice Christmas stories to get into the holidays.

[Kellie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cheerful

A fun collection of holiday romances. Easy to read and all of them a little different. I'm on my way to looking for more by these authors. Highly recommend if you're in the mood for some seasonal romance.

[Ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great collection of stories, some authors I've read before and some were new; good way to learn about new authors. There was really only one story I had trouble getting into, overall I really liked this one.

[Gina L · Rating 5 out of 5]

Definitely A Must Read!

I thoroughly enjoyed this collection. A Snippet from favorite authors and some that were new to me. Plus an unexpected surprise to have a couple of characters from previous books reappear. Loved It.......

[DR · Rating 5 out of 5]

I needed Christmas feel good stories and I wasn't disappointed. This book's been on my shelf for some time and it was a joy to read. There was humor and laugh out loud scenes. Well written by authors I'm familiar with and wasn't disappointed in any story.

[Jude · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well Worth It

I enjoyed this collection of stories. Most of them were warm and easy reads, just what I was looking for. Well Worth the cost!