Blooming Desire

by Octavia Kore, Lula Monk, Dani Morrison

Spring brings gentle rains, green leaves and April flowers. Above all seasons, it is the one that celebrates the renewal of life in its continual cycle.
They Come from Beyond Anthologies invite you to join the spring festivities this year. Watch love bloom in unexpected places with seven seasonal tales that celebrate life. Fall in love with aliens and monsters in this unique volume bringing you works from Octavia Kore, Charity Wells, Danni Morrison, Diana Rose Wilson, Lula Monk, Julie Vance and S.J. Sanders.

Genres: Romance, Short Stories, Science Fiction, Anthologies

648 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 1, 2020

About the author

Born in the Sunshine State, Hayley and Amanda are cousins who have come together to write under the name Octavia Kore. Both share a love for reading, a passion for writing, and the inclination toward word vomiting when meeting new people. Ecstasy from the Deep (From the Depths Anthology version) was their very first published work. Hayley and Amanda are both stay-at-home-parents who squeeze in time to write when they aren’t being used as jungle gyms or snack dispensers. They are both inspired by their love for mythology, science fiction, and all things extraordinary. Amanda has an unhealthy obsession with house plants and Hayley can often be found gaming in their downtime.

Both authors are part of the LGBTQIA2S+ community and as such tend to write LGBTQIA2S+ characters.

Reviews

[Amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

And it's time for another anthology write-up. Which means individual ratings to be averaged for an overall rating. As always, DNFs=1 star by default.

1- The Verdant Lands by Lula Monk: 1.5 stars
This story was a big EH for me. For being a novella, it felt long, drawn out, and dropped off at the weirdest point in the story that made it seem like someone just ripped half the book away. So many choices made with this one that I do not understand. It felt like Monk was writing the story and got bored at the point where physical intimacy would start and.... just called it a day. What even was this? Where is the resolution?
Problematic shelf warning goes to this story: author made the choice to describe Asian-American character as having "slant eyes" which...fuck, that's racist, y'all. Maybe do a little research before and make sure something that you always heard isn't you know, dehumanizing and offensive. To quote dictionary.com: "Slant, slant-eye, slant-eyed, and slope are highly offensive slurs that derive from a description of Asian eyes that appear to slant because of epicanthic folds."

2-A Fortnight to Bloom by Dani Morrison: 3 stars
Another story that dropped off where one would expect the characters to pursue a more physical relationship, this one is at least better written and the choice of ending felt more intentional. While it's still very up-in-the-air how it ends, it's easier to imagine how this one might play out. I liked the premise of this story, exploring a tourist-trap alien planet that has capitalized on their spiritual traditions, and two older main characters who have a lot of baggage to work through. I just wish we had seen a bit more of how this plays out, since the two together were quite enjoyable and sweet without the "fated mate/instalove" this genre loves to fall back on to get the romance storyline immediately going. This is the second short I've read in an anthology by Morrison, and I have enjoyed both.

3-Breaths of Desire by Octavia Kore: 3.5 stars
This is the first full and finished story in the anthology, and also the first with any sexual activity in the storyline. FINALLY.

Another story that takes place in Kore's Grutex Invasion universe, BoD takes place in the far-flung future, generations after Earth has been rendered uninhabitable and needs some time to recover before humanity can come back. (Sometime post- The Queen of Twilight, where humanity was still living on Earth and able to remember the Grutex war first hand.) In the meantime, humanity is looking for a planet to take up residence on while they wait. This is a MFM romance with touches of MM within it. I am looking forward to the longer version of this one, since shortened novella lengths do not give the space to world build like Kore enjoys doing.
TW/CW applies to this book: there is *briefly* depicted sexual assault that happens "off camera" in this story

4-The Mate Hunt by Charity Wells: DNF-1 star
I made it about 2 pages into this one and had to put it down. The prose was awkward and clumsy, and it was obviously going to be formulaic instalove story, which I am so weary of at this point. So I passed on it.

5-Love Blooms For The Pixie Queen by SJ Sanders:3 stars
I do not know what happened here—I am legitimately baffled by this inconsistent offering from Sanders. Something has gone amiss with her editing team/process, and this is rife with all manner of errors, starting with a glaring typo on the first page. I lost track at...dozens of errors, including places were there were extra words from rephrasing during the writing process and many missing words. It was hard to stay in the story and enjoy it when I had to puzzle over what was meant.
This is not Sander's usual descriptive 3rd person POV, and while I can respect wanting to try something new, 1st person wasn't working for me here. Especially the first couple of chapters which felt like they were awkward to write for her and it totally comes through. After a few chapters it smooths out and improves.
Otherwise, cute story that I would love to see fleshed out more.

6-His Forbidden Mate by Julie L. Vance: 3.5 stars
This one...I was at some extremes in my feelings about it. This story is technically well-written with a lot of world building and descriptive language, and for the most part, it's a really interesting story about a post-invasion Earth and the lasting consequences of alien-intervention that plays with the instalove/fated mate trope a bit. With a *properly* non-human alien. (Can I get an amen?)
However.
There are a few elements in play that were more disappointing because aspects of this are so well done.
The villain is a caricature and really one note: may the Jealous Bitch go off into the fire and never return, thank you. The MMC's interactions with her were also inconsistent for the type of relationship they were supposed to have. The author seemed to struggle with how to handle them as a pair, as if his having any warm feelings and softness towards his life-long friend and romantic partner would negate the romance with the Virgin Heroine. Not at all unusual for this genre with its fixation on confining and insecure heteronormative romance ideals, but it would have been nice to see this piece be bolder and push against those.
And while we're at it, the idea that women with any substantial amount of body fat can Never Be Loved can go off into the fire with the Jealous Bitch and stay there. Diet Culture has done a real number on all of us, but it's not our bodies holding us back when we feel insecure and unloveable.

This is the third story in the anthology with no sexual content, in case that's a deal breaker for the reader.

7-Spring Moon by Diana Rose Wilson: 3.5 stars
Another story in this anthology that I have some all-over the place feelings about.

I enjoy Wilson's work. She seems to want to go outside of the box and tell more interesting stories and explore characters who do not get a lot of love in SFRs. We get a properly middle-aged heroine in this portal romance—even if she's annoying as all get out: a meddling, bougie, appearances-obsessed mother—on a quest to find her daughter who jilted her husband-to-be and ran off to another dimension to free herself from her life. Veronica has to come to terms with herself and what she really wants out of life, paired with a younger centaur guardian of the forest. There are mystical trees and creatures who can bond with a person and attach to them. There are multiple types of quadruped creatures contained in here.

My biggest issues are:
1-I want *more* of this story. More world building. More length to explore what Veronica's new role means and why it's so special. And dare I say it? A bit more self-reflection on her part as she changes and comes to terms with herself in this new dimension. I would also like to know more about why our MMC gets all instalovey with her, but this story isn't told from his POV, so I can accept that is something we'll never be privvy to. But I sure am curious how that works for him and the why of it.
2-The editing on this one. Holy moose, there are a substantial number of errors. Including a point were the FMC is thinking about her daughter, Tiffany, and uses her own name instead. Whoops.


Overall this is an entertaining collection of novellas, but I will be avoiding any in the future and just waiting for the individual releases. I've found I do not enjoy this format.

2.7 stars for the collection.

[Diamond Shipman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Let’s begin with, this was another excellent collaboration by brilliant authors. Julie Vance, Octavia Kore, SJ Sanders, Charity Wells and Diana Rose Wilson submitted moving works of literature in a limited word count. I can’t pick a favorite of out from this anthology because they were all lovely. I cannot wait to see what these talented authors create next.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great Anthology. I wasn't too into some stories but that is expected. The great things about anthologies is the different authors you get to explore. So instead of going into detail about the ones I didn't like I am going to write about my favorites.

Octavia Kore 5/5 This has become my new favorite book and I am very excited about these new authors they are amazing! I couldn't stop reading from start to finish. I really liked the males and HATED the bad guy. Without giving spoilers this one is HIGHLY recommended!

Charity Wells 4/5 I couldn't read this one because the character hopping was jarring because it was so fast. I don't think that it is bad just not for me. I took off stars since I couldn't finish, but didn't want to give a bad rating for what is likely a great book.

S.j. Sanders 4.9/5 Amazing as always though I definitely prefer her third person writing. She doesn't tell in her third person she takes you along for a ride. This story unique that I loved it. I would have preferred some parts not be there, but this is a short so I am sure the full length I will gladly give 5 stars. I only took off .1 due to not liking her first person.

Julie L. Vance 5/5 AMAZING where have you been hiding? Holy cow you do not seem like a new author. You write like someone who has been at this a while! I love that there wasn't a smut scene but I didn't really feel cheated. I look forward to reading more from this author and seeing the smutty scene!!

Diana Rose Wilson 4/5 loved the fact that her monster isn't something that is widely used.

[freddie · Rating 2 out of 5]

INDIVIDUAL RATINGS
The Verdant Lands: 4.1/10 | ★★½
This story ends so abruptly. I was enjoying it well enough, but then it just cuts off? at a really weird point. It was super jarring and ruined it for me - probably would have gotten a higher rating if this hadn't been the case.

A Fortnight to Bloom: 5/10 | ★★★
Probably the cutest and fluffiest of the bunch. Would have liked to read more.

Breaths of Desire: 2.5/10 | ★★
Meh but more enjoyable than the other meh stories. Do with that sentence what you will.
Warning for sexual assault - keep that in mind before you go into this one.

The Mate Hunt: 1.2/10 | ★
Just meh. Also: never want to see boobs described as 'teats' ever again. Just say tits. Just say tits.

Love Blooms for the Pixie Queen: 4/10 | ★★½
Cute enough.
The sparkly pixie dust c*m tho LMAO made me laugh

His Forbidden Mate: 3/10 | ★★
Could have been interesting if it was longer. The alien LI's design was cool (think WoW nagas) but ended up being pretty meh. I got my hopes up and thought there'd be F/F romance to go along with the M/F romance but nope, that character turned into your stereotypical uber-jealous catty evil ex-gf type. Disappointing.

Spring Moon: 0.8/10 | no stars for u
Just... no. Everything about this was just no.

OVERALL RATING
CAWPILE rating: 2.8/10
STAR rating: ★★

Most of these were, unfortunately, bad.
To quote an old review (funnily enough, for another anthology of the same genre): 'I think I also need to give up on standalone short stories/anthologies bc I don't seem to gel with the format; like my fiction a little longer and better-developed.'

Additionally - tropes I hate that keep popping up in romance novels:
- :C i'm not a barbie doll and have a bit of a tummy so nobody will EVER love me
- super possessive 'alpha male' type love interests
- smart/capable female character suddenly loses all of her braincells for No reason bc the Plot Says So
- sexual assault. WHY is there so much of it? this is not necessary or enjoyable to read
- cardboard cut-out jealous female character competing with the main character for the love interest. boring. overdone. make them kiss instead.

[Crissyjostarrlite Reid · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was monstrous drawn to this book, because it contain one of my favorite author S.j.sanders, an addition to her beastly romance. The first story The verdanland ends in a cliffhanger, was so not looking for that, and the story dragged a little, the second was not much better so I skipped to Sanders story which I was not disappointed. I was hooked from beginning to ending! The second story was another part of a series I was reading, it sorta just drops you into a very graphic scene, there was not much romantic interaction between the protagonist , but a very good ending , despite the gaps.

[Marzipop · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.75 only decent one was sj Sanders and that was a 3.5

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow loved this book, 5 stars

[Gabbibuu · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars
I was drawn to this book because it contained one of Sanders's stories. Each story was so different that I have decided to give individual ratings.

1- The Verdant Lands by Lula Monk: 2 stars
I was in love with everything. Then, it suddenly ended. Where's the rest?

2-A Fortnight to Bloom by Dani Morrison: 3 stars
Another unfinished story. The chemistry between characters was cute.

3-Breaths of Desire by Octavia Kore: 1.5 stars
Messy.

4-The Mate Hunt by Charity Wells: DNF-1 star
Read one chapter and was so not into it. So I passed on it.

5-Love Blooms For The Pixie Queen by SJ Sanders: 3.5 stars
I always enjoy Sander's stories. It was a cute romance, but the plot was missing.

6-His Forbidden Mate by Julie L. Vance: 4 stars
Without a doubt, my favorite story in the anthology.

7-Spring Moon by Diana Rose Wilson: 3 stars
I liked the romance, the plot not at all. I can't stand disrespectful daughters. What is it with this book and toxic, horrible family relationships?

Sadly, I have decided to avoid short story collections in the future. It's not the correct format for me.

[Dani · Rating 3 out of 5]

I finished all the stories except the first one ("The Verdant Lands") because I found it too dark and it took too long to get to the hero and heroine meeting. Actually, all the stories except for my favorite one were on the moody side, and one ("Breaths of Desire") might actually be uncomfortable for some to read.

My favorite story was "The Mate Hunt" by Charity Wells. I'm not surprised because this author wrote my favorite story in the last They Come from Beyond collection that I read and both stories were set in the same universe. Although Wells seems to lean toward dark romance in her novels, her novellas in the Star Touched Hearts universe are all lighthearted and fun, which is my preference. "The Mate Hunt" is about a human who runs a boarding house on a colony planet and she meets a friendly canine-like male who is passing through her area to avoid the mating festival in his home district. I thoroughly enjoyed it and can't wait for more novellas in this universe.

[RI L · Rating 4 out of 5]

A few of these I couldn't read. They just weren't my types of books. The cover is absolutely beautiful and what drew me in.

I was in love with Octavia Kore's story. She has a knack for making all her characters have their own voices and making you really hate the bad guy. Without giving spoilers this book does contain some triggering material, but I love dark books.

Sj's book was fun and a unique concept. While I am normally iffy about that many men I did like her characters. Explicit scenes are contained within this one!

Julie Vance has a unique way of being very detailed. I could picture her characters right down to the scales. There isn't a explicit scene in this story, but it is amazing just on it's own. A nice clean romance.

[L.P. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. It's the second anthology I've read from these authors, though there was a change in some of the authors from 'From the Depths', but yet there was a great collection of stories in both.

The standouts for me were Octavia Kore and S.J. Sanders.

[Nike · Rating 4 out of 5]

This review is only for S.J. Book Love Blooms for the Pixie Queen

[Book.Dragon · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.75

[Veronica Colon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love every short story, some didn’t like it to much, but the first one ☝️ was the absolute perfect for me! Would love a more complete story! 🤍