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Heart2Heart Charity Anthologies

Heart2Heart: A Charity Anthology, Volume 3

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Once upon a time, a group of authors wondered… What if the Heart2Heart app -- the dating app with a glitch that matched up the oddest, most perfect couples, and sponsored the charity date raffles that helped dozens of people find love -- offered a classifieds section, too?

Need a handyman who knows how to wear a tool belt? Have a closet of drag costumes that needs a new home? How about finally tracking down that guy who made the perfect drink, or who’s just the right height to reach the top shelf?

Join some of your favorite authors of gay romance as they bring you sixteen brand-new stories inspired by reader suggestions!

Once again, all proceeds from this collection will go to the authors’ favorite LGBTQ charities, to ensure that love in all its forms will be celebrated and protected every single day of the year!

story list;
Eden Finley -- The Closet, part 1
Aimee Nicole Walker -- The Book
Annabeth Albert -- The Date
Charlie Cochet -- The Yarn Wrangler
Damon Suede -- Dork Lord
Hailey Turner -- The Top Shelf
K.M. Neuhold -- The Family Reunion
Layla Reyne -- The Last Drop
Lily Morton -- The Dog Walker
Lucy Lennox -- The Treehouse
Mary Calmes -- The Restoration
May Archer -- The Vase
Nora Phoenix -- The Helping Hand
Piper Scott, writing as Emma Alcott -- The Dream Machine
Susan Hawke -- The Wedding Date
Sloane Kennedy -- The Wrong Guy
Eden Finley -- The Closet, part 2

761 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 1, 2019

337 people are currently reading
713 people want to read

About the author

Leslie Copeland

7 books28 followers

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Displaying 1 - 30 of 185 reviews
Profile Image for ~✡~Dαni(ela) ♥ ♂♂ love & semi-colons~✡~.
3,576 reviews1,116 followers
September 15, 2020
I bought this anthology to read the stories by Annabeth Albert, Lily Morton, Lucy Lennox, and Sloane Kennedy.

Lily Morton's story was the standout for me!

3.3 average rating, but I'm rounding up because three of the stories I read were fantastic. I may read more in the future.

The Date
by Annabeth Albert
~4~

I loved the juxtaposition of awkward foodie and tough Marine. I consider myself a wannabe, amateur foodie, so all the talk of food was fun. Appearances to the contrary, Xavier and Damien had a lot in common. I wanted a full-length story about these guys. The ending felt slightly rushed, and the one sexy scene was rather tame, but this was an adorable, enjoyable read.

The Treehouse
by Lucy Lennox
~4~

So damn sweet, I'm still swooning. I didn't really believe the men wouldn't have seen a picture of each other for a decade, but I was willing to go along with the premise because I loved Harvey and Bryn so much (even if Bryn was Mr. Judgy McJudgy Pants for a while). No angst, some heat, tentative (but very romantic!) HEA, just a super feel good story.

The Vase
by May Archer
~2.5~

I liked the history of the vase that was eventually revealed, but this story moved too quickly: enemies to friends to lovers in the course of a few hours. The voices of the MCs were interchangeable to the point I would lose track of who was talking. I didn't get a feel for these characters as real people. Plus, an epilogue cannot (should not!) be set on the same day as the rest of the story. Isn't that like an unspoken rule of romance?

The Restoration
by Mary Calmes
~2~

Does Mary Calmes ever write from a perspective other than the first-person singular? Why are all her MCs in special ops or the secret service? Why do they all own guns and bleed dramatically at the drop of a hat? Does a three chapter story really need ELEVEN (yes, I counted) secondary characters??

I'm all for established couple, second chance stories, but there was way too much going on here. It's too bad because I like the idea of the story and the wonderful glimmer of forgiveness and love overcoming the odds at the end, but the story was simply too muddled for me to appreciate the romance.

The Wrong Guy
by Sloane Kennedy
~3~

This story began and ended in the middle. The MCs are already close friends when the story begins, with one crushing on the other, who suddenly has a revelation that he's sexually attracted to his best friend. The one steamy scene includes all kinds of sexual tension that Sloane Kennedy is so good at writing, but the ending was abrupt and tentative. I wanted much, much more.

The Dog Walker
by Lily Morton
~4.5~

This story made me happy and was by far my favorite one out of the few I read. Lily Morton always delivers heat and romance. I loved Ziggy and Sim, loved their connection and their cute dogs. I'm always a fan of age gap stories where the MCs are on equal footing. Sim may have been more traditionally successful than Zig, but he never treated Zig as anything but an equal. I would kill to read a full length story about this couple, how they met, their first time together, and a HEA set a couple years in the future.
Profile Image for Trio.
3,610 reviews206 followers
November 12, 2019
The Closet, Part 1 by Eden Finley
3 Stars

Creative story. Very interesting characters and I enjoyed how this one gets to the conclusion.

The Book by Aimee Nicole Walker
3 Stars
I like the premise, the execution is what I expect from Aimee Nicole Walker. Sorry that doesn’t tell you more...

The Date by Annabeth Albert
4 Stars

Nobody can create stronger characters who form a more compelling bond, in so few pages. Annabeth Albert writes the best shorts. Super fun premise, and a total opposites attract relationship, and it works the whole way through.


The Yarn Wrangler by Charlie Cochet
3 Stars

Suspend all belief and just relax and enjoy.

Dork Lord by Damon Suede
4 Stars

Horny college student, Tarquin, is looking to make a connection. When the man of his dreams turns out to be nothing more than a shallow man-whore with nil personality, Tarquin is back to square one.

Or is he? Dream man seems to be making a play for him, but something doesn’t add up.

When Josh, his sweet and friendly RA, saves him not once, but twice, Tarquin sees how good it feels to really connect with someone. The shared interests, positive attention, and just plain old niceness go a long way to sparking his libido.

Struggling to make a connection with a man to whom he feels attraction. The problem is, the man he’s attracted to physically is a bit of a bone head, and not even that nice a guy. Luckily, running into his Hot, Hunky, and extremely Nice RA helps him see the present for what it is, and more importantly - what it is NOT.

Connecting with Josh Novak only serves to deepen Tarquin’s impression that although his experiences with his current lover (Cap) are satisfying physically, putting up with the uncertainty the games isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.

Spending time with Novak reinforces Tarquin’s (values?)
Shared more than sex and the sex was better because of it.

The Top Shelf by Hailey Turner
3 Stars

Clever and creative story with solid characters. Short and sweet, I really like the way Hailey Turner writes.

The Family Reunion by K.M. Neuhold
4 Stars
A spin on the fake boyfriend trope, well done. There’s great chemistry between Law and Roman, and their relationship totally works for me. Neuhold does a wonderful job showing the growth for each man and how that impacts the story. This is a good one.

The Last Drop by Layla Reyne
4 Stars

Fans of Reyne’s recent novel Dine With Me will definitely want to read this one. One of the stops on Miller and Clancy’s trip is in New Orleans to a bar/restaurant called Dram. (Miller even makes a cameo.) We get the story of how the dogged and determined restaurateur woos the hot bartender. Reyne includes some gorgeous descriptions of food/drinks pairings along with the smokin’ hot romance I count on from her.


The Dog Walker by Lily Morton
5 Stars

I was completely swept away by Lily Morton’s The Dog Walker. She plunges straight into the story and fills in the details as it goes along. Opening with an intimate and erotic scene, these men are at the precipice… right before they fall in love.

Issues? Age gap, financial and social class disparity. General outlook on life. Fears of commitment and intimacy.

In so few pages Morton lays these men bare, their secrets and their dreams. It’s incredibly beautiful.


The Treehouse by Lucy Lennox
4 Stars

I haven’t read enough stories by Lucy Lennox to know if the characters from The Treehouse are spin offs, but if the Mount Ellery universe is part of a series I want to know about it!

There are some clever twists in this story and the chemistry between the characters is out.of.this.world. fantastic. The main characters meet in the opening scene for what is supposed to be a hot and heavy hook-up, but Lennox turns it into a wonderfully romantic connection. I loved watching these two men find each other, and I’d love about 200 more pages of their story.

The Restoration by Mary Calmes
3 Stars

Fans of Mary Calmes’ second chance, established couple romances will enjoy this one.

The Vase by May Archer
4 Stars

Snarky and fun, May Archer’s The Vase is a very pleasant surprise. A new author for me, I really didn’t know what to expect, but I’m truly impressed. Ms. Archer’s characters are solid and true and very creative, there’s a wonderful humor throughout the whole piece, and I loved how unique and unpredictable the story was.

The Helping Hand by Nora Phoenix
3 Stars

Nora Phoenix’s story, The Helping Hand is pretty clever… most of us either love or hate putting IKEA furniture together, so that part had me laughing. The characters have a nice chemistry between them and it was nice watching them get together.


The Dream Machine by Piper Scott, Writing as Emma Alcott
4 Stars

A unique and incredibly sweet opposites attract, first-time romance, Piper Scott’s The Dream Machine just about broke my heart.

Poor Tucker, pigeon holed all through high school by his size and skill on the football field, dreams of a man (a dominant man at that!) who will hold him and praise him and take care of him.

Darwin, brilliant but unfulfilled in his life, longs for someone who values him for who he is - in all his geeky glory. A partner he can share everything with, and loves him equally in return.

Watching these two fall in love is (dare I say it?) like a dream come true.


The Wedding Date by Susan Hawke
4 Stars

The funniest thing I’ve ever read by Susan Hawke, The Wedding Date had me laughing out loud over and over and over… well you get the idea. Great characters, real chemistry, and a host of creative details which made for a solid plot and a truly interesting storyline.

A fantastic short story from beginning to end.


The Wrong Guy by Sloane Kennedy
3 Stars

Honestly, I was a bit uninspired by the storyline when I first saw where it was going… but Sloane Kennedy totally pulled me in with their writing. I liked the characters and the way it got there.

a copy of Heart2Heart: A Charity Anthology, Vol. 3 was provided to me for the purpose of my review
Profile Image for Ele.
1,319 reviews40 followers
October 12, 2019
The Closet by Eden Finley- 2.5 stars

The Book by Aimee Nicole Walker- 2 stars

The Date by Annabeth Albert- 3 stars

The Yarn Wrangler by Charlie Cochet- 1 star and DNF halfway through. And I rarely rate the stories I DNF.

Dork Lord by Damon Suede- 2 stars

The Top Shelf by Hailey Turner- 3 stars

The Family Reunion by K.M. Neuhold- 2 stars

The Last Drop by Layla Reyne- 3.5 stars

The Dog Walker by Lily Morton - 3 stars

The Treehouse by Lucy Lennox- 3.5 stars

The Restoration by Mary Calmes - 4.5 stars (?!)

The Vase by May Archer - 3.5 stars

The Helping Hand by Nora Phoenix - 3 stars

The Dream Machine by Piper Scott- supernatural (probably) so no

The Wedding Date by Susan Hawke- 3 stars

The Wrong Guy by Sloane Kennedy- not on your life
Profile Image for Renée.
1,174 reviews413 followers
October 6, 2019
The Closet by Eden Finley- 3 stars

The Book by Aimee Nicole Walker- 2 stars

The Date by Annabeth Albert- 3 stars

The Yarn Wrangler by Charlie Cochet- 1 star

Dork Lord by Damon Suede- 2 stars

The Top Shelf by Hailey Turner- 3 stars

The Family Reunion by K.M. Neuhold- 3 stars

The Last Drop by Layla Reyne- 4 stars

The Dog Walker by Lily Morton - 3 stars

The Treehouse by Lucy Lennox- 3.5 stars

The Restoration by Mary Calmes - 4 stars

The Vase by May Archer - 4 stars

The Helping Hand by Nora Phoenix - 3 stars

The Dream Machine by Piper Scott- 2 stars

The Wedding Date by Susan Hawke- 3 stars

The Wrong Guy by Sloane Kennedy- 3 stars
Profile Image for Cadiva.
3,994 reviews435 followers
October 3, 2019
After the slight disappointment with the second volume of this charity fund-raising anthology, I have to say I was apprehensive going into this one.

But, it's an absolute triumph and, imho, even better than the brilliant first volume in the series. Sixteen top-quality short stories which, while they only really concentrate on the initial "meet/cute" part of the romances, still manage to give the reader a fully fleshed out story full of feels.

My favourites were those by:

Lily Morton (who else), although she surprised me with an incandescently hot opening sentence and a truly sweet romance between two very different men. I believe she plans to expand a bit and release the story later and I can't wait to find out more about Simeon and Ziggy.

May Archer who gave me a really interesting pairing of complete opposites who find out that actually home might be found in the most unlikely of settings.

Piper Scott writing as Emma Alcott This one really was just a gorgeous romance between two men who really didn't fit into the stereotypes their appearances had made them inhabit. Utterly sweet, quietly steamy, also has an extended sort of epilogue with them still being uber happy.

Layla ReyneWe get Greg's story, Miller's best friend from Dine with Me and it's everything I'd hoped it would be and bonus points for the drinks recipes!

I've picked these as highlights but it's fair to say I enjoyed every single story in this anthology this time round, there wasn't one I felt was left hanging or hadn't been developed enough. There's pretty much something for everyone here with friends to lovers, bisexual awakenings, opposites attract, fake boyfriends and the rest.

Congratulations to everyone involved in this brilliant fund-raiser, especially Leslie Copeland for all the author wrangling.


Profile Image for W.
1,391 reviews138 followers
October 1, 2019
A Bundle of Hot and Funny Short Stories for the Benefit of Worthy Causes.

I read all the stories , some I liked more than others. However, all have a common denominator Love is Love and it should be celebrated and protected .
Review of: Dork Lord by Damon Suede
Rating: 4.5 Stars

Gonad, The Dork Lord description
Dork Lord is a fast-paced, quirky, hilariously funny novella size story.
I was entertained by the snarky banter, dorky dialogue and spicy inner thoughts of the MC . Fell in love with Josh and Tarquin, the heroes, personalities and sense of humor
Tarquin and Josh description
Even my 😉eyeglasses get foggy by the steam coming out my Kindle! 😁🙈 LOL ,Yes,SIZZLING hot AF story. Awesome read!
Review of: Dog Walker by Lily Morton
Rating: 4.5 Stars

Ziggy and Meg description
All Lily Morton's books have three things in common; heart, heat & humor and Dog Walker is the perfect example of it.
It tells the story of Ziggy and Sim, two likeable ,engaging characters with off the charts chemistry. A May /December romance. Well, actually, according Ziggy and I quote :
“That’s a bit melodramatic. You’re nineteen years older than me. It’s less May to December and more July to very blustery October. "
I loved reading this touching, funny and smutty novella. A satisfying , red-hot read.
Review of: The Yarn Wrangler by Charlie Cochet
Rating: 4 Stars
Kitty Poppins description
The Yard Wrangler is a playful and naughty , hilarious tongue-in-cheek novella. I liked Simon and Liam, the MC. Their witty banter, insta hot chemistry and the light-hearted tone of the story. I can't forget about Little Miss Diva Kitty Poppins undoubtedly the heroine of the story.
Review of: The Dream Machine by Piper Scott
Rating: 4 Stars

Darwin and Tucker description
I loved this sweet, funny , almost innocent, opposite attract love story. Tucker and Darwin stole my heart with their geeky , tentative interactions, adorable romantic courtship and their hot AF sexy times . A very satisfying read.

Advance copy provided by Les Court Services in exchange for a honest review.



Profile Image for Athira.
531 reviews30 followers
October 6, 2019
Had a lot of fun reading this anthology. Lots of amazing stories from my favourite authors and a few authors I've never read before.

The Closet part 1&2 by Eden Finley 5 stars
Loved this! David and Kable are adorable!
This is just a beginning and I hope the author continues the story. It's a story of self discovery. Also loved Adam!
Warning: homophobia

The book by Aimee Nichole Walker 4 stars
Gideon and Evan are very cute! It's a common trope but very nicely executed! Insecure MC becoming confident with the help of other MC.

The date by Annabeth Albert 5 stars
Damien and Xavier are super hot together. Short,funny and sexy read! Loved the story!!

The yarn wrangler by Charlie Cochet 4 stars
I think this was somewhat different than her previous book but still very funny. Simon and Liam are good together and Bonner did get on my nerves in the beginning. Also is it really possible to have that much yarn?

Dork lord by Damon Suede 2 stars
It was very weird. Maybe it's the writing style? I just couldn't connect.

The top shelf by Hailey Turner 5 stars
Cute and very sexy story with an HEA on the horizon. Loved it!!🔥🔥

The Family Reunion by K M Neuhold 5 stars
Fake boyfriend?? It's my weakness! I adored Law and Roman. Also opposites attract which is a bonus.

The Last drop by Layla Reyne 5 stars
This is Greg's and Tony's story from Dine with me. I have been waiting for this one and I absolutely loved it! We also have a cameo from Miller!

The dog walker by Lily Morton 5 stars
This was so lovely! It was funny and also made my heart ache at the same time. I love the author's writing and this one was no different.

The tree house by Lucy Lennox 4 stars
I've never read this author's work before but i really enjoyed it. They are very cute. And best friend's brother? Awesome.

The restoration by Mary Calmes 5 stars
Awww! This one deserves all the stars! This is very different from the other stories as in an established couple. I really loved it!

The Vase by May Archer 4 stars
Really liked this one! Sort of like fate or destiny.

The helping hand by Nora Phoenix 4 stars
AJ and Las are very cute! Opposites attract and a little bit of insecurity.

The Dream Machine by Emma Alcott 2 stars
Couldn't really get into this story. Might be the supernatural.

The Wedding Date by Susan Hawke 3 stars
The writing was a bit off to me but it's probably just me. Hunter and Quinn start out as a fake date that turns real.

The Wrong Guy by Sloane Kennedy 4 stars
This is different than the other stories. It's a GFY with a lot of angst. I really liked it even though I thought that Travis was a bit of a jerk.

*ARC provided in exchange for an honest and unbiased review
Profile Image for Gustaf.
1,444 reviews192 followers
October 12, 2019
The closet book 1 & 2 by Eden Finley
4 ⭐️
Lovable story.

The book by Aimee Nicole Walker
4 ⭐️
Very typical story. Opposites attracts. Great chemistry between the MC’s.

The date by Annabeth Albert
5 ⭐️
One of my favorite stories. Great MC’s, great writing, great everything.

The yarn wrangler by Charlie Cochet
5 ⭐️
Hilarious and adorable. Absolutely loved it.

Dork Lord by Damon Suede
1 ⭐️
I didn’t understand this story at all... everything went straight over my head.

The top shelf by Hailey Turner
5 ⭐️
Hot! Hot! Hot! And damn, hot!

The family reunion by K.M. Neuhold
4 ⭐️
Fake boyfriends is one of my favorite tropes. Cute story. Wouldn’t mind a full novel about this couple.

The last drop by Layla Reyne
2 ⭐️
This one was not for me. Didn’t connect with the MC’s.

The dog Walker by Lily Morton
3 ⭐️
I love Mortons writing. So very much. But I had a hard time getting in to this story. It’s not bad, just not as amazing as I expected it to be.

The Treehouse by Lucy Lennox
5 ⭐️
Totally fell in love with this story. Lennox is delivering everything I love about her writing. I need a novel about Harvey and Bryn. Or four.

The Restoration by Mary Calmes
1 ⭐️
I did not understand this one at all. So many characters and names. Just left me confused.

The Vase by May Archer
5 ⭐️
Okay this was my favorite in this book. Spot on humor, and really lovable characters.

The helping hand by Nora Phoenix
4 ⭐️
One Word. Ikea. As a swede, I have to love Ikea.

The Dream Machine by Piper Scott (Emma Alcott)
3 ⭐️
Liked this one well enough. It wasn’t bad, just not great either.

The Wedding Date by Susan Hawke
5 ⭐️
Gosh, I love a good fake boyfriend story and this was beautiful as fuck.


The Wrong Guy by Sloane Kennedy
2 ⭐️
I’m really not a fan of Kennedy. Usually too much violence and angst for my taste. This one is the same as her other works.



Profile Image for Denise.
7,492 reviews136 followers
October 12, 2019
How did I manage to miss the previous two of these??
Loved the premise that ties the whole anthology together and very much enjoyed most of these stories.
Favourite: "The Treehouse" by Lucy Lennox
Least Favourite: "The Restoration" by Mary Calmes
Profile Image for Leslie.
1,190 reviews305 followers
October 5, 2019
**All proceeds from this collection will go to the authors’ favorite LGBTQ charities, to ensure that love in all its forms will be celebrated and protected every single day of the year!**

This was such a good collection of stories. My only complaint is that I wanted full length books for many of them!

I don't read short stories often but I wanted to read it this because it had stories from several of my favorite authors, plus the proceeds are going towards a good cause. I also figured it would give me the opportunity to sample some writers I hadn't tried yet. This was a good idea but possibly an expensive one as I've now found several new authors I want to read. Oops!

I'm not going to write a review of all the stories. That would take ages. Instead I'm just going to mention the ones I extra loved or liked and, if I feel like it, a little something about the story or why I liked it.

In the order they appeared in the book:

Eden Finley, "The Closet." Eden Finley is a one click author for me so of course I liked this. Very sweet story about a guy discovering drag.

Aimee Nicole Walker, "The Book." I have tried one of this author's books before and couldn't get into it. I had no such problems with this one. Sweet and sexy. Loved it!

Annabeth Albert, "The Date." Annabeth Albert wrote a series I really enjoyed, (Out of Uniform) so I was pretty confident I would like this one. I did! Flirting through email and delicious food descriptions. I wanted more!

Charlie Cochet, "The Yarn Wrangler." A new to me author, this was adorable and fun. It also made me realize my own yarn stash was pretty manageable.

K.M. Neuhold, "The Family Reunion." One of my favorites of the collection. A perfect mix of fun, feels and heat! I really wished this one was longer.

Lily Morton, "The Dog Walker." Lily brings us a short story which, of course, connects to her universe of characters. Was there any doubt I would love it? Not for me. Simeon, from Milo, gets his happy ending here and I cheered for him!

Lucy Lennox, "The Treehouse." I'd only read one Lucy Lennox book before this. Now I for sure need to read more!

Mary Calmes, "The Restoration." A new to me author, this ended up being one of my favorites in the collection. I am going to read more Mary Calmes books ASAP.

May Archer, "The Vase." Another new to me author, I enjoyed this one. I will be reading more May Archer books soon!


Profile Image for Jules Lovestoread.
640 reviews54 followers
October 3, 2019
Fantastic collection! <3 Loved the concept. So much fun seeing how each author utilized the Heart2Heart ad. Such fabulous, entertaining stories - a mix from some of my current faves, and from authors I'm so glad I've finally had a chance to read!
See my full review here! http://www.thenovelapproachreviews.co...
Profile Image for SC.
810 reviews26 followers
October 16, 2019
2.5 stars

Well, I didn't read all of them, but I do have some notes on the ones I did read. Let's just dive in ...

Finley - personally, I am not a fan of drag. Of course it's a personal choice, it's just not my thing. I also do not like when authors base their books in a specific country, yet use words/slang that is not used in said country. Which means, it was clear this author was Australian. I shouldn't have to have spotted that if the book is based in the US, just saying.

Walker - it was cute. There really wasn't anything that stood out.

Albert - again, another just cute story.

Cochet - oh man, it was TOO SOON to go from a break up to a new boyfriend, as in an hour. However, it was cute and sweet and funny and I really liked the guys together.

Neuhold - man, one of the guys was such a douche. There was nothing really endearing about him, I didn't understand the huge hostility against his family and if he disliked them so bad, he could just oh I don't know, do the adult thing. Don't interact with them anymore, as opposed to feeling like he HAD to show up and make everyone miserable. Ugh, sorry, that one just annoyed me.

Lennox - yeah, one of the reasons I stopped reading her books .. nnnggghhhhhh. All the time. In every sex scene she has ever written. I guess the story was ok.

Hawke - oh man, my feelings on Susi ... oh my bad, SUSAN - are well known. So you might think, oh a name change, maybe trying to convey a classier writing style ... NOPE !!! We have a guy who gets kitten puke on his face and shit on his hands, who gives some dude a blow job in church while his ex is getting married. REAL CLASSY SHIT RIGHT THERE !!! Gah, what a joke.

Kennedy - man, she just writes the most poignant stories doesn't she ? Granted, she's one of my favorite MM authors ever, but how can you blame me? In her bit, you get a wide range of emotions and such a complete story - short of an epilogue that is.

Archer - cute and sweet as usual. She never lets me down.

Molton - oh man, I could not read this with a straight face. The second the word "buttocks" was used, all I heard in my head was Forrest Gump. It was a great story but yeah, no buttocks for me please !

Calmes - I'm sorry, but we broke up with her last release. I refuse to read her books. I already know I'm gonna be disappointed, so I won't even go there.

All things considered, I think I liked the first two anthologies better. I don't know if it's because of the compilation of authors this time around. I know I found some great new to me ones before, but out of this book, nah. The authors I hadn't read before, didn't give me enough to want to read them. The ones I have and stopped reading, cemented that opinion / choice. The ones I have loved, same.

*I received an ARC in exchange for review, which honestly doesn't mean much to me, since I won't say I love it just because it's an ARC*
Profile Image for KerriLee.
172 reviews2 followers
October 6, 2019
Read a few stories by authors I do like and sampled a few more. Nothing really bowled me over. I don’t think anthologies are for me.
Profile Image for Janeylou.
1,767 reviews11 followers
November 30, 2022
Another excellent collection of short stories by well know MM authors ..all for a good cause as well
1,186 reviews7 followers
September 18, 2021
4 stars for "The Closet, Part 1" - I hate cliffhangers! And I'm served one right off at the start of this book. I know that I can just flip to the end and take care of it, but I'm going to try to do this as intended. I'm intrigued enough to try anyway.
4 stars for "The Book" - cute premise using book titles to mark events in the story.
4 stars for "The Date" - guy answers an online ad to be a companion for a special meal and ends up with more than he'd hoped for.
5 stars for "The Yarn Wrangler" - a super sweet, short read with a precocious cat.
5 stars for "Dork Lord" - those who meet the one(s) they are meant to be with are lucky, and even luckier if/when they recognize what has happened.
4 stars for "The Top Shelf" - a friend's prank turns out to be the beginning of something wonderful.
4.5 stars for "The Family Reunion" - a fake date turns into extreme sexy times that turn into maybe something more.
4.5 stars for "The Last Drop" - I know I've read this story before about a bar/restaurant in the Big Easy, but it was definitely worth a re-read.
4.5 stars for "The Dog Walker" - a May/December romance where that's not the most important part.
5 stars for "The Treehouse" - one unforgettable night, with no details or identities, is impossible to follow. And it changes both participants so much that finding anything significant in the future feels daunting. But it is a small world that we inhabit.
5 stars for "The Restoration" - sometimes you have to lose the thing you cherish most to understand just what you had.
5 stars for "The Vase" - you never know when or where you'll find that special something that you need in your life. You just have to be open to it when it happens.
4.5 stars for "The Helping Hand" - Las finding someone to help him temporarily ends up being about more than his furniture and now includes his future.
4 stars for "The Dream Machine" - dreams sometimes do come true.
4.5 stars for "The Wedding Date" - I liked this story of forgiveness among other things, but one scene was just a little too OTT outrageous for me. It seemed out of character for how Hunter's character had been drawn to that point.
4 stars for "The Wrong Guy" - I had already read this story published as "Tempting Fate" as part of the Love in Eden series. Worth the read.
5 stars for "The Closet Part 2" - even though I had to go to read Part 1 again before reading this one, I thoroughly enjoyed this tale of discovery. (And I didn't cheat to get the ending!)
993 reviews41 followers
July 2, 2022
My favorites out of the stories were these.
The Last Drop by Layla Reyne
The Book by Aimee Nicole Walker
The Dog Walker by Lily Morton
The Treehouse by Lucy Lennox
I'm always a big iffy on anthologies. I really like some of the stories but others i'm left wanting and then i get angsty because i want some of them to be longer. on the whole this one was a decent anthology.
Profile Image for F..
1,343 reviews66 followers
August 22, 2021
Didn't enjoy this as much as H2HV4. Perhaps because this is a busy month and I am feeling the pressure to get my reading done. Still it was all done for a good cause so I have given it 4 stars.
Profile Image for Grace.
3,316 reviews218 followers
October 28, 2019
3.5 rounded down

Pleasantly surprised by how much I overall enjoyed this one! Much stronger than the volume 2 anthology, which I think might partially because the concept here of the classified ads was a little more freeing in terms of ideas.

The Closet pt 1 & 2 by Eden Finley: 4 stars
Really sweet concept, and super hot! Though I don't know that the bookmarking idea for the anthology is really necessary, and I did find the break between the two parts of the story to be distracting.

The Book by Aimee Nicole Walker: 2 stars
Meh. Stupid concept, contrived set-up, and super rushed.

The Date by Annabeth Albert: 4 stars
Really solid! Cute concept, interesting characters, and well-paced!

The Yarn-Wrangler by Charlie Cochet: 2 stars
Cute concept by waaaay too rushed with all the relationship shuffling. Plus the whole dude ending up with his brother's ex thing is a trope I wish would die.

Dork Lord by Damon Suede: 3 stars
Not bad, and has the classic Suede writing style, which definitely won't work for everybody. Story had some decent bones, but was a bit rushed and the author was making leaps that didn't entirely make sense to me, like they forgot to write out transitions.

The Top Shelf by Hailey Turner: 4 stars
This one was really sweet. Fun concept, super hot, great chemistry. Each chapter ends on such a good ending note, I kept thinking it was the end of the story, and then it kept going. The result was that I found the ending chapter wrapping things up in a neat little bow actually detracted a bit from my overall enjoyment, as it was the only bit that felt rushed.

The Family Reunion by K.M. Neuhold: 2.5 stars
Another meh. Present tense wasn't a good choice, silly concept, decent enough characters and chemistry, but the ending was far too rushed.

The Last Drop by Layla Reyne: 4.5 stars
Really enjoyed this one!! The story was perfectly paced, the characters were lovely, and their connection was wonderful. Engaging story and overall just a really excellent short story.

The Dog Walker by Lily Morton: 4 stars
Sweet story! Well written, and the pacing was okay, but a little off. I enjoyed, but I think coming off of Reyne's story, which was so excellent, this one didn't shine quite as brightly.

The Treehouse by Lucy Lennox: 3.5 stars
Cute and super hot! Ending was a bit rushed, and had to suspend my belief that neither of them would have even seen a picture of the other in all that time, but generally enjoyable!

The Restoration by Mary Calmes: 2 stars
Way too many characters for such a short story, and frankly, I thought Kyler was kind of an ass--arrogance is a real turn-off for me. The concept was decent, as was the pacing, but I needed way more groveling from Kyler TBH.

The Vase by May Archer: 3 stars
I liked the characters and the concept, but it moved a little bit too quickly for me, moving from enemies to lovers to basically in love in the space of a day.

The Helping Hand by Nora Phoenix: 3 stars
Cute story, and I liked the sexual dynamics, but the ending and feelings felt super rushed.

The Dream Machine by Emma Alcott (Piper Scott):3.5 stars
Sweet story, with a lovely connection and dynamic. Several of the stories in this anthology have centered around characters wanting something sexually that stereotypes have prevented them from fully finding, which I think is interesting! I would have enjoyed this one more without the "dream machine" aspect which just seemed unrealistic and unnecessary, and took me out of the story.

The Wedding Date by Susan Hawke: 1.5 stars
Just, no. The situation with the ex-BF was just weird, and the sex aftermath grossed me out. Not a fan.

The Wrong Guy by Sloane Kennedy: 3 stars
Promising enough premise but far too short; it felt unfinished.
Profile Image for Carrie.
1,013 reviews25 followers
October 8, 2025
4/5 overall, not as good as the first volume, better than the second. My favorites were Sloane Kennedy's, Layla Reyne's, and May Archer's. And as usual my tags are longer than the review.

The Closet part 1 by Eden Finley
white collar, drag queens

The Book by Aimee Nicole Walker
4/5

Cincinnati, Ohio

The Date by Annabeth Albert
4/5

Valentine’s Day; Portland, Ore.; Military (Marine); I/M (African American/White); Journalist

The Yarn Wrangler by Charlie Cochet
3/5

Too short for much chemistry building, and one of the MCs is with someone else for at least half the story. Literally, the other guy is in the house with them.
Queens, NY; Teachers

Dork Lord by Damon Suede
3/5

Tarquin was frustratingly TSTL at points and the college athlete bro-talk got irritating
College; Athlete (Swimmer); Geeks; Authors (Fantasy)

The Top Shelf by Hailey Turner
4/5

Washington, DC; CIA

The Family Reunion by K.M. Neuhold
2/5

Barely a HFN, family conflicts left hanging, only chemistry was in the bedroom (but it was good bedroom chemistry)
Miami; University Student

The Last Drop by Layla Reyne
4.5/5

Great food, great chemistry, great view of NOLA
New Orleans, LA; Chef/Bartender

The Dog Walker by Lily Morton
3.5/5

It was good because it was Lily Morton, but I'm not sure I liked the format. Starts with them as an established couple and then there are some flashbacks to them meeting. The rest of the story is Sim trying to get Ziggy to stay.
Cornwall (Polzeath); Age Gap (Ziggy 25, Sim 44); Wealthy

The Treehouse by Lucy Lennox
4/5

Most romantic so far, might have been my favorite if there was a little more conflict. The connection seemed a little too "perfect" .
Georgia (Mount Ellery); Farmers (Rabbit farm); Enemies to Lovers (sorta, they aren't enemies long and it's kinda one-sided more Opposites Attract really)

The Restoration by Mary Calmes
DNR

Did not appeal: established couple

The Vase by May Archer
4/5

Vermont; Enemies to Lovers; Lawyer; Blue Collar (Handyman/Contractor)

The Helping Hand by Nora Phoenix
2.5

Maryland; Photographer (Nature); Writer (Science Fiction)

The Dream Machine by Piper Scott, writing as Emma Alcott
DNR

Didn't appeal
North Dakota; Scientists

The Wedding Date by Susan Hawke
4/5

Loosely related to the Lovestrong series, funny but only one hot public sex scene
Cats; Graphic Artist

The Wrong Guy by Sloane Kennedy
4/5

Loved it, but would love to see an extended version with a coming out, ranch life, etc.
Western; Wyoming; Ranch (Cattle); Bisexual; Friends to Lovers; Same sex first time

The Closet, part 2 by Eden Finley
3/5
Profile Image for Amanda.
1,993 reviews92 followers
April 25, 2021
So actual rating when I averaged everything out was 3.37 stars, but the ones I loved, I loved so much I’ll round up to 4. Notable stand outs for me were: The Dog Walker, The Treehouse, The Dream Machine, and The Helping Hand.
Now for what seems like the longest review ever but is actually a bunch of very short reviews.

The Closet-3.5 stars. Cute story about accepting who you really are.

The Book-4 stars. Well written and adorable characters. I love me a nerdy/awkward character.

The Date-3.5 stars. Great opposites attract story with really cute characters.

The Yarn Wrangler-4 surprising stars! This is actually the first Cochet story I’ve liked. It’s very short, but I felt it still had great plot and characterization.

Dork Lord-2 stars. I don’t know if my personal feelings about the author colored my reading, but I found the writing to be awkward and hard to follow at times.

The top shelf-2 stars. Oh no, I usually love Turners works, but I just felt like I got zero out of the characters in this one. It was basically just sex.

The reunion-3 stars. Once again not much in the way of characterization, but it had some pretty good steamy scenes.

The Last Drop-2.5 stars. Still didn’t really feel like we got to know the characters, and I thought the food in place of travel didn’t hold up well.

The Dog Walker-4 stars. Lily Morton still hasn’t written something I don’t love. So short but so much sass and love.

The Treehouse-4 stars. Super adorable, and the awkwardness stole my heart.

The restoration-3.5 stars. Surprised how much I liked this, but it was a great second chance story.

The Vase-4 stars. Lots of fire and heat and a wonderfully sweet ending.

The Helping Hand-4 stars. Chubby MC and roles that defy stereotypes, what’s not to love?

The Dream Machine- 4 stars. So absolutely sweet. Both MCs were just adorable and fluffy and I loved them.

The Wedding Date-2.5 stars. I always just find Hawke’s writing style a little clunky. It’s definitely a me, not the story, thing.

The Wrong Guy-3.5 stars. I don’t know how this packed such an emotional punch in so few words but I wouldn’t expect less from Sloane Kennedy.
Profile Image for Becky.
927 reviews22 followers
October 23, 2019
I’m still making my way through but I’ll update as I go - overall, easy 5 stars from me for the awesomeness that is this book and series, even if I didn’t quite mesh with all of them.

Lucy Lennox - The Treehouse 5/5
Simply charming, packs a lot of genuine emotion in a small number of pages

Sloane Kennedy - The Wrong Guy 4.5/5
A little angsty/piney tale, beautifully written

May Archer - The Vase 3/5
Cute tale - they went at it a bit quick for my liking in the bed of a truck in a woman’s garage they were randomly helping, but it served a purpose so ok.

Lily Morton - The Dog Walker 2/5
I missed the backstory on this one a it started when they were going at it so seeing the development of their relationship was lost in such a short story and I didn’t quite feel their connection. It picked up in the second half of the story, but there wasn’t enough for me to believe what they had was real.

Mary Calmes - The Restoration 2.5/5
This was messy and a bit confusing. Too many people and jumping back/forth and I was lost. Kyler was my fave character and so endearing it upped my rating.

Nora Phoenix - The Helping Hand, 5/5
Beautiful tale about two beautiful souls who just get each other.

Layla Reyne - The Last Drop 3.5/5
This tale had a short vibe to it but it built up into a nice satisfying ending despite being relatively light on content.

Annabeth Albert - The Date 4.5/5
This truly had the feel of a full novel rather than a short story and was just utterly charming with a bit of heat.

Profile Image for Marlobo ♥ epilogues.
1,845 reviews28 followers
November 7, 2019
The Closet by Eden Finley - 2.5 stars

The Book by Aimee Nicole Walker - 2 stars

The Date by Annabeth Albert - 3.5 stars

The Yarn Wranglerby Charlie Cochet - 2.5 stars

Dork Lord by Damon Suede - 1.5 stars

The Top Shelf by Hailey Turner - 2.5 stars

The Family Reunion by K.M. Neuhold - 2 stars

The Last Drop y Layla Reyne - 4 stars

The Dog Walker by Lily Morton - 4.5 stars

The Treehouse by Lucy Lennox - 2.5 stars

The Restoration by Mary Calmes - 4 stars

The Vase by May Archer - 3.5 stars

The Helping Hand by Nora Phoenix - 3 stars

The Dream Machine by Piper Scott, Writing As Emma Alcott - 1 star

The Wedding Date by Susan Hawke - 2 stars

The Wrong Guy by Sloane Kennedy - 4 stars
Profile Image for Tori.
998 reviews31 followers
October 11, 2019
The Closet by Eden Finley - 3 stars

The Book by Aimee Nicole Walker - 3 stars

The Date by Annabeth Albert- 4 stars

The Yarn Wrangler by Charlie Cochet- DNF

Dork Lord by Damon Suede - 3 stars

The Top Shelf by Hailey Turner - 3 stars

The Family Reunion by K.M. Neuhold- 4 stars

The Last Drop by Layla Reyne- 5 stars

The Dog Walker by Lily Morton - 4 stars

The Treehouse by Lucy Lennox- 3.5 stars

The Restoration by Mary Calmes - 5 stars

The Vase by May Archer - DNF

The Helping Hand by Nora Phoenix - 4 stars

The Dream Machine by Piper Scott - 3 stars

The Wedding Date by Susan Hawke - DNF

The Wrong Guy by Sloane Kennedy- 3.5 stars
October 16, 2019
Before I say anything about the actual book, I just wanted to say that I think this was a great idea and I appreciate everyone who gave their time for charity.

As far as the the stories go, they were mostly ok, some really good and a couple really not. I think I I am just not one for most short stories. I just can't really get into them and sometimes even great, well-established authors are not that great at the concept. That being said I am glad that I could read so they are able to give a little more to the charity.
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