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Add a Splash of Love: A New Zealand anthology of short stories - romance.
“People who maintain there are six degrees of separation have clearly never been to Aotearoa. Make it two, and you’re getting warmer…” - Stephanie Ruth
Six addictive short stories by award winning New Zealand writer, Stephanie Ruth, celebrating warmth of connection, and the Kiwi phenomenon of one-degree-of-separation.
Linked to the Otago Waters series, these quirky romance tidbits can all be read as standalone.
A beginning and ending for Poppy and Clementine, torn apart by distance, but stoutly stitched back together with shared history. The Bit That Means Something is concluded in Lead a Horse to Water . Katie weathers a stinky pheromone experiment in Scent, Not Sensibility , a newbie gardener learns all about life's laterals in Heads or Tails , and identities and intentions are not what they seem in Second Act . Fancy a spot of baking? Perhaps not from Talulah's kitchen! She refuses to follow the recipe in Heaped Teaspoons .
Add a Splash of Love is the first anthology of short stories in Stephanie Ruth's Otago Waters series, set in the beautiful South Island of New Zealand.
You can sign on to Stephanie's newsletter to receive a exclusive short stories, bonus prologues, epilogues, and cut scenes with all the characters you love, at www.stephanie-ruth.com
For the first full length novel in this series, read Mako Bay .
Six addictive short stories by award winning New Zealand writer, Stephanie Ruth, celebrating warmth of connection, and the Kiwi phenomenon of one-degree-of-separation.
Linked to the Otago Waters series, these quirky romance tidbits can all be read as standalone.
A beginning and ending for Poppy and Clementine, torn apart by distance, but stoutly stitched back together with shared history. The Bit That Means Something is concluded in Lead a Horse to Water . Katie weathers a stinky pheromone experiment in Scent, Not Sensibility , a newbie gardener learns all about life's laterals in Heads or Tails , and identities and intentions are not what they seem in Second Act . Fancy a spot of baking? Perhaps not from Talulah's kitchen! She refuses to follow the recipe in Heaped Teaspoons .
Add a Splash of Love is the first anthology of short stories in Stephanie Ruth's Otago Waters series, set in the beautiful South Island of New Zealand.
You can sign on to Stephanie's newsletter to receive a exclusive short stories, bonus prologues, epilogues, and cut scenes with all the characters you love, at www.stephanie-ruth.com
For the first full length novel in this series, read Mako Bay .
- GenresRomance
148 pages, Paperback
First published September 10, 2022
About the author
Stephanie Ruth
18 books45 followersAward winning New Zealand contemporary romance novelist and short story writer, Stephanie Ruth lives in the South Island, Te Waipounamu, with her husband, three children, and an ever expanding array of animals. If it doesn't have a happy ending in some form or other, Stephanie's not writing it.
You can find her on Facebook @stephanieruth.nz, Instagram and TikTok @stephanie_ruth_writes_nz, or on her website www.stephanie-ruth.com
You can find her on Facebook @stephanieruth.nz, Instagram and TikTok @stephanie_ruth_writes_nz, or on her website www.stephanie-ruth.com
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
August 28, 2023
Delightful set of shorts📝
I found no disappointments in this set of short, New Zealand-set stories focused on couples young to old. Easy to read and, despite their connections to longer books, each brief story was satisfying on its own without having read anything previous by the author.
My favorite couples were Poppy and Clementine, featured in two of the shorts first as eleven year-old bosom buddy neighbors and then in their sixties; Talulah and Murray; and Katie and Rupert. In fact, Katie and Rupert, the "guinea pig" participants in a scent experiment, were a perfect, cute way to open the collection. The Bit That Means Something, about young Poppy's last afternoon before her family leaves their farm, was so touching it almost brought a tear.
I chose this book because it was set in New Zealand and now I am eager to read more by the author.
I read a complimentary advance copy of the collection; this is my voluntary and honest opinion.
I found no disappointments in this set of short, New Zealand-set stories focused on couples young to old. Easy to read and, despite their connections to longer books, each brief story was satisfying on its own without having read anything previous by the author.
My favorite couples were Poppy and Clementine, featured in two of the shorts first as eleven year-old bosom buddy neighbors and then in their sixties; Talulah and Murray; and Katie and Rupert. In fact, Katie and Rupert, the "guinea pig" participants in a scent experiment, were a perfect, cute way to open the collection. The Bit That Means Something, about young Poppy's last afternoon before her family leaves their farm, was so touching it almost brought a tear.
I chose this book because it was set in New Zealand and now I am eager to read more by the author.
I read a complimentary advance copy of the collection; this is my voluntary and honest opinion.
February 22, 2023
Backstory and insights
These little snippets fit nicely into the Otago waters series, but you don't have to have read any of the books because they all stand alone nicely. In fact if you read these short stories you're bound to want to go on and read the other books. I find myself wanting to go back and read them again.
I love Stephanie Ruth's easy going and yet insightful look at relationships and she shows in these stories that she can put an awful lot of stories into a very few words.
Recommend for lovers of romance with protagonists of all ages. Particularly if you like a touch of New Zealand added.
Disclaimer, I was given a copy for an honest review. I did not find this a hardship 🙂
These little snippets fit nicely into the Otago waters series, but you don't have to have read any of the books because they all stand alone nicely. In fact if you read these short stories you're bound to want to go on and read the other books. I find myself wanting to go back and read them again.
I love Stephanie Ruth's easy going and yet insightful look at relationships and she shows in these stories that she can put an awful lot of stories into a very few words.
Recommend for lovers of romance with protagonists of all ages. Particularly if you like a touch of New Zealand added.
Disclaimer, I was given a copy for an honest review. I did not find this a hardship 🙂
May 29, 2024
Gosh I love Stephanie’s writing and this did not disappoint!
This is such a great companion to the Otago Waters series but can definitely be read as a standalone as the stories focus on side characters from the main series.
I devoured this in one day of my bus commute to/from work and the format of short stories made this so perfect for reading on the bus. Often with story stories I feel left wanting more, but these are so well resolved that the ending of each felt like a warm hug!
This is such a great companion to the Otago Waters series but can definitely be read as a standalone as the stories focus on side characters from the main series.
I devoured this in one day of my bus commute to/from work and the format of short stories made this so perfect for reading on the bus. Often with story stories I feel left wanting more, but these are so well resolved that the ending of each felt like a warm hug!
January 25, 2024
Six sweet contemporary romance stories.
These love stories feature characters who have appeared in The Otago Waters series, however, they can be read standalone. If you have read the previous books, these stories tie beautifully together the outlying supporting roles and bring a nostalgic vibe and an insight into their history.
Within these stories you will get :: second chance :: he falls first :: love at first sight/scent :: grumpy sunshine ::
A quick read that brings all the warm fuzzies
✨gifted
These love stories feature characters who have appeared in The Otago Waters series, however, they can be read standalone. If you have read the previous books, these stories tie beautifully together the outlying supporting roles and bring a nostalgic vibe and an insight into their history.
Within these stories you will get :: second chance :: he falls first :: love at first sight/scent :: grumpy sunshine ::
A quick read that brings all the warm fuzzies
✨gifted
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews