Packing: An M/M Anthology

by Jeris Jean, Michaela Cole, Matthew Dante

Spicy travel adventures abound in...Packing: An M/M Anthology

Finding love on the road is the unexpected bonus to hilarious and fun travel adventures the characters from the anthology PACKING experience. Check out this romantic, light-hearted collection of novellas by some of your favorite authors.

Genres: M M Romance, Anthologies

694 pages, ebook

Published October 6, 2023

Reviews

[D.L. Howe · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️

RTC

[DeniReadsMostlyMM · Rating 5 out of 5]

***ARC Review***

This is my honest and voluntary review for the ARC I received.

I love a good anthology. Michaela Cole, Matthew Dante, Jeris Jean, S.M. Landon, Duckie Mack, Garry Michael, Kota Quinn, Michael Robert, and Harper Robson have all come together to give us a delightfully wonderful anthology full of sweet, funny, romantic, quirky, emotional, and steamy tales. He’s what each story’s “packing” element is centered around:

1. Altitude Adjustment - an upcoming vacation / to write an article
2. A Campfire Confession - a four day camping trip
3. At Arm’s Length - staying at a local campground before moving into a new place because there is a small gap between leases
4. When in France - dissolution of a marriage and family property management in another country
5. Coworkers, Cold Nights, & Cryptids - team building exercise that involves camping
6. Bare Naked - reality television survival show
7. Packing for My Nerd - going to a campsite at a state park to chase down a crush that could be The One
8. Hate at First Sight - to hike, camp, and get away from it all
9. Chasing Home - road trip from Seattle to Los Angeles for grad school

Some of these stories have insta-love. Some are slow burns. I appreciated the pacing and connections in each book. There’s plenty of tropes to get you excited - Dad’s best friend, age gap, enemies to lovers, brother’s best friend, best friends to lovers, coworkers to lovers, and forced proximity just to name a few.

“Altitude Adjustment” has a great cast of secondary characters. I was a fan of the fake dating aspect element to “A Campfire Confession.” I actually liked the insta-love in “At Arm’s Length.” “When in France” gives excellent hurt/comfort vibes. I loved the Bigfoot references in “Coworkers, Cold Nights, & Cryptids.” “Bare Naked” has a really tender epilogue. I uttered an “awww” or two. I especially adored the Disney references in “Packing for My Nerd.” I appreciated the vulnerability between Blake and Dirk in “Hate at First Sight.” The awkward and klutzy moments in “Chasing Home” are adorable.

This anthology is a captivating read. You should definitely check it out. There is something for everyone!

[Trish Skywalker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Coworkers, Cold Nights and Cryptids by Duckie Mack

Two coworkers go on a team building exercise to find Bigfoot, but end up finding love.
Jesse is the receptionist at Printech, and he loves his job. When he sees he’s the only one who came to the Bigfoot Adventure team building trip, he’s looking forward to some time alone in the woods. Then Reed Dawson shows up; the nephew of the CEO and Golden Boy of the company. Reed, who’s usually so confident and sure of himself, is not used to camping, and is scared of every sound and scratch in the woods. Luckily, he’s got Jesse there to protect him and keep him warm…in more ways than one!
-Coworkers
-Forced proximity
-Tent shenanigans
-A hunt for Bigfoot!
-Steaming up the woods 🔥🔥🔥

[Katriana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Altitude Adjustment by Michaela Cole, rating; 3.5/5

I thought Jonas and Phoenix's story was cute and very quirky. I felt for Jonas, (as someone who is awkward, I could definitely relate.) And Phoenix's character was great too. The reason my rating wasn't higher is cause I think Phoenix and Jonas's story could've benefited from being longer. Or even for them to get together earlier in the story. Overall though, a decent short story!

A Campfire Confession by Matthew Dante, Rating; 4/5

I've never read a book by this author before, but after reading this funny, and sweet short story, I'm definitely going to be looking at this author's blacklist. Cameron and Embry are both cute together and are best friends. I love a good friends to lovers story, and this was definitely that! These men would've gotten together sooner if they just better communicated with each other.

At Arm's Length by Jeris Jean, Rating;3.5/5
I thought Austen and Tucker's romance happened really fast, I understand that this is a short story but they barely talked to one another about themselves, hooked up, then wanted to try to make a long distance relationship work. It just felt a bit rushed to me. Other than that though, it was written quite well.

When In France by S.M. Landon, rating; 5/5

I adored Laurent and Mark's story, and little Duma is adorable! This story has been my favorite so far. Despite it being a short story, it didn't feel that way. There was great backstory, really great writing, good pacing, and fantastic characters. I hope that maybe this story will develop into a series at some point, as I would love to read more about Clyde.

Coworkers, Cold Nights, & Cryptids by Duckie Mack, Rating; 5/5
I love Duckie's writing style, she always created such fantastic characters that you just want to fully immerse yourself with. Reed and Jesse's story was so cute, and I love the camping element, in addition to the bigfoot component. Want to know what else I loved?? That Duckie put Cam and Rider in this book! If you don't know, they are characters from her other book series. That just made the reading experience so much more special.

Bare Naked by Garry Michael, rating;4/5
I really liked this story, I thought the aspect of the two MC's falling in love on a TV show was a really cool idea. I really enjoyed the plot as well as the writing. Something that confused me is the ending. The whole reason Erik wanted on the show was to win the money so he could take care of his family's debts... Yet (spoiler ahead!!)

When him and Drew won, he didn't care about that anymore, which left me very confused.

Packing For My Nerd by Kota Quinn, rating; 4/5
This short was really sweet! Taylor has had a crush on Landon for a long time, so, in order to get his attention he packs up and drives almost six hours away to find him. Creepy? Maybe a little, but is it a romantic gesture? Absolutely! I liked how these two slowly built up their feelings over the course of their camping trip. Once they progressed past the slower build up stage, they were full steam aheas. I loved Taylor's nickname for Landon! And it seems as though the author is setting up an opening for Alec's story, potentially?

Hate At First Sight by Michael Robert, Rating; 3.5/5
Blake and Dirk's story was.. Odd? I thought with this story being longer that there woulbe be more depth to their relationship, but there really wasn't. They hated each other on sight, then slept together. It didn't really feel like a romance story to me. But, that's just my opinion, I'm sure others will enjoy this story.

Chasing Home by Harper Robson, Rating; 5/5
I completely adore Shane and Era! I can definitely relate to Era, being awkward, and shy myself I get it. Despite this book being a short story it did not feel that way. This story was well thought out, had a terrific pace, and the characters were well fleshed out and had really good backstories. Honestly I wish this one was longer cause I didn't want their story to end.

[Cindy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a sexy collection of m/m short stories involving camping whether with friends or just one friend. The majority of authors I've never read before but I found some new ones I would like to explore and some old favorites of mine. They range from a best friend's brother to s Father's best friend, from co-workers to strangers. There are age gaps, jocks and nerds and rescue situations. My favorites involved an emotional support human, a survival show, a nickname of pickles and a search for Bigfoot. All of them lead to steamy times that are consensual and shouldn't trip any triggers. There is something for everyone to enjoy. I received a copy of this book and this is my voluntary opinion.

[Cynthia M Brow · Rating 5 out of 5]

Packing is a multi author anthology. Each story involves traveling of some kind. I enjoyed all the stories. I read some new authors to me. Each story is unique and enjoyable. We have stories by Michaela Cole, Matthew Dante, Jeris Jean, S.M. Landon, Duckie Mack, Garry Michael, Kota Quinn, Michael Robert, and Harper Robson. I truly enjoyed all the different takes on the traveling theme. I would definitely recommend this book.

[Lottie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great MM anthology of novellas through which I have discovered a whole host of new to me authors!

A perfect collection for escapism!

[Duckie Mack · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved all the stories in this anthology. There's something really fun and unique about finding love while camping or traveling.

[Zoë Miranda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wish that there was a little synopsis about each story in the anthology to help set my expectations.

Altitude Adjustment by Michaela Cole - 3.5 stars
First-person, past tense, dual POV.
Cute sister's best friend, close proximity story.
Jonas (23) and Brooklynn (23) have been best friends for over a decade, Jonas even spends vacations with Brooklynn's family. They bonded over pranking Brooklynn's older brother, Phoenix (26), the older brother than Jonas is crushing on, too bad he embarrassed himself so thoroughly six months ago that he can't stand the idea of facing him again. It's a good thing Phoenix has to work and won't be able to attend the upcoming family vacation, or won't he???

I was enjoying the story immensely until the introduction of Marcus which derailed what I thought was going to be a "protect the klutz" tale. Also, I'm not the biggest fan of forced miscommunication, it ended up being a little too much for such a short story. The drama overshadowed the romance. I enjoyed the writing and loved the close relationships between the secondary characters, especially Brooklynn and Jonas.

I'm new to this author and would give her another try.


A Campfire Confession by Matthew Dante - 5 stars
Third-person, past tense, dual POV
Roommates, best friends, drama nerd/jock.
Drama nerd Cameron (19) and football jock Embry (19) were assigned the same form room at college and became best of friends after Cam set Em straight about not wanting to hook up and ruin their rooming situation. Besides, Cam is a relationship guy and Em is a player in more than one sense of the word.

However, when Cam's Dad and brother insist he join them on a weekend camping trip for some bonding he asking his roomie to play the role of boyfriend so he won't feel so far out of his element. Em loves spending time with Cam and is willing to do anything for him, even pretend to be in a relationship together when he'd much rather have the real thing.

This was a pretty perfect story and I found myself invested in not only Cam and Em but Cam and his father and brother. I enjoyed the caretaking and camaraderie and the oblivious Cam realizing that his assumptions about what they can have together are dead wrong.

New to me and I would absolutely read more by this author.


At Arm's Length by Jeri's Jean - 3 stars
First-person, present tense, dual POV.
Dad's best friend, age-gap, insta-.
Austen (21) finds himself homeless for a period of three days between the end of his old lease and the beginning of his new lease. His father is supposed to stay with him, camping, since there aren't any hotels available either, but has to cancel at the last minute. Good thing his buddy, Tucker (30/40-something?), owes him one. As Austen and Tucker get to know one another they soon realize they want to know everything about one another.

This one was quite a quick whirlwind. It was very superficial and insta, but fun too. With the length of the story it feel odd that the author chose to give attention to certain story points over relationship building or finding common ground, but it is a short story that takes place between virtual strangers over a period of four days so it is what it is. I was a little out out by the tidy resolution at the end, but all's well that ends well.

New to me author, not sure if I'd read more since I'm really not a fan of insta-love, and present tense writing but that's definitely a 'me' problem.


When in France by S.M. Landon - 2.5 stars
First-person, present tense, dual POV.
ONS fail, hurt/comfort, insta-.
On the day that is both the best (tenure) and worst (divorce) day of his life Mark (45) decides to take a leave of absence from his job to attend to some business at his family's distillery (winery, B&B, etc.) for reasons (honestly it's a little murky) in France that Laurent (38) and his brother have managed for the past decade. While there he decides a one-night stand is just the thing to cheer him up. Meanwhile, single-parent, Laurent, is finally ready to mingle now that his son is a little older and he feels he has the energy and desire for a partner, with some encouragement from a friend he puts himself out there on a dating app and promptly decides to meet up with someone who only plans to be in town for a week.

It's trite to say that we always wish short stories or novellas were longer because we always want more as readers but I think in this case it's a sign the author missed the mark in what makes a good short story/novella. The result is a story that reads like a book report or summary of a much longer book. By setting Mark up as such a hot mess (he was a blubbering overwhelmed wreck when they first met to hook up) with so many issues (having a father who withholds affection, being a workaholic, recently divorced after being an admittedly poor partner, lacking social life and friends, being a little selfish, etc) it left me wishing Laurent would see the walking red flags for what they were and steer clear since there wasn't enough time to turn the character around before the story was over.

My favourite part of the story was knowing Mark's ex-, David, had found happiness.

Another new to me author I probably won't revisit, since again, I'm really not a fan of insta-love, and present tense writing.


Coworkers, Cold Nights, & Cryptids by Duckie Mack - 5 stars
First-person, past tense, dual POV.
This was a flawless novella, Duckie Mack understood the assignment.
When the company they work for offers team-building trips Jesse Diaz, the receptionist, jumps at the chance to sign up for a week-long Bigfoot Adventure Camp, envisioning a relaxing getaway close to nature, a throwback to all the camping he'd done when he was younger. Reed (f'ing) Dawson, the golden boy of sales at Printech wasn't so eager, he doesn't really do the outdoors, or bugs, or critters, or things that go bump in the night, he just left signing up for a team-building thing to late to sign up for anything other than the Bigfoot Experience. Jesse and Reed will need all the "team-building" skills they can muster to survive the week.

The premise was delicious, and the execution perfect. Jesse's wariness when Reed tries to get all buddy-buddy was fun as was their back and forth banter. I adored how protective Jesse was when it became evident how nervous Reed was about the whole experience. The relationship evolved quite nicely, with them opening up to each other over the course of the week and I was thrilled there wasn't anything third-act breakup or huge miscommunication.

I loved the inclusion of some interesting secondary characters, two of whom I'm almost certain must have their own book (hoping), but even that is a guess and so subtly hinted at that I didn't feel as though I needed to have read the author's entire backlist to fully enjoy this story. I was invested in Jesse and Reed from beginning to end. There was just enough tension to draw the reader into the story, but not so much that things felt rushed or unresolved, it flowed naturally and didn't seem forced in any way which is a real feat within the confines of a novella. I could go on, but my point is this one hit in all the best ways.

I've read other books by the author and enjoyed them as light, fun romps and this one was no different, I look forward to reading more of her work.
Aha! Found Rider and Cam's book: All the Stars; adding to my TBR.


Bare Naked by Garry Michael - 4 stars
First-person, past tense, dual POV (please for the love of all that's holy, please, denote the name of the character who's POV it is at the beginning of the chapter, I'm begging every author, everywhere, who uses dual or alternating POVs, please!).
Opposites attract, forced proximity, closeted athlete, first times.
This is one good beta and proof read away from being five stars... It was so close.
Dental student Erik (21/22) and retired football player, Drew Montana (29/30) are paired together on the reality TV show, Bare Naked, vying for a one million dollar prize against nine other teams who are left in a remote wilderness to their own devices naked and with very few resources other than their wits. Last team still standing wins and splits the prize.

I was immediately drawn into the story, invested in both Erik's pursuit of prize money to help his immigrant family and closeted Drew's desire to come out. Unfortunately both those plot points promptly take a back seat to hamming it up for the camera, which I absolutely loved but wish had been tempered by a few more tender/heart-felt moments, which I felt were being dangled in front of me like carrots their first kiss was all but fade to black! I needed the butterfly feelings and passion, dang nabbit!.

Luckily for me the author's snappy writing kept me fully in the story and I found myself absolutely loving Erik and Drew's banter and playfulness - I laughed and smiled a lot while reading it. What was missing were the slightly more serious getting to know you conversations that would have helped the reader feel their deepening relationship.

The events keeping me from rating this higher was the fact that the producers left two contestants that were being removed from the game for medical reasons in the wilderness for one final night. WTF. Erik, in the epilogue says he thought he was dying, which wasn't conveyed in the moment, but he wasn't well. It just seems a little farfetched and defies all logic, which brings me to the next point, the letter that was delivered to Drew from his agent during that last medical check-up telling him to "shut that gay shit down right now"... ummm, we're forty-one days into this game that is airing pretty much simultaneously and the players are about to be pulled from the game. That ship has sailed. What even was the point? The drama? It could have been achieved in a better way.

Anyway, despite what didn't work for me, I really liked the rest of the story, I thought it was an awesome and original plot and rather enjoyed the author's use of dialogue and description. I would definitely check out something else he's written.


Packing for My Nerd by Kota Quinn - 4 stars
First-person, present tense, dual POV.
Jock/nerd, slow burn, bi-awakening, first kiss.
A month after graduation and having fallen head over heels for his nerdy classmate football jock/nerd Taylor Prince (23) takes matters into his owns hands and tries to orchestrate his own fairytale ending by arranging a camping trip with his best buddy at the same park he knows his crush, Landon (Snow) Winters (22), will be.

While I enjoyed the story a lot, the author does commit the most egregious anthology crime in my eyes by not making it properly standalone. All of the secondary characters are a veritable who's who from the author's other works, and while the occasional cameo is fun, I shouldn't feel like I'm missing something by not having read their entire backlist (and equally I shouldn't have them all spoiled either). This story felt both like a reunion tour for Kingston/Jamie (Display Me) and Cal/Jules (Foxy & Flirty) as well as a set up for Jamie's bestie, Alec (also from Display Me), and possibly Taylor's bestie, Dean. Even Rowan's (My Sister's Sweetheart) relationship is teased in the epilogue and I would bet money Taylor's cousin, Lucian, who he's having a phone conversation with during the opening scene will have (or has?) a book about getting together with his bestie, Connor.

The result is that the romance between Taylor and Snow is overshadowed. My favourite part of the romance genre is experiencing the couple falling in love with each other. Since, as the story takes place months after they meet and start crushing on each other, that's already happened and I needed more... some small amount of tension to really appreciate the pining.

The page time they got together was lovely, I loved how bashful Taylor was, the dates they went on were adorable, and the first kiss scene was so perfect, even the steamy tent scene was the stuff of dreams.

I love Kota Quinn's writing and will continue to read their work but have to admit for a novella as part of an anthology they tried to juggle too many balls at once.


Hate at First Sight by Michael Robert - 5 stars
First-person, past tense, dual POV.
Hate at first sight, hurt/comfort, heroic rescue, more in common that you'd think/maybe I was wrong about you.
Blake Jensen (25) is a man in deep emotional turmoil, not that he'd admit it out loud, but after his boyfriend's death a year ago he has all but given up on life. He just wants to be alone in the forest with his anger and sadness, which is why he's so pissed off when he encounters goody two shoes forest ranger Dirk Halloway(?) who has opinions about his deficient gear for his planned hike and camping trip.

This starts off pretty heavy as Blake struggles with loss and is essentially a bitter shell of his former self. He quickly discovers he is, indeed, ill-prepared for this trip and Dirk comes to his rescue, taking his back to the fire tower he's assigned to for the next 90 days. This was a surprisingly heartfelt and heartwarming and I really enjoyed the rollercoaster ride I especially loved that there were no grand love declarations after two days of knowing each other, that Blake left, ostensibly worked on healing and returned, it was a nice touch.

I love the emotional vulnerability they had with each other, the prickly façade giving way to understanding and a sense of finding common ground. It seemed very natural and organic, not forced at all, I felt like a lot more than a couple days had elapsed over the course of the story, a pretty perfect offering to this anthology.

My only really quibble was the short chapters and the rapid back and forth POV switching was a little jarring oftentimes, I could sink into the story, I managed but would never have been able to handle a novel-length book. I'd have also like to know more about Blake personally, not in the context of his trauma, what did he do for work, what was he like before, etc.

I'd be interested in trying something else by the author.


Chasing Home by Harper Robson - 4.5 stars
First-person, present tense, dual POV.
Age-gap, road trip, chasing dreams.
When Shane Elliston's (40-ish) best friend Trevor asks him to accompany his younger, klutzy cousin Era Carlton (23) on his drive/camping trip from Seattle to LA for grad school he has no idea the temptation he'll face, while Era hopes in vain that he doesn't embarrass himself in front of his childhood crush.

This was such a cute, quick read. I felt like there were some missed opportunities to really develop the characters, but it was a great novella. Shame is a little reluctant to start a relationship on the heels of a divorce that left him reeling and wondering what he wanted out of life while Era was rather all in and ready to go after what he wanted once he realized that his crush wasn't as unrequited as he feared.

Although the getting to know each other bits were somewhat oversimplified and vague (what grad program is Era pursuing for instance), enough heart-to-hearts occured to engage the reader and feel them becoming closer and closer until the inevitable occurred. I loved the klutzy moments, they were incredibly amusing. I'm a little disappointed there weren't a few extra chapters in LA as Shane showed Era around and I desperately wanted the box of toys to make a reappearance but all in all I really enjoyed the story.

I'd happily read more by this author.

I was given an ARC and voluntarily wrote an honest review.

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

MM romance fans check out this great anthology of camping stories. A fabulous way of checking out new authors if you haven't read any of these.

[Dear Reader 0801 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Travel and camping have such a unique place in my memory. I really enjoy reading stories about people who travel-I don’t get to do it as often as I would like but being somewhere else for a period of time can be such a great experience that can help you learn about yourself (and sometimes who you are traveling with). And camping can be such an eye opening experience that can bring out the best and worst in people. The stories in this anthology focused on camping and travel and were short and quick reads. Some were from my favorite authors, some that I haven’t had a chance to really a lot from and some I haven’t had a chance to read before.

From stories of work trips with co-workers from Duckie Mack (loved the cameo!!) to finding love while traveling to deal an inherited family business from S.M. Landon, the stories, tropes and subjects range throughout the anthology. There are sexual awakening stories from Kota Quinn, best friends to lovers (always a fave trope of mine) from Matthew Dante, an age-gap/childhood crush romance from Harper Robson, and an enemies to lovers with forced proximity from Michael Robert. Definitely lots of steamy moments in these stories as well.

Some wonderful characters in these stories like Tucker from At Arm’s Length by Jeris Jean, Drew and Erik from Bare Naked by Garry Michael and Phoenix and Jonas from Altitude Adjustment from Michaela Cole. Even though the stories were quick bites, I enjoyed the glimpses into these characters lives and the moments they found their person. If you are looking to try new authors, this is definitely a good anthology to pick up! I read a complimentary copy and this is my honest and fair review.

[Susan Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Anthologies are a great way to find new authors and it is interesting to see how they write different stories about the theme of the anthology. For some of the authors, the idea of packing is clear in their short story and often an important element. While I liked all the stories, the one by Duckie Mack, Coworkers, Cold Nights, & Cryptids, is my favorite. I enjoy the trope of city boy in the country, or the mountains in this tale. I confess I have a fascination with cryptids, although I would not say I’m a believer. Duckie managed to make us believe that Reed, golden boy of his company, and Jesse, receptionist at said company, could become an item in a week. As with all the stories, it has at least a HFN, if not HEA. I will look to read more by Jeris Jean and S.M. Landon in the future, as well as most anything Duckie Mack writes. I received a free ARC of this book and I am leaving a review voluntarily.

[Heather MMRomanceReviewed · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved Cruising last year, so when the chance to ARC Packing came up, I jumped at the chance! There is a bit of everything packed into this anthology - brother's best friend, roommates, coworkers, Father's friend, recovering from divorce, falling for the nerd, naked reality show, enemies to lovers and a road trip!

This anthology gave us so many reasons for camping out and being in the outdoors and just as many different experiences, with one final result - happy couples who learn about themselves and each other!

If you're looking for a way to find new authors or just get a kick out of great travel romances, I highly recommend checking out the Packing Anthology! I enjoyed all of the stories and while I wish a few were longer, overall it was a great read and I highly recommend grabbing your copy today!

[Reed · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve have only read A Campfire Confession by Matthew Dante so far and really enjoyed the story. It held my attention from the beginning. There’s a little comedy, heartbreak and great characters.
Cameron is a bit of a drama queen and isn’t really the outdoor type but when almost forced to spend a long weekend with his dad and brother camping, he can’t face it alone and talks his roommate into going along.
Embry, Cam’s roommate is a jock type guy but with a big heart. He looks after Cam constantly. He goes along with this family trip just to help Cam out. I think the author did a great job of putting a complete story with thorough character development and strong flow and I really didn’t want to set it down. I’m hoping that Gavin’s story is coming

[Amanda Reeves · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love these anthologies that have a bunch of authors and great novellas, it gives us a chance to maybe find a new author while reading some of our favorites. I loved all the stories in this anthology, but I mean come on, my favorite tropes are best friends to lovers and father's best friend, which was both here. This is an excellent way to read a little bit of a bunch of tropes all in one tidy package.

[Kandice]

Dnf after the first 2 stories. I usually love anthologies but I don't think I read the same book everyone else seems to have. There's a lot of bro talk and childish behavior and attitudes that just seem...off.

"You are in that jock 'I'll fuck anything that walks' phase. And that's OK. It's college. Those are the years you should be playing the field, whoring it up."

I might like other stories by more well known authors but I'm done. I don’t ve it in me to keep going right now.

[ozbeach · Rating 3 out of 5]

This anthology made for enjoyable, light reading. All the stories riffed on the forced proximity (only-one-bed-to-share) trope as a way to speed up the action, so look elsewhere if that framework is too predictable for you. I had read some of the authors works before, but most were new and this book provided a good introduction to their work.

[Kurohagi · Rating 4 out of 5]

9 funny and sweet stories with wildlife and nature, adventures and so much love.
Really heart-warming reading each story leaves a smile on your face at the last words.
Thanks for authors work.

9 histoire drôles et tendres au milieu de la faune sauvage et de la nature, des aventures et beaucoup de Love. Des personnages drôles et attachants.
Des lectures réconfortantes qui donnent le sourire.

[Dawn · Rating 5 out of 5]

A really enjoyable read filled with humour, steam and relationship goals. Nine stories, all totally different but based around camping and travelling by nine brilliant authors.

I highly recommend you grab yourself a copy.

[Sandy Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved all the stories. They were so good. I even found a couple of new author's that I want to try out. I received an ARC of this book and I am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Daniele Romano · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enjoyed all the stories! Some favorites & added new favorite authors to my list.

[DLB2572 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good Collection
I enjoyed reading this collection of stories. Each one was interesting and entertaining.

I received an ARC and this is my unbiased opinion

[DD · Rating 4 out of 5]

This anthology was so dang good! Some were better than others, I only didn’t finish one, but it was overall a great book. It’s eclectic, it’s fun, it’s got something for everyone. This book is well well worth the read!

[Denise · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great collection of short novella’s, each story gives you a chance to check out that author’s writing style I’ve read and enjoyed stories stories from some of these authors before and now I’ve a few more authors to check out in the future, overall a good read and good selection of travel and camping related stories to enjoy. Well worth a read.

[DMCechak · Rating 5 out of 5]

Packing - Our Hearts With Love

‘I stared into the crystal-clear night sky and imagined what it would be like to immortalize someone with their own star. Was there any kind of permanence for Reed and me? Anything lasting? A love written on the stars like they had?’ Duckie Mack from Coworkers, Cold Nights & Cryptids

Michaela Cole - Attitude Adjustment
Matthew Dante - A Campfire Confession
Jeris Jean - At Arm’s Length
S.M. Landon - When in France
Duckie Mack - Coworkers, Cold Nights & Cryptids
Garry Michael - Bare Naked
Kota Quinn - Packing for My Nerd
Michael Robert - Hate at First Sight
Harper Robson - Chasing Home

These nine authors have written funny, steamy, emotional, sensual, and heart-warming stories of found love, in some of the most unusual ways. Usually, you find a handful of reading wonder in an anthology, but I can happily share that every one of these stories holds up as a delightful MM romantic escape for readers.

Meeting each of these men, and following their stories of finally finding happiness, was such an enjoyable journey. Packing is one of the best anthologies I have ever read!

[A.E. Jensen · Rating 5 out of 5]

🍁 ARC Review - Hate at First Sight 🍁

This novella is author Michael Robert’s sexy little hurt/comfort contribution to the Packing Anthology.

I had the absolute pleasure of ARC reading this steamy little treat 🔥

On paper, Blake and Dirk shouldn’t work and it is truly—as the title promises—hate at first sight! That doesn’t mean that they are not—annoyingly, of course—attracted to each other. They are. They pretty much check off each other’s spank bank lists.

As a somewhat loner, the grumpy, yet VERY hunky, park ranger Dirk plans to spend the next three months at the forest station with just a bottle of lube and his right hand for company.

The last thing he is expecting is an intruder—heartbroken city boy Blake—to enter the scene, underequipped in his outdoorsy gear, but certainly packing a lot more than Dirk initially thinks.

I’m not gonna go all spoiler mode, but let’s just say that this novella ends up becoming a lot more than just a classic “I hate you but let’s fuck our brains out” story.

For both MCs, the encounter becomes an emotional journey of mutual healing. A second chance at life and at love.

Adding the forced proximity and Dirk’s hilarious internal monologue as King of Grumpiness, the scene is set for a heart warming story filled with sexy banter and plenty of steam.

I highly recommend checking out this novella!
Thank you for another great read, Michael!

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