This post includes reviews of selections from the contemporary half of the 7th volume of Heart2Heart charity anthology.
Brie Mine
Charlie Novak
I have a soft spot for book nerds, being one myself, and I loved that Sage and Benedict first connected in chat conversations over their love of books and reading, especially since they didn’t have exactly similar tastes. The subtle, concurrent meet-cute involving books borrowed from a little free library near where the two men live and work was a swoony addition to this sweet romance. As always, Novak also made me hungry while reading her work–and not just for cheese! [5 stars]
Mixed Signals
E.M. Lindsey
Lindsey subverts the premise of this collection by orchestrating a meet-cute between Mads and Nix that occurs exactly as the H2H app says it will…just with the wrong person. These stories don’t have a ton of room for character development, but these two heroes are set up early on as obviously needing someone who sees beyond what makes them unique. However, the best part about how Lindsey writes their characters is how their uniqueness is framed as how any person is unique, not centering the differences on physical or psychological limitations. The connection between Mads and Nix is immediate and flawless, setting up a perfectly lovely “happily for now” moment. I would love to see this full relationship in an expanded work because I know there’s so much more depth there to explore. [5 stars]
August’s Thief
Fearne Hill
This was a sweet and swoony story. I adored August and Dawson for the role they served in this short narrative, even if they probably would have fallen a little flat for a longer work. The twist of why Dawson was a thief was completely unexpected, but this surprise character very much felt like a part of the relationship being woven together and not merely a plot device. I was a bit confused about how this story fit into the “contemporary” edition of this collection, which became an unfortunate distraction that I probably wouldn’t have blinked at if this story had been in the “paranormal” collection. [4 stars]
Meat Cute
Kelly Fox
Don’t let the punny title fool you. This story was equal parts sweet, funny, and spicy. Rhys and Sev aren’t quite like any other character Fox has written, but they feature the same unique elements that make all of Fox’s relationships a joy to read. Much of the developing relationship between them is based on chemistry that burns up the sheets, with a dash of kink to keep things interesting, but the external scenes show how much these men mean to each other. I’m not sure whether Fox is planning another series based on the fun rugby team characters, but like any of her books, I’d happily read them in a heartbeat. [5 stars]
Overall Rating: 5 (out of 5) stars
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