1. Water Temperature by Andie Biagini -- ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ This was my favorite story out of the whole bunch. I really loved the connection between Madison and the sea monster, and the telepathy aspect was pretty cool. I also liked that Luis and Madison were two humans who were just trying to do the right thing, and treat animals kindly that might otherwise be misunderstood. 2. Focal Point by J. Bigelow -- ⭐⭐⭐⭐ I liked this take on mediums and spirits, but I got a bit confused when it came to the actual battle. I would have liked a clearer description of the actual magic involved, because I was really interested. 3. Forever Love by M.T. DeSantis -- ⭐⭐⭐ Both characters, the human Karli and the fae Ellowyn, felt wildly underdeveloped except for their unparalleled angst. I could have done with more backstory for Karli--why was she at the dance? How did her grandmother factor in? I liked seeing Ellowyn open up and how her anger melted away. Of course, I think in real life relationships take much longer than this and connections aren’t usually love at first sight, but I can overlook that for a romance short story. 4. Blood Strong by Traci Douglass -- ⭐⭐⭐ I felt like the main antagonist -- the religious anti-magic zealots -- kind of came out of nowhere. I would have liked to see a longstanding conflict come to a breaking point with more buildup. However, I appreciated the emphasis that men don’t have to be burly and unfeeling, and they can like home decor and cooking too. 5. The Flying Saltines Read Gallo -- ⭐⭐⭐⭐ This was a really fun story about a river spirit and her efforts to keep the universe in line. It was kind of in the spirit of the last dragonslayer at first, but i thought the story would have worked better if the characters were just friends. (I know it’s a romance anthology, but still). The story was adventurous and wacky, and overall pretty cool. 6. Full Moon Shenanigans by Pepper McGraw -- ⭐⭐⭐ I appreciated the role reversal, especially since mating stories are usually “big strong man protect small girl,” and this turned that trope on its head, but on the whole I just didn’t connect to the world. 7. A Change of Heart by Cara McKinnon-- ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Really excellent example of a mate story, Nathan was very respectful of Zoe’s wishes, and helped her figure out her family stuff. Their connection was more about mutual understanding and appreciation than ripping each others’ clothes off. Definitely one of my favorites. I also liked the focus on family acceptance, and how Nathan’s family helped Zoe was very sweet to me. 8. The Robinson Agency by Sheri Queen -- ⭐⭐⭐⭐ This story about psychics took an unexpected but rewarding turn, and i was a fan! I won’t spoil anything, but I really liked the aunts. They were fun and adorable. Later on, I got kind of confused with the backstory that was introduced, but on the whole I enjoyed it.
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The BaronessHey, I'm Shreya! I love to read, write, travel, and drink tea. Disclosure: I am an affiliate of bookshop.org and I will earn a small commission if you click the above link and make a purchase.
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