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zaza_bdp's review against another edition
3.0
Never have I have ever ... cold-called a stranger's phone number - A.M Arthur
Moui bon c'est pas mal, l'idée de base est sympa mais je sais que j'aurai oublié cette histoire d'ici quelques jours. Je n'ai pas trop aimé Charlie, en fait. :/
Never have I have ever ... flown in a airplane - Neve Wilder
Un petit récit sympa qui sent bon l'Italie et m'a donné envie de retourner là-bas !
Never have I have ever ... watched the Godfather - S.E Harmon
Alors celle-là, elle est mignonne comme tout, et j'ai retrouvé avec plaisir la plume de S.E Harmon ! ♥
Moui bon c'est pas mal, l'idée de base est sympa mais je sais que j'aurai oublié cette histoire d'ici quelques jours. Je n'ai pas trop aimé Charlie, en fait. :/
Never have I have ever ... flown in a airplane - Neve Wilder
Un petit récit sympa qui sent bon l'Italie et m'a donné envie de retourner là-bas !
Never have I have ever ... watched the Godfather - S.E Harmon
Alors celle-là, elle est mignonne comme tout, et j'ai retrouvé avec plaisir la plume de S.E Harmon ! ♥
asteroula_t's review against another edition
4.0
I love reading anthologies!
You discover new authors and you just have a short reminder of why you like the ones you already know.
Lucy Lennox and her "Never Have I Ever... Fallen in Love is in the latter category:
Her story is an insta-lust/love romance that leaves you with the fuzziest feeling. There is enough cuteness and steam to love this short story. It even takes place in Alaska... which was a first for me!
Alice Winters Never Have I Ever... Ridden a Bike: The most outrageous and hilarious MM romance story I've ever read. Best friends to lovers but the funny bunter out staged everything... New to me author and I immediately checked her other books. I do hope everything is hilarious as this one.
E.M Lindsey Never Have I Ever... Worn That For Halloween: Even though I read all the stories, I picked this story from the others because it is the sweetest best friends to lovers story I've ever read. The way they discover each other, even though they knew everything about one another is just the cutest thing ever!
P.s. The rest of the stories are equally lovely to read, but a girl can have her favorites.
Thank you @ gayromancereviews for the ARC!
You discover new authors and you just have a short reminder of why you like the ones you already know.
Lucy Lennox and her "Never Have I Ever... Fallen in Love is in the latter category:
Her story is an insta-lust/love romance that leaves you with the fuzziest feeling. There is enough cuteness and steam to love this short story. It even takes place in Alaska... which was a first for me!
Alice Winters Never Have I Ever... Ridden a Bike: The most outrageous and hilarious MM romance story I've ever read. Best friends to lovers but the funny bunter out staged everything... New to me author and I immediately checked her other books. I do hope everything is hilarious as this one.
E.M Lindsey Never Have I Ever... Worn That For Halloween: Even though I read all the stories, I picked this story from the others because it is the sweetest best friends to lovers story I've ever read. The way they discover each other, even though they knew everything about one another is just the cutest thing ever!
P.s. The rest of the stories are equally lovely to read, but a girl can have her favorites.
Thank you @ gayromancereviews for the ARC!
layla87's review against another edition
5.0
Reviewing the following novellas:
1. Never Have I ever... Been On A Date by Tal Bauer ( 5 stars)
This was classic Tal--->
- Powerful characters
- Amazing prose
- Suspense and thrill
- Sweet Romance
- Intricate details and world building.
I just loved this romance with the Antarctica backdrop, I just needed a steamy scene Tal! But oh well...We can't get everything we want.
2. Never Have I Ever...Watched The Godfather by SE Harmon (5 stars)
This novella was such a delight in all the ways!
- Ex-Teacher-student romance
- Age Gap
- Sweet dates
- Sexy Steam
- Romantic gestures
It was a great novella that didn't feel rushed or incomplete.
3. Never Have I Ever... Flown In An Airplane by Neve Wilder (3.5 stars)
This was also classic Neve.
- Hot sex
- Loveable characters
- Cute moments
However, I did feel like it needed a bit more depth/substance. It felt rushed towards the end. I felt that 1 more chapter would have gone a long way towards making me believe in this couple. Sure they were hot and sexy together. I enjoyed their dates. But the last chapter was too abrupt imo.
4. Never Have I Ever ... Worn That For Halloween by EM Lindsey (5 stars)
This novella both surprised and delighted me. It was a whole novel condensed in a novella nd it was done beautifully!
- Best Friends To Lovers
- Secret Pining from both MCs
- One hot AF sex scene
- Great secondary characters.
I loved every page of this novella and would gladly read more of this couple!
5. Never have I Ever... Called A Stranger's Phone Number. (4 stars)
This was another delightful surprise.
- The premise
- The Roommates to lovers
- The Secret Crush
- The secret planning to be together.
It was all so cute and sweet and it gave me a big smile on my face.
Note that all the proceeds of this anthology go to LGBTQ charities.
1. Never Have I ever... Been On A Date by Tal Bauer ( 5 stars)
This was classic Tal--->
- Powerful characters
- Amazing prose
- Suspense and thrill
- Sweet Romance
- Intricate details and world building.
I just loved this romance with the Antarctica backdrop, I just needed a steamy scene Tal! But oh well...We can't get everything we want.
2. Never Have I Ever...Watched The Godfather by SE Harmon (5 stars)
This novella was such a delight in all the ways!
- Ex-Teacher-student romance
- Age Gap
- Sweet dates
- Sexy Steam
- Romantic gestures
It was a great novella that didn't feel rushed or incomplete.
3. Never Have I Ever... Flown In An Airplane by Neve Wilder (3.5 stars)
This was also classic Neve.
- Hot sex
- Loveable characters
- Cute moments
However, I did feel like it needed a bit more depth/substance. It felt rushed towards the end. I felt that 1 more chapter would have gone a long way towards making me believe in this couple. Sure they were hot and sexy together. I enjoyed their dates. But the last chapter was too abrupt imo.
4. Never Have I Ever ... Worn That For Halloween by EM Lindsey (5 stars)
This novella both surprised and delighted me. It was a whole novel condensed in a novella nd it was done beautifully!
- Best Friends To Lovers
- Secret Pining from both MCs
- One hot AF sex scene
- Great secondary characters.
I loved every page of this novella and would gladly read more of this couple!
5. Never have I Ever... Called A Stranger's Phone Number. (4 stars)
This was another delightful surprise.
- The premise
- The Roommates to lovers
- The Secret Crush
- The secret planning to be together.
It was all so cute and sweet and it gave me a big smile on my face.
Note that all the proceeds of this anthology go to LGBTQ charities.
bronwynheeley's review against another edition
4.0
I love these anthologies. not only are they cute, fun and lovely stories but they are also a great way to either remember authors you've forgotten you've loved or find some new authors to look into. it is also a great way to help a charity
I never disliked any story and loved some so much it was just overall fun
I never disliked any story and loved some so much it was just overall fun
dutchtreat's review against another edition
5.0
All great novellas from some of my favorite authors (only one new-to-me!), I loved how most took the opportunity to try something -a character, a setting, a trope- new for them, yet I could still pick out their voice in their story. Even more so, I appreciated how the stories were laid out for a cohesive flow that helped build throughout (because, yes, I read it straight through).
Thank you for writing to support charity and giving us an opportunity to do the same by reading authors we love!
Thank you for writing to support charity and giving us an opportunity to do the same by reading authors we love!
kaitlin_durante's review against another edition
4.0
I read each story because I commit even when there were authors I know I don't love or I've never heard of before.
My top stories were definitely:
1. Never Have I Ever... Ridden a Bike by Alice Winters (I'm a big Winters fan so when this story ended up being ridiculous, silly and sweet I was a happy camper).
2. Never Have I Ever... by Lucy Lennox (another author that is not new to me but I loved her story).
3. Never Have I Ever... Gotten Lost by K. Webster (new to me author - the MCs just really worked for me and I definitely loved how "too much" Hunter was).
4. Never Have I Ever... Watched the Godfather by S.E. Harmon (another author I've read before but minimally and I just loved Levi and Ashton).
My top stories were definitely:
1. Never Have I Ever... Ridden a Bike by Alice Winters (I'm a big Winters fan so when this story ended up being ridiculous, silly and sweet I was a happy camper).
2. Never Have I Ever... by Lucy Lennox (another author that is not new to me but I loved her story).
3. Never Have I Ever... Gotten Lost by K. Webster (new to me author - the MCs just really worked for me and I definitely loved how "too much" Hunter was).
4. Never Have I Ever... Watched the Godfather by S.E. Harmon (another author I've read before but minimally and I just loved Levi and Ashton).
valerieullmerauthor's review against another edition
5.0
Another wonderful anthology of stories, this time with the theme of never have I ever. While there are standouts, such as Lucy Lennox's Never Have I Ever Fallen in love and Spencer Spear's Never Have I Ever Kissed Someone on the Lips, the entire anthology has wonderful stories with memorable characters. I enjoyed each one and I highly recommend this anthology!
ofbooksandromance's review against another edition
4.0
I really enjoy reading short stories and I love discovering new to me authors, and I really enjoy the idea of this anthology, which is all about characters doing something that they have never done before. I enjoyed a lot of stories in this anthology and I had a really good time discovering some new authors that I really want to read more books from and I had a lot of fun reading new stories from authors that I love.
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Never Have I Ever … Fallen in Love by Lucy Lennox
Rating: 2.5 stars
Themes of the story: Traveling, falling in love
Blurb: Jonah is traveling to Alaska for work and he has to do something he has never done before. When taking a small plane to get there, he meets Pete, the pilot. And they end up falling in love.
Thoughts on the story: I absolutely loved the ambiance of this one. I live in a remote small town, really far from any city, so I always love when books happen in places like that. And it was the case of this story and I loved reading about it, so much. This story really nailed the remote small town ambiance, it felt like I was really living in that town.
This story was incredibly sweet but sadly it just wasn’t for me. I had a hard time connecting to the characters and to the story. And the story was a little too dramatic for me, which is just not my preference when it comes to books.
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Never Have I Ever … Cold Called A Stranger’s Phone Number by A.M. Arthur
Rating: 3.5 stars
Themes of the story: Friends to lovers, idiots in love who don’t know how to tell each other their feelings
Blurb: Charlie keeps being told by his roommate Jasper that he is boring. One day, he is in the library and he finds a bookmark in a fantasy says that says for a good time call a certain number, so he calls the number to prove to Jasper that he isn’t boring.
Thoughts on the story: This is a friends to lovers with two guys that have always been into each other but don’t know how to tell each other. I love reading about lovable idiots that just want to date each other but don’t know how to approach each other so this one really worked for me. This short story was so damn hilarious. Also I really like awkward little moments in stories and this one had a lot of it and I really enjoyed it. I also really liked how this story handled the trope it took on, it was a nice take on the trope and I appreciated it. Also damn was this story sweet, I had a really good time reading it.
I wish that these people were a little better at communication because I often got a little annoyed at the fact that they just didn’t really talk to each other about the important things.
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Never Have I Ever … Ridden A Bike by Alice Winters
Rating: 2 stars
Themes of the story: Friends to lovers, being at the wrong place at the wrong moment
Blurb: Owen has been in love with his roomate Lance for ages but he doesn’t know how to tell him. There is mixed packages involved and they end up being threatened by a random dude with a knife that wants to kill them and their cat. But don’t worry, they have each other through it all.
Thoughts on the story: This style of story just isn’t my prefered style. I don’t like high drama and over the top plots in books and thats exactly what this story was. This story read exactly as an episode of Days of our Lives and thats just not my prefered thing to read about.
——————
Never Have I Ever … Dyed My Hair Flaming Red by Daryl Banner
Rating:3.5 stars
Themes of the story: Falling in love, living out your dreams
Blurb: Zakary is the stagehand in a theatre company, he doesn’t like to stand out in a crowd, which is why he never acted in any plays, even if it’s his dream to do so. While working on a play, Zakary falls for the director of the play, Jonatho.
Thoughts on the story: I loved how much of the story was about the play that they were putting on, that was so much fun to read about. And I loved reading about how Zakary lounged to be in the play himself, that was wonderful to read about. I loved the clear messaging of needing to believe in yourself and in your dreams that this story had, it was lovely to read about. This story was super sweet and I really enjoyed reading it.
This story felt exactly like a rom-com, which are just not my favourites type of stories, but it nailed that kind of vibe perfectly.
——————
Never Have I Ever … Worn That For Halloween by E.M. Lindsey
Rating: 5 stars
Themes of the story: Best friends to lovers
Blurb: Dom has been pinning for his best friend Siloh since they were kids, they have been friends for 20 years. They finally realize that they both have been pining for each other for all this time and they get together.
Thoughts on the story: This might be a short story but it packed one hell of an emotional punch. I was full on ugly crying while reading most of this story. This short story had me on the edge of my seat not so patiently waiting what would happen next, the way everything was build up really worked for me and I loved following these characters on their journey.
I love pining in books and the pining in this book was absolutely exceptional. They both had been pining for each other for ages and I just loved reading about that so much. What I love in best friends to lovers books is when the two characters know each other and sound like they have been friends for a long time and Siloh and Dom knew everything about each other and I loved it, I just loved how realistic their friendship felt. Also this was really hot. It had all of the flavours I love in a short story and did everything perfectly. I absolutely adored this short story and I would love a longer book of this story because I just want more of this story, it was absolutely perfect to me.
——————
Never Have I Ever … Sung in Public by Jodi Payne
Rating: 3 stars
Themes of the story: High school crushes meeting up again after a while, facing your fears
Blurb: Nathaniel writes on a blog post about how he never sung in public. Ethan sees him and reconizes him from high school. Turns out that Nathaniel had a crush on Ethan in high school but he never did anything about it. But now they reunite and get together, including some singing in public from Nathaniel.
Thoughts on the story: This story was so damn sweet. I’m a really big fan of the premise where someone has had a crush on someone before and they meet later on in life and they fall in love and the way it was done in this story was so sweet. I loved seeing Nathaniel do what always scared him and I loved how eager Ethan was to help him.
I wish we got a couple more scenes of Ethan and Nathaniel being a couple, thats all that this short story was missing for me. But it was a sweet story with a really nice set up and it was a lot of fun to read.
——————
Never Have I Ever … Gotten Lost by K. Webster
Rating: 4 stars
Themes of the story: First meetings, falling in love
Blurb: Hunter is browsing the Heart2Heart forum when he finds a tread about never having gotten lost, and he is fascinated by the idea. He meets Andrew, another guy who has never gotten lost and they decide to get lost together.
Thoughts on the story: I enjoyed this one so much. It set a really magical atmosphere and it was just the perfect balance of sweet, heart warming and tear jerking. This short story got tears out of me because I was so invested in the characters and how their lives would go.
I absolutely loved the characters in this, Andrew is on the autism spectrum and he’s always been told that he’s too much. While Hunter has always been told that he’s not enough because he is too serious, boring and doesn’t have much emotions. But they both didn’t see that about the other and thought that they were perfect just like they are. And I loved that so much. And the romance, it was so damn sweet. I loved how they adored each other and how they worshiped the ground that the other walks on. . Also their banter was just the best. These characters had such a good connection and it showed through their every actions.
——————
Never Have I Ever … Taken a Vacation by Kate Hawthorne
Rating: —
Themes of the story: Open relationships, people in an established relationship that meet someone new, MMM
Blurb: Milo is a travel blogger who has a travel blog where he talks about the food and the people he has sex with when he travels somewhere. While on a flight to New Orleans, Milo meets Jermaine, a flight attendant. Also, Jermaine is in an open relationship with his best friend Gage and they all end up having an interest in each other.
Thoughts on the story: I decided to not rate this story because while it was really hot and I enjoyed those scenes, I just don’t like reading about people in open relationships. There is nothing wrong with the story, it’s just not a topic for me or one that I enjoy reading about, to be honest it’s kind of a triggering topic for me. This story just wasn’t for me, but Kate Hawthorne has written what probably will be my favourite book that I have read this year, so I already know her other books work for me, this story was just an exception to that rule.
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Never Have I Ever … Spent The Night With Blanche by Louisa Masters
Rating: 2 stars
Themes of the story: First meetings, watching the Golden Girls
Blurb: Fin has never seen an episode of the Golden Girls and he says that on the Heart2Heart forum and Clay decides to work with a local place so that they organize a Golden Girls marathon. Fin and Clay meet there and they fall in love.
Thoughts on the story: This was super sweet and I really wish that I could have gotten into the story. But alas, i’m just not the target audience for this one. I have seen a grand total of zero episodes of the Golden Girls and I have no desire to change that number any time soon, so a lot of the references and details about the show were lost on me. I’m sure this story would be lovely and a hit on any fan of the show because there is a lot of talk about the show and references to the show, it’s just not for me.
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Never Have I Ever … Had a Makeover by Mia Monroe
Rating: 2.5 stars
Themes of the story: First meetings, falling in love, opposite attracts
Blurb: Constantine just went through a break up where his ex called him boring and his friend makes him get a makeover. Thats where he meets the stylist, Deacon. They end up falling into bed together and then they fall in love.
Thoughts on the story: If there is one thing I love in books, it's a good subversion of tropes. Which this story is and I really loved that part of the story. This story is about a very well known trope, the twink and the bear, but I liked how it took a twist on the typical way this trope is done.
This one was so damn sweet and it was the exact type of stories I love to read about but I didn't really like the style in which this story was writen, the writing was a little too dramatic and over the top for me, I prefer subdue characters and plots over over the top ones and this story was a little too on the over the top side for me. But I think it would be perfect for anyone who loves this kind of writing style in books.
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Never Have I Ever … Flown In An Airplane by Neve Wilder
Rating: 4 stars
Themes of the story: Conquering your feers, first meetings, falling in love
Blurb: Beau is scared of flying in a plane and he is taking a trip to Italy. While at the airport’s bar, he meets a flight attendant, Jack. Turns out that they are sitting beside each other in the plane and Jack helps Beau while he is panicking on the plane.
Thoughts on the story: Beau was so scared of taking a plane and I loved reading about all of his thoughts as he flew for the first time, as someone who was scared of planes before I took one for the first time, it was very relatable to read about and I really enjoyed it. This is so sweet, it was so heartwarmingly sweet and I loved it so much. I loved all of the little movies, tv shows and music references in this one, it was so much fun to read them all. Plus there was a really hot sex scene in this one. This short story had everything I could ever want in a short story and I loved it so much. This was just one of the sweetest short story I have ever read and I absolutely loved it, so much.
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Never Have I Ever … Gone Skinny Dipping by Riley Hart
Rating: 4.25 stars
Themes of the story: Second chance at love, falling in love
Blurb:Mickey met a guy online when he was a teen and they had plans to go skinny dipping the first time they met up but Mickey got too scared to go and he never heard of the guy again. It’s been 8 years since then and Mickey is a romance novel writer and he always goes to the same coffee shop to write his books, because he has a crush on the owner, Ronan. Mickey decides to ask Ronan on a date and they live out Mickey’s dreams and fantasies.
Thoughts on the story: This was so sweet. This story melted my entire heart and left me with the biggest smile on my face. I love shy and awkward narrators, the ones who don’t really know how to interact with people and Mickey was exactly that and it made the chapters in his point of view really delightful to read for me. I love pining in books and there was a lot pining in this one, so I really loved reading about that. I also loved how even it it’s a short story there was a lot of page time dedicated to Mickey and Ronan talking to each other and bounding. I really enjoyed how a lot of the story was just them getting to know each other, it was really fun to read about. Also the sex scenes were really good and very damn hot.
I just wish that the story was a little more developed, I know that it’s a short story but it brought up some plot points that I felt like they weren’t developed enough and I just wanted a to learn a little more about those.
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Never Have I Ever … Watched The Godfather by S.E. Harmon
Rating: 4.5 stars
Themes of the story: Second chance, falling in love while watching classic movies
Blurb: Ashton told his friend how he hasn't seen the Godfather and his friend could not believe it so Ashton writes a message on a message board about how he's looking for a date to watch movies with at the local movies in the park event. He finds a date in Levi. Turns out that they have an history together and that they spend the summer reconnecting while watching movies together and they fall in love.
Thoughts on the story: This short story had my heart just because of the premise of it. Two characters who goes to movie dates to see classic movies is one of my favourite thing to read about and I love every movie mentioned in this story, so reading about the characters watching them was an absolute blast for me. And I also adored the romance in this one, it was so damn sweet and so romantic and I loved it so much. I loved everything about this story: their banter was so so good, the sex scenes were lovely, the relationship between Ashton and Levi was so sweet, how much they cared about each other and also complimented each other and made each other feel good was just the sweetest thing, the fact that they wanted each other and told each as much and fought to be together really worked for me.
I really enjoyed the characters in this story but I must admit that Ashton lost me as a fan the second he said that Rear Window is boring and that he hasn't seen Citien Kane, i’m just not sure I can forgive him for such statements, they really hurt my poor soul. But I think we can say that I enjoyed a main character when the only thing I disgreed with is his taste in movies.
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Never Have I Ever … Kissed Someone on the Lips by Spencer Spears
Rating: 4 stars
Themes of the story: First meetings, first times, sexual exploration
Blurb: West is looking out of the window when he sees a thief stealing diamonds from his neighbours house. The thief sees him and goes to visit him. They start talking and West has never been kissed so he blackmails the thief into giving him his first kiss in exchange of him not ratting out the thief.
Thoughts on the story: I enjoyed this story so damn much. The set up was absolutely hilarious in the best way possible and it lead to some really good banter between the main characters and some really sweet and some really hot scenes. This one was the perfect balance of everything I enjoy in a short story and I had such a fun time reading this story. This was pretty much the perfect short story for me and I would take atleast 20 books exactly like this, I love the idea so much and I just want more. This is a new to me author and this short story really sold me on checking out more of this author’s books.
I must admit that I had a hard time understanding how West, who has anxiety, was having his first time with a total stranger and didn’t seem very anxious about the situation, but that was my only thing I enjoyed less in this story, I enjoyed everything else about it.
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Never Have I Ever … Been On A Date by Tal Bauer
Rating: 4.5 stars
Themes of the story: Long term crushes, love declaration, polar horror
Blurb: This story is set in Antartica, where there is a lot of scientists exploring and trying to learn more about it. In the lot, there is Cletus, a pilot and Damien, a palentologist. They are sent on a rescue mission to find a scientist who dissapeared and Cletus and Damien have been pining for each other and they finally tell each other how they feel.
Thoughts on the story: I have every Tal Bauer book TBR but I haven’t read any of them yet, but damn did this short story made me want to read all of his books. This short story was exactly my speed and I loved it. The ambiance in this story was absolutely wonderful. The way everything was described was so fascinating and I loved it so much. And I loved all of the descriptions of Antartica, they were so vivid that it really made me feel like I was exploring the place with the main characters.
And the romance in this story was so damn sweet it just melted my heart. It was absolutely lovely and I just adored Cletus and Damien together, they made a wonderful pair. And I loved how much pining there was in this story. And I loved how both characters were super well developed and fleshed out.
I received an ARC of this book, and this is my honest review.
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Never Have I Ever … Fallen in Love by Lucy Lennox
Rating: 2.5 stars
Themes of the story: Traveling, falling in love
Blurb: Jonah is traveling to Alaska for work and he has to do something he has never done before. When taking a small plane to get there, he meets Pete, the pilot. And they end up falling in love.
Thoughts on the story: I absolutely loved the ambiance of this one. I live in a remote small town, really far from any city, so I always love when books happen in places like that. And it was the case of this story and I loved reading about it, so much. This story really nailed the remote small town ambiance, it felt like I was really living in that town.
This story was incredibly sweet but sadly it just wasn’t for me. I had a hard time connecting to the characters and to the story. And the story was a little too dramatic for me, which is just not my preference when it comes to books.
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Never Have I Ever … Cold Called A Stranger’s Phone Number by A.M. Arthur
Rating: 3.5 stars
Themes of the story: Friends to lovers, idiots in love who don’t know how to tell each other their feelings
Blurb: Charlie keeps being told by his roommate Jasper that he is boring. One day, he is in the library and he finds a bookmark in a fantasy says that says for a good time call a certain number, so he calls the number to prove to Jasper that he isn’t boring.
Thoughts on the story: This is a friends to lovers with two guys that have always been into each other but don’t know how to tell each other. I love reading about lovable idiots that just want to date each other but don’t know how to approach each other so this one really worked for me. This short story was so damn hilarious. Also I really like awkward little moments in stories and this one had a lot of it and I really enjoyed it. I also really liked how this story handled the trope it took on, it was a nice take on the trope and I appreciated it. Also damn was this story sweet, I had a really good time reading it.
I wish that these people were a little better at communication because I often got a little annoyed at the fact that they just didn’t really talk to each other about the important things.
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Never Have I Ever … Ridden A Bike by Alice Winters
Rating: 2 stars
Themes of the story: Friends to lovers, being at the wrong place at the wrong moment
Blurb: Owen has been in love with his roomate Lance for ages but he doesn’t know how to tell him. There is mixed packages involved and they end up being threatened by a random dude with a knife that wants to kill them and their cat. But don’t worry, they have each other through it all.
Thoughts on the story: This style of story just isn’t my prefered style. I don’t like high drama and over the top plots in books and thats exactly what this story was. This story read exactly as an episode of Days of our Lives and thats just not my prefered thing to read about.
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Never Have I Ever … Dyed My Hair Flaming Red by Daryl Banner
Rating:3.5 stars
Themes of the story: Falling in love, living out your dreams
Blurb: Zakary is the stagehand in a theatre company, he doesn’t like to stand out in a crowd, which is why he never acted in any plays, even if it’s his dream to do so. While working on a play, Zakary falls for the director of the play, Jonatho.
Thoughts on the story: I loved how much of the story was about the play that they were putting on, that was so much fun to read about. And I loved reading about how Zakary lounged to be in the play himself, that was wonderful to read about. I loved the clear messaging of needing to believe in yourself and in your dreams that this story had, it was lovely to read about. This story was super sweet and I really enjoyed reading it.
This story felt exactly like a rom-com, which are just not my favourites type of stories, but it nailed that kind of vibe perfectly.
——————
Never Have I Ever … Worn That For Halloween by E.M. Lindsey
Rating: 5 stars
Themes of the story: Best friends to lovers
Blurb: Dom has been pinning for his best friend Siloh since they were kids, they have been friends for 20 years. They finally realize that they both have been pining for each other for all this time and they get together.
Thoughts on the story: This might be a short story but it packed one hell of an emotional punch. I was full on ugly crying while reading most of this story. This short story had me on the edge of my seat not so patiently waiting what would happen next, the way everything was build up really worked for me and I loved following these characters on their journey.
I love pining in books and the pining in this book was absolutely exceptional. They both had been pining for each other for ages and I just loved reading about that so much. What I love in best friends to lovers books is when the two characters know each other and sound like they have been friends for a long time and Siloh and Dom knew everything about each other and I loved it, I just loved how realistic their friendship felt. Also this was really hot. It had all of the flavours I love in a short story and did everything perfectly. I absolutely adored this short story and I would love a longer book of this story because I just want more of this story, it was absolutely perfect to me.
——————
Never Have I Ever … Sung in Public by Jodi Payne
Rating: 3 stars
Themes of the story: High school crushes meeting up again after a while, facing your fears
Blurb: Nathaniel writes on a blog post about how he never sung in public. Ethan sees him and reconizes him from high school. Turns out that Nathaniel had a crush on Ethan in high school but he never did anything about it. But now they reunite and get together, including some singing in public from Nathaniel.
Thoughts on the story: This story was so damn sweet. I’m a really big fan of the premise where someone has had a crush on someone before and they meet later on in life and they fall in love and the way it was done in this story was so sweet. I loved seeing Nathaniel do what always scared him and I loved how eager Ethan was to help him.
I wish we got a couple more scenes of Ethan and Nathaniel being a couple, thats all that this short story was missing for me. But it was a sweet story with a really nice set up and it was a lot of fun to read.
——————
Never Have I Ever … Gotten Lost by K. Webster
Rating: 4 stars
Themes of the story: First meetings, falling in love
Blurb: Hunter is browsing the Heart2Heart forum when he finds a tread about never having gotten lost, and he is fascinated by the idea. He meets Andrew, another guy who has never gotten lost and they decide to get lost together.
Thoughts on the story: I enjoyed this one so much. It set a really magical atmosphere and it was just the perfect balance of sweet, heart warming and tear jerking. This short story got tears out of me because I was so invested in the characters and how their lives would go.
I absolutely loved the characters in this, Andrew is on the autism spectrum and he’s always been told that he’s too much. While Hunter has always been told that he’s not enough because he is too serious, boring and doesn’t have much emotions. But they both didn’t see that about the other and thought that they were perfect just like they are. And I loved that so much. And the romance, it was so damn sweet. I loved how they adored each other and how they worshiped the ground that the other walks on. . Also their banter was just the best. These characters had such a good connection and it showed through their every actions.
——————
Never Have I Ever … Taken a Vacation by Kate Hawthorne
Rating: —
Themes of the story: Open relationships, people in an established relationship that meet someone new, MMM
Blurb: Milo is a travel blogger who has a travel blog where he talks about the food and the people he has sex with when he travels somewhere. While on a flight to New Orleans, Milo meets Jermaine, a flight attendant. Also, Jermaine is in an open relationship with his best friend Gage and they all end up having an interest in each other.
Thoughts on the story: I decided to not rate this story because while it was really hot and I enjoyed those scenes, I just don’t like reading about people in open relationships. There is nothing wrong with the story, it’s just not a topic for me or one that I enjoy reading about, to be honest it’s kind of a triggering topic for me. This story just wasn’t for me, but Kate Hawthorne has written what probably will be my favourite book that I have read this year, so I already know her other books work for me, this story was just an exception to that rule.
——————
Never Have I Ever … Spent The Night With Blanche by Louisa Masters
Rating: 2 stars
Themes of the story: First meetings, watching the Golden Girls
Blurb: Fin has never seen an episode of the Golden Girls and he says that on the Heart2Heart forum and Clay decides to work with a local place so that they organize a Golden Girls marathon. Fin and Clay meet there and they fall in love.
Thoughts on the story: This was super sweet and I really wish that I could have gotten into the story. But alas, i’m just not the target audience for this one. I have seen a grand total of zero episodes of the Golden Girls and I have no desire to change that number any time soon, so a lot of the references and details about the show were lost on me. I’m sure this story would be lovely and a hit on any fan of the show because there is a lot of talk about the show and references to the show, it’s just not for me.
——————
Never Have I Ever … Had a Makeover by Mia Monroe
Rating: 2.5 stars
Themes of the story: First meetings, falling in love, opposite attracts
Blurb: Constantine just went through a break up where his ex called him boring and his friend makes him get a makeover. Thats where he meets the stylist, Deacon. They end up falling into bed together and then they fall in love.
Thoughts on the story: If there is one thing I love in books, it's a good subversion of tropes. Which this story is and I really loved that part of the story. This story is about a very well known trope, the twink and the bear, but I liked how it took a twist on the typical way this trope is done.
This one was so damn sweet and it was the exact type of stories I love to read about but I didn't really like the style in which this story was writen, the writing was a little too dramatic and over the top for me, I prefer subdue characters and plots over over the top ones and this story was a little too on the over the top side for me. But I think it would be perfect for anyone who loves this kind of writing style in books.
——————
Never Have I Ever … Flown In An Airplane by Neve Wilder
Rating: 4 stars
Themes of the story: Conquering your feers, first meetings, falling in love
Blurb: Beau is scared of flying in a plane and he is taking a trip to Italy. While at the airport’s bar, he meets a flight attendant, Jack. Turns out that they are sitting beside each other in the plane and Jack helps Beau while he is panicking on the plane.
Thoughts on the story: Beau was so scared of taking a plane and I loved reading about all of his thoughts as he flew for the first time, as someone who was scared of planes before I took one for the first time, it was very relatable to read about and I really enjoyed it. This is so sweet, it was so heartwarmingly sweet and I loved it so much. I loved all of the little movies, tv shows and music references in this one, it was so much fun to read them all. Plus there was a really hot sex scene in this one. This short story had everything I could ever want in a short story and I loved it so much. This was just one of the sweetest short story I have ever read and I absolutely loved it, so much.
——————
Never Have I Ever … Gone Skinny Dipping by Riley Hart
Rating: 4.25 stars
Themes of the story: Second chance at love, falling in love
Blurb:Mickey met a guy online when he was a teen and they had plans to go skinny dipping the first time they met up but Mickey got too scared to go and he never heard of the guy again. It’s been 8 years since then and Mickey is a romance novel writer and he always goes to the same coffee shop to write his books, because he has a crush on the owner, Ronan. Mickey decides to ask Ronan on a date and they live out Mickey’s dreams and fantasies.
Thoughts on the story: This was so sweet. This story melted my entire heart and left me with the biggest smile on my face. I love shy and awkward narrators, the ones who don’t really know how to interact with people and Mickey was exactly that and it made the chapters in his point of view really delightful to read for me. I love pining in books and there was a lot pining in this one, so I really loved reading about that. I also loved how even it it’s a short story there was a lot of page time dedicated to Mickey and Ronan talking to each other and bounding. I really enjoyed how a lot of the story was just them getting to know each other, it was really fun to read about. Also the sex scenes were really good and very damn hot.
I just wish that the story was a little more developed, I know that it’s a short story but it brought up some plot points that I felt like they weren’t developed enough and I just wanted a to learn a little more about those.
——————
Never Have I Ever … Watched The Godfather by S.E. Harmon
Rating: 4.5 stars
Themes of the story: Second chance, falling in love while watching classic movies
Blurb: Ashton told his friend how he hasn't seen the Godfather and his friend could not believe it so Ashton writes a message on a message board about how he's looking for a date to watch movies with at the local movies in the park event. He finds a date in Levi. Turns out that they have an history together and that they spend the summer reconnecting while watching movies together and they fall in love.
Thoughts on the story: This short story had my heart just because of the premise of it. Two characters who goes to movie dates to see classic movies is one of my favourite thing to read about and I love every movie mentioned in this story, so reading about the characters watching them was an absolute blast for me. And I also adored the romance in this one, it was so damn sweet and so romantic and I loved it so much. I loved everything about this story: their banter was so so good, the sex scenes were lovely, the relationship between Ashton and Levi was so sweet, how much they cared about each other and also complimented each other and made each other feel good was just the sweetest thing, the fact that they wanted each other and told each as much and fought to be together really worked for me.
I really enjoyed the characters in this story but I must admit that Ashton lost me as a fan the second he said that Rear Window is boring and that he hasn't seen Citien Kane, i’m just not sure I can forgive him for such statements, they really hurt my poor soul. But I think we can say that I enjoyed a main character when the only thing I disgreed with is his taste in movies.
——————
Never Have I Ever … Kissed Someone on the Lips by Spencer Spears
Rating: 4 stars
Themes of the story: First meetings, first times, sexual exploration
Blurb: West is looking out of the window when he sees a thief stealing diamonds from his neighbours house. The thief sees him and goes to visit him. They start talking and West has never been kissed so he blackmails the thief into giving him his first kiss in exchange of him not ratting out the thief.
Thoughts on the story: I enjoyed this story so damn much. The set up was absolutely hilarious in the best way possible and it lead to some really good banter between the main characters and some really sweet and some really hot scenes. This one was the perfect balance of everything I enjoy in a short story and I had such a fun time reading this story. This was pretty much the perfect short story for me and I would take atleast 20 books exactly like this, I love the idea so much and I just want more. This is a new to me author and this short story really sold me on checking out more of this author’s books.
I must admit that I had a hard time understanding how West, who has anxiety, was having his first time with a total stranger and didn’t seem very anxious about the situation, but that was my only thing I enjoyed less in this story, I enjoyed everything else about it.
——————
Never Have I Ever … Been On A Date by Tal Bauer
Rating: 4.5 stars
Themes of the story: Long term crushes, love declaration, polar horror
Blurb: This story is set in Antartica, where there is a lot of scientists exploring and trying to learn more about it. In the lot, there is Cletus, a pilot and Damien, a palentologist. They are sent on a rescue mission to find a scientist who dissapeared and Cletus and Damien have been pining for each other and they finally tell each other how they feel.
Thoughts on the story: I have every Tal Bauer book TBR but I haven’t read any of them yet, but damn did this short story made me want to read all of his books. This short story was exactly my speed and I loved it. The ambiance in this story was absolutely wonderful. The way everything was described was so fascinating and I loved it so much. And I loved all of the descriptions of Antartica, they were so vivid that it really made me feel like I was exploring the place with the main characters.
And the romance in this story was so damn sweet it just melted my heart. It was absolutely lovely and I just adored Cletus and Damien together, they made a wonderful pair. And I loved how much pining there was in this story. And I loved how both characters were super well developed and fleshed out.
I received an ARC of this book, and this is my honest review.
indiekay's review against another edition
4.0
Ok here's a quick review for each story in this as I finish them:
1. ...Fallen in Love by Lucy Lennox ⭐️⭐️ 2.5 stars
This is a story about a writer travelling to Alaska to write a "Never have I ever" article, and he has a romance with the pilot he meets there.
I got a little annoyed at this one because it cuts the story right in the middle and the rest if it is right at the end of the book. I wasn't going to read through 800 pages of other stories just to get the end of this one, so I just skipped to the back and read it immediately. This story was fine? The second half just felt really rushed and I didn't feel very connected to the miscommunication or the big love confession scenes.
2. ...Cold-Called a Stranger by A.M. Arthur ⭐️⭐️ 2 stars
This one is a college/roommates story about a nerd who lives with a jock, and the jock dares the nerd to phone a number he finds in a book he got from the library.
For a short story this story is INCREDIBLY over-written. There were chunks of paragraphs that I just skipped because they were so unnecessarily detailed. I don't need to know what kind of hotdogs each character orders and eats for lunch, for example. And as much as I love a good story about roommates falling in love, the whole lying to someone to get them to spend time with you thing didn't really work well for me. Plus the confession scene fell flat for me. Both characters quote lines from the book while confessing to each other, and I'm sorry, but having only read a book once and you already know all these lines by heart? How?? Also referring to each other by the names of the characters in the book while confessing was just odd to me, I didn't really find that romantic at all.
3. ...Ridden a Bike by Alice Winters 0 stars
The POV character has been in love with his roommate/childhood friend for years and just keeps dropping unsubtle hints about it. The they accidentally open post that was meant for the neighbour and shit goes to hell.
This story is just farcical and stupid. It's one of those "LOL so quirky" sort of stories where shit hits the wall, the characters make really weird and dumb decisions, and the high stakes are treated like a game of pretend. It's basically crack fanfiction that could have been written by a child for a writing assignment. I was waiting for this story to end with it being a day dream or a nightmare or something.
I probably should have just skipped this one after getting a few pages in, but I kept at it because I love friends-to-lovers angst so much. But that didn't do too much for me, either. The confession scene fell flat, and I skipped the entire sex scene because there was no point to me reading any further than I already had. Can't believe I didn't just DNF this.
4. ...Dyed My Hair Flaming Red by Daryl Banner ⭐️⭐️⭐️ 3.5 stars
A shy stagehand decides to dye his hair bright red on a whim, and catches the eye of the famous playwright he admires.
Finally a story I actually liked! This one is lovely and really encapsulates the theme of this book, with the main character Zakary putting himself out there and trying something he never would have tried before, and his life changes for the better because of it.
5. ...Worn that for Holloween by E.M. Lindsey ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4 stars
In a small town near Brighton, Dom has been pinning over his best friend Shiloh for almost 20 years, and while everyone in town might know about that love, Shiloh himself doesn't.
I am a complete sucker for two things: childhood friends pinning over each other for years, and boys in dresses. This delivered both of those things for me. That pinning angst got me right in the feels! I really enjoyed this and I'm definitely going to be reading more by this author in the future.
6. ...Sung in Public by Jodi Payne ⭐️⭐️⭐️ 3 stars
This one is about a dentist who runs into his high school crush on a dating site, and surprise! That crush he always thought was straight is actually gay, and wants to meet up for drinks!
This one was sweet but didn't really do much for me, feels wise. I could have done with a little more pinning, and angst, or anxiety around signing, but things happened pretty easily between these two. But, that all said, it was sweet and I did enjoy it.
7. ...Gotten Lost by K. Webster ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5 stars
Two characters meet up after talking in the Heart2Heart discussion thread, with the plan of getting lost together.
This one was really sweet, and I really enjoyed it. It's set in Norway, where one of the character's parents had originally met, and so he wants to find the exact place they met. This story deals with grief and low-self-confidence - both characters feel like they're unlovable and they're never going to meet The One, until then they meet each other. This pulled at my heartstrings and I really loved it.
8. ...Taken a Vacation by Kate Hawthorne ⭐️⭐️⭐️ 2.5 stars
A frequent flier meets a flight attendant while on a trip to New Orleans. When the flight attendant's connecting flight gets cancelled, he ends up staying in New Orleans overnight and finding the frequent flier on Grindr.
This one started off strong, and I love me some men in lingerie and discussions of polyamory, but it ended so abruptly I can't give it any more than 2.5 stars.
9. ...Spent the Night With Blanche by Louisa Masters ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4 stars
A character who has never watched The Golden Girls meets a character that loved The Golden Girls, and they live happily ever after.
That's basically the just of it, plus making some friends and a little public indecency thrown in. It's sweet.
10. ...Had A Makeover by Mia Monroe ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4 stars
A history professor with some self-esteem issues goes to get a makeover, and falls for the stylist.
A sweet story, with more boys in lingerie, which I've said already I love. Some fun playing around with gender expectations, which I also love.
11. ...Flown In An Airplane by Neve Wilder ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4 stars
Another story of two strangers meeting on an airplane - one character on his first ever flight, and the other a flight attendant using his frequent flyer miles to go on vacation. They hit it off at the bar at the airport, are seated next to each other on the plane, and decide to continue their time together once they leave the plane. Short and sweet.
12. ...Gone Skinny Dipping by Riley Hart ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4 stars
A nerdy erotica author writes in a local cafe every day, and has a huge crush on the owner of said cafe. The owner has a huge crush on the writer. They have something in their past that connects the two of them, though they don't know it yet.
Cute story. I do like the stories about characters with self-esteem issues finding love, and this one had a tiny bit of exhibitionism thrown in, as well as a connection from the past.
13. ...Watched the Godfather by S.E. Harmon ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 3.5 stars
A character has to take a holiday from his demanding job at his dad's law firm, and since his cousin gives him a hard time about the fact that he knows 0 pop culture references, he decides to ask on the Heart2Heart forum if anyone wants to go see a movie with him at the park. Th man he ends up meeting turns out to be one of his old professors, and someone he always had a crush on.
This is cute. It didn't really hit all the notes I wanted it to, but I still enjoyed it.
14. ...Kissed Someone On The Lips by Spencer Spiers ⭐️⭐️⭐️ 3 stars
The main character is debating going to a neighbour's black-tie party when suddenly a robber from the party crawls into his window. He decides to black mail the robber into kissing him, but things escalate from them.
I was worried this one was going to go a similar direction as the third story in this collection, but luckily it never got that ridiculous. But it doesn't have a happy get-together ending, and you never find out what the robber's deal is, so it feels a little incomplete compared to all the other HEA stories in this collection.
15. ...Gone On A Date by Tal Bauer ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4.5 stars
A palaeontologist working in the Arctic has a crush on one of the pilots, but he thinks he's blown his chance with him. Until they're forced on a mission together to go and find the body of a missing astrologist. Shit goes south very quickly after that.
I was waiting for Tal Bauer's story throughout the whole collection, and it did not disappoint! This story is a horror set in the Antarctic, and the horror bits are gripping. I could not put it down. The romance aspect of this story is sweet too, though not as strong.
In conclusion, I'm glad I picked up this anthology. I didn't like the first 3 stories, but everything past those were varying degrees of lovely, and I am excited to read more by some of the authors I was introduced to via this anthology.
1. ...Fallen in Love by Lucy Lennox ⭐️⭐️ 2.5 stars
This is a story about a writer travelling to Alaska to write a "Never have I ever" article, and he has a romance with the pilot he meets there.
I got a little annoyed at this one because it cuts the story right in the middle and the rest if it is right at the end of the book. I wasn't going to read through 800 pages of other stories just to get the end of this one, so I just skipped to the back and read it immediately. This story was fine? The second half just felt really rushed and I didn't feel very connected to the miscommunication or the big love confession scenes.
2. ...Cold-Called a Stranger by A.M. Arthur ⭐️⭐️ 2 stars
This one is a college/roommates story about a nerd who lives with a jock, and the jock dares the nerd to phone a number he finds in a book he got from the library.
For a short story this story is INCREDIBLY over-written. There were chunks of paragraphs that I just skipped because they were so unnecessarily detailed. I don't need to know what kind of hotdogs each character orders and eats for lunch, for example. And as much as I love a good story about roommates falling in love, the whole lying to someone to get them to spend time with you thing didn't really work well for me. Plus the confession scene fell flat for me. Both characters quote lines from the book while confessing to each other, and I'm sorry, but having only read a book once and you already know all these lines by heart? How?? Also referring to each other by the names of the characters in the book while confessing was just odd to me, I didn't really find that romantic at all.
3. ...Ridden a Bike by Alice Winters 0 stars
The POV character has been in love with his roommate/childhood friend for years and just keeps dropping unsubtle hints about it. The they accidentally open post that was meant for the neighbour and shit goes to hell.
This story is just farcical and stupid. It's one of those "LOL so quirky" sort of stories where shit hits the wall, the characters make really weird and dumb decisions, and the high stakes are treated like a game of pretend. It's basically crack fanfiction that could have been written by a child for a writing assignment. I was waiting for this story to end with it being a day dream or a nightmare or something.
I probably should have just skipped this one after getting a few pages in, but I kept at it because I love friends-to-lovers angst so much. But that didn't do too much for me, either. The confession scene fell flat, and I skipped the entire sex scene because there was no point to me reading any further than I already had. Can't believe I didn't just DNF this.
4. ...Dyed My Hair Flaming Red by Daryl Banner ⭐️⭐️⭐️ 3.5 stars
A shy stagehand decides to dye his hair bright red on a whim, and catches the eye of the famous playwright he admires.
Finally a story I actually liked! This one is lovely and really encapsulates the theme of this book, with the main character Zakary putting himself out there and trying something he never would have tried before, and his life changes for the better because of it.
5. ...Worn that for Holloween by E.M. Lindsey ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4 stars
In a small town near Brighton, Dom has been pinning over his best friend Shiloh for almost 20 years, and while everyone in town might know about that love, Shiloh himself doesn't.
I am a complete sucker for two things: childhood friends pinning over each other for years, and boys in dresses. This delivered both of those things for me. That pinning angst got me right in the feels! I really enjoyed this and I'm definitely going to be reading more by this author in the future.
6. ...Sung in Public by Jodi Payne ⭐️⭐️⭐️ 3 stars
This one is about a dentist who runs into his high school crush on a dating site, and surprise! That crush he always thought was straight is actually gay, and wants to meet up for drinks!
This one was sweet but didn't really do much for me, feels wise. I could have done with a little more pinning, and angst, or anxiety around signing, but things happened pretty easily between these two. But, that all said, it was sweet and I did enjoy it.
7. ...Gotten Lost by K. Webster ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5 stars
Two characters meet up after talking in the Heart2Heart discussion thread, with the plan of getting lost together.
This one was really sweet, and I really enjoyed it. It's set in Norway, where one of the character's parents had originally met, and so he wants to find the exact place they met. This story deals with grief and low-self-confidence - both characters feel like they're unlovable and they're never going to meet The One, until then they meet each other. This pulled at my heartstrings and I really loved it.
8. ...Taken a Vacation by Kate Hawthorne ⭐️⭐️⭐️ 2.5 stars
A frequent flier meets a flight attendant while on a trip to New Orleans. When the flight attendant's connecting flight gets cancelled, he ends up staying in New Orleans overnight and finding the frequent flier on Grindr.
This one started off strong, and I love me some men in lingerie and discussions of polyamory, but it ended so abruptly I can't give it any more than 2.5 stars.
9. ...Spent the Night With Blanche by Louisa Masters ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4 stars
A character who has never watched The Golden Girls meets a character that loved The Golden Girls, and they live happily ever after.
That's basically the just of it, plus making some friends and a little public indecency thrown in. It's sweet.
10. ...Had A Makeover by Mia Monroe ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4 stars
A history professor with some self-esteem issues goes to get a makeover, and falls for the stylist.
A sweet story, with more boys in lingerie, which I've said already I love. Some fun playing around with gender expectations, which I also love.
11. ...Flown In An Airplane by Neve Wilder ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4 stars
Another story of two strangers meeting on an airplane - one character on his first ever flight, and the other a flight attendant using his frequent flyer miles to go on vacation. They hit it off at the bar at the airport, are seated next to each other on the plane, and decide to continue their time together once they leave the plane. Short and sweet.
12. ...Gone Skinny Dipping by Riley Hart ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4 stars
A nerdy erotica author writes in a local cafe every day, and has a huge crush on the owner of said cafe. The owner has a huge crush on the writer. They have something in their past that connects the two of them, though they don't know it yet.
Cute story. I do like the stories about characters with self-esteem issues finding love, and this one had a tiny bit of exhibitionism thrown in, as well as a connection from the past.
13. ...Watched the Godfather by S.E. Harmon ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 3.5 stars
A character has to take a holiday from his demanding job at his dad's law firm, and since his cousin gives him a hard time about the fact that he knows 0 pop culture references, he decides to ask on the Heart2Heart forum if anyone wants to go see a movie with him at the park. Th man he ends up meeting turns out to be one of his old professors, and someone he always had a crush on.
This is cute. It didn't really hit all the notes I wanted it to, but I still enjoyed it.
14. ...Kissed Someone On The Lips by Spencer Spiers ⭐️⭐️⭐️ 3 stars
The main character is debating going to a neighbour's black-tie party when suddenly a robber from the party crawls into his window. He decides to black mail the robber into kissing him, but things escalate from them.
I was worried this one was going to go a similar direction as the third story in this collection, but luckily it never got that ridiculous. But it doesn't have a happy get-together ending, and you never find out what the robber's deal is, so it feels a little incomplete compared to all the other HEA stories in this collection.
15. ...Gone On A Date by Tal Bauer ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4.5 stars
A palaeontologist working in the Arctic has a crush on one of the pilots, but he thinks he's blown his chance with him. Until they're forced on a mission together to go and find the body of a missing astrologist. Shit goes south very quickly after that.
I was waiting for Tal Bauer's story throughout the whole collection, and it did not disappoint! This story is a horror set in the Antarctic, and the horror bits are gripping. I could not put it down. The romance aspect of this story is sweet too, though not as strong.
In conclusion, I'm glad I picked up this anthology. I didn't like the first 3 stories, but everything past those were varying degrees of lovely, and I am excited to read more by some of the authors I was introduced to via this anthology.
sammy_lou's review against another edition
5.0
I always get this book when it’s released, not just because of all the amazing authors, but because the proceeds to charity. The stories are always amazing and centre around one theme. This year it’s, never have I ever, and I love how each author interpreted the theme so differently. I will leave my review for each book as I read them.
Never have I ever... been on a date – Tal Bauer
I was super happy and excited when I found out that he was writing a story for this. Let’s just say that I so was not disappointed! It was a new kind of thriller for me; it was an Arctic thriller. It takes place at an Arctic research center and resolves around Cletus, a helicopter pilot, and Damien, a palaeontologist. We get the background on how they know each other and Damien’s feelings for Cletus wrapped up at the start of this story. It amazes me how Tal is able to tell us so much, in so few words. The thriller comes into this story in the form of the disappearance of a researcher. Cletus, with the help of Damien, go to find out what happened to her. The story really ramps up after only a few chapters and has you biting your nails again and again! You can really feel the danger and it keeps you glued to the story. The romance is only a small part here and it is tied into the story very well. You can believe the way their relationship comes about because they already know and love each other. It only took a life-or-death situation to bring it about. I loved both characters and Tal really has a way with words. He manages to put a great triller into only a short story. He really has a way with words!
Never have I ever…ridden a bike – Alice Winters
This story is so funny, and it shows us how Alice Winters is the Queen of writing funny romance stories. Owen and Lance are best friends and roommates. Owen is writing his, never have I ever comment on the Heart2Heart message board. He wants to write how he is in love with his best friend Lance, but he chickens out in the end. When a package arrives, Owen opens it without thinking and finds its for his neighbour. What happens after is one madcap moment after another. They go to try and deliver the package, or should I say diamond, to its destination. The story gives me Felix and Lane vibes, with a bit of Leland thrown in. I liked how they finally go from friends-to-lovers, and it is believable, due to the fact they know each other so well already. They both just needed a bit of mayhem to help them along. The adventure they go on is hilarious and one bad guy I ended up loving in the end. It is Alice Winters doing what she does best, and as always it makes for an amazing story!
Never have I ever…watched The Godfather – S.E. Harmon
I’m in a similar boat as Ashton in this story as I’ve never seen The Godfather. Ashton is on holiday from his job as a lawyer and staying with his relative. When his relative leaves for a few months, Ashton goes on the Heart2Heart message board to find someone to fulfil his, never have I ever. He gets a big surprise when he arrives at the park and finds his film buddy is Levi. Levi is his old teacher from university, and he had a big crush on him. He kissed him and Levi turned him down. What Ashton doesn’t know is that Levi really wanted to kiss him back, but his job made it so he couldn’t, with Levi being his student. They agree to watch the film together and they start to get to really know each other. Over the space of movie and tv shows, that spark is still there. They end up in a very hot and heavy sexy times, but its only till Levi returns to his job in a few months. As we all know, feeling start to happen and they must figure out what to do next. I really enjoyed this story and I loved that it was a second-chance romance, with a bit of ex-teacher and student theme too.
Never have I ever…spent the night with Blanche – Louisa Masters
This one features something else I have never seen, The Golden Girls. It has been mentioned in so many books and I always end up feeling lost. Luckily, I’m not the only one, Fin hasn’t either. His friends on the Heart2Heart message board are I shock that he hasn’t seen it, so they invite him to an all night showing of it. When Fin walks in and first meets Clay sparks are really flying. It was sweet seeing them getting to know each other and of course it ends up taking them to a friend’s-with-benefits situation. My favourite scene is when they start getting hot and Heavy in their friends from garden. It was equal parts funny and hot! We also learn Fin’s full name and it is so funny, I can see why he doesn’t use it. It was nice seeing them grow closer and they had a bit of help courtesy of their new friend. I may have to watch the Golden Girls, so I am not so lost!
I received a copy of the book from Gay Romance Reviews, and this is my honest review.
Never have I ever... been on a date – Tal Bauer
I was super happy and excited when I found out that he was writing a story for this. Let’s just say that I so was not disappointed! It was a new kind of thriller for me; it was an Arctic thriller. It takes place at an Arctic research center and resolves around Cletus, a helicopter pilot, and Damien, a palaeontologist. We get the background on how they know each other and Damien’s feelings for Cletus wrapped up at the start of this story. It amazes me how Tal is able to tell us so much, in so few words. The thriller comes into this story in the form of the disappearance of a researcher. Cletus, with the help of Damien, go to find out what happened to her. The story really ramps up after only a few chapters and has you biting your nails again and again! You can really feel the danger and it keeps you glued to the story. The romance is only a small part here and it is tied into the story very well. You can believe the way their relationship comes about because they already know and love each other. It only took a life-or-death situation to bring it about. I loved both characters and Tal really has a way with words. He manages to put a great triller into only a short story. He really has a way with words!
Never have I ever…ridden a bike – Alice Winters
This story is so funny, and it shows us how Alice Winters is the Queen of writing funny romance stories. Owen and Lance are best friends and roommates. Owen is writing his, never have I ever comment on the Heart2Heart message board. He wants to write how he is in love with his best friend Lance, but he chickens out in the end. When a package arrives, Owen opens it without thinking and finds its for his neighbour. What happens after is one madcap moment after another. They go to try and deliver the package, or should I say diamond, to its destination. The story gives me Felix and Lane vibes, with a bit of Leland thrown in. I liked how they finally go from friends-to-lovers, and it is believable, due to the fact they know each other so well already. They both just needed a bit of mayhem to help them along. The adventure they go on is hilarious and one bad guy I ended up loving in the end. It is Alice Winters doing what she does best, and as always it makes for an amazing story!
Never have I ever…watched The Godfather – S.E. Harmon
I’m in a similar boat as Ashton in this story as I’ve never seen The Godfather. Ashton is on holiday from his job as a lawyer and staying with his relative. When his relative leaves for a few months, Ashton goes on the Heart2Heart message board to find someone to fulfil his, never have I ever. He gets a big surprise when he arrives at the park and finds his film buddy is Levi. Levi is his old teacher from university, and he had a big crush on him. He kissed him and Levi turned him down. What Ashton doesn’t know is that Levi really wanted to kiss him back, but his job made it so he couldn’t, with Levi being his student. They agree to watch the film together and they start to get to really know each other. Over the space of movie and tv shows, that spark is still there. They end up in a very hot and heavy sexy times, but its only till Levi returns to his job in a few months. As we all know, feeling start to happen and they must figure out what to do next. I really enjoyed this story and I loved that it was a second-chance romance, with a bit of ex-teacher and student theme too.
Never have I ever…spent the night with Blanche – Louisa Masters
This one features something else I have never seen, The Golden Girls. It has been mentioned in so many books and I always end up feeling lost. Luckily, I’m not the only one, Fin hasn’t either. His friends on the Heart2Heart message board are I shock that he hasn’t seen it, so they invite him to an all night showing of it. When Fin walks in and first meets Clay sparks are really flying. It was sweet seeing them getting to know each other and of course it ends up taking them to a friend’s-with-benefits situation. My favourite scene is when they start getting hot and Heavy in their friends from garden. It was equal parts funny and hot! We also learn Fin’s full name and it is so funny, I can see why he doesn’t use it. It was nice seeing them grow closer and they had a bit of help courtesy of their new friend. I may have to watch the Golden Girls, so I am not so lost!
I received a copy of the book from Gay Romance Reviews, and this is my honest review.