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A review by nipomuki
Sight Unseen: A Collection of Five Anonymous Novellas by Emma Barry, J.A. Rock, Erin Satie, Sherry Thomas, Meredith Duran
5.0
I do have trouble buying eBooks for full prize, as I don't feel I actually own them. They do not have the same "worth" for me, however illogical or even unjust that may be, as a "real" book in ink and paper that I can put up on a shelf and lend to my friends and so on. I do buy eBooks, but mostly when they are on sale.
I bought this anthology for the full price (it is not a very expensive one, but still above what I usually spend) because of the Smart Bitches podcast. I liked the idea behind the anthology and wanted to support it. For "Sight unseen" five Romance writers were asked to write outside their usual sub-genre and without giving their names. So this is a Romance anthology with five novellas and five authors, but we do not know who wrote which. Later this year, I think in September, there will be a reveal, and readers will know if they guessed correctly. It sadly won't be much of a guessing game for me since I only know one of the authors.
I have finished all five novellas and was pleasantly surprised. Three were excellent, one I liked the idea but was not entirely satisfied with the execution, and one was well written but just not my thing at all.
Lost that feeling
This was the one where I was not entirely satisfied at the end. I liked the idea and some of the world building (it is a fantasy setting). But so many questions were not answered in the end. Maybe it needs a whole book so that it can all come together.
A clear view of you
I loved this from beginning to end. Perfectly executed complex story with complex characters in just one short novella. The idea behind it is so cool. I have been burned by the new age scene when I was young and could totally relate to the heroine. I would love to read more about her and her future adventures. Also I'd like to know how this relationship actually works out in real life. I have some questions on that. But those are new questions - they do not diminish my satisfaction with the ending of the novella. My guess is that this is the one by Sherry Thomas.
Free
Totally different, but equally lovely. I loved the heroine and the (accountant!) hero both SO MUCH. As it is a novella, the author had to decide where to cut and where to invest. And she did totally the right thing in putting it all into the relationship. It helped that they already knew each other very well, they just had to take it to the next level. I even liked the sexy times, which I often don't. The way they both fit (or don't) into the town was well done, too. The only thing that was not entirely fleshed out was the complexity of Wren's family. But I did feel all the feels, so it was really well done in the short space available.
Chariot of desire
This was something totally different. In an 80ies setting. With rock stars. I have read one or two books with rock stars as main characters before, but they were more glamorous. Fantasy stuff. This felt more real, and real is apparently not what I am looking for in my Romance. It did not entirely feel like a Romance to me, even though love and desire are center stage. The language was so evocative that it sometimes left me disgusted. So: the writing in this novella is very good. Just not what I am into.
The heart is a universe
Wonderful is the word. I have not read a lot of Romance in a sci-fi setting. But if it is like this I will! How did she fit all that world building into one novella? And the love story - it is romantic, tragic, very deep, full of surprises. I did not think there could be a fitting end to it, but she pulled it off. Except: I want more.
I bought this anthology for the full price (it is not a very expensive one, but still above what I usually spend) because of the Smart Bitches podcast. I liked the idea behind the anthology and wanted to support it. For "Sight unseen" five Romance writers were asked to write outside their usual sub-genre and without giving their names. So this is a Romance anthology with five novellas and five authors, but we do not know who wrote which. Later this year, I think in September, there will be a reveal, and readers will know if they guessed correctly. It sadly won't be much of a guessing game for me since I only know one of the authors.
I have finished all five novellas and was pleasantly surprised. Three were excellent, one I liked the idea but was not entirely satisfied with the execution, and one was well written but just not my thing at all.
Lost that feeling
This was the one where I was not entirely satisfied at the end. I liked the idea and some of the world building (it is a fantasy setting). But so many questions were not answered in the end. Maybe it needs a whole book so that it can all come together.
A clear view of you
I loved this from beginning to end. Perfectly executed complex story with complex characters in just one short novella. The idea behind it is so cool. I have been burned by the new age scene when I was young and could totally relate to the heroine. I would love to read more about her and her future adventures. Also I'd like to know how this relationship actually works out in real life. I have some questions on that. But those are new questions - they do not diminish my satisfaction with the ending of the novella. My guess is that this is the one by Sherry Thomas.
Free
Totally different, but equally lovely. I loved the heroine and the (accountant!) hero both SO MUCH. As it is a novella, the author had to decide where to cut and where to invest. And she did totally the right thing in putting it all into the relationship. It helped that they already knew each other very well, they just had to take it to the next level. I even liked the sexy times, which I often don't. The way they both fit (or don't) into the town was well done, too. The only thing that was not entirely fleshed out was the complexity of Wren's family. But I did feel all the feels, so it was really well done in the short space available.
Chariot of desire
This was something totally different. In an 80ies setting. With rock stars. I have read one or two books with rock stars as main characters before, but they were more glamorous. Fantasy stuff. This felt more real, and real is apparently not what I am looking for in my Romance. It did not entirely feel like a Romance to me, even though love and desire are center stage. The language was so evocative that it sometimes left me disgusted. So: the writing in this novella is very good. Just not what I am into.
The heart is a universe
Wonderful is the word. I have not read a lot of Romance in a sci-fi setting. But if it is like this I will! How did she fit all that world building into one novella? And the love story - it is romantic, tragic, very deep, full of surprises. I did not think there could be a fitting end to it, but she pulled it off. Except: I want more.