Without Yesterday | Lexi Ryan (contemporary romance) - woman is at a crossroad with her boyfriend who she doesn't want to marry, when she spends a meaningful evening with a stranger (no cheating) who turns out to be her boyfriend's best friend and who helps her make the right decision; will read Love Unbound

Created by Hoover and her sisters, it is an annual event where readers have a chance to meet their favorite authors and raise money for charity.I really enjoyed this story. My only complaint is that it was too short. We were definitely spoiled by the length of Saint (in last year's anthology). Forced to reach out to her last resort, Beyah has to spend the remainder of her summer on a peninsula in Texas with a father she barely knows. Beyah’s plan is to keep her head down and let the summer slip by seamlessly, but her new neighbor Samson throws a wrench in that plan. The Dress | Colleen Hoover (women fiction) - a woman ashamed by her boyfriend about her weight finally breaks up with him; great story about toxic relationships and body positivity

Protected by Dr. Rebecca Sharp (romantic suspense) - daughter of mobster in WITSEC falls for protecting cop

How is that Max Monroe can write a novella that is basically two chapters and still make me laugh and swoon? It was so short, but felt complete. That’s not to say I wouldn’t want more of this story. I totally would! Lowen Ashleigh is a struggling writer on the brink of financial ruin when she accepts the job offer of a lifetime. Jeremy Crawford, husband of bestselling author Verity Crawford, has hired Lowen to complete the remaining books in a successful series his injured wife is unable to finish. Sky, a senior in high school, meets Dean Holder, a guy with a promiscuous reputation that rivals her own. From their very first encounter, he terrifies and captivates her. Something about him sparks memories of her deeply troubled past, a time she’s tried so hard to bury. Though Sky is determined to stay far away from him, his unwavering pursuit and enigmatic smile break down her defenses and the intensity of the bond between them grows. But the mysterious Holder has been keeping secrets of his own, and once they are revealed, Sky is changed forever and her ability to trust may be a casualty of the truth.

The Vanished | Jennifer Wilson (YA suspense paranormal) - ghost can return to life for 2 days every year for unfinished business; the setup was confusing The only person who hasn’t closed the door on her completely is Ledger Ward, a local bar owner and one of the few remaining links to Kenna’s daughter. But if anyone were to discover how Ledger is slowly becoming an important part of Kenna’s life, both would risk losing the trust of everyone important to them. In the next five years, Grand Central will publish three new suspense novels by Colleen Hoover and they were scheduled to come out in 2023, 2025, and 2027. Meanwhile, Atria will release two romance novels by the author, which will be published in 2024 and 2026.

Morgan Grant and her sixteen-year-old daughter, Clara, would like nothing more than to benothingalike. Colleen Hoover is also the founder of The Bookworm Box, a non-profit book subscription service and bookstore in Sulphur Springs, Texas. Enemies to lovers but with not enough context to make it interesting. We learn a lot about Ari and Kayden's feelings towards each other but nothing about why or what will happen. Finished off with the weirdest cliffhanger ending that doesn't explain anything. Ridge and Sydney are thrilled to finally be together guilt-free. But as the two of them navigate this freedom, Warren and Bridgette’s relationship is as tumultuous as ever, and Maggie grapples with her illness.

It’s sweet and funny and I felt Piper and Dane's friendship. Their chemistry is palpable and I believed their attraction and how they didn’t quite know how to be honest about it what they we both feeling. When they open it, it’s a “finally” moment and I loved it. I wouldn’t have minded it being longer or even a full-length novel. You can definitely read it as a standalone but I loved it's connection to Dear Ava which I absolutely adored. The only person who hasn’t closed the door on her completely is Ledger Ward, a local bar owner and one of the few remaining links to Kenna’s daughter. A bit too sappy for my taste. Faith is a strange character for Asher to fall for, considering everything we know about him. As a self-professed gold digger, Faith wears sandals on a dangerous hike and hurts herself so that she has to be rescued and airlifted out. Meanwhile, Asher is this down-to-earth guy who lives a simple and beautiful life and falls head-over-heels for this nonsense. Nah. I am not buying it. If ever there is a woman to look up to and find motivation in her story to becoming one of the best-selling romance novelists, Colleen Hoover is it.

Customer reviews

Charlize Wynwood and Silas Nash have been best friends since they could walk. They’ve been in love since the age of fourteen. Okay, that was creepy. The last few stories in this anthology are majorly twisted (and as someone who loves a dark narrative, it's not in a good way), and this does not leave it on a high note.