Heart2Heart: A Charity Anthology

Heart2Heart Charity Anthologies

by Leslie Copeland (Editor), May Archer, Charlie Cochet

Once upon a time, a bunch of M/M authors wondered… What if a dating app that guaranteed you a love match broke down just in time for Valentine’s Day? What if you found yourself on a blind date with a random guy who might be your opposite in every single way? It could be a disaster. Or… When the code breaks down, fate just might take over.

Eleven of your favorite gay romance authors have joined forces to light up your Valentine’s Day with a collection of sweet, sexy, silly, and hot short stories, featuring a wacky cast of characters chosen from your reader suggestions! Morticians and magicians, superheroes and spies, lawyers and lobstermen, will all learn that love has nothing to do with algorithms… and sometimes you find it in the least-likely places.

And the best part? All proceeds from this collection will go to the authors’ favorite LGBTQ charities, to ensure that love in all its incarnations will be celebrated and protected every single day of the year!

Titles included in the collection:
The Magician and the Mortician by E.A. Wasp
The Professional Gamer and the Paranormal Photographer by Alison Hendricks
The Assassin and the Dog Walker by Charlie Cochet
The Criminal and the Sommelier by Chris Owen
The Superhero and the NSA Agent by Hailey Turner
The Tattoo Artist and the Writer by Lily Morton
The Uber Driver and the Phone Sex Operator by Lucy Lennox
The Baker and the SEAL by May Archer
The Event Planner and the Electrician by Poppy Dennison
The Lawyer and the Lobsterman by Ruthie Luhnow
The Florist and the Lawyer by Sloane Kennedy

Genres: Anthologies, M M Romance, Romance, Contemporary, Short Stories, LGBT, Friends To Lovers

594 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 5, 2018

Reviews

[~✡~Dαni(ela) ♥ ♂♂ love & semi-colons~✡~ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Average rating: 3.5 (see individual ratings and reviews below)

Out of twelve stories, I LOVED five and really liked three more. I was disappointed with only two. Truly, though, there are no bad stories in this collection.

The unifying theme is opposites attract. The couples meet on blind dates arranged via the fictional app, Heart2Heart. All the stories focus at least tangentially on Valentine's Day, and the men's professions, which serve as titles, play a role.

Tags: contemporary, dual POV (all but two), set in America (except Lily Morton's), sexy (most have at least some steam, and a few are downright porny), HFN/HEA (all but three).

Plus, all the proceeds from the sale of this M/M romance anthology will benefit the following LGBQT charities: The Trevor Project, Bisexual Resource Centre, and one-n-ten. That's money well spent even if you read only a few of the stories.

The Setup / The Fallout
🌟🌟🌟1/2

Bailey & Ryder

~sweetness, HEA~

Alternate title of my own creation: The Programmer and the Window Washer

This is where it all begins. Bailey is so distracted by the hot guy washing his windows, he fails to double-check the app algorithm code before taking off for the date of a lifetime. Overnight, the app spews the most ridiculous matches, pairing up men who absolutely don't belong together. Or do they?

Bailey finds forever love with Ryder. And the rest follows . . .

The Magician and the Mortician
A.E. Wasp
🌟🌟🌟🌟

Alberto & Mikey

~age gap, sweetness, second chances, insta love, HEA~

This is an unabashedly romantic, love-at-first-sight story. Alberto has been mourning for five years. He's stopped believing in magic. Mikey helps him find joy again.

I teared up at the end. Includes: insanely sexy backseat makeout session, white rabbit named Thumper, and best first date ever.

The Professional Gamer and the Paranormal Photographer
Allison Hendricks
🌟🌟1/2

Lawrence & Allen

~awkward first dates, new adult, no HEA/HFN~

I really didn't feel the chemistry between the MCs, and the plot was nonexistent. The ending provided zero closure, with a potential paranormal element introduced and left unresolved. There were some cute moments, but I needed a stronger resolution and more relationship development.

The Assassin and the Dog Walker
Charlie Cochet
🌟🌟🌟

Lymond & Daniel

~danger, jealous ex-boyfriend, OTT plot, HFN~

I think the author tried to fit too much into a short story. I liked both MCs and the cute dogs but didn't love the assassin/danger angle. Alas, it wouldn't be a Charlie Cochet story without guns and men on the run. We get a rather abrupt ending, with potential for a follow-up story (or even a series).

The Criminal and the Sommelier
Chris Owen
🌟🌟

Phillips & Angelo

~age gap, no steam, no HFN/HEA~

I liked all the wine talk, but this read like the first couple chapters of a book, not a complete story. I didn't really like either MC (talk about snooty and pretentious), and the plot consisted of two men, one of whom is a high-class thief, having dinner.

The Superhero and the NSA Agent
Hailey Turner
🌟🌟🌟1/2

Shane & Damian

~sweetness, banter, sexy read, tentative HEA~

I've never read this author, but this story turned out to be a nice surprise. One of the MCs does cosplay and volunteers as Superman to cheer up kids undergoing medical treatment. I liked the unique Meet Cute, the humour, and the truly heartwarming ending.

The Tattoo Artist and the Writer
Lily Morton
🌟🌟🌟🌟1/2

Noah & Sage

~best-friends-to-lovers, sexy read, HEA~

Unsurprisingly, I loved the hell out of this story (Lily Morton slayed me with Deal Maker, and I've been her bitch ever since). The character development was spot on; the sex was sizzling; and the ending made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

This is friends-to-lovers at its finest: years of want and longing make for explosive chemistry. Plus, British boys, baby!

The Uber Driver and the Phone Sex Operator
Lucy Lennox
🌟🌟🌟🌟1/2

Travis & Azrael

~age gap, eager virgin, very steamy, tentative HEA~

This story should be rightfully called The Dancer and the Choreographer. Azrael doesn't want to do fake phone sex, but it supplements his income. And Travis is filling in as Uber Driver for his brother.

This is the steamiest story of the bunch. Azrael really wants to lose his virginity, and Travis is happy to oblige. These guys are so adorable together! There's no angst or misunderstanding, just a lie of omission that's resolved without drama.

The Baker and the SEAL
May Archer
🌟🌟🌟🌟

Cal & Ash

~insta love, misunderstanding, sexy read, military men, sweetness, HEA~

I'm a sucker for military men and even though the Navy played no role in the story, Ash was still a SEAL, all six feet, five inches of him. Cal is smitten with Ash almost immediately. A misunderstanding ensues, but never fear, the men talk it out and move on.

The epilogue helped seal (pun intended because I'm hilarious like that) the deal. I loved this light, sexy story and really want to try one of Cal's tequila cupcakes.


The Event Planner and the Electrician
Poppy Denison
🌟🌟🌟1/2

Theo & Harvey

~age gap, HFN~

I enjoyed this feel-good story, but it needed an epilogue something fierce. Theo's friend Danielle was a little much, but I absolutely loved Harvey. The poor guy saved Theo from a fall and got his nose broken in return.

The Lawyer and the Lobsterman
Ruthie Luhnow
🌟🌟🌟

Isaac & Will

~low steam, no HFN/HEA~

I enjoyed the extreme opposites-attract trope. Isaac was so fussy and uptight, a foil to Will's laidback and cheerful demeanor. Isaac really thawed during their painfully awkward, and kind of hilarious, first date.

This was shaping up to be one of my favorite stories in the collection, and then . . . it ended. How could it just end like that, with no closure of any kind? Gah, I'm really upset.

The Florist and the Lawyer
Sloane Kennedy
🌟🌟🌟🌟

Harrison & Nate

~sexy read, HEA~

No angst. *GASP* Do you see who the author is? It turns out Sloane Kennedy CAN write a sweet story without anyone being tortured or kidnapped, and the results are delightful.

Harrison is such a jerk on his first date with Nate, Nate leaves mid-meal. But Harrison has a change of heart and apologizes. Harrison isn't the arrogant bastard he appears to be; he had his heart broken and is scared to love again. I really liked this romantic, sexy story. The MCs are well developed, and the ending is perfectly, um, orgasmic.

[Wendys Wycked Words · Rating 4 out of 5]

So many awesome authors participated in writing this anthology, so there was no way I could skip it...even though I am usually not a fan of short stories.

When I started this one, I promised myself I would read, review and write a very short little review for each story....so here goes ;)



The Set-up & The Fallout 

This is the set up for the rest of the stories....The intro if you will. I think it was a very clever and cute  ;)

The Magician & The Mortician by A.E. Wasp  

New to me author and I was pleasantly surprised.   This one was very cute and sexy. It's about getting a second chance in life.   



The Professional Gamer and the Paranormal Photographer by Alison Hendricks           

This was an oke read for me, but I just needed more... I was waiting for something that never came but I am not even sure what I was waiting for myself... Am I still making sense ?? 



The Assassin and the Dog Walker by Charlie Cochet ......                                                          

For me this was the most "fun" story. I know when I open a Charlie Cochet book, that there will be laughs...which is a very good thing !! I would have liked more though......... 



The Criminal and the Sommelier by Chris Owen .....

Having read (and loved) "Bareback" I figured I was in for some very hot steamyness !! I was wrong though. This entire story is a date of sorts and though it wasn't bad, it wasn't what I expected and wished for either. 1/2



The Superhero and the NSA Agent by Hailey Turner 

Something completely different from her sci-fi series and I must say it was pretty good. It's just too bad that it's a short story, because if there is one thing Hailey is very good at, it's world and character building. 



The Tattoo Artist and the Writer by Lily Morton 

Friends to lovers, which is one of my favorite tropes and therefore, this one was my favorite out of all (well that and the fact that it was written so wel ..lol) I could definitely feel the connection between the MC's in this one. Very hot and sweet 1/2



The Uber Driver and the Phone Sex Operation  by Lucy Lennox 

This story was definitely HOT. Me likey :P  I also love the name Azrael...it really does something to me ;) Fluffy and sexy little read that I really enjoyed. 




The Baker and the Seal by May Archer 

I don't think I have ever read anything by this author before. Sexy story with a Navy Seal... need I say more :P   1/2



The Event Planner and the Electrician by Poppy Dennison

Another unknown author to me. I didn't really feel a connection with the MC's and it just felt off to me... I also got annoyed with parts of the story. 1/2



The Lawyer and the Lobsterman by Ruthie Luhnow 

Another author I didn't know before, but I will be checking out her future work. Opposites attract story, which I really enjoyed. I would have liked some more steam though...The ending was also a bit ubrupt. 



The Florist and the Lawyer by Sloane Kennedy

This was nothing like Sloane's "protectors" series, no trigger warnings neccesary here!!  After a disastrous first date, these two kiss and make up.  1/2  

My reviews are posted on DirtyBooksObsession

[Meags · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 'feel-good anthology' Stars

With an overarching theme of opposites attract, this charity anthology delivers 12 romantic little stories from an array of the hottest authors in M/M romance.

******************************

THE SET-UP (& THE FALLOUT)

In these two mini-stories – which bookend this anthology – we meet Bailey, a Heart2Heart dating app programmer, and his window washing love interest, Ryder.

For two days, Ryder pretends to clean the windows outside of Bailey’s office until he gains the shier man’s attention and promptly asks him out on a date. Although it happens to be the evening before the Heart2Heart matchmaking app launches, Bailey is quick to say yes to a date that night with dreamy Ryder, forsaking all of the last minute program checks that Bailey probably should have been doing before Heart2Heart goes live in the morning.

Bailey and Ryder then proceed to have the night of their lives, falling for each other hard and fact, but when morning comes, so does the realisation that the app launched with a kink or two, causing several extremely unlikely romantic matches to be made.

The rest of the anthology tells those stories…

******************************

THE MAGICIAN & THE MORTICIAN by A.E. Wasp
(4 Stars)

Alberto, the magician, and Mikey, the mortician, meet one night at The Magic Castle in Los Angeles. Despite their age difference, sparks fly between these two men immediately. Both Alberto and Mikey are there to meet blind dates for Valentine’s Day – set up by the Heart2Heart dating app – but they develop little interest in meeting their so-called perfect match after finding each other first. As fate would have it, they turn out to be each other’s dates (surprise, surprise) and the rest of their night is spent wrapped up in the company of each other.

This story was revitalising in a way. Alberto has lost faith in love and magic, having lost his long-term partner 5 years earlier to cancer. With Mikey Alberto feels like a new man, rediscovering his love of magic and experiencing an intense pull towards the younger man that he didn’t expect to ever feel again.

This story was fast-moving in the romance department, with plenty of insta-love feels and even some steamy bits during their first night together. It had a nice future based epilogue too, which saw the guys a few months into their relationship, setting them up for a solid HEA.

This was my first time reading a story by Wasp. I generally enjoyed myself and will likely try more of her work in the future.

******************************

THE PROFESSIONAL GAMER & THE PARANORMAL PHOTOGRAPHER by Alison Hendricks
(4 Stars)

At first glance, Lawrence and Allen seem to be polar opposites, finding very little in common on their first date. Thankfully, both men are very open-minded and willing to not judge each other based on preconceived stereotypes. Lawrence and Allen are both extremely passionate about what they do, and it’s in these seemingly different passions that they actually find some mutual ground. They introduce each other to their worlds and begin developing the foundation of quite a solid relationship.

I liked this pairing a hell of a lot! Lawrence and Allen made for a super cute, slightly geektastic couple. They were just so at ease around one another, both willing to share in the other’s passions for gaming and photography. It was a learning curve for both of them, but they had a lot of fun along the way. The progression of their growing feelings felt really natural to me and I 100% bought into them working as a couple.

This was a first-time author/reader experience for me and I couldn’t have been happier with the outcome.

******************************

THE ASSASSIN & THE DOG WALKER by Charlie Cochet
(3.5 Stars)

I’ll admit that Cochet was the selling point for me where this anthology was concerned – the woman can do no wrong in my fangirl eyes.

This story was fun, sweet, sexy, and also action-packed enough to keep me on my toes.

For those worried about the whole assassin thing, don’t you fret. Lymond only kills super bad people who deserve what’s coming to them, so in a way he’s a good assassin (hehehe). I also really want Daniel’s job as a professional dog walker/sitter. That seems to be right in the wheelhouse of potentially awesome career changes for Meags.

I felt like some things were left open-ended here, particularly where Lymond’s brother and ex-boyfriend were concerned. I’m kind of hoping that this is a stepping stone story and will serve as an introduction into one of Cochet’s upcoming new series. I could be way off though, so don’t mind me if I’m just imagining up the impossible.

******************************

THE CRIMINAL & THE SOMMELIER by Chris Owen
(2 Stars)

I didn’t get into this story at all, unfortunately. My past experiences reading Owen’s work have all been positive ones, so it’s certainly not a problem I have with the author, rather, I simply didn’t mesh well with the themes or the characters in this particular short story.

However, if you’re a wine connoisseur or a foodie, you may find more joy in this one than I did.

******************************

THE SUPERHERO & THE NSA AGENT by Hailey Turner
(3.5 Stars)

For such a short story, I was fairly impressed by the level of character development here. I feel like I got a really good sense of what made these guys tick. Shane and Damien came across as intelligent, thoughtful, kind, and remarkably witty characters. I liked them both a lot.

Although I could have done with more page time/relationship development between these two before they got naked together, I’m well aware that there is only so much you can do with a limited number of pages, and that my noticeable need for more in this particular case is probably due to how much fun I was having reading their story. I’m greedy like that.

Turner is a new-to-me author, but (now) she’s most definitely someone whose stories I look forward to reading more of at some point very soon.

******************************

THE TATTOO ARTIST & THE WRITER by Lily Morton
(4.5 Stars)

Best friends forever, Sage and Noah, get set-up by the Heart2Heart dating app, and even though they laugh it off at first, they decide to spend a few days taking each other out on ideal dates. In my opinion, this story really nailed the friends-to-lovers trope; there was plenty of UST and a lot of mutual pining – like years of it! It was a really sweet moment when the boys finally owned up to their epic feelings for each other and hopes of forever together. *happy sigh*

This is only my second read by Morton but there is something about her stories and her characters that just calls to me. It’s all very British, with the perfect blend of friendship, sex and romance. She’s definitely an author I’ll be following closely in the future.

******************************

THE UBER DRIVER & THE PHONE SEX OPERATOR by Lucy Lennox
(4.5 Stars)

Lucy Lennox is my (latest) reading crack. I can’t get enough of her stories and this shorty was no different.

The title is fairly misleading, which is super fun and leads to plenty of awkwardly sweet moments between MCs Azrael and Travis. There is an underlying shared passion for dance that really added to my overall enjoyment of the story, and although perhaps a little sappy at times, I found this story to be ridiculously romantic when all was said and done. Plus, it’s crazy hot! Virgin alert!!!

******************************

THE BAKER & THE SEAL by May Archer
(4 Stars)

I liked the pairing here, and I particularly liked the specific dynamics that played out between Cal and Ash, with Ash - the big bad Navy SEAL - begging to submit to Cal in the bedroom! So hot!. I even enjoyed the silliness of the misunderstanding that occurred when they initially met. It was all very rom-com-y and I liked it.

******************************

THE EVENT PLANNER & THE ELECTRICIAN by Poppy Dennison
(3.5 Stars)

This was a super-cute little feel-good story. Theo and Harvey were simply lovely together. Their developing romance was sweet and easy, with lots of hearts and flowers (literally), and an itty-bitty bit of steam near the end.

There’s not much else to say really, except I had a goofy grin on my face the whole time I was reading this.

******************************

THE LAWYER & THE LOBSTERMAN by Ruthie Luhnow
(4 Stars)

Of all the great stories on offer here, Ruthie Luhnow’s The Lawyer & the Lobsterman is definitely the one that I feel best encapsulated the overarching theme of the anthology – wherein the Heart2Heart dating app has malfunctioned and paired two vastly different individuals together for a Valentine’s Day date, and even though the pairings are polar opposites in every way, fate takes over and something between the couples just clicks into place, regardless of their seemingly insurmountable differences.

Many of the other stories in the anthology touched on the differences between the couples and how the app had mucked the pairings up, but ultimately I didn’t feel like it was such a surprise when any of those other couples ended up together because their differences didn’t seem that great.

Here, however, the MCs, Isaac and Will, are so different in almost every way that might matter. This led to an extremely awkward beginning of their blind date – to the point that I couldn’t fathom how they would reconcile their differences and actually build a connection that I could believe in.

Yet, they did. They so absolutely did.

I must give kudos to Luhnow for turning things around between Will and Isaac in a way that felt natural and right. To me, this couple had the most potential of any couple in the anthology and I find myself completely disappointed that this is all we get of Will and Isaac’s story, because I for one would have happily read on and on and on.

******************************

THE FLORIST & THE LAWYER by Sloane Kennedy
(3.5 Stars)

Nate is a bright and flashy florist looking for lasting love, and Harrison is a recently heartbroken lawyer who thinks he’s ultimately unlovable. At first glimpse, these two make an unlikely pair, but although their first date goes horribly awry, Nate and Harrison make the effort to try and try again, opening up their hearts to an expected yet worthwhile new love.

This last story was perfectly sweet, featuring two intriguingly contrasting characters and a lovely HEA ending that was both steamy and romantic.

******************************

This anthology was an absolute joy to read and worth every penny, with proceeds going towards LGBTQ charities including The Trevor Project, Bisexual Resource Centre, and one-n-ten.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED! <3

[Optimist ♰King's Wench♰ · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is hands down my most successful attempt at reading an anthology. I was hesitant to part with the coin for something I'd likely only enjoy 10-15 pages of, I'm looking at you Lily Morton, but surprise, surprise if I didn't enjoy many of these stories! I even found a couple new authors to stalk follow.

Also, it's worth noting for all two of you who don't already know, that all of the proceeds of this anthology go to support the efforts of The Trevor Project, Bisexual Resource Center, and one-n-ten, so drop the coin people. It's totally worth it.

The Tattoo Artist and the Writer by Lily Morton - ❤️❤️❤️❤️

I heart Lily Morton's writes. I wis this was a little longer since parts of it felt super rushed but maybe she'll revisit Noah and Sage in the future sometime.

I'd always been attracted to everything about him, but one day I said something and he laughed loudly, his head thrown back and his eyes creased, and I realised the he was everything I wanted.

aaaawwwwww *drunken/swoony sigh*

The friends to lovers story was fluffy and feel good. There were still enough of those details that I crave to flesh them out as well as their connection. The frog tattoo smacked me in the feels. Hard. Then again, Lily Morton seems to have an almost surgical precision when it comes to tapping into my inner sap.

Nutshell: this was a win which is good considering I bought the whole anthology for this story.

The Lawyer and The Lobsterman by Ruthie Luhnow - 🧡🧡🧡🧡

Aaaaaadorbs!



Isaac and Will are each other's lobster and the Heart 2 Heart app knew despite their seeming inherent incompatibility that they were meant for each other. Luhnow is a new to me author and I liked her take on the opposites attract trope. There was just enough chemistry and heat between them to make me believe in their longevity.

This is the upside of anthologies-finding a new author without having to buy an entire book.

The Baker and The Seal by May Archer - 💛💛💛💛💛

I loved it. LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVEEEDDDDDDDDD it.

Toppy ginger baker.
Big guy SEAL bottom.
CUPCAKES!

For a short story this author packed in a generous amount of little details that made me swoon a lil like when Cal re-rolled Ash's sleeves for him. It's definitely instalove and that's normally not my jam but this totally worked for me. Maybe it's a little sappy but...



I'll fer sure be checking out more from this author in the future. Feeerrrrrsurrrrrrrrreee.

The Event Planner and The Electrician by Poppy Dennison - 💚💚1/2

This started off really strong and had me grinning into my kindle. Like a dork. Over the gruff, older and much bigger electrician, Harvey, and cute, twinkish, motormouth event planner, Theo.

But... it sort of derailed with the cutesy stuff for me. The dialogue was just a bit stilted, I wasn't quite ready for them to rush into bed, the conflict felt somewhat contrived and resolved hellafuck quickly, all of that coupled with Theo's annoying AF boss took my enjoyment down like a WWF clothesline.

I think had the narrative had time to come together maybe I would've enjoyed it more.

The Assassin and the Dog Walker by Charlie Cochet - 💙💙💙

Started off strong then fizzled.

The concept of this pairing I liked but I found it required too much suspension of disbelief. I'm still confused as to why the ex took a shot at them then turned all buddy buddy, gave Lymond life advice and then seemed to have something going with his brother?



The banter was cute, good size difference thing happening, DOGS! and the chemistry was nice. I didn't particularly care for Lymond's asshatishness, but the end was sweet. But still, kinda busy for a short.

The Professional Gamer and The Paranormal Photographer by Alison Hendricks - 💜💜💜

More of a quiet story than the others. Hendricks did a good job really developing something between Lawrence and Allen. I ended up liking it but it took awhile to develop.

The Superhero and the NSA Agent by Hailey Turner - ❤️❤️❤️❤️

Do you even know how long I've had this pic? Patiently waiting to use it?



Approximately 6.345678 Shazillion years, so thank you, Hailey Turner! Thanks for the story too!

Cute superhero cosplayer, Damian, meets power bottom NSA agent Shane and FIRE! Fair warning, though, Turner's sex scenes will melt your face right off. Bless her. I wish there had been a teeny bit more relationship development but what's on the page is cute and hot like burning so I'm not complaining.

The Uber Driver and the Phone Sex Operator by Lucy Lennox - 🧡🧡🧡

Squishy instalove story. I liked it but it was maybe too schmaltzy for me, though I'm admittedly not big on the virgin trope. I do like an age difference but when it's less than a decade it doesn't pack the same punch for whatever reason.

Trav and Az definitely have chemistry but parts of it seemed off or forced is maybe a better descriptor. I liked the dancing, though.



The Florist and the Lawyer by Sloane Kennedy - 💛💛💛💛💛

This is one of those stories that I connected to the characters right away, became invested in their narrative right away and even got a lil emotional at some of the dialogue. So, yeah. This was a win.

Nate and Harrison Garrison (for real) both have hurts in their past that have shaped them and those insecurities made them real to me, rather than just characters on a page. I admittedly have a weakness for opposites attract and femme, outgoing Nate makes stoic, regimented Harrison Garrison shine.

I had enough color to outshine even the darkest shade of black.

I was stunned by how well developed this story was on all levels in such a short period of time. The one sex scene ticked several boxes: rough, semi-public, size difference. Word. I'll FER SURE FER SURE be checking out this Sloane Kennedy person further. I also wouldn't mind a follow up or even an expanded version of this story.

The Set-up/The Fallout by ???? - NR

I'm not even sure how to rate this or if we're supposed to. It's basically a cute little interlude to introduce the anthology featuring a cute geeky programmer with a penchant for bow ties who gets swept off his feet by the hunky window washer. There isn't really enough in either for me to become invested in them but it does give some insight into how some of the couples featured in the anthology got paired.

The Magician and The Mortician by A.E. Wasp - DNF/NR

I tried twice with this one. Neither time took. I couldn't muster up even a drop of care for either of them then it started to take a turn into Instalovesville and I had to bail.

The Criminal and the Sommelier by Chris Owen - 💚💚💚💚

I ended up really liking this one. It's different in tone to the others and doesn't have a big fluffy HEA, but both of these characters were interesting, complex even.

Angel is a world renowned thief and Italian. Yummers. Phillippe is a sommelier and a bit of a snob, but he's also French so... obvs I'm predisposed to like these things. Because reasons.

Nevertheless, they do seem to have some mojo going and were there to be a follow up I would read it.

[Jennifer☠Pher☠ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Average rating 3.5★'s rounded up.

The Set-up
Date Started: 02/09/18
Date Finished: 02/09/18
Rating: 4★'s
I guess this isn't really at story, it is just the set-up but I liked it and figured I'd rate it anyway. Super cute and fun idea for the stories to jump off from. I love that there will be more at the end.

The Magician and the Mortician by A.E. Wasp
Date Started: 02/09/18
Date Finished: 02/09/18
Rating: 2★'s
I hate this. This is my year of positivity! Gah! Anyway...I don't know what the etiquette is in reviewing an Anthology that was written for charity. We are probably supposed to rate a little differently. I dunno. This was a brand new to me author, actually, I have never even heard of her and she has written a lot of books! Anyway, this just didn't work for me. So many things about it. I hardly ever mention editing unless it is bad and unfortunately this was not ok. The names kept getting messed up! It is so confusing trying to figure out what is going on when the names are wrong. There was a lot of other errors too and it was hard to not fall out of the story. Some of the stuff that happened made me a little uncomfortable as well. Overall I get how the story was supposed to be a love at first sight sweet story, and it mostly was, unfortunately the bad just outweighed the good and it just didn't read that way to me. Sad face.

The Professional Gamer and the Paranormal Photographer by Alison Hendricks
Date Started: 02/09/18
Date Finished: 02/10/18
Rating: 4★'s
Oh, how can this end right there? This is exactly how a well written story should make you feel, wanting more. I need to know more about the pictures! Seriously! This was very enjoyable. To quote my friend Meags, the relationship felt natural and real. First blind dates can't all be love at first sight after all. I just loved watching them see. The app twist was a nice touch as well. Sweet!

The Assassin and the Dog Walker by Charlie Cochet
Date Started: 02/13/18
Date Finished: 02/14/18
Rating: 4★'s
I really liked this one. I don't know what exactly it was about it but I was really charmed by it. I'd love more in this world, hint, hint. I think I have a thing about assassins. I'm weird, I know. Plus dogs! Favorite so far.

The Criminal and the Sommelier by Chris Owen
Date Started: 02/14/18
Date Finished: 02/14/18
Rating: 3★'s
So, this is another brand new to me author who it seems has written a ton of books, none of which I have heard of. So weird how that happens. So, this little story. I swear I had to re-read the beginning a few times because I think the names got switched or something. Once I decided to just let it go and read on I was ok with the story. The snobbishness was a little odd, talk of lines of his jacket etc. was weird and so much time on the meal I guess set the tone. Once that was over though I was invested. They seemed cute and fun and hopefully it all works out for them. That's the problem with shorties, you never really know.

The Superhero and the NSA Agent by Hailey Turner
Date Started: 02/19/18
Date Finished: 02/19/18
Rating: 2★'s
I read this yesterday throughout the day whenever I'd get a moment. Reading a shorty in pieces is probably not beneficial to the story. I kept forgetting and just don't think I ever got into it. What I do remember is that they didn't go on a date, right? I think I need at least a tiny bit of romance. Plus head injury! Ouch!

The Tattoo Artist and the Writer by Lily Morton
Date Started: 02/20/18
Date Finished: 02/20/18
Rating: 5★'s
Gah! Just more and more evidence pointing to the fact that Lily Morton is making her way to the top of the favorites list! This was absolute perfection! The story felt complete. So much packed into so little and it was done with expertise. I loved it. I will for sure revisit this one when I need my heart to swell. LOVE!

The Uber Driver and the Phone Sex Operation by Lucy Lennox
Date Started: 02/20/18
Date Finished: 02/20/18
Rating: 4★'s
Very, very cute. I felt this story was pretty complete for its length too. Very sweet HEA.

The Baker and the Seal by May Archer
Date Started: 02/20/18
Date Finished: 02/20/18
Rating: 4★'s
Very cute and very sweet HEA. I love small town settings and I love how this was described. I wouldn't mind another visit!

The Event Planner and the Electrician by Poppy Dennison
Date Started: 02/21/18
Date Finished: 02/21/18
Rating: 4★'s
Ok, first things first. Just no with the broken nose description and sound effects. I cringed and I mean really cringed while reading. I could have totally done without that. Ugh. Anyway, once we got past that I really enjoyed this one. I did start to pick up on quite a bit of name dropping with businesses and shops and there was quite a bit of talk in regards to all these cousins. I now see. Poppy's new book just came out and this is in that same world. Now I'm anxious to read it! Looks like she's building a nice little small town feel. Anyway, this one was cute and sweet. I liked it a lot.

The Lawyer and the Lobsterman by Ruthie Luhnow
Date Started: 02/21/18
Date Finished: 02/21/18
Rating: 3★'s
Was anyone else a little disappointed he wasn't an actual Lobsterman? I think I had that so stuck in my head I couldn't wrap my head around him being The Lobster Man. Anyway, so, this one was probably the most opposite of opposites meeting. Almost to the point I didn't buy it. It was ok, just not a favorite. Another thing, I am surprised there are two Lawyer stories. Very interesting.

The Florist and the Lawyer by Sloane Kennedy
Date Started: 02/21/18
Date Finished: 02/21/18
Rating: 4★'s
This one really got me in the beginning. Quite a different twist and I didn't know where it was going. I liked this one a lot. I am not that familiar with this Author but this was very enjoyable.

The Fallout
Date Started: 02/21/18
Date Finished: 02/21/18
Rating: 4★'s
I love how this wrapped up and tied everything together. I don't normally read Anthologies but I really enjoyed this.

[BWT · Rating 3 out of 5]

Heart2Heart: A Charity Anthology is a collection of short stories that are all based around a new matchmaking app that has a glitch in its "guaranteed" love matches by basically pairing everyone who tries it up with the person they'd least likely think would be their fated soulmate.

But fate is a fickle bitch and she's come around this Valentine's to serve up a sweet and delicious portion of opposites attract. Quite a few of the couples are set up by their nearest and dearest - without their knowledge - and only agree to go on the dates because the app is footing the bill for dinner and/or they don't want to be the dick to ditch a desperate on V-day.

Most are told in a dual POV, and all but one (Lily Morton's The Tattoo Artist and the Writer) is based in a United States location, though they're all over the map, giving a delightful difference to each of the stories.

There was lots of age gap (yum!), insta-love (sometimes well-done, sometimes...not), spontaneous combustion chemistry (some of the sexy times are explicit and others are off page), all were opposites (including Ryder and Bailey from The Set-up & The Fallout), and a whole lot were sweet, sweet, sweet with some truly lovely HEA's.

My personal favorites were The Assassin and the Dog Walker by Charlie Cochet, The Superhero and the NSA Agent by Hailey Turner, The Uber Driver and the Phone Sex Operation by Lucy Lennox, and The Baker and the Seal by May Archer.

Here's a little bite into each for you to mull over:

The Set-up & The Fallout (The Set-Up Continued)
Rating: 3 stars
Thoughts: For two straight days a window washer hangs outside matchmaking app "Heart2Heart" programmer Bailey’s window hoping the little cutie would notice him. When he finally does acknowledge him, the window washer convinces Bailey to leave work a little early and meet up for a date.

Ryder and Bailey are polar opposites, but their chemistry is real (and off page). Epilogue with an HEA.

The Heart2Heart matchmaking algorithms would be just fine without a final round of testing. Probably.

The Magician and the Mortician by A.E. Wasp
Rating: 3 stars
Thoughts: Sweet, if a little melancholy (but in the right places) at times, love at first sight romance with a HEA about a widower on his first date in 5 years (but what was he doing for 5 years? He didn't work all that time?) and the man who believes in magic.

“Do you believe in love at first sight?” Alberto asked, turning to Mikey, his face completely open and vulnerable.
“I do now,” Mikey answered. “Right here, right now, I choose to.”

The Professional Gamer and the Paranormal Photographer by Alison Hendricks
Rating: 2.5 stars
Thoughts: I thought this one dragged a little, and though it's not something I see myself yearning to re-read in a few weeks or months, it was okay, you know what I mean?

Maybe Lawrence and I weren’t matched up by some perfect algorithm. Maybe we don’t share the exact same interests or believe the exact same things. But as my eyes meet his, it’s hard not to think that we’ve got something special; something an app never could have predicted.

This is also the first indication the reader gets that Bailey's algorithm might have a bug. Dun da dun!

The Assassin and the Dog Walker by Charlie Cochet
Rating: 3.5 stars
Thoughts: Fun, funny, with some action and sexy times.

“And what do you do?”
Lymond’s eyes never left mine, his expression impassive. “I’m a professional assassin.”
I couldn’t help my snort. “Well that explains a lot.”

The Criminal and the Sommelier by Chris Owen
Rating: 3 stars
Thoughts: You like wine? You like menu tastings? You like somewhat snobby men falling for a bad boy? Check it out.

“I can’t imagine a life without interest, to be honest. You bring the adventure. I’ll bring the level head and advice on how to avoid trouble.”

The Superhero and the NSA Agent by Hailey Turner
Rating: 3.5 stars
Thoughts: Cute and sweet with a bit of heat.

“When we’re done, we’ll go home and I’ll fuck you against the wall like it’s our first date all over again,” Damian promised in a low voice when they broke apart.

The Tattoo Artist and the Writer by Lily Morton
Rating: 2.5 stars
Thoughts: Friends to lovers with both always wanting each other but neither admitting it.

He pushes his hands into my hair and cradles my skull, staring at me with bright, warm eyes. “About time,” he says slowly. “I’ve been waiting for you to catch up.”
“You’ve always waited.” My voice is full of the wonder and dawning realisation that floods my body.
“You’re worth it,” he whispers, reaching up and drawing my head down to him. His lips touch mine, and we both pause as if amazed that we’re finally here.

The Uber Driver and the Phone Sex Operation by Lucy Lennox
Rating: 3.5 stars
Thoughts: Cute, with a bit of an age gap (which is a recurring theme to most of these shorts - and thank God for it because I love age gap!), an almost-25 virgin, and the guy who encourages him to fly.

“You deserve more than just sex, Az,” I said. His eyes widened.
“Are you willing to give me more than sex?”
“You’re too young for me. I’m almost ten years older than you are. You need someone young and fun, not old and overworked.”
“I disagree, but if that’s how you feel, then sex is all I need from you.”

The Baker and the Seal by May Archer
Rating: 3.5 stars
Thoughts: cute and sweet, I just wish there was more than one positive female character.

Then he pulled me to my feet and kissed me, while the snow fell outside, just like in those sappy movies... But better.
Because this happily ever after was mine.

The Event Planner and the Electrician by Poppy Dennison
Rating: 3 stars
Thoughts: I thought this was really sweet, and the HFN had me smiling.

“Okay, just so we’re clear on this,” Theo said, “I like you. A lot. No one has looked at me the way you do in a long time, and I like it. And I want to get to know you better.”
Harvey breathed out a sigh of relief. “I’m so glad to hear you say that.”

The Lawyer and the Lobsterman by Ruthie Luhnow
Rating: 2.5 stars
Thoughts: Buttoned up meets dressed down - but this one didn't hit it for me.

"I am definitely still into our original plan. If you still want that, I mean."
And there it was again, that soft and hopeful look in Will's eyes, as if Isaac's presence was somehow a gift to him. "That is exactly what I want," Isaac said, kissing Will once more.
"That settles it, then," Will said. "Let's get out of here."

The Florist and the Lawyer by Sloane Kennedy
Rating: 2.5 stars
Thoughts: Unfortunately, it took me a long while to warm up to Harrison, which didn't really work for me considering how short the story is.

Nate made life more interesting.
No, Nate just made life… more.
And he was all mine.

Note for the sticklers: There are some editing/proofing errors (misspellings, mixed up character's talking, etc.). Now, some of the stories didn't have any, while others were rife with them, but given that I got this "free" on Kindle Unlimited - and that this is for charity - I mostly looked past them and just enjoyed the stories.

This review has been cross-posted at Gay Book Reviews.

P.S.: Thanks again to Jennifer☠Pher☠ for letting me "borrow" her setup for this review. It made keeping track of eleven stories so much easier. *hugs*

[Len Evans Jr · Rating 5 out of 5]

Overall rating 4.5 rounded up to 5 Stars

The Magician and the Mortician 5 Stars
A.E. Wasp is one of my favorite authors and in this story she once again hits a grand slam!

The Professional Gamer and the Paranormal Photographer by Allison Hendricks 4.5 Stars
Coincidentally the book I just finished before this one was my first Allison Hendricks read. I really loved that one and feel the same way about this short story. Have to admit at the beginning I was kinda wondering how this pairing would work... but it did and very well!

The Assassin and the Dog Walker by Charlie Cochet 4.75 Stars
Prior to this story the only ones by Ms. Cochet that I had read were her North Pole City Tales, which I loved to death. This story is very different theme wise however it still has the amazing heart and incredible story-telling the other had. She had me by my heart and balls throughout this short story and the payoff at the end was awesome!

The Criminal and the Sommelier by Chris Owen 3 Stars
This is my least favorite story thus far... I thought that the chemistry between the 2 MCs was great and the story itself was very interesting. The deal breaker for me was how quickly Phillipe tossed out his issues with Angelo breaking the law so easily and quickly as if just becausae Angelo was sweet and charming that made him being a thief ok.

The Superhero and the NSA Agent by Hailey Turner 5 Stars
First time read of this author... gonna read a lot more of her work! This story was awesome! The verbal banter between the 2 MCs when they meet in the Emergency Room at Harbor/UCLA was so hot it was practically a sex scene. What they got up to after going back to Shane's condo makes this story the hottest thus far in this collection!

The Tattoo Artist and the Writer by Lily Morton 5 Stars
Another new author for me and another reallly awesome story. This one definitely had it scorching moments, but it gets the 5 stars for being the sweetest, most tender and most tear-inducing story. Noah and Sage are incredible!

The Uber Driver and The Phone Sex Operator by Lucy Lennox 4.5 Stars
Lucy Lennox is one of my top 5 fav gay romance authors so I had high expectations for this story. She certainly met and exceeded them! Travis and Azrael were so awesome and so very real. The sweetness and tenderness of this story made me feel all snuggley. And the hot parts... I'll just say they worked just as well!

The Baker and The Seal by May Archer 4.5 Stars
First time reading something by this author... not the last. This was likely the shortest work in the anthology but have to give kudos to her because it was also one of the best. Good things definitely can come in small packages!

The Event Planner and the Electrician by Poppy Dennison 4 Stars
First time to read something by Ms. Dennison, this was good as far as it went but I think it really needed to be just a bit longer to truely feel like a complete story. I liked the 2 MC's a lot, especially Harvey.

The Lawyer and the Lobsterman by Ruthie Luhnow 4 Stars
Sexy and sweet, but too short. So much potential here for exploration. I loved what there was of it. I am confused a bit cuz I would have thought that all authors participating in this would have been asked for approxiamately the same length to there stories. Yet some were much longer than others.

The Florist and The Lawyer by Sloane Kennedy 5 Stars
This is one of my most favorite stories in this anthology. It is sweet, tender and tear-inducing. I loved, loved, loved it!

Setup and Aftermath by ??? 4.5 stars
Really loved these sweet and sexy bookends of the anthology, whoever wrote this did a great job!

[Renée · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Magician and the Mortician by A.E. Wasp - 3.5 stars. Believable insta-love. It's a rare occurrence, but it happens :)

The Professional Gamer and the Paranormal Photographer by Alison Hendricks - 4 stars. I like the idea of these two. It came together organically and there was no insta-love. Enjoyed!

The Assassin and the Dog Walker by Charlie Cochet - 3 stars. Cute and enjoyable. Very insta-love, though.

The Criminal and the Sommelier by Chris Owen - 3 stars. I was really getting into this one. It was so fresh and intriguing. Only to end way too abruptly.

The Superhero and the NSA Agent by Hailey Turner - 2.5 stars. Pretty underdeveloped. Would've preferred a longer story to get to know the characters. Didn't feel their connection at all.

The Tattoo Artist and the Writer by Lily Morton - 4 stars. Best friends to lovers. Very enjoyable.

The Uber Driver and the Phone Sex Operator by Lucy Lennox- 4 stars. Sexiest story.

The Baker and the SEAL by May Archer - 3.5 stars. I enjoyed it except for the mini "Big Misunderstanding" near the beginning.

The Event Planner and the Electrician by Poppy Dennison - skipped

The Lawyer and the Lobsterman by Ruthie Luhnow - skipped

The Florist and the Lawyer by Sloane Kennedy - skipped

[Danielle's · Rating 5 out of 5]

Heart2Heart is a book full of short stories themed around first dates. The book is written by Male/Male romance authors. It's for charity and is a little fun for some special guys. I follow Alison Hendricks and I discovered this book through her newsletter (She is one of the authors of this book but her story isn't about her usual athletic sportsmen). This is an adult read with lots of Male/Male sexy scenes.

*Kindle Unlimited read, therefore you should read it if you have it as it's for charity! Every page read is a little more for a good cause or you can buy the book for £2.83 kindle.

The charities include The Trevor Project, Bisexual Resource centre and One-n-ten.

Heart2Heart is a dating agency app which guarantees to find you your perfect match for Valentine's Day. The webmaster, geeky Bailey even has his own little romance to finish this package. 11 stories in total all good in their own way.

❤️The Magician and the Mortician

Alberto is a magician and feeling a little down about his love life. He feels he has missed his chance to find love, but because it's Valentine's Day he has decided to set up a date. He uses the Heart2Heart app and is all set.

Mikey is a hot younger guy in his audience. A little harmless flirting couldn't hurt, right? Alberto cannot believe his luck when Mikey seems interested. Alberto is feeling pretty good about how things are turning out with Mikey, but he doesn't want to let his date down so he arranges to meet him at a later day. Can an app find him the perfect match or is fate a better hand?

❤️The Professional Gamer and the Paranormal Photographer (Alison Hendricks)

I've read quite a few of Alison's books and I'm a huge fan. Her edition to this book is a little different to her usual stories and I could tell she had fun with it.

Lawerence is a professional gamer and most of his time is spent online. His life is an open book and his fans love the perks of knowing all about him. For Valentine's Day he sets up a blind date using the Heart2Heart app and Allen is his match. These two seem to have nothing in common but both have interesting lives. They both take the time to walk in each other's footsteps and find more than they expected.

The twist at the end of this story really tickled me and finished off the story perfectly.


❤️The Assassin and the dog walker

Alpha male and some super sexy senses. This story had me laughing and loving brooding Lymond. I'm a fan of strong alpha leads and the best part about this story was the fact he got put in his place. Daniel knew how to handle Lymond and it paid off, making them a good match. This story had action, drama and some smoking hot scenes. I will definitely be checking out the author, Charlie cochet other books.

❤️ The criminal and the Sommelier (Wine waiter with expert skills).

Phillipe is accustomed to the finer things in life. He likes good wine and only the best restaurants. He has been on the dating scene for a while but hasn't found that special someone.

Angelo is a master of talents and he has seen rarities most only visit in museums.

The Heart2Heart app has sent these two gentlemen a special treat. An exclusive date at a high-end restaurant. The date its self is memorable and Phillipe gets more than he bargained for.

This was an interesting read and really captured my attention. It was more than a romance and Angelo was an interesting character. The story was short (obviously) so it left me wanting more and the romance was only just starting to blossom.

❤️ The superhero and the NSA agent

Shane and Damian's date doesn't go to plan. Shane's day job keeps him very busy and his latest mission even ends with a hospital visit. His partner has set him up for a Heart2Heart blind date for Valentine's, but unfortunately, due to injury, he isn't going to make it. He messages his date to reschedule, but luck would have it Damian is also at the hospital and happy to meet. They get their date even if it's not the one they expect. They hit it off right from the start and Damian easily fits into Shane's busy life. Another perfect match. The superhero element is also a nice touch.

There is some good banter in this story and some smiley moments. This is a fun story with a lighthearted sexy romance.

❤️ The uber driver and the phone sex operator

Travis and Azrael's story is funny, quirky and very entertaining. Travis helps his brother out by covering his shift. His brother, Brody works as an Uber driver. One of Travis's fares is to take Azrael to his parent's house. Az doesn't know Travis isn't Brody which changes a few key details.

Azrael has just left his job teaching dance at a studio when he gets a call. Normally it's the type of call you would take in private, but it's a demanding client and he doesn't think anyone else is listening.

Azrael is trying to become independent from his family and pay the bills himself. As part of his independence, he also wants to find a guy. He uses the dating app and is all set, but when his date turns up he's all flustered. The taxi conversation wasn't quite as private as he thought.

These two start off on the wrong foot but have amazing chemistry. Az needs to get over his embarrassment if he wants to find romance.

I really enjoyed this story and would happily read more by Lucy Lennox. This story was very amusing and had a sweet ending.

❤️ The Baker and the seal

Cal lives in a small town and runs a bakery. Unfortunately, because he lives in a small place the love prospects are slim pickings. He uses the Heart2Heart dating app to snag a date for Valentine's Day thinking it will be a free meal at the very least.

Ash is fresh out of the navy and returning home has its own challenges. He finds himself in Cal's bakery thanking heaven he could save the day, but soon realise his family needs more than one problem solved. His brother is getting married and being unorganised is an understatement. Ash finds himself rushed off his feet.

Ash is trying to get a normal life now he is home for good and signs up to the dating app. When his date turns up it's none other than his saviour baker, but he looks mad. Luckily it's just a misunderstanding. These two make a cute couple and even though everything is up in the air they find a way to make it work.

❤️ The event planner and the electrician

Theo's best friend and boss sets him up with a Heart2Heart date, but the electrician she hires gets the sparks flying.

Harvey gets more than expected when he attends his latest job and I don't mean in a good way. Luckily he intends to lay low while the swelling goes down. When his date turns up on Valentine's Day he can't believe it's Theo. Luckily these two can laugh it off and get on with their date.

This is the classic bend and snap first date story. Poppy Denison, the author describes herself as two parts sass and one part sweet. I would say that's how to describe this story. It's short but it's about good friends and romance.

❤️ The lawyer and the lobsterman

Isaac isn't looking for love he just wants his sister to get off his case. He sets up a date but 20 minutes into it and the guy hasn't even shown up! When he does show up these two clash like chalk and cheese. They are the complete opposite and this story was highly entertaining. Isaac and Will are from different planets. The lawyer and the lobster. Ones all work and no play and the others work is all about play. This was a really good story. I just don't want to give anything away... You just need to enjoy the ride when reading it.

❤️ The florist and the lawyer

Harrison is a lawyer. His life is organised and he is in control. His date with Nate is going terrible and to finish it off he well and truly messes it up.

Nate was looking for love but what he got had to be some kind of mistake. This was a dating disaster. As this story unravels we find two guys with lonely hearts and they find each other. This one has a little drama and a sweet happy ever after.

[Elsa Bravante · Rating 3 out of 5]

Me gustan mucho las antologías con historias cortas, suele haber de todo y es lo que ocurre en esta, pero ganan las historias cute. En esta ocasión el hilo conductor de todos los relatos es una aplicación que te prepara una cena el día de San Valentín con la supuesta persona perfecta, aunque a primera vista seáis polos opuestos.
Está en KU, pero los beneficios son para diferentes asociaciones, por si lo queréis comprar y así contribuir.

[Sheri · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a pretty great anthology and I'm so glad I snagged it. Excellent charity cause to boot!
Honestly, I bought it for Lily Morton's short and I freaking adored it.
But! I also discovered 2 new-to-me authors (hello May Archer and Ruthie Luhnow!) that I will definitely keep my eye out for more from both.

[Cadiva · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brilliant anthology focused on finding love in all the wrong places

It's not often you get an anthology where you enjoy every story in it but this one might just take the title as the closest to perfection.

This is just a quick review via the Kindle, tomorrow I'm going to steal Dani and Renée's formula and comment on each story in turn but if you haven't bought this one yet, rectify it immediately.

Not only is it for a great cause, but you get eleven opposites attract and fall madly in love stories to warm the heart.

I had an #ARC of this but I went out and bought my own copy because it's totally worth the price.

Full review here now!

The Setup/The Fallout- how it all starts and a very clever way of introducing the whole premise of the anthology. Bailey is surprised by his window washer asking him on a date. So surprised he forgets to run his final check on the algorithms for Heart2Heart.
Really sweet wrap up as well as all the couples come together a few years later to continue to celebrate how the mixed-up algorithm actually found their perfect matches.

The Magician and the Mortician by A.E. Wasp - 4* and a simply brilliant opener. I adored this second chance (after loss) love at first sight romance between the older Alberto & younger Mikey. I would love to read more of these two, the ending is ridiculously sweet!

The Professional Gamer and the Paranormal Photographer by Alison Hendricks - 2.5* This was a good set up, the pacing was working well and then it just ended. Without any kind of a conclusion or even a vague impression their relationship would continue.

The Assassin and the Dog Walker by Charlie Cochet - 3* This would have been better as a novella of around 35k words, lots of plotting but a bit of an abrupt ending and also a side plot which was thrown in about the assassin's ex-boyfriend and his brother!

The Criminal and the Sommelier by Chris Owen - 2.5* Different, a bit snobby (deliberately I suspect), amusing as the beginning of a full length story but not really complete enough. Also absolutely zilch steam.

The Superhero and the NSA Agent by Hailey Turner - 3.5* It's no secret I'm a Hailey Turner fangirl so I was looking forward to this one and it was cute. I liked the twist on the "superhero" aspect and it's quite a different tone than her Metahumans Series.

The Tattoo Artist and the Writer by Lily Morton - 4.5* Okay as a Yorkshire girl this friends to lovers set in York with a flyby visit to the hidden gem that is Staithes was my absolute favourite! Full of witty banter as expected from this author.

The Baker and the SEAL by May Archer - 4* Loved this one with the ex Navy SEAL and his insane family wedding drama, funny meet/cute and misunderstanding turned into a really sweet romance with a brilliant ending.

The Uber Driver and the Sex Phone Operator by Lucy Lennox - 4.5* Smoking hot and brilliantly done and very definitely the sexiest of all the short stories. Travis and Azrael might have burned up the sheets, but there was also lots of emotional chemistry and this was (for me) the most complete of all the couples.

The Event Planner and the Electrician by Poppy Dennison - 3* Another age gap romance, this was also a lovely opposites attract and it had me smiling a lot. Although Theo's boss Danielle was a tad cliched, I loved Harvey's unassuming way and how everyone in the small town was somehow connected to each other!

The Lawyer and the Lobsterman by Ruthie Luhnow - 3.5* Okay this was shaping up to be the absolute best with biting wit, a stuffy lawyer slowly unbending and an unashamedly out there sports mascot - and then it just ended! Without anything. No indication of a HFN or where they were going next, more like the start of a story than a complete short.

The Florist and the Lawyer by Sloane Kennedy - 4.5* lovely, no angst, a lawyer I just wanted to hug because of all his hurts/idiosyncrasies and a florist who was loud and proud but quietly searching for the lifetime commitment. Also hot, as to be expected from Sloane Kennedy!

[Bookreader87(Amanda) · Rating 3 out of 5]

In short, all these stories seemed to have had people who were reluctant to go on a blind date and most, if not all of them, were set up by someone they knew who filled out the profile for them. A few of them were coerced into going on the date by a friend or family member who felt it was time for them to get themselves out there.
The whole setup is centered around the new Heart2Heart app that guarantees to find your perfect match. However, the algorithm used is filled with glitches and all these dates are actually setup with men who, on the surface, are complete opposites. Luckily, for Heart2Heart, all these dates worked out.

My average rating for each of these stories included in this Anthology is 3 stars. My individual rating can be found down below:

The Set-up
Rating: No rating
Review: The set-up is aptly titled for it is setting up the stories for the rest of the book. Bailey is working on and algorithm for the dating site Heart2Heart when he is distracted by the window washer who has been outside his window for 2 days. Turns out the window washer has a thing for Bailey. Said window washer finally makes his move and ask Bailey out for a date. Bailey agrees, even though he knows he should double check the algorithm for the new site. He shrugs it off and figures it will be fine.

The Magician and the Mortician by A.E. Wasp
Rating: 2.5 stars
Review: A lot of fauxpaus happened on this first date but I got over them and let it be. I will say the beginning of this story started off real good but as it continued it started to fall off. The worst part of this story was the epilogue. What a morbid way to end a book and can I just say the place where their proposal took place was not romantic in the slightest. Sorry but NO with a capital N-O. It was so cringe worthy to read. Overall this story didn't work for me.

The Professional Gamer and the Paranormal Photographer by Alison Hendrick
Rating: 3.5 stars
Review: I liked this one it was fun and sweet. Allen and Lawerence seem not to have much in common on the surface but when it comes down to it they have plenty to relate to. They both have jobs/interest others seem to judge and not understand and this is where they find common ground. Sometimes when you are very passionate about something you love your enthusiasm can rub off on others and that is excatly what happened with Allen and Lawerence. What could have been a disaster turns into a cute HEA.

The Assassin and the Dog Walker by Charlie Cochet
Rating: 1 star
Review: This story was a little too OTT for me. Daniel was a sassy gay man looking for love and not another hookup. Tired of always falling for the same type he vows to make this night different and with the help of his best friend he is setup on date with the Heart2Heart app.
The man he is setup with is Lymond who happens to be an assassin. Our first introduction to Lymond is of him being an asshole to Daniel. Not only does he show up late to their date but he insults Daniel multiple times. This is exactly the type of guy Daniel doesn't want to hookup with again but what happens? Lymond throws sex on the table and guess what Daniel does... he accepts it.
After that I just could't deal with these two. Plus the attempt on Lymond's life while he is with Daniel was just too much. But the ultimate hell no for me was the way Lymond reacted when Daniel told Lymond he could not handle what Lymond did for a living. Lymond snapped and put his arms around Daniel's throat. RED FLAG alert! That is not someone you want to date. That is physical abuse and that is a hard no for me. I considered Lymond a piece of shit after that. So yeah, this one was not for me.

The Criminal and the Sommelier by Chris Ownen
Rating: 2.5 stars
Review: There wasn't anything particularly wrong with this one, it just seemed incomplete.

The Superhero and the NSA Agent by Hailey Turner
Rating: 2.5 stars
Review: Story started off fine. NSA agent on a bust gets injured and ends up in the ER. His date happens to volunteer at the hospital he is sent to. It should be mentioned his date volunteers in the pediatric section as a superhero. Cue the awwwwws. Everything was going fine until they left the hospital and went to Shane's (NSA agent) condo. First thing said by Shane when they're not even in the condo yet "I really want you to fuck me." Yeah, this hookup had no tact. Also, talk about a bossy bottom, Shane was annoyingly so. When the sexual stuff hit, I was over it.

The Tattoo Artist and the Writer by Lily Morton
Rating: 4 stars
Review: This one is friends to lovers. Sage and Noah have known each other since the age of 7. Unbeknowest to them they are matched on the Heart2Heart app. Noah seems to brush this match aside and take it as a laugh. However, Sage convinces him that although the app may have matched them wrong they should still go forward with the dates planned and they do. During the dates Noah's feelings for Sage are starting to come out and like he has been doing for years he tries to repress them. However, it turns out Sage has harbored the same feelings for Noah. It's a shame it took them so long to admit their feelings but it was still a sweet story where everything works out.

The Uber Driver and the Phone Sex Operator by Lucy Lennox
Rating: 4 stars
Review: I loved this one. Lucy was able to pack a lot of story in it and yet I still wanted more. I really could read more on Travis and Azrael.

The Baker and the Seal by May Archer
Rating: 4 stars
Review: Cute story between Cal and Ash who almost didn't happen due to to a mix-up before their date. Luckily things are cleared up and all works out between them. I really liked this one.

The Event Planner and the Electrician by Poppy Dennison
Rating: 3 stars
Review: FINALLY a story that explains why none of these guys knew each others names or faces, apparently, the app doesn't allow it. I was wondering about this through out the other stories. So thanks for that.
As to this story itself, it was ok. Theo is new to town working as a wedding planner. Harvey has been living in the small town all his life. Their first meet is when Harvey comes in to fix the electric wiring but his plans are changed when he catches Theo's elbow to the face. They seem to have an attraction but Harvey thinks Theo may be too young and too good for him. Instead of going forward with asking Theo out, Harvey decides to sign up on the Heart2Heart app to find a date. Low and behold his date turns out to be Theo. The only bump in the road they have is Theo worrying Harvey will focus on his age like his last boyfriend. They both have worries on the age topic but surprisingly, unlike a lot of other stories, these two know how to communicate and they talk it out.

The Lawyer and the Lobsterman by Ruthie Luhnow
Rating: 2 stars
Review: Isaac is on a date from hell where everything that can go wrong does go wrong. Not only is his date late and dressed inappropriately the first thing he ask about the alcohol at the restaurant and bonus points his occupation is a mascot who's joy in life is all the free drinks he gets. Yeah, talk about a winner. Much like the date the stories a total disaster. I didn't like it much.

The Florist and the Lawyer by Sloane Kennedy
Rating: 4.5 Stars
Review: This story was my favorite of them all. Nate is a bright and colorful man who, thanks to his awesome grandpa, is not afraid to show the world his true self. Harrison his date is a stiff attorney who avoids chaos and clearly suffers from a case of OCD. On the paper these two should not work out but when you dig a little you realize how much they should. Harrison is black and white and Nate is the burst of color his life has been missing. I loved it from start to finish.

The Fallout
Rating: No rating.
Review: This is the continuation of the setup when Bailey meets his window washer, Ryder, for a date. The date goes extremely well but the next morning when Bailey returns back to work, not so much. The aftermath of the algorithm going awry is what he is faced with. Bailey is immediately put to work to find a solution to his problem. He is stressed and worked to the bone when he leaves the office but waiting for him is Ryder. Which makes all the chaos seem worth it and Bailey cannot seem to regret his choice to leave early the previous day. At the end of it all he got Ryder. This ends with an Epilogue which shows all the mix matched couples at a Heart2Heart ball.

[Valerie ❈M/M Romance Junkie❈ · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Set-up
Date Started: 2/9/2018
Date Finished: 2/9/2018
Rating: 5 cheesy grin worthy ★'s


The Magician and the Mortician by A.E. Wasp
Date Started: 2/12/2018
Date Finished: 2/12/2018
Rating:2 ★'s

This started out ok. By the middle, the story was ruined for me. I’m sure that might be on me, but I just didn’t like it.

The Professional Gamer and the Paranormal Photographer by Alison Hendricks
Date Started: 2/15/2018
Date Finished: 2/15/2018
Rating: 3.5★'s

This was cute. It started out rather awkward (I didn’t expect them to gel). They found common ground in their enthusiasm for their chosen careers. I would have loved a more concrete resolution to the paranormal aspect.


The Assassin and the Dog Walker by Charlie Cochet
Date Started:
Date Finished:
Rating: 3★'s

It had its moments.

The Criminal and the Sommelier by Chris Owen
Date Started: 2/18/2018
Date Finished: 2/18/2018
Rating: 2★'s

I think I could have really enjoyed this, but the dialogue felt so stilted and unnatural.


The Superhero and the NSA Agent by Hailey Turner
Date Started:
Date Finished:
Rating: 2.5 ★'s

This was a cute premise. It was a solid 4 star read until they had sex (I can’t believe I just said that 🤯). The speed that they hit the sheets didn’t go with the story. It really ruined the cuteness factor.


The Tattoo Artist and the Writer by Lily Morton
Date Started: 2/19/2018
Date Finished: 2/19/2018
Rating: 4.5 ★'s

That was such a sweet friends to lovers story. I enjoyed every moment.

The Uber Driver and the Phone Sex Operation by Lucy Lennox
Date Started: 2/19/2018
Date Finished: 2/19/2018
Rating: 4 ★'s

OTT, but very sweet (and hot).

The Baker and the Seal by May Archer
Date Started: 2/19/2018
Date Finished: 2/19/2018
Rating: 4.5 ★'s

Any other time, I would have hated the insta-everything and miscommunication. It worked here. And I LOVE to see such a powerful, alpha man (and a Seal!) be a happy bottom. Bottoming doesn’t make him any less of a badass.


The Event Planner and the Electrician by Poppy Dennison
Date Started: 2/19/2018
Date Finished: 2/19/2018
Rating: 4 ★'s


The Lawyer and the Lobsterman by Ruthie Luhnow
Date Started: 2/20/2018
Date Finished: 2/20/2018
Rating: 2.5 ★'s


The Florist and the Lawyer by Sloane Kennedy
Date Started:
Date Finished:
Rating: 3.5★'s


The Fallout
Date Started:
Date Finished:
Rating: 4★'s

review set up shamelessly borrowed from Jennifer☠Pher☠

There’s a little bit of everything in this anthology, and it’s for a good cause. Read it.

[.Lili.]

The Tattoo Artist and the Writer by Lily Morton

STORIES LIKE THIS ONE ARE WHY I LOVE FRIENDS TO LOVERS STORIES! This short tale packed so much in a short number of pages.

-Lovable characters
-Longing
-UST
-Relationship development
-Great dialogue
-Smooth pace
-Steam
-A sprinkle of angst
-And a sweet ending.

5 Stars!

I can't wait to read the rest of the stories!

P.S. I'll reevaluate my rating as I read along.

[Alex · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not all of them deserved a 5 stars for me but overall I really enjoyed all the stories here!

I'm too lazy to review all of them so I'll let my boo express my feelings....

[Courtney Bassett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Possibly the best anthology I’ve read

Usually an anthology full of stories from various authors is hit or miss for me. I got this one because I have read and loved most of the authors involved, and figured it would be worth it even if I didn’t like them all. Besides, it’s for charity, right?

But then I was blown away by how FUN it all was. There was not a single story in this that I didn’t enjoy, and some had me laughing out loud. The whole premise was great, and I loved all the unlikely pairings. It left me with a huge smile on my face, and a determination to read more from the authors I wasn’t as familiar with.

[haletostilinski · Rating 4 out of 5]

Whew! Finally finished.

Overall: 4 stars!

THE SET-UP - ☆☆☆
Cute little short story that sets up the rest of the short stories, although I admit it took me a few short stories to realize that Bailey leaving to go out with the cute nice guy without double-checking for any errors with the Heart2Heart algorithms set in motion all of these men falling in love together ;)

THE MAGICIAN AND THE MORTICIAN by A.E. Wasp - ☆☆☆ and a half, rounded down to three stars

I love A.E. Wasp, and this was a solid 4 star read for me until the hint that these two might invite third parties into their relationship later on down the line, and it's never cleared up on wether they're still for or against that once they really got to know each other. It bothered me and it was out of left field, I thought, especially this author hasn't done anything like that before. Most probably won't mind this, especially because a threesome doesn't actually happen, but I minded, so it's more a personal preference that is going into my rating.

Although the insta-lovey thing usually isn't my thing and I found it still to be a tad ridiculous here, the two MC's did have chemistry, for what it was worth and the sex, as it usually is with A.E. Wasp, was super hot ;).

Overall a fun story, though.

THE PROFESSIONAL GAMER AND THE PARANORMAL PHOTOGRAPHER by Alison Hendricks - ☆☆☆☆

I enjoyed this one. It was the complete opposite of the first story, though. No insta-love to be had here. Actually the date was not going well at all. But eventually these two made it work and actually turned out to be quite sweet together, with some great chemistry.

THE ASSASSIN AND THE DOG WALKER by Charlie Cochet - ☆☆☆☆☆

I loved this one. Cochet always manages to make me laugh and this one was no different, and at the same time she brings in the feels. She even managed to have another couple in the background seem like a real possibility and I wanted a story for them pronto ;).

THE CRIMINAL AND THE SOMMELIER by Chris Owen - SKIPPED

THE SUPERHERO AND THE NSA AGENT by Hailey Turner - ☆☆☆☆

I really enjoyed this one. It was sweet and cute and heartwarming. Also, it was interesting to read Hailey Turner's writing outside of the metahuman world she's created for that wonderful series. Still had some involvement with crime/law enforcement though which was fun.

THE TATTOO ARTIST AND THE WRITER by Lily Morton - ☆☆☆☆☆

I love Lily Morton and I loved this one. It was my favorite story of all these short stories. Morton was able to give these two a great, built in connection with them having been best friends all their lives, and why they never got together earlier was given a believable reason. These two had great chemistry together as well and this was the story I was most riveted to. Loved it.

THE UBER DRIVER AND THE PHONE SEX OPERATOR by Lucy Lennox - ☆☆☆☆

I liked this one. It didn't really touch on the Heart2Heart connection that much, though, and I feel like the story would be more aptly name "the two dancers" or something like that, because there wasn't much of them being an uber driver or a phone sex operator in this story at all.

Still a fun read and I liked their connection. They were good together. I still liked this one overall. Fun story :)

THE BAKER AND THE SEAL by May Archer - ☆☆☆☆ and a half stars, rounded down to four stars.

This was a fun one and written by one of my favorite new authors, May Archer. I really liked this one, and despite the silly, manufactured misunderstanding in the beginning, it worked out for the best because the misunderstanding didn't drag out and it didn't create a super amount of unnecessary drama, and it was actually kind of a fun misunderstanding. Unnecessary, definitely. But it was still fun.

And these two had a connection I felt and enjoyed a lot.

THE EVENT PLANNER AND THE ELECTRICIAN by Poppy Dennison - ☆☆

This was my first work of this author's that I've read and it didn't go well. I liked at first when it had a potential meet cute - Harvey is the electrician called in to where Theo works to help, Theo is on a ladder and falls and Harvey goes to catch him - but instead of him falling into his arms and them having a moment, Theo accidentally elbows Harvey in the nose and breaks it. Ouch. But probably more realistic than the swoon worthy romantic scene I was expecting.

I thought it was going well at first, but in this case even with the realness, these two didn't have a connection right off the bat, and continued not to have a connection through their date - and it didn't help when we were mostly told that they had fun and were talking without actually seeing any of it. Even when the previous stories did something like that, it had a balance of scenes where the characters were connecting. This didn't.

I found myself skimming it - especially the sex scene, even - and this was a short story. It just wasn't holding my interest. Then Theo was rude and indignant to Harvey over basically nothing and then Harvey had to be the one to apologize? And Theo's friend/boss acting like Harvey was in the wrong too? Like? This nice, kind guy did nothing and Theo was judging him for things he hadn't even done - and Harvey was the one who had to apologize?

Theo didn't want an older guy he was dating to look at how old he was and to judge him for his age - then maybe he shouldn't act so immature? Jesus.

Not a fan of this one.

THE LAWYER AND THE LOBSTERMAN by Ruthie Luhnow - ☆☆☆☆

This was also a new-to-me author but this went a lot better than the last story. I really enjoyed this and I thought Will and Isaac had a very great connection. This was another "disaster date" that turned out to work. These two made it work and I love stories where two people have nothing in common but they find that connection anyway. I love it because it shows that even if you had almost or nothing in common with someone, if you're able to get along and have chemistry, that doesn't matter. A relationship isn't all about the interests you share, imo.

Definitely enjoyed this one and I may check out this author in the future :D

THE FLORIST AND THE LAWYER by Sloane Kennedy - SKIPPED

THE FALLOUT - ☆☆☆

The fallout to Bailey's accidental screw-up. Ryder, as we come to know his name, was really sweet and kind and perfect for Bailey. They were cute, what little we got of them, and it rounded out all these short stories. The perfect bookend to, well, end the book lol.

Overall a slew of wonderfully enjoyable stories, worth the money - that is for charity, I believe - and worth a read. Definitely recommend :)

Annddd I'm done - reading all these short stories just took me awhile. Now, onward! :D

[Santy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This took me the better part of a month to finish because it kept getting overtaken by work, more work , social engagements ad other books. It is an anthology so it was easy for that to happen as every other couple of chapters was a distinctly new story.

I finally finished it and the verdict is 5 Stars! All the authors brought their A-Game and I enjoyed every single storey. I also liked how even though they were all based on the same premise, each story managed to be uniquely different and refreshing in its own way based on their respective author's style.

Special mentions go to my existing faves Charlie Cochet, Hayley Turner, Lily Morton, Alison Hendricks and Notable newbies to me May Archer, Chris Owen, Ruthie Luhnow and Poppy Dennison who I have one question for : WHERE IS THE REST OF THE STORY?! She left me hanging in the best of ways ... *happy sigh*

I don't regret picking this up and you should too if you can. :)

[Viki Evans · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well I have finished it. It's took me days but I read every single story. Some I've liked and some i didn't but still gave it a 5 stars rating, (just because I'm too lazy to go through every single one to rate ).

[Maggie · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a fun and entertaining Valentine's read!

So I got the chance to read this book early in order to review the contribution of one of my fav authors, Hailey Turner, but I have to say this - I loved the whole frickin' thing! The premise of the anthology is cute and quirky - a dating app that is debuting for Valentine's Day has some glitches due to a romantic situation that starts the anthology between the app programmer and a window washer. Distracted by the hunky window washer, our cute computer geek might have not been as thorough in his beta testing as he should have been ::wink wink:: and now the app's algorithm is setting up matches that may not be the perfect 'Mr. Right' for the paired person... or is Cupid just working his usual romantic mischief and using this mistake to make the best matches of all?

So let me start with Hailey's story in the Anthology - The Superhero and the NSA Agent. OMG, I have epic geek gurl love for this story! It's Hailey's first foray into contemporary lgbtq2s romance and she !

The story starts out in a seedy dock area of the Port of Lose Angeles where NSA Agent Shane Parson and his partner Laura Tavers are playing eyes and ears for a joint operation cartel bust that he provided the research and intel on. As they wait for the bust to go down we learn that Shane is a consumate workaholic and hasn't been on a date in FOREVER but his hilarious, ball-busting partner Laura has signed him up for the Heart2Heart dating app without his knowledge and arranged for him to have a date that night - Valentine's day night. Laura, Shane's FBI friend who is leading the bust, and a number of other co-workers are all too happy to heckle Shane and place bets on whether or not he'll make the date while they wait for the bust to go down.

Eventually it does but as can happen, the bust goes FUBAR and Shane ends up in the ER. Where he meets his date, Damian... or should I say "Superman". Damian is a mild mannered law librarian by day and a cosplay superhero volunteer by night. Sparks fly as Shane and 'Supes' meet. The 'good meds' might have helped lower a few inhibitions along the way. The end result of the 'app-tastrophy' is Shane and Damian finding out that despite having nothing in common on paper, they really are the perfect match... thanks to Heart2Heart!

And that is just ONE of the stories in this anthology, y'all! The whole thing is chock-a-block full of hilarious situations and bizarrely perfect pairings that make your heart melt like the most decadent valentine's day chocolate!

Here are some other stories that really had my heart strings tugging and me going 'awwwwwh' as I read them:

- The Tattoo Artist and the Writer by Lily Morton was just so effing sweet - and hot!

- The Magician and the Mortician by A.E. Wasp was another scorcher that had me going awwwwh.

- The Uber Driver and the Phone Sex Operator by Lucy Lennox had me in stitches (and being grateful that we're having a cold snap coz daaaayam son, HOT!)

- The Baker and the Seal by May Archer - shout out Rochester, NY!!! and omg, those two are on FIYAH!


Actually... I could probably list all the stories here because they were all just the perfect romantic and sexy read.

Seriously - read this anthology. You'll thank me!

[Marlobo ♥ epilogues · Rating 4 out of 5]

Common Tropes: Blind Date, Opposites Attract, Valentine's Day

The Magician and the Mortician by A.E. Wasp -3 stars

The Professional Gamer and the Paranormal Photographer by Alison Hendricks - 3 stars

The Assassin and the Dog Walker by Charlie Cochet - 4 stars

The Criminal and the Sommelier by Chris Owen - 3.5 stars

The Superhero and the NSA Agent by Hailey Turner - 3.5 stars

The Tattoo Artist and the Writer by Lily Morton - 3.5 stars

The Uber Driver and the Phone Sex Operator by Lucy Lennox - 3 stars

The Baker and the SEAL by May Archer - 4.5 stars

The Event Planner and the Electrician by Poppy Denison - 3.5 *need-a-bit-more* stars

The Lawyer and the Lobsterman by Ruthie Luhnow - 4 *need-much-more* stars

The Florist and the Lawyer by Sloane Kennedy - 3.5 stars

The Setup / The Fallout by ¿¿?? - 3 stars

[Tess · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[Megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Set-Up:
Awkward, sweet, memorable meet-cute. Ryder is the hot guy in the window everyone is drooling over, especially Bailey, the compassionate geek responsible for the algorithms of the dating app. Skipping the last test won't hurt anything, right? I mean, when was the last time a hot, built man of awesome took a second look at the lanky, nerdy computer programmer in a bow-tie? Loved the meet-cute and am really looking forward to seeing where they go from here...

The Professional Gamer and the Paranormal Photographer, Alison Hendricks:
Slow, sweet, and simple. The passion was super mellow and more like something you'd see in real life. It's not always about excitement, electricity, and intensity. Sometimes it's more about taking a second look, trying to see why someone likes what they like, why they live like they do, and building on a little spark instead of trying to tame an inferno.

That being said, I didn't really feel it going anywhere. I like where they were headed, but beyond that I wasn't really drawn into the story and the characters both felt slightly dull, just not dynamic and captivating. 2.5 stars.

The Magician and the Mortician, A.E. Wasp:
The age gap worked here with Beto needing another chance at happiness, love, and magic, and Mikey who had more than enough youth, wisdom, energy, and love for both of them. They each find something they were missing and were captivated by one another right from the start.

Incredibly sexy, tremendously sweet, there was a lot of hope, love, and healing here. The themes of death and life were woven throughout the entire story. I liked these two men together and the end scene in the funeral parlor was both awkward and sweet. It was a bit over the top but worked for the pair. 3 stars.

The Assassin and the Dog Walker, Charlie Cochet:
Mostly good. I was annoyed that Lymond became the bad guy. Yes, he said hurtful things but he was doing it to give Daniel the last reason he needed so he could leave. He made it easier for Daniel to do what he was going to do anyway: run. Daniel was the one to shut them down first, to do and say what he did because he had a moment of panic. It was understandable but to be so aware of Lymond's heart and needs during sex and the intimacy that followed and even recognizing the vulnerable need to be loved while he was panicking and to still hurt Lymond in a much worse way than Lymond hurt him doesn't make it okay.

Overall the story was sweet. It was Lymond's tenderness, thoughtfulness, and confession that made the relationship and story work. Daniel started out feisty, witty, charming, and likable but he very quickly paled in comparison to the quality of man Lymond was. It was like they switched places instead of both growing to be a good pairing. 3 stars.

The Criminal and the Sommelier: Chris Owen:
I honestly wish there were more. Something to keep them from ending on such a cliff-hanger kind of moment and to redeem the men from their pomposity. I'd like Angel's POV from here though. To get to their HEA from their maybe/possibly/kind of/not really HFN would certainly be an adventure. While the story didn't sink deep it was certainly intriguing. A sommelier and a theif wouldn't be a normal pairing, no, but the men were interesting and could have been complex if we were allowed to know them more, more deeply. 2.5 stars.

The Superhero and the NSA Agent, Hailey Turner:
Immensely sweet and hot. Shane is funny while being uber serious. Damian is absolutely endearing while being shy, sweet, and super hot. The beginning manages to be exciting and funny right from the get-go and the interest is maintained despite the lack of explosions once Damian enters the scene, well, just the RPG variety. The explosions thereafter are the ones between Shane and Damian behind closed doors. Around their awesomeness is a stellar cast of people we get to know quickly and like just as much as the MC's. Surprising, for such a short story. 4.5 stars.

The Tattoo Artist and the Writer, Lily Morton:
This friends-to-lovers story was super cute. I liked both men and the years between their realizations and the actual coming together made for some intense steam. They were sexy together and the way they knew so deeply about one another was apparent. But knowing one another also makes them prone to making unilateral decisions based on assumptions. And we all know what assumptions do...

They certainly don't get the asses in the same bed, that's for sure. When they finally get it together with a little help from alcohol and a bitter ex I couldn't have been happier for them. I did get quite tired of the many instances of bowing out and deciding for the other person regarding their feelings but the end was worth the wait. 3.5 stars.

The Uber Driver and the Phone Sex Operator, Lucy Lennox:
Sweet and hot. Travis is filling in for his deaf brother who's an Uber driver. When what to his wondering ears should he hear but sexy moans, groans, and "Harder, Daddy, harder!" from the man in the rear.
...Yeah, forgive me for that...

Immediately intrigued and turned on, Travis is surprised but very pleased that his Heart2Heart date is none other than the phone-sex operator, Azrael. He also gets the surprise of his life when Azrael is more than interested in having Travis be his first. Chemistry galore, here, and they are incendiary from the word go. But they have more in common than they think and with some family drama and hidden identity issues to overcome it's those commonalities that give them the tentative and tender beginnings of what will be a spicy HEA. 4 stars.

The Baker and the SEAL, May Archer:
Absolutely sweetness upon sexy sweetness. I loved this couple. The humility, attraction, affection, and acceptance of everything they are to and for one another was wonderful.

Ash, the SEAL, is at the mercy of his soon-to-be sister-in-law and finds himself in a vanilla-scented heaven and staring into the bourbon colored eyes of a man he could see himself obeying. Cal is a fiery tempered red head who is fast approaching his last nerve until a blond Adonis walks in and quotes Nietzshe. A couple misunderstandings bank the spark Cal feels until he finds out that his date is none other than the philosopher-quoting hottie. When the discord is settled and they give into the draw they feel for one another their romance moves very, very quickly.

The passion is intense, quick, and very, very hot. Their relationship is on its way to a forever-kind of happiness but since it's a short, sweet, insta-love story the reality is suspended a little bit under the guise of Valentine's Day magic. The epilogue is full of sexy tenderness and gives them the beginning of the forever part of their happily ever after.

4 out of 5 stars. Side characters mentioned hinted at a sexuality situation that seemed important and yet not addressed. I wish there were a bit more depth, but wasn't unhappy with what was included. Full of squee-inducing sweetness, one hot bedroom scene, lots of connection and potential for the MC's. Really, really enjoyed this short story. (I got an ARC of the book from this author, hence the longer review.)

The Event Planner and the Electrician, Poppy Dennison:
Perfect, sweet, silly. Love, love Theo with his silliness, never-ending chatter, honesty, awkwardness, and his enthusiasm. I loved Harvey with his earnestness, the way he's captivated and charmed by Theo despite the elbow-meets-nose incident. His eagerness to make amends for something he's unsure he did wrong because he's unwilling to let his connection with Theo go. I wish there were another chapter or two, maybe even an epilogue, the story definitely needed it. With the ridiculous amount of cuteness, desire, and connection, if this were a longer story it'd be HEA city all the way and a full 5 stars. 4 stars.

Theo pushed the phone toward her with a scowl. "I cannot be bribed."
She arched a brow and Theo pulled the phone back and held it cradled to his chest.
"Okay, I can totally be bribed..."

The Lawyer and the Lobsterman, Ruthie Luhnow:
An awkward, unpleasant beginning to their date but the end was simultaneously hot and tender. These two men have lots of potential together and I enjoyed them. BUT I WANTED MORE! Both the promised bedroom scene and from the relationship. They have a great connection once they realize there's more, much more, beneath the surface. I'd like to have seen more than just the beginnings of what ended up being an awesome night. 3.5 stars.

The Florist and the Lawyer, Sloane Kennedy:
It got super deep super fast here. These men were complicated and multi-faceted. To develop them in such a short story was a pleasant surprise. They had so much that was different but so much that the other person needed. Seriously hot and full of heart with funny moments too. The absurdly perfect epilogue tied the whole thing together. 4 stars.

The Fallout:
Cute, sweet, full-circle. Tender and definitely a bunch of insta-love goodness. I like the casual mentions of a few of the couples at the end, some of my favorite couples in the anthology too, so that's a bonus. But my favorite bit is the shared love between seemingly opposite men that started out awkward, sweet, and sexy and ended the same way. 3.5 stars.

[Annika · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ever wondered what happens when a dating app matches you with your polar oposite? Here is your answer. This anthology had some really sweet stories that you shouldn't miss out on and I've enjoued reading about all of these mis-matches that didn't turn out quite as disasterous as one might've thought. Highly recommended!



The Set Up / The Fallout
❤️ ❤️ ❤️ ½

Bailey is almost done with the Heart2Heart app and is just about to make a final check before the launch to make sure the matchmaking works as it should. But he’s a little distracted by the gorgeous window washer that’s been outside his office for the past few days. When Window Man asks him out on a date he decides the algorithm would be just fine without that final check.

The date was the stuff of dreams, and so was Ryder. Bailey couldn’t have been happier. That is until he arrives at work to find that the algorithms have failed in a spectacular way. Instead of finding the perfect match for the people using the app, it set them up with their polar opposites! Scrambling to correct the mess and fully expecting to be fired in the after-math Baily anxiously waits for the Fallout of the launch.

He also realises that following your heart might just be the best decision of his life.



The Assassin and the Dog Walker
Charlie Cochet
❤️

Tired of one night stands and guys only wanting him for the night Daniel signs up for the Heart2Heart app in hopes to find Mr. Right. He wants it all, the romance, the walks in the parks and to be swept off his feet. Sadly that’s not what he finds. Lymond is anything but Mr. Right and the date goes downhill fast.

This story just wasn’t for me, in any way shape or form. It was too much and over the top. I just didn’t believe in it. I believed in Daniel, but that was about it. I loved Daniel, he was really sweet and lovable and he deserved to find that perfect someone. I honestly would say he deserved someone better than Lymond, but that might just be me.

All in all, this story was a bust and not one I’d recommend.



The Superhero and the NSA Agent
Hailey Turner
❤️ ❤️ ❤️ ❤️

Mr. I Don’t Have Time For Other Humans, Shane had been set up. By his friend and partner Laura. Stealing his phone she signed him up for the Hear2Heart app and gotten him a date for Valentine’s Day. He just had to survive the day first. Mission gone awry Shane was injured and taken to hospital only to meet his date… Superman?

Damian, law librarian during the day, and superhero at night. After his niece got sick in leukemia he started volunteering at the hospital as superheroes. When he hears that his date for the night was in the ER he decides to pay him a visit. Their attraction is instant and the chemistry between them explosive.

This one was really sweet and cute and I loved every word of it. Costumes and all. Highly recommended!



The Tattoo Artist and the Writer
Lily Morton
❤️ ❤️ ❤️ ½

Ink Sprinkler meet your perfect match; Picture Man

Horror writer Noah has been in love with his best friend Sage for forever and hiding those feelings has become second nature. Never dreaming his feelings might be reciprocated, he signs up for the Heart2Heart app, promising his perfect match in the hopes of finding someone to share his life with. The app matches him with Picture Man and they set up to meet at a local coffee shop. What he finds when he arrives is his best friend, and the man he’s hopelessly in love with.

Deciding to give the match a chance, they decide to take each other out on one date each. One date specifically planned for the other, where just anything might happen and the outcome might change their lives forever.

The tattoo artist and the Writer is a friends to lovers story, with a lot of UST, a clueless guy and a great friendship with lots and lots of shared memories. In theory it’s everything a friends to lovers story should be, but it felt a bit lacking to me and for the life of me I can’t put my finger on why. Enjoyable for the moment, but not my favourite.



The Uber Drive and the Phone Sex Operator
Lucy Lennox
❤️ ❤️ ❤️ ❤️ ½

I think this was my favourite of all the stories in this anthology. It really drew me in and kept that hold of me until the very end – which was too soon. It was by far the sexiest and steamy story of the bunch, but there were also a lot of emotions and depth to the characters. It surprised me in a good way.

There is a lot of things going on in this story and not everything is at it might seem; family drama, secrets, closets, and a great love of….dance. Not to forget identical twins and mistaken identities, phone sex and a shy but virgin. This May-December story has it all, but it never gets to be too much or overwhelming, no unnecessary drama, just a sweet love story you definitely shouldn’t miss out on.



The Baker and the SEAL
May Archer
❤️ ❤️ ❤️ ❤️

HotCrossBuns your date and perfect match this Valentine is Frogman626.

Cal is the hottest baker in town, and brides fly to town for his creations. Dealing with customers however was not his forte and he’d rather be re-stocking and doing inventory than be nice to customers. But when a gorgeous Adonis of a man walks into his bakery he goes out of his way to help him out. Only to realise he might just be the groom in this particular party…

Ash is not in a good mood, and dealing with his high maintenance and future sister-in-law and her wedding preparations is not his idea of a well spent afternoon. Especially not since the groom is still stuck in Vegas after the bachelor party and it falls on him to solve the last minute preparations and problems. But entering Fanaille bakery might just change his life in ways he never imagined.

This story was cute and sweet – but not vanilla, and I had a lot of fun reading it. ;)



The Event Planner and the Electrician
Poppy Dennison
❤️ ❤️ ❤️ ❤️

As a favour for his boss, Harvey agrees to help Abe’s cousin out with her faulty electricity. When he arrives at the location he did not expect to find a young man alone, standing high up on a wobbly ladder. Sensing the ensuing disaster Harvey rushes forward and rescues Theo when he falls. Only to end up with a broken nose in the process. To add insult to injury, the man he saved faints at the sight of bloody injuries, so the could’ve been meet-cute turned out to be a bit of a disaster. To top it off, the cute event planner would never be interested in an older man like him, so he signs up to the Heart2Heart in hopes to combat some of the loneliness.

Theo was not too happy with his boss for the moment as she’d signed him up for the Hart2Heart Valentine special, told him to meet with the electrician to fix the wirings before the weekends weddings and then leaving him completely alone. To make matters worse he breaks Harvey’s nose, when the poor guy only tried to save him.

Then Valentine’s Day arrives and the subsequent blind date. Against all odds they realise the app has set them up with each other. After a few awkward moments they realise they are both very happy with the matchup and decides to give it a go.

This was such a sweet and fun may-december love story, and I loved every word of it. There is no insta-love, and it ends with a solid HFN with high hopes for a wonderful future.



The Lawyer and the Lobsterman
Ruthie Luhnow
❤️ ❤️ ❤️ ❤️

First dates are awkward, blind dates even more so. But who decided that connecting an uptight and overworked lawyer and a lobsterman would be a good idea? But not just any lobsterman – The Lobster Man. A professional mascot for the Lobstermen football team….

The only reason Isaac signed up to the Heart2Heart dating app was to placate his sister. Then when he and his date won a dinner at the trendiest restaurant in town he figured he might as well go on the date. He didn’t have any high hopes for the evening, but a good meal. When the guy he is supposed to be meeting, lobsterman69, still hasn’t shown up after 20 minutes he is miffed. Seriously so. Just as he is deciding to go ahead and order without him (there is no sense wasting a free meal after all) a tornado by the name Will shows up – and he’s wearing a hoodie from his college days of all things. Things are not looking good for his blind date. When the appetizers, forgive me first offerings, are served something changes between them, and just maybe they have more in common than what they originally thought.

This story is all about that first date, first impressions and being open to something new – like forgoing the trendiest restaurant in town, for a bar called The Roach. There is no insta-love, and not really a HFN, but there is that thrilling start of something new tinged with a lot of hope.

I for one am not usually fond of insta-love stories so this fitted me perfectly. I believed in it. I enjoyed it quite a lot. But if you are looking for that everlasting and undying love, this is not your story.



The Florist and the Lawyer
Sloane Kennedy
❤️ ❤️ ❤️ ½

Having been deeply hurt in the a few months before, Harrison signs up for the Hart2Hart app to get back at his past. Only it didn’t turn out quite as he expected. Nate, the flamboyant and lively florist surprises him in every way possible and that deliberately hurting this bright man was not the right thing to do, especially since he can’t get Nate out of his mind.

Nate is looking for someone to share his life. He wants someone to finally see him, love him for who he really is. When the blind date goes from bad to worse and he ends up leaving in the middle of dinner he resigns himself to spending his life alone, possibly with a pint or two of Haagen Das.

This was a sweet story about forgiveness and second chances. Mis-matches can turn out the be the best matches of them all.



The Criminal and the Sommelier
Chris Owen
Skipped

The Professional Gamer and the Paranormal Photographer
Alison Hendricks
Skipped

The Magician and the Mortician
A. E. Wasp
Skipped

A copy of this book was generously provided by the authors in exchange for an honest review

[Vanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Total: 3.5 stars. I liked the concept behind the anthology that a company has come up with a matchmaking app (NOT a dating app) to find your perfect match and all the stories that follow are of couples who are trying this app for the first time, having signed up themselves, or by some family/friend and how they find each other.

The Professional Gamer and the Paranormal Photographer- 4 stars. This was a sweet story of 2 characters who could not be more mismatched and yet find themselves getting from awkward to comfortable. It was very relatable with a sweet ending.

The Magician and the Mortician- 3.5 stars. A good story but a little "out-there" for me. The characters were great, the chemistry instant with enough sizzle. Nevertheless I found it a little abrupt and improbable.

The Assassin and the Dog Walker- 3.5 stars. This was pretty high on the action and excitement. The insta-lust and hot chemistry was great as well. The ending felt a little too neat and abrupt, maybe if it was longer I would have understood why they clicked.

The Criminal and the Sommelier- 2.5 stars. I got very bored and just kept turning pages to see if it would ever get interesting.. and NO.. it did not.

The Superhero and the NSA Agent- 4 stars. This was a surprise for me. I liked both the MCs, very likabale personalities. The story had funny banter and the getting to know part where you find out more about the other besides the exterior. This felt more like a normal story with lots of passion as well as sweetness.

The Tattoo Artist and the Writer- 4.5 stars. This was certainly my favorite. The MCs have been friends for a long time and now that they have been matched by the app, they are forced to address their supposedly "unrequited" crush on one another. The dates they go on are cute and fun; proving that they are perfect for one another. It had everything, friends to lovers, sweet sweet love and an HEA.

The Uber Driver and the Phone Sex Operator- 4 stars. The name was a misnomer, because although the story starts that way, it ends quite differently. Having said that, I still liked this story, first and foremost it was HOT.. and dirty, but it had a lot of heart too with the backstory of one of the MCs. Yes, the ending was predictable but then we do want HEA and isn't that what romantic fiction is about? A little predictability?

The Baker and the Seal- 4 stars. Another pleasantly surprising story with a very humorous first meeting and misunderstanding. But it had a great character and story development with a surprising twist about the couple's bedroom activities much against some preconceived notions about a SEAL.

The Event Planner and the Electrician- 2.5 stars. Somehow it felt off. I kept waiting and waiting for something to happen. The banter felt contrived. I skipped most of it.

The Lawyer and the Lobsterman- 3.5 stars. This was another one of those opposites attract type of stories and although I liked the characters and there was definitely a lot of steam and sizzle I thought I needed a few more chapters.

The Florist and the Lawyer- 3.5 stars. This story had more defined MCs with complete backstories and defined issues, yet I felt quite connected to how they slowly come together after messing up their first date.

Last but not the least the main programmer/designer of the app "Heart2Heart also finds love albeit without the help from the app; with a window-washer. That story is cute as well. The epilogue has a quick snapshot of all the couples in one place and is quite fun to read.

[Neta · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fantastic Anthology by amazing authors!

first of all I LOVED the concept, even thought these authors are so different and unique the use of the “dating app” as a common thread really pulled everything together and was a lovely little touch in each story. Thoroughly enjoyed these stories and will continue to read more as we get closer to valentines.

“The Baker And The Seal” by May Archer:
May Archer is a new author in the MM genre. I had the pleasure of reading her debut book “The Easy Way” and the two books following it. it was an amazing experience to watch her writing improve and evolve (and it was pretty darn good to begin with) so I was happy to ready another story by her.
The characters were so unique, sweet with a funny, geeky vibe and it felt very complete to me. It’s a funny thing to say about a story, complete, but as short stories go it’s not so easy to get it just right and not have things feel left out. Cal was so endearing, and I love the twist with Ash- the Big Tough Seal- not being a top. This story had many little layers to discover and unfold, was super sexy and still vanilla sweet. It had everything I was looking for in a short, especially a valentine story, and left me feeling warm and fuzzy with a distinct craving for something sweet.

“The Uber Driver and the Phone Sex operator” by Lucy Lenox:
in true Lucy style, this book had a crazy, hilarious scenario when a sex phone operator, AZ, receives a call while on an Uber he believes is driven by a deaf driver. This unlikely coincidence leads to some very heartfelt confections the next day when the two meet again- on a blind date set up by the Heart2Heart dating app. This story was more about the laughs, a very steamy relationship, and had the usual drama we know and love from Lucy’s books. Her ability to write funny banter and explosive chemistry really shines and this was a delight to read through and through.

The Superhero and the NSA Agent by Hailey Turtner:
This was a really sweet book! I was thinking and hoping it would be a real super-human but as soon as I realized that it’s a cosplayer, it just made the story more romantic in my view. The only issue I have, and it’s a small one, is that Shane is injured, and it was a bit of a stretch to believe he could have had the sex he had with no discomfort. But the writing was great and the characters fun and cute.

The Tattoo Artist and the Writer by Lilly Morton:
This book had my favorite trope, Friends-to-lovers, and I enjoyed the story but did feel like it was dragging out a bit at times. Sage was sometimes a but vague, I wished he would have just come out and said what he feels and get it over with. I also felt the characters where sometimes inconsistent.

[Shannon · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a FUN anthology! I loved the whole premise of the matchmaking app and how it went a little wonky just before release and matched up complete opposites- pairing up couples who probably never would have met if not for Heart2Heart. H2H is definitely one of my favorite anthologies ever.

I admit to jumping right in to Lucy Lennox's story, without having read the beginning of the anthology. I think I read half the stories before going back to the beginning, and then I finally learned why the app messed up! I don't really feel like I missed out by not starting there, but I would recommend not following in my footsteps if you haven't read this yet.

Each of these stories had their own fun little take on opposites attract and I thought they were all terrific! I think I might just have to buy myself the paperback.

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

This anthology with a common theme really worked for me. I thought all the stories were good is some way or another. Not one story stood out as not being up to par so for me that was a win. I enjoyed it and it's for charity, WIN!

[BevS · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not a bad anthology, and of course it's for 3 worthy causes. 4 stars 🌟🌟🌟🌟 rounded up.

Some stories I liked more than others...Lily Morton's was my favourite [amazing what a difference being edited makes 😉] cos that was a true friends to lovers story, set in one of my favourite places, York in the UK 💙💙. I also really liked AE Wasps story, Lucy Lennox, May Archer and Sloane Kennedy. The others were a little hit and miss for me and too insta-love, which I'm not a great fan of unfortunately.