Tiny Love Stories: True Tales of Love in 100 Words or Less

by Daniel Jones (Editor), Miya Lee (Editor), Stacey Paterson (Contributor)

You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll be swept away—in less time than it takes to read this paragraph. Told in voices that are honest, vulnerable, tender, and wise, here are 175 true stories that are each as moving as a lyric poem and convey a universally recognized feeling, all in fewer than one hundred words. There are stories of love found and love lost, and the sometimes rarest of loves, self-love. Stories of romantic love, brotherly love, platonic love. Stories of mothers and daughters, husbands and wives, strangers who dream of what might have been. And the oldest story of all—boy meets girl—their tale ends happily ever after, even though along the way the boy became a girl.

Genres: Nonfiction, Short Stories, Romance, Essays, Adult, Contemporary, Poetry

208 pages, Hardcover

Published December 8, 2020

About the author

Daniel Jones has edited the Modern Love column in The New York Times since its inception in 2004. His books include “Love Illuminated: Exploring Life’s Most Mystifying Subject (with the Help of 50,000 Strangers),” “The Bastard on the Couch,” and the novel “After Lucy.” Jones appears weekly on the Modern Love podcast and is a consulting producer for Amazon Studios’ show “Modern Love.” He lives in Northampton, Massachusetts and in New York City.

Reviews

[Lisa of Troy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tiny Love Stories is a collection of love stories which are 100 words or less. The stories encompass a variety of love stories (not just romantic love) including parent/child, sibling, adoption, and romantic stories.

This was a quick read in time for Valentine's Day. This book was perfect for someone with a short attention span. There were a wide variety of stories with some more compelling than others.

2024 Reading Schedule
Jan Middlemarch
Feb The Grapes of Wrath
Mar Oliver Twist
Apr Madame Bovary
May A Clockwork Orange
Jun Possession
Jul The Folk of the Faraway Tree Collection
Aug Crime and Punishment
Sep Heart of Darkness
Oct Moby-Dick
Nov Far From the Madding Crowd
Dec A Tale of Two Cities

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[Sheri · Rating 5 out of 5]

These tiny tales encompass the many forms of love and will touch your heart in many ways. They truly are the embodiment of the greatest emotion of the human experience. A read to savor, and one that leaves you with peace, love, and joy.

[lily ✿ · Rating 4 out of 5]

a quick read, composed of tiny love stories written in 100 words or less. at times, this collection was both heartwarming and heartbreaking, accompanied with cute doodles and photographs. romantic, familial, unexpected, and queer love is contained within its pages - i was happy to see so many sapphic and gay love stories, and even examples of polyamory! as someone who likes to look at people and imagine what their stories on, i loved exploring handfuls of other’s best and occasionally painful memories.

[Crystal L. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This took me on a tiny rollercoaster of emotions

[h_vyvyy · Rating 5 out of 5]

v cute book with diff 100 words stories that are written so beautifully poetic and lyric that will make you smile, tear up and bring joy
one of my favs among many others:
"A Breakfast Betrayed"
We had been married just a few weeks. I used the
last of the milk one morning and left for work
while my husband was still in the shower. I re-
turned that evening to find an art installation on
the table, labeled in neat handwriting on a folded-
over notecard: "A Breakfast Betrayed. 1993. Wheat
on ceramic." Next to it was the bowl of cereal my
husband had poured for himself-sitting milk-
less. For more than twenty-five years, we have con-
tinued to treat domestic annoyances with humor.
Our love has lasted; but even better, so has the fun.
-Mary Janevic

if my future relationship ain’t like that then ion want it (ง'̀-'́)ง

[Maria · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this "tiny" book....all kinds of love stories in 100 words or less....parent love, couples love, heterosexual love, same sex love, love for animals, love for things, love for nature.... a great mix. People were amazing to share their stories with the authors....of course I loved the stories of parenting and grandparenting best :)

[Kiu Fear · Rating 5 out of 5]

This needs to be renamed to ways to make you cry in 100 words or less. A perfect collection of delectable love stories. Though tiny, each one packs a huge punch

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tiny Love Stories comes from the New York Times, where they ran a challenge, asking readers to submit a love story in 100 words or less. These are some of the stories they chose.
The stories included cover all kinds of love - parent/child, wife/husband, boyfriend/girlfriend, same sex relationships and more. They cover the ending of love and the beginning of love. They cover lasting love and forbidden love and short, beginning love.
The ones that really touched me are those of kids who write about parents, especially those with dementia or at the end of their life.
This book is a re-affirmation that there is still love out there and humanity does still care. In a time when there is so much doom and gloom in the world, these stories will warm your heart.

Thank you to NetGalley and Artisan Books for an advanced review copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have long loved the NYT "Modern Love" column. I was also intrigued when the Modern Love editors put out the call for 100 word (or less) love stories. I hadn't read many of them before this book, though.

Let me tell you, this book is a delight. If you're looking for a book that will let you feel lots of feelings, this one is an excellent option. With the benefit that each story is only 100 words, so you can feel a lot of different feelings in quick succession. There are so many kinds of love represented - parent and child, first love and heartbreak, queer and straight, and much more. I read the book straight through, but it would also be a good book to just open to a random page and read a story or two.

Thanks to Netgalley, which provided a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Julia Sun · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love stories in 100 words or less... so up my alley

One of my favourite stories in the book: “When my 61-year-old father learned he had Alzheimer’s, we went to CVS together and bought the largest stack of notecards they sold. I asked, “What’s the town where you grew up?” We wrote Union Springs, Alabama. I asked, “Who was your first kiss?” Amanda. Four years later, preparing to move my father into memory care, I packed up his desk. Taking the notecards felt silly, so I wrapped the long-forgotten stack in a rubber band and opened his drawer to toss them away. Inside, I found more notecards. They all said the same thing: my name.”

[Alecia · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very sweet collection that did a wonderful job of highlighting all of the MANY types of love.

I like that the format of many super short stories lends itself to reading a few pages here and there (while brushing teeth, etc), but that format also means it isn't necessarily a gripping page turner that I had a hard time putting down.

The stories are a little hit or miss, but the misses are only 100 words or less so... not a big deal.

My favorite story (about an eldery parent with alzheimers) actually brought tears to my eyes (not easy to do in less than 100 words) and is one that will stay with me.

[Steven · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'D GIVE THIS 6 STARS IF I COULD! An incredible collection of love stories of all types (romantic, familial, friendship, loss) that is impeccably diverse and impressively timely. While some submissions are written like a tweet and others approach the perfectly poetic, each masterfully exposes a raw, relatable emotion in so few words. In 2020, Tiny Love Stories serves to reunite us with a reminder that we are not so different from one another.

Thank you to NetGalley, Artisan Books, and Daniel Jones & Miya Lee for the ARC!

[Brigitte · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tiny Stories,--Huge Impact.
Not all are the cookie-cutter happy endings you expect. Different partners, unexpected relationships, every age, and not just significant others. Beautiful.

[Mila Vargas · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm a sucker for love and ever since I discovered these NYT essays I've been addicted to them, the podcast and the series on Amazon Prime. The 175 short stories in this book made me cry, laugh, feel both despair and hope. Just like life itself.

[Angela · Rating 5 out of 5]

The existence of Modern Love is one of my favorite things about this universe. Tiny Love Stories didn’t disappoint; it amazes me that 100 words or less can evoke so many emotions and tell so many stories. I love that the stories encompass all types of love: romantic, familial, friend, passing connections. I have at least 20 of the stories flagged as ones to find my way back to. It’s such a gift to be able to witness to love through the heart, bravery, and experience of others.

[Hilary (Melted Books) · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars
Tiny Love Stories is inspired by the New York Times column, Modern Love. In this book, the love stories are limited to a maximum of 100 words.
The charm of this story collection leaps off of the page. Tiny Love Stories includes stories of all kinds of love, as well as a wide spectrum of emotions. There is almost certainly a love story in here for everyone (and it's worth mentioning that not all the stories are romantic, nor are there guaranteed happy endings).
One aspect to note is that the brevity of the text causes minor confusion regarding tone and semantics at times - an occupational hazard of working within a 100-word limit.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced review copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Anne Buckles · Rating 5 out of 5]

I came across this book after finding the Modern Love Podcast, which quickly became my favorite. I found it at a time when I felt lost in the world of navigating relationships, changing family dynamics and the realization that maybe romantic love isn’t in the stars for me. I’ve read a tiny love story every morning this year. Starting my day with words of love, be it romantic, platonic, familial or self when there’s so much hate in the world felt like softness when most days felt hard. A nice reminder that love really lives in the moments we pay little attention to and the spaces in between. It’s often simple, quiet and easy to miss if you’re not paying attention, but it’s everywhere. FIVE STARS.

[Leah K · Rating 4 out of 5]

A delightful, quick book on love. All kinds of love - familial, friendship, lovers, marriages, etc. Not all have the happy ending because not all love ends happily. Each story is 100 words or less with one story per page, so took no time at all to get through. But definitely the kind of book I'd keep around for an occasional peek-through. Some of the stories made me smile, some made laugh, some made me cry. This book is derived from previous articles which turned into a podcast which turned into a streaming show (Modern Love on Prime Streaming).

[Carissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book filled with love stories in 100 words or less, taken from the NY Times submissions. They are true stories of all kinds of love and loss; dealing with the ups and downs of life and relationships, alone, with others, complicated and benevolent. I'm probably more sappy given the year we have all just been through and feeling extra grateful for people in my life. But I loved this book and I highly recommend these tiny love stories!

[Kelly Russo · Rating 2 out of 5]

Tiny Love Stories are edited versions of Modern Love (Love stories that run weekly in the New York Times). The original stories are funny, quirky, promising for the those still searching for their own true love, sometimes sad but always hopeful and thought provoking. This book chopped those stories down to a paragraph, picking the main dish while leaving out the necessary ingredients. I would have preferred a book filled with the original pieces gathered in one place.

[Kelly Arrington · Rating 5 out of 5]

I adore Tiny Love Stories, this book being a collection of stories that have appeared in the New York Times column. It’s startling and inspiring to see how much life and emotion and thought and experience can be capture in 100 words or less. And what I love most about these stories is the way they depict how love takes many shapes in life: love of family, love of a partner, love of friendship, of an experience, a memory, a city, a feeling, love of self. It’s heartwarming and heartbreaking.

[Meghan L · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was such a lovely collection of micro-stories. I read it aloud with my husband and there were many "awww"s for both sweet stories and sad stories. Love comes in so many shapes, sizes, and colors.

[lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

these tiny love stories (100 words or less) are adorable.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sweet and sometimes heartbreaking 100 words or less stories about love in all of its different forms. A quick, inspiring read that gives me faith that we are all connected by at least one thing.

[Anne Campbell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lovely little book

Great inspiring love stories of all kinds. Brought smiles, tears and laughter over simple tales. Recommend to all who believe in or doubt the concept of love.

[Aslı Bektaş · Rating 5 out of 5]

This just made me laugh and made me cry. It warmed and broke my heart at the same time.

Every page is simply amazing

[Michaela Vindel · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I teared up in the book store I knew I needed to buy this book. It is a stunning collection of raw and honest pieces of love stories, love that comes in all shapes and forms. Highly recommend!

[Pierina Masalías · Rating 2 out of 5]

Adorable, pero no es un must.

[Susanne Latour · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5⭐️ I read Modern Love another book edited by Daniel Jones two years ago. While Tiny Love Stories and Modern Love are similar in that they are both a collection of short stories on love (both the good and the bad as well as romantic and familial) I preferred the ‘tiny’ aspect in Tiny Love Stories. Each story was only 100 words or less and got me thinking about what I could say about love given this parameter.

[Liz Schasel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Went to the Apple Store to replace my phone battery. The wait would be two hours, so I went to the bookshop next door and read Dog Songs by Mary Oliver. Still had time to wait, so began reading this. I giggled and wept in the book store’s lone chair, loving each and every story. The store closed before I finished, so I bought it hehe. Such a fun writing challenge to tell a story about love in 100 words, and I am amazed at what so many of these writers came up with