Eternally Yours

by Patrice Caldwell (Editor), Kalynn Bayron, Kendare Blake

Vampires and merpeople, angels and demons—the paranormal is full of unusual beings. The stories in this anthology imagine worlds where the only thing more powerful than the supernatural, is love.

Contributors include: Kalynn Bayron (Cinderella Is Dead); Kendare Blake (Three Dark Crowns); Kat Cho (Wicked Fox); Melissa de la Cruz (Blue Bloods); Sarah Gailey (When We Were Magic); Hafsah Faizal(We Hunt the Flame); Chloe Gong (These Violent Delights); Alexis Henderson (The Year of the Witching); Adib Khorram (Darius the Great Is Not Okay); Anna-Marie McLemore (When the Moon Was Ours, The Mirror Season); Casey McQuiston (Red, White, and Royal Blue; One Last Stop); Sandhya Menon (When Dimple Met Rishi); Akshaya Raman (The Ivory Key); Marie Rutkoski (The Winner’s Curse); Julian Winters (Running With Lions; Right Where I Left You)

Genres: Fantasy, Romance, Short Stories, Anthologies, Young Adult, Paranormal, LGBT

364 pages, Hardcover

First published September 20, 2022

About the author

PATRICE CALDWELL is a former children’s book editor turned literary agent and author, born and raised in Fort Worth, Texas. She a graduate of Wellesley College and has been named a Forbes’s “30 Under 30” as well as a Publishers Weekly Star Watch honoree. Her debut YA novel, WHERE SHADOWS MEET--the first in a sapphic vampire romantasy--is out April 1, 2025 in the US & UK.

Patrice is also the editor of two anthologies A Phoenix First Must Burn, 16 stories of Black girl magic, resistance, and hope, and Eternally Yours, 15 stories of paranormal love. After years of living in New York City, she moved back to Texas with her adorable cats and so many books.

Reviews

[Ava :)]

I dont really care for anthologies but... THE AUTHORS

[ingrid ₊ · Rating 3 out of 5]

every memory from every lifetime, all different and yet he remained her constant #LIKED ୨୧ ty rina for the rec may i find you in our next life too

[rina · Rating 5 out of 5]

⊹ 𓏲࣪ ∞ stars ★ 𓄹 ࣪ .
⤿ no spoilers in this review

⤷ “ i echo the same promises i made to you a thousand years ago. yet all that time has not been enough. we have had a thousand years, and i want a thousand more. ”

➼ “ i’ve always loved it when you say my name, even when it changes every lifetime. ”

➼ “ my love. we have not died together in every lifetime, through every dynasty, for you to ask if i am playing a prank. ”

WHY DID NO ONE TELL ME that chloe gong wrote a short story about two immortal soulmates who die, reincarnate, and fall in love with each other in every. single. lifetime. AND THEY ARE TIMELESS BY TAYLOR SWIFT CODED ??!! i just need to say that chloe fucking devoured, and i'm just sitting here after having my life altered in less than 50 pages ?? chloe gong the woman you are, ilu sm. 💘

curse the universe for not putting this book in my hands sooner.

[megs_bookrack]

Holy smokes, we have a cover!!! And it is giving me life!!!



Original:

A YA Paranormal Romance Anthology edited by the wonderfully-talented, Patrice Caldwell!?!?

Heck yeah. Sign me up!!!



And look at that line-up of incredible authors. ((swooning))



I'm ready...but also must wait two years...

[Isabel]

Update: Patrice Caldwell, the editor, has confirmed there will be vampires!!!

No one, absolutely no one:

Me: but doeS IT HAVE VAMPIRES???

[Eva B.]

The author lineup for this really said "here, have a solid handful of your favorite authors in one anthology together" huh. I literally cannot wait for this.

[Evelyn Garner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Chloe Gong’s story in this was an absolute banger omfg

[el]

1. undead ghoul meet-cute, kendare blake
2. a thousand more, chloe gong
3. who will save me, julian winters
4. in the eyes of angels, alexis henderson
5. my demon prince charming, sandhya menon
6. katrine and rowan’s exit interview, sarah gailey
7. bride-heart, marie rutkoski
8. if you give an asura a cookie, akshaya raman
9. kiss the boy, adib khorram
10. piano sonata no. 13, kalynn bayron
11. once upon a time in charleston, melissa de la cruz
12. pierce my soul, kat cho
13. banes and blessings, hafsah faizal
14. bloody, lovely, casey mcquiston
15. la bruja y la sirena, anna-marie mclemore

--------

anthologies & short story collections, 2023
1. eternally yours, patrice caldwell

[Rhys · Rating 4 out of 5]

All gay anthology?? By queer and bipoc authors?? Absolutely yes give it to me.

4.5 stars. These stories were SO GOOD by my favourite is either Chloe Gong’s or Anna Marie McLemore’s.

Highly recommend if you like anthologies, or want short stories by authors that aren’t cishet and white

[Mariam ☀️]

a YA paranormal romance anthology??? with THIS lineup of authors??? say less

[avani ✿ · Rating 3 out of 5]

thank you to publishers for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!

3.5 ★ OVERALL

umm.. i just don’t think anthologies are it for me 🥲


UNDEAD GHOUL MEET-CUTE by Kendare Blake
3 ★ - bland characters with a touching backstory, fun ghoul concept, cute but a little boring

A THOUSAND MORE by Chloe Gong
5 ★ - charming characters with genuine connection, interesting soulmate plot line, perfect pace

WHO WILL SAVE ME by Julian Winters
2.5 ★ - so much instalove, painfully cringey, but lovable characters

IN THE EYES OF ANGELS by Alexis Henderson
3 ★ - interesting take on angels, but was a little strange.. characters had zero personality

MY DEMON PRINCE CHARMING by Sandhya Menon
3 ★ - lighthearted story, questionable romance, naive mc, felt straight out of wattpad

KATRINE AND ROWAN'S EXIT INTERVIEW by Sarah Gailey
1.5 ★ - so confused. literally did not understand a single thing.

BRIDE-HEART by Marie Rutkoski
3.5 ★ - felt like a fever dream, no personality, a lot of plot holes, had an interesting, creepy twist

IF YOU GIVE AN ASURA A COOKIE by Akshaya Raman
4.5 ★ - cute romance, funny, and characters had depth and development

KISS THE BOY by Adib Khorram
2.5 ★ - nice enough characters, but they literally said "i love you" and promised to spend eternity together literally only TWO DAYS after they first met.

PIANO SONATA NO. 13 by Kalynn Bayron
4.5 ★ - an unexpectedly morbid, fascinating concept with a satisfying twist

ONCE UPON A TIME IN CHARLESTON by Melissa de la Cruz
4.5 ★ - beautiful writing, sweet romance, unique soulmate trope, vampires!!

PIERCE MY SOUL by Kat Cho
4.5 ★ - swoonworthy romance, had a well-developed, clear plot, and vampires!!

BANES AND BLESSINGS by Hafsah Faizal
3 ★ - characters had depth and development, lyrical writing, interesting mythology, just a little dull

BLOODY, LOVELY by Casey McQuiston
4 ★ - lovable characters, fun and unique plot involving Bloody Mary

LA BRUJA Y LA SIRENA by Anna-Marie McLemore
2 ★ - so confused. didn't understand what the plot was, who the characters were, what they were trying to do- literally no idea.


overall, a common theme was that everything felt a little forgettable and underdeveloped. some of the stories were really interesting and sweet, but most of them were kinda cringey and bland. however, i absolutely LOVED all the representation and diversity- it was so well done.

[Dr. Andy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Penguin Teen for an eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

I meant to read this one a while ago, but I slacked! Since this has already been released I listened to the audiobook. I really enjoyed this collection of stories about monsters and other supernatural/paranormal creatures. I loved Patrice's other anthology A Phoenix First Must Burn and was so excited to see another one. I do wish this one had a story by her!

This anthology is a mix of BIPOC and queer (sometimes both) authors/characters. I definitely enjoyed the queer stories better, though I did highly enjoyed Akshaya Raman's story about the asuras! My favorite stories were Who Will Save Me by Julian Winters, Bloody Lovely by Casey McQuiston (which features a trans MC), Kiss the Boy by Adib Khorram, Piano Sonata No. 13 by Kalynn Bayron, Bride-Heart by Marie Rutkoski, and A Thousand More by Chloe Gong.

The only story I actively disliked was Hafsah Faizal's. The MC is a boy and it was very the prince saves a damsel energy which I'm not here for. I think the world needs more girl monsters and more girl monsters who love being monsters. So this story was a no for me.

I loved so many of these characters and stories. I definitely recommend this anthology.

CWs: Blood, death, gore, abuse, violence, cursing, past addiction mention, death of parent, murder, gaslighting.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

The trouble with anthologies is that when the stories are so short, it can be tricky to write a fully developed plot.
A lot of the stories fell a little flat and there were a few cases of much despised insta-love as to be redirected from a YA collection.
Overall though, it had great representation for different sexualities and cultures.
Kendare Blake, Sarah Gailey and Hafsah Faizel were definitely the stand outs for me.

Undead Ghoul Meet-Cute, Kendare Blake
Ghouls in love!!!
5/5

A Thousand More, Chloe gong
A new student starts at Tally's school and he insists that they've met before.
I personally found the way this was written to be very juvenile, particularly when the characters are supposed to have been around since the qin dynasty?
Sorry to the Chloe Gong stans.
2/5

Who will save me, Julian Winters
A guardian angel is assigned to a terrible boy and works with his brother to help him. This needed to be longer to be fully fleshed out because there was a lot of exposition but a very cute story
3.5/5

In the eyes of angels, Alexis, Henderson
Biblically accurate angels. The plot esculated a bit too quickly.
I forgot everything about this as soon as I finished it which says a lot. 3/5

My demon Prince charming, Sandhya Menon
Wattpad story that was included here by accident
1/5

Katrine and Rowan’s Exit Interview, Sarah Gailey
An interview with a couple after their escape from an island. This was so good!
5/5

Bride-Heart, Marie Rutkoski
A Gaiman-esque style short. Probably the most polished short story within the anthology.
5/5

If you gave Asura a cookie
Two asuras meet on a rooftop every year. A lot of back and forth time jumps. Fell a little flat. 3/5

Kiss the Boy,
"Samir answers the door in a white tank top and a pair of rainbow-cuffed jorts" - 1 star for the jorts

Piano Sonata No. 13, Kalynn Bayron
A young pianist summons a demon when she plays. A little too brief to really stand out. 4/5

Once Upon a Time in Charlestown, Melissa de Lá Cruz
It's been years since I read the blue bloods series but this definitely reads like something written during the 00s. The main character was very much a Mary Sue 2/5

Pierce my Soul, Kat Cho
A girl makes a plan to kill a vampire for money. A lot of exposition, a little underdeveloped and a little convoluted

Banes & Blessings, Hafsah Faiza
“You killed those men.”
“It is the price for what they have done.”... “A girl exists, and man sees permission.”
5/5 Definitely going to read We Hunt the Flame soon.

Bloody Lovely, Casey McQuinston
"Aside from all the blood drenching her hair and face and nightgown, she looks pretty, well, normal"
Casey McQuinston didn't step as far out of the box as the other authors as this is very similar to One Last Stop but I'd give it a solid 4/5

La Bruja y la Sirena, Anne-Marie McLemore
A Little Mermaid retelling. Cool concept, awkward strange execution. 3/10.

[Amy Imogene Reads]

This author list has me wayyy too excited

[h i n d]

Idk bout you but I'm here for Hafsah Faizal

[Nora · Rating 4 out of 5]

AMAZING. some truly amazing names in this i did not know i just thought the cover and the premise were pretty. And OH MY GOD. SUPERNATURAL LOVE STORIES? YES.
vampire kai nation <3
Julian winters my beloved i loved the guardians one
None of them were misses, all Wins to be honest. GREAT READ. Season centric reads are going great so far.

[Lindsay (pawsomereads) · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a fun YA anthology that will be great for readers this spooky season!
It was a bit of a mixed bag for me personally, with some stories that I really liked and others that I didn’t like so much. Some of my favorites were from Chloe Gong, Sandhya Menon and Casey McQuiston!

[Becca · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Penguin Teen for providing me with an e-ARC of Eternally Yours & PRH Audio for providing me with a complimentary audiobook!

This book is made for lovers of YA Paranormal Romance; young & old, alike. If you grew up loving The Mortal Instruments & maybe miss the feels that the series gave you, I definitely feel like this book is right up your alley! Eternally Yours is a collection of stories from well-known names in the YA Community & features several different Paranormal Romance tropes. There are ghouls & vampires, along with merfolk, angels, and demons. The stories in this collection are so much fun!

[emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

this was so much fun!!

all of the stories were so unique and enjoyable. there’s angels, demons, merfolk, ghouls, & soo much more. each author had such a creative approach, making this a joy to read! also soo many of my favorite authors were involved in this, i’m obsessed.

i loved every story in this and i highly recommend! 4.5 stars

thank you penguin teen for sending me an arc!

[Iris · Rating 3 out of 5]

This Book was just… weird

[vy (laufey’s version) · Rating 5 out of 5]

i haven’t finished this book but as i go along i’ll be assigning a song to each of the short stories :) + i needed to get to 25 books before the end of march to fulfill my reading goal

1. bloody, lovely (casey mcquiston) - sofia (clairo)
->. when's it gonna be my turn to find a cute bloody girl in my mirror
2. a thousand more (chloe gong) - timeless (taylor swift)
-> i NEED this to be adapted into a full series/book abt all their past lives <3
3. undead ghoul meet-cute (kendare blake) - on the wings of love (jeffrey osborne)
-> this wasn't remarkable, but it sure as hell was adorable!
4. la bruja y la sirena (anna marie mclemore) - j’s lullaby (delaney bailey)
-> i LOVE sapphic sirens, holy shit; such an underrated genre. FUCK MEN!
5. who will save me (julian winters) - from the start (laufey)
-> soft miscommunicating gays will never not make my heart explode
6. in the eyes of angels (alexis henderson) - cosmic love (florence + the machine)
-> SAPPHICS, SPACE, AND SERAPHS, WHAT THE HELL ELSE DO YOU WANT.
7. my demon prince charming (sandhya menon) - the night we met (lord huron)
-> this made me want to rewatch lisa frankenstein after holding off so long omg
8. katrine and rowan's exit interview (sarah gailey) - labyrinth (taylor swift)
-> this reminded me so much of ashitaka and san from princess mononoke <3
9. bride-heart (marie rutkoski) - ptolemaea (ethel cain)
-> my new fav genre is cunty lesbians falling in love to team up & kill shitty, beastly men!
10. if you give an asura a cookie (akshaya raman) - so high school (taylor swift)
-> i genuinely ADORE diaspora stories, with the mythology too? i want cookies so bad rn
11. kiss the boy (abib khorram) - your song (elton john)
-> gay hopelessly romantic bois will never not make me smile.
12. piano sonata no. 13 (kalynn bayron) - once upon a december (liz callaway)
-> this was absolutely SPELLBINDING. my breath was taken away, holy SHIT.
13. once upon a time in charleston (melissa de la cruz) - begin again (taylor swift)
-> supernatural la la land fic? oh i am so here for it!
14. pierce my soul (kat cho) - bad idea, right? (olivia rodrigo)
-> i love their dynamic, it's so soft ahh
15. banes and blessings (hafsah faizal) - mine (taylor swift)
-> DO YOU REMEMBER WE WERE SITTING THERE BY THE WATER

[Em · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really like the premise of this book! Most of the stories are hit or miss. My favorites were: My demon Prince Charming, bride heart, and bloody lovely. Also I just can’t get over the over art it’s gorgeous!!!

[Rachel Stienberg · Rating 3 out of 5]

This wasn't bad-anthologies are largely hit or miss for me personally. Mentally, with the way it came out, I categorized it as a companion to the amazing "The Gathering Dark: An Anthology of of Folk Horror" collection, which unfairly got my hopes up a little high.

What I loved most about this book was the nostalgia it gave me for the used bookstore in town when I was a teenager, using store credit to buy out the paranormal romance books section (which was truthfully about 85% Twilight books in different states of loved). I enjoyed the general vibe of the stories but the majority of them felt like they needed to be full length novels, rather than broken down sketches. Character dynamics and personalities could have gone further with more page room to explore, along with challenging plot points. 'Bride Heart' and 'Bloody, Lovely' were absolutely fantastic and definitely the highlight of Eternally Yours, as they managed to maintain a solid balance of everything necessary for a good story, while contained as a short story format.

Would recommend if you wanted to scope out a really phenomenal line up of authors in a single anthology, read a really diverse collection of stories, and shriek about what a great "Bloody Mary" concept.




*I also have tremendous respect for getting rid of Emily Duncan from the original line up. This book had an extremely diverse panel of stories from gender to cultural background, and I'm so glad it wasn't shunted aside in favour of Emily Duncan with her 'professional performance'.

[Amani · Rating 5 out of 5]

I saw @bookwormbullet talk about this and instantly knew this would be right up my alley. This has vampires and merpeople. I'm a huge fan of any book that has MERMAIDS or MERPEOPLE OMG SIGN ME UP. Wow , this was so good and I also adored the chemistry between the characters. SO MANY OF MY FAVORITE AUTHORS ARE IN THIS!!! This anthology is incredible.

[alaska · Rating 2 out of 5]

most of these stories just didn't do it for me. they weren't bad, but i just couldn't bring myself to care about the characters or what was happening to them. sad because the diversity in this was great!

[Paige (pagebypaigebooks) · Rating 3 out of 5]

“Aside from all the blood drenching her hair and face and nightgown, she looks pretty, well, normal.”

I'd like to thank Penguin Teen Canada for sending me a copy in exchange for an honest review!

I've also posted this review on Instagram and my blog.

Instagram Post

Blog Post

Content Warnings: murder, violence, suicide, death, death of a parent, gore, homophobia, animal death, war, alcoholism, gender dysphoria, mention of cancer

Undead Ghoul Meet Cute by Kendare Blake (4/5 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️)
This was a great story to start off the anthology! It was super cute and the background story was well thought out. Kendare Blake does not disappoint when it comes to spooky stories!

A Thousand More by Chloe Gong (4/5 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️)
I've never read a book before with reincarnated main characters but now I definitely need to! This trope is so cute and so was this story! I liked the dynamic between the main character and her love interest and their shared history was fun to learn about. The idea of a school project was a great way to incorporate this into the story!

Who Will Save Me by Julian Winters (2.5/5 Stars ⭐️⭐️✨)
I've been meaning to read more books about angels so I was excited to read this. Unfortunately this story needed more explanation of the magic system and world. Especially at the end, I felt like I didn't understand why certain things took place like they did.

In the Eyes of Angels by Alexis Henderson (2/5 Stars ⭐️⭐️)
This story had a good concept but left me confused. I would have liked more descriptions about the magic system of this world.

My Demon Prince Charming by Sandhya Menon (2.5/5 Stars ⭐️⭐️✨)
The idea of summoning a demon for your date to a party sounded like a fun idea. Unfortunately, this story was very cliched and had the insta love trope which I'm not a fan of. The ending also felt unrealistic and worked out a bit too nicely.

Katrine and Rowan's Exit Interview by Sarah Gailey (2/5 Stars ⭐️⭐️)
Another story where I wasn't 100% sure exactly what was going on. The island setting was interesting to read about and I was intrigued by the mystery of what was happening to the stranded sailors. However, I would have liked more explanation of what happened at the end.

Bride-Heart by Marie Rutkoski (2.5/5 Stars ⭐️⭐️✨)
This story started out strong but lost momentum by the end. It had me wanting to try a strawberry pretzel pie for a while after finishing 😂. I would have liked for some scenes to be more drawn out (like the end).

If You Give an Asura a Cookie by Akshaya Raman (3.5/5 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️✨)
I was excited to read a story about an asura because I haven't read much about them before! This story's romance was also cute but predictable. I appreciated the message of self love!

Kiss the Boy by Adib Khorram (3/5 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️)
Our mermaid story! At first I was worried this story would also feature insta love but it wasn't as much as I thought. I enjoyed reading about the merpeople culture and community. My favourite character in this story was the love interest's sister, she was adorable and so supportive of her brother!

Piano Sonata No. 13 by Kalynn Bayron (4/5 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️)
Another great story! I recommend this short story to everyone that just wants to read a book where the villain gets what they want. This one was definitely more on the creepy side and it had a moral dilemma aspect as well.

Once Upon a Time in Charleston by Melissa de la Cruz (2.5/5 Stars ⭐️⭐️✨)
I really enjoyed the set up and descriptive writing style of this story but felt that it ended too soon. There was a lot of potential and I would have liked to read more about the characters and the café.

Pierce My Soul by Kat Cho (2/5 Stars ⭐️⭐️)
The idea of a world that knows about vampires was interesting to read about. Unfortunately this story felt a bit cliched and there was miscommunication between the main characters that took away from the plot.

Banes and Blessings by Hafsah Faizal (3/5 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️)
The beginning of this story intrigued me right away. However, as time went on I couldn't understand why there was a romance between the main character and the love interest. I also felt the ending could have been more developed.

Bloody, Lovely by Casey McQuiston (4/5 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️)
This was another great story! It was very cute and I enjoyed the romance element, but what I also enjoyed was the character development! I had a lot of fun following the main character's journey towards self love. This story also had the most satisfying ending.

La Bruja y La Sirena by Anna-Marie McLemore (2/5 Stars ⭐️⭐️)
Unfortunately, the writing style of this story made it hard to follow. I was confused while reading but was able to piece together what happened at the end.

My favourite short stories of this collection would have to be Undead Ghoul Meet Cute by Kendare Blake, A Thousand More by Chloe Gong, Bloody Lovely by Casey McQuiston, and Piano Sonata No .13 by Kalynn Bayron. Undead Ghoul Meet Cute, Bloody Lovely and A Thousand More were very cute and had fun supernatural/spooky elements. Both stories were fun to read and left me wishing they were full length books. Piano Sonata No. 13 was more on the creepy side but I really enjoyed it! I recommend it for people who love stories where the villain wins.

All in all there were some stories I found confusing or wished there was more development, but others I had a lot of fun reading. Overall I gave the anthology 3/5 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️.

[paige (ptsungirl) · Rating 4 out of 5]

"I have lived an eternity, yet I have not lived at all."

Undead Ghoul Meet Cute, ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
A Thousand More, ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
Who Will Save Me, ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
In the Eyes of Angels, ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
My Demon Prince Charming, ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆
Katrine and Rowan's Exit Interview, ★ ★ ☆ ☆ ☆
Bride Heart, ★ ★ ☆ ☆ ☆
If You Give an Asura a Cookie, ★ ★ ☆ ☆ ☆
Kiss the Boy, ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
Piano Sonata No. 13, ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Once Upon a Time in Charleston, ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
Pierce My Soul, ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆
Banes and Blessings, ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆
Bloody Lovely, ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
La Bruja y La Sirena, ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

[Ember · Rating 4 out of 5]

A sweet and diverse collection of paranormal romances - some that stand out more than others, but all generally quick and entertaining. Each story was unique despite recurring use of paranormal love interests (vampires, merpeople, etc.) and each author's writing style stood out. I particularly enjoyed Anna-Marie McLemore's entry La Bruja y la Sirena, and Adib Khorram's Kiss The Boy. Maybe it's just the queer merfolk lover in me that made these two stand out. Overall a fantastic collection with a lot of heart behind it. Caldwell's dedication to young queer POC who felt like monsters themselves is particularly touching.

[Maddy ☆ .ᐟ · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Thousand More By Chloe Gong

OMG I'M ACTUALLY OBSESSED WITH THIS SHORT STORY!!! IMMORTAL SOULMATES? YES!

The way he remembers Tally first and always searches for her to try and bring her memories back. 😩
He tells her about stories from their past lives like the first time they met and how they were royalty in some lifetimes hoping she remembers and she loves listening to them even tho she can't remember 😭😭

Some of my favourite quotes

- "Love of my life," the boy shouted across the room "I've been looking for you"

- "My love. We have not died together in every lifetime, through every dynasty, for you to ask if I am playing a prank"

- "you seek friendship before you're able to feel attraction for a person"

- "You're last name never changes did you know that" "It's where I start every time I begin looking for you"

- "I've always loved it when you say my name, even when it changes every lifetime"

- "We have had a thousand years, and I want a thousand more"💓

Also rina u need to teach me how to make my reviews pretty 🥲

[Ayesha (in a book slump) · Rating 3 out of 5]

As a fan of anthologies and the paranormal, I was disappointed.

Undead Ghoul Meet-Cute
by KENDARE BLAKE
2🌟

-ghouls
Had the first-story-in-the-anthology syndrome

A Thousand More
by CHLOE GONG
4🌟

-immortal soulmates
-reincarnation/rebirth
Well paced, well written and well rounded story.

Who Will Save Me
by JULIAN WINTERS
2.5🌟

-guardian angels
-Achillean
-racial undertones
I would have enjoyed more context or worldbuilding explanations.

In the Eyes of Angels
by ALEXIS HENDERSON
1🌟

-fallen angels
-sapphic
This didn't go well with my reading slump.

My Demon Prince Charming
by SANDHYA MENON
3🌟

-demons
-ritual magic?
predictable but somewhat fun read

Katrine and Rowan’s Exit Interview
by SARAH GAILEY
4🌟

Uhm, I don't actually know. I was confused with this one when it began but I surprisingly really loved it. I understood enough to love it and the think the interview format was creative.

Bride-Heart
by MARIE RUTKOSKI
2.5🌟

-immortal monster (I'm sorry, this is the best I can do)
-Sapphic
Started off well, the writing had a creepy vibe to it, but I'm not sure I understand the ending? Does anyone want to explain it to me, please?

If You Give an Asura a Cookie
by AKSHAYA RAMAN
5🌟

-asuras
-hidden identity
I think this was favourite out of all 15 stories. It was fun, well developed and well written.

Kiss the Boy
by ADIB KHORRAM
3🌟

-merfolk
-achillean
-soulmates?
Kinda instalove, but well explained.

Piano Sonata No. 13
by KALYNN BAYRON
4.5🌟

-cursed notes
-Sapphic
This was morbid but enchanting.

Once Upon a Time in Charleston
by MELISSA DE LA CRUZ
2🌟

-vampires
The writing was okay and so was the story. Didn't care much. I enjoyed the hopeful ending though.

Pierce My Soul
by KAT CHO
2.5🌟

-vampires
-second chance romance
It had dystopian vibes. I enjoyed the first half more than the second though🙈.


Banes and Blessings
by HAFSAH FAIZAL
3.5🌟

-Qandisa
Everything (writing, characters, plot) was perfect, except the romance. I found it lacking. Oh, and the ending. Which was a shame since I looked forward to this one the most.


Bloody, Lovely
by CASEY MCQUISTON
5🌟

-blood mary
-trans mc
Nothing revolutionary, but it did have the more unique plot.

La Bruja y la Sirena
by ANNA-MARIE MCLEMORE
3.5🌟

-merfolk
The plot and theme of the story was wonderful, I loved how it was executed. However, I hated how it was written.The format was not conductive at all (for me) . For the most part I was confused and when I finally figured out my way around the format, I was practically at the end.



______________________________
Abit uncertain about this one.
The anthology, Eternally Yours, was okay. Some stories were intriguing but either became disinteresting or the ending made no sense. Others either fell flat or were just confusing.
Im going to let this stew for a while before i settle on a rating and hopefully write a pointer review on the individual stories.