Friends to Lovers Vol 1

by Stefanie Simpson

Finding love in familiar but unexpected places changes everything...

13 Steamy stories celebrating the beloved trope, Friends to Lovers. Camping trips that turn into something much more romantic, exploring cities and food together, trapped in a snowstorm after a world wide goose chase, confronting family prejudices together to beautiful love blossoming in the heat of Pakistan, these stories offer all of that and more.

♥ Stefanie Simpson- Come Home

♥ K Sterling- Suit Porn

♥ Marie Lipscomb- Critical Kiss

♥ Kait Gamble- The World Can Wait

♥ A. Perveen- Labyrinth of Love

♥ Edie Cay- In Her Element

♥ Jaqueline Snowe- Just Three Days

♥ Rachel Bowdler- Save The Date

♥ Yvette de Oro- The Changeup

♥ Emily Hemenway- Weir Made For Each Other

♥ Lucy Khoo- Breakfast In Taipei

♥ Jeannie Rose North- Something Blue

♥ Bex Goos- Can't Wait To Stay

M/F, M/M, and F/F there is a celebration of love for everyone in this diverse collection.

Genres: Romance, Anthologies, Contemporary, Short Stories

640 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 4, 2021

About the author

Coffee addled, twitter addicted, A disabled romance author based in the UK, Stefanie Simpson has written multiple contemporary romances as well as fantasy romance.

Most of her work contains angst, healing and conflict. Expect strong adult content and themes, language, explicit material, love and a HEA.

Reviews

[Hot Mess Sommelière ~ Caro · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read the Labyrinth of Love story by A Perveen

I liked the story, which was about a Pakistani gardener/flower shop owner and her longtime friend. They start out with a fake engagement that soon becomes emotional for both.

Well written as usual, this story lacked Perveen's usual oomph and poetic insights. I didn't love it as much as I loved her other stories, which was too bad because the story and characters were cute and there were enough side characters to craft a longer, deeper story out of it.

[Emily Pennington · Rating 5 out of 5]

Friends to Lovers Anthology Vol 1 . . .

This Anthology contains 13 steamy stories celebrating “Friends to Lovers”. The writing will draw readers into the story lines and keeps them involved throughout the entire Anthology. The easy merging of the characters with the world created around them is magical. Vivid descriptions of the characters and how they feel and react to situations are sometimes so intense that the readers can actually picture the scenario as it comes to life in front of them. I loved this collection of romance stories!

The best thing about anthologies is that you have the opportunity to find new authors to add to your favorites! You’ll find lots of love, romance, and maybe a little drama and suspense inside the covers to thrill you (or at least curl your toes)! A wonderful variety provides something special for everyone! And you can skip around randomly to read the ones that entice you the most, just be sure to read the all!

Titles included are:
♥ Stefanie Simpson- Come Home
♥ K Sterling- Suit Porn
♥ Marie Lipscomb- Critical Kiss
♥ Kait Gamble- The World Can Wait
♥ A. Perveen- Labyrinth of Love
♥ Edie Cay- In Her Element
♥ Jaqueline Snowe- Just Three Days
♥ Rachel Bowdler- Save The Date
♥ Yvette de Oro- The Changeup
♥ Emily Hemenway- Weir Made For Each Other
♥ Lucy Khoo- Breakfast In Taipei
♥ Jeannie Rose North- Something Blue
♥ Bex Goos- Can't Wait To Stay

[Charlotte Taylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Friends to Lovers Vol 1 (Violet Gaze Press) is a collection of 13 short stories by different authors. All stories are centred on the Friends to Lovers romance trope with a HEA (or HFN) ending. The mission of Violet Gaze Press is "to see Romancelandia flooded with diverse, sexy, romance" and they have certainly achieved that with this anthology. The stories feature M/F , F/F, and M/M couples of all shapes and sizes, characters with disabilities, from different cultures, spanning the globe. All stories feature on-page sex scenes, with a range of steam levels.

***

♥ Stefanie Simpson- Come Home (M/F)
Beth and Pierce have been best friends since childhood. When Beth loses her job and her home in quick succession, Pierce (and his Mum) are there for her to provide comfort and a place to live, leading to a late night conversation where Beth and Pierce consider their feelings for each other.
Set in the UK, this story features disability rep and is on the higher end of the steam scale. CW for childhood neglect.

♥ K Sterling- Suit Porn (M/M)
Jasper and Page have been best friends since school. Now grown, Jasper is an in-demand menswear designer and Page is a successful author, with an upcoming premiere for the film adaptation of his latest novel. Jasper insists on designing Page's suit, but neglects to tell Page that he is using one of the most expensive bolts of fabric in the world. As the premiere approaches, Jasper and Page's relationship heats up over suit fitting sessions.
Set in the US, this story features a M/M couple and has a medium steam level.

♥ Marie Lipscomb- Critical Kiss (F/F)
Penny and Gwen (Pen-Gwen / Penguin to their adventuring party) are ex-colleagues who have maintained a friendship through weekly game nights playing Castles and Cryptids. Penny recognises that her feelings for Gwen may run deeper than friendship, but fears losing Gwen as a friend by speaking up. As Gwen risks her level 16 wizard, Guinevere the Golden, to support Penny's level 2 orc warrior Ransah in the pursuit of treasure, Penny has to decide whether to risk their friendship in pursuit of more.
This story features an F/F couple with plus-size rep and has a medium steam level.

♥ Kait Gamble- The World Can Wait (M/F)
Ryo and Saya are on a rescue mission to find their brothers who have eloped together. Their search has taken them from Sydney to Dubai, and now to Finland. Ryo and Saya find themselves snowed in, stuck in a glass igloo with only one bed, and no closer to finding their brothers. Ryo has a reputation for dating lots of beautiful women, but only has eyes for Saya.
This story features a Japanese / Thai couple and has a medium steam level.

♥ A. Perveen- Labyrinth of Love (M/F)
Cave and Shaista have been just friends for a few years, until Shaista is forced to name Cave as her fake fiance in order to protect her successful gardening business. As so often happens with fake relationships, Cave and Shaista's fake engagement soon gives way to real feelings.
This story is set in Karachi, Pakistan, and has a higher steam level. CW for parental death.

♥ Edie Cay- In Her Element (M/F)
Eric and Erica live in the same apartment building. Eric, an ER doctor, has just come off his last shift before 2 weeks of leave when he bumps into Erica, who is packing up her converted van to go on a 6-month climbing road trip. Eric makes Erica an offer she can’t refuse, and she agrees to let him come along for the ride.
This story is set in California and has a low steam level. CW for references to the Covid-19 pandemic.

♥ Jaqueline Snowe- Just Three Days (M/F)
Matt and Maddie have been best friends for 15 years, and Matt has been pining for Maddie for most of that time – but he’s a relationship guy while Maddie likes to flirt and has no interest in settling down. When Maddie asks Matt to join her on a camping trip for a weekend, it becomes impossible to hide their feelings in a very small tent, and Maddie has to decide whether Matt may be worth settling down for.
This story has a higher steam level.

♥ Rachel Bowdler- Save The Date (F/F)
Lee’s cousin is getting married, and her mother insists that she bring a date. Unfortunately for Lee, both her mother and her cousin think she should ask her ex, Phoebe, who broke her heart. With Phoebe invited to the wedding anyway, Lee’s friend Violet offers to be her fake date. Over a stressful journey to Ireland for the wedding, Lee and Violet find themselves growing closer.
This story in set in the UK and Ireland, features a F/F couple, and has a low steam level.

♥ Yvette de Oro- The Changeup (M/F)
JC and Cely play on the same softball team. JC is gorgeous but has a girlfriend, Lorena, so Cely accepts an offer of a date from the father of one of her students and tries to ignore her feelings for JC. That is until she spends the night in his bed… and then does it again. When Lorena returns to town, Cely realises that JC’s relationship may not be all it seems.
This story is set in El Paso and has a medium steam level.

♥ Emily Hemenway- Weir Made For Each Other (M/F)
Jamie and Aurora are college friends who have spent the last few summers working at the same research camp in Alaska. Jamie has some very strong feelings for Aurora but doesn’t want to risk their friendship. When their colleague is injured, Jamie and Aurora are left stranded and have to hike across the Alaskan wilderness. During their journey, Aurora struggles to keep a lid on her true feelings for Jamie, while Jamie worries about how to tell Aurora that he won’t be coming back to camp next year.
This story features a plus size M/F couple and has a medium steam level. CW for bodily injury and a brief wild animal encounter

♥ Lucy Khoo- Breakfast In Taipei (M/F)
Andrew lives in the US and Jennie lives in Taipei. They’ve been friends for years, but don't get together often due to living so far away. With Andrew visiting for a week, Jennie plans a schedule to show Andrew the best food Taipei has to offer. During the visit, Andrew and Jennie examine their feelings for each other, and consider the challenges of a relationship while living so far apart.
This story features an Asian M/F couple and has a higher steam level.

♥ Jeannie Rose North- Something Blue (M/M)
Owen’s brother is getting married, and he is sharing a hotel room with his best friend Zeke. They've been best friends for years, but Owen can no longer hide his attraction to Zeke. With his brother settling down, Owen considers his own future and what family means to him.
This story features a M/M couple and has a medium steam level.

♥ Bex Goos- Can't Wait To Stay (M/F)
Eli and Sivan are flatmates and colleagues living in North Dakota. As well as working together at a restaurant, Sivan is a stand-up comic, while Eli is pursuing his dream of becoming a teacher. While both keeping secrets from their parents, Eli and Sivan realise that their relationship is the one space in which they can be truly open about who they are.
This story features a Jewish M/F couple and has a higher steam level.

***

I really enjoyed all of the stories in this collection, but my personal favourites were Just Three Days by Jaqueline Snow and The Changeup by Yvette de Oro. Just Three Days stood out for having endearing characters with a “Friends to Lovers” vibe that really worked, while The Changeup stood out for having a single POV character that was particularly strong. Both stories were well-paced and sexy with beautiful writing.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Courtney · Rating 5 out of 5]

After enjoying all of Violet Gaze Press’s other tropey anthologies, I admit I was most excited for Friends to Lovers Vol 1 (and remain hyped for the forthcoming second volume). Only one bed and enemies to lovers are execution-dependent tropes for me, while I’ve only very rarely found a friends to lovers story I didn’t like. As such, this book ended up being a collection of tales chock-full of sweetness and pining, and my favorite VGP anthology to date.

Stefanie Simpson’s “Come Home” starts off the collection with a bang (lol!), including a great balance of physical and emotional intimacy. There’s femdom sex, but there’s also a deepening emotional connection, with the foundation that Beth had always seen Pierce as the person who makes her happy, and them confronting the not-so-platonic feelings they have for each other.

I loved the aesthetics of K Sterling’s m/m romance, “Suit Porn,” with the story kicking off with multiple definitions of the word “weave,” both technical and personal. The sections being named after prominent terms in sewing/design further add to the double meanings of things going on as Page and Jasper work together and fall for each other.

“Critical Kiss” by Marie Lipscomb is set during a tabletop adventure role play game, and I love what they added to the dynamic. As a bit of a nerd with admittedly only cursory knowledge of these games, I loved the way the story made it fairly accessible, including some more well known references (Gwendalf the Grey!) And the juxtaposition with Penny and Gwen giving into their feelings is spectacular.

There are some complex family dynamics at play in “The World Can Wait,” as Saya and Ryo’s siblings ran off together prior to the story’s beginning. But I liked that the relationship between them differed slightly from the other stories, as it added intense stakes, while still giving them room to believably find love with each other.

I really liked the snapshot of Pakistani culture and life in A. Perveen’s “Labyrinth of Love.” And this one also has a pretty good execution of the fake relationship trope, given their basis as friends.

Covid remains a sensitive subject in most of mainstream Romancelandia, and while I don’t blame them for their reluctance, I like that Edie Cay found a way to use it in a subtle way for her story about ER physician Eric and his neighbor, climber Erica, as they go to Yosemite. It’s a great escapist story that acknowledges the stress and frustration many of us have been under, while also not disrespecting those severely impacted by the disease. The protagonists’ names are a bit too similar, but it’s a minor quibble.

“Just Three Days” by Jacqueline Snowe is another get-away-from-it-all type of story, with longtime friends Matt and Maddie going camping and deciding to have a brief fling before going their separate ways. I enjoyed the mutual pining of this one. And bonus, this one is actually self-aware about the similarity of the leads’ names, even making a joke about it.

“Save the Date” by Rachel Bowdler is a cute f/f story about Lee going to a wedding with her friend, Violet and fake date in the presence of Lee’s ex. This is another fabulously executed story of fake dating between friends.

“The Changeup” by Yvette de Oro is so beautiful, starting with an accidental handhold and leading to Cely and JC confronting their feelings. And while the romance genre places a lot of emphasis on the happy ending, I loved the way de Oro subverted this with the final words of her story, suggesting that this is just “beginning” of a happy life together.

“Weir Made for Each Other” by Emily Hemenway sends us back to camp…fish camp this time. Through togetherness amid tension and the mishaps that occur along the way, I loved seeing how the experience brough Aurora and Jamie closer.

The Taipei setting and Taiwanese culture shine in Lucy Khoo’s “Breakfast in Taipei.” I loved the parallel of Andrew experiencing the sights and tastes of Taipei through Jennie, and how the dynamic changes when they give into their feelings.

“Something Blue” by Jennie Rose North sees friends Owen and Zeke both as part of the bridal party for Owen’s brother. I loved the sweetness of them spending time together in the leadup to the wedding and the general softness of it all.

“Can’t Wait to Stay” by Bex Goos is perhaps the most humorous, quirky story in the collection. That’s due in part to the heroine, Sivan’s work as a comedian. While I admit there’s heavy emphasis on this one joke I didn’t entirely get (I’m neurodivergent, so this happens), I did appreciate that the topic, despite being rooted in trauma as a Jewish person, could be turned around in a humorous light for her. And despite this generally light tone, I also appreciated that the story also delved into some more emotional issues, like Eli being afraid to tell his parents he dropped out of law school to teach elementary school, not to mention the super sweet tension and pining!

This book is like a fluffy cloud that provided comfort, but also deeply emotionally impacted me at the same time. If you also love friends to lovers, you’ll be right at home with this anthology, which will give you all the feels. And even if you aren’t, there’s enough variety in this diverse collection of stories that there’s sure to be a story or two (or more!) you’ll enjoy.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Vicky Walklate · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely loved this steamy, wonderfully diverse anthology! The stories were all so different and yet each one fit the friends to lovers brief perfectly. 5 stars all round :-)

Come Home, by Stefanie Simpson
Beth and Pierce are childhood friends, but what if they could/should be more? This was very high heat, full of emotion with a touch of humour, and I was rooting for the pair of them from the very first page as it was just obvious they were meant to be together. Loved the disabled representation too.

Suit Porn, by K Sterling
Page and Jasper, another pair of childhood friends who have no idea they're both crushing on each other until Page gets a bit 'overexcited' when Jasper fits him for a suit. Very high heat, happy 'omg you like me too!' sex - and the red carpet ending made me cheer. I can imagine both of them on the cover of a magazine, a proper power couple.

Critical Kiss, by Marie Lipscomb
A clever play on a tabletop game romance, as Penny (Ransah the orc) has a huge crush on Gwen (Guinevere the Golden). I'm not familiar with these types of games, but it was written in such a way to make it accessible to all readers. The angst and pining was on point, and the ending was fab. (PS I have a crush on side character Marshall and would like his story one day please :-))

The World Can Wait, by Kait Gamble
Saya and Ryo are on a worldwide hunt for their respective brothers who have fallen in love and run off together. Trapped in a snowstorm in Finland, sparks fly under the beautiful northern lights. I loved the forced proximity and only one bed tropes included in this story. Although it stands on its own as a great short, it could also easily be the start of something longer - 100% would read!

Labyrinth of Love, by A. Perveen
Admit to giving a little hooray when I started this one because I've been waiting for Mustafa's HEA since his sister Mahnoor got hers in Loathe to Love (part of the VGP Enemies to Lovers antho). I was not disappointed. Shaista was perfect for him and the story as a whole was just as lyrical and stunning as Loathe to Love. I highlighted my favourite line: 'No power on Earth was as sustainable as the vehement, persistent force of a gentle soul.'

In Her Element, by Edie Cay
Erica converted her Honda Element car into a motorhome so she could go off climbing for six months. She wasn't expecting 2 things: COVID-19 and her neighbour Eric tagging along. After various misunderstandings, they finally realise they're crushing on each other big time. Loved the outdoor setting and Erica's no-nonsense attitude.

Just Three Days, by Jacqueline Snowe
When Maddie begs her best friend Matt to go on a short camping trip, she doesn't realise his reluctance is down to him being head over heels in love with her. When she finally figures it out, she has to decide whether it's just a tent-based fling or something more. Of course, it's the latter :-) Loved this story, especially the epilogue.

Save The Date, by Rachel Bowdler
OMG this was so sweet. Lee is forced into attending a family wedding, and brings along her friend Violet as a pretend date and buffer. She quickly realises that she feels more than just friendship for Violet. This was such a lovely story with just the right amount of pining, and Lee and Violet are perfect for each other.

The Changeup, by Yvette De Oro
Cely and JC play on the same softball team. As JC had a girlfriend, Cely had put him firmly in the Friend Only camp, but unfortunately when you collapse drunk in your friend's bed, sometimes the truth comes out! I absolutely loved these characters and cracked up when Cely remembers what she said to him when she was drunk - so relatable!

Weir Made For Each Other, by Wendy Dalrymple
Aurora and Jamie work together every summer at a research camp in Alaska. Neither realises that the other one wants to be much more than a friend, until circumstances cause them to be trapped together in the wilderness. This was an adorable story, the descriptions of the outdoor setting are superb. Also I didn't realise until the end that Jamie is related to another character in a previous VGP antho story which was one of my favourites, I cheered when I finally figured it out!

Breakfast in Taipei, by Lucy Khoo
OMG I was very hungry by the time I got to the end of this one! The food descriptions are out of this world amazing, as Jennie shows her friend Andrew around Taipei and love blossoms in the process. I'm not particularly well-travelled but I really felt like I knew Taipei by the end, and I have to mention the food again, oh my goodness everything sounded delicious.

Something Blue, by Jeannie Rose North
Yay another wedding-related story, this time featuring Owen, brother of the groom, and Owen's best friend Zeke, a groomsman. I liked the way their family and friends were rooting for them to get together as they're clearly perfect for each other. This was a slow burn romance full of just the right amount of pining and I loved it :-)

Can't Wait To Stay, by Bex Goos
Comedian Sivan and wannabe teacher Eli are roomates and best friends, nothing else - at least that's how it starts. When Eli's relationship ends, he allows himself to look at Sivan the way he's always wanted to, and she does the same. I particularly loved Sivan's humour and vulnerability in this story. One of my favourite scenes, without going into spoilers, is a very well-written and sensitive explanation of why she got a tattoo. Great story.

[Christine · Rating 4 out of 5]

I stumbled across Lucy Khoo's Breakfast in Taipei on social media and I knew I had to read the Friends to Lovers anthology immediately. Taipei is one of my favorite cities in Asia and any romance centered there has to feature one of the city's best features, the food.

The author did a fabulous job weaving authentic food porn with Jennie and Andrew's quick jaunt around the city and surrounding areas. I especially loved their visit to Tamsui for the seaside district's famous street food. Brown sugar boba, oyster omelet, pork floss ice cream, oolong gin fizz, taro shaved ice... Jennie and Andrew trying to hide their growing feelings for each other between luscious bites of the local food made this one of the most fun foodie romances I've read in a while.

Having whetted my appetite (ugh, no pun intended), I'm looking forward to the other romances as well.

See the full review on my blog Lucky Reads Romance

[Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book celebrated my favourite trope of all time, Friends to Lovers.

I thought that all the stories were absolutely adorable and perfect. Each story showed a different facet of the trope and I was there for it.

K Sterling’s Suit Porn was a delight for the senses as she takes two best friends deal with the revelation that they actually liked the other one with a sweet geeky man and a tailor who worships the ground he walks on.

Critical Kiss by Marie Lipscomb was all about miscommunication and the need to actually to use words. The characters were so sweet as they tentatively worked out their relationship in a dungeons and dragons- like gaming session. I can easily picture these two women courting each other through actions and characters.

Every book had something to draw my attention so I highly recommend this book to people who adore diverse characters and the friends to lovers trope.

[Bee Chiison · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am in love with this book. I’ve always had in my head what a friends to lovers story would entail, so caught up in the formula that seems to plague other media, that I was so taken aback on how diverse and different these stories are. At times i forgot that there was a happy ending coming, I was so caught up in the story of all these wonderful couples that I was in tears at some of the narrative climaxes. Some of these stories are from talented and inspiring newly emerging authors, while some are from those more established, the writing was always beautiful and engaging, whimsical and exciting. It doesn’t matter if you prefer your intimate scenes more hot and heavy or more soft and reverent, there will be a romance for you in these pages! Thank you so much!

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Ally · Rating 4 out of 5]

There is just something so comforting about friends to lovers romances, whether it's mutual pining, unrequited love, or two unsuspecting friends just going about their lives when love sneaks up and knocks their heads together. Maybe it's because an established relationship exists; friends to lovers already have a strong foundation of trust and love.

Or maybe I just like reading about people in existential crises.

Either way, the collection of romances in Violet Gaze Press's Friends to Lovers Vol 1 was exactly what I needed when I read it. Thirteen diverse novellas featuring friends turning into lovers all around the world? Sign me up please.

And they delivered! I got the soft moments of friendship, the anxiety of changing (or realized) feelings, and the sexy spirals of two people giving in to their desires and coming together for the first time. (And for some, the second and third and...)

The only reason this isn't a 5 star read for me was that one story didn't quite ring true as friends to lovers -- though there was nothing wrong with the story, the two MCs barely knew each other, and they weren't all that friendly as it were. Another of the novellas didn't feel quite as smoothly put together as the rest, but overall the collection was amazing and exactly what I look for in friends to lovers romances.

One of the things I really love about these Violet Gaze Press collections is finding new-to-me authors while also getting to read some established favorites. I can't wait to get my hands on Friends to Lovers Volume 2 and see what's next from the authors featured in the first volume!

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Mari · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love these trope anthologies! All the good stuff you love all in one place! This collection was super fun and super HUGE. Lots of stories. I really loved the variety, which also included some wonderful LGBTQ stories. Just like love is for everyone, this trope is for everyone. It's such a great idea to do these anthologies and get introduced to new authors.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Melissa Fengári · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book in advance from booksprout in exchange for an honest review.

This anthology is jam packed with short stories of every flavor. If you like to sit with a story before you start a new one you will be reading for months. Super sweet, friends falling in love, mostly low angst. Just about every pairing you can think of is represented. So many different cultures are represented too! Anyone will find a story in here that resonates with them. Highly recommend.

[L H · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of my favorite tropes so an anthology focused on it was irresistible to me. This one offered a lot of stories and there was a really good variety to enjoy. The range of stories really celebrated love that flowers between friends and celebrated the fact the love is love. I gave this wonderful collection a 4.5 stars.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Emmers · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finding new favorites

I’ve never liked anthologies - I’ll read the one author I like but the rest are usually too variable in quality to enjoy and certainly not to find new favorites. These Violet Gaze anthologies are the complete opposite. I love 9 out of 10 of the stories and end up disappointed if the author doesn’t have anything else for me to buy yet. I don’t know what they are doing differently (in addition to being inclusive) but I hope they keep it up!

[Weekend Reader_ · Rating 4 out of 5]

This trope is my catnip. I'm so excited that an anthology exists to fill my little romance heart. It's definitely a range of friendships and circumstances to get to an HEA


Favorite shorts
Stephanie Simpson- Come Home 🤤
Jacqueline Snowe- Just Three Days
Yvette de Oro- The Changeup
Lucy Khoo- Breakfast in Taipei 🤤

🤤 oral

Collective heat level: Hot

CW/N: disability discrimination, child neglect, MS, body image, misogyny, financial manipulation, break up, missing siblings,

[Judy Gittleson Hendrickson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thirteen stories that are so varied that you are sure to find ones that you love. The characters, locations and reasons for meeting sure pulled me in and I couldn't stop until I finished them all. Loved the variety of surprises and feelings, situations and problems that had to be overcome, and most of all, the romance. Great endings. Well done selection to binge read.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This publisher is doing awesome work releasing diverse romance anthologies. There is truly something in here for everyone. There are MM, MF, and FF pairings. A few of the stories highlighted body diversity, which we love to see. I love how the book is set up to introduce each of the stories and you also get little author blurbs after, so you can chase down more writing if you love the story.

[Nida · Rating 4 out of 5]

A pretty solid collection of stories which have in common a friends-to-lovers trope. I really liked most of the stories apart from a few that fell short to me. My most favorite ones were "Labyrinth Of Love" by A. Perveen, "Come Home" by Stefanie Simpson and "Critical Kiss" by Marie Lipscomb.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Leah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have recently found myself more into the friends to lovers trope. This collection was a perfect for me to get some more exposure to these stories. I liked the variety and will look for more from several of the authors.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a collection of thirteen stories all with a friends to so much more plot. The collection bring something for every reader. It does include a variety of romances which include M/F, M/M, and F/F. The characters are likable and the stories interesting. This is a very diverse collection and I enjoyed most of the stories included.

[Kathleen Bradbury (Bulfon) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This set of books was intensely wonderful. It was an amazing set. I cannot express just how much I loved these. What a very intense story that will have you hooked from the very beginning of this story. This is a must read!!

[Samina Rajiwate · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nicely written stories. This box set contains short stories from different authors. The stories are short and sweet. A nice way to pass the time. Thanx.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Agata Weronika · Rating 5 out of 5]

as the resident friends to lovers connoisseur I approve this publication :)
this lovely book did not fail to make me smile.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Esme Greiner]

This is a collection of 13 stories in one of my favorite tropes, friends to lovers. Each story is stand alone and brings us a different couple with one thing in common, they are all amazing short reads.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Kat Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great compilation of stories. All are quick, easy to read, well written stories. Great read to get lost in a friends to lovers story.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Misa Buckley · Rating 5 out of 5]

A gorgeous collection of cute and sexy stories! Every one is very different, with representation for M/F, F/F and M/M couples. Disability, body positivity and IR are also touched upon, making this anthology delightfully diverse without feeling like it's just ticking boxes.

[Trinity Wood · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a varied, diverse collection of short stories, and I've enjoyed all of them. Highly recommended if you like diverse books, featuring MF, MM or FF pairings.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Nate · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great Anthology with 13 great stories. I got a copy of the book. And am voluntarily leaving my review.