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If the Fates Allow
During the holidays, anything is possible—a second chance, a promised future, an unexpected romance, a rekindled love, or a healed heart. Authors Killian B. Brewer, Lynn Charles, Erin Finnegan, Pene Henson, and Lilah Suzanne share their stories about the magic of the season.
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Gracious Living Magazine Says It Has to Be a Live Tree
By Killian B. Brewer
Determined to make his first Christmas with his new boyfriend magazine-perfect, Marcus seeks the advice of lovable busy bodies, the Do-Nothings Club. When he learns that his boyfriend, Hank, may have ordered a ring, Marcus’ attempts to transform his home into a winter wonderland get out of hand.
Shelved
By Lynn Charles
When library clerk Karina Ness meets a new patron, lonely business owner, Wesley Lloyd, she puts her own love life on hold and begins a holiday matchmaking mission to connect Wes with her uncle Tony.
Last Call at the Casa Blanca Bar & Grille
By Erin Finnegan
As the one-year anniversary of his lover’s death rolls around on Christmas, Jack Volarde finds himself at their old haunt—a bar called the Casa Blanca, where a new bartender helps him open up about loss, and see brightness in a future that had grown dim.
True North
By Pene Henson
Shay Allen returns to her hometown in Montana for the holidays with her best friend Devon with the intent to return home to L.A. by New Year’s Eve. Instead, the weather traps them in the small town, but the there’s a bright spot: her old crush Milla is still in town.
Halfway Home
By Lilah Suzanne
Avery Puckett has begun to wonder if her life has become joyless. One night, fate intervenes in the form of a scraggly dog shivering and alone in a parking lot. Avery takes him to a nearby shelter called Halfway Home where she meets bright and beautiful Grace, who is determined to save the world one stray at a time.
*
Gracious Living Magazine Says It Has to Be a Live Tree
By Killian B. Brewer
Determined to make his first Christmas with his new boyfriend magazine-perfect, Marcus seeks the advice of lovable busy bodies, the Do-Nothings Club. When he learns that his boyfriend, Hank, may have ordered a ring, Marcus’ attempts to transform his home into a winter wonderland get out of hand.
Shelved
By Lynn Charles
When library clerk Karina Ness meets a new patron, lonely business owner, Wesley Lloyd, she puts her own love life on hold and begins a holiday matchmaking mission to connect Wes with her uncle Tony.
Last Call at the Casa Blanca Bar & Grille
By Erin Finnegan
As the one-year anniversary of his lover’s death rolls around on Christmas, Jack Volarde finds himself at their old haunt—a bar called the Casa Blanca, where a new bartender helps him open up about loss, and see brightness in a future that had grown dim.
True North
By Pene Henson
Shay Allen returns to her hometown in Montana for the holidays with her best friend Devon with the intent to return home to L.A. by New Year’s Eve. Instead, the weather traps them in the small town, but the there’s a bright spot: her old crush Milla is still in town.
Halfway Home
By Lilah Suzanne
Avery Puckett has begun to wonder if her life has become joyless. One night, fate intervenes in the form of a scraggly dog shivering and alone in a parking lot. Avery takes him to a nearby shelter called Halfway Home where she meets bright and beautiful Grace, who is determined to save the world one stray at a time.
212 pages, Paperback
First published December 1, 2017
7 people are currently reading
643 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 49 reviews
December 24, 2020
I didn't do much holiday reading but I found this collection of short stories, all very sweet and happy, in Hoopla. My favorites included a woman volunteering at an animal shelter and one featuring a matchmaker librarian!
December 23, 2017
A copy was provided by the publisher through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review
Going to review each of the shorts separately, as this was really a mixed bag for me.
"Gracious Living Magazine Says It Must Be a Live Tree" no rating
dnf after the first chapter. A racist joke, then fat hating joke in the first chapter. This is not the story for me.
"True North" 3.75 stars
Sweet holiday romance between a Black lesbian WNBA player and the girl she had a crush on when she was a teenager, when she visits home for the holidays. I enjoyed this one.
"Last Call at the Casa Blanca Bar Grille" 4.5 stars
This is not exactly a romance, more of a Christmas story about grieving the love of your life, and coming to a turning point where you figure out a way to live with the grief instead of being subsumed by it. The pacing is lovely, the characterization spot on, and it's got just a touch of magic in it that really works. There is a wonderful kiss in it.
"Halfway Home" 3.5 stars
This is a sweet dog-centered f/f holiday romance. I especially appreciated the slow pace that matched Avery's numbness, and the way it matched pace with her approach to Rudy, the stray dog she finds. I like that Avery's arc is about her moving toward being more active instead of mostly letting things happen to her, enjoyed watching her start to go after what she wanted.
"Shelved" 3 stars
This one is a lesbian library assistant who is trying to match up her bisexual uncle with a new gay patron, and who has a crush on the girl who sells Christmas trees. The best parts were with the girl she has a crush on, and her matchmaking through book recommendation efforts, but I had a hard time sticking with this one because I mostly didn't care about the characters and the writing didn't grab me. It also felt weighed down by the MC's father's emotional abuse.
Trigger Warnings
Going to review each of the shorts separately, as this was really a mixed bag for me.
"Gracious Living Magazine Says It Must Be a Live Tree" no rating
dnf after the first chapter. A racist joke, then fat hating joke in the first chapter. This is not the story for me.
"True North" 3.75 stars
Sweet holiday romance between a Black lesbian WNBA player and the girl she had a crush on when she was a teenager, when she visits home for the holidays. I enjoyed this one.
"Last Call at the Casa Blanca Bar Grille" 4.5 stars
This is not exactly a romance, more of a Christmas story about grieving the love of your life, and coming to a turning point where you figure out a way to live with the grief instead of being subsumed by it. The pacing is lovely, the characterization spot on, and it's got just a touch of magic in it that really works. There is a wonderful kiss in it.
"Halfway Home" 3.5 stars
This is a sweet dog-centered f/f holiday romance. I especially appreciated the slow pace that matched Avery's numbness, and the way it matched pace with her approach to Rudy, the stray dog she finds. I like that Avery's arc is about her moving toward being more active instead of mostly letting things happen to her, enjoyed watching her start to go after what she wanted.
"Shelved" 3 stars
This one is a lesbian library assistant who is trying to match up her bisexual uncle with a new gay patron, and who has a crush on the girl who sells Christmas trees. The best parts were with the girl she has a crush on, and her matchmaking through book recommendation efforts, but I had a hard time sticking with this one because I mostly didn't care about the characters and the writing didn't grab me. It also felt weighed down by the MC's father's emotional abuse.
Trigger Warnings
dnf
April 7, 2018
I was sent this book as an advanced copy by the publisher via NetGalley for reviewing purposes, but all opinions are my own.
DNF @ 25%
I should have probably marked it as DNF ages ago but basically I'm not going to rate this since it's four different stories and I've only read one, and the one I read I didn't like at all. It was all over the place and I didn't like the writing. I also don't really care for holiday-themed anthologies so I guess I'm at fault here for having requested this. I'm definitely not going to be reading Christmas stories in April and I truly don't care about finishing this. The only good thing is that it's all about queer relationships so if you love Christmas and you're looking for rep that might be something for you.
DNF @ 25%
I should have probably marked it as DNF ages ago but basically I'm not going to rate this since it's four different stories and I've only read one, and the one I read I didn't like at all. It was all over the place and I didn't like the writing. I also don't really care for holiday-themed anthologies so I guess I'm at fault here for having requested this. I'm definitely not going to be reading Christmas stories in April and I truly don't care about finishing this. The only good thing is that it's all about queer relationships so if you love Christmas and you're looking for rep that might be something for you.
December 18, 2017
If the Fates Allow is a collection of five queer holiday shorts put out by Interlude Press.
First of all, kudos to the editor, Annie Harper, for her varied selection. While all of the stories have a holiday feel (quite understated in some), and all are definitely feel-good lighter reads, the anthology stands together well as a whole.
Gracious Living Magazine Says It Has to Be a Live Tree by Killian B. Brewer
This story wins the prize for the best title, not just in this anthology but possibly that I’ve seen all year. Marcus thinks his boyfriend Hank may have bought him a ring for xmas. He enlists a gaggle of his friends, a group of nosy older women, “the do-nothings”, to advise him.
I loved the small-town humour and nosiness and warmth of this one. This seemed a strange choice to open the anthology with as it’s apparently an add-on to a novel. It took me a bit to get into it for that reason, and while I enjoyed it and had no problem reading it as a standalone, it wasn’t the attention-grabber I would have expected to start an anthology.
True North by Pene Henson
One of my two favourites in this collection. Shay is a pro basketball player who is struggling with her game. She takes her best-friend Devon home to her Montana family for the holidays, and reconnects with her old crush Milla.
Given that “Storm Season” was one of my favourite reads of 2017, I was greatly looking forward to this, and it did not disappoint. This short had the same beautiful descriptive prose as Storm Season and snowy Montana is as vivid described as subtropical Australia was. I loved Devon, the best friend, and Shay’s family and how well Devon bonded with them. I also appreciated that Shay and Devon were women of colour and that the story played out in a non-typical setting. This smooth and gentle telling was an utter delight.
Last Call at the Casa Blanca Bar & Grille by Erin Finnegan
This well-written story had a very melancholy feel, but ended on an uplifting note. It’s about grief and grieving and moving on, and it plays out in the rather stereotypical bar setting. Definitely not a stereotypical story though. I enjoyed the writing in this one, and would enjoy reading more by this author.
Halfway Home by Lilah Suzanne
My other favourite in the collection. The socially awkward Avery is fired from her job and her girlfriend moves out the same day. This story grabbed me at the point where the girlfriend moves out and Avery’s reaction. Then Avery—who is definitely not a dog person—finds a stray dog and takes it to a shelter. Enter cute girl Grace, and a very endearing and slow moving romance is born. With a dog, which is an automatic bonus star from me. Rudy is as much a character as Avery and Grace.
Shelved by Lynn Charles
Librarian Karina bonds in a warm and delightful way with a male patron, Wes, and tries to hook him up with her Uncle Tony. There’s also a subplot involving Karina awkwardly trying to chat up the girl who works in a xmas tree nursery. We get the word “lumberjill” out of this, which seems so logical to me, as I hear “jillaroo” in my everyday life. One of the longer stories in the collection. Karina and Wes’s growing friendship was the high point of this story for me, and I greatly enjoyed the journey.
Overall, this is a thoroughly enjoyable collection. Although classed as short stories, these are all on the longer end of that category, I would guess around 10K words each. Good, sharp writing, warm and feelgood stories, and a diverse range of characters and situations.
If there's a theme in these stories (apart from the holiday one), it would be friendship, the enduring unconditional sort. The niggly nitpicking friendship between the Do-Nothings that hides a very real affection, the comfortable friendship of shared experience between Shay and Devon, the companionship and love possible between human and animal, and the friendship that grows across generations between Karina and Wes. It seems fitting that these stories focus as much on friendship as they do on romance in a holiday anthology. After all, we choose our friends, and who better to share the holidays with?
I would rate all of the individual stories between three and five stars, giving an overall average of 4.something. I’m rounding up to five stars for the experience of the anthology as a whole—the story selection, how they are put together and the overall reading experience.
I received this as an ARC from Interlude in exchange for an honest review.
First of all, kudos to the editor, Annie Harper, for her varied selection. While all of the stories have a holiday feel (quite understated in some), and all are definitely feel-good lighter reads, the anthology stands together well as a whole.
Gracious Living Magazine Says It Has to Be a Live Tree by Killian B. Brewer
This story wins the prize for the best title, not just in this anthology but possibly that I’ve seen all year. Marcus thinks his boyfriend Hank may have bought him a ring for xmas. He enlists a gaggle of his friends, a group of nosy older women, “the do-nothings”, to advise him.
I loved the small-town humour and nosiness and warmth of this one. This seemed a strange choice to open the anthology with as it’s apparently an add-on to a novel. It took me a bit to get into it for that reason, and while I enjoyed it and had no problem reading it as a standalone, it wasn’t the attention-grabber I would have expected to start an anthology.
True North by Pene Henson
One of my two favourites in this collection. Shay is a pro basketball player who is struggling with her game. She takes her best-friend Devon home to her Montana family for the holidays, and reconnects with her old crush Milla.
Given that “Storm Season” was one of my favourite reads of 2017, I was greatly looking forward to this, and it did not disappoint. This short had the same beautiful descriptive prose as Storm Season and snowy Montana is as vivid described as subtropical Australia was. I loved Devon, the best friend, and Shay’s family and how well Devon bonded with them. I also appreciated that Shay and Devon were women of colour and that the story played out in a non-typical setting. This smooth and gentle telling was an utter delight.
Last Call at the Casa Blanca Bar & Grille by Erin Finnegan
This well-written story had a very melancholy feel, but ended on an uplifting note. It’s about grief and grieving and moving on, and it plays out in the rather stereotypical bar setting. Definitely not a stereotypical story though. I enjoyed the writing in this one, and would enjoy reading more by this author.
Halfway Home by Lilah Suzanne
My other favourite in the collection. The socially awkward Avery is fired from her job and her girlfriend moves out the same day. This story grabbed me at the point where the girlfriend moves out and Avery’s reaction. Then Avery—who is definitely not a dog person—finds a stray dog and takes it to a shelter. Enter cute girl Grace, and a very endearing and slow moving romance is born. With a dog, which is an automatic bonus star from me. Rudy is as much a character as Avery and Grace.
Shelved by Lynn Charles
Librarian Karina bonds in a warm and delightful way with a male patron, Wes, and tries to hook him up with her Uncle Tony. There’s also a subplot involving Karina awkwardly trying to chat up the girl who works in a xmas tree nursery. We get the word “lumberjill” out of this, which seems so logical to me, as I hear “jillaroo” in my everyday life. One of the longer stories in the collection. Karina and Wes’s growing friendship was the high point of this story for me, and I greatly enjoyed the journey.
Overall, this is a thoroughly enjoyable collection. Although classed as short stories, these are all on the longer end of that category, I would guess around 10K words each. Good, sharp writing, warm and feelgood stories, and a diverse range of characters and situations.
If there's a theme in these stories (apart from the holiday one), it would be friendship, the enduring unconditional sort. The niggly nitpicking friendship between the Do-Nothings that hides a very real affection, the comfortable friendship of shared experience between Shay and Devon, the companionship and love possible between human and animal, and the friendship that grows across generations between Karina and Wes. It seems fitting that these stories focus as much on friendship as they do on romance in a holiday anthology. After all, we choose our friends, and who better to share the holidays with?
I would rate all of the individual stories between three and five stars, giving an overall average of 4.something. I’m rounding up to five stars for the experience of the anthology as a whole—the story selection, how they are put together and the overall reading experience.
I received this as an ARC from Interlude in exchange for an honest review.
December 29, 2017
This is a charming collection of stories set at Christmas. There was an inventive spirit that imbued the stories with some of the magic of Christmas, without ever becoming too saccharine. The writers are all winning authors of LGBTQIA fiction at Interlude press, and the quality of writing is evident in the complexity of the characters, and the thoughtfulness of the stories.
I really enjoyed reading this clever anthology.
1. 4 stars. Gracious Living Magazine Says It must be a Live Tree, by Killian B. Brewer. A man comfortable with his lot spends Christmas Day working in a diner, feeding the homeless. This is a happy tale of friends, colleagues and a lover, seen through the eyes of a man happy in his skin.
2. 4 stars. True North, by Pene Henson. WNBA star coming home for Christmas to the small town she’d left behind, only to find the pull to her best friend in high school to be just as strong as the day she escaped into her career.
3. 5 stars. Last Call at the Casa Blanca Bar & Grill, by Erin Finnegan. Mayoral assistant wraps up work on Christmas day and manages to avoid the please of friends to socialise. The bar he used to frequent with his lover was open, and a new bartender gently guides him back to life. A heartfelt ode to quiet compassion.
4. 3 stars. Halfway Home by Lilah Suzanne. A woman afraid of life finds a stray dog, and takes him to the pound. This starts an adventure that entices her to re-engage with life. Well written, but it's hard to be interested in a character disengaged from life.
5. 4 stars. Shelved, by by Lynn Charles. A young librarian plays matchmaker for her beloved uncle via book recommendations to a new library customer, and along the way is matched herself. Charming tale of matchmaking and the matchmaker.
Advanced reading copy provided by NetGalley for an honest review.
I really enjoyed reading this clever anthology.
1. 4 stars. Gracious Living Magazine Says It must be a Live Tree, by Killian B. Brewer. A man comfortable with his lot spends Christmas Day working in a diner, feeding the homeless. This is a happy tale of friends, colleagues and a lover, seen through the eyes of a man happy in his skin.
2. 4 stars. True North, by Pene Henson. WNBA star coming home for Christmas to the small town she’d left behind, only to find the pull to her best friend in high school to be just as strong as the day she escaped into her career.
3. 5 stars. Last Call at the Casa Blanca Bar & Grill, by Erin Finnegan. Mayoral assistant wraps up work on Christmas day and manages to avoid the please of friends to socialise. The bar he used to frequent with his lover was open, and a new bartender gently guides him back to life. A heartfelt ode to quiet compassion.
4. 3 stars. Halfway Home by Lilah Suzanne. A woman afraid of life finds a stray dog, and takes him to the pound. This starts an adventure that entices her to re-engage with life. Well written, but it's hard to be interested in a character disengaged from life.
5. 4 stars. Shelved, by by Lynn Charles. A young librarian plays matchmaker for her beloved uncle via book recommendations to a new library customer, and along the way is matched herself. Charming tale of matchmaking and the matchmaker.
Advanced reading copy provided by NetGalley for an honest review.
January 15, 2019
Galley provided by publisher
Rep: wlw and mlm characters, non-white characters
Gracious Living Magazine Says It Must Be A Live Tree ☆☆☆
I think I would have appreciated this one more if I had read the book with these characters in. As it was, I wasn't particularly amazed by this as an opening story for the anthology. That being said, it had some cute moments.
True North ☆☆☆☆
The real reason I was excited to read this anthology was Pene Henson's story. Both her full length books are among my favourites, so I'm always eager to see what she writes. This was pretty much my favourite story in the anthology. I just kind of wish it had been a full length story.
Last Call At The Casa Blanca Bar And Grill ☆☆
This was probably my least favourite of the stories. It's a bit of a downer, right in the middle of the anthology, and if I'm honest, I found it a bit boring. But the writing was good, and it did work well as a short story. It was just not for me.
Halfway Home ☆☆☆
Possibly the cutest story of the whole anthology. I was initially a little put off by the present tense, but it grew on me. It's either this or the final story that I would call my second favourite of the anthology.
Shelved ☆☆☆
Honestly, Karina's general uselessness after seeing Hailey for the first time is the most relatable, I love them both so much. I kind of wanted to see more of their relationship developing, because I felt like that was a more central plot to the story, but instead it's more about Karina's Uncle Tony and Wes. Which I did appreciate a lot (give me more older LGBT characters!! Let them find love!!), but it was a little unexpected. Anyway, this was probably my joint second favourite in this anthology.
Rep: wlw and mlm characters, non-white characters
Gracious Living Magazine Says It Must Be A Live Tree ☆☆☆
I think I would have appreciated this one more if I had read the book with these characters in. As it was, I wasn't particularly amazed by this as an opening story for the anthology. That being said, it had some cute moments.
True North ☆☆☆☆
The real reason I was excited to read this anthology was Pene Henson's story. Both her full length books are among my favourites, so I'm always eager to see what she writes. This was pretty much my favourite story in the anthology. I just kind of wish it had been a full length story.
Last Call At The Casa Blanca Bar And Grill ☆☆
This was probably my least favourite of the stories. It's a bit of a downer, right in the middle of the anthology, and if I'm honest, I found it a bit boring. But the writing was good, and it did work well as a short story. It was just not for me.
Halfway Home ☆☆☆
Possibly the cutest story of the whole anthology. I was initially a little put off by the present tense, but it grew on me. It's either this or the final story that I would call my second favourite of the anthology.
Shelved ☆☆☆
Honestly, Karina's general uselessness after seeing Hailey for the first time is the most relatable, I love them both so much. I kind of wanted to see more of their relationship developing, because I felt like that was a more central plot to the story, but instead it's more about Karina's Uncle Tony and Wes. Which I did appreciate a lot (give me more older LGBT characters!! Let them find love!!), but it was a little unexpected. Anyway, this was probably my joint second favourite in this anthology.
November 18, 2017
(Advanced Reader Copy review)
The end of the year needed a good anthology of stories to show different aspects of the LGBTQ spectrum, different lives, different ways to celebrate the holidays, and Interlude Press delivered.
I loved reconnecting with the Do Nothings
I fell in love with Devon and with Montana
I had a good, satisfying cry and a renewed sense of hope with Jack at the Casa Blanca
I connected deeply and instensly with Avery, and wished I could have a Rudy and a Grace in my life
I found a kindred soul in Karina, in her love for books and the need to make her loved ones happy.
Having this book on my shelf is a pleasure I will dive into regularly--a little tradition of sorts.
I only wish this anthology had included stories with all the Winter holidays (Hannukah and Kwanza come to mind), to make it absolutely, 110% perfect!!
The end of the year needed a good anthology of stories to show different aspects of the LGBTQ spectrum, different lives, different ways to celebrate the holidays, and Interlude Press delivered.
I loved reconnecting with the Do Nothings
I fell in love with Devon and with Montana
I had a good, satisfying cry and a renewed sense of hope with Jack at the Casa Blanca
I connected deeply and instensly with Avery, and wished I could have a Rudy and a Grace in my life
I found a kindred soul in Karina, in her love for books and the need to make her loved ones happy.
Having this book on my shelf is a pleasure I will dive into regularly--a little tradition of sorts.
I only wish this anthology had included stories with all the Winter holidays (Hannukah and Kwanza come to mind), to make it absolutely, 110% perfect!!
December 3, 2017
I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
3.5 ☆
Five christmasy gay stories for a price of one! Well, count me in!!
But see, the problem with rating anthologies is that not all pieces are equally good, and that's especially the case when we get different authors. So while there's no doubt all of them were very gay & very cute, I only really enjoyed three of them...
My favourite might actually be Halfway Home by Lilah Suzanne. I've never related to a lesbian more than I did to Avery! We meet her as her girlfriend breaks up with her on account of Avery being dead inside and then see her rescue a stray dog. She runs into a doctor with the most beautiful smile at the animal shelter and proceeds to gayly panic every time they're next to each other. It's great fun, I loved every single second of it. There are also hideous christmas sweaters & even a christmas miracle!
Another one I enjoyed was True North by Pene Henson, about a professional basketball player who comes home for christmas and reconnects with her first crush. Said crush also happens to run a ranch... I mean, does it get better when it comes to tropes?? The only thing I'm not so sure about here is the fact that main character is a black lesbian & the story spends quite a lot of time talking about challenges a black woman faces while the author, well, isn't black herself. I get we (white people) want to write more diverse stories but is it really our place to be vocal about things we know nothing about?
The last one I loved was Last Call at the Casa Blanca Bar & Grille by Erin Finnegan and to be honest, this was one of the softest things I read lately! Our protagonist, Jack, re-learns how to enjoy life and how to be himself and how to open his heart again after losing his love. It's very simple in terms of the plot - though there is a great, surprising twist that you can interpret however you want!! - but what really counts is the amazing writing & the incredible calmness and hope this story offers.
All in all, this is a very solid collection & it's really cool to read some light, lowkey cheesy stories that are so very indisputably gay. Definitely a good book to put you in the christmasy mood!
3.5 ☆
Five christmasy gay stories for a price of one! Well, count me in!!
But see, the problem with rating anthologies is that not all pieces are equally good, and that's especially the case when we get different authors. So while there's no doubt all of them were very gay & very cute, I only really enjoyed three of them...
My favourite might actually be Halfway Home by Lilah Suzanne. I've never related to a lesbian more than I did to Avery! We meet her as her girlfriend breaks up with her on account of Avery being dead inside and then see her rescue a stray dog. She runs into a doctor with the most beautiful smile at the animal shelter and proceeds to gayly panic every time they're next to each other. It's great fun, I loved every single second of it. There are also hideous christmas sweaters & even a christmas miracle!
Another one I enjoyed was True North by Pene Henson, about a professional basketball player who comes home for christmas and reconnects with her first crush. Said crush also happens to run a ranch... I mean, does it get better when it comes to tropes?? The only thing I'm not so sure about here is the fact that main character is a black lesbian & the story spends quite a lot of time talking about challenges a black woman faces while the author, well, isn't black herself. I get we (white people) want to write more diverse stories but is it really our place to be vocal about things we know nothing about?
The last one I loved was Last Call at the Casa Blanca Bar & Grille by Erin Finnegan and to be honest, this was one of the softest things I read lately! Our protagonist, Jack, re-learns how to enjoy life and how to be himself and how to open his heart again after losing his love. It's very simple in terms of the plot - though there is a great, surprising twist that you can interpret however you want!! - but what really counts is the amazing writing & the incredible calmness and hope this story offers.
All in all, this is a very solid collection & it's really cool to read some light, lowkey cheesy stories that are so very indisputably gay. Definitely a good book to put you in the christmasy mood!
December 26, 2018
I had high hopes for this because it seemed like it was going to be right up my alley. But ultimately it was just meh overall.
I did really enjoy True North and Last Call at the Casa Blanca Bar & Grille. True North especially took its time to explore the characters a bit more and had more genuine emotion.
The other 3 were just too corny for my personal taste. I know that I should have expected that with a collection like this, but the writing itself in those other stories was just corny to the point of being basically juvenile in my opinion.
I did really enjoy True North and Last Call at the Casa Blanca Bar & Grille. True North especially took its time to explore the characters a bit more and had more genuine emotion.
The other 3 were just too corny for my personal taste. I know that I should have expected that with a collection like this, but the writing itself in those other stories was just corny to the point of being basically juvenile in my opinion.
December 25, 2018
I was excited to find an LGBT book at my library branch that I hadn't heard of, so I checked it out, disregarding the fact that the combo of "gay romantic Christmas short stories" only appeals to me in theory. I'm on board for the gay, of course, but romance and short stories are hit or miss for me. As for the Christmas element, well... I was surprised/annoyed when in one story Santa Claus made an appearance. Apparently I expected realism. HA.
January 11, 2018
This sweet anthology is the perfect holiday read. Each story is charming and heartfelt, with just the right amount of seasonal magic sprinkled throughout. I fell head over heels in friend-love with Killian Brewer’s the Do-Nothings, grieved and learned something about moving on with Erin Finnegan’s Last Call, missed my own prairie skies (and learned a thing or two about basketball) with Pene Henson’s True North, sent several ALL CAPS TEXTS OF INTENSITY AND JOY while reading Halfway Home by Lilah Suzanne, and laughed and cooed through Shelved by Lynn Charles. I love holiday anthologies, and it’s so wonderful to add one this queer to my list favs.
Read
December 31, 2017DNF @ 40% for now- may come back to give it another chance eventually but I'm not really feeling up to it at the moment.
May 17, 2020
Killian B. Brewer - Gracious Living Magazine Says It Must Be a Live Tree 3/5
This is sort of a sequel to a full-length novel, and I definitely think it'll be more fun to read if you've read the novel first. I did miss quite a lot of context. But overall, I did enjoy it. It was a very loveable story with a very loveable message.
Rep: m/m romance
CWs: mention of homophobia, past death of a grandparent, past death of a parent, nightmare involving fire
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Pene Henson - True North 2/5
This felt so disjointed and hard to follow. There were so many infodumps where the main character would tell her best friend everything about her life. Which felt forced, because wouldn't the best friend know all of that already? There was also the issue that I shipped the MC with her best friend instead of with the love interest, because the romance was very rushed.
Rep: black lesbian MC, bisexual love interest, black side character
CWs: racism, homophobia
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Erin Finnegan - Last Call at the Casa Blanca Bar & Grille 4/5
I really enjoyed this story about a local politician who learns to move on after having lost his boyfriend in an accident the Christmas before. The writing didn't always work for me, but I did like the emotional depth.
CWs: past death of a partner, grief
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Lilah Suzanne - Halfway Home 4/5
I absolutely loved this story about a woman who gets fired and dumped on the same day, but then finds a stray dog and falls in love with a woman working at the shelter. There was a lot of character development, and I really liked the romance.
Rep: f/f romance
CWs: dog bite, blood
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Lynn Charles - Shelved 3/5
I liked this story well enough, but at the same time, I had a hard time really getting into it. I liked the storyline but the writing style didn't really work for me.
Rep: lesbian MC, m/m romance
CWs: homophobia, biphobia
This is sort of a sequel to a full-length novel, and I definitely think it'll be more fun to read if you've read the novel first. I did miss quite a lot of context. But overall, I did enjoy it. It was a very loveable story with a very loveable message.
Rep: m/m romance
CWs: mention of homophobia, past death of a grandparent, past death of a parent, nightmare involving fire
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Pene Henson - True North 2/5
This felt so disjointed and hard to follow. There were so many infodumps where the main character would tell her best friend everything about her life. Which felt forced, because wouldn't the best friend know all of that already? There was also the issue that I shipped the MC with her best friend instead of with the love interest, because the romance was very rushed.
Rep: black lesbian MC, bisexual love interest, black side character
CWs: racism, homophobia
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Erin Finnegan - Last Call at the Casa Blanca Bar & Grille 4/5
I really enjoyed this story about a local politician who learns to move on after having lost his boyfriend in an accident the Christmas before. The writing didn't always work for me, but I did like the emotional depth.
CWs: past death of a partner, grief
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Lilah Suzanne - Halfway Home 4/5
I absolutely loved this story about a woman who gets fired and dumped on the same day, but then finds a stray dog and falls in love with a woman working at the shelter. There was a lot of character development, and I really liked the romance.
Rep: f/f romance
CWs: dog bite, blood
-
Lynn Charles - Shelved 3/5
I liked this story well enough, but at the same time, I had a hard time really getting into it. I liked the storyline but the writing style didn't really work for me.
Rep: lesbian MC, m/m romance
CWs: homophobia, biphobia
February 14, 2020
Gracious Living Magazine Says It Must Be a Live Tree by Killian B. Brewer
Rating: 2.5 stars
Representation: gay main character; gay side character
"Gracious Living Magazine Says It Must Be a Live Tree" is about a man named Marcus, who is determined to have a wonderful, perfect Christmas. He never had one as a kid, and now that he lives in a place he likes and has a boyfriend he loves, he's ready to have it all - Christmas decorations galore and all. As you can imagine, things do not go according to plan.
I think my main gripe with this story was that it's basically a continuation of Brewer's book Lunch With the Do-Nothings at the Tammy Dinette. Because of that, I always felt like I was missing something, like I had accidentally picked up the second or third book in a series instead of the first. Sure, the characters are all really fleshed-out, but at the same time, they talk about things that are just confusing if you haven't read "Lunch with the Do-Nothings at the Tammy Dinette". There are so many characters that Brewer seems to expect you to just know. To me personally, the story didn't feel like a great choice to put in an anthology. At all.
Aside from that problem, I also wasn't a fan of the story in general? I really liked the beginning of it and being introduced to the Do-Nothings (a group of old ladies that Marcus apparently befriended in "Lunch with the Do-Nothings at the Tammy Dinette"), but there's a certain scene that somehow changes the tone of the story. It's a dream sequence, except you don't realise that until way too late. I don't mind dream sequences, but at first, there's absolutely no indication that it is a dream, and it goes on for so long that even after I started suspecting it, it still felt way too real for me to be 100% sure. And for some reason, Marcus suddenly acts completely different than before? From that moment on, the story felt less "cute" to me and more "confusing and awkward".
Lastly, I also wasn't the biggest fan of the writing style. The dialogues sometimes seem very unrealistic, and the characters use words that I'm not entirely sure anyone would ever use (I say this as a non-English native speaker who doesn't live in the US, so take that with a grain of salt). So, unfortunately, this story wasn't for me. The anthology wasn't off to a great start.
True North by Pene Henson
Rating: 4 stars
Representation: lesbian, Black main character; bisexual side character; Black side characters
The second story is about a professional basketball player named Shay who hasn't been at the top of her game lately. She has fifteen days of winter break now and decides to spend a few of them home in Montana with her family. When she's there, she meets her old high school crush, Milla, and feelings emerge again.
It was definitely a cute story! It didn't focus too much on the sport, which I was glad about, since I know next to nothing about it (I can play basketball, but ask me about the rules or use specific terminology and I'm lost). At the same time, Shay being a basketball player and her worrying about not being good anymore isn't shoved in the background. And there are some scenes on the basketball court. It's a nice middle ground.
Shay invites her best friend, Devon, to come home with her, and her family mistakenly thinks that she's her girlfriend. It's kind of like a "fake dating" trope, except that at no moment in time does Shay ever think she's secretly in love with Devon. It does make for some amusing scenes, though.
The love story was definitely very, very sweet! Shay and Milla have known each other for ages and were kind-of-friends in high school, so there's no instalove. It's more a best friends-to-lovers, except they weren't that chummy in high school and Shay doesn't visit her hometown all too much. I also liked that neither of the women gives up her dream for the other one (they have this problem of Milla loving their small town and Shay feeling out of place there).
I also loved the scenery. The way Henson describes Montana and this small town gives it a magical, winter-y touch. But maybe I just really wanted some snow.
Overall, the story was cute and fluffy (with a few serious moments sprinkled here and there), but it wasn't much more, so it's more of a 4- than 5-star read for me.
Last Call at the Casa Blanca Bar & Grille by Erin Finnegan
Rating: : 3.5 stars
Rep: Latinx, gay main character
I am a bit conflicted about this story, ngl. It's the only one that's more on the sad than the cute and romantic side. It's about a man named Jake, who, on Christmas, goes to a bar he used to frequent, and has a heart to heart with the bartender about the man he used to love and still misses terribly.
Overall, the story wasn't inherently bad. But it is a sad story with no happy ending - or rather, not a romantic happy ending; technically, there is one, but it didn't really take away all the sadness I had been feeling, so for a holiday anthology, I got too depressed reading it.
There is also a plot twist that's a tad bit too predictable, especially for a Christmas story (what is is about Christmas and that they always seem to go hand in hand?), and it bothered me too much.
So while I did like the characters, the writing, and there's nothing extremely wrong with having a more depressed story, it doesn't really fit well into the anthology itself. All the other stories are more on the fluffy side, have a bigger focus on Christmas miracles as opposed to Christmas , and while Finnegan certainly wasn't in the wrong to tell a story about someone who struggles on Christmas, it stands out pretty awkwardly next to the other four stories.
Halfway Home by Lilah Suzanne
Rating: 4.75 stars
Representation: lesbian main character; lesbian side character
The last two stories in the anthology were definitely my favourites!
"Halfway Home" is about a girl named Avery, who almost runs over a dog one day and decides to bring him to a shelter. There, she meets a girl, Grace, who she's immediately entranced by. Because the dog is aggressive and only calms down in Avery's presence, Grace asks if she could come by regularly to help him get better. Much more is at stake, though, since the shelter is in danger of closing down. And what would happen to Rudy, the dog, if Avery couldn't save the shelter? And how is she supposed to deal with this crush?
I absolutely fucking adored this story. SO MUCH. We've got a lesbian who's like, the opposite of chill. We've got Christmas miracles, including freaking Santa Claus. The characters are all amazing and add something to the story, no matter how big or small they are. Avery was very relatable, not only because she is a disaster gay. Grace is absolutely adorable and would definitely be the kind of girl I'd be crushing on (and ngl, I would definitely act like Avery around her; honestly, how sapphic girls even manage to get into any relationship is beyond me). I even liked reading about Avery's relationship with the dog (or dogs), even though I'm more of a cat person myself.
Honestly, this story just screamed holidays. If it were a movie, it would totally be one of those cheesy Christmas movies that are so corny they make you cringe, except way better because it's gay. I can't really explain why I didn't give it 5 stars; it just didn't quite feel like one.
Shelved by Lynn Charles
Rating: 4.75 stars
Representation: lesbian main character; bisexual side character; gay, Black side character
Just like "Halfway Home", this is another really cute story. It also feels very Christmas-y, though a little bit less than the other one. It's about a girl named Karina, who works in a library. One day, she meets a man, Wes, who's trying to write his résumé on his laptop and utterly fails because technology. After that, they kind of become friends. One day, Karina suddenly has the genius idea to try and set Wes up with her uncle, Tony. I think she gets the idea because she knows both of them like men and had the same favourite book as children. While trying to get them together, she also struggles with her relationship with her dad (because he's an asshole) and crushes on a girl named Hailey, who works at a Christmas tree farm.
The story is basically just pure fluff. There are some serious moments - for example, Tony's wife wanted a divorce when he came out to her as bi, Karina's father is an asshole, and Wes talks a lot about just needing a job to keep afloat vs. what he actually wants to do, which is writing -, but mostly, it's a cute story about love and friendship and family. And books. So many books! One of Karina's strategies to get her uncle and her new friend together was by constantly giving them books that she feels might help them figure certain things out, and it was very, very pure.
_____________________________________
I really, thoroughly enjoyed this anthology. I do find it weird to call it an anthology, since it's only five stories and I'm usually used to more than that. It's also not extremely diverse in terms of identities? All the stories are about gay men, lesbians, and bisexual people. Again, it's only five stories, so idk what exactly I was supposed to expect, but I do feel I can't really call it an "LGBTQ anthology", since really, it's only the first three letters that get represented.
I do appreciate, though, that many of the stories are about queer people of colour, even if I do have to mention that the authors themselves don't seem too diverse? I don't want to say they're all white, since I can't find all too many information about them personally and don't want to misinform you. But from what I've seen from pictures, at least, none of them are Black. Which seems a bit problematic, especially since "True North" by Pene Henson talks a lot about racism and being the only Black person in a small town in Montana. Personally, I did like the representation, but I'm white, so honestly, my opinion is basically null and void.
Overall, the anthology was cute and definitely got me in the holiday spirit (even if I did only finish it yesterday, after Christmas), especially the last two stories, but it wasn't as amazing - or even diverse - as I had hoped.
Rating: 2.5 stars
Representation: gay main character; gay side character
"Gracious Living Magazine Says It Must Be a Live Tree" is about a man named Marcus, who is determined to have a wonderful, perfect Christmas. He never had one as a kid, and now that he lives in a place he likes and has a boyfriend he loves, he's ready to have it all - Christmas decorations galore and all. As you can imagine, things do not go according to plan.
I think my main gripe with this story was that it's basically a continuation of Brewer's book Lunch With the Do-Nothings at the Tammy Dinette. Because of that, I always felt like I was missing something, like I had accidentally picked up the second or third book in a series instead of the first. Sure, the characters are all really fleshed-out, but at the same time, they talk about things that are just confusing if you haven't read "Lunch with the Do-Nothings at the Tammy Dinette". There are so many characters that Brewer seems to expect you to just know. To me personally, the story didn't feel like a great choice to put in an anthology. At all.
Aside from that problem, I also wasn't a fan of the story in general? I really liked the beginning of it and being introduced to the Do-Nothings (a group of old ladies that Marcus apparently befriended in "Lunch with the Do-Nothings at the Tammy Dinette"), but there's a certain scene that somehow changes the tone of the story. It's a dream sequence, except you don't realise that until way too late. I don't mind dream sequences, but at first, there's absolutely no indication that it is a dream, and it goes on for so long that even after I started suspecting it, it still felt way too real for me to be 100% sure. And for some reason, Marcus suddenly acts completely different than before? From that moment on, the story felt less "cute" to me and more "confusing and awkward".
Lastly, I also wasn't the biggest fan of the writing style. The dialogues sometimes seem very unrealistic, and the characters use words that I'm not entirely sure anyone would ever use (I say this as a non-English native speaker who doesn't live in the US, so take that with a grain of salt). So, unfortunately, this story wasn't for me. The anthology wasn't off to a great start.
True North by Pene Henson
Rating: 4 stars
Representation: lesbian, Black main character; bisexual side character; Black side characters
The second story is about a professional basketball player named Shay who hasn't been at the top of her game lately. She has fifteen days of winter break now and decides to spend a few of them home in Montana with her family. When she's there, she meets her old high school crush, Milla, and feelings emerge again.
It was definitely a cute story! It didn't focus too much on the sport, which I was glad about, since I know next to nothing about it (I can play basketball, but ask me about the rules or use specific terminology and I'm lost). At the same time, Shay being a basketball player and her worrying about not being good anymore isn't shoved in the background. And there are some scenes on the basketball court. It's a nice middle ground.
Shay invites her best friend, Devon, to come home with her, and her family mistakenly thinks that she's her girlfriend. It's kind of like a "fake dating" trope, except that at no moment in time does Shay ever think she's secretly in love with Devon. It does make for some amusing scenes, though.
The love story was definitely very, very sweet! Shay and Milla have known each other for ages and were kind-of-friends in high school, so there's no instalove. It's more a best friends-to-lovers, except they weren't that chummy in high school and Shay doesn't visit her hometown all too much. I also liked that neither of the women gives up her dream for the other one (they have this problem of Milla loving their small town and Shay feeling out of place there).
I also loved the scenery. The way Henson describes Montana and this small town gives it a magical, winter-y touch. But maybe I just really wanted some snow.
Overall, the story was cute and fluffy (with a few serious moments sprinkled here and there), but it wasn't much more, so it's more of a 4- than 5-star read for me.
Last Call at the Casa Blanca Bar & Grille by Erin Finnegan
Rating: : 3.5 stars
Rep: Latinx, gay main character
I am a bit conflicted about this story, ngl. It's the only one that's more on the sad than the cute and romantic side. It's about a man named Jake, who, on Christmas, goes to a bar he used to frequent, and has a heart to heart with the bartender about the man he used to love and still misses terribly.
Overall, the story wasn't inherently bad. But it is a sad story with no happy ending - or rather, not a romantic happy ending; technically, there is one, but it didn't really take away all the sadness I had been feeling, so for a holiday anthology, I got too depressed reading it.
There is also a plot twist that's a tad bit too predictable, especially for a Christmas story (what is is about Christmas and that they always seem to go hand in hand?), and it bothered me too much.
So while I did like the characters, the writing, and there's nothing extremely wrong with having a more depressed story, it doesn't really fit well into the anthology itself. All the other stories are more on the fluffy side, have a bigger focus on Christmas miracles as opposed to Christmas , and while Finnegan certainly wasn't in the wrong to tell a story about someone who struggles on Christmas, it stands out pretty awkwardly next to the other four stories.
Halfway Home by Lilah Suzanne
Rating: 4.75 stars
Representation: lesbian main character; lesbian side character
The last two stories in the anthology were definitely my favourites!
"Halfway Home" is about a girl named Avery, who almost runs over a dog one day and decides to bring him to a shelter. There, she meets a girl, Grace, who she's immediately entranced by. Because the dog is aggressive and only calms down in Avery's presence, Grace asks if she could come by regularly to help him get better. Much more is at stake, though, since the shelter is in danger of closing down. And what would happen to Rudy, the dog, if Avery couldn't save the shelter? And how is she supposed to deal with this crush?
I absolutely fucking adored this story. SO MUCH. We've got a lesbian who's like, the opposite of chill. We've got Christmas miracles, including freaking Santa Claus. The characters are all amazing and add something to the story, no matter how big or small they are. Avery was very relatable, not only because she is a disaster gay. Grace is absolutely adorable and would definitely be the kind of girl I'd be crushing on (and ngl, I would definitely act like Avery around her; honestly, how sapphic girls even manage to get into any relationship is beyond me). I even liked reading about Avery's relationship with the dog (or dogs), even though I'm more of a cat person myself.
Honestly, this story just screamed holidays. If it were a movie, it would totally be one of those cheesy Christmas movies that are so corny they make you cringe, except way better because it's gay. I can't really explain why I didn't give it 5 stars; it just didn't quite feel like one.
Shelved by Lynn Charles
Rating: 4.75 stars
Representation: lesbian main character; bisexual side character; gay, Black side character
Just like "Halfway Home", this is another really cute story. It also feels very Christmas-y, though a little bit less than the other one. It's about a girl named Karina, who works in a library. One day, she meets a man, Wes, who's trying to write his résumé on his laptop and utterly fails because technology. After that, they kind of become friends. One day, Karina suddenly has the genius idea to try and set Wes up with her uncle, Tony. I think she gets the idea because she knows both of them like men and had the same favourite book as children. While trying to get them together, she also struggles with her relationship with her dad (because he's an asshole) and crushes on a girl named Hailey, who works at a Christmas tree farm.
The story is basically just pure fluff. There are some serious moments - for example, Tony's wife wanted a divorce when he came out to her as bi, Karina's father is an asshole, and Wes talks a lot about just needing a job to keep afloat vs. what he actually wants to do, which is writing -, but mostly, it's a cute story about love and friendship and family. And books. So many books! One of Karina's strategies to get her uncle and her new friend together was by constantly giving them books that she feels might help them figure certain things out, and it was very, very pure.
_____________________________________
I really, thoroughly enjoyed this anthology. I do find it weird to call it an anthology, since it's only five stories and I'm usually used to more than that. It's also not extremely diverse in terms of identities? All the stories are about gay men, lesbians, and bisexual people. Again, it's only five stories, so idk what exactly I was supposed to expect, but I do feel I can't really call it an "LGBTQ anthology", since really, it's only the first three letters that get represented.
I do appreciate, though, that many of the stories are about queer people of colour, even if I do have to mention that the authors themselves don't seem too diverse? I don't want to say they're all white, since I can't find all too many information about them personally and don't want to misinform you. But from what I've seen from pictures, at least, none of them are Black. Which seems a bit problematic, especially since "True North" by Pene Henson talks a lot about racism and being the only Black person in a small town in Montana. Personally, I did like the representation, but I'm white, so honestly, my opinion is basically null and void.
Overall, the anthology was cute and definitely got me in the holiday spirit (even if I did only finish it yesterday, after Christmas), especially the last two stories, but it wasn't as amazing - or even diverse - as I had hoped.
December 8, 2017
Overall rating - 4 stars!
Every year I look forward to holiday stories. Christmas, Hanukkah, winter solstice ... the particulars don't matter because it's the spirit of the season that warms my heart. The sense of hope and love and joy always leaves a smile on my face and reminds why this is such a special time of year. When those stories are full of diverse characters, plots that are unique, and settings I've not read a million times before it's even better. I knew the If the Fates Allow anthology from Interlude Press would be excellent and I'm so happy to say I wasn't wrong.
I'm not going to review each story individually because as a whole, the entire thing is wonderful. Each story is unique, each one brings something different. Whether it's the humor and nostalgia in Gracious Living Says It Has to Be a Live Tree (some title, huh?!) by Killian B. Brewer or tons of heart and feel good vibes in True North by Pene Henson, you'll find something to connect to in each story. Perhaps you like your holiday stories with a bit of a magic to them, the kind with that sense of something bigger going on? If so, you're definitely going to enjoy Last Call at the Casa Blanca Bar & Grille by Erin Finnegan. This one will definitely hit your feels and leave you with that warm, fuzzy feeling that sticks with you for a long time. If you're like me, you are a sucker for those stories where people find love in the most expected places. If that kind of thing pushes your buttons, you'll for sure want to check out Shelved by Lynn Charles. This one was all kinds of sweet and romantic. And then there's Halfway Home by Lilah Suzanne where a scraggly dog without a home helps Avery find out there's more to life than just going through the motions.
Truly you guys, this anthology is one great story after another. They're each unique in a wonderful way and will leave you feeling like you just had a cup of yummy hot cocoa, snuggled under your favorite blanket while sitting in front of the fire. These stories will put you in the Christmas mood for sure. Be sure to check them out and be prepared to revel in the holiday spirit!
*this review will also be posted on www.diversereader.blogspot.com*
Every year I look forward to holiday stories. Christmas, Hanukkah, winter solstice ... the particulars don't matter because it's the spirit of the season that warms my heart. The sense of hope and love and joy always leaves a smile on my face and reminds why this is such a special time of year. When those stories are full of diverse characters, plots that are unique, and settings I've not read a million times before it's even better. I knew the If the Fates Allow anthology from Interlude Press would be excellent and I'm so happy to say I wasn't wrong.
I'm not going to review each story individually because as a whole, the entire thing is wonderful. Each story is unique, each one brings something different. Whether it's the humor and nostalgia in Gracious Living Says It Has to Be a Live Tree (some title, huh?!) by Killian B. Brewer or tons of heart and feel good vibes in True North by Pene Henson, you'll find something to connect to in each story. Perhaps you like your holiday stories with a bit of a magic to them, the kind with that sense of something bigger going on? If so, you're definitely going to enjoy Last Call at the Casa Blanca Bar & Grille by Erin Finnegan. This one will definitely hit your feels and leave you with that warm, fuzzy feeling that sticks with you for a long time. If you're like me, you are a sucker for those stories where people find love in the most expected places. If that kind of thing pushes your buttons, you'll for sure want to check out Shelved by Lynn Charles. This one was all kinds of sweet and romantic. And then there's Halfway Home by Lilah Suzanne where a scraggly dog without a home helps Avery find out there's more to life than just going through the motions.
Truly you guys, this anthology is one great story after another. They're each unique in a wonderful way and will leave you feeling like you just had a cup of yummy hot cocoa, snuggled under your favorite blanket while sitting in front of the fire. These stories will put you in the Christmas mood for sure. Be sure to check them out and be prepared to revel in the holiday spirit!
*this review will also be posted on www.diversereader.blogspot.com*
November 30, 2017
This is a collection of five LGBTQ+ short stories based around the Christmas season. I felt I could do with a bit of diversity in my reading and I actually really enjoyed this collection. They are feel-good stories perfect for this time of year.
I decided against reviewing each individual story, as I feel as a collection they are stronger than alone. All these stories are about new starts and falling in love and all are so romantic! Halfway Home was my favourite of the stories, but all were well written, heartwarming and smile-inducing. The accumulated collection of this hope and love is what makes this such a strong bunch of short stories.
If you like Christmas and love, this is the short story collection for you!
I decided against reviewing each individual story, as I feel as a collection they are stronger than alone. All these stories are about new starts and falling in love and all are so romantic! Halfway Home was my favourite of the stories, but all were well written, heartwarming and smile-inducing. The accumulated collection of this hope and love is what makes this such a strong bunch of short stories.
If you like Christmas and love, this is the short story collection for you!
November 28, 2017
Lovely Christmassy diverse short story collection, some genuine 'awww' moments. I read this quickly and enjoyed all of the stories but this quote probably made 900 History my favourite: " He never understood that librarians were heroes. They listened and never judged...They helped her believe, in spite of her father's awfulness. there was nothing she couldn't do' - yes!!! Great to dip in and out of, and certainly helped me to get in the mood for the festive season.
March 5, 2018
*~~*ARC kindly provided by the author to me in exchange for an honest review *~~*
Winter is finally over here (in Germany) but with the cold days we had, let us recap this winterly holiday themed anthology published by Interlude Press and with a bunch of amazing talented writers. <3
I loved each unique story, some more, some less but overall the anthology gave a pleasant winterly feeling, totally fitting but honestly it can be read easily on hot summer nights too. ;D
The different representations were great, we had stories with M/M couples, F/F, from YA-ish stories with funny aspects tovery serious, almost bittersweet & sad ones.
The first story, Gracious Living Magazine Says It Must a Live Tree by Killian B. Brewer was honestly my most anticipated story. It's a sequel short story with the established couple of Lunch With the Do-Nothings at the Tammy Dinette which I adore most utterly. :3 It was funny, sometimes crazy as hell but always cheerful and sweet, pretty much the most Christmas-y story in the whole novella. Marcus is on the run in the book and you have to sometimes stop reading because of the tears you have because of the laughter. ;D It's really good Hank is well-aware of the sometimes over-the-top enthusiasm of his lover. :D
A debut read for me was Pene Henson's True North, a charming sports F/F story with a pretty young but adult cast. I loved the sports topic, women's professional basketball league, and how the author delivered the "problem" in having the old crush around. The story was honestly too short because the two women are too adorable. For me the story was a perfect way to see how I liked the author's writing and with one of the two F/F stories it's a perfect addition to the whole collection. :)
One of the saddest stories was Last Call at the Casa Blanca Bar & Grill by Erin Finnegan, and had a slighty paranormal touch (to be clear, there aren't shifters or anything like this, you get if when you read the story :)), where the lines of reality and imaginations were blurring. It was a story of loss and grief, bittersweet and tender, also pretty hopeful, with starting a new life, even when the times before look pretty dark. It was a story which lead you ponder a lot & I was astonished by the deeper meaning behind, at least I read it this way. It made me also curious about the author's writing. :)
Halfway Home by Lilah Suzanne was the second F/F story and had a charming, sweet but also heartclenching topic with rescuing an abandonned, lost dog. As an animal and particular dog lover this was a great story and I loved how this story was a great balance of melancholy and happy scenes, the character's uniqueness with coming along as lakcing of emotions and being accused as distand and cold by her ex-girlfriend and at work. With meeting Grace she opens up and for the first time in her life she feels different. I loved the very different display of the main character and it also let me think a lot about how people judge others based on the daily behaviour.
The last story in the anthology Shelves by Lynn Charles was after Killian B. Brewer's my second favorite. The library topic was amazing and the matchmaking, playing main character Karina is sweet in her efforts to help her uncle finding his love life. That fate is nice to her too and pushes Hailey, a charming young woman her way, is just the perfect Christmas gift. Truely adorable. <3
I was really engrossed in the anthology and some of the story were a bit sad, other super funny; all had in common they were so unique and amazing that I got a great insight of the author's writing and I can't wait to read more. I'd also don't mind see some of the heroes and heroines from the short stories. :)
Overall the book gets 5 out of 5 stars.
Review originally posted on my blog with added content Mikku-chan / A world full of words
Winter is finally over here (in Germany) but with the cold days we had, let us recap this winterly holiday themed anthology published by Interlude Press and with a bunch of amazing talented writers. <3
I loved each unique story, some more, some less but overall the anthology gave a pleasant winterly feeling, totally fitting but honestly it can be read easily on hot summer nights too. ;D
The different representations were great, we had stories with M/M couples, F/F, from YA-ish stories with funny aspects tovery serious, almost bittersweet & sad ones.
The first story, Gracious Living Magazine Says It Must a Live Tree by Killian B. Brewer was honestly my most anticipated story. It's a sequel short story with the established couple of Lunch With the Do-Nothings at the Tammy Dinette which I adore most utterly. :3 It was funny, sometimes crazy as hell but always cheerful and sweet, pretty much the most Christmas-y story in the whole novella. Marcus is on the run in the book and you have to sometimes stop reading because of the tears you have because of the laughter. ;D It's really good Hank is well-aware of the sometimes over-the-top enthusiasm of his lover. :D
A debut read for me was Pene Henson's True North, a charming sports F/F story with a pretty young but adult cast. I loved the sports topic, women's professional basketball league, and how the author delivered the "problem" in having the old crush around. The story was honestly too short because the two women are too adorable. For me the story was a perfect way to see how I liked the author's writing and with one of the two F/F stories it's a perfect addition to the whole collection. :)
One of the saddest stories was Last Call at the Casa Blanca Bar & Grill by Erin Finnegan, and had a slighty paranormal touch (to be clear, there aren't shifters or anything like this, you get if when you read the story :)), where the lines of reality and imaginations were blurring. It was a story of loss and grief, bittersweet and tender, also pretty hopeful, with starting a new life, even when the times before look pretty dark. It was a story which lead you ponder a lot & I was astonished by the deeper meaning behind, at least I read it this way. It made me also curious about the author's writing. :)
Halfway Home by Lilah Suzanne was the second F/F story and had a charming, sweet but also heartclenching topic with rescuing an abandonned, lost dog. As an animal and particular dog lover this was a great story and I loved how this story was a great balance of melancholy and happy scenes, the character's uniqueness with coming along as lakcing of emotions and being accused as distand and cold by her ex-girlfriend and at work. With meeting Grace she opens up and for the first time in her life she feels different. I loved the very different display of the main character and it also let me think a lot about how people judge others based on the daily behaviour.
The last story in the anthology Shelves by Lynn Charles was after Killian B. Brewer's my second favorite. The library topic was amazing and the matchmaking, playing main character Karina is sweet in her efforts to help her uncle finding his love life. That fate is nice to her too and pushes Hailey, a charming young woman her way, is just the perfect Christmas gift. Truely adorable. <3
I was really engrossed in the anthology and some of the story were a bit sad, other super funny; all had in common they were so unique and amazing that I got a great insight of the author's writing and I can't wait to read more. I'd also don't mind see some of the heroes and heroines from the short stories. :)
Overall the book gets 5 out of 5 stars.
Review originally posted on my blog with added content Mikku-chan / A world full of words
January 29, 2018
A review long overdue, but as they say, better late then pregnant. Disclaimer: I received this book from netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Yet another short story collection; different authors, same theme. If The Fates Allow covers five different holiday themed queer romance stories - the first four alternating between male and female couples, and the fifth going all the way with one of each (and an explicitly mentioned bi man at that). Like with all short story collections, not all were my cup of tea, but overall I really enjoyed the book.
Killian Brewer's "Gracious Living Magazine Says It Must Be a Live Tree." didn't really work for me, though might easily be a personal matter. Like Gracious Living, it felt almost glossy. It's quite strong on exposition quite early on, some of which are then repeated in later dialogue - something which really doesn't feel neccacary in such a short story. Overall it cute, I guess, but not really my thing.
Pene Henson's "True North" didn't go quite the way I first thought. It starts out introducing the main character going home for Christmas with her friend, only for the two of them to be mistaken for a couple, thoroughly supported, and given their own room - in short, it feels like a pretty basic 'fake dating' trope; until the narrative introduces an old crush, and everything changes.
Erin Finnegan's "Last Call at the Casa Blanca Bar & Grill" was the first story I found I really liked. It tells of Jack Volarde, political advicor to the mayor, during his first Christmas after his partner's death. I wouldn't place it in the noir genre, but the overall mood of the story definetly reminded me of dark lighting and strong contrasts, of main characters with far too many walls up, and of old fashioned bars. Good read, and whilst I might've waited for the twist, it still surprised me.
Lilah Suzanne 's "Halfway Home" tells of a young woman not quite at home in her life, and how she eventually finds home through a local dog shelter, a certain demon dog, and an adorable Dog Rescuer and Holiday Enthusiast.
Lynn Charles' "Shelved" was probably my favourite, and not only because I have a weak spot for libraries. The characters are all lovely (except for one certain father), and I found myself really enjoying their different personalities and interactions. It is the kind of story where, of course, everything goes just as planned, and works out just as the main character dreams they will, but honestly, it's a Christmas story, and they're allowed to be sappy at times.
It's a good collection, of varying stores, characters, and plots, but with an overall good holiday feel that feels like a good cup of cocoa and a nice warm blanket - 4/5 stars.
Yet another short story collection; different authors, same theme. If The Fates Allow covers five different holiday themed queer romance stories - the first four alternating between male and female couples, and the fifth going all the way with one of each (and an explicitly mentioned bi man at that). Like with all short story collections, not all were my cup of tea, but overall I really enjoyed the book.
Killian Brewer's "Gracious Living Magazine Says It Must Be a Live Tree." didn't really work for me, though might easily be a personal matter. Like Gracious Living, it felt almost glossy. It's quite strong on exposition quite early on, some of which are then repeated in later dialogue - something which really doesn't feel neccacary in such a short story. Overall it cute, I guess, but not really my thing.
Pene Henson's "True North" didn't go quite the way I first thought. It starts out introducing the main character going home for Christmas with her friend, only for the two of them to be mistaken for a couple, thoroughly supported, and given their own room - in short, it feels like a pretty basic 'fake dating' trope; until the narrative introduces an old crush, and everything changes.
Erin Finnegan's "Last Call at the Casa Blanca Bar & Grill" was the first story I found I really liked. It tells of Jack Volarde, political advicor to the mayor, during his first Christmas after his partner's death. I wouldn't place it in the noir genre, but the overall mood of the story definetly reminded me of dark lighting and strong contrasts, of main characters with far too many walls up, and of old fashioned bars. Good read, and whilst I might've waited for the twist, it still surprised me.
Lilah Suzanne 's "Halfway Home" tells of a young woman not quite at home in her life, and how she eventually finds home through a local dog shelter, a certain demon dog, and an adorable Dog Rescuer and Holiday Enthusiast.
Lynn Charles' "Shelved" was probably my favourite, and not only because I have a weak spot for libraries. The characters are all lovely (except for one certain father), and I found myself really enjoying their different personalities and interactions. It is the kind of story where, of course, everything goes just as planned, and works out just as the main character dreams they will, but honestly, it's a Christmas story, and they're allowed to be sappy at times.
It's a good collection, of varying stores, characters, and plots, but with an overall good holiday feel that feels like a good cup of cocoa and a nice warm blanket - 4/5 stars.
December 21, 2017
This is a wonderful holiday anthology with some great pieces and some weaker ones. Overall impression is very sweet, but the first story really drags it down. I really loved that the book was a mix of m/m and f/f stories.
Gracious Living Magazine Says It Has to Be a Live Tree by Killian B. Brewer
I honestly could barely make it through this story and only the fact that it's short made me power through it. I couldn't stand the Do-Nothings (I grew up around a large quantity of women like this and I'd rather jump into an active volcano than to deal with them again) and their completely unnecessary fatshaming jokes were grating. The whole plot made me uncomfortable, and as it descended into a frantic mess of expectations versus reality, I was very glad for it to be over.
True North by Pene Henson
This was a wonderful story that I enjoyed a lot. Shay was a very nice character and her dynamic with Milla was very sweet and even better was her friendship with her best friend Devon (who was hinted at to be asexual, which always makes me happy) and her relationship with her family. I was somewhat annoyed byt the unnecessary confusion over Devon supposedly being Shay's girlfriend, but I powered through that annoyance and got a very nice story.
Last Call at the Casa Blanca Bar & Grille by Erin Finnegan
Unfortunately, I couldn't get into this story much. I'm always quite interested in stories dealing with grief, but Jack as a character just didn't grip me at all. His flashbacks about his lost partner felt intrusive in the way they were inserted into the story and I ended up skipping most of them. I really enjoyed the twist, although it took me a while to realise what just happened, because I wasn't expecting anything magical.
Halfway Home by Lilah Suzanne
I loved this story so much. As someone who dealt with feeling absolutely nothing at all, I felt connected to Avery. Her and Grace's relationship was sweet and I found Avery's panicked blubbering whenever Grace was near absolutely adorable. I also loved Rudy the gremlin dog. I wouldn't mind this story to be longer.
Shelved by Lynn Charles
As always with anthologies, the last story was my favourite. I loved the premise of the story and all the characters involved. I love how Wes and Karina practically adopted each other. I loved how it showed the importance of libraries, especially for minorities in small communities. The relationship Karina had with her uncle (and later with Wes) was wonderful to see, especially given what her father was like. Karina's matchmaking was hilarious and I loved to see how much she cared. There were parts that should've been fleshed out and I genuinely would love for this story to be worked into a longer story. I'd be all over that.
Gracious Living Magazine Says It Has to Be a Live Tree by Killian B. Brewer
I honestly could barely make it through this story and only the fact that it's short made me power through it. I couldn't stand the Do-Nothings (I grew up around a large quantity of women like this and I'd rather jump into an active volcano than to deal with them again) and their completely unnecessary fatshaming jokes were grating. The whole plot made me uncomfortable, and as it descended into a frantic mess of expectations versus reality, I was very glad for it to be over.
True North by Pene Henson
This was a wonderful story that I enjoyed a lot. Shay was a very nice character and her dynamic with Milla was very sweet and even better was her friendship with her best friend Devon (who was hinted at to be asexual, which always makes me happy) and her relationship with her family. I was somewhat annoyed byt the unnecessary confusion over Devon supposedly being Shay's girlfriend, but I powered through that annoyance and got a very nice story.
Last Call at the Casa Blanca Bar & Grille by Erin Finnegan
Unfortunately, I couldn't get into this story much. I'm always quite interested in stories dealing with grief, but Jack as a character just didn't grip me at all. His flashbacks about his lost partner felt intrusive in the way they were inserted into the story and I ended up skipping most of them. I really enjoyed the twist, although it took me a while to realise what just happened, because I wasn't expecting anything magical.
Halfway Home by Lilah Suzanne
I loved this story so much. As someone who dealt with feeling absolutely nothing at all, I felt connected to Avery. Her and Grace's relationship was sweet and I found Avery's panicked blubbering whenever Grace was near absolutely adorable. I also loved Rudy the gremlin dog. I wouldn't mind this story to be longer.
Shelved by Lynn Charles
As always with anthologies, the last story was my favourite. I loved the premise of the story and all the characters involved. I love how Wes and Karina practically adopted each other. I loved how it showed the importance of libraries, especially for minorities in small communities. The relationship Karina had with her uncle (and later with Wes) was wonderful to see, especially given what her father was like. Karina's matchmaking was hilarious and I loved to see how much she cared. There were parts that should've been fleshed out and I genuinely would love for this story to be worked into a longer story. I'd be all over that.
December 7, 2017
This is a collection of stories tied together by the theme of the holidays. The stories are all LGBT, some with characters we’ve meet previously in other books, some with brand new characters.
Gracious Living Magazine Says It Must Be a Live Tree This is set in Tammy’s Dinette, the holiday story of Marcus and Hank. Marcus has always worked the holidays and this Thanksgiving is no exception. His mother always worked for the extra money so holidays don’t really mean a lot to him. But we get a visit from the Do-Nothings, who as usual are meddling and spouting secrets. I loved the misunderstanding and Hank’s efforts. “Because I do love you, Marcus… All of you. Happy you. Sad you. Sexy you. Even the nutjob you sitting beside me right now.” And isn’t that what we all want?
True North Shay and Devon play basketball together and Shay is losing her edge. A visit to her hometown in Montana is in order, where people mistake Devon as Shay’s girlfriend while Shay has to deal with her hometown crush, Milla. It was cute and sweet, with Shay trying to be a good daughter and balance some mistakes she made at her last visit. “Your mama wants her gay daughter to feel at home.” Shay has the parents we all should have.
Last Call at the Casa Blanca Bar and Grille - Jack works for the mayor of Los Angeles and he’s busy over the holidays. His family is worried about him and wants him to come home but he’s pretty adamant about staying. Instead, he heads to Casa Blanca, a bar he he has a history with. He meets the new bartender, Javi, and Javi listens to the story of Jack’s great love, Joey. Jack carries so much misplaced guilt about Joey. Joey is gone and Javi thinks maybe, “Have you considered that maybe you need a little nudge; that maybe it’s time to move on?” This is a melancholy story that ends with a bit of hope.
Halfway Home - A cute story of Avery, someone who isn’t able to give all of herself to anyone because they don’t really accept it. It takes a stray dog and a shelter volunteer to bring her out of herself.
Shelved - My absolute favorite of the anthology, mainly because we not only get to see Karina pining away for the “lumberjill” she met at a tree farm, but we see a niece’s best intentions and wishes for her beloved uncle. Karina has the worst father in the world, my how I wanted to slap that man, but Uncle Tony, he gets it. As does Karina’s new friend. Wes. “Your father gets no say in who you are or who you find happiness in. It was so sweet to see Karina try for happiness for her Uncle while trying not to make a Hailey mess. It was funny, sweet and adorable (dad notwithstanding).
Reviewed for Hearts On Fire Reviews
Gracious Living Magazine Says It Must Be a Live Tree This is set in Tammy’s Dinette, the holiday story of Marcus and Hank. Marcus has always worked the holidays and this Thanksgiving is no exception. His mother always worked for the extra money so holidays don’t really mean a lot to him. But we get a visit from the Do-Nothings, who as usual are meddling and spouting secrets. I loved the misunderstanding and Hank’s efforts. “Because I do love you, Marcus… All of you. Happy you. Sad you. Sexy you. Even the nutjob you sitting beside me right now.” And isn’t that what we all want?
True North Shay and Devon play basketball together and Shay is losing her edge. A visit to her hometown in Montana is in order, where people mistake Devon as Shay’s girlfriend while Shay has to deal with her hometown crush, Milla. It was cute and sweet, with Shay trying to be a good daughter and balance some mistakes she made at her last visit. “Your mama wants her gay daughter to feel at home.” Shay has the parents we all should have.
Last Call at the Casa Blanca Bar and Grille - Jack works for the mayor of Los Angeles and he’s busy over the holidays. His family is worried about him and wants him to come home but he’s pretty adamant about staying. Instead, he heads to Casa Blanca, a bar he he has a history with. He meets the new bartender, Javi, and Javi listens to the story of Jack’s great love, Joey. Jack carries so much misplaced guilt about Joey. Joey is gone and Javi thinks maybe, “Have you considered that maybe you need a little nudge; that maybe it’s time to move on?” This is a melancholy story that ends with a bit of hope.
Halfway Home - A cute story of Avery, someone who isn’t able to give all of herself to anyone because they don’t really accept it. It takes a stray dog and a shelter volunteer to bring her out of herself.
Shelved - My absolute favorite of the anthology, mainly because we not only get to see Karina pining away for the “lumberjill” she met at a tree farm, but we see a niece’s best intentions and wishes for her beloved uncle. Karina has the worst father in the world, my how I wanted to slap that man, but Uncle Tony, he gets it. As does Karina’s new friend. Wes. “Your father gets no say in who you are or who you find happiness in. It was so sweet to see Karina try for happiness for her Uncle while trying not to make a Hailey mess. It was funny, sweet and adorable (dad notwithstanding).
Reviewed for Hearts On Fire Reviews
November 23, 2017
Gracious Living Magazine Says It Has to Be a Live Tree
By Killian B. Brewer
Determined to make his first Christmas with his new boyfriend magazine-perfect, Marcus seeks the advice of lovable busy bodies, the Do-Nothings Club. When he learns that his boyfriend, Hank, may have ordered a ring, Marcus’ attempts to transform his home into a winter wonderland get out of hand.
Review
This is a quaint look at expectations and the definition of “real” and “happy”. Very sweet.
Shelved
By Lynn Charles
When library clerk Karina Ness meets a new patron, lonely business owner, Wesley Lloyd, she puts her own love life on hold and begins a holiday matchmaking mission to connect Wes with her uncle Tony.
Review
Cute and sweet story about finding a partner for her uncle.
Last Call at the Casa Blanca Bar & Grille
By Erin Finnegan
As the one-year anniversary of his lover’s death rolls around on Christmas, Jack Volarde finds himself at their old haunt—a bar called the Casa Blanca, where a new bartender helps him open up about loss, and see brightness in a future that had grown dim.
Review
Sweet and sentimental, a story about moving on from the loss of a loved one.
True North
By Pene Henson
Shay Allen returns to her hometown in Montana for the holidays with her best friend Devon with the intent to return home to L.A. by New Year’s Eve. Instead, the weather traps them in the small town, but the there’s a bright spot: her old crush Milla is still in town.
Review
Interesting look at a woman who aspires to be in the WNBA and has to deal with changing priorities – life, love and basketball.
Halfway Home
By Lilah Suzanne
Avery Puckett has begun to wonder if her life has become joyless. One night, fate intervenes in the form of a scraggly dog shivering and alone in a parking lot. Avery takes him to a nearby shelter called Halfway Home where she meets bright and beautiful Grace, who is determined to save the world one stray at a time.
Review
This was hard to get into as it was written in the first person present tense. The dog was very cute though!
Overall 3 of 5 stars
Christmas seems to be a time for sappiness and melancholy and that’s what you get in spades with this collection. None of these is particularly joyful but they all end with at least a spark of hope. “Gracious Living…” and “True North” were my favorites as they ended with the most happy endings and had some nice character development and felt a bit more complete.
If you’re in the mood for some Christmas sentimentality and aren’t afraid of a bit of melancholy – this is for you.
By Killian B. Brewer
Determined to make his first Christmas with his new boyfriend magazine-perfect, Marcus seeks the advice of lovable busy bodies, the Do-Nothings Club. When he learns that his boyfriend, Hank, may have ordered a ring, Marcus’ attempts to transform his home into a winter wonderland get out of hand.
Review
This is a quaint look at expectations and the definition of “real” and “happy”. Very sweet.
Shelved
By Lynn Charles
When library clerk Karina Ness meets a new patron, lonely business owner, Wesley Lloyd, she puts her own love life on hold and begins a holiday matchmaking mission to connect Wes with her uncle Tony.
Review
Cute and sweet story about finding a partner for her uncle.
Last Call at the Casa Blanca Bar & Grille
By Erin Finnegan
As the one-year anniversary of his lover’s death rolls around on Christmas, Jack Volarde finds himself at their old haunt—a bar called the Casa Blanca, where a new bartender helps him open up about loss, and see brightness in a future that had grown dim.
Review
Sweet and sentimental, a story about moving on from the loss of a loved one.
True North
By Pene Henson
Shay Allen returns to her hometown in Montana for the holidays with her best friend Devon with the intent to return home to L.A. by New Year’s Eve. Instead, the weather traps them in the small town, but the there’s a bright spot: her old crush Milla is still in town.
Review
Interesting look at a woman who aspires to be in the WNBA and has to deal with changing priorities – life, love and basketball.
Halfway Home
By Lilah Suzanne
Avery Puckett has begun to wonder if her life has become joyless. One night, fate intervenes in the form of a scraggly dog shivering and alone in a parking lot. Avery takes him to a nearby shelter called Halfway Home where she meets bright and beautiful Grace, who is determined to save the world one stray at a time.
Review
This was hard to get into as it was written in the first person present tense. The dog was very cute though!
Overall 3 of 5 stars
Christmas seems to be a time for sappiness and melancholy and that’s what you get in spades with this collection. None of these is particularly joyful but they all end with at least a spark of hope. “Gracious Living…” and “True North” were my favorites as they ended with the most happy endings and had some nice character development and felt a bit more complete.
If you’re in the mood for some Christmas sentimentality and aren’t afraid of a bit of melancholy – this is for you.
December 2, 2017
Gracious Living Magazine Says It Must Be a Live Tree
This is a very sweet story in which . It's adorable and definitely fits the in with the holiday spirit!! However, this novella is based off of the characters from Lunch With the Do-Nothings at the Tammy Dinette. I haven't read that book yet so it made the story a little difficult to feel a connection with as most of the character build up was done in the book. On the other hand, if you have read the book then you will absolutely love the insight into Marcus and Hank's lives!
True North
This is suchhhhh a cute story! Shay is a professional basketball player who is returning home to Montana for the first time in years. There she sees her long time crush Millie. I absolutely loved both of these characters! This was so cute and sweet! I'd really enjoy to read more about their relationship!
Last Call at the Casa Blanca Bar and Grille
In this novella we meet Jack who ends up alone at a bar on Christmas. This one is much different then the other novella's in this book. I reallllllly enjoyed it! Definitely continues the Christmasy theme!
Halfway Home
In this story Avery is used to feeling nothing and isn't really looking to change it. When he has a near accident with a dog, Avery brings the dog to a shelter. She meets Grace and begins to volunteer there. Avery learns that happiness can be found, with a little Christmas magic!
Shelved
This one was my favorite! We got to meet Karina, a future librarian who is feeling the love of the Christmas time! She is hooked on setting up her uncle and a library patron. Also, finding a little love for herself along the way. This one was sooo cute! I really enjoyed all the characters and felt like I got a real connection with them even in such a short story! Loved!
December 23, 2018
As ever, I'm struggling with rating something that's a collection of short stories. I rarely rate these books higher than a three star because there's always that one story that brings the rating down and sadly, that was the case with this book too. Still, this is a wholesome collection of LGBT themed romance holiday shorts, which I really enjoyed.
1. Gracious Living Magazine Says It Has To Be a Live Tree - ★★
This story very much requires you to have read a certain book before you read the short story; I hadn't read it, which really showed because the story felt fragmented and I honestly didn't really understand what was going on. I sort of question the decision to include a story such as this in a collection of short stories, but oh well. I guess I would have enjoyed this had I read that book before I read this story.
2. True North - ★★★★½
God, this one hit me hard. Black lesbians? In a small town for Christmas? There's sports involved, and beautiful love too? Second chance romance and rekindling an old crush? Just ship me off to the morgue, please. I LOVED this, the only complaint I had was that I wish this would have been turned into a full legth story.
3. Last Call At The Casa Blanca Bar and Grill - ★★
Honestly, this bored me slightly and I still don't get the ending fully. However, the writing was pretty and it did work well as a short story.
4. Halfway Home - ★★★★
Lesbians, and dogs? Right up my alley in every possible way! This was very cute and Aubrey is honesly me whenever I see a pretty girl. Honestly, this was so cute!
5. Shelved - ★★★
I reconize myself in Katarina's uslessness upon seeing pretty girls (are you seeing a pattern here?) and I really related to her; however, while I definitely am all for seeing older LGBT characters find love, I'd appreciated it if this story would have focused on Katarina and Hailey because their romance never got to grow into its full potential in my opinion.
1. Gracious Living Magazine Says It Has To Be a Live Tree - ★★
This story very much requires you to have read a certain book before you read the short story; I hadn't read it, which really showed because the story felt fragmented and I honestly didn't really understand what was going on. I sort of question the decision to include a story such as this in a collection of short stories, but oh well. I guess I would have enjoyed this had I read that book before I read this story.
2. True North - ★★★★½
God, this one hit me hard. Black lesbians? In a small town for Christmas? There's sports involved, and beautiful love too? Second chance romance and rekindling an old crush? Just ship me off to the morgue, please. I LOVED this, the only complaint I had was that I wish this would have been turned into a full legth story.
3. Last Call At The Casa Blanca Bar and Grill - ★★
Honestly, this bored me slightly and I still don't get the ending fully. However, the writing was pretty and it did work well as a short story.
4. Halfway Home - ★★★★
Lesbians, and dogs? Right up my alley in every possible way! This was very cute and Aubrey is honesly me whenever I see a pretty girl. Honestly, this was so cute!
5. Shelved - ★★★
I reconize myself in Katarina's uslessness upon seeing pretty girls (are you seeing a pattern here?) and I really related to her; however, while I definitely am all for seeing older LGBT characters find love, I'd appreciated it if this story would have focused on Katarina and Hailey because their romance never got to grow into its full potential in my opinion.
December 29, 2017
This is a charming collection of stories set at Christmas. There was an inventive spirit that imbued the stories with some of the magic of Christmas, without ever becoming too saccharine. The writers are all winning authors of LGBTQIA fiction at Interlude press, and the quality of writing is evident in the complexity of the characters, and the thoughtfulness of the stories.
I really enjoyed reading this clever anthology.
1. 4 stars. Gracious Living Magazine Says It must be a Live Tree, by Killian B. Brewer. A man comfortable with his lot spends Christmas Day working in a diner, feeding the homeless. This is a happy tale of friends, colleagues and a lover, seen through the eyes of a man happy in his skin.
2. 4 stars. True North, by Pene Henson. WNBA star coming home for Christmas to the small town she’d left behind, only to find the pull to her best friend in high school to be just as strong as the day she escaped into her career.
3. 5 stars. Last Call at the Casa Blanca Bar & Grill, by Erin Finnegan. Mayoral assistant wraps up work on Christmas day and manages to avoid the please of friends to socialise. The bar he used to frequent with his lover was open, and a new bartender gently guides him back to life. A heartfelt ode to quiet compassion.
4. 3 stars. Halfway Home by Lilah Suzanne. A woman afraid of life finds a stray dog, and takes him to the pound. This starts an adventure that entices her to re-engage with life. Well written, but it's hard to be interested in a character disengaged from life.
5. 4 stars. Shelved, by by Lynn Charles. A young librarian plays matchmaker for her beloved uncle via book recommendations to a new library customer, and along the way is matched herself. Charming tale of matchmaking and the matchmaker.
Advanced reading copy provided by NetGalley for an honest review.
I really enjoyed reading this clever anthology.
1. 4 stars. Gracious Living Magazine Says It must be a Live Tree, by Killian B. Brewer. A man comfortable with his lot spends Christmas Day working in a diner, feeding the homeless. This is a happy tale of friends, colleagues and a lover, seen through the eyes of a man happy in his skin.
2. 4 stars. True North, by Pene Henson. WNBA star coming home for Christmas to the small town she’d left behind, only to find the pull to her best friend in high school to be just as strong as the day she escaped into her career.
3. 5 stars. Last Call at the Casa Blanca Bar & Grill, by Erin Finnegan. Mayoral assistant wraps up work on Christmas day and manages to avoid the please of friends to socialise. The bar he used to frequent with his lover was open, and a new bartender gently guides him back to life. A heartfelt ode to quiet compassion.
4. 3 stars. Halfway Home by Lilah Suzanne. A woman afraid of life finds a stray dog, and takes him to the pound. This starts an adventure that entices her to re-engage with life. Well written, but it's hard to be interested in a character disengaged from life.
5. 4 stars. Shelved, by by Lynn Charles. A young librarian plays matchmaker for her beloved uncle via book recommendations to a new library customer, and along the way is matched herself. Charming tale of matchmaking and the matchmaker.
Advanced reading copy provided by NetGalley for an honest review.
September 20, 2017
A gorgeous mixture of fabulously festive Christmas stories. Written by five much loved authors.
It has to be a live tree by killian B brewer. Is a lovely romantic tale of Marcus and hank and their Christmas engagement. This is a very sweet tale and it was lovely and romantic.
Shelved by Lynn Charles tells us the story of Karina who works in the local library. When she meets Wesley an old pensioner who is lonely at Christmas and his Christmas wish is to find the love of his life. So Karina sets up a dating agency determined to get Wesley dating her uncle Tony. I really liked this story as it was very touching that Karina went out of her way to ensure that two people weren't lonely at Christmas.
Last call at the cassa Blanca bar and grill. By Erin finnegan is a fantastic story that will take you to the warmth of the cassa Blanca isles. On the anniversary of his partners death and Jack decides that this year he is going to go back to the place where it all began. Her he meets a bartender who helps Jack to open up and to love again.
True north by PENE Henson takes us to montanna where the snow is falling and the sense of Christmas cheer is high. This is a lovely Christmas book of past loves and new chances.
And halfway home is an adorable tale about Avery finds an abandoned dog and takes it home and falls in love not only with the dog but with Grace who is determined to help Avery look after the abandoned dog that she had found.
They are all very sweet and lovely Christmas stories, full of love, happiness and the Christmas spirit.
It has to be a live tree by killian B brewer. Is a lovely romantic tale of Marcus and hank and their Christmas engagement. This is a very sweet tale and it was lovely and romantic.
Shelved by Lynn Charles tells us the story of Karina who works in the local library. When she meets Wesley an old pensioner who is lonely at Christmas and his Christmas wish is to find the love of his life. So Karina sets up a dating agency determined to get Wesley dating her uncle Tony. I really liked this story as it was very touching that Karina went out of her way to ensure that two people weren't lonely at Christmas.
Last call at the cassa Blanca bar and grill. By Erin finnegan is a fantastic story that will take you to the warmth of the cassa Blanca isles. On the anniversary of his partners death and Jack decides that this year he is going to go back to the place where it all began. Her he meets a bartender who helps Jack to open up and to love again.
True north by PENE Henson takes us to montanna where the snow is falling and the sense of Christmas cheer is high. This is a lovely Christmas book of past loves and new chances.
And halfway home is an adorable tale about Avery finds an abandoned dog and takes it home and falls in love not only with the dog but with Grace who is determined to help Avery look after the abandoned dog that she had found.
They are all very sweet and lovely Christmas stories, full of love, happiness and the Christmas spirit.
January 1, 2018
New Release! I received a copy of this book from NetGalley for the purpose of review.
Premise: Five stories of love, hope, and forgiveness at the holidays.
Do you need some warm and fuzzy holiday cheer? Do you love love?
This new collection features five LGBTQ holiday romances that make your heart feel full of sugarplums. I smiled and sighed and giggled. It's seriously sweet, without being too sweet.
The first author, Killian Brewer, starts off strong with "Gracious Living Magazine Says It Must Be a Live Tree." Marcus wants his first Christmas with his boyfriend to be perfect, and his grandmother's friends are there to help.
"True North" by Pene Henson follows a WNBA star who goes home for the holidays with a friend, only to navigate her family's misguided assumptions and her high school crush.
Erin Finnegan brings us "Last Call at the Casa Blanca Bar & Grill," in which a young political adviser navigates the first holiday after his lover's accidental death.
"Halfway Home" is an adorable story about a woman who feels lost in life until she rescues a dog and meets an animal lover.
Finally, "Shelved" by Lynn Charles features a library student who interferes in her uncle's love life because she's too shy to pursue her own.
Each story is full of great characters and each is a perfect little tale. It's so rare for a compilation not to have at least one dud, but I enjoyed each story for different reasons. I can be cynical about both romance and the holidays, but I wholeheartedly recommend this book.
Premise: Five stories of love, hope, and forgiveness at the holidays.
Do you need some warm and fuzzy holiday cheer? Do you love love?
This new collection features five LGBTQ holiday romances that make your heart feel full of sugarplums. I smiled and sighed and giggled. It's seriously sweet, without being too sweet.
The first author, Killian Brewer, starts off strong with "Gracious Living Magazine Says It Must Be a Live Tree." Marcus wants his first Christmas with his boyfriend to be perfect, and his grandmother's friends are there to help.
"True North" by Pene Henson follows a WNBA star who goes home for the holidays with a friend, only to navigate her family's misguided assumptions and her high school crush.
Erin Finnegan brings us "Last Call at the Casa Blanca Bar & Grill," in which a young political adviser navigates the first holiday after his lover's accidental death.
"Halfway Home" is an adorable story about a woman who feels lost in life until she rescues a dog and meets an animal lover.
Finally, "Shelved" by Lynn Charles features a library student who interferes in her uncle's love life because she's too shy to pursue her own.
Each story is full of great characters and each is a perfect little tale. It's so rare for a compilation not to have at least one dud, but I enjoyed each story for different reasons. I can be cynical about both romance and the holidays, but I wholeheartedly recommend this book.
September 29, 2017
If the Fates Allow, edited by Annie Harper and contributed to by: Killian Brewer, Lynn Charles, Erin Finnegan, Pene Henson, and Lilah Suzanne is a collection of Christmas shorts. If you need something light-hearted, funny, and touching, this is a great collection of stories to read.
I enjoyed each of the stories included. Each of them had their own unique flair and they weren’t just retellings of the traditional Christmas stories we all know.
I loved being able to hear the southern drawl of the characters in Brewer’s piece, Gracious Living Magazine Says It Has to Be a Live Tree. I couldn’t get over how perfect the match making was done through books in Shelved by Lynn Charles. Erin Finnegan gave me hope and made me want to cuddle up next to my love. True North, was my absolute favorite and I wish there were more about the couple. Halfway Home, wasn’t my favorite but there were some funny parts to it. I mean, how could there not be funny parts with a dog like Rudy.
I definitely would recommend this to others and I have found some new authors to check out.
I received a ARC of this book by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I enjoyed each of the stories included. Each of them had their own unique flair and they weren’t just retellings of the traditional Christmas stories we all know.
I loved being able to hear the southern drawl of the characters in Brewer’s piece, Gracious Living Magazine Says It Has to Be a Live Tree. I couldn’t get over how perfect the match making was done through books in Shelved by Lynn Charles. Erin Finnegan gave me hope and made me want to cuddle up next to my love. True North, was my absolute favorite and I wish there were more about the couple. Halfway Home, wasn’t my favorite but there were some funny parts to it. I mean, how could there not be funny parts with a dog like Rudy.
I definitely would recommend this to others and I have found some new authors to check out.
I received a ARC of this book by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
November 20, 2018
Generally charming! True North had a sports star returning home and realizing she still liked her high school crush but everyone thinks she's dating her bff, Last Call was a sweet little Christmas story about moving on after a loved one's death, Halfway Home had a grumpy woman finding love with an abandoned dog and the women who runs the animal shelter, and Shelved featured a library clerk who wants to set up her uncle with her favorite (male) patron while also hopelessly dreaming of the cute girl who sells Christmas trees. Happiness and romance ensues for most. I won't lie, Hayley the Christmas tree girl was pretty swoon worthy. And I really really want to go to library patron Wes's yoga class, with jazz music and all.
October 1, 2025
This book was enjoyable to read, and I really loved a couple of the stories. I did find it a bit lacking in some areas, though. The first issue is that, though it is advertised as an LGBTQ+ holiday anthology, it really only represents gay and lesbian characters. All five stories are rather similar - sort of like watching five hallmark movies. All the stories were about Christmas, too, so it wasn't particularly culturally diverse, either. I also found the first story a little sexist. It was an entertaining and delightful read, I just think that, for an LGBTQ+ set of stories, it should have had more diversity!
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