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He's Come Undone: A Romance Anthology
For him, control is everything...until it shatters, and now he's come undone.
"Appasionata" by Emma Barry
Piano technician Brennan Connelly lives to control details: the tension on a piano string or the compression of hammer felt. But he's never faced demands like those heaped on him by Kristy Kwong, the diva who's haunted his dreams for two decades. Kristy's got her own secrets--the debilitating stage fright that's kept her from performing publicly for years to start--and this concert is the last chance to save her career. But can he locate her lost passion without losing his precious control?
"Unraveled" by Olivia Dade
Math teacher Simon Burnham--cool, calm, controlled--can't abide problems with no good solution. Which makes his current work assignment, mentoring art teacher Poppy Wick, nothing short of torture. She's warm but sharp. Chaotic but meticulous. Simultaneously the most frustrating and most alluring woman he's ever known. And in her free time, she makes murder dioramas. Murder dioramas, for heaven's sake. But the more tightly wound a man is, the faster he unravels--and despite his best efforts, he soon finds himself attempting to solve three separate mysteries: a murder in miniature, the unexplained disappearance of a colleague...and the unexpected theft of his cold, cold heart.
"Caught Looking" by Adriana Herrera
When best friends Yariel and Hatuey's gaming night turns into an unexpected and intense hook up, Hatuey can't wait to do it again. Yariel is less certain--the major leaguer might seem to all the world like he has a heart of stone, but he's been carrying a torch for his friend for years, and worries this will ruin the most important relationship in his life. That means Hatuey has to do all the work, and he's planning to give it all he's got. Yariel may be the one hitting home runs on the field...but Hatuey is playing a game of seduction, and he knows exactly how to make Yariel crumble.
"Yes, And..." by Ruby Lang
When rheumatologist Darren Zhang accidentally sits in on acting teacher Joan Lacy's improv class, he's unprepared for the attraction that hits him--and he's a man who likes to be prepared. Joan is caring for her ailing mother and barely has time to keep up her art, let alone date. But as the pair play out an unlikely relationship during stolen moments, they both find themselves wanting to say yes, and... much more.
"Tommy Cabot Was Here" by Cat Sebastian
Massachusetts, 1959: Some people might accuse mathematician Everett Sloane of being stuffy, but really he just prefers things a certain way: predictable, quiet, and far away from Tommy Cabot--his former best friend, chaos incarnate, and the man who broke his heart. The youngest son of a prominent political family, Tommy threw away his future by coming out to his powerful brothers. When he runs into Everett, who fifteen years ago walked away from Tommy without an explanation or a backward glance, his old friend's chilliness is just another reminder of how bad a mess Tommy has made of his life. When Everett realizes that his polite formality is hurting Tommy, he needs to decide whether he can unbend enough to let Tommy get close but without letting himself get hurt the way he was all those years ago.
"Appasionata" by Emma Barry
Piano technician Brennan Connelly lives to control details: the tension on a piano string or the compression of hammer felt. But he's never faced demands like those heaped on him by Kristy Kwong, the diva who's haunted his dreams for two decades. Kristy's got her own secrets--the debilitating stage fright that's kept her from performing publicly for years to start--and this concert is the last chance to save her career. But can he locate her lost passion without losing his precious control?
"Unraveled" by Olivia Dade
Math teacher Simon Burnham--cool, calm, controlled--can't abide problems with no good solution. Which makes his current work assignment, mentoring art teacher Poppy Wick, nothing short of torture. She's warm but sharp. Chaotic but meticulous. Simultaneously the most frustrating and most alluring woman he's ever known. And in her free time, she makes murder dioramas. Murder dioramas, for heaven's sake. But the more tightly wound a man is, the faster he unravels--and despite his best efforts, he soon finds himself attempting to solve three separate mysteries: a murder in miniature, the unexplained disappearance of a colleague...and the unexpected theft of his cold, cold heart.
"Caught Looking" by Adriana Herrera
When best friends Yariel and Hatuey's gaming night turns into an unexpected and intense hook up, Hatuey can't wait to do it again. Yariel is less certain--the major leaguer might seem to all the world like he has a heart of stone, but he's been carrying a torch for his friend for years, and worries this will ruin the most important relationship in his life. That means Hatuey has to do all the work, and he's planning to give it all he's got. Yariel may be the one hitting home runs on the field...but Hatuey is playing a game of seduction, and he knows exactly how to make Yariel crumble.
"Yes, And..." by Ruby Lang
When rheumatologist Darren Zhang accidentally sits in on acting teacher Joan Lacy's improv class, he's unprepared for the attraction that hits him--and he's a man who likes to be prepared. Joan is caring for her ailing mother and barely has time to keep up her art, let alone date. But as the pair play out an unlikely relationship during stolen moments, they both find themselves wanting to say yes, and... much more.
"Tommy Cabot Was Here" by Cat Sebastian
Massachusetts, 1959: Some people might accuse mathematician Everett Sloane of being stuffy, but really he just prefers things a certain way: predictable, quiet, and far away from Tommy Cabot--his former best friend, chaos incarnate, and the man who broke his heart. The youngest son of a prominent political family, Tommy threw away his future by coming out to his powerful brothers. When he runs into Everett, who fifteen years ago walked away from Tommy without an explanation or a backward glance, his old friend's chilliness is just another reminder of how bad a mess Tommy has made of his life. When Everett realizes that his polite formality is hurting Tommy, he needs to decide whether he can unbend enough to let Tommy get close but without letting himself get hurt the way he was all those years ago.
410 pages, ebook
First published May 12, 2020
About the author
Emma Barry
27 books155 followersEmma Barry is a teacher, novelist, recovering academic, and former political staffer. She lives with her high school sweetheart and a menagerie of pets and children in Virginia, and she occasionally finds time to read and write.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 130 reviews
April 27, 2020
A perfect combination of writing talent and theme, I adored this anthology.
The authors include the pertinent content warnings before each story.
"Appassionata" by Emma Barry
The passionate prose describing the characters' love of the piano was lush and made me almost hear notes despite having absolutely no knowledge of music besides appreciation. I need to read more of her work!
"Unraveled" by Olivia Dade
Gosh this selection just made me smile so hard. I loved watching art teacher Poppy "unravel" math teacher Simon despite his very best effort to remain professional and aloof. Plus, murder dioramas? Turpentine has never smelled so sexy.
"Caught Looking" by Adriana Herrera
Best friends contend with their pants and hearts feelings in Herrera's selection, and wow I was kept on the edge of my seat as Hatuey tried to convince Yariel that he's always loved him and is willing to take the risk, if they can do it together.
"Yes, And..." by Ruby Lang
Lang perfectly captures the horror and unease of a rule follower being stuck in the wrong classroom and the fear/anxiety that comes with tending to an ailing parent. Darren is such a wonderful caretaker and gives Joan the space she needs. So tender and lovely.
"Tommy Cabot Was Here" by Cat Sebastian
God my heart. Setting this romance in 1959 was phenomenal, the little details echoing the characters' heart ache and feelings as they rediscover their boyhood lust and turn it into something more.
I received a free copy in exchange for a fair review.
The authors include the pertinent content warnings before each story.
"Appassionata" by Emma Barry
The passionate prose describing the characters' love of the piano was lush and made me almost hear notes despite having absolutely no knowledge of music besides appreciation. I need to read more of her work!
"Unraveled" by Olivia Dade
Gosh this selection just made me smile so hard. I loved watching art teacher Poppy "unravel" math teacher Simon despite his very best effort to remain professional and aloof. Plus, murder dioramas? Turpentine has never smelled so sexy.
"Caught Looking" by Adriana Herrera
Best friends contend with their pants and hearts feelings in Herrera's selection, and wow I was kept on the edge of my seat as Hatuey tried to convince Yariel that he's always loved him and is willing to take the risk, if they can do it together.
"Yes, And..." by Ruby Lang
Lang perfectly captures the horror and unease of a rule follower being stuck in the wrong classroom and the fear/anxiety that comes with tending to an ailing parent. Darren is such a wonderful caretaker and gives Joan the space she needs. So tender and lovely.
"Tommy Cabot Was Here" by Cat Sebastian
God my heart. Setting this romance in 1959 was phenomenal, the little details echoing the characters' heart ache and feelings as they rediscover their boyhood lust and turn it into something more.
I received a free copy in exchange for a fair review.
June 14, 2021
Overall anthology impression: rock-solid and fantastic collection of romance novellas featuring starchy heroes come undone (it took an embarrassingly long time to realize how the anthology title connected to the theme). Each one is worth the sticker price of $2.99, so to have FIVE novellas is a bang for your (three) bucks.
Note: the content notes under spoiler tags are taken directly from the anthology as the authors provided CWs before each novella.
“Appassionata” by Emma Barry
Content Notes:
God, I love pining and secret crushes stemming from youth. The classical music storyline is *chef’s kiss* perfection. I appreciate how the bleak moment neatly side-steps a common gripe of mine: don’t make one MC’s “crime” so terrible! It’s a novella; there is NOT ENOUGH time for groveling and forgiveness. I’ll just grumble if I’m expected to swallow a one-page apology. Here, the “crime” is non-existent and the fallout smartly acts as a catalyst for something else more important. In the future, I’m just going to point to “Appassionata” as an example of how to achieve end-of-the-novella conflict without ruining the HEA.
Brennan, to me, felt more “in love” with Kristy than the other way around. This is intentional at first because he’s the one with a secret crush. But then it felt a little imbalanced; normally we get the other MC’s “realization of love” (as I like to call it) from their pov. I appreciated Kristy’s romantic arc and her perspective during the performance, but I did think we missed out on that “realization of love and I want to be with the hero” epiphany toward the end (she summarizes an important epiphany that occurred to her off-page, but it’s the hero’s pov). This is minor in the grand scheme of things, and I don’t know what I would’ve changed/taken out because everything else in the novella feels necessary. Regardless, I still enjoyed the novella and I bought into their future happiness (even if I wanted more from Kristy’s perspective).
Random, silly aside: I hoped for piano sex! Alas, it was not to be. :P
“Unraveled” by Olivia Dade
Content Notes:
I’ve enjoyed Dade’s work before but I think that her Marysburg school series is my favorite. I’m biased because I went to school in the same suburban Central Virginia area; the setting feels unnervingly familiar to my experience. I have fond memories of high school (I know! Shocking!) and don’t mind experiencing nostalgia via fiction.
It’s so fun! Murder dioramas! Goth softball players! Gossipy teachers and scandalous past events that led to a mysterious firing! Starchy math teacher paired with infuriating, carefree artist! This is tailor-made to my interests. I kinda loved how the author abandoned the concept of a bleak moment. It doesn’t exist, and it works so well without it.
I was a bit disappointed that Poppy never has a POV scene. I’m not a big fan of single POV romances in contemporary settings (the story is entirely from Simon’s 3rd person/past tense POV), so my desire for Poppy’s perspective is more about personal reading preferences, not a failure of the execution. YMMV.
“Caught Looking” by Adriana Herrera
Content Notes:
This is fun! I was nervous that I wouldn’t like it because Yariel is a professional baseball player and baseball bores me to death. I like reading about athletes, but I confess that I’m not the right audience for sports romance novels that focus on games/mechanics of playing. I worried for nothing because there is very little baseball content here, mostly friends-to-lovers angsting after a one-night stand.
Tropes like friends-to-lovers or second-chance shine in novellas, and Herrera uses that friends-to-lovers advantage perfectly. I don’t have to worry about MCs falling in love soon enough to believe in a HEA; the feelings are already there, they just gotta work through the angst and romantic confession. There is a LOT of angst here, and that made my angst-loving heart happy.
Hatuey and Yariel have a ton of eye-opening convos with other folks (Chantel, JuanPa, Monsi, Hatuey’s dad) but most interactions between the two are physical intimacy and Yariel constantly changing his mind re: Hatuey. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed that angst! But I wish there was more verbal communication because the on-page communication toward the end was so good. I just wanted more, even if the rest was enjoyable!
“Yes, And...” by Ruby Lang
Content Notes:
Hmm. I'm not sure how I feel about this one. It is extremely bittersweet, and I don't think I was in the mood for that. I liked the process of reading the novella, but I was... dissatisfied at the end? I'm not sure I can even pinpoint why. Joan and Darren are fully-realized and empathetic characters, but I enjoyed their individual character arcs more than their relationship. It's not that I didn't like their relationship, more that the whole isn't greater than the sum of its parts here. It's beautifully written and bittersweet, but it didn't entirely work as a romance for me. YMMV because I suspect that I was not in the mood for a grief/dementia storyline.
Something I admired: the novella is not about two characters falling madly in love and vowing to stay together until death. It's about opening your heart to a possibility of a relationship. The latter makes far more sense in this situation because of Joan's circumstances. It's about the promise of a future HEA, not exchanging I-Love-You's and rings. I wish we saw more of this in romance, especially in novellas, because it makes perfect sense in the short timeframe. There will be many hurdles in Joan and Darren's future, but the first step in their happily-ever-after is to expose their hearts to vulnerability.
I might go back and reread this one if I'm ever in a better mood for a melancholy story.
“Tommy Cabot Was Here” by Cat Sebastian
Content Notes:
I want more authors to write 50s/60s historical romance because I've enjoyed the setting so much. This novella isn't an exception. The boarding school has Dead Poets Society vibes and the Cabot political dynasty in Massachusetts evokes the the real-life Kennedys in Massachusetts. I liked the autumn/wintry Northeastern setting and how Everett (someone who supposedly doesn't like children) grew more attached to the younger students via sports. Also, I'm always happy when exes aren't demonized; it was a relief to see Patricia and Tommy in an amicable coparenting situation.
I wish we had seen Tommy's son Daniel more; he was mentioned a lot but rarely appeared on-page. I wanted to see him and Everett interact but that never happened. I understand that novella constraints make it difficult to have a major child subplot, but it’s important to me that a romantic partner interacts with the potential step-child.
Disclaimer: I have interacted with the anthology authors on social media, but these are my honest opinions about the book.
Note: the content notes under spoiler tags are taken directly from the anthology as the authors provided CWs before each novella.
“Appassionata” by Emma Barry
Content Notes:
God, I love pining and secret crushes stemming from youth. The classical music storyline is *chef’s kiss* perfection. I appreciate how the bleak moment neatly side-steps a common gripe of mine: don’t make one MC’s “crime” so terrible! It’s a novella; there is NOT ENOUGH time for groveling and forgiveness. I’ll just grumble if I’m expected to swallow a one-page apology. Here, the “crime” is non-existent and the fallout smartly acts as a catalyst for something else more important. In the future, I’m just going to point to “Appassionata” as an example of how to achieve end-of-the-novella conflict without ruining the HEA.
Brennan, to me, felt more “in love” with Kristy than the other way around. This is intentional at first because he’s the one with a secret crush. But then it felt a little imbalanced; normally we get the other MC’s “realization of love” (as I like to call it) from their pov. I appreciated Kristy’s romantic arc and her perspective during the performance, but I did think we missed out on that “realization of love and I want to be with the hero” epiphany toward the end (she summarizes an important epiphany that occurred to her off-page, but it’s the hero’s pov). This is minor in the grand scheme of things, and I don’t know what I would’ve changed/taken out because everything else in the novella feels necessary. Regardless, I still enjoyed the novella and I bought into their future happiness (even if I wanted more from Kristy’s perspective).
Random, silly aside: I hoped for piano sex! Alas, it was not to be. :P
“Unraveled” by Olivia Dade
Content Notes:
I’ve enjoyed Dade’s work before but I think that her Marysburg school series is my favorite. I’m biased because I went to school in the same suburban Central Virginia area; the setting feels unnervingly familiar to my experience. I have fond memories of high school (I know! Shocking!) and don’t mind experiencing nostalgia via fiction.
It’s so fun! Murder dioramas! Goth softball players! Gossipy teachers and scandalous past events that led to a mysterious firing! Starchy math teacher paired with infuriating, carefree artist! This is tailor-made to my interests. I kinda loved how the author abandoned the concept of a bleak moment. It doesn’t exist, and it works so well without it.
I was a bit disappointed that Poppy never has a POV scene. I’m not a big fan of single POV romances in contemporary settings (the story is entirely from Simon’s 3rd person/past tense POV), so my desire for Poppy’s perspective is more about personal reading preferences, not a failure of the execution. YMMV.
“Caught Looking” by Adriana Herrera
Content Notes:
This is fun! I was nervous that I wouldn’t like it because Yariel is a professional baseball player and baseball bores me to death. I like reading about athletes, but I confess that I’m not the right audience for sports romance novels that focus on games/mechanics of playing. I worried for nothing because there is very little baseball content here, mostly friends-to-lovers angsting after a one-night stand.
Tropes like friends-to-lovers or second-chance shine in novellas, and Herrera uses that friends-to-lovers advantage perfectly. I don’t have to worry about MCs falling in love soon enough to believe in a HEA; the feelings are already there, they just gotta work through the angst and romantic confession. There is a LOT of angst here, and that made my angst-loving heart happy.
Hatuey and Yariel have a ton of eye-opening convos with other folks (Chantel, JuanPa, Monsi, Hatuey’s dad) but most interactions between the two are physical intimacy and Yariel constantly changing his mind re: Hatuey. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed that angst! But I wish there was more verbal communication because the on-page communication toward the end was so good. I just wanted more, even if the rest was enjoyable!
“Yes, And...” by Ruby Lang
Content Notes:
Hmm. I'm not sure how I feel about this one. It is extremely bittersweet, and I don't think I was in the mood for that. I liked the process of reading the novella, but I was... dissatisfied at the end? I'm not sure I can even pinpoint why. Joan and Darren are fully-realized and empathetic characters, but I enjoyed their individual character arcs more than their relationship. It's not that I didn't like their relationship, more that the whole isn't greater than the sum of its parts here. It's beautifully written and bittersweet, but it didn't entirely work as a romance for me. YMMV because I suspect that I was not in the mood for a grief/dementia storyline.
Something I admired: the novella is not about two characters falling madly in love and vowing to stay together until death. It's about opening your heart to a possibility of a relationship. The latter makes far more sense in this situation because of Joan's circumstances. It's about the promise of a future HEA, not exchanging I-Love-You's and rings. I wish we saw more of this in romance, especially in novellas, because it makes perfect sense in the short timeframe. There will be many hurdles in Joan and Darren's future, but the first step in their happily-ever-after is to expose their hearts to vulnerability.
I might go back and reread this one if I'm ever in a better mood for a melancholy story.
“Tommy Cabot Was Here” by Cat Sebastian
Content Notes:
I want more authors to write 50s/60s historical romance because I've enjoyed the setting so much. This novella isn't an exception. The boarding school has Dead Poets Society vibes and the Cabot political dynasty in Massachusetts evokes the the real-life Kennedys in Massachusetts. I liked the autumn/wintry Northeastern setting and how Everett (someone who supposedly doesn't like children) grew more attached to the younger students via sports. Also, I'm always happy when exes aren't demonized; it was a relief to see Patricia and Tommy in an amicable coparenting situation.
I wish we had seen Tommy's son Daniel more; he was mentioned a lot but rarely appeared on-page. I wanted to see him and Everett interact but that never happened. I understand that novella constraints make it difficult to have a major child subplot, but it’s important to me that a romantic partner interacts with the potential step-child.
Disclaimer: I have interacted with the anthology authors on social media, but these are my honest opinions about the book.
May 31, 2021
I really enjoyed this collection of shorts.
"Appasionata" by Emma Barry: 4* M/F story set in the classical music world. I really loved their connection and relationship. However, the heroine had "lost" her ability to play in public 2 years prior and that was never really explained. We could have done without the 80% break up for such a short story but I still really enjoyed it and it was very original.
"Unraveled" by Olivia Dade: 4.5*. M/F story of 2 teachers who meet and fall for each other. It is told in single POV of the man. As a teacher I really enjoyed the rep even though the american system is foreign to me and I don't think I would enjoy it. My only niggle was that it seemed set in the same school as Teach Me and sometimes I felt I was re-reading that one. They are different but a few secondary characters seemed the same.
"Caught Looking" by Adriana Herrera: 2* I have a separate review for an augmented version. This one was a mess (which was disappointing because I bought the book for this author/story)
"Yes, And..." by Ruby Lang. 4* I had given up on this author prior to this book but this short was nice. It's M/F as well. The two MCs meet at the beginning and same as with the first one we did not need the angst in the couple given the side plot about the heroine's mom dementia. I wish that aspect was developed more even though I thought it was well done.
"Tommy Cabot Was Here" by Cat Sebastian: 4* M/M historical set in the 1960s. It read as contemporary for some reason. It's a second chance romance 15 years after they break up. Both characters were nice but I felt they did not really get reacquainted with each other they just aired their problems and jumped back in once they realised their "break up" was stupid. Same as the others, we didn't need the angst given the length of the story.
I would recommend this collection :)
"Appasionata" by Emma Barry: 4* M/F story set in the classical music world. I really loved their connection and relationship. However, the heroine had "lost" her ability to play in public 2 years prior and that was never really explained. We could have done without the 80% break up for such a short story but I still really enjoyed it and it was very original.
"Unraveled" by Olivia Dade: 4.5*. M/F story of 2 teachers who meet and fall for each other. It is told in single POV of the man. As a teacher I really enjoyed the rep even though the american system is foreign to me and I don't think I would enjoy it. My only niggle was that it seemed set in the same school as Teach Me and sometimes I felt I was re-reading that one. They are different but a few secondary characters seemed the same.
"Caught Looking" by Adriana Herrera: 2* I have a separate review for an augmented version. This one was a mess (which was disappointing because I bought the book for this author/story)
"Yes, And..." by Ruby Lang. 4* I had given up on this author prior to this book but this short was nice. It's M/F as well. The two MCs meet at the beginning and same as with the first one we did not need the angst in the couple given the side plot about the heroine's mom dementia. I wish that aspect was developed more even though I thought it was well done.
"Tommy Cabot Was Here" by Cat Sebastian: 4* M/M historical set in the 1960s. It read as contemporary for some reason. It's a second chance romance 15 years after they break up. Both characters were nice but I felt they did not really get reacquainted with each other they just aired their problems and jumped back in once they realised their "break up" was stupid. Same as the others, we didn't need the angst given the length of the story.
I would recommend this collection :)
Currently reading
May 25, 2020I spent almost 20 years of my life involved with classical music (first training to be a professional orchestra musician, then studying music history at a post-grad level, and finally working at an opera company as my last dayjob before becoming a full-time writer), which means that I am UNBELIEVABLY PICKY and unfairly hard to please when it comes to stories about classical musicians...
...But oh, wow, did I love Emma Barry's novella Appasionata, a gentle and thoughtful romance between a superstar pianist (and famous diva) who's lost her confidence and the quiet, geeky piano technician who's been head-over-heels for her for years. The musical world felt spot-on accurate, the romance itself was sweet, beautifully written, and emotionally intense, and I felt SO invested in Kristy's path back towards self-belief and power. <3 It was wonderful!
The second novella in this anthology is very different, but I also loved it. Olivia Dade's Unraveled is hilarious, quirky, and adorable in its romance between an uptight, rigid math teacher and the chaotically creative new art teacher he's assigned to mentor at the high school where he works. And it includes fabulously fascinating murder dioramas! (They initially horrify the hero, but he ends up loving them along with her.) It was so much fun!
I haven't read the other three novellas yet, but I didn't want to wait to post this review because I tend to take a long time to read anthologies, taking long pauses in between different stories - and I didn't want to wait to say just how good those first two novellas were! Honestly, my guess (based on the authors involved) is that the other stories will be great too, but even if not, these first two novellas are SO good that they'd be worth the price of the anthology on their own.
...But oh, wow, did I love Emma Barry's novella Appasionata, a gentle and thoughtful romance between a superstar pianist (and famous diva) who's lost her confidence and the quiet, geeky piano technician who's been head-over-heels for her for years. The musical world felt spot-on accurate, the romance itself was sweet, beautifully written, and emotionally intense, and I felt SO invested in Kristy's path back towards self-belief and power. <3 It was wonderful!
The second novella in this anthology is very different, but I also loved it. Olivia Dade's Unraveled is hilarious, quirky, and adorable in its romance between an uptight, rigid math teacher and the chaotically creative new art teacher he's assigned to mentor at the high school where he works. And it includes fabulously fascinating murder dioramas! (They initially horrify the hero, but he ends up loving them along with her.) It was so much fun!
I haven't read the other three novellas yet, but I didn't want to wait to post this review because I tend to take a long time to read anthologies, taking long pauses in between different stories - and I didn't want to wait to say just how good those first two novellas were! Honestly, my guess (based on the authors involved) is that the other stories will be great too, but even if not, these first two novellas are SO good that they'd be worth the price of the anthology on their own.
May 17, 2020
An absolutely outstanding collection, with a range of heat & angst for every appetite. I particularly loved Olivia Dade’s stuffy maths teacher is sweet for the murder-obsessed art teacher, Unravelled, and Cat Sebastian’s second chance 1950s story, Tommy Cabot Was Here, also featuring a buttoned up maths teacher.
*I didn’t read Ruby Lang’s story this time, because it has CWs that I can’t tackle right now, but I will come back to it eventually.
*I didn’t read Ruby Lang’s story this time, because it has CWs that I can’t tackle right now, but I will come back to it eventually.
May 17, 2020
As much as I love grumpy heroes, buttoned up heroes are my absolute favorite and therefore this anthology felt like it was tailor made for me. I love watching repressed heroes become astonished by FEELINGS, especially when they’re for unexpected love interests. He’s Come Undone is hands down the best anthology I’ve ever read. Each story is excellent and I’m hard-pressed to pick a favorite but I’d say Olivia Dade’s Unraveled (murder dioramas!) and Ruby Lang’s “Yes, and…” resonated the most with me. Dade’s heroine is unapologetically herself and really owns her interests—this story was brilliant on so many levels. Lang’s story is a really honest portrayal of a reluctant caregiver, something I don’t see often enough in fiction and really rang true to my former career as a hospice social worker.
There is some A+ level pining in all the stories but there’s an extra oomph of it in Herrera and Sebastian’s friends to lovers romances. All but Herrera’s story features characters that are 35 and older, which I always love to see. Dade, Herrera, and Sebastian’s stories are LGBTQIA: Dade’s story has a bisexual heroine; Herrera’s is MM with a bisexual hero and a gay hero, Sebastian’s is MM with gay heroes. Dade, Lang, and Sebastian’s stories made me laugh out loud. Barry’s offering made me feel as if I could hear the music the heroine played. Plus, there was greenroom sex!
Basically, all of these stories gave me a ton of feels and I really loved that the buttoned up heroes were uptight in their own way. It was particularly interesting that in “Yes, And…”, Joan was comforted by Darren’s buttoned up ways—it’s a source of stability for her amidst her circumstances.
Highly recommended.
"Appassionata" by Emma Barry
CW: anxiety, depression, stage fright, references to workplace sexism, heroine is estranged from her parents
"Unraveled" by Olivia Dade
CW: heroine’s parents’ health is failing, references to witnessed parental violence during childhood, depictions of fictional diorama murder (arson, castration, stabbings)
"Caught Looking" by Adriana Herrera
CW: references to homophobia
"Yes, And..." by Ruby Lang
CW: heroine’s mother has early-onset dementia, on-page panic attack, hero is divorced, caregiver fatigue, adult ADHD
"Tommy Cabot Was Here" by Cat Sebastian
CW: homophobia, Tommy’s family disowned him after coming out, cigarettes, divorce, war references
Disclosure: I received an advanced copy from the authors in exchange for an honest review. I'm friendly with the authors on Twitter.
There is some A+ level pining in all the stories but there’s an extra oomph of it in Herrera and Sebastian’s friends to lovers romances. All but Herrera’s story features characters that are 35 and older, which I always love to see. Dade, Herrera, and Sebastian’s stories are LGBTQIA: Dade’s story has a bisexual heroine; Herrera’s is MM with a bisexual hero and a gay hero, Sebastian’s is MM with gay heroes. Dade, Lang, and Sebastian’s stories made me laugh out loud. Barry’s offering made me feel as if I could hear the music the heroine played. Plus, there was greenroom sex!
Basically, all of these stories gave me a ton of feels and I really loved that the buttoned up heroes were uptight in their own way. It was particularly interesting that in “Yes, And…”, Joan was comforted by Darren’s buttoned up ways—it’s a source of stability for her amidst her circumstances.
Highly recommended.
"Appassionata" by Emma Barry
CW: anxiety, depression, stage fright, references to workplace sexism, heroine is estranged from her parents
"Unraveled" by Olivia Dade
CW: heroine’s parents’ health is failing, references to witnessed parental violence during childhood, depictions of fictional diorama murder (arson, castration, stabbings)
"Caught Looking" by Adriana Herrera
CW: references to homophobia
"Yes, And..." by Ruby Lang
CW: heroine’s mother has early-onset dementia, on-page panic attack, hero is divorced, caregiver fatigue, adult ADHD
"Tommy Cabot Was Here" by Cat Sebastian
CW: homophobia, Tommy’s family disowned him after coming out, cigarettes, divorce, war references
Disclosure: I received an advanced copy from the authors in exchange for an honest review. I'm friendly with the authors on Twitter.
January 14, 2021
"I started this anthology earlier in the week and I figured I would read a novella in between ARC reads. I’m a sucker for cinny roll heroes who unravel for their love.
Mini-Reviews
Appassionata by Emma Barry - I believe this is my first Barry read but not my last. Excellent writing, interesting story with good chemistry and a focus on their emotional connection, which is hard to do in a novella. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️"
Unraveled by Olivia Dade - Loved visiting Ms. Dade’s Marysburg ‘verse again. Poppy and Simon’s story flowed so well, and I’m so impressed at the depth of emotion in such a short page count. , Add murder dioramas and I couldn’t help but love this. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🚨🚨 🔥🔥🔥 HOTFIRE 🔥🔥🔥 ALERT 🚨🚨
Caught Looking by Adriana Herrera - This story was smoking hot, well developed and great nuance to the characters, all packed into novella length. Super impressed. 10/10 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
UPDATE: After the hellscape of 2020, and the continuing WTFery of 2021, my memory is shite and I completely forgot to finish this review, so let's just say the above are the highlights but truly all the stories are great. Basically, I am happy to say that this antho was worth the read, definitely recommend it.
Mini-Reviews
Appassionata by Emma Barry - I believe this is my first Barry read but not my last. Excellent writing, interesting story with good chemistry and a focus on their emotional connection, which is hard to do in a novella. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️"
Unraveled by Olivia Dade - Loved visiting Ms. Dade’s Marysburg ‘verse again. Poppy and Simon’s story flowed so well, and I’m so impressed at the depth of emotion in such a short page count. , Add murder dioramas and I couldn’t help but love this. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🚨🚨 🔥🔥🔥 HOTFIRE 🔥🔥🔥 ALERT 🚨🚨
Caught Looking by Adriana Herrera - This story was smoking hot, well developed and great nuance to the characters, all packed into novella length. Super impressed. 10/10 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
UPDATE: After the hellscape of 2020, and the continuing WTFery of 2021, my memory is shite and I completely forgot to finish this review, so let's just say the above are the highlights but truly all the stories are great. Basically, I am happy to say that this antho was worth the read, definitely recommend it.
May 8, 2020
Ahhh...an anthology devoted to what I decided, post-reading, I will be calling "Jenga Men."
Whatever do I mean by that? Well. Imagine a Jenga tower. Solid, square. Impenetrable. All hard edges and sharp lines. Then you start to tug at a block here, place a block there. And you eventually have a tower filled with light and air, ready to tumble at the merest breath or touch.
So. Jenga men. And the women and men who love them, take them apart, and put them back together so they can tumble into the most glorious of messes.
I won't recap the descriptions of each novella, but I can tell you that they are all beautiful and will sing in your blood for a long time to come.
I was given an Advance Reader's Copy in exchange for an honest review.
Whatever do I mean by that? Well. Imagine a Jenga tower. Solid, square. Impenetrable. All hard edges and sharp lines. Then you start to tug at a block here, place a block there. And you eventually have a tower filled with light and air, ready to tumble at the merest breath or touch.
So. Jenga men. And the women and men who love them, take them apart, and put them back together so they can tumble into the most glorious of messes.
I won't recap the descriptions of each novella, but I can tell you that they are all beautiful and will sing in your blood for a long time to come.
I was given an Advance Reader's Copy in exchange for an honest review.
May 13, 2020
I don’t think I could extoll the virtues of this book enough!! This is easily the best anthology I’ve ever read—the unifying theme was *perfect*. Each story felt really strong in its own right (rare in an anthology imho), and while each author has their own unique voice, there was a unified sensibility and tone that just s a n g through each story and I just couldn't get enough. I have no doubt I’ll be returning to this book frequently—these are stories for luxuriating in.
Appassionata by Emma Barry: Crippling stage fright has kept renowned pianist Kristy Kwong from playing publicly for the last two years. Her upcoming performance for the symphony’s gala is a last ditch effort to save her career, but there’s something missing. Perhaps the symphony's piano technician Brennan Connelly can help with that...
Thoughts: OMG her writing here is EXQUISITE!! It was such a pleasure to read <3 The story was really compelling—I think everyone can relate to that feeling of “what if I’ve already peaked and I’ll never be what I once was,” and watching Kristy grapple with that fear and rediscover herself was really powerful. Absolutely fascinating and incredibly well written!
Unraveled by Olivia Dade: Math teacher Simon Burnham is a very particular man—he prefers order, control, and problems with easy solutions. Enter Poppy Wick, new art teacher at Marysburg High and Simon’s recently assigned colegial mentee. Poppy is a conundrum “warm but sharp, chaotic but meticulous..the most frustrating and most alluring woman he’s ever known.” Whatever will he do with his feels…
Thoughts: had to borrow that quote from Oliva’s description because it's JUST SO PERFECT!! I feel like this story *really* captured the magic between a buttoned-up hero and a heroine that just drives him crazy- Poppy was creative and funny and deliciously clever, and despite Simon's love of control and order, he can’t help but fall for her. Also, MURDER DIORAMAS!! This was my first book from Olivia Dade and now I’m just itching to read the rest of her books!
Caught Looking by Adriana Herrera: When pro-baller Yariel Cabrera wakes up in his best friend’s bed, he is *furious* that his guard slipped—he’s been in love with Hatuey for years, and while pining for his straight friend isn’t exactly ideal, ruining their friendship with a hookup is out of the question. But Hatuey REFUSES to pretend nothing happened, and is determined to convince Yariel that he’s a safe bet…
Thoughts: Stepping into one of Adriana’s books is a one-of-a-kind experience :) This story felt incredibly unique, the premise fresh (that opening scene!!!) and the characters were just riveting. Yariel & Hatuey have electric chemistry, and their deep friendship was beautifully depicted in such a short time. Also, I was *living for* the M’Baku references!
Yes, And… by Ruby Lang: Rheumatologist Darren Zhang is *exquisitely* uncomfortable when he finds he’s sat down in an improv class, rather than the meditation course recommended to lower his blood pressure. The only upside to the debacle is meeting Joan Lacy, the instructor. Joan is barely holding her life together after moving back home to care for her ailing mother, but neither she nor Darren can fight their immediate chemistry…
Thoughts: This story is one that will sneak up on you—I was FULLY sucker punched by the emotional thrust of this book. There's a gentle precision to Ruby Lang’s writing that’s utterly stunning. Her story was incredibly romantic and sensual while dealing with real issues, and showed growth for both characters. This was my first book of Ruby’s and I was really impressed!
Tommy Cabbot Was Here by Cat Sebastian: Everett Sloan didn't *expect* to see ghosts during Visiting Sunday at Greenfield Academy, but when Tommy Cabbot shows up to visit his son, Everett’s ordered and predictable existence is completely upended. Everett walked away from Tommy 15 years ago when he realized his best friend would never return his love, and he never looked back. But the years have weathered both of them, and his resolve is weakening …
Thoughts: This STORY!! The pining, the *angst* is just cranked up to the max, it was honestly painful to read at times, but the ending is just achingly beautiful and so worth it. There’s something really unique about Cat’s writing that feels at once so precise and so polished, and yet infinitely dear and intimate. I’m not usually a fan of the second chance trope but it’s done SO WELL here I just loved this story!
Overall, 10s across the board, I can’t recommend this book enough
Appassionata by Emma Barry: Crippling stage fright has kept renowned pianist Kristy Kwong from playing publicly for the last two years. Her upcoming performance for the symphony’s gala is a last ditch effort to save her career, but there’s something missing. Perhaps the symphony's piano technician Brennan Connelly can help with that...
Thoughts: OMG her writing here is EXQUISITE!! It was such a pleasure to read <3 The story was really compelling—I think everyone can relate to that feeling of “what if I’ve already peaked and I’ll never be what I once was,” and watching Kristy grapple with that fear and rediscover herself was really powerful. Absolutely fascinating and incredibly well written!
Unraveled by Olivia Dade: Math teacher Simon Burnham is a very particular man—he prefers order, control, and problems with easy solutions. Enter Poppy Wick, new art teacher at Marysburg High and Simon’s recently assigned colegial mentee. Poppy is a conundrum “warm but sharp, chaotic but meticulous..the most frustrating and most alluring woman he’s ever known.” Whatever will he do with his feels…
Thoughts: had to borrow that quote from Oliva’s description because it's JUST SO PERFECT!! I feel like this story *really* captured the magic between a buttoned-up hero and a heroine that just drives him crazy- Poppy was creative and funny and deliciously clever, and despite Simon's love of control and order, he can’t help but fall for her. Also, MURDER DIORAMAS!! This was my first book from Olivia Dade and now I’m just itching to read the rest of her books!
Caught Looking by Adriana Herrera: When pro-baller Yariel Cabrera wakes up in his best friend’s bed, he is *furious* that his guard slipped—he’s been in love with Hatuey for years, and while pining for his straight friend isn’t exactly ideal, ruining their friendship with a hookup is out of the question. But Hatuey REFUSES to pretend nothing happened, and is determined to convince Yariel that he’s a safe bet…
Thoughts: Stepping into one of Adriana’s books is a one-of-a-kind experience :) This story felt incredibly unique, the premise fresh (that opening scene!!!) and the characters were just riveting. Yariel & Hatuey have electric chemistry, and their deep friendship was beautifully depicted in such a short time. Also, I was *living for* the M’Baku references!
Yes, And… by Ruby Lang: Rheumatologist Darren Zhang is *exquisitely* uncomfortable when he finds he’s sat down in an improv class, rather than the meditation course recommended to lower his blood pressure. The only upside to the debacle is meeting Joan Lacy, the instructor. Joan is barely holding her life together after moving back home to care for her ailing mother, but neither she nor Darren can fight their immediate chemistry…
Thoughts: This story is one that will sneak up on you—I was FULLY sucker punched by the emotional thrust of this book. There's a gentle precision to Ruby Lang’s writing that’s utterly stunning. Her story was incredibly romantic and sensual while dealing with real issues, and showed growth for both characters. This was my first book of Ruby’s and I was really impressed!
Tommy Cabbot Was Here by Cat Sebastian: Everett Sloan didn't *expect* to see ghosts during Visiting Sunday at Greenfield Academy, but when Tommy Cabbot shows up to visit his son, Everett’s ordered and predictable existence is completely upended. Everett walked away from Tommy 15 years ago when he realized his best friend would never return his love, and he never looked back. But the years have weathered both of them, and his resolve is weakening …
Thoughts: This STORY!! The pining, the *angst* is just cranked up to the max, it was honestly painful to read at times, but the ending is just achingly beautiful and so worth it. There’s something really unique about Cat’s writing that feels at once so precise and so polished, and yet infinitely dear and intimate. I’m not usually a fan of the second chance trope but it’s done SO WELL here I just loved this story!
Overall, 10s across the board, I can’t recommend this book enough
April 27, 2020
This was, overall, a solid anthology. Not all of the stories worked for me as a reader, but that was mostly down to matters of personal reading tastes, and not the skill of the authors.
"Appassionatta", which started the collection, was probably my least favorite, mostly because the world of classical music is not one in which I have much interest. I also didn't quite understand the stage fright aspect. There was talk of an incident, but I was never sure if the incident in question was a profoundly debilitating/humiliating bout of stage fright or if there was an outside incident that led to the stage fright. The love story was a sweet friends-to-lovers story, which is a trope that works well in short Romance stories because the trust is already there. (This formula will, in fact, be employed by three of the five stories in this collection.)
"Unraveled" gets a special commendation for featuring two protagonists in their 40s. More of that, please and thank you. (Also, murder dioramas. Bonus points for murder dioramas.) My only complaint with this story was that it relied on the tired cliche of the uptight math teacher and the quirky/eccentric art teacher. It would have been interesting to me to see those dynamics reversed.
I was predisposed to like "Caught Looking" because it meant a return to the world and characters of Herrera's Dreamers quartet. Another friends-to-lovers story, this one about the drunken sex/mistake (we've all been there) that both protagonists want to be more, but there are a heap of cultural and familial expectations (seemingly) in the way.
*
*
*
As I'm writing this, I'm realizing that the three friends-to-lovers stories all have a certain sweetness or gentleness or kindness or something to them that makes them very comforting to read and, as I read this in the midst of the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, comfort was something I was craving. Back to the review-ish sort of thing, now.
*
*
*
"Yes, And..." probably needs to be a novel or at lest a novella. There were a lot of obstacles that, in real life, would be huge and take a lot of time and energy and emotional bandwidth to deal with and were all resolved perhaps a little too easily here. I also felt that the quirky/eccentric acting teacher and uptight doctor veered too close to cliché (see my similar quibble with "Unraveled.") That being said, I really, really liked the dynamic between the protagonists and how kind and caring and compassionate Darren is toward Joan.
And now we get to the story that broke me, in the best way. "Tommy Cabot was Here" still makes my chest tighten and my throat constrict and my eyes get all misty. It burrowed under my skin and into my heart and keeps playing in my head like an old movie I saw once upon a time and never forgot. It's lost loves and boarding school and wool sweaters and autumn. It's a hug of a story that smells like cinnamon and rain and woodsmoke. It is fumbling and awkward and wistful and nostalgic. This story makes me want to beg Cat Sebastian to write an entire novel—or series of novels—about these characters. I want more Tommy and Everett, yes, but also Patricia and Harry and Peter and, eventually, Daniel. I just want more because this story gave me big feelings; feelings that I have not stopped feeling. And I like when a story does that. I like it a lot.
Four stars overall.
Three stars for "Appassionata" (which is more about me than the story).
Three-and-a-half stars for "Unraveled" (plus a bonus half-star for older protagonists and murder dioramas)
Four stars for "Caught Looking" (minus a half for baseball, which, ugh but plus a half star for returning me to the Dreamerverse)
Three stars for "Yes, And..." (plus a half star for Darren's kindness and another half star for longing, because I am a sucker for the slow build up)
Five big-ass stars for "Tommy Cabot was Here." Plus sprinkles and confetti and fireworks.
"Appassionatta", which started the collection, was probably my least favorite, mostly because the world of classical music is not one in which I have much interest. I also didn't quite understand the stage fright aspect. There was talk of an incident, but I was never sure if the incident in question was a profoundly debilitating/humiliating bout of stage fright or if there was an outside incident that led to the stage fright. The love story was a sweet friends-to-lovers story, which is a trope that works well in short Romance stories because the trust is already there. (This formula will, in fact, be employed by three of the five stories in this collection.)
"Unraveled" gets a special commendation for featuring two protagonists in their 40s. More of that, please and thank you. (Also, murder dioramas. Bonus points for murder dioramas.) My only complaint with this story was that it relied on the tired cliche of the uptight math teacher and the quirky/eccentric art teacher. It would have been interesting to me to see those dynamics reversed.
I was predisposed to like "Caught Looking" because it meant a return to the world and characters of Herrera's Dreamers quartet. Another friends-to-lovers story, this one about the drunken sex/mistake (we've all been there) that both protagonists want to be more, but there are a heap of cultural and familial expectations (seemingly) in the way.
*
*
*
As I'm writing this, I'm realizing that the three friends-to-lovers stories all have a certain sweetness or gentleness or kindness or something to them that makes them very comforting to read and, as I read this in the midst of the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, comfort was something I was craving. Back to the review-ish sort of thing, now.
*
*
*
"Yes, And..." probably needs to be a novel or at lest a novella. There were a lot of obstacles that, in real life, would be huge and take a lot of time and energy and emotional bandwidth to deal with and were all resolved perhaps a little too easily here. I also felt that the quirky/eccentric acting teacher and uptight doctor veered too close to cliché (see my similar quibble with "Unraveled.") That being said, I really, really liked the dynamic between the protagonists and how kind and caring and compassionate Darren is toward Joan.
And now we get to the story that broke me, in the best way. "Tommy Cabot was Here" still makes my chest tighten and my throat constrict and my eyes get all misty. It burrowed under my skin and into my heart and keeps playing in my head like an old movie I saw once upon a time and never forgot. It's lost loves and boarding school and wool sweaters and autumn. It's a hug of a story that smells like cinnamon and rain and woodsmoke. It is fumbling and awkward and wistful and nostalgic. This story makes me want to beg Cat Sebastian to write an entire novel—or series of novels—about these characters. I want more Tommy and Everett, yes, but also Patricia and Harry and Peter and, eventually, Daniel. I just want more because this story gave me big feelings; feelings that I have not stopped feeling. And I like when a story does that. I like it a lot.
Four stars overall.
Three stars for "Appassionata" (which is more about me than the story).
Three-and-a-half stars for "Unraveled" (plus a bonus half-star for older protagonists and murder dioramas)
Four stars for "Caught Looking" (minus a half for baseball, which, ugh but plus a half star for returning me to the Dreamerverse)
Three stars for "Yes, And..." (plus a half star for Darren's kindness and another half star for longing, because I am a sucker for the slow build up)
Five big-ass stars for "Tommy Cabot was Here." Plus sprinkles and confetti and fireworks.
May 25, 2020
Every single story in this anthology was phenomenal though I have to say that Emma Barry’s and Olivia Dade’s were personal standouts for me.
Apassionata by Emma Barry
I adored this moving story about a concert pianist and a piano technician. The meticulous attention to detail would have kept the story from moving along in the hands of a lesser writer, but in the hands of Emma Barry, I got so caught up in the high stakes world of professional piano playing, it left me breathless and aching for more. The characters resonated, the chemistry was intense and the ultimately, every word of this nuanced romance was, well, note perfect.
Unraveled by Olivia Dade
I never knew I had a great need for heroines who were super into creating murder dioramas until Olivia Dade presented me with one and now, that’s literally all I could ever want. Charming and sweetly sexy, as is her hallmark, Simon and Poppy were adorable and lovable and polar opposites who just seemed made to fit each other.
Caught Looking by Adriana Herrera
Gah, I love a good friends to lovers and I love when one of them has been secretly pining for the other for ages. Yariel and Hatuey made for a perfect combo, sexy and sweet and endearing, breaking my heart before putting it back together.
Yes, And... by Ruby Lang
A character on the verge of a complete breakdown because of her newfound existence as a caregiver to her mother who is suffering from dementia would not, at first glance, seem like the obvious choice for a romance heroine but there, acting teacher Joan, on the precipice of falling apart, proves the perfect counterpoint to calm, steady doctor Darren who finds himself just wanting to take care of her.
Tommy Cabot Was Here by Cat Sebastian
Bittersweet, hopeful, heartbreaking. Watching Tommy and Everett navigate family and social constructs while ignoring and then finally admitting their feelings for each other was beautiful to watch unfold.
http://www.loveinpanels.com/prose/hes...
Apassionata by Emma Barry
I adored this moving story about a concert pianist and a piano technician. The meticulous attention to detail would have kept the story from moving along in the hands of a lesser writer, but in the hands of Emma Barry, I got so caught up in the high stakes world of professional piano playing, it left me breathless and aching for more. The characters resonated, the chemistry was intense and the ultimately, every word of this nuanced romance was, well, note perfect.
Unraveled by Olivia Dade
I never knew I had a great need for heroines who were super into creating murder dioramas until Olivia Dade presented me with one and now, that’s literally all I could ever want. Charming and sweetly sexy, as is her hallmark, Simon and Poppy were adorable and lovable and polar opposites who just seemed made to fit each other.
Caught Looking by Adriana Herrera
Gah, I love a good friends to lovers and I love when one of them has been secretly pining for the other for ages. Yariel and Hatuey made for a perfect combo, sexy and sweet and endearing, breaking my heart before putting it back together.
Yes, And... by Ruby Lang
A character on the verge of a complete breakdown because of her newfound existence as a caregiver to her mother who is suffering from dementia would not, at first glance, seem like the obvious choice for a romance heroine but there, acting teacher Joan, on the precipice of falling apart, proves the perfect counterpoint to calm, steady doctor Darren who finds himself just wanting to take care of her.
Tommy Cabot Was Here by Cat Sebastian
Bittersweet, hopeful, heartbreaking. Watching Tommy and Everett navigate family and social constructs while ignoring and then finally admitting their feelings for each other was beautiful to watch unfold.
http://www.loveinpanels.com/prose/hes...
April 15, 2020
I freaking loved this anthology. Every story is excellent and I can't say enough good things about it!
The two standouts for me are Emma Barry's and Olivia Dade's - both are about subjects that I would never have said I cared about in any way but wow both of these authors are incredibly talented. I need to be able to buy the actual murder dioramas from Olivia's story ASAP!
(Refraining from reviewing Cat Sebastian's story in this as I did work on this story)
The two standouts for me are Emma Barry's and Olivia Dade's - both are about subjects that I would never have said I cared about in any way but wow both of these authors are incredibly talented. I need to be able to buy the actual murder dioramas from Olivia's story ASAP!
(Refraining from reviewing Cat Sebastian's story in this as I did work on this story)
May 29, 2020
He’s Come Undone is a wonderful anthology with five unique romances. Here are my thoughts on each:
"Appassionata" by Emma Barry
Brennan is an expert piano technician, and he’s been selected to prepare an instrument for Kristy, who’s been off-circuit for a couple years. Right off the bat, I love that Brennan NEEDS Kristy to be okay, for the rumors of her issues to be wrong. He stands apart, knowing he was/will never be good enough to elevate to the next level, but he doesn’t hold that against her.
After a long day, Brennan snaps and tells Kristy she is the problem; that she’s playing too controlled and not opening up, and this is what allows them to open to one another, to share and listen. The story is fluid and beautiful, evoking the sense of a melody with its highs and lows. There is so much heart in these characters.
I loved the ebb and flow of this one. Rating: A-
"Unraveled" by Olivia Dade
Math teacher Simon is assigned to mentor new art teacher Poppy, and it’s almost as if he’s looking to have issues with her teaching style. But over a short time, he realizes his assumptions are bad. I love that this story is shared solely from Simon’s POV.
In opposition to “Appassionata,” “Unraveled” is messy and chaotic, and equally as lovely. Simon is order and Poppy is an explosion. Simon had a messy childhood; parents fighting all of the time. He found solace in the order of mathematics. And until Poppy, he never thought that a romantic relationship could mean the whole is greater than the sum of the parts. Over a week, we see how Simon’s attraction grows, how is heart opens.
“He and Poppy together made an entirely irrational number, expansive and infinite.” Rating: A-
"Caught Looking" by Adriana Herrera
This one starts in the middle of the journey and it works. We open the morning after out-and-proud pro baseball player Yariel and thought-to-be-straight, best friend Hatuey had sex. They’ve been affectionate and close for years.
The story focuses on Hatuey finally realizing Yariel is his soulmate and Yariel’s worry that he’s corrupting his friend and that he’ll lose him forever once Hatuey realizes the mistake. The story is quick but covers a decade of feelings that are exploding. The affection and deep love are tangible and beautiful. Rating: B/B+
"Yes, And..." by Ruby Lang
Darren is a doctor with high blood pressure. In an effort to reduce stress, he decides to try meditation and accidentally goes into an improve class taught by Joan. Joan moved home to take care of her aging mother and is overwhelmed. I was taken by the weight of Joan’s guilt - that she moved back home too late; that she shouldn’t be out enjoying herself.
The couple connect each Wednesday, with precious few minutes. He is patient and kind, she is worried and frantic. They work. Joan feels she can’t commit to more and walks away, but realizes she has to redefine herself in her new setting. HFN ending. Rating: B
"Tommy Cabot Was Here" by Cat Sebastian
Historical setting - late 1950’s. Tommy and Everett were classmates at a private school. Tommy comes from a wealthy, highly political family. Everett was his roommate. They were best friends and fooled around. Ev couldn’t handle being just friends and ghosted Tommy. Years later, Tommy’s son attends the same school, where Ev is now an instructor.
I love the tenderness between the pair as they open up and reconnect. As they admit their feelings from the past and explore if they are still an option. As they redefine who they are to each other and themselves. Rating: A-
A WONDERFUL anthology filled with five amazing romances from all walks of life.
My Rating: A-/B+
"Appassionata" by Emma Barry
Brennan is an expert piano technician, and he’s been selected to prepare an instrument for Kristy, who’s been off-circuit for a couple years. Right off the bat, I love that Brennan NEEDS Kristy to be okay, for the rumors of her issues to be wrong. He stands apart, knowing he was/will never be good enough to elevate to the next level, but he doesn’t hold that against her.
After a long day, Brennan snaps and tells Kristy she is the problem; that she’s playing too controlled and not opening up, and this is what allows them to open to one another, to share and listen. The story is fluid and beautiful, evoking the sense of a melody with its highs and lows. There is so much heart in these characters.
I loved the ebb and flow of this one. Rating: A-
"Unraveled" by Olivia Dade
Math teacher Simon is assigned to mentor new art teacher Poppy, and it’s almost as if he’s looking to have issues with her teaching style. But over a short time, he realizes his assumptions are bad. I love that this story is shared solely from Simon’s POV.
In opposition to “Appassionata,” “Unraveled” is messy and chaotic, and equally as lovely. Simon is order and Poppy is an explosion. Simon had a messy childhood; parents fighting all of the time. He found solace in the order of mathematics. And until Poppy, he never thought that a romantic relationship could mean the whole is greater than the sum of the parts. Over a week, we see how Simon’s attraction grows, how is heart opens.
“He and Poppy together made an entirely irrational number, expansive and infinite.” Rating: A-
"Caught Looking" by Adriana Herrera
This one starts in the middle of the journey and it works. We open the morning after out-and-proud pro baseball player Yariel and thought-to-be-straight, best friend Hatuey had sex. They’ve been affectionate and close for years.
The story focuses on Hatuey finally realizing Yariel is his soulmate and Yariel’s worry that he’s corrupting his friend and that he’ll lose him forever once Hatuey realizes the mistake. The story is quick but covers a decade of feelings that are exploding. The affection and deep love are tangible and beautiful. Rating: B/B+
"Yes, And..." by Ruby Lang
Darren is a doctor with high blood pressure. In an effort to reduce stress, he decides to try meditation and accidentally goes into an improve class taught by Joan. Joan moved home to take care of her aging mother and is overwhelmed. I was taken by the weight of Joan’s guilt - that she moved back home too late; that she shouldn’t be out enjoying herself.
The couple connect each Wednesday, with precious few minutes. He is patient and kind, she is worried and frantic. They work. Joan feels she can’t commit to more and walks away, but realizes she has to redefine herself in her new setting. HFN ending. Rating: B
"Tommy Cabot Was Here" by Cat Sebastian
Historical setting - late 1950’s. Tommy and Everett were classmates at a private school. Tommy comes from a wealthy, highly political family. Everett was his roommate. They were best friends and fooled around. Ev couldn’t handle being just friends and ghosted Tommy. Years later, Tommy’s son attends the same school, where Ev is now an instructor.
I love the tenderness between the pair as they open up and reconnect. As they admit their feelings from the past and explore if they are still an option. As they redefine who they are to each other and themselves. Rating: A-
A WONDERFUL anthology filled with five amazing romances from all walks of life.
My Rating: A-/B+
January 4, 2021
Lit only by a dim lamp behind them, he could have been the boy Everett had loved.
This was my last 2020 read and, just like 2020, it was disappointing. I'm very sorry for this because I was excited about reading a romance anthology that featured middle-aged people instead of young adults, but sadly it was the only good thing I could rescue of many of the short stories.
It was mostly my fault, I think. The topic for this anthology is something very specific and easily turned into a pet-peeve of mine: snowflake people bringing joy to stoic people. I just... expected something with more nuance but it was basically it and definitely not something I could make myself enjoy. Maybe because I'm quite a serious person and can't stand the idea of people thinking this is something they have to cure with their "warmth". Also, these stoic men had often the only the purpose of understanding the bright protagonist and bringing some order / showing them that their chaos was something lovely. There was also of love(lust?)-at-first-sight thing and it's a trope that's just not for me.
The only short story I really liked was Tommy Cabot Was Here by Cat Sebastian which is, unsurprisingly, the reason I actually bought the book in the first place. I expected something sweet and it was BUT while breaking my heart. It was such a nostalgic, yearning love story and I think Cat Sebastian really made something more out of the topic.
In general, I'd not recommend this anthology but it sure is a book to help to pass time.
June 4, 2020
"Appassionata" by Emma Barry, 3/5 stars
I was deeply grateful that more didn't come of the "spying" storyline, because if it had been the cause of more it would have felt like an overreaction to me. Anyway, I liked this!
"Unraveled" by Olivia Dade, 5/5 stars
MURDER DIORAMAS!!! I was completely charmed.
"Caught Looking" by Adriana Herrera, 2/5 stars
This was a weird mix of too much sex and overthinking that didn't really work for the mood I was in while I was reading it. The best friends thing should have made it easier for me to buy the sudden feelings, but it didn't.
"Yes, And..." by Ruby Lang, 3/5 stars
This hurt my soul a little, in a very good way. Losing a parent to dementia is one of my greatest fears, and seeing that reflected on the page was hard.
Read for The Ripped Bodice Bingo 2020 square: Healthcare Professional
"Tommy Cabot Was Here" by Cat Sebastian, 3/5 stars
I loved basically everything about this except how long it was.
**
Good anthology, would recommend it. The Dade is the standout, but I enjoyed pretty much everything in here and can say that even what I was just okay with I can easily see hitting someone else's sweet spot very easily.
I was deeply grateful that more didn't come of the "spying" storyline, because if it had been the cause of more it would have felt like an overreaction to me. Anyway, I liked this!
"Unraveled" by Olivia Dade, 5/5 stars
MURDER DIORAMAS!!! I was completely charmed.
"Caught Looking" by Adriana Herrera, 2/5 stars
This was a weird mix of too much sex and overthinking that didn't really work for the mood I was in while I was reading it. The best friends thing should have made it easier for me to buy the sudden feelings, but it didn't.
"Yes, And..." by Ruby Lang, 3/5 stars
This hurt my soul a little, in a very good way. Losing a parent to dementia is one of my greatest fears, and seeing that reflected on the page was hard.
Read for The Ripped Bodice Bingo 2020 square: Healthcare Professional
"Tommy Cabot Was Here" by Cat Sebastian, 3/5 stars
I loved basically everything about this except how long it was.
**
Good anthology, would recommend it. The Dade is the standout, but I enjoyed pretty much everything in here and can say that even what I was just okay with I can easily see hitting someone else's sweet spot very easily.
May 3, 2020
Thank you to the authors for sending me a free eARC in exchange for my honest review!
In some anthologies, you like most of the stories but skip others. In some anthologies, some stories are so-so and other are complete standouts. Some anthologies are just straight-up inferior to He's Come Undone. Each story is fantastic unto itself, but packaged altogether so you have a whole bunch of fantasticness. The authors' different interpretations of a hero who needs "control" showcase the brilliance of their storytelling. My favorite thing about this anthology is that they've taken a concept normally associated with the classic romance alpha hero and given us...a book full of cinnamon rolls!
Here is a brief overview of each story and what I loved about them:
Appassionata by Emma Barry -- A story set to the background of music, and Barry's writing style echoes that beautiful, evocative flow. I highlighted so many passages in it because they're gorgeous, but also she's written an angry, "prickly" heroine who doesn't have to soften to get her happy ending. The hero is completely in her thrall, just flat-out gobsmacked by her power, and it's just so delicious.
Unraveled by Olivia Dade -- Grumpy/sunshine trope alert! The hero in Dade's story is the narrator throughout, which works so well as you're reading it. The heroine is so vivacious and effusive, and the hero becomes so wrapped up in her, that you don't even need to be in her head to understand her completely. Simon is also the most classically buttoned-up of the bunch and watching him come apart at the hands of the delightfully eccentric art teacher is the most fun.
Caught Looking by Adriana Herrera -- I'll be honest, I had a personal interest here in how often the controlled hero grunted and growled (hint: a lot). This story felt the most sweet to me. Hatuey and Yariel are just straight-up adorable together. Although there is some relationship tension due to homophobia, for the most part this is just a sexy tale of best friends falling head over heels for each other. Also, pining.
Yes, And... by Ruby Lang -- If I absolutely had to pick a favorite (and by that I mean I'm being dangled over the Grand Canyon by my ankles unless I pick one), it would probably be this one. I was honestly surprised at my deep emotional response to this story, which deals with caregiver fatigue and identity crisis as an adult. There's also this line from the hero which basically caused me to melt into a puddle of goo on the floor: "He swallowed. 'I like getting things right. And I don't mind working for it.'"
Tommy Cabot Was Here by Cat Sebastian -- The only historical in the anthology, this is classic Cat Sebastian in that it's a low stakes, cozy romance that portrays a couple of guys wobbling their way through life and to each other. Everett is buttoned-up in a goody-two-shoes way, while Tommy is an absolute mess with a heart of gold. Their story is about just getting to be themselves and live their lives and finding out they want to do it together.
These are five of the best writers of romance today and this anthology exemplifies that. You won't regret reading it.
Each author has included CW at the beginning of each story, but general ones to note are: on-page sex, profanity, references to homophobia, anxiety
In some anthologies, you like most of the stories but skip others. In some anthologies, some stories are so-so and other are complete standouts. Some anthologies are just straight-up inferior to He's Come Undone. Each story is fantastic unto itself, but packaged altogether so you have a whole bunch of fantasticness. The authors' different interpretations of a hero who needs "control" showcase the brilliance of their storytelling. My favorite thing about this anthology is that they've taken a concept normally associated with the classic romance alpha hero and given us...a book full of cinnamon rolls!
Here is a brief overview of each story and what I loved about them:
Appassionata by Emma Barry -- A story set to the background of music, and Barry's writing style echoes that beautiful, evocative flow. I highlighted so many passages in it because they're gorgeous, but also she's written an angry, "prickly" heroine who doesn't have to soften to get her happy ending. The hero is completely in her thrall, just flat-out gobsmacked by her power, and it's just so delicious.
Unraveled by Olivia Dade -- Grumpy/sunshine trope alert! The hero in Dade's story is the narrator throughout, which works so well as you're reading it. The heroine is so vivacious and effusive, and the hero becomes so wrapped up in her, that you don't even need to be in her head to understand her completely. Simon is also the most classically buttoned-up of the bunch and watching him come apart at the hands of the delightfully eccentric art teacher is the most fun.
Caught Looking by Adriana Herrera -- I'll be honest, I had a personal interest here in how often the controlled hero grunted and growled (hint: a lot). This story felt the most sweet to me. Hatuey and Yariel are just straight-up adorable together. Although there is some relationship tension due to homophobia, for the most part this is just a sexy tale of best friends falling head over heels for each other. Also, pining.
Yes, And... by Ruby Lang -- If I absolutely had to pick a favorite (and by that I mean I'm being dangled over the Grand Canyon by my ankles unless I pick one), it would probably be this one. I was honestly surprised at my deep emotional response to this story, which deals with caregiver fatigue and identity crisis as an adult. There's also this line from the hero which basically caused me to melt into a puddle of goo on the floor: "He swallowed. 'I like getting things right. And I don't mind working for it.'"
Tommy Cabot Was Here by Cat Sebastian -- The only historical in the anthology, this is classic Cat Sebastian in that it's a low stakes, cozy romance that portrays a couple of guys wobbling their way through life and to each other. Everett is buttoned-up in a goody-two-shoes way, while Tommy is an absolute mess with a heart of gold. Their story is about just getting to be themselves and live their lives and finding out they want to do it together.
These are five of the best writers of romance today and this anthology exemplifies that. You won't regret reading it.
Each author has included CW at the beginning of each story, but general ones to note are: on-page sex, profanity, references to homophobia, anxiety
August 23, 2020
Five stars for Cat Sebastian! I usually rate anthologies based on the best story, rather than the average, so this gets an easy five stars because Cat Sebastian is brilliant. This was a quality romance anthology featuring both queer and het stories about buttoned-up folk letting loose. Three or four stars for the rest of the stories.
I did a thing I never do--I skipped ahead to the story I bought this for--Cat Sebastian's "Tommy Cabot Was Here," which is last (radical, I know). This story is beautiful and quiet and heartwarming and charming and so lovely. For fans of this author's Hither, Page, it's more that kind of story than her Regencies. There's winter and pining and heartache and coziness in the mid-20th-century and it made me cry because it's a gorgeous story and very heartfelt. It features two boarding-school best friends, who are totally in love with each other, who lose touch for *reasons*. We meet them when they bump into each other fifteen years later, older and wiser. When I'd read the rest of the anthology, I read this story again with glee and cried again. I really connected with Everett and Tommy's story. It is so satisfying. This anthology is worth it for this story alone.
The rest of the stories were well done and well written, even if they weren't all entirely my cup of tea. "Appasionata" was a good one. The musical setting was cool and was very well done. The author clearly knows all about music. I really enjoyed the concert piano technician/concert pianist dynamic. I also enjoyed Adriana Herrera's story about two Dominican pro baseball players, called "Caught Looking." "Yes, and..." was really sad, but very real. "Unraveled" was pleasant and I learned about murder dioramas, not something I had ever thought about before. I enjoyed the easy diversity of these stories and how they were all so different.
I bought this because I'm a big Cat Sebastian fan, and her story was absolutely brilliant, but I also read four quality stories that I would not have read otherwise and it was interesting and worthwhile. Anthologies are so great in this way--I've been introduced to new authors and read stories that I would not have chosen for myself and so have learned new things. Win-win.
I did a thing I never do--I skipped ahead to the story I bought this for--Cat Sebastian's "Tommy Cabot Was Here," which is last (radical, I know). This story is beautiful and quiet and heartwarming and charming and so lovely. For fans of this author's Hither, Page, it's more that kind of story than her Regencies. There's winter and pining and heartache and coziness in the mid-20th-century and it made me cry because it's a gorgeous story and very heartfelt. It features two boarding-school best friends, who are totally in love with each other, who lose touch for *reasons*. We meet them when they bump into each other fifteen years later, older and wiser. When I'd read the rest of the anthology, I read this story again with glee and cried again. I really connected with Everett and Tommy's story. It is so satisfying. This anthology is worth it for this story alone.
The rest of the stories were well done and well written, even if they weren't all entirely my cup of tea. "Appasionata" was a good one. The musical setting was cool and was very well done. The author clearly knows all about music. I really enjoyed the concert piano technician/concert pianist dynamic. I also enjoyed Adriana Herrera's story about two Dominican pro baseball players, called "Caught Looking." "Yes, and..." was really sad, but very real. "Unraveled" was pleasant and I learned about murder dioramas, not something I had ever thought about before. I enjoyed the easy diversity of these stories and how they were all so different.
I bought this because I'm a big Cat Sebastian fan, and her story was absolutely brilliant, but I also read four quality stories that I would not have read otherwise and it was interesting and worthwhile. Anthologies are so great in this way--I've been introduced to new authors and read stories that I would not have chosen for myself and so have learned new things. Win-win.
May 12, 2020
Appassionista by Emma Barry
This story is about a pianist and a piano technician and it's absolutely beautifully written. Our pianist is diva Kristy Kwong, who is really struggling with her music and finding her "voice" in it because of crippling doubts. There's only one person she'll really allow in right now and by in, she means in the room while she practices and that's Brennan Connelly. Brennan is the technically the rule following buttoned up one in this relationship and watching him break his rules for Kristy is real cute. I didn't necessarily get fully swept up in their story the way I would have liked, but I think that was definitely a me problem.
Unraveled by Olivia Dade
Hands down, this short story is the stand out of the collection. Dade's writing and her character work in this short space is absolutely phenomenal. I am always so impressed by her ability to make me feel so much with so few words. This one is about two teachers, one a really fantastic art teacher, Poppy, and one a very, VERY buttoned up math teacher, Simon. There are murder dioramas and misunderstandings that get resolved in SUCH a satisfying way and like... Tbh, this book gave me Pride and Prejudice vibes. Like Simon and Mr. Darcy have the same buttoned up energy to me, a complete P&P fangirl. Anyway, the sticker price is worth it for this story alone, so...
Caught Looking by Adriana Herrera
This friends to lovers romance has Herrera's signature writing style and is about secondary characters from American Sweethearts, Yariel and Hatuey. The two hook up, changing their dynamic in ways that Yariel cannot handle. He's been in love with his "straight" best friend since high school and is absolutely terrified of what this means. I really loved Hatuey's patience with Yariel and the ways that he pushed him gently into accepting that Hatuey can actually make up his own mind about things. There's a level of angst here that I wasn't quite prepared for involving family dynamics and homophobia, but it's a great addition to the collection.
Yes, and... by Ruby Lang
When Dr. Darren Zhang accidentally finds himself in an improv class instead of the meditation class he meant to attend, he is startled by his attraction to the instructor, Joan Lacy. Joan has this one night off a week from taking care of her mom who is suffering from dementia and Dr. Zhang's decision that he won't be coming back to improv stings maybe more than it should. But as the two slowly build a friendship despite that, I melted. I mean, they melted. Both are true. This is probably my favorite thing I've read from Ruby Lang. I will say the end feels a little bittersweet though. I would love if she revisited these two in the future.
Tommy Cabot was Here by Cat Sebastian
This was my first Cat Sebastian and if you're wondering how the heck and also why, same. I really loved this one! Set in the 50s and following my precious Tommy, who has the most adorable like Golden Retriever energy to me, and poor, sweet Everett who just wanted to protect himself, this m/m romance gave me literally all the feelings. Basically Everett is a teacher at this school that Tommy's son is now attending. Tommy got married and Everett, his best friend forever, disappeared from his life. THE FEELINGS! Anyway, this is really great and talk about flipping the evil ex trope on it's head. I loved this. I want to read like sixteen more stories from Cat Sebastian now. Fortunately, I literally own five. So... Time to get on that?
Tl;dr: I 100% recommend this! I think there's a story in here for everyone.
Thanks to the authors for the chance to read and review this short story collection early!
This story is about a pianist and a piano technician and it's absolutely beautifully written. Our pianist is diva Kristy Kwong, who is really struggling with her music and finding her "voice" in it because of crippling doubts. There's only one person she'll really allow in right now and by in, she means in the room while she practices and that's Brennan Connelly. Brennan is the technically the rule following buttoned up one in this relationship and watching him break his rules for Kristy is real cute. I didn't necessarily get fully swept up in their story the way I would have liked, but I think that was definitely a me problem.
Unraveled by Olivia Dade
Hands down, this short story is the stand out of the collection. Dade's writing and her character work in this short space is absolutely phenomenal. I am always so impressed by her ability to make me feel so much with so few words. This one is about two teachers, one a really fantastic art teacher, Poppy, and one a very, VERY buttoned up math teacher, Simon. There are murder dioramas and misunderstandings that get resolved in SUCH a satisfying way and like... Tbh, this book gave me Pride and Prejudice vibes. Like Simon and Mr. Darcy have the same buttoned up energy to me, a complete P&P fangirl. Anyway, the sticker price is worth it for this story alone, so...
Caught Looking by Adriana Herrera
This friends to lovers romance has Herrera's signature writing style and is about secondary characters from American Sweethearts, Yariel and Hatuey. The two hook up, changing their dynamic in ways that Yariel cannot handle. He's been in love with his "straight" best friend since high school and is absolutely terrified of what this means. I really loved Hatuey's patience with Yariel and the ways that he pushed him gently into accepting that Hatuey can actually make up his own mind about things. There's a level of angst here that I wasn't quite prepared for involving family dynamics and homophobia, but it's a great addition to the collection.
Yes, and... by Ruby Lang
When Dr. Darren Zhang accidentally finds himself in an improv class instead of the meditation class he meant to attend, he is startled by his attraction to the instructor, Joan Lacy. Joan has this one night off a week from taking care of her mom who is suffering from dementia and Dr. Zhang's decision that he won't be coming back to improv stings maybe more than it should. But as the two slowly build a friendship despite that, I melted. I mean, they melted. Both are true. This is probably my favorite thing I've read from Ruby Lang. I will say the end feels a little bittersweet though. I would love if she revisited these two in the future.
Tommy Cabot was Here by Cat Sebastian
This was my first Cat Sebastian and if you're wondering how the heck and also why, same. I really loved this one! Set in the 50s and following my precious Tommy, who has the most adorable like Golden Retriever energy to me, and poor, sweet Everett who just wanted to protect himself, this m/m romance gave me literally all the feelings. Basically Everett is a teacher at this school that Tommy's son is now attending. Tommy got married and Everett, his best friend forever, disappeared from his life. THE FEELINGS! Anyway, this is really great and talk about flipping the evil ex trope on it's head. I loved this. I want to read like sixteen more stories from Cat Sebastian now. Fortunately, I literally own five. So... Time to get on that?
Tl;dr: I 100% recommend this! I think there's a story in here for everyone.
Thanks to the authors for the chance to read and review this short story collection early!
May 14, 2020
WARNING: You will have "She's Come Undone" stuck in your head the entire time you're reading this. Or maybe that was just me.
The anthology contains content warnings for each story. Overall, this was a great collection, and I devoured it really quickly. I liked that aside from "Caught Looking" the MCs were all older (late 30s-early 40s). The book includes some of my favourite authors, and some new to me authors. Overall rating 4.5 stars.
"Appassionata" by Emma Barry, 3 stars
This was the weakest of the anthology, for me, but still enjoyable. I felt like it had the most tenuous connection to the anthology theme. I was really interested in Brennan's job as a piano technician, that was fascinating. Brennan and Kristy were engaging, however, I felt like this story did suffer for the novella constraint, and could have used expanding.
"Unraveled" by Olivia Dade, 5 stars
This was my first Dade, and what a great introduction! Simon and Poppy were wonderful together. I really loved that even though Simon is controlled and pretty much uptight, he's not a cold character by any means. The story takes place over only one week, but the HEA felt completely earned and real. I would have loved to see more because I was enjoying the characters so much, but it didn't need it.
"Caught Looking" by Adriana Herrera, 5 stars
Herrera does it again. Yariel and Hatuey have been friends since they were teenagers, and although Yariel has always been aware of his feelings for Hatuey, Hatuey is just now catching up. I liked that their relationship felt lived in. You could really feel the history and connection between them, which was great because we're thrown right into things. Very sexy.
"Yes, And..." by Ruby Lang, 4 stars
Lang is also a new to me author, and I enjoyed this novella a lot. Darren is another character that, while high strung, was not shown to be cold at all. I really liked him and Joan together. Their relationship was wonderful and progressed at nice pace. They were two people who just really liked each other.
"Tommy Cabot Was Here" by Cat Sebastian, 4.5 stars
This is another best friends story, but it's also a second chance story. I really liked this universe a lot, and would love to see more from Sebastian about the other characters. It's set in 1959, which is a bit uncommon for historical romance, and I liked the change of pace.
The anthology contains content warnings for each story. Overall, this was a great collection, and I devoured it really quickly. I liked that aside from "Caught Looking" the MCs were all older (late 30s-early 40s). The book includes some of my favourite authors, and some new to me authors. Overall rating 4.5 stars.
"Appassionata" by Emma Barry, 3 stars
This was the weakest of the anthology, for me, but still enjoyable. I felt like it had the most tenuous connection to the anthology theme. I was really interested in Brennan's job as a piano technician, that was fascinating. Brennan and Kristy were engaging, however, I felt like this story did suffer for the novella constraint, and could have used expanding.
"Unraveled" by Olivia Dade, 5 stars
This was my first Dade, and what a great introduction! Simon and Poppy were wonderful together. I really loved that even though Simon is controlled and pretty much uptight, he's not a cold character by any means. The story takes place over only one week, but the HEA felt completely earned and real. I would have loved to see more because I was enjoying the characters so much, but it didn't need it.
"Caught Looking" by Adriana Herrera, 5 stars
Herrera does it again. Yariel and Hatuey have been friends since they were teenagers, and although Yariel has always been aware of his feelings for Hatuey, Hatuey is just now catching up. I liked that their relationship felt lived in. You could really feel the history and connection between them, which was great because we're thrown right into things. Very sexy.
"Yes, And..." by Ruby Lang, 4 stars
Lang is also a new to me author, and I enjoyed this novella a lot. Darren is another character that, while high strung, was not shown to be cold at all. I really liked him and Joan together. Their relationship was wonderful and progressed at nice pace. They were two people who just really liked each other.
"Tommy Cabot Was Here" by Cat Sebastian, 4.5 stars
This is another best friends story, but it's also a second chance story. I really liked this universe a lot, and would love to see more from Sebastian about the other characters. It's set in 1959, which is a bit uncommon for historical romance, and I liked the change of pace.
April 23, 2020
The straight-laced, tightly-wound MC is a good subject for a romance anthology, as long as he doesn't come across as completely humorless or cruel. There's also the danger that the MC who loosens him up can be portrayed as a classic "manic pixie dream girl" (or guy) who is all butterflies and unicorns but no substance. Thankfully, that's not what happens in this collection. I was interested primarily for the M/M pairings of Adriana Herrera and Cat Sebastian, but I enjoyed all five stories.
Appassionata by Emma Barry features Brennan, a reserved piano technician and Kristy, an alleged diva pianist who is rehearsing for her comeback concert despite a debilitating case of stage fright. I liked the fact that Brennan didn't really need to change much; in fact, his steadiness turns out to be just what Kristy (who is not a diva at all) needs. Bonus points for lots of music and piano terms.
Unraveled by Olivia Dade could have been a stereotypical stern math teacher meets hippie bohemian art teacher. But Simon is so adorably flustered by Poppy, who makes murder dioramas (it's a real thing; google "Frances Glessner Lee") that it didn't seem at all cliched. Plus he does a truly impressive grovel AND helps solve a mystery. Dade is a new to me author but I may be checking out her backlist.
Caught Looking by Adriana Herrera starts in the middle of the action after best friends Yariel and Hatuey have hooked up. Yariel has been in love with Hatuey since they were teens, but Hatuey has always identified as straight, so Yariel has pined away in silence. After the hookup, Hatuey realizes he is queer but Yariel refuses to believe that their relationship can survive the transition from friends to lovers. There's lots of chemistry and flaring nostrils, and a cameo appearance by Juan Pablo from Herrera's American Sweethearts.
Yes, And...by Ruby Lang provided another new author for me to check out. The conflict isn't so much whether physician Darren will loosen up thanks to actress/improv instructor Joan; he realizes pretty quickly that although improv isn't right for him, Joan just might be. But Joan has her hands full with a failing career and the demands of a mother with dementia, so she doesn't have room in her life for Darren. I liked the gentle humor and sweetness of this brief story, and although Darren's gesture to win over Joan is not one you'll find in many romances, it's perfect in its own way.
Finally, Tommy Cabot Was Here by Cat Sebastian was just about perfect. Two men who were schoolmates and f*ck buddies in pre-WWII Massachusetts meet again unexpectedly 20 years later; Everett is now a teacher at the school and Tommy has come to enroll his son. The hard feelings between the two men slowly thaw, but there are decades of misunderstanding to resolve. Even as they become friends again and acknowledge their attraction hasn't changed, they can't ignore the fact that Tommy is married and part of a wealthy family that would never accept a homosexual relationship. Every glance and conversation between the two MCs is charged with feeling, and it's not only the stuffed shirt who has to change. Everett risks his heart to tell Tommy why he has refused to speak to him for decades, and Tommy realizes that he acted like a spoiled, selfish jerk when they were students and needs to make amends for the years they missed. I'm biased because stories set in the early to mid 20th century are my catnip, but I read each word carefully to make it last. By the time I got to the end where the two men were"flawed and messy, safe and warm, loved and loving," I was in tears. Sebastian should consider writing more books in this time period, she captures the feel perfectly.
ARC received from the authors in return for an honest review.
Appassionata by Emma Barry features Brennan, a reserved piano technician and Kristy, an alleged diva pianist who is rehearsing for her comeback concert despite a debilitating case of stage fright. I liked the fact that Brennan didn't really need to change much; in fact, his steadiness turns out to be just what Kristy (who is not a diva at all) needs. Bonus points for lots of music and piano terms.
Unraveled by Olivia Dade could have been a stereotypical stern math teacher meets hippie bohemian art teacher. But Simon is so adorably flustered by Poppy, who makes murder dioramas (it's a real thing; google "Frances Glessner Lee") that it didn't seem at all cliched. Plus he does a truly impressive grovel AND helps solve a mystery. Dade is a new to me author but I may be checking out her backlist.
Caught Looking by Adriana Herrera starts in the middle of the action after best friends Yariel and Hatuey have hooked up. Yariel has been in love with Hatuey since they were teens, but Hatuey has always identified as straight, so Yariel has pined away in silence. After the hookup, Hatuey realizes he is queer but Yariel refuses to believe that their relationship can survive the transition from friends to lovers. There's lots of chemistry and flaring nostrils, and a cameo appearance by Juan Pablo from Herrera's American Sweethearts.
Yes, And...by Ruby Lang provided another new author for me to check out. The conflict isn't so much whether physician Darren will loosen up thanks to actress/improv instructor Joan; he realizes pretty quickly that although improv isn't right for him, Joan just might be. But Joan has her hands full with a failing career and the demands of a mother with dementia, so she doesn't have room in her life for Darren. I liked the gentle humor and sweetness of this brief story, and although Darren's gesture to win over Joan is not one you'll find in many romances, it's perfect in its own way.
Finally, Tommy Cabot Was Here by Cat Sebastian was just about perfect. Two men who were schoolmates and f*ck buddies in pre-WWII Massachusetts meet again unexpectedly 20 years later; Everett is now a teacher at the school and Tommy has come to enroll his son. The hard feelings between the two men slowly thaw, but there are decades of misunderstanding to resolve. Even as they become friends again and acknowledge their attraction hasn't changed, they can't ignore the fact that Tommy is married and part of a wealthy family that would never accept a homosexual relationship. Every glance and conversation between the two MCs is charged with feeling, and it's not only the stuffed shirt who has to change. Everett risks his heart to tell Tommy why he has refused to speak to him for decades, and Tommy realizes that he acted like a spoiled, selfish jerk when they were students and needs to make amends for the years they missed. I'm biased because stories set in the early to mid 20th century are my catnip, but I read each word carefully to make it last. By the time I got to the end where the two men were"flawed and messy, safe and warm, loved and loving," I was in tears. Sebastian should consider writing more books in this time period, she captures the feel perfectly.
ARC received from the authors in return for an honest review.
May 17, 2020
When I saw the list of authors contributing to He’s Come Undone, that was pretty much all I needed to know to smash that pre-order button. So many of my favorites all in one place! But THEN I found out it’s an anthology of novellas featuring starchy heroes, and I almost had to bust out the smelling salts to revive myself. Things are so tough right now for so many people, and then this anthology shows up (for $2.99! WHAT) like a beam of light directly from heaven. Do you like a buttoned-up, all-business hero? How about five of them? Well, make some cocoa and get out the snowblower because Christmas done came early.
Each author is at the top of their game here—each novella is fabulous, across the board. One thing I was extra impressed with was how Adriana Herrera and Cat Sebastian managed to convince me of their characters’ shared history. I’m often a tough sell on second chance romance or stories where the characters already have years of history off-page—I often need to see that closeness develop before my eyes to really buy in—but both authors execute the trope perfectly, weaving in scenes from the past organically, with no clunky flashbacks or distracting breaks. If you’ve loved Ruby Lang’s Uptown series with its grown adult characters confronting real life issues while still being delightfully steamy, you’ll be enamored with “Yes, And.” Emma Barry was a new author to me, but I can 1000% vouch for her depiction of anxiety, and I loved all the technical detail about the science and art of piano tuning in “Appassionata.” And finally, the pairing of a darkly whimsical art teacher and an uptight math teacher in Olivia Dade’s “Unraveled” is lovely in an opposites attract kind of way, although as a former teacher myself, I can think of nowhere less sexy to hook up than a classroom. Broom closet at a funeral home? Nope, still sexier than a classroom.
Regardless of where two teachers may or may not have banged it out, this anthology is all the superlatives and you definitely want to read it.
Each author is at the top of their game here—each novella is fabulous, across the board. One thing I was extra impressed with was how Adriana Herrera and Cat Sebastian managed to convince me of their characters’ shared history. I’m often a tough sell on second chance romance or stories where the characters already have years of history off-page—I often need to see that closeness develop before my eyes to really buy in—but both authors execute the trope perfectly, weaving in scenes from the past organically, with no clunky flashbacks or distracting breaks. If you’ve loved Ruby Lang’s Uptown series with its grown adult characters confronting real life issues while still being delightfully steamy, you’ll be enamored with “Yes, And.” Emma Barry was a new author to me, but I can 1000% vouch for her depiction of anxiety, and I loved all the technical detail about the science and art of piano tuning in “Appassionata.” And finally, the pairing of a darkly whimsical art teacher and an uptight math teacher in Olivia Dade’s “Unraveled” is lovely in an opposites attract kind of way, although as a former teacher myself, I can think of nowhere less sexy to hook up than a classroom. Broom closet at a funeral home? Nope, still sexier than a classroom.
Regardless of where two teachers may or may not have banged it out, this anthology is all the superlatives and you definitely want to read it.
May 6, 2020
The promise in a title... I love romances where the hero is simply unraveled, overwhelmed, in over his head, and yes, undone by his love. And wow, the heroes in this anthology fell hard. Normally, I pick favorites in anthology, but honestly, all of these appetizer-sized romances packed a gorgeously and tightly packed punch. Not only were there offerings from authors I follow but I found some new to me favorites.
I've never read a romance anthology with such a dazzling variety of characters, words, and voices. I don't just mean the obvious diversity of characters. The word nerd in me loved reading about murder dioramas (Unraveled by Olivia Dade), piano tuning (Appassionata by Emma Barry), improv class (Yes, And... by Ruby Lang), and a mathematician (Tommy Cabot Was Here by Cat Sebastian). And fun moments like this from Caught Looking by Adriana Herrera:
I requested this ARC because I was initially intrigued by the return to Ruby Lang's Practice Perfect series. I'm also a fan of Emma Barry's Fly Me to the Moon series and Olivia Dade's Lovestruck Librarians. Turns out I also have Adriana Herrera and Cat Sebastian in my TBR and now I can't wait to dig into them. If these authors' characters can give so much yearning in just a few pages, I can only imagine what their full romances can do.
4.5 stars. See the full review on my blog Lucky Reads Romance
I've never read a romance anthology with such a dazzling variety of characters, words, and voices. I don't just mean the obvious diversity of characters. The word nerd in me loved reading about murder dioramas (Unraveled by Olivia Dade), piano tuning (Appassionata by Emma Barry), improv class (Yes, And... by Ruby Lang), and a mathematician (Tommy Cabot Was Here by Cat Sebastian). And fun moments like this from Caught Looking by Adriana Herrera:
Once it finally sank in that I was in love with a headass stubborn fool, my plan really came together.
I requested this ARC because I was initially intrigued by the return to Ruby Lang's Practice Perfect series. I'm also a fan of Emma Barry's Fly Me to the Moon series and Olivia Dade's Lovestruck Librarians. Turns out I also have Adriana Herrera and Cat Sebastian in my TBR and now I can't wait to dig into them. If these authors' characters can give so much yearning in just a few pages, I can only imagine what their full romances can do.
4.5 stars. See the full review on my blog Lucky Reads Romance
May 26, 2020
The perfect romance anthology doesn't exi-
May 14, 2020
This anthology is exceptional. The best romance anthology I have ever read., hands down. I loved the uniting theme of the 'buttoned-up, starch-pressed MC', because the fun of this theme is watching said character break. And break and fall in love they do.
My two standouts were the first two in the anthology. Appassionata by Emma Barry made me swoon as we watched a concert pianist with a bad case of stage fright, fall in love with her piano technician. And Unraveled by Olivia Dade made me cackle with glee at its wittiness and fascinating subject matter. I can honestly say I have never read a story that includes murder dioramas as a key plot point. Yes, MURDER DIORAMAS--they are my new favourite obsession.
The last three stories are also fantastic. There is not a weak one in the bunch.
If you are having trouble reading, like I have been, try this anthology. Each story is around 65 pages long, so perhaps the perfect length to help you bust your slump. I am so glad I read it, and I know I will be re-reading it for years to come. Bravo on a fantastically well executed project, to all involved!
I received an arc in return for a fair and honest review.
I am social media friends with some of the writers in this anthology, but all of these thoughts are my own.
My two standouts were the first two in the anthology. Appassionata by Emma Barry made me swoon as we watched a concert pianist with a bad case of stage fright, fall in love with her piano technician. And Unraveled by Olivia Dade made me cackle with glee at its wittiness and fascinating subject matter. I can honestly say I have never read a story that includes murder dioramas as a key plot point. Yes, MURDER DIORAMAS--they are my new favourite obsession.
The last three stories are also fantastic. There is not a weak one in the bunch.
If you are having trouble reading, like I have been, try this anthology. Each story is around 65 pages long, so perhaps the perfect length to help you bust your slump. I am so glad I read it, and I know I will be re-reading it for years to come. Bravo on a fantastically well executed project, to all involved!
I received an arc in return for a fair and honest review.
I am social media friends with some of the writers in this anthology, but all of these thoughts are my own.
November 9, 2020
This is without a doubt one of the best anthologies I’ve ever read. You can read from the first page to the last and not find anything to dislike. TONS of emotion in the stories. I loved it.
Adriana Herrera’s best friends to lovers was probably my favorite. So much emotion and feeling, and I hope this is expanded once the anthology ends. The other standout was Cat Sebastian-I cried each time Tommy did I swear lol. Olivia Dade can do no wrong, and this just solidified that. She’s outstanding and not read enough imo. Ruby Lang and Emma Barry are new to me, and I will be seeking more from them in the future.
Highly, highly recommend
Adriana Herrera’s best friends to lovers was probably my favorite. So much emotion and feeling, and I hope this is expanded once the anthology ends. The other standout was Cat Sebastian-I cried each time Tommy did I swear lol. Olivia Dade can do no wrong, and this just solidified that. She’s outstanding and not read enough imo. Ruby Lang and Emma Barry are new to me, and I will be seeking more from them in the future.
Highly, highly recommend
May 12, 2020
Emma, Olivia, Adriana, Ruby, and Cat did a great job! I loved all of the stories and characters! There’s a setting for everyone, and they are just so good!
May 21, 2020
"Appassionata" by Emma Barry
👍👍👍👍 - nicely done
"Unraveled" by Olivia Dade
👍👍👍👍👍 - superb. Tightly knit with beautiful colours.
👍👍👍👍 - nicely done
"Unraveled" by Olivia Dade
👍👍👍👍👍 - superb. Tightly knit with beautiful colours.
Read
December 2, 2020My problem with anthologies is that there's always one author who's work I really want to read, and then a bunch I don't. If I decide to read the anthology, I will try to read the whole thing, and then get really annoyed by all the stories I would not choose to read on my own, but feel forced to, because they're included in the book I'm currently holding, and I'm very bad at skipping.
Tldr I'm just here for the Cat Sebastian story.
I tried! I really did! But my patience this year is much, much shorter than usual.
I read the first story, Appasionata by Emma Barry and honestly I really enjoyed it. Well, the story and characters, at least. Artistic burnout is unfortunately something I've been dealing with all year, mostly unsuccessfully, so I really felt for Kristy, and wished her all the best. Her story was gripping and heartfelt, and tugged on my strings. Her relationship with Brennan was lovely and honest, but it felt more like a fledgling start to a relationship,rather than one that progressed to grand love confessions. Basically it was lovely, but I didn't really feel it. Emma Barry's writing is great tho.
Now, I'm gonna be controversial (lol), but as an artist of the drawing variety, I'm sick of all the artists in the media, especially romances, being portrayed as these ultra quirky manic pixie dreamgirls. So when I read the blurb of the next story and found out the heroine is named Poppy, is a quirky art teacher and makes murder dioramas, I had to nope out of there. I've heard only good things about Olivia Dade's writing, and will probably check her out one day, but clearly this one would just drive me uo the wall. I did mention the shortened patience.
Adriana Herrera is someone who's books I will not be touching after the way she behaved in the #ReviewGate, or whatever we're calling it. No thank you.
And finally, the last Ruby Lang book I've read left me both frustrated and bored out of my mind, so again, in the sake of my sanity, I skipped it.
And that brings us to the Cat Sebastian story, which I knew wouldn't disappoint me, because she's my favourite writer, and her writing is like a balm on my tired queer soul. And she didn't! It was beautiful, heartfelt, lovely, made me laugh AND made me cry, the classic CatS combo. It's a second chance m/m romance between old best friends set at a boarding school where they went to school together, and now one is a teacher and the other's son just enrolled. One of the protags is a starchy mess, the other is a depressed but outgoing mess, and their relationship is full of yearning and old baggage. Plus as always, there's a bunch of the signature CatS rambunctious children adopting their grumpy teacher while he loudly proclaims how much he doesn't like children and the sweets and snacks he just bought them don't mean anything. There's found family, there's themes of healing from abuse and a beautiful relationship. I really hope for more from this universe, especially since I want to know more about Tommy's ex wife and her butch pal 👀
I'm not going to be rating this book, because obviously I've read just two out of five, but checking other people's reviews, this was a solid anthology, if you're into the premise.
Tldr I'm just here for the Cat Sebastian story.
I tried! I really did! But my patience this year is much, much shorter than usual.
I read the first story, Appasionata by Emma Barry and honestly I really enjoyed it. Well, the story and characters, at least. Artistic burnout is unfortunately something I've been dealing with all year, mostly unsuccessfully, so I really felt for Kristy, and wished her all the best. Her story was gripping and heartfelt, and tugged on my strings. Her relationship with Brennan was lovely and honest, but it felt more like a fledgling start to a relationship,rather than one that progressed to grand love confessions. Basically it was lovely, but I didn't really feel it. Emma Barry's writing is great tho.
Now, I'm gonna be controversial (lol), but as an artist of the drawing variety, I'm sick of all the artists in the media, especially romances, being portrayed as these ultra quirky manic pixie dreamgirls. So when I read the blurb of the next story and found out the heroine is named Poppy, is a quirky art teacher and makes murder dioramas, I had to nope out of there. I've heard only good things about Olivia Dade's writing, and will probably check her out one day, but clearly this one would just drive me uo the wall. I did mention the shortened patience.
Adriana Herrera is someone who's books I will not be touching after the way she behaved in the #ReviewGate, or whatever we're calling it. No thank you.
And finally, the last Ruby Lang book I've read left me both frustrated and bored out of my mind, so again, in the sake of my sanity, I skipped it.
And that brings us to the Cat Sebastian story, which I knew wouldn't disappoint me, because she's my favourite writer, and her writing is like a balm on my tired queer soul. And she didn't! It was beautiful, heartfelt, lovely, made me laugh AND made me cry, the classic CatS combo. It's a second chance m/m romance between old best friends set at a boarding school where they went to school together, and now one is a teacher and the other's son just enrolled. One of the protags is a starchy mess, the other is a depressed but outgoing mess, and their relationship is full of yearning and old baggage. Plus as always, there's a bunch of the signature CatS rambunctious children adopting their grumpy teacher while he loudly proclaims how much he doesn't like children and the sweets and snacks he just bought them don't mean anything. There's found family, there's themes of healing from abuse and a beautiful relationship. I really hope for more from this universe, especially since I want to know more about Tommy's ex wife and her butch pal 👀
I'm not going to be rating this book, because obviously I've read just two out of five, but checking other people's reviews, this was a solid anthology, if you're into the premise.
May 12, 2020
I received an ARC from the authors in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
He’s Come Undone is truly an epic romance anthology, featuring works from five up-and-coming romance authors, two of whom I’ve read and loved numerous books from, and the other three being authors I was interested in picking up. While “opposites attract” is hard to pull off in my opinion, especially when it’s an uptight character meeting a more free spirited one and falling apart, all of the takes are great romances, even if there are some minor flaws.
“Appassionata” by Emma Barry (m/f)
5 stars
This story is a moving tribute to the piano instructors and the art of music itself. I loved both of the leads, but I was particularly struck by the way Kristy’s anxiety and stage fright were conveyed, as it’s something I Sea with in my daily life, although in a different capacity.
“Unraveled” by Olivia Dade (m/f)
4 stars
It’s a perfect meeting of opposites when the calm, logical math teacher ends up mentoring the new art teacher, the chaotic Poppy Wick. I liked seeing how she—and her murder dioramas (fun!)—challenged him, and led him down the path to his, well, unraveling.
“Caught Looking” by Adriana Herrera (m/m)
5 stars
This one was steamy in all the right ways! I love a good friends to lovers, and I adored seeing Yariel and Hatuey navigate their “beyond-friendship” feelings for one
another. And it’s an extension of the Dreamers series, which is always a good thing in my book.
“Yes, And…” by Ruby Lang (m/f)
4 stars
This is a beautiful portrayal of a woman on the verge of breakdown while caring for a relative, and finding the perfect partner to lean on in a handsome doctor. I definitely feel like there was room for more development of the issues at play here into a larger story, but it still ended up being a sweet read.
“Tommy Cabot Was Here” by Cat Sebastian (m/m)
5 stars
This one has it all in a beautiful, emotional package. I loved seeing both Tommy and Everett navigating their feelings for one another in the midst of other pressures from family and society. The 1950s setting is richly drawn, depicting the homophobia of the time, while also giving a sense of hope with the characters’ story.
In general, this is a superb anthology from five brilliant authors. If you love romance, especially what they’ve termed “starchy” heroes, then check out this anthology.
He’s Come Undone is truly an epic romance anthology, featuring works from five up-and-coming romance authors, two of whom I’ve read and loved numerous books from, and the other three being authors I was interested in picking up. While “opposites attract” is hard to pull off in my opinion, especially when it’s an uptight character meeting a more free spirited one and falling apart, all of the takes are great romances, even if there are some minor flaws.
“Appassionata” by Emma Barry (m/f)
5 stars
This story is a moving tribute to the piano instructors and the art of music itself. I loved both of the leads, but I was particularly struck by the way Kristy’s anxiety and stage fright were conveyed, as it’s something I Sea with in my daily life, although in a different capacity.
“Unraveled” by Olivia Dade (m/f)
4 stars
It’s a perfect meeting of opposites when the calm, logical math teacher ends up mentoring the new art teacher, the chaotic Poppy Wick. I liked seeing how she—and her murder dioramas (fun!)—challenged him, and led him down the path to his, well, unraveling.
“Caught Looking” by Adriana Herrera (m/m)
5 stars
This one was steamy in all the right ways! I love a good friends to lovers, and I adored seeing Yariel and Hatuey navigate their “beyond-friendship” feelings for one
another. And it’s an extension of the Dreamers series, which is always a good thing in my book.
“Yes, And…” by Ruby Lang (m/f)
4 stars
This is a beautiful portrayal of a woman on the verge of breakdown while caring for a relative, and finding the perfect partner to lean on in a handsome doctor. I definitely feel like there was room for more development of the issues at play here into a larger story, but it still ended up being a sweet read.
“Tommy Cabot Was Here” by Cat Sebastian (m/m)
5 stars
This one has it all in a beautiful, emotional package. I loved seeing both Tommy and Everett navigating their feelings for one another in the midst of other pressures from family and society. The 1950s setting is richly drawn, depicting the homophobia of the time, while also giving a sense of hope with the characters’ story.
In general, this is a superb anthology from five brilliant authors. If you love romance, especially what they’ve termed “starchy” heroes, then check out this anthology.
May 12, 2020
He’s Come Undone
What a delightful collection of stories that provide a bit of something for everyone! I have to say I have read three out of five books but wanted to get this review posted before finishing the book because it is just that good.
I had read Emma Barry before and loved her work. The story she wrote for this anthology was a delight to my senses…al of them…I have played a number of musical instruments, know what the movements titling each section mean and understood Kristy and Brennan so very well…and…have to say that those practice rooms reminded me of some I visited in college. Loved this story!
Olivia Dade’s story had me signing up for her newsletter. I absolutely adored art teacher Poppy Wick and the way she seemed to be able to wind math teacher Simon Burnham up with so little effort. Poppy was a strong, smart, skilled artist and teacher. Simon was also strong, smart and a skilled teacher who was a lot more than his uptightness in the beginning made me think he was. Smiling as I think of the two of them 😉
Adriana’s story is of two men that have been friends for over a decade. Perhaps they could have been together since high school but then again by waiting and really getting to know themselves and what they really want…well…their story was a fun read with a HEA that left me happy at the end.
I can’t wait to read the stories by Ruby and Cat so am going to stop writing now and get back to my reading.
Did I like this anthology? Yes
Would I read more by these authors? Definitely
Thank you to the authors for the ARC – This is my honest review.
5 Stars
What a delightful collection of stories that provide a bit of something for everyone! I have to say I have read three out of five books but wanted to get this review posted before finishing the book because it is just that good.
I had read Emma Barry before and loved her work. The story she wrote for this anthology was a delight to my senses…al of them…I have played a number of musical instruments, know what the movements titling each section mean and understood Kristy and Brennan so very well…and…have to say that those practice rooms reminded me of some I visited in college. Loved this story!
Olivia Dade’s story had me signing up for her newsletter. I absolutely adored art teacher Poppy Wick and the way she seemed to be able to wind math teacher Simon Burnham up with so little effort. Poppy was a strong, smart, skilled artist and teacher. Simon was also strong, smart and a skilled teacher who was a lot more than his uptightness in the beginning made me think he was. Smiling as I think of the two of them 😉
Adriana’s story is of two men that have been friends for over a decade. Perhaps they could have been together since high school but then again by waiting and really getting to know themselves and what they really want…well…their story was a fun read with a HEA that left me happy at the end.
I can’t wait to read the stories by Ruby and Cat so am going to stop writing now and get back to my reading.
Did I like this anthology? Yes
Would I read more by these authors? Definitely
Thank you to the authors for the ARC – This is my honest review.
5 Stars
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