Eleven lovelorn singletons. Eleven tales of Cupid, catastrophe, and maybe more…
Worst Valentine’s Day Ever flips the script on lonely hearts who seem destined for Valentine’s disaster. If you like laugh-out-loud rom-coms, terrible dates gone right, and gorgeous happily-ever-afters, then you’ll love this adorable collection. It ain’t all hearts and roses; but these tales of triumph will find your faith in Valentine’s Day—and your faith in love—restored.
The Worst Day Ever Series
The Worst Day Ever Series collects tales of hilarity, hope and survival for characters facing classically-stressful situations. From not-so-happy holidays to doomed-to-be-a-disaster predicaments, they find the love they need to get them through. This series is proud to feature characters from diverse backgrounds, #ownvoices authors, and a range of romantic themes: contemporary to paranormal, cis/hetero to LGBTQ+, sweet to steamy, body-positive, neurodiverse, interracial/multicultural, and more.
more
4.5 Stars
The Worst Valentines’ Day Ever was a diverse set of short stories/novellas covering a number of romance sub-genres. Although I skipped a couple of the stories with PNR elements, it was worth picking up for all of those that I did read. Below are a few words about my top favorites from the collection.
PERFECT ODDS by LG O’Connor-
This was my favorite from the entire anthology. I loved it. It had an original setting to not one, but two friends-to-lovers romances. One of them (I believe) being a prequel to a potentially quirky and fun new rom-com series with some real poignancy.
RIGHT HAND MAN by Kilby Blades-
I picked up the anthology for this author and she didn’t disappoint. Right Hand Man was a sweetly romantic tale with a highly capable heroine. I only wish that we had more time and dialogue with Cal.
CHASING THE NIGHT by Deb Lee-
Chasing the Night was a sweet, fun, and tender romance with a surprising reveal in the first few moments. I loved it. This one had a few noticeable grammatical errors, but I won’t hold it against it. After reading this story, I’m excited to read this author’s debut full-length romance.
While there was one story I didn’t really care for, it didn’t detract from all those that I did. Overall, a collection worth reading for the number of exceptional stories that were included.
***I received an ARC of this book and voluntarily reviewed after reading.***
This is the best anthology I’ve read so far this year. With a range of stories, from paranormal romance to contemporary romance I was never bored. There were a few stories I didn’t like so much, but there were others that I absolutely loved.
Some of my Favorites:
“Love it or Leave it” by Eva Moore
“Valentine’s Day from Hell” by R.L. Merrill
“Chasing the Night” by Deb Lee
One thing that stood out for me is the authors’ blurbs isn’t with their stories. They are placed in the back instead. Which I loved, it felt that it flowed better
This was a nice anthology to read prior to Valentine’s Day. I liked some of the stories better than others. The first one, “Perfect Odds” had a unique plot line that seemed both far-fetched and possible in today’s world. I also liked “Asking for a Friend.” Everything that Sarah went through seemed realistic. I liked the “second chance at life” theme of the story. My favorite, however, was “Valentine’s Day from Hell” mainly because it was set in the SF Bay Area, and a large portion of it took place at a nature refuge that I spent a lot of time at as a kid. It’s not often that little ol’ Hayward is a featured location! Some of the other stories were less successful and some were just okay. Because it is an anthology, there is a variety to read and everybody should be able to find something to their tastes. Thank you to Hidden Gems and the authors/publisher for a digital copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
Ten love’s stories about he magic of Valentine’s Day and how everybody deserve a chance in love and happiness, from best friends, to lost friends, broke relationships …. all of them, even the ones not looking for love, will have a happy ending in Valentine’s Day
This is a diverse collection of feel good love themed and what could go wrong typically does go wrong short stories.
I skipped the shifter story because I just don’t like them. The others were great.
They are well written and there is something for everyone.
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book for Hidden Gems