*ARC review*

Stupid Cupid - Holy spice! No slow burn for this one; it dives right in! I enjoyed the banter, but some of it was a little cheesy. Very fast-paced story.

The Hand Off - Ellory Douglas was very descriptive in all aspects of writing, so it made imagining what was happening or where they were at easy. A slow burn, but spicy when it gets there! I would love this story as a full book to learn more about their backstories, see how things progress, and see what happens with Noah.

Love Ink - This one was a friends/coworkers-to-lovers short story. I enjoy histories where characters always had crushes on each other but never acted on their feelings. There are a couple of whitty lines and some workplace spice. I loved the nudge from the best friend because it is something I could totally see happening. The flashback really threw me for a minute and I had to stop and think about what was going on.

All My Love - This story was my favorite of the anthology. It's a classic slow-burn, small-town romance with some spice. I would love for this to become a full book. The cute and snarky little notes in this one definitely made me giggle. If “Grammie” was real, I would get along with her.

Skeleton MDS4A - The very first excerpt from this story gives a sense of foreboding that doesn’t really make sense until the end. The story is a mix of paranormal and work rivals-to-lovers, but feels like it should be two completely different stories. I wasn’t a huge fan of this one as a short story, but I think it has potential as a longer story to see how it all comes together.

Be Mine - Such a cute small-town romance with a MMC who gives off major “golden retriever” energy. The dialogue between the FMC and MMC was quirky but funny. It goes from a sweet little romance to spicy quickly. The little section at the end helped to “wrap up” the story, but I would enjoy a longer version of this one as well.

Love between The Lines is a collection of short stories. I had a hard time finishing it. All the stories were nothing but smut. Now I love reading smut it books, but I felt like there wasn't any plot at all in the stories.

Love Between the Lines – A Romance Anthology

Six Sizzling Short Stories perfect for Valentine’s…or ANY day! Great way to read new authors and see which ones might become favorites.

STUPID CUPID by Luna Day
Cupid is having a bad night drinking alone in a bar when the woman next to him SEES him and nobody human ever sees him. What starts off as a conversation quickly becomes more.

THE HAND-OFF by Ellory Douglas
Maisie is off to England for a summer internship working with a Rugby team. A couple of the steaming hot men are interested but only one will win her hand and all the rest of her, too.

LOVE INK by Marlee Ryan
Jade, her BFF Maddy, and Maddy’s brother Lucas own a tattoo studio together and one day what had been friends become lovers and perhaps forever after lovers at that.

ALL MY LOVE by Mimi Gunn
Julia meets Harry when she goes to prepare her grammie’s home for sale. Harry lends a helping hand and soon things steam up but can two people who live far apart find a way forward together?

SKELETON MD54A by Ivy Dawes
Archaeologists Amelia and Ian are on a dig in the Hebrides when their antagonism does an about face and attraction sizzles between them. What they find on the dig is powerful, in mor ways than one.

BE MINE by Violet Pearce
Samantha’s grandmother decides that her granddaughter should house and dog-sit for her while she plays. Meeting the local neighbor is not love at first sight but that situation heats up quickly.

All of the stories were fun and sizzled with heat. Some of the couples may or may not have HEA’s but all were definitely satisfied with the encounters they enjoyed in the stories in this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op for the ARC - This is my honest review.

4-5 Stars

Great collection of stories, lovely spice. I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a spicy romance anthology from Canadian authors.

LOVE BETWEEN THE LINES
A Romance Anthology


Thank you @netgalley, LOVE Lit Press and authors for ARC of this amazing book.

Six short romance stories perfect for your end of the day grabs, read in between and ofcourse for the Valentines season.

Let's break into each and see what you're up for...

1. STUPID CUPID by Luna Day- it's my most favorite of all and a modern day retelling of Cupid where he finds the love of his life in bar on the eve of valentines day. The story got me on the magically glowing tattoos.

2. THE HANDS OFF by Ellory Douglas is an age gap sports romance between an athele and trainer which was interesting and sooo gooodd especially the jealousy part.

3. LOVE INK by Marlee Ryan is a Best friend's Brother with years in the making and finally the tension explodes with oh wow jealousyyyy and both being tattoo artist was another wow moment in the story.

4. ALL MY LOVE by Mimi Gunn has a super amazing and meddling grandma who left Julia her estate and a strong, handsome handyman neighbor to help. Yeah! You can feel it too right?

5. SKELETON MDS4A by Ivy Dawes is between the two rival archeologists who are on the same project with the Paranormal angle involved. It will confuse you in the beginning but leave you wanting more of it by the end.

6. BE MINE by Violet Pearce is small town, Black Cat × Golden Retriver short story where they are stuck admist a storm and not much of my favorite but a good one nonetheless.


All in all it's a book you should pick next when you desperately want to read something in between those heavy topic books and want a light but quick reads.

It has my thumbs up for it....



Toodles 💕

More please!

This book gets ALL the superlatives from me, because it was so much fun. There wasn't a single story in this collection where I didn't get to the end and think "Wait, that's it? No!" and immediately resolve to go check out the authors to see what books they've published. So that I've been gushing like the fangirl I am, let's look at each of the stories.

STUPID CUPID by Luna Day: This really kicks off the series, and I was on board straight away. A disenfranchised Cupid sighing over his beer in a bar on Valentine's Day because apps are ruining his career. Then he realises he's sitting next to a woman who, against all the odds, can see him, and curiosity turns to fascination turns to a very spicy hookup and a sentient motorcycle. What's not to love?

THE HAND OFF by Ellory Douglas: Maisie is a Canadian sports medicine placement at a UK football sports clinic/school. Griffin is an older player who is hiding his injury because he doesn't want anyone to think he's aging out of the game. Then there's Noah, another staff/team member who ... might be interested in them both? Hmm.

LOVE INK by Marlee Ryan: Jade has opened a tattoo parlour with her best friend Maddy, and Maddy's brother Lucas. Jade and Lucas squabble all the time, and you know what that means, right? Who knew getting locked in a cleaning cupboard/storeroom could be such a revelation?

ALL MY LOVE by Mimi Gunn: This one is sweet. Julia has inherited her Grandmother's house, and so travels back to the small town to renovate and sell. The money from the sale will give her the funds to buy something in the city, because she's a career woman. But then the small town effect kicks in. All the locals know her, there's a series of notes from her Grandmother while the renovations continue, and then there's the "He's single!" neighbour, Frank. Ah, Frank. Ever helpful, ever hunky, nice forearms, Frank. Done deal. Love it.

SKELETON MDS4A by Ivy Dawes: Oh this one was interesting, a story that's archaeological with a bit of paranormal/supernatural and love/hate colleagues. There's a discovery of two sarcophagi, one with a lock, one with a key, and one of the occupants can sense that change is coming. Are the two archaeologists channelling the occupants? Mysterious forces are afoot, and this one ends on a cliffhanger. If there isn't some sort of novella built around this one I'm going to have to find the author and hit her up with a "please explain?"

BE MINE by Violet Pearce: Okay this one had me snickering when I was on the bus heading to work. No regrets. There are some real zinger lines in this one and the dialogue - both inner and between the characters - was a delight from start to finish. I mean, there's this line "He looks like Charlie Hunnam and a Viking gave birth to a national surfing champion". Gold.

Each of these stories has a deft touch and writing style that I adored. The characters are all fully formed with an economy of words that somehow never feels stingy. They're all so vibrant that they jump off the page, and the spice is ... well a girl can dream, right? I should be so lucky. The pacing was well done, to the point where I wanted more for every story in this series, but I'm also happy to leave them where they are. Sometimes it's nice to finish on a possibility rather than taking it too far.

Great fun all round. Read it, love it, you're welcome.

@TrishSparklerReads Bookstagram:

“Love Between The Lines” by Luna Day, Ellory Douglas, Marlee Ryan, Mimi Gunn, Ivy Dawes, Violet Pearce
Genre: Romance/Erotic Short Stories
Rating: 4⭐️
Spice: 3-4🌶️
Darkness: 1-3🩶

Highlights:
💙Short Story Anthology
💙Valentine/Love Focus
💙All Canadian Authors 🇨🇦
💙A Variety of Tropes

Thoughts:
This was a perfect Valentine’s read, or when you are the mood for sweet and steamy stories before bed. I loved the feature in the index where each author provided tropes and heat levels for their stories. I have been reading one story each night before bed and have really enjoyed the creativity and variety in these stories. I think my favourite was the Cupid story and the quirky paranormal story.

🛑Please read all the author warnings as themes and events in this book could be triggering. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Thank you to NetGalley, Love Lit Press & authors
Luna Day, Ellory Douglas, Marlee Ryan, Mimi Gunn, Ivy Dawes, Violet Pearce- for the chance to read this book in exchange for my honest review.

Listen, if you're seeking short, sweet and spicy stories somewhat based around Valentine's Day- this anthology is for you. (Even though I'm a strict season/mood reader- you could easily enjoy this well outside of Valentine's Day season!)

These are short. So they take off QUICK. But that's the fun of an anthology like this, right? This collection would be sooo fun to read for a book club- there's something for everyone!

Buckle up, book lovers—you’re in for a treat!
I was beyond excited to receive the ARC of 𝙇𝙤𝙫𝙚 𝘽𝙚𝙩𝙬𝙚𝙚𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙇𝙞𝙣𝙚𝙨. This steamy compilation features six incredible indie authors, and trust me when I say it has something for everyone! It’s always tricky to critique short story compilations since each author brings their own unique style, but that worked in my favor here! Every story gave me exactly what I needed. My only complaint? That it’s over! I loved the variety and how each story felt fresh and different.

This book is absolutely perfect for readers who love a variety of themes. It’s like an amuse bouche of spicy stories. You have a handful of different tropes from 6 different authors in short story format. Each story has lovely spice and is thoroughly captivating. This was an amazing palate cleanser for those of us who read heavy themes books and was a wonderful introduction to these authors. I’d give the whole book a 3 🌶️!

I love them all?!? I started this not knowing if I'll love it, but I was like hmm tattoo artist, ok let's do this. Also, loved Luna Day's previous anthologies/collection of stories Kiss and Make Love so I might as well try this and glad that I did, Thanks Netgalley and authors for the e-ARC <3

Stupid Cupid: This is more like insta-love for me, more contemporary, but it lacked the tension I was looking for.
The Hand-Off: this may be my least favorite here but it gives spice, and tension well, it was just so short it felt like it was just abruptly stopped in the middle of the goodpart. (honestly it ending on a thr33some would have been better) why choose?
Love Ink: This is MY ABSOLUTE FAVORITE HERE, like plsss, the JEALOUSY was so satisfying, the years of pining condensed in just a short story, gimme more of them, gimme a FULL NOVEL.
All My Love: the least spicy but the story with more heart, I love them <3 I wish we could have seen further into the story.
Skeleton MDS4A: gosh the rival to lovers we did know we needed in this.
Be Mine: this is so ROMCOM coded, plssss, I want more

Overall, if the first two stories were written better/plotted better, this would have been 5 stars for me, but they are all enjoyable if you need a lil refresher of your palette in reading.

I love Luna Day’s writing so I knew I would enjoy this but it was also really fun to be able to discover a bunch of new-to-me authors in a series of bite sized stories that gave me a great taster for all of their writing styles.

I thought some of these stories would make great full length novels so I’ll definitely be checking out these authors’ other books.

I would recommend it if you want a quick, fun and very sexy series of short stories that will give you a taste of six different authors’ writing.

Thank you so much for this Arc! I am going to break my review up based on each story!
Stupid Cupid - This story was short and spicy! perfect for when you want something super spicy and sweet at the same time!
The Hand-off - This story started off really strong, I liked the storyline but having Noah’s POV in there kinda threw me off.
Love Ink - I am a sucker for best friends brother and this one did not disappoint! I absolutely loved it!
All my Love - This story was sweet! Go Grammie for playing such a good matchmaker!
Skelton MDS4A - This story just wasn’t for me! the writing is good but I just couldn’t get into the story
Be Mine - This story was a spicy good time

This an anthology of 6 spicy short stories and I absolutely loved it. Several stories had me giggling and kicking my feet. My favorites were Stupid Cupid and Be Mine. If you’re a Mummy fan you need to read that last story! Thank you to Net Galley for the opportunity to read this early.

1. Stupid Cupid by Luna Day - This one was a spicy romance story with a twist! A love story between a human and a mystical character, both of whom have lost hope in love, is just a starter pack for this book. It was quite interesting to read about glowing tattoos and what not (iykyk). Making love on the bike is yet another scene you might enjoy reading. This was a fast paced story.

2. The Hand Off by Ellory Douglas - This one was quite suspenseful. It had me wondering who the pair would include. But you know, there's surprise for everyone. As far as I could understand, it's also an age gap relationship. It's a sports romance, and I would love to read the extended version of it in future (if any), with more of Noah's point of view. The male character was the possessive and dominant type, whereas Maise was innocent, submissive and shy. It was all a teasing game before the action began.

3. Ink Love by Marlee Ryan - This was a workplace romance, with so much teasing oh my god! Lucas is the Greek god, tatted and built strong, who is possessive for dear Jade. Oh how I wish to see his tattoos, especially the tornado one! Jade is the confident one in this relationship, and the thing I like about her is that she takes stand for herself. Lastly, Maddy (aka Mads) is my favourite best friend! She's so understanding, and of course a saviour! Can we have a story for her as well? The writing style of this story is so easy to understand that you'll finish it in no time.

4. All My Love by Mimi Gunn - Well well, this was an emotional one! And also my favourite short story among all. Special mention goes to Grammie and her letters. She was sassy. This was a strangers to neighbours to lovers type of romance. The tension between Harry and Julia was well evident. It was a slow burn, and I loved how the story was paced. My interpretation makes Harry the nerdy one - cinnamon roll character, and Julia the overthinking one. And this makes them perfect for each other! This story particularly makes me want to explore by this author.

5. Skeleton MDS4A by Iwy Dawes - This was another workplace romance, but more like a Rivals to Lovers relationship. The storyline was magical - blooming romance in the middle of an archaeological site. This was slow in the beginning, and gained pace gradually. I would also like to appreciate the author for proper research, and presenting the terms in lame man language. I liked the ending too, it was quite interesting. This is another story whose extended version I would like to read, how the fmc and mmc met, their past, their present, and their future.

6. Be Mine by Violet Peace - Romancing in the woods? Hell yeah this story is all about that! I loved the banter between Samantha and the Man Bun guy. The way the mmc's physical features were defined (like his abs as a cheese grater) were so unique to read. To be honest, I thought Peter is sus, but that's just me and my mind racing to make a fake love triangle scenario (oops). The special characters like Samantha's gran (love her saying about the garden hahaha), and the cute little cuddly dogs added charm to the story. This too is my favourite among in this anthology.

This was a lot more of a non serious, kind of fantasy, not real situation type book?
The stories were more not believable and I found some of them weren’t long enough to get the connection across.

It was fine for some light reading, and a little refresher in between novels: but I wasn’t a huge fan of these ones unfortunately.

Absolutely loved these short stories, each one fast paced, with the perfect amount of smut 🤪I shall be keeping an eye out for more by these authors

These were really cute extra short stories that I would recommend to anyone needing a palate cleanser. Having only read one author of the bunch, it was nice to find new to me writers in this anthology.

Love Between the Lines is a romance anthology with different levels of spice. Overall the stories were good and I really enjoyed them, however, if they were slightly longer the characters could have developed more and I could have felt more connected to them.

Stupid Cupid by Luna Day is a modern-day retelling of Cupid where he finds his soulmate. I loved their tattoos, it was a simple but effective way to connect them.

The Hand Off by Ellory Douglas follows an athletic therapist and the two ruby players who are interested in her. Noah was an interesting addition to the story. He added another layer that I didn’t even know was needed but it enhanced the story.

Love Ink by Marlee Ryan is a cute brother’s best friend romance between two tattoo artists. I loved their chemistry and the male main character’s jealousy.

All My Love by Mimi Gunn is about a girl with an unexpected inheritance and the sweet handyman next door. Harry is such a cute golden retriever! I think the grandma seemed a little too involved but the notes she left were very cute.

Skeleton MDS4A by Ivy Dawes follows rivaling archeologists and their new, possibly paranormal, discovery. I liked the focus on the sarcophagi and the dig as it added depth to the story and made the characters feel more real.

Be Mine by Violet Pearce is an adorable small town boy, city girl romance during a storm. This story has some of my favorite tropes, small town and Black cat x golden retriever.

*Sigh* This is exactly what I needed on a low-key Sunday afternoon!

Love Between the Lines is a collection of six short stories. All six of these authors are relatively new to me, and I love this as a way to get to know them better. Here are the vibes and my thoughts on each.

Stupid Cupid by Luna Day: Cupid!!! Cupid walks into a bar...sounds like the start to a terrible joke, or a really hot short story. I have never been a Valentine's Day girl, until now. Where do I find me a Cupid?!

The Hand Off by Ellory Douglas: Hot! A curvy athletic therapist, a rugged rugby player, sold. Add in a second rugby player looking to get in on the action. It was hot, and I needed more. I need a happy ending as much as Noah does!

Love Ink by Marlee Ryan: Who doesn’t love a little pining? Two tattoo artists, best friend's brother, friends to lovers. Who will make the first move? I am actually obsessed with tattoo artists. I have seen every episode of Ink Master at least 5 times. Needless to say, I loved this.

All My Love by Mimi Gunn: So sweet! After the passing of her grandmother, Julia inherits her home, which needs a remodel. Enter the handyman across the street who is more than happy to help her in anyway she needs. This one had all the feels.

Skeleton MDS4A by Ivy Dawes: Who doesn't love a little enemies to lovers? Especially one with a paranormal twist. In Scotland on a dig, two rival anthropologists make an exciting discovery. Learning to trust one another may lead to more than they ever expected.

Be Mine by Violet Pearce: This was your usual suspects. Corporate city girl, burly shirtless Viking with a man bun. Small town setting, power goes out. Throw in some cute dogs, and The Mummy references. What more could you want!?

These stories were short and sweet. Perfect when you need a bit of spice to get through the day....or night. Really enjoyed this.

*Thanks so much NetGalley for this ARC*