Review: Date by Mistake Anthology

Four Short Stories. Anthology connection is all stories take place in a city named Port Calypso and each story has some version of accidental meeting.

Let me say that I enjoy the romance genre. The authors (me included) take their craft seriously and so much of the writing is better than midlist in other genres. And what is better than a happy ending? That said these stories are more R rated category romance than mainstream romance. If you aren’t a romance reader or don’t like to read anything above PG-13 this is not the place to start reading a romance. There are romance books I can recommend to dangle your toes in a new genre just maybe not this anthology. If you want steamy short romance, buy this book. Sometimes lusty sex is what you want to read.

. Entangled Publishing is a fairly new publisher with focused romance market categories. They have lured some best-selling authors into the lineup by focusing on paying authors more than standard book publishers and paying editors a percentage revenue share. An agency model worthy of consideration by writers. Most of the imprints are digital
Mr. Virile and the Girl Next Door – Gwen Hayes The publisher’s website sums up the story nicely: “Seduction is the name of the game when two rival dating advice darlings agree to be romantically linked to boost publicity. But all bets are off when they take the battle of the sexes from the web to the bed!”

Mr. Virile is a blogger advising men how to get the girl for the night. The Girl Next Door is an advice blogger helping woman respect themselves by walking away from the man who won’t commit.

This was my favorite read. Highly readable, sexy and fun. I enjoyed the aside letters to the advice bloggers and the responses interspersed throughout. Ms. Hayes was able to make you care about the characters in this short format, I didn’t feel rushed to the end and it was sexy. Mr. Virile and The Girl Next Door made the book worth buying and reading.

Tycoon Reunion – Candace Havens and Shannon Leigh A development tycoon, Jake Michaels, returns to his hometown and tries to push a project through city council. When meeting with local politicians at a restaurant the hero sees his college girlfriend. Tricked into asking her to join them he realizes he is still in love with her. Annabelle Darlington is on the city’s renewal committee and has opposed the project. Do the two buttheads? Not really. Tycoon Jake wants to get back with Annabelle and will make any changes she suggests. Annabelle, however, thinks he finds her input costly and since he left her years ago, it is a no go.

Havens in a prolific author and has an easy writing style. I have read many stories by Shannon Leigh and she is extremely talented. But, and I hate mentioning this ‘but’ because I know both authors personally and I enjoy what they write and I genuinely like both ladies. Okay, the But. The story felt a bit rushed and like a chapter was missing just before the sex scene. There is nothing wrong with the story, I enjoyed reading Tycoon Reunion so maybe nothing is missing and I just have high expectations of these authors.

Passionate Persuasion – Rosemary Clement-Moore Long lost loves reuniting. Alex Drake was a juvenile frat boy when he dated Kiara Fredricks in college. Now a successful restaurant and bar owner he arranges to be Kiara’s blind date fix up via a mutual friend and email using his middle name. Kiara is appalled by the deception and still bitter about the college break-up while Alex wants to get back together with Kiara. Misunderstandings ensue, the one where he starts to lustfully make out with Kiara in his office is funny because everyone can see them on the security camera. Eventually Alex overcomes both his misguided youth and sex and love reign.

Clement-Moore is a wonderful young adult writer. This short story is solid writing and Clement-Moore’s entrance into adult romance.

Date on the Run – Jill Monroe
From Entangled Publishing website: “When a reporter mistakes a hard-bodied military man for a crime source, she soon finds it’s just as much fun undressing her new bodyguard as it is uncovering her latest case… ”

Juliet Martin is a reporter tired of writing fluff pieces. The hero is Ezra Washington and he needs to rescue the damsel in distress. Juliet is quirky and fun. Ezra is the classic definition of hero. Mistaken identity and some peril thrown in to the romance mix. Monroe is a wonderful writer but this is too much story being forced into a short story format. Date on the Run leaves the reader feeling rushed to conclusion and would have worked better in a longer format of a romantic suspense novel.

Title: Date by Mistake (An Indulgence Anthology) Authors: Candace Havens, Shannon Leigh, Gwen Hayes, Rosemary Clement-Moore, Jill Monroe
Ratings 1 – 5
• Readability: 4
• Likability: 4
• Recommended: to category romance readers 4
• Book Club Read: 0
• Author Watch List: 4
• Laugh Meter: 3
• Cry Meter: 0
• Three Word Description: Steamy Category Romance
Product Details:
File Size: 490 KB
Publisher: Entangled: Indulgence (March 11, 2013)

Other works by these authors: