I loved dipping in and out of this collection. It was so nice knowing I had a plethora of wonderful reads available whenever I wanted, for whatever mood I was feeling!

Okay so I rated every story individually + wrote a little rating for each but figured I’d give a quick summary first. I’ve only read books by a few of these authors before and coincidentally, those were the stories I liked the best.

Overall this was less romantic than I expected, given the premise of this anthology. But each story was unique, and I do appreciate that.

1. The Fall Guy - Olivie Blake
1.5/5 - I didn’t like this at all, nor did I think it was romantic really in any way. I didn’t care for the writing style, the characters, and I found the story to be a bit all over the place. But 1.5 instead of 1 because a couple lines were pretty funny. I know that Olivie Blake is a popular author, but this is the first thing of hers I’ve read and I don’t feel a rush to pick up more currently.

2. The Dubious Ladies of Mirador - Melissa Marr
2/5 - I liked the writing style, but this was the most insta-lust/love book I’ve ever read. I think it was supposed to be more like fated mates but it just came off a little bizarre to me.

3. Until December - Kelly Andrew
2.5/5 - I don’t love how this ended, or the first half-ish of this story. Once the MC’s start working together to get answers, I was curious and quite into this but overall it was just okay since it was very up and down to me.

4. The King's Witch - Tasha Suri
3/5 - This is more what I expected from this anthology. A bit of world building but done in an understandable way, and it actually felt romantic. I thought the story itself was just okay, but I am glad that my rating is improving with each story.

5. Designated Virgin Sacrifice - Kelley Armstrong
4.5/5 - Definitely my favourite story so far! At first I was pulling for a bit of a ‘why choose’ type plot line but this ended up being a really interesting surprise, and the writing style totally worked for me. 4.5 instead of a full 5 because the end got a little cheesy.

6. Second Class Magic - Kamilah Cole
2.5/5 - This was fine. The end got a bit rushed, and I felt like I wanted more from it. But it was just fine so middle of the road eating.

7. Bamboo, Ink, Paper, Clay - Eliza Chan
DNF - Okay I did actually read all of this but I genuinely just did not understand it soo I’m putting my rating as DNF instead of number because it basically feels that way. I just could not connect with this, or wrap my head around it.

8. Slay the Princess, Save the Dragon - A. C. Wise
DNF - Unlike the last story where I said I did read it but still am considering it a DNF, I actually did DNF this one about 1/3 of the way in. This read very young to me. I don’t mind YA, but this felt like YA trying to be adult by throwing in the word ‘fuck’ and Ev came off very immature so I didn’t see a point in continuing a story I knew was just not going to be for me.

9. San't Marten's Book of Mild Melancholy - A. G. Slatter
2/5 - I didn’t get this one. Like the story itself, sure, but it didn’t feel romantic to me at all. They hooked up prior to the story and that was basically just alluded to a few times and then it ended. Okay.

10. Good Deeds and Their Magical Punishments - Hannah Nicole Maehrer
4/5 - Super cute story, but the sex was unnecessary. It seems like it basically came out of no where with the timeline, even just making out could have conveyed basically the same message. But overall I liked this.

11. The Larkspur - Megan Bannen
3.5/5 - I adore the Hart & Mercy series, so I was really excited for this story. I think having read that does help the reader understand the world / backstory a bit, but it really isn’t necessary. I did like this story, but it doesn’t really feel like something that will stick with me.

12. Rosebud - Katherine Arden
3/5 - Interesting story to end this anthology with. I didn’t love the ending really, but overall it did keep me intrigued and was different than anything else in this book, which is fun.

Fantastic collection of short stories, all containing themes of love and/or romance. The selection of authors here is what drew me to request it in the first place as I have a love/hate relationship with short stories - both the good and bad ones are too short for differing reasons. This was a good mix of adding to established worlds from the authors included and new standalone offerings.

A fantastic combination of fantasy short stories, all from familiar names - authors I’ve either enjoyed reading before or have on my tbr. The stories themselves offer a great variety of settings and magic and characters, each with their own hook and every one of them an interesting read. I don’t even think I could pick a favourite.

I received a free copy of this book. All views are my own.

*Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.*

I don't often read short story collections, as I'm usually left unsatisfied either due to wanting more of a story, or feeling a story isn't well developed. I had a generally good experience with this collection, with half of the stories being a 4 star or higher rating. Overall, I don't feel like all of the stories fit the theme of the collection. They all did have fantasy elements, but there were a few that didn't have, in my opinion, romance or even just a romantic lean at all.

1) "The Fall Guy" by Olivie Blake - 2 stars.
My first time reading Blake, and man, she loves a long run-on sentence, doesn't she? This helped confuse me, which added with trying to do too much in a short story, left me feeling very lost. I also didn't feel any chemistry between the main characters.

2) "The Dubious Ladies of Mirador" by Melissa Marr - 3 stars.
I didn't really understand why it had to change between 1st and 3rd person?? It was fine, but completely insta-love.

3) "Until December" by Kelly Andrew - 5 stars.
I loved this one. It's college rivals-to-lovers with an interesting magic system and fun characters. I thought the world building was done well and explained just enough for the length of the story. I would love a full-length story, but it actually worked super well as a short story.

4) "The King's Witch" by Tahsa Suri - 3.5 stars.
Well written. Perfectly fine.

5) "Designated Virgin Sacrifice" by Kelley Armstrong - 3.5 stars.
Pretty well written, but maybe a bit on the nose with its message/moral. It felt like it was trying to surprise me, but I saw exactly where the story was going the whole time.

6) "Second Class Magic" by Kamilah Cole - 4 stars.
Loved the first line! Pretty good, well written, and a concept which I would love a longer story of.

7) "Bamboo, Ink, Paper, Clay" by Eliza Chan - 4 stars.
My first Eliza Chan, and it really solidified my already existing want to read her full-length books. Beautifully written. I loved the writing style and the concept. It was executed very well.

8) "Slay the Princess, Save the Dragon" by A. C. Wise - 4.5 stars.
This was a well-constructed short story. The world building was small enough to be focused on the short story, but enough context to get a good feel for how this story sits in the greater world. I enjoyed the characters, and it was just really cute.

9) "San't Martens Book of Mild Melancholy" by A. G. Slater - 2.5 stars.
The first two pages were all info dump, which added to this story not really feeling like it worked as a short story. I didn't feel anything for the characters, and it really wasn't a romance at all. The 'climax' of this short story was so rushed and didn't feel impactful at all. I think it would have worked wonderfully as a much longer story (even just novella length).

10) "Good Deeds and Their Magical Punishments" by Hannah Nicole Maehrer - 2 stars.
It was fine, but another one that was a bit on the nose with its moral message.

11) "The Larkspur" by Megan Bannen - 5 stars.
This was the reason I wanted to read this collection. I love Megan Bannen's series, which this story is set in. This was well written and perfectly paced as a short story. I think it would still be good to read even if you haven't read the Hart and Mercy books (which I recommend!), just roll with it and it's still a fun and yes, actually romantic story. Sterling needs a big hug.

12) "Rosebud" by Katherine Arden - 4 stars.
Beautifully written, a magical and engaging setting. Once again, not really a romance. And it did end very abruptly with no explanation (which I for one, do not much like).

Anthologies are akin to a chef's tasting menu.

Both introduce their audience to a bite size portion.
Both introduce their audience to a taste of what they have to offer by way of style and substance.

There were a few authors known to me in this collection, and much more unfamiliar. Standout reads included those from the irrepressible author, Hannah Nicole Maeherer "Good Deeds and Their Magical Punishment" and the whiplash banter in Kelly Andrew's "Until December".

This ARC was provided by the publisher, Titan Books, via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

#TheSecretRomanticsBookofMagic #NetGalley

After loving the dark academia anthology Titan published a couple of years ago, and being a fan of romantasy, I was so excited to give this one a go, especially because the author line up is a good mixture of authors i’ve enjoyed and well known/liked fantasy authors. Although there were some stories that I really enjoyed, my favourite being Until December by Kelly Andrew which was a 5⭐️ in its own right (but with special mentions to The Dubious Ladies of Mirador by Melissa Marr, San’t Marten’s Book of Mild Melancholy by A G Slatter, Good Deeds and Their Magical Punishments by Hannah Nicole Maehrer and The Larkspur by Megan Bannen) the collection as a whole was a bit hit and miss for me, with sadly more misses than hits :(

I think the problem is that it is incredibly difficult to write a romance that feels believable (and that you can connect to and root for as a reader) within a fantasy world that feels appropriately fleshed out when writing in the short story medium and this is where a lot of the stories just fell flat for me when there was a lot of potential.

So far I've only finished Tasha Suri's story but I really enjoyed it. Her writing is stellar as ever. It is about a witch forced to marry a king...but not all is as it seems. Reviews on goodreads & storygraph to come.

I have to say it is only of late that I have been reading more romantasy. I have enjoyed some novels with romance subplots but it’s only over the past year or so I’ve been giving this genre more of a chance. I wish I had had this collection when I first stepped into the Romantasy genre. It is a perfect introduction to the different types you can find in numerous brilliant books out there. I will say the first thing that drew me in was the fact it features some of my favourite authors namely A.G. Slater and A.C. Wise. That said I have managed to find several new authors I will be reading their backlog of works thanks to this.
Generally with anthologies you can expect some hits, some misses and some that somewhere in the middle. For me, though, this collection was enjoyable throughout. I did have a few favourites but I have to say each story stood on its own merits and was enjoyable as well as memorable. As I already said this is a the perfect introduction to the genre to someone who may feel a bit overwhelmed on where to start. It also offers a lovely cross section of what is available in the genre.
As always thank you to Titan Books for the advanced copy to review, my reviews are always honest and freely given.

The Secret Romantic's Book of Magic is a beautifully crafted romantasy anthology. Each story puts a unique twist on beloved romantasy tropes, from enemies-to-lovers to second-chance romance to monster slaying. The anthology blends dark whimsy, gothic allure, epic high fantasy, and subtle threads of modern magical realism, creating a reading experience that is both refreshingly original and completely absorbing.

Whether you’re a romantasy lover or new to the genre, The Secret Romantic's Book of Magic offers an enchanting mix of passion, peril, and powerful storytelling. Perfect for cosy nights and readers who believe in both magic and love.

As is the nature of short story collections some of the short stories were good and enjoyable while others fell flat. The collection entices with a stong set of authors, which made me want to read it in the first place. Sadly most of the stories in this one weren't as good as I hoped, 7 out of 12 I rated less than 3 stars. The only 5 stars story for me was "The King's Witch" and while some others were pretty enjoyable too most of the other stories were, tbh, a little boring and foreseeable. Still, what I especially liked was the inclusion of some queer stories (I just love my lesbians)! All in all it was an okayish read, would still recommend it to someone who is a huge romantasy fan.

Thank you NetGalley for providing and eARC of this book! ☆

Like any anthology, you have standouts and you have some that are just okay... this was no different. I was blown away by Until December by Kelly Andrew—she has such a way with crafting atmosphere in a short space that is magnificent. Katherine Arden's Rosebud is another that I loved. I see myself returning to these two stories in particular. Would absolutely recommend this anthology to any fantasy/romance reader!

I enjoyed this book a lot more than I thought I would. I love short stories, so it was really great to take a break from novels and just have some stories to read.

I’m not the biggest romantasy fan, though I do find myself reading a lot of them, but I feel like the format of short stories really worked for me. There wasn’t a load of sex scenes, which I find rather dull and the focused seemed to be more on the plot than the romance so it didn’t feel as drawn out as most romances do to me. Overall, it was really good.

Most of the stories I enjoyed. My favourite was A.C. Wise’s Slay the Princess, Save the Dragon, which was a really funny enemies to lovers with a strong save the magical creatures message. I also loved Designated Virgin Sacrifice by Kelley Armstrong. Both these stories I felt did something a bit different with the genre and had fun twists.

I loved seeing brand new stories from some of my favourite authors and would definitely read another of these anthologies.

The Secret Romantic's Book of Magic is filled with everything I love about romantasy: enemies to lovers, rivals with chemistry, magical marriages, and second chances.

Each of the 12 stories brings something different even a few sapphic romances! but Until December by Kelly Andrew was my absolute favorite. I haven’t stopped thinking about it since, and now I’m on a mission to find more books that are similar!

Thank you netgalley for my ebook arc!

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Overall, this was a really enjoyable anthology. The absolute standouts for me were Until December and Rosebud - I'd have read full length versions of these in a heartbeat. I'd recommend this to anyone who can't get enough of romantasy - it's also useful as a sampler for the authors too!

1. The Fall Guy - Olivie Blake
"The truth of the matter lives somewhere between devotion and foolhardiness, right at the midpoint of yearning and valor. Although don’t tell Mer that right now or he’ll die."
3.5 stars
Loved the worldbuilding Blake managed to fit into such a short tale, and the mysterious heist vibes were fun. You could definitely feel the yearning between tbe two characters. Could have done without the constant parentheses though!

2. Ladies of Mirador - Melissa Marr
"Too loud. Too thorough. Too inquisitive. Too hungry. Too much. I am always too much of everything."
4 stars
The last single daughter of an immortal vampire family falls in love with the assassin nun sent to murder her. Hijinks ensue. A fast paced, witty little sapphic romantasy!

3. Until December - Kelly Andrew
"If you know what’s good for you, you’ll stay out of my way."
5 stars.
I love this and I want Kelly to write more and more stuff just like it. Time travel, academic rivals to lovers, a race against time to stop a murder. Perfection. No notes.

4. The King's Witch - Tasha Suri
"She has fought wars for me, and killed for me. I do not know how to be worthy of that devotion."
4.5 stars.
Sapphic childhood friends to lovers to ??? A magic scribe living a quiet life. An arranged marriage to the blood-soaked king. Extremely readable and made me want more from the world Suri created!

5. Designated Virgin Sacrifice - Kelley Armstrong
"Oftentimes, the monsters exist only in lore. They are nothing but bedtime stories to keep girls from dreaming too big."
4.5 stars.
This was SUCH a fun take on the "damsel in distress" trope and I want an entire trilogy of Marielle going around posing as the virgin sacrifice to slay the real monsters of the world.

6. Second Class Magic - Kamilah Cole
"I’m sure we’ll work well together, at least. We were always best at that part."
3.5 stars.
Margot and Jesy used to be friends, until they weren't. Now they're vying for the same position on a magical island, and things are getting mysterious and ROMANTIC!

7. Bamboo, Ink, Paper, Clay - Eliza Chan
"Everything I have ever wanted has only ruined me and those I love."
3 stars.
Former lovers meet again, years after a falling out. Split into two POVs with different styles made it feel a little disjointed.

8. Slay The Princess, Save The Dragon - A. C. Wise
"How glorious would it be if Ev could somehow free Princess Carissa’s dragon and annihilate, or at least mortally wound, her online presence?"
3.5 stars.
A modern fantasy tale, where the kingdom realised carving magical creatures into pharmaceuticals was a great money-makimg scheme. Quirky and interesting!

9. San't Marten's Book of Mild Melancholy - A. G. Slatter
"The dead deserve to rest, and the living should simply get on with things."
4.5 stars.
Necromancer Millie Broad operates a flourishing medium business in the lower city, but chaos ensues when a one-night stand comes back to (almost literally) haunt her. Standard gothic perfection from A.G. Slatter!

10. Good Deeds And Their Magical Punishments - Hannah Nicole Maehrer
"Elizabeth believed small talk to be a section of hell carved out on earth just for her personal torment."
4 stars.
Bette gets kidnapped by a disgruntled magical woman desperate to prove mortal kindness to her son. But oh no! He's hot. A simple tale of trying to get over misconceptions about people you realise you don't know anything about - and the love you might find along the way.

11. The Larkspur - Megan Bannen
"I have already broken faith with Bernadette by living, even if I had not meant to. What is one more transgression?"
3.5 stars
A fantasy short with echoes of The Scarlet Pimpernel and The Blue Castle, set in the same world as Bannen's The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy. A relatively easy read with cosy vibes.

12. Rosebud - Katherine Arden
"There was no weight of decision on me that night. Dreams have no tomorrow."
5 stars.
A supernatural historical fantasy, this is full of longing and sadness and love. Adored it!

3.5 stars. A sweet set of stories with fun romantasy elements with a wide range of authors and writing styles. I really enjoyed some of these stories whereas others I didn't quite get along with but that is the beauty of a book like this - the mix! I have found some new amazing authors I will be following up on. Each of the stories are quick reads which is great for dipping into some styles but it did mean that some stories left me wanting more!

Some of my favourites from this collection were Until December by Kelly Andrew, Designated Virgin Sacrifice - Kelley Armstrong and the bonus story for the World of Hart and Mercy by Megan Bannen

These are all new to me authors so this was perfect to read and get an insight into their writing! I had heard of some of the authors but not read them but now will look out for them on the bookshelves!

I really enjoyed these short stories and the whirlwind romances and the falling in love is perfect for the mood reader in me!

It's a quick read, quick fire stories getting straight to the point and a great way to read new to you authors. I will enjoy re-reading this again soon!

I picked this book up because I needed more from the world of Hart & Mercy, and I was delighted by many of the stories within.

As is usual with most short story collections, some I liked far better than others. But it was an overall great collection to read.

This anthology of romantasy short stories is absolutely packed full of incredible authors! There are 4 F/F romantic and 8 F/M and there's no repetition between them because they cover all sorts of worlds and situations!

Because of the nature of anthologies, there's bound to be some stories that work and some that don't for every reader. There were some absolute standouts for me, which immediately sent me to the authors' back catalogues. These were:

Until December - Kelly Andrew
This time-travel short story was fascinating and clever without being pretentious. I really enjoyed it and my mind kept going back to this one after I'd finished it!

The Dubious Ladies of Mirador - Melissa Marr
How the author managed to get me invested in two character POVs like that within a short story was amazing. This F/F romance was funny and sweet at the same time.

Designated Virgin Sacrifice - Kelley Armstrong
Clever and interesting with a kick-ass FMC. It subverted the classic Virgin Sacrifice story in a really funny way.

Rosebud - Katherine Arden
Rosebud was a complete surprise - it didn't go how I thought it was going to at all but it completely hooked me with its beautiful writing and the tension of the story.

Disclaimer: I received an Advance Reader Copy from NetGalley, but this is my voluntary and honest review.

Note: I have only posted the above review here on NetGalley. I will post the review on Goodreads, Fable and Storygraph on 01/06/2025 so that it is only posted within the release month, as requested. I will update this feedback page on that date with the 3 links.
Updated note: Now reviewed on Goodreads, Fable and StoryGraph and links have been added below to those three reviews.

I really enjoyed this set of short stories! I won't go into any detail for them individually, as I believe you should go into it not knowing too much. There are several queer romances in this as well, which was so lovely. I'll list the titles with my personal ratings for each.

Top two:
Until December ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Designated Virgin Sacrifice ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The King's Witch ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Good Deeds and Their Magical Punishments ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
San't Marten's Book of Mild Melancholy ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Rosebud ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Larkspur ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Dubious Ladies of Mirador ⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Fall Guy ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Slay the Princess, Save the Dragon ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Second Class Magic ⭐️⭐️
Bamboo, Ink, Paper, Clay ⭐️⭐️

Highly recommend! There are some really incredible authors in this one. Thank you Netgalley!