This anthology made me feel so seen. I’m so glad aro/ace readers are getting to see themselves in more and more stories like these!!

Giving this anthology, overall, 4 stars. It's a collection of short stories by different authors, so of course there are some stories I enjoyed more than others. But generally I thought the quality was high, and it's always a delight to read more aro stories.

To my surprise, my favorite of the short stories is Lovesick by Taka Owen, which is the zombie apocalypse one. I don't generally read a lot of zombie/dystopian stuff, but something about this one hit hard. I even highlighted a line (something I NEVER do): "How he'd never understand how devastating this was - for anyone, but especially for me, knowing that I would always come second to someone else's more important relationship." As you might guess, this is not one of the happy stories, and the tragedy makes it all the more poignant.

If I had to pick a few other favorites, I'd probably say: Swordmaiden by Kalyn Josephson, Flying Solo by Claudie Arseneault, and Do You See Me? by Isa Fiel.

Overall, this is a solid collection of short stories. More importantly, it's a rare example of centering and exploring aro experiences. Whether you're aro yourself, or just an ally, definitely give this a try.

Explaining what Being Aro made me feel is like trying to catch the rain during a storm. Being Aro made me smile, sigh in annoyance, laugh, and cry. It broke me open and made me feel so whole, like another book hasn‘t managed to in a while.

The anthology features a range of genres as well as a wide range of aromantic experiences and are all relatively fast-paced, which makes them perfect for everyone who wants to learn about what aromanticism is and how it affects your experience of the world around you. Every single author did an incredible job by building a unique setting in a short period of time, while also leaving space for the characters and their personalities to shine. There is a story for everyone, no matter what genres you usually prefer.
It also cemented my belief that we deserve more diverse voices in media. I have gotten a taste of what representation could be like, and I desperately want others to also get the experience of feeling so utterly understood.

No matter if you are aromantic yourself, know someone who is aromantic, or are just interested in the aromantic experience, this book is a must-read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Page Street YA for providing me with this ARC in return for an honest review.

As an aro-spec reader, this made me feel so seen! Even as an adult, this healed something in my tween/teen heart who always wondered when I was going to feel the way I was "supposed" to. Overall it's also a very even collection; while there are standouts, none of the stories dragged. A joy to read this one!

5 out of 5 stars

It's genuinely the biggest honor and thrill to get to read an early copy of this! As someone on the aromantic spectrum (specifically, demiromantic), I'm always desperate for more aro rep. I'm thoroughly overjoyed that my community is finally gaining more representation.

I so deeply adore the discussions of how platonic and familial love are just as necessary and beautiful as romantic love -- and how isolating it can feel when that isn't reciprocated. Each story was delightful, even the ones in genres I don't often read! Sci-fi and fantasy readers will especially love this collection. My favorite contributions are "Kimberly Ma Meets Her Match," "Joust Friends," "Thomas Marley's Fake Bride," and "Indulge the Other."

Each contributing author identifies as somewhere on the aro spectrum, but in-story representations and content warnings are listed below by story, for the sake of organization. With some of the stories taking place in the past or in other worlds, sometimes the exact terms are described rather than said outright.

**HUGE thank you to Page Street Publishing for granting me an eARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review!**

"Kimberly Ma Meets Her Match"
Rep:
 Bi/aroace questioning Chinese MC, aroace Chinese SC, gay Chinese SC, bi SC
CWs: Sexuality crisis, brief mention of internalized arophobia

"The Binding"
Rep:
 Aroace South Asian-coded MC, sapphic South Asian-coded SC, South Asian-coded SCs including several who are aroace
CWs: Compulsory romance, arophobia, violence

"Lovesick"
Rep: Aromantic queer MC, sapphic SC, trans woman SC
CWs: Zombie pandemic, dystopia, blood/injury, arophobia, off-page deaths, grief, self-sacrifice

"Preservation"
Rep: Aromantic MC
CWs: Gun use, animal cruelty, blood/injury, imprisonment, abusive family

"Joust Friends"
Rep:
 Nonbinary/transmasc aroace MC, sapphic SCs, background trans girl and trans boys mentioned
CWs: Societal pressure to date, friends fighting

"Thomas Marley’s Fake Bride"
Rep: Aromantic poly MC, grayromantic SC
CWs: Referenced and implied sex, slut-shaming, compulsory romance, sword violence, mind control

"Swordmaiden"
Rep: Aroace MC
CWs: Past death of a parent, animal attack, violence, misogyny

"Flying Solo"
Rep: Aromantic MC, deaf brown-skinned SC
CWs: Forced mind sharing, cumpulsory partnership, arophobia, inhalation of toxins

"Paper Rebellions"
Rep: Aromantic MC, trans man SC who uses a wheelchair, sapphic SCs
CWs: Book-banning, homo- and transphobia, religious bigotry, internalized arophobia, death due to old age, brief mention of the past death of a parent

"Do You See Me?"
Rep: Aromantic sapphic Latina MC with tendonitis, aromantic sapphic implied-Black SC, aromantic Latine SCs
CWs: Generational trauma, near-accident involving knives, internalized arophobia. A character tells a story involving infidelity, destitution, child murder, drowning, suicide, miscarriage, injury, and death.

"Daughter of Time"
Rep: Aromantic MCs
CWs: Unethical science experiments, fire, animal entrapment, past death of a parent, brief mention of disownment

"Indulge the Other"
Rep:
 Aromantic MC, aromantic SC
CWs: Violence, imprisonment, gore, invalidation of identity, torture, murder, death