A Message from Cupid

Rating:
Summary: Charming!
Review: This is one of the better "novella" anthologies I've read in awhile.

Carmichael's "Wheels of Love" is a cute story of two people who are initially willing to marry for pragmatic reasons but find that true love is actually out there waiting. The comedic intervention of "romantic instigators," taking the form of a car and a computer, add a bit of spice, and the characterization of Samantha and the development of her relationship with Eric is especially well-drawn for a short story.

Barrett's "Cupid's Arrow" is also very charming, with wonderful development of the main character, Amanda, and her "bag lady" friend, Chatty. My only complaint is that Barrett includes several different romantic impasses between Max and Amanda that aren't explained or developed, so I ended up feeling confused as to why, exactly, they were problems at all. I know that the novella can be an impediment to such development, but even a short explanation (even an short sentence that said Amanda recognized Max's name and position) would have helped.

Bevarly's "Top Cat and Tales" was my personal favorite (although I must admit that Bevarly is one of my favorite authors of contemporary romances anyway). I laughed out loud repeatedly as I read the tale. I thought Cupid incredibly cute, and Abby was well-drawn and easily understood and liked. (Personally, I wish a Joel lived in MY building!) My only quibble is that the novella format, and the way the story developed, meant that the main characters "fell in love" without any real reason or provocation.

I thought Brownley's "Winning Ticket" was the weakest tale in the bunch, although it's by no means a bad story. Speaking honestly, it was probably the story where the characters "falling in love" made the most sense in the novella format, since they had a relationship and memories on which to build. But I didn't end up liking either of the characters all that much, and sometimes felt the motivations of the characters were too shallow.

All in all, though, this is a lovely book, full of stories I thoroughly enjoyed and will definitely re-read! A keeper for anyone that likes anthologies, and for anyone looking for new authors to discover.

Rating:
Summary: Charming!
Review: This is one of the better "novella" anthologies I've read in awhile.

Carmichael's "Wheels of Love" is a cute story of two people who are initially willing to marry for pragmatic reasons but find that true love is actually out there waiting. The comedic intervention of "romantic instigators," taking the form of a car and a computer, add a bit of spice, and the characterization of Samantha and the development of her relationship with Eric is especially well-drawn for a short story.

Barrett's "Cupid's Arrow" is also very charming, with wonderful development of the main character, Amanda, and her "bag lady" friend, Chatty. My only complaint is that Barrett includes several different romantic impasses between Max and Amanda that aren't explained or developed, so I ended up feeling confused as to why, exactly, they were problems at all. I know that the novella can be an impediment to such development, but even a short explanation (even an short sentence that said Amanda recognized Max's name and position) would have helped.

Bevarly's "Top Cat and Tales" was my personal favorite (although I must admit that Bevarly is one of my favorite authors of contemporary romances anyway). I laughed out loud repeatedly as I read the tale. I thought Cupid incredibly cute, and Abby was well-drawn and easily understood and liked. (Personally, I wish a Joel lived in MY building!) My only quibble is that the novella format, and the way the story developed, meant that the main characters "fell in love" without any real reason or provocation.

I thought Brownley's "Winning Ticket" was the weakest tale in the bunch, although it's by no means a bad story. Speaking honestly, it was probably the story where the characters "falling in love" made the most sense in the novella format, since they had a relationship and memories on which to build. But I didn't end up liking either of the characters all that much, and sometimes felt the motivations of the characters were too shallow.

All in all, though, this is a lovely book, full of stories I thoroughly enjoyed and will definitely re-read! A keeper for anyone that likes anthologies, and for anyone looking for new authors to discover.