Mixtape: A Love Song Anthology by Various Authors

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Title: Mixtape: A Love Song Anthology
Author: Nikki Sloane, Elle Kennedy, K.L. Kreig, Leslie McAdam, Lynda Aicher, Mara White, Marni Mann, Rebecca Shea, Saffron Kent, Sierra Simone, Veronica Larsen, Xio Axelrod
Published by: Indie
Release Date: January 29, 2019
Format: eARC
Pages: 536
Genres: Romance, Contemporary, LGBT
Source: L. Woods PR
Reading Challenges: Lenoreo's 2019 AtoZ Reading Challenge, Lenoreo's 2019 Diversity Reading Challenge, Lenoreo's 2019 New Release Challenge, Lenoreo's COYER Winter 2018
Find it: Goodreads ✩ Amazon ✩ B&N ✩ Google ✩ Kobo ✩ iBooks ✩ IndieBound
My rating:

Blurb:

What’s more romantic than a love song? A mixtape full of them.

Twelve bestselling and award-winning authors have curated an anthology of brand-new, standalone stories inspired by love songs, featuring a foreword written by NYT bestselling author Laurelin Paige. Press PLAY on this limited-edition collection that’s guaranteed to make you swoon.

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GUYS MY AGE – Saffron A. Kent
He’s older — much older, experienced and freaking gorgeous. Oh, and mine. He just doesn’t know it yet.

SAY IT FIRST – Nikki Sloane
I spend my days speeding around the track and my nights thinking about her—my new best friend and movie star Anna Douglas. Who’s going to win the race to admit we want to be more than just friends?

BROKEN HALLELUJAH – Sierra Simone
A kinky, wartime love affair once swept Marine Jacey Benjamin off her feet—until the hero she longed for chose power over love. Now her hero is back and ready to have Jacey kneeling before her once again, if only Jacey will say yes...

SAY YES – Elle Kennedy
I’m in town for a wedding. We both swiped right and blew each other’s minds last night. But this morning? He looks a hell of a lot like the groom.

ALL I WANT – Mara White
Marilyn loves her husband, but she may love the idea of being a mother more. Will one night of passion with a beautiful stranger give her what she wants, or more than she bargained for?

TOOTHPASTE KISSES – Xio Axelrod
Starting over is Mal’s idea of hell and the last thing on his mind is freaking office décor. But this painting? It haunts him. So does the handsome and intriguing artist who may have inadvertently opened a window into Mal’s soul.

WILD PITCH – Rebecca Shea
I’m snowed in with the one person from my past who broke my heart. Someone forbidden...my first love...my brother’s best friend.

YOUR EVERYTHING – K.L. Kreig
Some say no woman should come between brothers. Blood trumps all. Family first. Those people have not met Maverick DeSoto.

THINK I’M IN LOVE – Leslie McAdam
What’s worse than being in love with your best friend? Watching him propose to his girlfriend.

MOMENT OF TRUTH – Veronica Larsen
Telling her I love her might just ruin our friendship, but watching her marry someone else? Means losing her forever.

LUSH – Marni Mann
There aren’t any secrets from me at my exclusive sex club, Lush. Not until the only man to ever tame me—the one who vanished in the middle of the night—turns up at the door.

KISS ME – Lynda Aicher
A strong drink to mellow her frustrations is all Tara McTavish wants. Seeing the man who’d fired her the day before is not in her plans. But then, neither is going home with him.

My Review:

I received a free copy through L. Woods PR in exchange for an honest and unbiased review/opinion.

OVERALL: 3.75 stars — As with all anthologies, there’s going to be ones that connect, and ones that don’t (because as readers, we all gravitate towards different things).  This one was fairly solid though.  There were 2 that I almost DNF’d, but pushed through and was happy I did (even if I still didn’t enjoy them as much).  Most were great stories.  There were a few that really shone though!  And by authors I’d never read before, which is always exciting.  My top 3 were Say It First by Nikki Sloane, Toothpaste Kisses by Xio Axelrod, and Kiss Me by Lynda Aicher.

Foreword by Laurelin Paige (This Year’s Love by David Gray)
A great introduction to what songs can mean, how they can tell a story, and how they can tell a different one to each person. Loved the story she told of this song, and what it meant to her during a difficult time.

Guys my Age by Saffron Kent (Guys my Age by Hey Violet)
3.5 stars — Solid romance. I will admit that occasionally the age difference made me cringe a bit…especially considering Fallon’s only 18 in this book (and boy did she act like it at times). I also found the depression addition to be weird and out of place…I’m assuming it’s there mostly as a nod to a book about her parents.

Say it First by Nikki Sloane (Say It First by Sam Smith)
5 stars — Cute from start to finish. I was worried when it started off with FB/text messages, but I was quickly invested in Jamie and Anna’s developing friendship and crushes. And then it got hella steamy! YAS! LOVED both Jamie and Anna, the whole story made me happy.

Broken Hallelujah by Sierra Simone (Hallelujah by Jeff Buckley)
2.5 stars — Almost DNF’d, but was curious. The writing style just isn’t a match for me (no idea how to explain why), and while I was super excited to see it was an F/F (because I need to read more of those), I’m not as big into darker romances. I just didn’t end up liking or connecting with Jacey or Devon.

Say Yes by Elle Kennedy (Always on my Mind by Willie Nelson)
4 stars — OK, this one was predictable as all get out, but I still enjoyed myself. I seriously called each twist and turn as they came though. And while I had a harder time connecting with Emilia and her damage, Dirk was adorable in his persistence.

All I Want by Mara White (All I Wanna Do is Make Love to You by Heart)
3 stars — This should have been a DNF…or a hate. If you listen to the song, you’ll understand that this one was going to deal with some infidelity, which is a button issue for me. And while I never really warmed to Marilyn (and seriously, there felt like there was some sex shaming in the beginning), I was pleasantly surprised with how this one played out given a rocky start. But Decker was pretty easy to love.

Toothpaste Kisses by Xio Axelrod (Toothpaste Kisses by The Maccabees)
5 stars — Oh, well that was just a bunch of awesome. I loved the characters, I loved the romance, the writing style was a perfect match for me… I was so satisfied! For a short story, I really felt I got to know both Malcolm and Pellam, and feel what they were going through, and the connection that they felt to one another. I will definitely be looking for more from this author!

Wild Pitch by Rebecca Shea (Thinking Out Loud by Ed Sheeran)
3 stars — Honestly? This one was a bit boring for me. I just didn’t connect with either character, I didn’t connect with their conflict, it all resolved rather quickly and unbelievably… It was like there wasn’t really a plot, just a convenient situation for sex. *shrugs*

Your Everything by KL Kreig (I Just Want to be Your Everything by Andy Gibb)
3 stars — This is another case where the writing style just didn’t match me. In this case I was taken out of the book because I had to concentrate on reading…which is not to say it was written badly, just a bit more “pretty”. I tend to like natural. I was also bummed this was a prequel, b/c I only got a HFN. Both characters were pretty solid, though I got to know Killian much more than Maverick.

Think I’m in Love by Leslie McAdam (Think I’m in Love by Beck)
4 stars — Well that was an up and down ride. It was hard to watch Shane hurting Randy with his denial, and my heart really went out to Randy. But I was also frustrated with both of them because they couldn’t stick with any decisions (I got it, but it was hard to watch). However, I was super happy with how it ended.

Moment of Truth by Veronica Larsen (Say You Won’t Let Go by James Arthur)
4 stars — Wow, this one just dug into the heart and twisted. I truly felt the connection between Dean and Gabby, and as with the previous story, grew frustrated with their decisions (even as I understood the fear), but was ultimately very satisfied with the ending.  It really fit the song too!

Lush by Marni Mann (S+M by Rihanna)
3 stars — I think I’ve learned that I’m really only into BDSM books when there’s some humour or something else involved… This one was solid, especially if you like that kind of romance. I thought the ending was a bit strange though, as it was ending one way, and then it just abruptly changed in the last chapter. Not sure I liked that.

Kiss Me by Lynda Aicher (Kiss Me by Ed Sheeran)
4.5 stars — This was one of those short stories that was done really well, in that it felt complete. I think that’s really hard to do. I quickly understood the background of Daniel and Tara, and felt their connection, so the rest was just watching them navigate new possibilities. Really enjoyed it!