This had such high points and low points, which is exactly how I feel after every single anthology I read. I think the concept of this whole collection was nice, but I would have liked a couple more stories from male perspectives - and a m/m story perhaps? Don't get me wrong, I loved how many f/f stories were in this, but I think it could have benefited from some other narrators. But let's get into my specific feelings on all 14 stories.

Breakdown of the stories:
Siege Etiquette by Katie Cotugno - 2/5
A very odd way to start the collection. I think the second person was a bit strange, but I adjusted. However, there was a very cavalier use of cheating that definitely didn't endear me to the characters.

Print Shop by Nina LaCour - 3.5/5
I will always adore Nina's writing. This had a very cute, romance vibe, which is exactly what I was looking for in this collection. It was nice to see a super rom com set up for two girls falling in love (in this instance, falling for each other over Twitter in the midst of customer service frustrations). The POV shift was a bit strange, but still an overall solid story.

Hourglass by Ibi Zoboi - 3/5
I thought this did a great job of tackling issues like body image, coming from a poor family, and college prep, but I felt like the best friend relationship was very lackluster in how it was dealt with. Also, the meet cute itself left me wanting more.

Click by Katharine McGee - 4/5
Such a cute story. I may have been in a particular mood for reading this, considering I had just barely watched the "Don't Hang the DJ" episode of <i>Black Mirror</i>, but I felt like the dating app aspect worked perfectly. Also, a big fan of the split POV. It definitely helped me to know BOTH of the characters more, and to feel more invested in their meet cute.

The Intern by Sara Shepard - 3/5
This was cute, but overall just rushed. I felt like none of the emotional punches were really earned, because I didn't get enough of a chance to know the characters and be impacted by the things they had gone through. The relationship also felt very rushed.

Somewhere That's Green by Meredith Russo - 4/5
I loved this story, and I love Meredith Russo. This was f/f, and it was also split POV. One of the POV characters was a trans girl, and the other was a closeted lesbian, and they both wind up being cast in their high school production of <i>Little Shop of Horrors</i>. This tackles some huge stuff, especially transphobia, but I thought it did it all beautifully and also managed to fit in a wonderful meet cute. It's possible I was even more charmed by this considering my sister is currently in her school's production of <i>Little Shop</i>, but it is what it is.

The Way We Love Here by Dhonielle Clayton - 4/5
This has a really magical vibe and I enjoyed that aspect. I think there is a huge amount of skill involved in worldbuilding within a short story, which Dhonielle absolutely pulled off. This covers years and years of a relationship, and it doesn't feel rushed or forced in any way, which is so impressive.

Oomph by Emery Lord - 5/5
CLEARLY my favorite of the entire collection. This was perfect in every way. Give me a full novel about these two amazing girls meeting in an airport and falling for each other, seriously. I have never read anything by Emery Lord before, but I will definitely be checking out more of her books after reading this.

The Dictionary of You and Me by Jennifer L. Armentrout - 2/5
I think my overall review of this was that I just didn't care? I didn't care about the characters, the story, the stakes, etc. I spent most of the time rolling my eyes. It was a stumbling block in the middle of a really solid run of stories and I just didn't care for it.

The Unlikely Likelihood of Falling in Love by Jocelyn Davies - 3.5/5
This was absolutely ridiculous, but I was still super charmed by it. I mean the concept - seeing someone on the subway and falling instantly in love, then using an AP statistics assignment to track them down again - is absurd, but I loved the way it was written. I don't know how this one got me, but it did.

259 Million Miles by Kass Morgan - 2/5
This was the first story to have a solely male POV, and I really wish it had been stronger. I think this tried to tackle way too much in a limited amount of space, and the love interest was laughably one-dimensional. Also, with how this ended, I don't know if I would really consider this a meet cute?

Something Real by Julie Murphy - 3.5/5
I'm giving out huge points to a great concept right here. I mean, it was solid. I thought it tried a little too hard with the emotional stuff near the beginning, but by the end I was grinning ear to ear.

Say Everything by Huntley Fitzpatrick - 2/5
I read this earlier today and I've already forgotten what it was even about... Yikes, let me go look back at it. Ah, yes. Ok, this one tried to tackle like a hundred deep, emotional issues, and I don't think it really managed any of them well. It was a really bizarre concept that I don't really think worked. And, apparently, it's a bit forgettable.

The Department of Dead Love by Nicola Yoon - 3/5
I thought the worldbuilding of this was absolutely incredible. If you want to know what it takes to build a totally new world in the space of a short story, I recommend checking this out. However, I think the relationship itself was a little weak. This is the only other story with a solely male POV, but I just wasn't very invested in him or the new relationship that was happening.

And that's it, those are my thoughts on <i>Meet Cute</i>. If you like anthologies, I think this is a pretty solid, standard YA anthology, but expect the highs with the lows. My favorite aspect of this book was the diversity, and the sheer number of f/f stories. It was really appreciated, especially in an anthology like this where it was just cute and romantic and simple. Ladies falling in love don't usually get that sort of story in mainstream YA, and I loved how many got the chance to in this collection.

I picked this up for a few specific names, but I stayed for most of the others. There are so many short, sweet stories packed within this fairly short collection that I was surprised.

It took me a bit to get into the stories, there were a few at the beginning that didn't really hit the "cute" part of the phrase "meet cute" in my opinion. But as I got going, so many of the later stories won me over. A few of the stories were done in second person, which isn't always a favorite of mine. Like the Imagines book, I couldn't get that far in. But then others in here that tried that point of view, did work. I got to read something by Dhonielle Clayton, getting me ready to read her book The Belles soon. I have to admit though, the first book that left me grinning like an idiot was Armentrout's story. Of course it had to do with a library, so it was totally the nerdy girl type of story I love. That was totally what I consider a "meet cute". Then I also loved the story that took place on a subway, seeing the perfect guy on the subway train that was crossing the opposite way, and then having the girl use it as a project for her statistics class, it was just so cute!



The book had a variety of stories, not all were necessarily just contemporary romance, there were several LGBTQ stories as well. And I will say, that even though a few of the stories were not my cup of tea, all of them were very well written. I will be purchasing this one for my school library for sure.

What a lot of fun it was to see the beginnings! I thoroughly enjoyed this title! Some of my favorite authors writing lovely, sad, serious, and even silly stories and I got my fill of fresh romance. I dug it. Great concept for a book well-realized.

I had a really hard time getting into this anthology. The first story in particular with the second person writing was jarring to read. It also wasn't my idea of "cute" and I struggled with it quite a bit, so this is a DNF for me for now. Thank you to the publisher for allowing me to read this anthology early.

*Thank you HMH Books for Young Readers, Netgalley, and all of the wonderful authors who contributed to this anthology for the early review copy in exchange for my honest opinion

This was such a unexpectedly wonderful read that left me feeling happy inside & in love with Romance haha! I’m going to need to watch Serendipity, You’ve Got Mail, Brown Sugar, Sleepless in Seattle, Love and Basketball, and last but not least Love Actually during this upcoming holiday weekend. Get it all out of my system LOL! but I digress..

Some of the diversity/own voices stories included in Meet Cute had POC, LGBTQIA+, and plus sized rep. Some of the relevant topics discussed were the misogynistic behavior in the entertainment industry, fashion & how it mostly caters to a specific body type, and struggling libraries with no real funding. I fell in love with so many of the stories & will treasure this collection for years to come. If you’ve been looking for an anthology but have been a bit weary due to some less than great ones (no shade)…look no further! I’ve found a few new to me authors I can’t wait to read more from & got reacquainted with some 2017 debut authors I need more from like yesterday (*whispers* Ibi Zoboi I’m pleading to you).

Siege Etiquette by Katie Cotugno ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Opening scene is a house party that the police have come to shut down. Hailey is the MC & The story is told in third person POV? Since this isn’t the first time the police have coming knocking, Haileys best friend is adamant on not opening the door. Instead everyone hides and Hailey ends up in the bathroom with Wolf, a classmate who she’s known since she was a little girl. Wolf receives partial homeschooling in order to allow him to help his family on their farm. To Hailey, Wolf is a fresh clean slate…someone who doesn’t know about the tragedy that marked her past. I gave this one 2.5 stars because of the writing style/POV, it just wasn’t my cup of tea tbh. I was however very interested in Wolf as a character & would love to find him in a future full length book

Print Shop by Nina LaCour ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Oh goodness! I should’ve known I would LOVE this to pieces! Any time I pick up anything by Nina LaCour I end up falling in love with the writing & characters. We meet Evie who interviews to work at a old fashioned print shop as a way to step back from technology & modern day everything. When she gets the job, she realizes the shop actually needs help stepping into the 21st century. Although it isn’t what she signed up for, helping this shop is something she really wants to do.
In doing so, she also wasn’t expecting to meet a girl after her own heart. This was such a cute queer story but I’m going to need more of the characters who work at the print shop! We have the Gay artist/owner of the shop with a quick cameo of his husband, his pregnant assistant and the baby’s father all giving life to this old school shop & gahhhh! Nina!!! Can 2018 be the year we get more Nina LaCour please & thank you?!?!

Hourglass by Ibi Zoboi ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Introduces Cherish as she is dress shopping with her best friend for prom. Cherish is debating whether she’s going to attend since finding a dress for her body type isn’t as easy as it is for her best friend Stacy. Cherish is tall, curvy, and dark skinned living in a town made up of primarily white people. When she stumbles across a flyer for Mamadou’s African Tailoring: One Size Don’t Fit All, she decides to make a visit. This story embraces the beauty in different body shapes & sizes and in turn highlights the need for more black owned businesses. Loved how this Meet Cute carried some important messages along the way. I did however wish we’d been given a tad bit more of the Meet Cute itself.

Click by Katherine McGee⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2

Takes place in 2020 NYC & is told in alternating POV’s between Alexa and Raden who’ve both signed up to a dating service app. Grieving & trying to get back in the day in scene, Alexa is giving Click a chance since she believes in the power of data. A computer engineer herself, she figured Click reliable enough to find her a compatible match. Raden is a photography student who is trying to get over his ex. Their meet up is sort of ruined when Alexa realizes she’s left her phone behind in the cab she took to get to her date. A unlikely adventure begins & I just died thinking what if someone would do this for me?!? the last line was sort of cheesy but otherwise I can see this one play out on the screen as a rom-com <3

The Intern by Sara Shepard⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2

This one tells the story of Clara who has just started begrudgingly working at her Dad’s record label. Clara is grieving the death of a loved one & of the many businesses her dad owns, a internship at V is the last place she thought her dad would place her in. Clara is an old soul at heart when it come to music & it’s something she shared with the person she’s grieving. Sent on a errand that seems silly at first leads her to taking the first steps to healing. The Meet Cute in this one was ok but not as serendipitous as I’d like.

Somewhere That’s Green by Meredith Russo ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

We meet Nia a transgender student and her best friend Lucien (AMAZING BFF) as they try out for parts in the school’s fall production of Little Shop of Horrors. Ok, the fact that they went with one of my fave movies had me smiling from ear to ear :) then the supportive father is introduced & I knew this was going to be a favorite for me in this anthology. Nia is fighting for the right to use the girls bathroom after another student raised concerns & petitioned to deny that right. We see her confront the issue head on & we also see her valid fears when talking to her bff. There’s another student also struggling with identity but spoilers. Both characters showed a side not often seen in YA. These are the types of stories we need more of. I would LOVE to read a full length novel on these characters.

The Way We Love Here by Dhonielle Clayton⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The first Fantasy I’ve come across in this anthology & it was wonderful!!! This one takes place on a island where the people have coil-like tattoos on their skin which fade/disappear as they get closer to meeting their soulmate as deemed by their Gods. The MC is struggling to accept this as her life path. Her Meet Cute is also struggling with the ways of the Gods regarding fated love. The whole “what if” and paths left untraveled has always interested me. Also enjoyed how this one didn’t stick to traditional Meet Cutes. It embraced life, it’s beginning & some day end.

Oomph by Emery Lord⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I was so curious about the title to this short story that by the time I found out it’s meaning, I was smiling so hard! This is set in a airport which btw is one of my fave settings…there’s something about an airport…a place of goodbyes & hellos that make all the sense for matters of the <3 We meet Cass who is spending Spring break in NYC as sort of a trial run for NYU Tisch. Besides trying to calm her parents fears she’s also trying to battle her self doubts. I LOVED her Meet Cute! a funny loner girl who plays along with Cassie’s made up Marvel Universe identity. THAT ending was FLAWLESS!!! I WANT more of these two, either a full length book or a romantic movie set in NYC with the occasional flight home to see these worry wart parents I couldn’t help but loving! *adds Emery Lord books to cart*

The Dictionary Of You and Me by Jennifer L. Armentrout⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2

Moss is a librarian who loves her job…even the “task” of calling H Smith almost daily to return the only dictionary the Library owns, isn’t really a task. Long overdue to return the book, H. Smith begins to get to know Moss by way of random conversations. Ok, I could not stop laughing at the back & forth exchange between the two characters in this Meet Cute <3 filled with humor & flirting, this was a fun one. The only thing is that the ending did feel rushed whereas the other stories maintained the same progression & wrapped up well. I also LOVE how the author brings light to the budgetary issue Libraries are facing, this was a plus!

The Unlikely Likelihood Of Falling in Love by Jocelyn Davies⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I’ll be the first to admit I started off thinking I wasn’t going to love this one because the MC is very rigid. Her own family thinks of things for her to do in order to loosen up and have fun. A germaphobe with a love for data and numbers is focused on only one thing, handing in a killer Statistics research paper. I ended up seriously loving this Meet Cute & I think it because I had a similar experience. The story plays with the idea of fate & the Universe defying numbers when it comes to love. It mentions women in STEM & how the government is trying to dissuade girls from going into STEM because it’s believed women can’t handle it. Our MC is set on defying gender norms & I found myself really admiring & respecting her hustle. As a NYC dweller, the subway system is a huge part of my commute and the odds of running into the same person are pretty slim…but what if? ;)

259 Million Miles by Kass Morgan ⭐️⭐️⭐️

This one was Ok in the Meet Cute Department. It’s centered around a guy and a girl who have signed up to win a spot on the space shuttle to Mars where they’d contribute in efforts to establish a new civilization. Philip is trying to escape Earth and all of the awkward moments he’s had in High School. Blythe on the other hand wants to help create a second chance at life on another planet. Both were selected due to their IQ’s and inventions that would prove to be useful on Mars. I guess it was hard to reconcile the Philip who is escaping Earth & socializing as a whole to the Philip we see in the end. Also, this read more as a platonic relationship. Otherwise & I appreciated the message of reclaiming your voice & identity.

Something Real by Julie Murphy ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2

This was my first Julie Murphy read & I’m sitting Happy with the fact that I truly enjoyed the writing. This one has plus sized + LGBTQ representation, I can only speak on the Plus sized rep and say I loved June to pieces! Confident & at times a little self deprecating, she owns her body and style. June is also a tiny bit obsessed with pop culture sensation/singer Dylan & is responsible for the creation of his international fan club. When an opportunity presents itself to go on a dating show (think The Bachelor) & win a date with Dylan, June is over the moon happy! This story had such a good turnout, Murphy highlights misogynistic behavior & calls it out *round of applause* I can’t help but want more June now that it’s over *Dumplin’ is now on my February TBR <3

Say Everything by Huntley Ditzpatrick ⭐️⭐️1/2

This one starts off in a diner, Our MC is a waitress who notices a guy come in with his group of friends, all distinguishable by their preppy uniforms that are clear markers of their wealth. The opening scene is very similar to that of when Blue Sargeant meets Gansey & the boys in Maggie Stiefvater’s The Raven Boys. Perhaps a bit too strikingly similar for my taste. Also, I wasn’t sold on this Meet Cute . The chemistry just wasn’t there & although it is a short story, I did feel like it was a bit rushed. Wanted to love it but just couldn’t get into it :(

The Department Of Dead Love by Nicola Yoon ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ALL THE STARS IN THE WORLD!!!!

How wonderful to finish my reading of this anthology with what is now my all time favorite Meet Cute of all time!!! Nicola Yoon you slayyyyyyed your story! & literally saved the best for last <3 this story is about heartbreak & all matters of the heart. There is a fantastical element in this world where The Department of Dead Love exists. A series of buildings that specialize in Break-ups, Unrequited Love, Bereavement, and Young Love…yea I know! sounds interesting already! tell me more! we meet our MC Thomas who has just had a break-up and is going through all the necessary steps to see if he can get approved for a “Do-Over” & bookworms it is exactly what you’re thinking, a second chance at your failed relationship. I LOVED the ingenuity & characters so much in this short story and wish with all my might that again as I’ve mentioned with some of the other stories, that this was a full length novel *le sigh* this was just perfection and the chemistry in this Meet Cute was off the charts making this story my #1!

Many of the stories themselves were cute, and many of the couples within the stories were super cute. I loved the diversity of stories and characters. But I didn’t think that all of the stories in this collection qualified as meet cutes.

The blurb says these are stories about “how they first met.” Ummmmm… that’s NOT necessarily meet cute. Stories about characters who already knew each other and then got to know each other better aren’t really meet cute stories. I don’t think that depressing stories qualify either, no matter how cute the meet.

HERE ARE A FEW STORIES IN THE COLLECTION THAT DID MEET MY DEFINITION OF MEET CUTE:

Print Shop by Nina LaCour

This was a tightly written, cohesive story with themes I appreciated and a meet cute that I give high points for creativity. When Evie agrees to help a small print shop in her neighborhood with their social media, she gets tangled up in a Twitter war with a very unsatisfied customer. I loved that this was a virtual meet cute that transitioned to a real meeting. This meet cute fit with the story’s themes of Luddite old fashionedness vs. newfangled online life and this super-cute couple put a smile on my face!

OOMPH by Emery Lord

This story takes place in an airport, which is such a great place for a chance encounter meet cute! Cass is at in the security line at JFK when she’s given a mysterious flyer by a TSA agent. This leads to a lot of witty banter with the passenger ahead of her in line. They’re on different flights, but at adjacent gates, and Cass saves her mysterious new friend from one of those overly chatty fellow travelers. OOMPH was a cute and flirty story that won my heart.

Something Real by Julie Murphy

June is the president of the Official Dylan Fan Club International, which has won her the chance to compete on A Date Come True, a show where ordinary people try to win a date with a celeb. June is vying for a date with … you guessed it: Dylan, a singer who was plucked out of YouTube obscurity by a record label. I don’t want to say too much more about this story except that it was full of surprises! Meet cute with a twist.

Meet Cute is fabulous! There are some absolutely adorable stories in this collection, but it isn't fluff. Some of the stories are actually quite serious, and take on subjects like death, and being transgender. I love that they take on some challenging subjects in a way that is as accessible as it is enjoyable. All of the couples make your heart melt just a little, but none more so for me than Jocelyn Davies's
story about two people who meet on passing subways, or Jennifer Armentrout's story about love found from a missing library book.

Meet Cute is perfect for when you just want a story that will make you feel good in the end, especially when you might not have the time for a novel. In less time than it takes to watch a Hallmark movie, you can read a much better story here.

{Disclaimer: I received a free ARC of Meet Cute from NetGalley}

Overall, this was a lovely fun read of mainly contemporary stories. I would love some of these as full-length novels!

Oy. Everyone likes a good "meet cute," but it's hard to like when followed up with mediocre writing.

I was excited to get check this out via NetGalley, but it became such a chore to get through some of these stories. I mean, I literally would flip my e-pages ahead to see how much longer I have to go to get to the end -- and often it would appear to be too many pages before I can change channels to what I hope is a better story, which it often wasn't.

Best of the bunch was Click by Katharine McGee. Hard to pick what was the blah-est, but the 1st story and Something Real stuck in my head as the most infuriating to get through. The 1st story, Siege Etiquette, because I remember thinking "This is what they want to lead with?!" and Something Real because it did not feel real at all. With the exception of Click (and there were a few that were ok -- The Dictionary of You and Me and The Unlikely Likelihood of Falling in Love; Print Shop was very lyrical, but I was meh on the story), I suspect this was not any writer's best effort.

Can't recommend purchasing this collection, which is 1.5/2 stars at the most.

Short story collections can be hit or miss. This one is mostly a hit, with a few that are less interesting. The only downside is wanting to read more and it's just a short story!

This was a nice collection of short stories. There were some REALLY great entries, but the ones that fell flat brought down the collection.

In the mood for a feel-good story (so, always) I picked up my iPad to read Meet Cute early this year, immersed in the New Year of books ahead. It's clear from the beginning that these stories are full of whip-smart, lovable characters who are discovering something new and magical in the world with someone else: love. I won't do a mini-review of every book in the anthology (gosh, can you imagine how long that review would be?!) but I will be saying my favourite things about the book as a whole, of which there were many.
The stories, depicted as the beginnings of how they met, are the stories of YA dreams. Not only are they achingly beautiful - in particular Nina LaCour, Huntley Fitzpatrick, Emery Lord and Jennifer Armentrout's stories - but they're meaningful, frank and oh-so-realistic. I'm also super proud that Meredith Russo wrote a trans heroine for her story in Meet Cute, and that the authors showed the ups-and-downs of breaking up, that love had no bounds in futuristic tales and humorous romances that will make your heart swell. Now, because these stories are short and involve an "instant connection" meaning a Meet Cute, there is the dreaded insta-love. But you know what? It's the good kind of insta-love. The kind that is really believable. I could honestly imagine this is how some people - soulmates and true love - actually meet and fall in love in an instant, fleeting moment.
Overall, Meet Cute is as magical as it sounds. Each story holds something momentous and epic, a love story for the ages. I couldn't fault any of the unique spins on Meet Cute's, or any of the ways that they panned out. This is truly such a breath of fresh air, the perfect weekend read and equally welcome book for fans of sweet YA romances with sparkling beginnings. A huge five stars!

I picked this as my first read of 2018 because I wanted something fun flirty and something with the “feels” and boy did I get it with this anthology! While with all anthologies I wasn’t wowed by all the stories I was with way more than half of them. Of course, I have my favorite authors that I go to but I also was exposed to some that I never read anything from and highly enjoyed their stories.

One of my favorites was from Jocelyn Davies who was new to me and omg that story was just too cute. It was about a girl who was all about stats and math and how her world revolved around that. One day she meets a boy who was going on the opposite train and she decides to use math to determine if they met again every day using different variables. Everyone tells her it was fate that they were meant to meet but she doesn’t believe in fate she thinks its just the fact that people are creatures of habit and by doing the same thing everyday peoples routines just sync up that way. Well, she slowly starts to fall for this guy after a few brief encounters with him and when she doesn’t see him for awhile decides her experiment wasn’t worth it. Just when she thinks she will never see him again fate steps in reunites them. Oh, how I loved this story it was just... everything!

I found this anthology fun and light-hearted and an awesome way to start off my book year. I highly encourage everyone to give this one a try, you are bound to find a story or two or more that will tug at your heartstrings.

This was a wonderful anthology.  I requested this from NetGalley because I was familiar with several of the authors and liked their writing style.  It is unusual to like every story in a short story collection, but in this case I truly did.  This would be a great book to read around Valentine's Day since the stories focus on characters meeting and falling in love.

Meet Cute is a strong anthology, full of lovely stories about people meeting for the first time.

Katie Cotugno's story opens the collection well with two characters who have the scope for a whole novel (isn't that the problem with some short stories?) and then you're quickly flung into one of the most memorable stories - Print Shop by Nina Lacour. I LOVED the basic settings, the almost mundane lives of these teenagers and the excitement that quick love brings to them.

The rest of the collection has plenty of standouts, including The Unlikely Likelihood Of Falling In Love by Jocelyn Davies, about two teenagers who see each other through train windows on a morning commute.

Overall, this is a strong collection firmly in the YA Romance category and one I would recommend.

Off the back, the title reminded me of the Kate Winslet's scene in The Holiday where she learns about meet cutes in movies. This a great premise for a book. This anthology features very talented YA authors. The diverse characters were refreshing and appreciated. In Hourglass, I appreciated how the African-American character stepped beyond being the sidekick. Click by Katherine McGee could be the start of a great rom com movie. I got a case of the "feels" while reading The Dictionary of You & Me by Jennifer L Armentrout. Overall, this a great read.

I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

I’ll admit, after seeing subpar reviews of this anthology from reviewers I trust, I was quite hesitant when I cracked open this book. However, overall, I ended up enjoying these short stories much more than expected! I’ve been pretty disappointed by YA anthologies recently, but Meet Cute definitely surprised me in a good way. My average rating for the stories was 3.5, so I’ve rated the overall anthology 3.5 stars to reflect that (although I rounded up to a 4 stars on Goodreads, because I really did love the stories I enjoyed from this collection).

I appreciated that quite a few stories in this collection featured LGBTQIAP+ rep (although I do reeeeeaaalllly wish there had been some ace rep, considering the premise of the collection), and I also really liked the mix of genres! I was expecting purely contemporary cuteness, but there were quite a few sci-fi/futuristic stories, as well as a bit of fabulism in Dhonielle Clayton’s story. I will say, like all short story collections, this one has its duds… but it also has some definite gems. Many of these, I wouldn’t personally classify as “meet cutes,” and those stories were the ones I tended to like the least. I would have read full-length novels of a couple of these, though! Since it’s hard to talk generally about a short story anthology, let’s get into my thoughts and ratings of the individual stories.

Siege Ettiquette by Katie Cotugno: 1☆ // This collection did not start off on a good note for me. I knew going in that I’m not a fan of Katie Cotugno’s writing, so I didn’t expect to love her story or anything, but seriously? It was kind of a pile of hot garbage. It could not be described as “cute,” or really even as a “meeting,” much less a “meet cute.” The characters had about as much chemistry as two pieces of cardboard, and the second person POV was a weird choice. Ugh. This was by far my least favorite story.

Print Shop by Nina Lacour: 5☆ // In true Nina Lacour fashion, this story turned my quickly-souring feelings on this anthology around. It was an adorable f/f romance aided by social media. The print shop setting was so unique and fun! Love love love.

Hourglass by Ibi Zoboi: 2☆ // This story didn’t do it for me. I enjoyed the commentary on race, and the black and fat representation was much-needed, but what even was that “romance”? The “meet cute” was super anticlimactic and, once again, no chemistry.

Click by Katharine McGee: 4☆ // I really enjoyed this one! It’s total romance trope-y goodness, and it’s set in a near future where an app called Click matches people up with the people most compatible for them (kinda like Tinder of the future). It also made me think, which I didn’t expect!

The Intern by Sara Shepard: 2.5☆ // I didn’t have any issues with this story, but I also can hardly remember anything about it, so take from that what you will. I’ve definitely read/watched stories that use this same premise that are executed better.

Somewhere That’s Green by Meredith Russo: 4☆ // Yaaaaay for trans and lesbian rep! I liked the school musical element to this one, and there were some great discussions on things like anti-trans bathroom legislation. Super cute f/f romance.

The Way We Love Here by Dhonielle Clayton: 3☆ // I think the premise of this story is much better suited to a full-length novel. I love Dhonielle Clayton’s writing, and the fabulist elements were incorporated in an interesting way, but I wanted more. I didn’t get enough closure from just a short story.

Oomph by Emery Lord: 5☆ // MY FAVORITE STORY. But, like, who’s surprised? Emery Lord is my queen. This is the cutest f/f meet cute that takes place in an airport. Plus, it ends with an Avett Brothers reference. GOODBYE WORLD THIS WAS SO GOOD. *cries because I wanna have a meet cute with a cute girl in an airport*

The Dictionary of You and Me by Jennifer L. Armentrout: 4.5☆ // This story was total wish fulfillment for all the bookworms who will pick up this anthology, and I don’t even care. It was cheesy and formulaic as hell, but I ate it up and would read a hundred more stories with this premise.

The Unlikely Likelihood of Falling in Love by Jocelyn Davies: 5☆ // An NYC subway romance! With a girl mathematician as the protagonist! It was adorable and I loved it!

259 Million Miles by Kass Morgan: 4☆ // I reeaaaalllly liked this one. Again, I would love a full-length book based on this story. We got some much-needed representation of a guy protagonist who has social anxiety, and this romance felt totally believable to me. Also, this was definitely the most bittersweet story in the anthology, which I am always a sucker for.

Something Real by Julie Murphy: 4☆ // So cute!! An f/f romance where two girls compete on a reality show to win a date with a famous guy singer, but end up falling for each other instead? Yes, please. More queer stories like this.

Say Everything by Huntley Fitzpatrick: 2☆ // This story was just okay. Again, the second person POV felt like a strange, unnecessary choice, and the premise was waaaaaay too melodramatic for my taste.

The Department of Dead Love by Nicola Yoon: 3☆ // A solid story, but my least favorite of the three futuristic stories in this anthology. Again, this would work better as a full-length book, maybe. The world building was great; I just didn’t feel a ton of chemistry between the main characters.

3.5 stars. I’m always a sucker for young adult short story anthologies. You never know what little gems you might discover that will lead you to an author you haven’t read before. Like most collections of short stories, this anthology contains some hits and some misses, but I enjoyed reading all the different interpretations of “meet cutes”. The stand-out stories for me were “Oomph” by Emery Lord, “The Dictionary of You and Me” by Jennifer L. Armentrout, “Say Everything” by Huntley Fitzpatrick, and—my favorite—“The Unlikely Likelihood of Falling in Love” by Jocelyn Davies.