OVERALL RATING: 4.22 stars

Turn the Sky to Petal by Anna-Marie McLemore 4 stars
i’ve never read a McLemore story that didn’t feel like being wrapped in silk and sung to sleep by mother nature.

Prom by Danielle Paige 4 stars
very short but just as equally sweet.

What We Love by Lauren Gibaldi 4 stars
a jewish girl and an indian boy join forces to get revenge against their bully. this was surprisingly cute with lots of Star Wars references.

Giving Up the Ghost by Tarun Shanker and Kelly Zekas 4 stars
i wasn’t sure about this one at first. it takes place in a world where everyone is partnered with a ghost, and i found the MC’s ghost to be really annoying, but it actually turned out to be a pretty fun read.

Your Life Matters by L.L. McKinney 5 stars
honestly this deserves like 10 million stars. i need a full length novel about this black superhero and her techie gf. i was instantly sucked in and just woah! this was so awesome. vaguely reminded me a bit of Super Human by Nicola Yoon but more bad-ass.

Starlight and Moondust by Lori M. Lee 4 stars
folktales, rainbows, and dragons. this was pretty cool. it took me a bit to get into the story, but when I did, I found it rather beautiful.

Five Times Shiva Met Harry by Sangu Mandanna 5 stars
man this was too short! I loved this! Shiva’s dad was so funny and it made me happy that harry wanted to learn about real history instead of white history.

The Agony of a Heart’s Wish by Samira Ahmed 5 stars
woah this was heavy stuff. A british colonial soldier and a muslim indian girl meet and fall in love immediately. I was gonna give this 4 stars for the nauseating insta-love but that ending was intense.

The Cowards’ Guide to Falling in Love by Caroline Tung Richmond 3.5 stars
this was not what i expected at all. when they say “coward” they aren’t kidding. this felt really awkward but also really real. the unexpected ending was actually pretty cool.

Death and the Maiden by Tara Sim 4 stars
this was a sort of Hades and Persephone story except Hades is a woman and Persephone is Parvani, an Indian girl who wants to help her people. It’s gay and so well written. I love Tara Sim’s stories.

Faithfull by Karuna Riazi 4 stars
this was really nice. The focus was more on family, with the MC getting a new step-dad and adjusting to a different culture and new friends. It also made me hungry with all the talk about food.

Gilman Street by Michelle Ruiz Keil 5 stars
loved this queer 80’s punk story. it was so fun.

“The Boy Is” by Elsie Chapman 4 stars
i love stories where the MC breaks away from parental expectations and starts making their own choices so obviously I liked this one!

Sandwiched in Between by Eric Smith 4 stars
this was really interesting. This interracial couple celebrates thanksgiving together visiting each other’s family. It’s a bit of a disaster, but i think the MCs learn a bit more about themselves and each other.

Yuna and the Wall by Lydia Kang 5 stars
I love fantasy villages! This was such a cool story with a charming romance. Neither of the character’s races were really mentioned much besides the LI having blue eyes and blond hair and Yuna having the name “Yuna” so I felt like it was a little off the mark of the overall theme of this book.

Something Gay and Magical by Adam Silvera 3 stars
yeah so i hyped this short story up in my mind so much that reading it was a major let down but reflecting on it, it wasn’t... that bad? this story is super relatable if you are gay and lament the lack of super gay fantasy books in publishing like i do.

Some of these stories were cute and adorable, some of them were completely wholesome and made me smile, and some of these stories tore my heart out because they were just so sad. I honestly don't know what I was expecting from this book, but all of these short stories came together so wonderfully and I enjoyed every single one of them. They just worked so well. There were even some that I honestly wished were full on novels. I have to admit that one of my favorite short stories now lies within the pages of this book and I honestly recommend everyone to pick this up. Its just so inclusive of every human being out there that it was honestly so great and refreshing.

Color Outside the Lines was an absolute delight to read and I couldn't put it down. I really loved the concept of this anthology and all the different forms these interracial couples took. I loved that it wasn't just racially diverse but also diverse in gender and sexual/romantic orientation.

I loved almost every single story and I only didn't fall in love with one or two of the stories. We get to see tons of couples across time, cultures, and worlds (real or not). The stories also differ widely in length. Each story also dealt with more than just their races. We had a racist cop, a poison maker's daughter, and a world where everyone has a ghost of their ancestor floating around with them.

This one has something for everyone and I really think you'll enjoy it!

*I received a complimentary copy of this book from Soho Press through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.*