I've delayed and delayed writing this because I was so put off by the first story, unfortunately. The love interest was exactly the kind of archetype I personally don't like and I really couldn't move on from there. At the moment this is a DNF for me but I may come back to it later.

I didn't publish this publicly on my own blog because it's only negative, but if I end up reading more and liking some of the other stories, I may do a longer, more thorough review.

dnf 28%

Thank you Netgalley for the chance to read this book, in exchange for an honest review!
I'll be quick to the point and say immediately that Fools In Love simply wasn't for me. It was my first time I ever read a compilation of short stories, and I thought I'd enjoy it - the break from usual novels, something new.

Turns out I didn't. This book ticks all the boxes in terms of diversity (all the stories I did read were LGBTQ+), and that was a big reason for me to pick this in the first place. I didn't know any of the writers, but that didn't scare me away.

Surprisingly, the short stories I did read felt both fast and too dragged many times. I was often too weirded out by the sudden changes in atmosphere and characters, grasping at details and far too quick/brusk introductions in order to make sense of what I was reading. The fact that the writing was much of the same, even with the change in authors, didn't motivate me to read further either. The ideas were clearly creative, but, as expected, they're not developed since they're short stories, and that had me annoyed instead of content. I wish I could've liked it more.

I'd recommend it if you do know you like compilations.

This was SUCH a good read!! Lovely little stories about lovely little people. Not too demanding, and there's a really nice variety of tropes here. There is DEFINITELY something for everyone here!

Fools in Love is an amazing eclectic collection of stories that are sweet and romantic. While some are hit or miss, this was overall a lovely novel great for light reading

Thank you so much, NetGalley, Perseus Books, Running Press and Running Press Kids, for the chance to read and review this book in exchange of an honest review.

I absolutely loved this brilliant and wonderful collection of stories. Some of my favourite authors, and others who soon become favourites, reimagined popular tropes like fake dating, enemies to lovers, love triangle and so much more in this genre-bending collection.
Between mistaken identies, superheroes and their enemies, sled races, end of the world, with original and imaginative setting, with brilliant and complex characters and couples, this collection is definitely one of my favourite. I loved Mason Deaver's, Julian Winters' and Natasha Ngan's stories, mostly, but overall this collection is filled with laughters, loves, friendships, feelings and so many intense emotions it was impossible not to be captured and to love everything.
I laughed, I cried, I squealed with joy, I rolled my eyes, I cheered my favourite characters on and I loved every single one of them.
Totally a dream, recommend it!

I haven't read many anthologies, but I really like the concept of bite-sized stories by a group of curated writers. It's definitely a type of book I'd like to read more of.

The concept of this anthology instantly intrigued me, and truly these short stories were clever twists on tropes and generally interesting to read. But like any collection, some stories were home runs for me, some were not. My favorites were:

- "These Strings" by Lilliam Rivera
-"The Passover Date" by Laura Silverman
-"Teed Up" by Gloria Chao
-"Boys Noise" by Mason Deaver

Those particular stories made me want to read more by those authors, and I thought they were the best suited for a short story format. The others, I could pass on. Overall, a fun collection with some creative takes.

A thanks to Perseus Books, Running Press, and NetGalley for the e-book in exchange for my honest, unbiased review.

Even the most casual of romance readers could probably list a trope that is their jam. For me it’s the friends-to-lovers trope, although the fake dating trope can also be great stuff when done right.

There are fifteen stories in Fools in Love, all of them are by well-known and/or upcoming authours. There were even a couple of authours who not only haven’t I hadn’t seen before, but also that I’ve never heard of before coming across them in this book. Like Laura Silverman, who wrote what’s probably my favourite story of faking dating during a Passover Seder, and Lilliam Rivera, whose heroine, learns to stand up against patriarchal traditions while falling for her brother’s best friend. I also appreciated the depths of some of the stories, as even within a couple of pages, they manage to bring to light current issues like race and crime.

These re-imaginings of popular romance tropes were not your usual run-of-the mill YA romance stories. Many of the stories incorporated unique fantasy and science fiction elements like monsters, aliens, superheroes and outer space that unexpectedly worked. I also found it refreshing how the majority of the stories centered on LGBTQ2S+ romances, as I haven’t read many anthologies where cis-het monogamous romances are not the most common type of relationship. Honestly, the only thing I disliked about this collection was how, due to the limitations of the short story format, I found myself wanting more of certain characters and their stories even though I know it’s unlikely we’d get any kind of continuation.

While the stories found in Fools in Love, they don’t exactly take place during the holidays; they are as magical as they are sweet and adorable. There is also something for everyone in this anthology. As long as you enjoy romance, this book is an ideal heartwarming read for this time of the year.

This was a great collection. The stories were all different but worked well in an anthology. We often see these tropes played out with cishet characters. It was really nice to see them in a more diverse group.

This was a fun and interesting read. There are some really good stories in the mix here. There's a little something for everyone. It's different from my usual reads but I enjoyed the various stories none the less. Definitely worth checking out if you're already a fan of a few of these authors.

I'm not usually a fan of YA writing and I'm not often a reader of short stories either. However, I thought this collection was really fun and something that I would have really enjoyed as a teenager. I loved how much different representation there was and all the different tropes that came into play.

I only read some of these short stories. I love the premise of the collection as a whole, but in my opinion none of the stories were all that great. they were just okay.

here are my thoughts on the ones I read:

EDGES: happy + grumpy
- clover and mac are both frustrating. they need to communicate!!
- I’m not crazy about the grumpy + sunshine trope, so this one wasn’t my favorite

WHAT MAKES US HEROES: Hero + Villain
- love a good coffeeshop setting. The Last Bean is adorable
- oh shoot I didn’t expect an actual superhero and villain
- kyan and shai grew up together but then grew apart because of what their parents taught them
- I think this was the story that really felt too short. I liked it so much that I wanted more! a bit more world building and explanation of the superhero system. this was such a cute snapshot into a fun superhero world and romance

AND: love triangle
- the main girl has been dating billy for a long time but insta-love falls (lusts?) for enzo as soon as he moves to their school
- this one has an almost wistful tone. it's like the characters have no control over anything and their lives just happen to them
- mild spoiler: she chooses both of them. and then they all choose each other

MY BEST FRIEND'S GAL: best friend's girlfriend
- oooh another superhero one
- HAHA there's some clever usage of the phrase "anti-masker" in this one
- this one felt like the fullest story so far. like it wasn't just a glimpse into their life, it was a whole arc

Thank you to the publisher for providing me with an e-arc. Fools in Love is an anthology with fresh takes on classic romance tropes such as enemies to lovers, there was only one bed, and mistaken identities. This anthology features exactly the kind of stories we need to see in the world today, and I’m so glad to see myself represented on the pages. I would love to see more books in this vein.

This was a lovely compilation of short stories. Some I liked more than others, as it always happens with anthologies, but overall I'd say it was a cute moment and it was perfect to read in between chores/tasks.

The stories were also very diverse in genre as well as in representation, which is always so nice to see.

I feel like with romantic short stories is always harder to feel connected or invested in the characters and some stories did that better than others. But again, overall it was alright. Not remarkable, but pretty entertaining.

This was such a fun anthology! I loved seeing all of these tropes being reinvented, the broad representation, and this definitely introduced me to so many new authors!

I am a humongous fan of romance tropes, so I was especially excited to read this anthology of fifteen young adult stories each centered around a specific trope, from snowed in to mistaken identity to mutual pining. It’s queer as all get out, with quite a few sapphic pairings as well as some gay and trans characters. It’s also delightfully diverse, in both its characters and authors.

Like most collections, there are some stories I liked more than others. First up, the fantasy/scifi stories.

“And now said competitor is trying to get me drunk. I should report them to the trail runners for subterfuge.”
“Subterfuge!” Ru looked gleeful. “What a delightful word!”
Mila rolled her eyes. “What would you call it, then?”
“Seduction.”


Natasha Ngan’s “Silver and Gold” (snowed in together) covered a moment of quiet and understanding in the middle of a fantasy Iditarod. This was delightful, atmospheric and adventurous by turns, and it was a great start to the collection.

Rebecca Kim Wells’ “Unfortunately, Blobs Do Not Eat Snacks” recounts Tess and Davina’s attempts to complete their magical academy exam…. if they can get to the small town they’re supposed to investigate some random minor magical mishap in without killing each. This is the “kissing under the influence” trope, which is not a particular favorite of mine, but I adored this story and would love an entire series starring Tess and Davina. Definitely one of my top faves!

“What Makes Us Heroes” is one where the author, Julian Winters, went all out and decided to interrogate the trope of hero vs villain. In a world where superpowers are hereditary but racial and class inequalities still exist, what is the real difference between heroes and villains?

“My Best Friend’s Girl” by Sara Farizan helpfully tells you what the trope is in the title, but the rest of the story, about a regular girl who falls for her superhero best friend’s girlfriend, was anything but boring. The world-building was fascinating, and I loved the portrayal of the relationships between all three of them. This is definitely an author I’ll be looking out for.

“Disaster” by Rebecca Podos is the last story in the collection and straddles the line between contemporary and SF. I loved this one, its sly humor and utter believability of a second chance romance resisted due to the possible complete destruction of the earth.

As for ones that particularly didn’t work, “Girls Just Want to Have Fun” by Malinda Lo was, like the title says, incredibly fun, but it also reminded me a lot of Cinder.

Surprisingly enough, the contemporary stories had even more standouts, though I have a bit less to say about them.

“Earlier today she was a crush, just someone to look at, really. She was more like a metaphor than a real girl, if I was honest with myself. She was freedom and confidence and being out in a way I still couldn’t completely imagine. But now, in a matter of minutes, she’s transformed into something way more and less than that all at once. Just a girl I feel like I could understand and who maybe could understand me.”


“Five Stars” by Amy Spalding involves a case of mistaken identity when Krista, who recently moved to LA, gets mistaken for a rideshare driver by Audrey, the hottest girl in high school. It’s so cute, and Krista’s internal freakout is hilarious and so sweet. I absolutely adored this one. Almost equal to me was Laura Silverman’s “The Passover Date.” It had one of my favorite tropes, fake dating, and was cheesy (literally) in all the best ways.

Hannah Moskowitz’s “And” has one of my least favorite tropes, the love triangle, and while I liked the way it was resolved, the second-person POV was very jarring. Lilliam Rivera’s “These Strings” has the sibling’s best friend trope, a favorite of mine, but despite the interesting premise (Latinx puppeteers!) the emotions fell flat for me. In contrast, “Teed Up” by Gloria Chao deals with some of the same feelings (feeling unheard by your parents) but it worked out a lot better for me, despite revolving around golf, which is definitely not an area of interest for me.

Overall, while there were a handful of stories I didn’t particularly care for, overall the stories I liked were enough to earn this collection a solid 4 stars from me. Highly recommended if you’re a fan of romance tropes and want several fresh views!

I received an advance review copy of this book from NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

i have received an e-arc via netgalley in exchange for a honest review

"snowed in together" by natasha ngan: 3,75*
tropes: rivals to lovers, second chance romance
f/f
i was living for the sexual tension between mila and ru and how flustered mila would get with ru's flirting. the characters are surprisingly complex for such a short story. made me want to order girls of paper and fire immediately.

"mistaken identity" by amy spalding: 3*
tropes: (as the title provides) mistaken identity
f/f
this one is a weird one cause i DID enjoy it but the ~situation~ the main character gets into is kind of unethical and for that reason i was kinda uncomfortable throughout. and i think the love interest got over being lied to way too quickly.

"kissing under the influence" by rebecca kim wells: 2*
tropes: dislike to like, character A who doesn't like character B has to work with them
f/f
i didn't like it AT ALL. i was very bored and frustated there was basically zero resolution. so if you don't like open ended short stories, i don't reccomend it.

"the grumpy one and the soft one" by ashley herring blake: 4*
tropes: character A mentors character B, grumpy/sunshine
f/f
this was so damn cute I LOVED IT you can count on ashley herring blake delivering a story with a lot of heart even in so very few words. i definitely want more of clover and mac.

"what makes us heroes" by julian winters: 3,75*
tropes: villain/hero (even tho i would argue the character isn't exactly a villain), fake dating
m/m
this reminded me a lot of renegades by marissa meyer and i loved it for it. very cute and i felt the discussions of being a minority standing up against the system even if it's seen as illegal very relevant to today.

"and" by hannah moskowitz: 3,5*
tropes: love triangle
m/f/m
this felt very short so i don't think i have much to say but it was cute. it's nice when a love triangle is an actual triangle.

"my best friend's girl" by sara farizan: 4,25*
tropes: crush on best friend's girlfriend
f/f
adorable 🥺🥺 i just love how much they all care about each other and i wish this was a whole book, i wanted to spend more time with these characters. i also love the superhero side plot, i'm a sucker for that

"(fairy)like attracts like" by claire kann: 2*
tropes: mutual pining
f/f
i didn't like this one and i can't exactly pinpoint why. it was just very bland. i did like that we had a fat and sapphic black protagonist tho!

"these strings" by liliam rivera: 3*
tropes: sibling's best friend
m/f
i never thought of the business of puppeteering before so that was an interesting look into it! i was quite indifferent to the romance because i don't think there was much chemistry. and i would've liked to see the conversation between the brother and the best friend but that wasn't possible since it was from the pov of the female protagonist.

"the passover date" by laura silverman: 4*
tropes: fake dating
m/f
i adored this 🥺 so *cheesy*
i especially love how aromantic people were acknowledged since this tradition the family of the main character has is not very aromantic-friendly and it's in itself very ridiculous bc people should be allowed to be single without having to explain it to their family members. i also appreciate how there was no explanation of the jewish terms because i don't think marginalized authors have to explain their culture every time they write about it.

"bloom" by rebecca barrow: n/a
tropes: love transcends space and time
f/f
this one is probably my most biased review cause i was in a terrible place when i read it which def influenced my experience. i couldn't sleep for hours and hours and trying despite keeping consuming sleeping pills. i was attempting to read bc staying awake without nothing to do is torture but whenver i opened the words, they would be blurry and it took me a while to understand them. it also didn't help that i kept reading pieces and pieces individually and making a pause bc it was too much. so my rating would be 1* but i don't think it's be fair to the story.

"teed up" by gloria chow: 3,5*
tropes: rivals to lovers
m/f
i like how pressure from parents was at the center of this story, very realistic but very sad.

"boys noise" by mason deaver: 3,5*
tropes: only one bed
m/m
i do love a boy band story. i felt at times the dialogue was stilted so that took me out of the story. but besides that i really enjoyed it.

"girls just want to have fun" by malinda lo: 3,5*
tropes: secret royalty
f/f
god this reminded of cinder, the main character being a mechanic and the love interest a royal! adorable!!

"disaster" by rebecca podos: 3,75*
tropes: second chance romance
f/f
IT'S THE END OF THE WORLD and we have a messy female/female relationship at the center of this story which is my favourite kind :) 

final rating: 3,5*

Fools in Love is a wonderful anthology full of rich and fun romance stories from a wide range of genres. While I enjoyed some more than others, almost all of these were really well done, and I’m so glad I was able to read them. It was so fun to see the different types of romantic situations these teens found themselves in. My favorite stories had to be “My Best Friend’s Girl” by Sara Farizan, “Bloom” by Rebecca Barrow, and “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun” by Malinda Lo.
Below are my thoughts on each individual story, which I wrote down as I was reading.

Silver and Gold: “Snowed in Together” by Natasha Ngan
Rating: 4/5 stars
Thoughts: From the cover and the description, I was expecting all of the short stories in this anthology to be contemporaries, but I was surprised when this one started out as a fantasy-type story. It wasn’t an unpleasant surprise, however. I found myself quite interested in the world and wondering what the history of it all was. I would’ve loved more detail about the world, but because it was a short story, I think the amount provided was really good. The two protagonists’ relationships was explored quickly but sweetly, and I couldn’t help but want more time with them. Overall, I thought this was a fun take on the snowed in together trope!

Five Stars: “Mistaken Identities” by Amy Spalding
Rating: 4/5 stars
Thoughts: Five Stars was more along the lines of what I was expecting the anthology to be. At first I found the writing style difficult to get into, but with how absolutely wild and crazy the situation was, I soon found myself totally hooked. I feel like I could relate to this one a bit, because as a fellow awkward person, I can totally understand how Krista got into that situation. This was fun and lighthearted and I really enjoyed it.

Unfortunately, Blobs Do Not Eat Snacks: “Kissing Under the Influence” by Rebecca Kim Wells
Rating: 3.5/5
Thoughts: I think I actually would’ve enjoyed this one better without the romance! I was really engaged with the first 3/4 of the story as they attempted to complete their exam. The world was interesting, and I always love a good magician story, but I didn’t really feel any chemistry between the two leads. I felt the potential was definitely there, but because it was so short, I think it wasn’t developed enough for me to become fully invested. This one was still enjoyable, though!

Edges: “The Grumpy One and the Soft One” by Ashley Herring Blake
Rating: 3.75/5
Thoughts: this one was cute, but also demonstrated what it can be like when everything in your life is changing and when it feels as if you no longer fit. I particularly enjoyed the fact that the romance, while not public, was already pre-established before the start of this story. I feel like it made it easier for me to get invested in the couple. Overall, it was super cute and enjoyable!

What Makes Us Heroes: “Hero Vs. Villain” by Julian Winters
Rating: 4/5
Thoughts: I really liked this one! I’m a sucker for superhero stories, and even more so if they’re queer, and even though we didn’t actually get to see any superhero action in this, I could still believe the world that was set up. I thought the two protagonists were really sweet. I’m also a huge fan of the hero and villain falling for each other, so this short story pretty much had everything going for it! I think this one might be my favorite so far, but I also really enjoyed Snowed In, so I’m not sure yet.

And: “Love Triangle” by Hannah Moskowitz
Rating: 2.5/5
Thoughts: my first thought upon seeing that “And” would be featuring a love triangle was somewhere along the lines of, “oh boy, here we go.” Because if there are any tropes I dislike, it is a love triangle. However, I was pleasantly surprised by the direction this story took. My biggest complaint was actually the writing style. Because it was written in second person, I couldn’t connect with the main character, because it felt like it was supposed to be me, but I didn’t relate to them at all. Despite that, I still did enjoy the story. It was different and not what I was expecting. I wish it had been a few pages longer, but I do like where it ended.

My Best Friend’s Girl: “Best Friend’s Girlfriend” by Sara Farizan
Rating: 4.5/5
Thoughts: another superhero story? Yes, please! This one is easily my favorite of what I’ve read so far. As I mentioned earlier, I enjoy superhero stories a lot, and this one showcased several of the things I love about these kinds of stories. While we didn’t get a lot of world building time, the amount that was done was really good. I could easily imagine the superheroes and villains, where they come from, and why they’re still there. Also, I really liked all three main characters. I sympathized for Hal who wanted to try to be a normal dude, but felt loyal to his superhero alias and wanted desperately to protect the city. But at the same time I felt bad for both Alia and Clara who were always left behind when he had to go running off to fight the villains. Alia’s and Clara’s relationship progression was completely believable, and their chemistry was so sweet. This one was so much fun to read!

(Fairy) Like Attracts Like: “Mutual Pining” by Claire Kann
Rating: 4/5
Thoughts: this one was so unique! All of the stories up until this point have been very different from one another, but I felt this one took it a step further. I particularly enjoyed the fairy camp premise. It made me wish there’d been something like that for me when I was younger, because I know I would’ve loved that. The main characters were also incredibly interesting and intriguing, and I wish I’d gotten to know more about them and the world. Overall, this was a great read and I really enjoyed my time with it!

These Strings: “Sibling’s Hot Best Friend” by Lilliam Rivera
Rating: 2.5/5
Thoughts: I’m not sure why, but I never got fully invested in this one. It wasn’t bad by any means, but I don’t think this particular story was for me. I couldn’t bring myself to feel much for any of the characters, though I could sympathize with Lilli wanting her voice to finally be heard. I think this was an instance of it’s not the book, it’s me.

The Passover Date: “Fake Dating” by Laura Silverman
Rating: 4/5
Thoughts: fake dating is a trope that I will read over and over again. I’m also a fan of the trope of two people being friends, then falling out of touch, only to come back sometime in the future and fall in love. This story had both of these! I thought it was super cute and I really enjoyed the romance between the two main characters. This is one I’d totally love to see expanded into a novel.

Bloom: “Love Transcends Space Time” by Rebecca Barrow
Rating: 4.5/5
Thoughts: this was a lovely slowburn featuring a really cool concept about travelling through time to be with the one you love. Bloom was longer than some of the others, and I loved it. Even though the two main characters meet only briefly before they have to leave each other again, I immediately felt the connection between the two. It was a wonderful story that I would love to see expanded upon (especially how the world works and what the rules are), or maybe even turned into a movie.

Teed Up: “Oblivious to Lovers” by Gloria Chao
Rating: 3.75/5
Thoughts: I honestly have no interest in golf, so I’m really impressed that this story managed to get me invested considering all of it surrounded golf. I thought this story did a fantastic job of showing what it’s like to feel pressure to continue doing something, even if you no longer love it, be it from a sense of obligation, wanting to please one’s parents, or what have you. I thought this was really well done, and while I enjoyed the romance, I felt the main focus of the story was more about that pressure and sense of duty that comes with a commitment, and I really appreciated that.

Boys Noise: “Only One Bed at the Inn” by Mason Deaver
Rating: 4/5
Thoughts: I loved to see the trans representation in this one. While we’ve seen all kinds of pairings and couples up until this point, there had yet to be any trans rep, so I was very excited to see that! As for the story, my only real problem with it was that I had a hard time connecting to the writing style, but overall, I thought this one was cute and fun, and I really enjoyed reading it.

Girls Just Want to Have Fun: “Secret Royalty” by Malinda Lo
Rating: 4.5/5
Thoughts: Two things: I absolutely loved this, and now I want noodles. Girls Just Wanna Have Fun did a fantastic job of creating a world and immersing the reader within such a short amount of time. Not only that, but I was just as interested in the characters and their growing relationship. This one was really well done, and I would love to see a story set in this world.

Disaster: “Second Chance Romance” by Rebecca Podos
Rating: 4/5
Thoughts: this story totally nailed the bleakness that one would certainly feel towards the end of the world. I thought it helped to put into perspective what our choices mean, and how even though we feel like we have all the time left in the world, that’s never the case, because anything can happen (like an asteroid crashing into earth for example). While this one was a bleak, yet hopeful way to end things, I really liked it.

Fools in Love was wonderful! Each story is the perfect length to read in one sitting. I really enjoyed the variety of love stories each one more unique than the last!

What a fun and cute collection of inclusive and diverse short romance stories! This anthology features a story for all audiences. There's history, Sci-Fi, time travel, you name it. So many different tropes! I enjoyed most of the stories. I think my favorites were "Disaster", "Bloom" and "Teed Up". There were a few that I skipped. I just felt like I wasn't connecting with the story/characters and didn't really enjoy the content.

Check this out if you want a fun, eclectic variety of different short stories from some creative authors!

Thank you Running Press Teens for allowing me to read this book in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you NetGalley for providing me an ARC of this book!!

This book was good, although I found some stories way too fast paced. Overall, it was good though, and I found some of the stories super cute. I think out of all of them, What Makes Us Heroes was one of the best. 3/5 stars!!