How could you resist six rom-coms from top romance authors?!?!? This sweet and swoony collection is all new short stories. Each story is centered around Valentine’s Day and an unusual meet cute.

Bonus, if you have Kindle Unlimited, this collection is available as Read and Listen for Free.

💛 The Exception to the Rule by Christina Lauren — This was my favorite story hands down! An email sent to the wrong person begins a virtual friendship that lasts over a decade. Most of this story is told through emails exchanged between the main characters and I loved this format.

💖 Worst Wingman Ever by Abby Jimenez — This is a heartwarming story. It has humor but there’s significant depth as well.

💙 Rosie and The Dreamboat by Sally Thorne — The banter in this story is top notch and made me laugh out loud several times.

🧡 Drop, Cover, and Hold On By Jasmine Guillory — This one had me at pastries! Throw in an emergency with a little forced proximity for a grumpy/sunshine pair and it makes for a cute read. I would have loved a longer version of this one.

💟 With Any Luck by Ashley Poston is full of action and has My Best Friend’s Wedding and The Hangover vibes.

💚 Royal Valentine by Sariah Wilson involves a whirlwind day of anonymity in Italy for a princess.

Overall, I enjoyed this collection of independent yet interrelated stories that were funny and sweet.

The Improbable Meet Cute Collection is an anthology with some of the biggest romance writers out there. Each author explores Valentine’s Day and all the ways it can go so wrong…or so right. In the first story, Christina Lauren tackles what happens when an email is sent to the wrong place and results in the funniest meet cute. Terra and Callum (or T and C) are such funny characters. I love their wit and banter. In this story, we get to see their relationship grow over emails and at the same time, watch them on a special day each year. It’s amazing how just seeing their relationship on that one day a year can make you feel like you know these two so well. I could have spent another 200 pages with them!!

In The Worst Wingman Ever, Abby Jimenez does what she does best, which is take my heart out of my body, stomp on it and make me enjoy it. In such a short story, she made me care about these people and had me crying. I also smiled numerous times and felt like Holly was exactly who I would want to have as a friend. I’ve been in Holly’s position that she was in with her grandmother and every detail rang true. This is an excellent addition to Abby’s books.

Rosie and the Dreamboat by Sally Thorne is a silly, adorable story with unexpected depth. Rosie is a strong, brave woman, one to look up to and it’s easy to see why Leo would be the perfect guy for her. If you are triggered by small spaces, this one might be hard for you but it’s really worth the read.

Drop, Cover and Hold on by Jasmine Guillory is the first piece I’ve read by her. This is the reason I love anthologies, I get to discover new to me authors. Her writing flows so well. There is some spice, I would say a little less than medium and it is done so well. You can feel Harris and Daisy’s chemistry almost immediately. I was rooting for them!

Ashley Poston’s With Any Luck is next and I’m the one who is lucky for getting to read this delightful story. A missing groom, a magical kiss all leads to Audrey and Theo reconnecting. I would love to read more about these characters in the future!

Another new to me author is Sarah Wilson. I was immediately pulled into Royal Valentine. Royalty and a person swap are always fun and this was no exception. Callum and “Anne” had awesome chemistry and I was waiting for them to get together! The descriptions of Rome made me want to visit there and the Trevi fountain! Although I couldn’t relate with Ilaria’s problems, Wilson made them so understandable and I felt her heartbreak coming off of the pages. (Well, screen, I read this on my kindle).

This whole collection was delightful and I’m so excited to have so many backlist titles by these authors to look forward to

The Improbable Meet-Cute
Publisher: Amazon Original Stories
Pub Date: 1/23/24

This is a collection of short stories from several authors.
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The Exception to the Rule by: Christina Lauren
Callum is 16 years old and has a missing assignment. When trying to email his teacher he emails 14 year old Terra mistakenly on Valentines which starts a once a year emailing tradition that continues for 10 years. Never having met in person they never seem to be in the same relationship status. Until year 10 when they start sharing more of their lives with each other. Can they build a lasting relationship?
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Worst Wingman Ever
By: Abby Jimenez
Holly is a hospice nurse but this time she’s taking care of her grandmother as she gets ready to pass on. And to make matters worse she’s been dealing with a cheating ex. When she finds a Valentine on her car window, she’s shocked and has no idea who left it. She has an extremely common white car so she’s sure it was a mistake. More communication through leaving notes and gifts takes place but she still doesn’t know who it is. Will she ever figure out who they guy?
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Rosie and the Dreamboat
By: Sally Thorne
Rosie Whittaker has taken the day off from the plant nursery, where she works to take her sister on a spa trip to celebrate her promotion. But when things turn disastrous, the fire department has to come to get Rosie out of a float tank. in wax firefighter, Leo, a.k.a. Romeo. Well, the spa is trying to get a hold of the manufacturer. Leo takes the time to sit there, and keep Rosie calm. She falls in love with his voice and person even though she’s not seen him yet. Will they be able to get her out of there?
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Drop, Cover,& Hold On
By Jasmine Guillory
It’s Valentine’s Day and Daisy Murray loves to visit her local bakery. The pastries are just as yummy as the owner Harrison. Unfortunately she’s sure he hates her cause he’s always scowling when she comes in. When an earthquake traps them together inside the bakery, Daisy learns he saves her favorite pastries just in case she comes in. She’s shocked to find all this out but she has feelings too. Enemies to lovers is one of my favorite tropes.
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With Any Luck
By: Ashley Poston
Audrey is the maid of honor in her best guy friend's wedding. Theo is the best man. After a night of drinking with the soon to be groom, he can’t be found anywhere just a few hours before his wedding. As Audrey and Theo begin to trace back her steps from the night before they make a startling discovery about each other. But once they know where their friends are they need to figure out where all these new details leave them.
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Royal Valentine
By: Sariah Wilson
Ilaria royal princess of Monterra needs a break. She convinces her secretary to switch places with her and go home to her apartment so that the princess could explore Italy on her own unknowingly. Instead of taking two Motrin she took two sleeping pills and passed out on the steps of a museum.
Callum steps in to rescue her and takes her back to his apartment to keep her safe while she sleeps off the pills. Callum is the crown prince of a small island off the coast of Scotland but he doesn’t intend to share that information. Their attraction is almost instant. But they are both keeping secrets about who they really are. When the paparazzi begin to chase them, they both realize that the other is hiding something. Can they work out their differences and start a real relationship?

This was a great way to start out my year! Thanks to Amazon Original Stories for the advance copy of this book.

I loved the short story concept question!
My favorites were by Christina, Lauren and Sally Thorne! This was such a fun concept, and a perfect Valentine’s Day read! Thank you NetGalley and Amazon!

Was fortunate enough to get an ARC for this series, thanks NetGalley! This collection of short stories was a delight to read. It is difficult to pick a favourite, but if my arm was twisted it would probably be Abby’s. I enjoyed splitting the books up and reading one every day or two, perfect for cold Valentine’s Day winter weather! Great mix of heartwarming romance and comedy. I would definitely recommend and I can see myself revisiting around this time each year.

Super fun collection of short-stories revolving around Valentine's Day that include some very memorable meet-cutes!

Absolutely lovely and romantic collection of short stories all set in the same universe don’t speak (a few minor crossovers) that all have an improbable meet cute as the starting point for each romance. A very sweet collection with so many rising stars in the rom-com world. I requested for Abby Jimenez’s story but honestly loved them all and can’t wait to read full novels by each of the new (to me) authors.

The Improbable Meet - Cute
Various Authors
Pages: 360

Multiple POV
Romance

The Exception to the Rule
Christina Lauren

I love Christina Lauren books and this short story was no different! It was a sweet sentiment on having a pen pal and how fate works!

Worst Wingman Ever
Abby Jimenez

If the Bob Ross quote ”we don’t make mistakes we have happy accidents” was ever a story this was it! This was sweet and sad and sweet some more and I loved it!

Rosie and the Dreamboat
Sally Thorne

This was cute. It wasn’t my favorite of the group. Parts were funny. Parts were cringy. I’m still smiling.

Drop, Cover, and Hold On
Jasmine Guillory

I’m not sure how I feel about this one. Ok first it is cute but there’s so many food references… idk it was just cringy for me. I liked it but didn’t love it.

With Any Luck
Ashley Poston

I loved this one! I love Ashley Poston and her fun little paranormal type stories! I love the idea of platonic besties, that the opposite sex can be friends. And I love superstitions (if only you knew me) and that sometimes there are exceptions to them

Royal Valentine
Sarah Wilson

I have never read Sarah Wilson before but I think I just became a fan! A princess in hiding finds love? Yes please!

This collection of stories comes with an interesting premise. Improbable Meet Cutes and they each are. While short stories they are delicious. My favorite being Sally and Abbi’s. But each was unique and simply a joy to read from start to finish.

This was such a solid collection of short stories - perfect for a little Valentines Day treat! I've read from most of these authors before, and I loved getting to read shorter fiction from them. I also enjoyed the little Easter Eggs connecting the stories together. There were no real misses here and I'd rank them from most favorite to least favorite:

Worst Wingman Ever by Abby Jimenez (4.5/5 Stars) : Everything I've come to love in an Abby Jimenez story was here - a dreamy MMC, a boss FMC, so many ridiculously funny moments (*cough* dick guillotine *cough*) & a cute dog

With Any Luck by Ashley Poston (4.5/5 Stars): Every little thing she writes is magic and this is no different. I loved the little bit of supernatural element to the story and the mystery the main characters have to solve.

The Exception to the Rule by Christina Lauren (4/5 Stars): I'm a sucker for a good accidental email/text message, so I ate this one right up.

Drop, Cover, and Hold on by Jasmine Guillory (3.5/5 Stars): Who doesn't want a handsome baker to make them special Valentines Day treats?

Rosie and the Dreamboat by Sally Thorne (3.5/5 Stars): Wonderful banter between a down on her luck woman (who is trapped in an aqua chamber) and a firefighter who may or may not be husband material.

Royal Valentine by Sariah Wilson (3/5 Stars): This princess needs a break from royal life, but she doesn't expect to fall head over heels for a handsome photographer who has a big secret of his own. Transported me right to the streets of Rome.

Thank you to NetGalley & Amazon Original Stories for a review copy.

I read this group of novellas in one sitting with a huge smile the whole time. (except for the tissues required at one point). These all are stories centered around Valentine’s Day and as the title says, Improbable meet-cutes. From some of my favorite authors, you get little snippets of how a love story begins, sometimes in the most bizarre of ways.

They can be read in any order, but there is a thread between each of the stories, either a location, character etc.

I enjoyed them all but think Worst Wingman Ever was my favorite! This is also the one that made me cry, so do check cw (i’ll put in comments)

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Amazon Original Stories for an advanced copy.

I really enjoyed this collection of romance short stories. I had read some of the authors before, but some of them were new to me. I liked how some of the stories were connected to each other, and they all had a theme of meet cutes around Valentine's Day.

I would recommend this to anyone looking for fun reads around Valentine's Day. Each story is like a little love story, and it left me wanting more with each one. The stories are all unique and fun! Despite the length of the stories, the characters were developed and easy to connect with. I rooted for each of the couples.

This set of short stores are an absolute delight. They are short and sweet, but they all feel like complete ideas and stories. The standouts from this set are the Christina Lauren and the Jasmine Guillory stories. Both of these seem almost like complete novels instead of snatches of time. No matter which short story you choose, there is something that fits whatever you are craving.

I was excited to read this collection. Going in, I was only familiar with half of the authors featured. Some of the stories are stronger than others, but it is a very fun collection of Valentine’s Day based stories. I feel like this could’ve benefitted from the stories being in a different order. The two strongest stories are first. They are not only the best written, but these two relationships have more communication than the others, so it feels more realistic and like there is more at stake. I still enjoyed reading it quite a bit, but nothing quite matched up to the first two stories. Also, the last book references other stories (and maybe the second to last book did as well). These references didn’t seem obvious in other stories so it was a bit odd to see them towards the end.

So much FUN!!!

Varsity All Star Romance Writers team up to write this compilation of short stories that are romantic, hilarious, fun and heartwarming. A Valentine's Day theme unites them all with some of the most improbable meet-cutes ever. Loved it!

From Academic Emails. To Meet cutes. Where he falls first. What’s not to love?? This short story is Christina Lauren gold.
Abby Jimenez' signature storytelling, serious undertones and heartwarming meet-cutes. Characters who need someone to lift them up, and love them unconditionally.
Sally Thorne is the BEST at quirky, fun, unpretentious characters in out-of-their-control situations. I loved this one so much.
Jasmine Guillory's is cute. I love a guy who falls first but there just wasn’t enough of a build up. Not my fave in the compilation, but cute enough.
Ashley Poston's story is about Audrey Love whose curse is to be the girl you date RIGHT BEFORE you meet your forever. When she meets a guy named Theo Luck, it might all start to change…
Sariah Wilson gives us a chance meeting of two strangers … or are they? Very sweet.

Thank you, NetGalley, for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

An anthology consists of 6 novellas from 5 star authors. You can't really go wrong with that! My only complaint is that some of the novellas kept you wanting more while the others ended perfectly!

What an all star cast of romance authors all in one place! I throughly enjoyed these super sweet meet cute stories. You won’t want to put them down!

Each of these short stories revolve around Valentine’s Day:
⁃ A mistaken identity that leads to 10+ year email exchange
⁃ A present delivered to the very wrong person that leads to a few love letters
⁃ A spa day gone horribly wrong
⁃ An earthquake that shakes a duo of opposites-attract
⁃ The best man and maid of honor are forced to work together to find the bride/groom
⁃ A couple of royals in disguise escaping their duties for some freedom

Normally, I’m not as into short stories, but this book definitely changed my mind. Each were light-hearted, fun, and joyful. A great book to snuggle up to during the cold! My favorites were Christina Lauren, Ashley Poston, and Abby Jimenez - though I would have been a-okay with more pages from any. A truly delightful read!

Thank you Amazon Original Stories and NetGalley for the ARC!

These short stories were absolutely delightful! Christina Lauren and Abby Jimenez were my top 2 out of all the stories, but I loved them all! The authors did a great job of making the reader feel the chemistry right off the bat which is hard to do!

The Exception to the Rule: I loved this short story by Christina Lauren. C and T in high school become guarded pen pals that touch base
once a year. Over time they stay in touch - a spin on Serendipity that is too cute! More like this, please!

Worst Wingman Ever: An accidental misplacement of a Valentine's Day card on the wrong car annoys Holly, who is a hospice nurse assisting her grandmother in her final days. When she finds out it was a mistake, the banter starts... and this short story is just like Abby Jimenez's other works - you can't put it down!

Rosie and the Dreamboat: I really enjoyed this spa day gone awry short story! Conversation, match making on the fly... fun little mental excursion!

Drop, Cover, and Hold On: Bakery + natural disaster meetup… what could go wrong? If you love Jasmine Guillory, this is short but sweet!

With Any Luck: Wedding weekend and the best (wo)man is lucky in all the ways but luck. When her best friend, the groom, goes missing the day of the wedding, retracing her steps sheds some light in ways she isn’t expecting! Really cute short story!

Royal Valentine: Princess-lookalike swap for Princess Ilaria gives her some time to escape incognito in Italy. She wakes up to quite the surprise, and the time away is completely unexpected. Cute, hallmarky short story!

Thank you to Netgalley and to Amazon Original Stories for the ARC.

I loved this! Abby Jimenez and Christina Lauren are auto buy authors for me. These were such fun and cute short story reads!