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!

It should come as no surprise that when this collection of short stories was announced, and then promptly showed up on NetGalley for review copies, I knew I needed to read and review each of these stories by the following six amazingly talented authors: Christina Lauren, Abby Jimenez, Sally Thorne, Jasmine Guillory, Ashley Poston, and Sariah Wilson.


The Exception to the Rule by Christina Lauren

This sweet epistolary romance has all the delightful meet-cute vibes of “You’ve Got Mail.” Spanning over a decade, Terra and Callum begin emailing each other due to a fluke in their school district’s system. Deciding to only email on Valentine’s Day, both Terra and Callum begin to open up to the other. The culmination happens on the 10th anniversary of their pen pal relationship. It would be appropriate for Christina Lauren to make me squeal over the sheer cuteness of how their romance plays out, and I guarantee that you will have an equal reaction.

The Worst Wing Man by Abby Jimenez

If anyone can make you laugh and cry throughout the same short story it would be Abby Jimenez. Holly is a hospice nurse and her current job is helping her Grandmother journey through her end of life care. John is the maintenance man with a heart of gold whose selflessness doesn’t just extend to helping his brother fix up his apartment, it also includes taking care of a flat tire for a nurse’s car that he just can’t seem to stop thinking about. This short story gave me all the feels.

Rosie and the Dreamboat by Sally Thorne

Rosie is a woman with disastrous luck. She decides to spend a boatload of money on a Galentine’s Spa Day with her sister. Rosie feels more than ever that she is the ugly duckling to her sister’s swan-like grace especially when Rosie gets trapped within an enclosed relaxation chamber. When everything goes to pieces and the fire department gets called, it’s a guy dubbed “Romeo” who faithfully sticks with Rosie until she’s safely out of the fancy Japanese chamber. Through quips, heartfelt conversation, and so much earnest praise, Rosie and her Romeo forge a fast friendship. I was cheering so hard for these two characters, and I absolutely adored the ending. This short story hit every single sweet spot for me.

Drop, Cover, and Hold On by Jasmine Guillory

Set in San Francisco, Daisy is a woman with a vendetta against a surly bakery owner. She’s determined to believe that this man is rude, hates her, and has horrible business acumen since he becomes more infuriating with every time that she points out she’s been given extra pastries and attempts to pay for them. Harris is the bakery owner who has no idea how to talk to the woman who is as vivacious as she is gorgeous. Imagine his surprise when she hurls herself on top of him during an earthquake. As luck would have it, they are trapped inside his bakery. I love when he falls first, and I also admire that Daisy is unabashedly herself throughout the entire short story. Harris and Daisy’s interactions are as fun as they are sweet. I love the humor and their ending was equally as spicy.

With Any Luck by Ashley Poston

Audrey’s best friend is getting married which means that she’s the Best Man, naturally. Unfortunately for her, that also means that her one-night stand with the bride’s best friend is also the Man of Honor for the big day. Audrey also believes that she is afflicted with a kissing curse. If anyone kisses her, soon after that person will find their true love. After the bachelor party becomes a drunken blur, Audrey is awoken by Theo only to find out that the groom is missing. Retracing her steps, Theo and Audrey are forced to confront their attraction. This short story felt like a throwback to rom coms of the 90’s and early oughts. I love when he falls first, kissing curses be dammed.

Royal Valentine by Sariah Wilson

Ilaria is a princess who yearns for an anonymous two-day vacation in Rome. She manages to get her reluctant PA to swap places with her. Anne will travel back to the palace and act as royalty so that Ilaria can have peace to explore Rome on her own. Unfortunately for Ilaria, she has a mishap and ends up waking up in the apartment of a kind Scottish photographer, Callum. Callum and Ilaria are instantly smitten and end up exploring Rome together while discovering more about each other. It only takes one brief run-in with the paparazzi to discover that Ilaria isn’t the only one with a secret. I adored this short story. Equal parts charming and fun. I love reading about the flutter of emotions with a new relationship, and I love a grand gesture even more.

This adorable collection of short stories is the perfect Valentine's day read!

The Exception to the Rule

Exception to the Rule is an incredibly cute story about two people who meet because of an email sent to the wrong address and keep up the correspondence. I loved how the anonymity of the internet let them share things they might not have otherwise. It made the payoff of their meeting in person worth it! The start is a little slow stick with it!

🌶️ - This story doesn't include any open-door scenes however, there is a fair amount of sexual tension and discussion of the hero's attributes.

The Worst Wingman Ever

The Worst Wingman Ever was a nice mix of adorable romance and heavier themes. Abby Jimenez always writes the best meet cutes and this one is no exception! We are able to see a very genuine connection between the two characters in a short time. I also liked that they both cared for others a lot and realized they also needed to care for themselves. I will note that this story contains mentions of domestic violence and some of the ways it is discussed may be upsetting for some readers.

🌶️ - No steamy scenes

Rosie and the Dreamboat

Rosie and the Dreamboat is the perfect example of the saying love finds you at the most unexpected times. I loved that both the hero and the heroine were able to grow a little bit during this story taking place over a couple of hours.

🌶️- no spice in this one

Drop, Cover and Hold On

I had never thought of an earthquake as a catalyst for romance but Jasmine Guillory pulled it off! This was a super cute story perfect for fans of he falls first!

🌶️ - Some making out

With Any Luck

I loved that Ashley Poston managed to add a tiny element of fabulism to this short story with the heroine's curse. This story had hangover vibes but make it a romcom. It was both cute and funny!

🌶️🌶️ - One mostly open door scene in a flashback and some kisses

Royal Valentine

Royal Valentine is perfect for fans of The Princesses Swap but make it Valentine's day. This is read from Sariah Wilson and it showed me I need to read more because I have loved both stories!

🌶️ - Only contains kissing but it's more along the lines of making out

I loved these short stories! Some were better than others, but they still kept me interested and kept me reading. Abby and CoLo’s stories were my favorite and I wish there were longer versions!

Such a cute collection of meet cute short stories🥹 Some I definitely liked more than others, but overall cute stories to read to get you all sappy for Valentine’s Day.