The Exception To The Rule is typical CLo Amazing!!! I didn’t expect any less and was not disappointed! I was full of anticipation at the beginning and the second half I was giggling and giddy waiting for the end!

These are some of my favorite authors and these short stories did not disappoint! I really enjoyed the characters in each of the stories. These were cute stories and are a perfect read for Valentine’s Day!

I loved this collection of stories! Each story was unique yet had a common thread of being adorable meet cutes. The authors represented in this collection are some of my favorites so my expectations before reading were pretty high, yet they were exceeded. I especially loved how some of the stories were linked in subtle ways. I would definitely read more of these!

Really enjoyed this collection of short stories. All of the stories were centered around Valentine’s Day. A great collection with a lot of my favorite romance writers.

These were adorable!! I loved the connections throughout them and each meet-cute. Some of my favorite authors and very sweet characters. Funny and cute!

Thanks NetGalley!

The absolute cutest valentines story collection. Had me smiling from ear to ear. This collection made me so excited for Valentine’s Day. Very quick read! What a wonderful author selection. All of my favorite romance writiers.. I wish it 10x longer!

Thank you NetGalley and Amazon Original Stories for an advanced copy in exchange for my opinion.

These short stories were great!
I loved that you didn’t have to suffer through the parts where the MMC and MFC were fighting before they came together.

These stories were funny, sweet, and a perfect mix of authors I LOVE and new ones to add to my rotation.

Just in time for Valentine’s Day, Amazon is dropping a new collection of short stories guaranteed to make you swoon and believe in happy ever afters! From six romance authors you know and love come six adorable couples meeting in unpredictable ways. These quick reads range from 40 to 100 pages each, just enough for a sweet valentine treat!

The Exception to the Rule by Christina Lauren – 4 stars: After accidentally sending an email to the wrong recipient, C and T have been mostly anonymously exchanging Valentine’s Day emails for a decade when they finally meet in an adorable and hilarious way and sparks fly. This was such a cute novella and I loved how the email exchanges covered a lot of ground and made the MCs and their relationship feel fully developed.

Worst Wingman Ever by Abby Jimenez – 5 stars: Holly, a hospice nurse caring for her dying grandma, finds a sweet and spicy Valentines Day card on her windshield – except it wasn’t meant for her! John, the handyman and “wingman” left the card on a white Honda in the parking lot as instructed, but it turns out there are a lot of white Hondas and he got the wrong one! I don’t know how the magnificent Abby Jimenez managed to write such a lovely, witty, and emotional story that tugged on my heartstrings in only 60 pages, but I absolutely loved this heartfelt story!

Rosie and the Dreamboat by Sally Thorne – 5 stars: Rosie and her sister are having a Galentine’s spa day when Rosie finds herself locked inside a flotation tank and unable to escape. When emergency responders arrive, a flirty firefighter is her link to the outside world, keeping her calm and distracted while she’s trapped. She can’t see him, but he sure sounds dreamy! This sweet, silly, and witty storyline and flirty banter are adorable!

Drop, Cover, and Hold on by Jasmine Guillory – 3 stars: Daisy Murray loves to visit the bakery with its scrumptious desserts and equally mouthwatering bakery owner. Too bad he’s always scowling and rude when she comes in. When an earthquake traps them together, the ground isn’t the only thing that’s shaking! This is a cute story but it felt a little rushed, leaving me wishing it was longer.

With Any Luck by Ashley Poston – 4 stars: Audrey Love is the best “maid” at her best guy friend’s wedding. She’s always been lucky in lots of little ways but unlucky in love. When the groom disappears with only hours until the ceremony, she thinks her love curse has reared its head again, but maybe Luck is finally coming her way. This cute enemies-to-lovers short story is full of action and heart!

Royal Valentine by Sariah Wilson – 4 stars: This Roman Holiday-inspired short story has ties to the author’s backlist series, The Royals of Monterra. Princess Ilaria trades places with her assistant to play tourist for the weekend. A handsome Scottish photographer finds her deeply asleep on the Spanish Steps and the chemistry is instantaneous. He doesn’t seem to know who she really is, but when the paparazzi catches up with them, the truth will come out! This secret royal story is a cute whirlwind around Rome and I would gladly read a full length book about Ilaria and Callum!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Amazon Publishing for providing me an advance copy of this book collection.

Some of these were really fantastic! some I felt very mediocre about.


The Exception to the Rule -
This was such a cute short story! Two strangers brought together by a mistyped email address start a multi year correspondence and slowly start to fall for each other. Honestly enjoyed it from start to finish! It is very short but I still felt like I got a full story that I was fully invested in the outcome.

Worst Wingman Ever-
Abby is the best at combining humor and heartache so while this was sad in parts, it was also funny and hopeful and inspiring. I went through a surprising gamut of emotions considering how short this is! Very much enjoyed this meet cute.

Rosie and the Dreamboat-
Cute, a little silly, and a lot of fun! FMC gets trapped in a float tank and MMC is the fireman who rescues her. They flirt as they await a solution to her predicament. They’re both charming and it was a lot of fun to read!

Drop Cover and Hold On -
This was cute but not my favorite. Unlike the other stories it’s not a meet cute, the couple already knows each other. They get trapped in the MMCs bakery after and earthquake and finally admit they have feelings for each other which leads to some kissing. It was fine, but didn’t feel like it fit in with the rest since it wasn’t a meet cute.

With Any Luck-
Cute but disjointed. This was too short for flashbacks to work well for me, it just felt disjointed and rushed. We got a tiny bit of past and tiny bit of present. This is the only one in this collection that just felt too short. Great premise though!

Royal Valentine
Undercover royal romance a la Roman Holiday. Very quick slice of a story featuring a royal family from the author’s backlist so it didn’t feel like a true standalone, but it was pleasant enough. A little bland but cute.

💖 IMPROBABLE MEET-CUTE 💖

This collection of short stories releases on Jan. 23rd, and it’s the perfect read for Valentine’s Day! Featuring 6 stories about, you guessed it, improbable meet-cutes, from 3 authors I love (Christina Lauren, Abby Jimenez, Ashley Poston) and 3 new to me authors (Sally Thorne, Jasmine Guillory, Sariah Wilson), it was pretty much a rom-com lover’s dream.

I loved this collection of short stories. I am typically not a short story reader, but having these stories come from my favorite authors (Christina Lauren, Jasmine Guillory, Sally Thorne, and Abby Jimenez are auto buy authors for me), and introducing me to some new favorites... this collection is PERFECT! Great for lovers of rom coms and contemporary romance. The perfect quick read before bed - one short story a night was how I did it!

The improbable meet cute collection includes 6 short stories by todays best Roman e authors! I promise you will love every single one of these sweet, adorable meet cutes! If you are looking for something short and sweet I highly recommend this amazing book! Grab this book asap!

I just reviewed The Improbable Meet-Cute collection by Christina Lauren, Abby Jimenez, Sally Thorne, Jasmine Guillory, Ashley Poston & Sariah Wilson. #TheImprobableMeetCute #NetGalley

The Improbable Meet-Cute Collection is a charming set of short stories that is perfect for Valentine’s Day or anytime you need a little pick-me-up. Each story can stand alone, but the Easter eggs of interconnection woven throughout the stories were a delightful addition!

The Exception to the Rule by Christina Lauren - 5 stars
I love an epistolary tale, and this was not an exception to that rule. A lovely story told over about a decade’s worth of emails, this novella shows two kids growing up and finding their way back to each other in one way or another each Valentine’s Day. The characters were charming, the plot development was fantastic, and the humor was pure joy. This is classic Christina Lauren, and I loved it!!

Worst Wingman Ever by Abby Jimenez - 5 stars
Brimming with heart, soul, and all the feels, Worst Wingman Ever was a potent novella. The character development rivals any well-written full-length novel, the humor adds sparkle and levity to some heavier subject matter, and the story resonates long after you turn the last page. As far as I’m concerned, Abby Jimenez can do no wrong, and I absolutely LOVED this story.

Rosie and the Dreamboat by Sally Thorne - 4 stars
This story would be right at home as an episode of a good ‘ol 90’s sitcom. It was funny, clever, and charming. I do feel like the humor overshadowed the development at times, but it was a good time, so I’m fine with it. I liked the fun vibes of this, but it was insta-love in a major way.

Drop, Cover, and Hold on by Jasmine Guillory - 2 stars
The female main character felt more for a blackberry hand pie than she did for the guy she ended up in bed with.

With Any Luck by Ashley Poston - 3 stars
This was a fun Hangover-style story, and much like a hangover, it was ultimately forgettable for me.

Royal Valentine by Sariah Wilson - 4 stars
I wanted to throttle the female main character (a minor princess in a small fictitious European country who gives herself a “vacation” by having her assistant pretend to be her for a few days while she frolics around Rome) and the story was predictable, but it was still a lot of fun and a nice little escape.

A gift from some of the best romantic fiction writers right now, “The Improbable Meet Cute” is a compilation of adorable short stories to help fans celebrate Valentine’s Day. Each story has it’s own twist on a popular romance theme, with some fin tie ins along the way. I really enjoyed getting little snippets from each author and hope something like this in done again in the future, because it’s definitely a treat for the fans!

The Exception to the Rule – Christina Lauren
I just kept saying, “OMG this is SO cute!” while reading! I would have zero issues reading more about Callum and Terra in the future. Funny, sassy and sweet, I really loved everything about this story!
Worst Wingman Ever-Abby Jimenez
This story had two main characters that are so incredibly sweet that you can’t help but want them to find their happy ending (and spoiler, they do!). I really loved John and Holly’s story….I wish the setting around their meeting wasn’t as sad as it was, but can appreciate beauty behind the lesson both learned from it.
Rosie and the Dreamboat – Sally Thorne
I won’t lie, this story was a bit random for me, and a bit far-fetched, but it’s hard not to think that both Rosie and Leo are super cute. I found this story very entertaining even if I didn’t really connect with the characters much.
Drop, Cover, and Hold On – Jasmine Guillory
I thought the concept behind this story was cute, but felt the story behind Daisy and Harris was rushed (even for a short story). I didn’t really feel the same connection between the two characters in this story as much as I did in the other stories.
With Any Luck – Ashley Poston
I did not expect what I got from Audrey and Theo. While the story was somewhat predictable, the writing was very cute and I couldn’t help liking this story simply because Audrey got what she always wanted.
Royal Valentine – Sarah Wilson
Loved the tie ins to the others stories in this book, made the story super fun! This reminded me of Roman Holiday so much in a good way.

**Thank you to NetGalley and Amazon Original Stories for the advanced copy of these stories in exchange for my honest opinion. This one was a fun one!**

I absolutely loved this collection! I had never read short stories like this before and I am so glad that I did. These authors are amazing on their own but add their stories together and it makes a fantastic collection! I will be recommending this to everyone!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for allowing early access to this title in exchange for an honest review.

The Improbable Meet-Cute is a collection of short stories revolving around Valentine’s Day. Six different stories written by different authors where the only thing they have in common is the holiday. Each story felt fresh in a way where things weren’t repetitive.
My main reason for reading this collection is the short stories written by Abby Jimenez & ChristinaLauren, two of my favorite romcom authors!
Their stories were my favorite to read, they were fun and felt complete. I didn’t feel like anything was missing.
My third favorite story in this collection would have to be “With Any Luck” written by Ashley Poston. A new author to me and I’d definitely read more!

I would recommend reading this collection on Valentine’s Day for something quick and entertaining! Pub date: January 23, 2024

I loved this collection of meet-cute short stories that all have a common thread— they meet in unpredictable ways, and the stories are somehow tied to Valentine’s Day. I am so impressed with how each other handled the prompt in their own way.

In order from favorite to least:
- The Exception to the Rule - Christina Lauren ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ - I’m glad the collection kicked off with this one. The characters were smart, funny, quirky and the chemistry and tension were great with Christina Lauren’s signature witty banter.
- Worst Wingman Ever - Abby Jimenez ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ - Abby’s ability to tie in life’s harder moments with the lightheartedness of romance is truly a gift. This one had emotional depth, but was also sweet and had some humor too!
- With Any Luck - Ashley Poston ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ - This was highly unpredictable which is rare in a romance, and especially in a short story. I loved how quickly we got to know the main characters, and I did not predict this ending!
- Rosy and the Dreamboat - Sally Thorpe ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ - This one honestly had me laughing out loud. The witty banter and ridiculousness of this story were so good. I only deducted a star, because the fireman was caricature-ish.
- Royal Valentine - Sariah Wilson ⭐️⭐️⭐️ - This story was very princess diaries-esque, but it felt too short and rushed! Clearly I need to go read her other books.
- Drop, Cover and Hold On - Jasmine Guillory ⭐️⭐️⭐️ - this was my least favorite of the short stories, the FMC was sort of irritating and the two MC’s lacked chemistry, and then were in bed together. It was too rushed but still worth the quick read.

Thank you to Amazon Original Stories and Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for my review!

A collection of short stories written by some of the biggest names in romance currently. It’s not fair to rate and review all together so I’m rating and reviewing each story separately and then making a final rating based on those.

The Exception to the Rule by Christina Lauren: 4 stars
An accidental email sent to a student instead of a teacher results in ten years of digital penpals and a relationship that neither of them could have possibly expected.
This short story was so cute. It was super easy to read, which I enjoyed. I loved how the story was multi-media, combining text with email chains throughout. The growth between the two characters, going from strangers, to friends to eventual lovers was fun to read about.

The Worst Wingman Ever by Abby Jimenez: 3.75
Little notes left on a white Honda can eventually turn into love… who knew?
This story was really emotional, it had a lot of different elements to it that could be triggering to people, but it was done really well and with care (tw/ death, hospice care, animal abuse (off page). Reading the notes between the two main characters was really sweet, and seeing how the two of them slowly got to know each other better was also really interesting.

Rosie and the Dreamboat by Sally Thorne: 4.5
On Valentine’s Day, two sisters go out on a galentines day together. Little did Rose know that she was going to find love, in the weirdest place.
I’ve never read anything like this before. I don’t know how Sally Thorne got the idea for this short story, but I am immensely curious to find out. The beginning was a bit slow for me, but the storyline picked up very fast. I also really enjoyed the banter between characters.

Drop Cover and Hold On by Jasmine Guillory: 3.75
A natural disaster throws two people with opposite personalities together.
The premise of this story was interesting, and I definitely enjoyed it. I feel like I would have enjoyed it more if I had more information and more backstory. About the bakery, about the two characters interactions before the earthquake. Either way, I enjoyed how the author wrote the dialogue and the banter between the two characters.

With Any Luck by Ashley Poston- 3
Every person that she kisses finds their true love. Everyone except her. Every time except this time.
This short story was fun and interesting to read, but at points it felt kind of repetitive. Going over the stories of the same people finding their true loves over and over again is unnecessary in my opinion. I did like the addition of the powers. It made the story more interesting and turned it more into a magical realism romance which isn’t seen as often. That made me happy.

Royal Valentine: 3
After switching with her PA, the Princess sneaks out of her palace in search of action, adventure and drama.
I was really excited to read this short story when I heard the premise of it, and the first bit really captured my attention. Once the story progressed, it wasn’t as interesting to me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Amazon Original Stories for an eARC of this book.

This short story collection was absolutely delightful! Any romance reader — or reader who is hoping to get in the Valentine’s spirit — will love these stories. I love how each author took their own spin to the common theme of the “improbable meet-cute.” Thank you to the publisher for providing me with an advance copy in exchange for my honest feedback!

This was super cute, and a perfect for Valentine’s Day read! Except for Christina, this is the first time I've read books by other authors in this book. And I really liked it! I cried so much during Sariah Wilson story. My favorite was Christina, Abby, and Sarah's book.