Januaries is a magical and emotional collection of stories that pulls you in with its dreamy worlds and relatable characters. Each story feels unique, but they all share themes like love, change, and the way time shapes our lives.

The writing is beautiful and poetic without feeling over-the-top. My favorites were “The Clockmaker’s Daughter,” about a family making time-altering clocks, and “The House That Never Was,” a haunting story about a house that changes based on its owner’s desires.

It’s not a fast read, but it’s perfect for when you want something thoughtful and a little magical. Definitely give it a shot!

Olivie Blake can do no wrong. If she writes it, I will read it. I have loved every single one of her books and Januaries was no exception. A collection of short stories about witches, magic, fate, and fairytales? The best combination. The stories are all of magic, lust, and love and I just couldn't put it down. I don't remember the last time a read a book of short stories I liked as much as Januaries (I honestly would have been okay if some of them were longer).

Another beautifully written book of stories from Olivie Blake’s that showcases her incredible prose. I enjoyed this anthology of short stories and even more than any of her full length novels so far because it was so light and whimsical while also being thought-provoking & masterfully done.

Some of the stories like The Wish Branch and The Animation Games were like fairytale, nighttime stories for adults. Just so whimsical, quirky, funny, and a breath of fresh air!

I love character driven stories, which is something Olivie Blake always does well. This is no exception. The stories center around the human experience & relationships which I really enjoyed.

I REALLY hope she comes out with more short stories like this - it was the PERFECT way to digest her writing for me.

This is my first Olivie Blake, and I definitely think I should have started with another one of her books... I don't LOVE short stories, so the reason I chose to start with this one is completely lost on me, but I did enjoy some of these stories. Some of them were so incredible, while others fell flat, and I felt that way with each season as well. Overall, I'd recommend it, if you love anthologies!

. I genuinely LOVED most of these stories and there were only a few (specifically in the Autumn section) that I hated. Luckily they are all short stories so it was easy to work through the less than stellar ones. But most of the stories I was yearning for more. I loved how so many stories began so “normal” and then got more magical and fun. It was a fantastic read and I’d recommend it if you’re in the market for something new and fantasy like without the commitment of world building.

I cannot express how much I love Olivie Blake. Typically I’m not a fan of short stories or anthologies because they often feel unfinished or leave me wanting more, but this one was so incredible. The stories were so impactful and beautiful and I could have read 100 more. I will read literally anything Olivie Blake writes. Her style is so mature and engaging and this anthology is a continued reflection of that.

Thank you to NetGalley and Pan Macmillan for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The opening story captivated me instantly with its emotional depth and beautiful writing, setting high expectations for the rest of the collection—and I was not disappointed. This anthology is a heartfelt blend of stories, fairytales, and poems that explore life and love, sprinkled with wit and unexpected twists.

The magical worlds and delightful, sometimes mischievous characters are expertly crafted, drawing you into each tale and leaving you eager for more. The author demonstrates a deep understanding of her themes, delivering them with tenderness and care—her talent shines through on every page.

This book is perfect for readers who enjoy stories that tug at the heartstrings while keeping them on their toes with moments of surprise. I thoroughly enjoyed it and look forward to discovering more works like this in the future.

Olivie Blake is absolutely masterful at what she does. Shockingly, Januaries is the first of her works that I've read and I know I'll be going through her entire backlist and upcoming releases. She's got such amazing prose and the ability to keep you hooked. Her writing has a flow that sucked me right into the book.

I've come to learn Olivie's work has a more serious and reflective tone to it. I was surprised to find that Januaries felt very fresh and fun! We're reading about fairytales, heists and poetry mixed together! What an absolutely delightful combination.

I will be digging into this book in further depth to pull out my favourite quotes and then sharing them incessantly on my reviewer socials. Everyone is about to get sick of me and my new love for Olivie Blake!

Thank you so much Tor Publishing Group for the opportunity to read and review this ebook!

I thought this was very good and I will have to add this to the shop shelves. Thank you for the chance for us to review.

This was my first book by Olivie Blake and I very much enjoyed it. It has been quite a while since I have read an anthology of short stories, so I was excited to start this.

I read them in small bites between other books and liked the small break it gave me.

The thing that struck me the most about Blake’s writing is the combination of whimsy and frankness. Her writing is not flowery or overly descriptive, but poignant and even profound at times.

Out of all of them I think my favorite story was The Wish Bridge. I loved the humor in the story, and the way that it showed the fickleness of humankind.

This book would be perfect for readers who enjoy literary fictions, short stories, and a good dose of dry, sarcastic humor mixed with sometimes bleak circumstances.

This book is so fun!! Olivie Blake as usual is a beautiful story teller!!

These short stories are all vibrant and full of magical elements, definitely recommend for short story lovers!

Liked this collection of short stories. This was my first collection of short stories and now I want to pick up more.

I read this over the course of a month and a half, reading one story in a full sitting and waiting a few days in between.

The stories at the beginning of the collection were really good. They had just enough development to them that I felt satisfied. (Which is not always the case for me with short stories) But the stories toward the end felt less satisfying, and I'll be honest that I skimmed the final story. But the good stories were really really good and worth trying out each one to find the good ones.

As with any short story collection, I enjoyed some stories more than others, but most of the stories in Januaries definitely entertained me or made me think. I love Olivie Blake's sense of humor and wit, as well as her endless depictions of love and relationships of all kinds. There's much to enjoy in this collection, and it's definitely worth a read.

I wasn’t able to review this book before it’s publish date but now that I have read it I am giving it 5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC!

Average rating of all stories: 3.5 stars rounded up to 4

The writing of the stories was very good and all of the premises were great, just some of them fell flat. The beginning and ending of the book was amazing but the middle wasn’t very memorable for me.

Favorites: The Wish Bridge, Sucker for Pain, Fates and Consequences, Sous Vide, Chaos Theory

The Wish Bridge (5)
– this was insanely good. For the most part, it was actually pretty emotional, with Nile and Lila being separated by her job as the guarding of the river, but there was often humor due to the side plot of people asking for wishes. I would love to have a full sized book inspired by this story.

The Audit (3.5)
– super interesting premise! The actual story wasn’t as good as the beginning though. It kinda fell apart for me

Sucker for Pain (4)
– I was not expecting this to turn into a vampire story at all but it was pretty good! I liked the complexity of the characters and how they interacted with each other

The Animation Games (3.5)
– The premise of them murdering each other over and over was very unique and I enjoyed reading, but it got very repetitive

The House (2)
– The metaphor of a house as a marriage was cool, but there was no story. I found out after that this was based on wedding vows, although that doesn’t change my opinion, my feelings make sense about it

To Make a Man (3)
– I didn’t really like this until the very last scene where the Greek mythology came in. I thought that was an interesting spin on the Cassandra story

Preexisting Condition (2)
– I was confused at the beginning then everything made sense and I liked it but then I didn’t like the ending :/

Monsterlove (1)
– I don’t understand anything about this

How to Dispel Friends and Curse People (3)
– This was a change in format from the rest of the book since it was poetry and it was very interesting

Fates and Consequenses (5)
– This was so nice to read after several short stories that I didn’t like. I love Greek mythology inspired stories and this was a unique twist of the underworld!

Sous Vide (5)
– this story was amazing. I don’t really know how to describe it but it was about cooking and demons and it was very interesting

Sensual Tales for Carnal Pleasures (4)
– I wasn’t really sure where this was going but I like how the ending connected really well to the beginning

Chaos Theory (5)
– I loved this one so much. It started off with 5 different povs. All of them had different stories and I wasn’t sure where it was going, although I liked each of the povs a lot, and then it turned into multiverse which made it even cooler

A Year in January (3)
– I think January is an interesting character but I didn’t really care about the plot

An amazing collection of stories that had me loving Blake's writing more and more. A great opportunity to see her write other genres even if she always manages to succeed better in terms of immortality and its portrayal (The Animation Games)

Januaries is a collection of 14 short stories or novellas featuring love, magic, and betrayal.

SPRING
The Wish Bridge – 5⭐️
The Audit – 1⭐️
Sucker for Pain – 4⭐️

SUMMER
The Animation Games – 4.25⭐️
The House – 3.5⭐️
To Make a Man – 3.5⭐️
Preexisting Condition - 3⭐️

AUTUMN
Monsterlove – 4.75⭐️
How to Dispel Friends and Curse People – 4⭐️
Fates and Consequences – 4.25⭐️
Sous Vide – 4.5⭐️

WINTER
Sensual Tales for Carnal Pleasures – 2.5⭐️
Chaos Theory – 4⭐️
A Year in January – 2⭐️

Overall rating – 3.5⭐️ (rounded up to 4)

I really enjoyed a few stories quite thoroughly (The Wish Bridge, Monsterlove, Sous Vide, and Chaos Theory). This was a unique reading experience for me, as I tried to read one short story per day. Some days, it felt like a pleasant surprise! While there were some stories that I rated low, it may have been because I didn’t understand them and may need to re-read for better understanding (but I don’t have that kind of time unfortunately).

Thank you to Tor Publishing Group for the opportunity to read an Advanced Reader’s Copy (ARC) in exchange for my honest opinion and review. Since reading the first several stories digitally, I have also gone out and purchased a physical copy for myself since I enjoyed them so much.

screaming this is just so. good. Olivie Blake's writing makes me feel like a peeled grape and like. My insides have been yanked out.

I liked this. But I ultimately decided that this authors writing style isn't for me. I did enjoy this but I found the writing style to be difficult and I feel it could have been done bettr