Note: I listened to the audiobook and I think they used AI for the titles in the chapter names (eg The Wish Branch instead of The Wish Bridge, which I verified in the sample available free on Amazon) so apologies if I got these names wrong. Maybe they actually really did mean Sentual instead of Sensual.

stories with '*' are ones I liked and were worth the read

*The Wish Bridge*--
A story about the woman (god? entity?) who has to grant people wishes who manage to find her bridge, and the adorably unordinary man who finds her repeatedly.

This was light and cute and funny, very dissimilar to the denser, more pretentious fare I'm used to from this author. I think I'll keep thinking about this one and will smile every time.

The Audit--
Wild how I immediately recognized this as the narrator of Tristan in The Atlas Six lmao. He's got a significantly higher speed than most narrators, so ymmv.

Hmm. This is a story about a man who has recently come into a lot of money, suffers from analysis paralysis over what to do with it, and maybe falls in love with an agoraphobic man?

Not gonna lie, I didn't quite understand this one.

*Sucker for Pain*--
Witches and vampires and toxic relationships, oh my! A poor, young mortal girl becomes the pet of a cruel, witch family. Explores themes of love and trauma and freedom.

I actually quite liked this one and think that, so far, it's the one I could most easily pick out as Olivie Blake's.

*The Animation Games*--
A premature death with a supernatural twist allows an engaged couple to haunt and take turns killing each other for eternity.

A very Olivie Blake take on life and death and fate and love. Kinda fun, though.

The House--
Not even a story, it's only 5m long. I kinda feel like it's a metaphor someone would use as a toast at a wedding?

To Make a Man--
A Cassandra retelling that's very obviously a Cassandra retelling.

What I least liked about it is that it's a short story already, but it first says everything from his POV, then repeats the WHOLE story from her POV. My memory is good enough to remember 15min ago, I didn't need it repeated word for word.

Preexisting Condition--
A resurrected man grapples with his love, then hate, then devotion to the one who brought him back.

The voice is a little quirky and a little naive, but I'm trying to write reviews as I go and it took a good deal to jog my memory even though I only read 2 additional stories after finishing this one, so I can't say it's very memorable or engaging.

Monster Love--
This one's weird. Real weird. And repetitive. Repetitive af. It would probably behoove me to repeat at least one more time. Because it says the same thing. Over and over again, it's the same.

I'm sure there's a reason, I just don't know what that reason is.

How to Dispel Friends and Curse People--
This one's kinda quirky, an entity who's smitten with a witch. It could be charming if there was something more to it, but it also kinda feels like like the voice of a simple computer program? idk.

Fates and Consequences--
So the premise of this was pretty fun: guy who is destined to experience tragedy and turn that pain into a cult + becoming a serial killer dies before that destiny is realized. He was generally a decent, good guy but was destined to go to hell, so that's where he ends up anyway.

But the actual story itself? Lacking. There's a sort of inevitability of fate tone, but also no real development of character or setting or plot that I can really sink my teeth into. Hades and Persephone are there, but it's not really a retelling.

Sous-vide--
I don't get it. I don't even get it enough to synopsis and I don't want to read it again. I think the narration called her a whore/slut a lot?

Meh.

Sensual Tales for Carnal Pleasures--
This is the third Greek myth retelling (or at least with the flavor and cameos of Greek figures) in this anthology. This time is Noctus.

It has the feeling of fated love but no real characterization between the leads, so I both don't know who they are nor what they see in each other, so it's pretty meaningless to me.

*Chaos Theory*--
The longest story in here by a wide margin.

This one has so many POVs and they all get introduced in a rather random manner before the plot kicks in. I was really confused and considering DNFing until it finally started the plot, and then I was very into it. This is a multi-verse story with a lot of different versions of one person (including one that's a cat) who have to kill someone in their lives because an assassin version of them killed him in her universe.

Fun, weird, sometimes pretty melancholy, sometimes silly.

A Year in January--
This was extra confusing because the first person character talks about having a clitoris and searching for only AFAB roommates but is also voiced by a male voice actor? No mentions of the character being trans that I noted.

The story of a roommate who's kinda alien and doesn't understand humans and having to teach her things.

This was my first Olivie Blake book and it definitely will not be my last. There wasn't a single story that I didn't escape into or adore in this collection. 4.5 stars for the whole collection. Highly recommend!
Thanks to Netgalley and the Publisher for the ARC.

I received the audiobook as an Arc from NetGalley. Thank you NetGalley!!

Prior to reading this anthology, I had a love/hate relationship with Olivie Blake. I really enjoyed Master of Death and I have two of her other books on my TBR but I DNF’ed The Atlas Six after I reached a point in the book where I just could not go on. For this anthology, it’s a thumbs up! The stories are varied with some being whimsical and almost fairytale like with magical creatures. Then you turn the page and end up reading wedding vows. This was surprising for me and I’m glad I gave Olivie Blake another shot.

Overall, I’m giving it a 3.5.

I guess that it's a good editorial decision to put the strongest stories first but the result is that this gets progressively more boring and by the end I was like ehhh

Little late, but I was NOT going to listen to this with my family in the vehicle. Dodging that awkwardness Olivie! But "Januaries: Stories of Love, Magic, and Betrayal" from Olivie Blake is out now.

This collection of short stories run the gambit of sweet and sad to hey let's kill each other and see what powers we get for a couple of decades. Fans of her work will have a great time, new readers who might want to ruin a toxic ex or kill a pesky bird will find a story they love.

Narrated by Alexandra Palting, Daniel Henning, David Monteith, Ferdelle Capistrano, Olivie Blake, Stephanie Németh-Parker, and Steve West. Wonderful hearing from you all again as you murder/die your way through this collection.

Reasons to read:
-"I bring peeeeeeeeeeeace." Chills, so good
-Can we try that economic strategy?
-Seeing the oncoming pain because you, somehow still, know all the Greek myths
-Amazing performances for wildly different characters that pulled me into different slices of worlds
-Gotta clip you in every reality

Cons:
-I know your work and it is not safe to listen to when I am driving my little cousins!

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillian audio for the audiobook!
I enjoyed this anthology more than I initially thought I would! I was so excited to see more by Olivie Blake and loved the idea of a fantasy anthology as a good starting dip into her writing. I am so glad I picked up this audiobook because it ended up being a fantastic read. I loved the theming of death and revenge; every story bring a new twist to the classic romance plotlines we all love from the young lovers to undying love. The Animation Games stood out as my favorite of the short stories as it was such an interesting perspective on how love is twisted by fate and time. My one note is I think a different story would have been a better opener than The Wish Bridge. That is not to say I didn't like the story, I actually did end up liking it but I think it gives a slightly different vibe than the rest of the anthology. I ended up expecting a different overall vibe based on the opener but after a few more stories I got a better picture of the theming (pleasant surprise because I liked the actual theming better).

WOW. Just wow. I loved this collection so incredibly much. It made me feel so many emotions, in particular “A Year in January” made me cry multiple times - and as someone who guards their emotions even to themselves that in itself is a feat, but I also felt so much joy, awe, anger, suspense, excitement, shocked shock, questioning of life etc. Literally whatever emotion you can think of.

Reading this felt like coming back to an old friend, as I got to reconnect with some of my favorite stories from Olivie’s self-published Fairytale Collections. These stories really never left my brain, but getting to experience them again in this version of myself was incredible. “To Make a Man” was even more incredible this time around than before. I knew I loved it but I don’t think I truly appreciated it the first time. Like- that story is a MASTERPIECE. I’m still so happy Olivie somehow heard all my manifesting about “Sucker for Pain” being in this collection. “Sensual Sensual Tales for Carnal Pleasures” to me is the most fairytaleesque of all the stories and I just love how dreamy the atmosphere is, I was still so entranced by it. And can never forget the OTPs that are Nile and Lila from “The Wish Bridge”, Rhosyn and Bran from “The Animation Games, and The Poet and the Village Witch from “How to Dispel Friends and Curse People”.

I found some new stories that will live in my head and heart forever too. “A Year in January” is probably the one nearest and dearest to my heart from the collection. It meant a lot to me and I cried multiple times. It’s up there with AWYITE as stories that truly touched my soul to its core. Additionally I fell in love with “Preexisting Condition” I literally have not stopped thinking about it-THE ENDING GUYS UGH INCREDIBLE. “Chaos Theory” is another favorite. Which if you know anything about me how could I not love a rival assassin’s meant to be together in every timeline but can’t type of story? The angst was so real but it was so good. I am dying to talk to people about the ending of “Sous Vide”. I don’t have kids, but as someone who tries desperately to act like everything is fine all of the time until they break down “Monsterlove” me cry. If you didn’t listen to the audio of this story in particular you are missing out. It was an entire experience in itself.

I highly recommend the audiobook in general. It's a cast and it’s INCREDIBLE. So well done-it really made me appreciate some of the stories even more.

One of my favorite reads of the year (this comes as a shock to no one I’m sure).

If you haven’t already, GO BUY THIS BOOK!!! You are bound to find a story that calls to your soul (and come back and tell me your favorites!)

Thank you to Macmillan audio, Tor Books, and Netgalley for providing me with an audio arc in exchange for an honest review.

Januaries by Olivie Blake is a magical short story collection that dives into the surreal and fantastical, bringing together fourteen unique tales about love, loss, and revenge. Each story spins an unexpected twist on classic themes, with characters like a wish-granting spirit on the brink of burnout, a Victorian orphan in a paranormal romance, and a fairy trying to make a new start through a Craigslist ad. Mixing familiar fantasy with modern touches, Januaries is an escape into enchanted worlds crafted with Blake’s signature imagination.

I’d give Januaries 3.5 stars. Olivie Blake’s creativity shines through in this collection, where each story feels like stepping into a strange, beautifully crafted world. The characters are quirky and memorable, and the mix of modern humor with classic fairy tale elements kept me intrigued. While some stories stood out as especially engaging, others felt a bit abstract or harder to follow, especially in audiobook form. I am not the biggest fan of short story collections, so you might enjoy this book more if you do!

👉🏻For my friends who like their love stories with a side of darkness, death, witchcraft, and reanimation, all delivered with humor and glee.

JANUARIES: Stories of Love, Magic & Betrayal by Olivie Blake (Narrated by a full cast and the author - see below)

🎧 Thanks, Macmillan Audio, for the #gifted audiobook. #macaudio2024 (Available now!)

This love-focused collection of ghost stories, dark poetry, reimagined mythology, and twisted fairy tales moved me. I laughed, was unnerved, was haunted, and was completely entertained. It was a #FiveSpongeAudiobook (a book so great you’re willing to clean to keep listening)! 🧽🧽🧽🧽🧽

The most lovely: "The House" read by the author
The most powerful: "Monsterlove" read by Alex Palting
The funniest: "How to Dispel Friends and Curse People" read by Daniel Henning

This is a perfect light-spooky collection for the end of October!

💀👹👺👻⚰️⚱️

"The Wish Bridge" read by Stephanie Nemeth Parker
"The Audit" read by David Monteith
"Sucker for Pain" read by Ferdelle Capistrano
"The Animation Games" read by David Monteith
💖"The House" read by Olivie Blake
"To Make a Man" read by Stephanie Nemeth Parker
"Preexisting Condition" read by Daniel Henning
😱"Monsterlove" read by Alex Palting
🤣"How to Dispel Friends and Curse People" read by Daniel Henning
"Fates and Consequences" read by Steve West
"Sous Vide" read by David Monteith
"Sensual Tales for Carnal Pleasures" read by Ferdelle Capistrano
"Chaos Theory" read by Alex Palting
"A Year in January" read by Steve West

Januaries is a collection of short fantasy stories. I always expect to have more forgettable stories mixed in with a few really good ones that stand out when reading anthologies, but there wasn’t a single story I didn’t enjoy. I do have my favorites and I’ll explain below why I’m not listing them yet.

The stories that focused on motherhood were so jarring at times that I had to pause and regroup but they found a way to leave me in awe. The narration for Monster Love had my heart pounding but I couldn’t stop listening.

That being said, I did receive the audio arc for this and I had a little trouble distinguishing between stories at times if I wasn’t 100% focused and the chapters didn’t match up in the app to help me discern which was which. I need to look at a physical copy to make sure I have some of the stories straight and take a second look which I absolutely will be doing the second I see a copy of this book! It was absolutely incredible.

This audiobook was narrated by an assortment of people including the author herself. I loved all of their performances!

Thank you so much to Netgalley, Olivie Blake, and Macmillan Audio for providing this free ARC. This is my honest review. This published on October 15th.

I have posted my review on Goodreads, my Facebook book club, and will make a TikTok to post before the pub date raving about this book!

This was such a great story! Very excited for this book! I will definitely be recommended to all of my book friends.

Was I the only one who felt like some of these short stories weren’t quite complete……perhaps it was because I listened to the audiobook but several times I felt like the story abruptly ended and I was left thinking wait what???? I will probably revisit the print version and see if that helps my brain compute it all in case I had space brain while listening.
Overall if you like Olivie Blake you will probably enjoy this collection of short stories.
I received a ALC of this title, all opinions are my own.

A captivating collection of short stories that blend fantasy, romance, and intrigue. With its diverse range of characters and settings, from magical bridges to multiverse assassins, this book offers a unique and enchanting reading experience. Blake's masterful storytelling and rich, imaginative worlds make "Januaries" a must-read for fans of fantasy and short fiction, promising new discoveries with each reread.

This was such a great collection of stories! I really enjoy Olivie Blake's writing, and the stories that she comes up with are so very interesting and strange, and having a whole collection of stories was so much fun to read!

This collection is divided into the seasons. First up was Spring, and I my favourite story from that was Sucker for Pain, which was a vampire/witch story, and I loved where the story went. For summer, my I had 2 favourites, The Animation Games, where this couple keep killing each other, it was morbid and fantastic! And To Make a Man, because I wanted to know what was going on and the timeline was all over the place.

For autumn, Sous Vide, which was creepy, and oh, that ending was the best! For winter, it has to be Chaos Theory, or The Free Agent's Guide to Transitive Thermodynamics, which was confusing at first since I had this book as an audiobook, so it took a minute, but once I got that it was the multiverse story, then it made much more sense!

These worlds were so creative and interesting, that I couldn't help but be entranced by and sucked into the story by the writing. I had such a great time reading all of these stories, even if they confused be and were so wild and weird, they were just that good and well written!

Loved reading this collection and I can't wait to read more by Olivie Blake!

I've been trying to decide if she will be an automatic buy for me, and this collection solidified it for me. Such an awesome collection of short stories.

Thank you to MacMillian Audio, Olivie Blake, and NetGalley for giving me an ARC of the audiobook for Januaries in exchange for my honest review.

Januaries is a collection of short stories and novellas written by Olivie Blake. Given the nature of this book. I am not going to summarize each individual short story because that would provide spoilers and likely cause this review to be way too long. What I will say is that I would recommend this audiobook to all fans of Blake's other works. I really appreciated how the narrators were different for each of the stories, allowing you to recognize the mark of a new story, without feeling like you are hearing the same person read a new story utilizing the same character voices. Similarly, with this being an audiobook of short stories and novellas, it made it easy to pick up and listen to if I had a task I wanted to get done, without wanting to dive into a full-length audiobook. It allowed me to achieve that desire of listening to an audiobook without being drawn into a story that would take 10+ hours to finish. While not every story was my absolute favorite, that is to be expected when you are reading a collection of different stories that contain different themes and plots. At the end of the day, I had fun listening to this book and will definitely be either reading it or listening to it (depending on my mood) again in the future.

This book is certainly for someone, however that someone is not me. I took a chance on this and truthfully that was my bad. some stories were great, others I could hardly care enough to finish. I probably wont be picking up another O.B. book in the future after reading this and AWYITE.

“Januaries” was an enchanting read that completely swept me away. The stories were whimsical, emotionally rich, and beautifully crafted. Blake’s writing style was flawless, weaving together fantasy and reality in a way that felt magical yet deeply human.

Each tale captured the true beauty of the fantasy elements, while also offering moments that resonated emotionally. The characters were captivating, and their journeys were full of heart and depth. Overall, “Januaries” left a lasting impression, and I found myself thinking about these stories long after reading.

Extra kudos to the narrator of this story as well. The enunciation, emotion, and cadence was absolutely perfect!

Thank you #NetGalley and #MacmillanAudio!

These stories are all so so good. I would say they range from good to exceptional—this is the first collection of stories I’ve read that I can say that about.

Each story is unique, magical in its own right, and each one tears your heart just a little bit further.

The immense amount of creativity that went into this collection is evident and incredibly impressive.

Each story left me slightly unsettled, but that was the most effective part of the whole collection, in my opinion.

This is truly a collection imbued with love, magic, and betrayal. And I loved it.

Audiobook note: Each of the narrators is outstanding and individual enough to keep the entire collection moving forward. Highly recommend this for audiobook lovers.

Thank you, Macmillan Audio and NetGalley, for this ALC/ARC!

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
Spice: 🌶️🌶️/5

I love Olivie Blake so naturally I ran to this title. And let me tell you, it did NOT disappoint! Every single story in this collection was absolutely delicious and dark.