Back of Book: 

Three short stories ✩ Three women ✩ One Halloween night 

Each girl, caught in her own setup, must navigate the mystical and the unexpected.

Masquerade Meet-Cute

After a dating dry spell, Luna attends a masquerade singles event on Halloween, where an app generates a match for every guest. But solving riddles to discover her perfect someone becomes more of a trick than a treat when couples pair off, and she's left standing alone.

Hallowed Be My Ex

All Hazel wanted was a cozy Halloween with a good book. But when her ex leaves a trail of clues that he wants her back, she follows. Not everything is as it seems, and Hazel finds herself tangled in a web of lies that keeps building. 

Uber-ly Spooked

Gemma has a love-hate relationship with Halloween, and when her Uber driver turns out not to be who he appears to be, her and her friends' Halloween plans take a terrifying u-turn. 

Book Number: One

Genre: Adult | Anthology | Contemporary | Romance | Short Stories

Review: ?

Back of Book: 

Three short stories ❤ Three women ❤ One Valentine's date 

When it comes to love, a little chaos can be sweet

Bouquet of Boys by Eliza Storm

Tori has never had a proper Valentine's Day date. So when a bouquet of daisies and an unsigned be-my-valentine card shows up on her doorstep, she's determined to figure out who sent them. The only problem? She's dating five men. 

Love, Lattes, and Leo by SD Porter

Done with men who can't support her, Kat, of Kat Girl Coffee, shuts the door on romance while she pursues her entrepreneurial dreams. But, when Leo, a handsome "regular", comes along, she leaves a toe in the door. Unfortunately, someone already has their claws in him.

Drawn To You by Celaine Charles

Harley hasn't picked up a paintbrush (or dated) in over a year. When the opportunity for creativity arises on Valentine's Day, her inspiration floods. But as she comes cheek to cheek with someone unexpected, could her willingness to start again be stripped away in a blink?

Book Number: Two

Genre: Adult | Anthology | Contemporary | Romance | Short Stories

Review: ?

Back of Book: 

Three short stories * Three women * One Fourth of July Weekend

Sparks fly when least expected.

A New Leash on Love by SD Porter

Violet is ready for a fresh start. Freshly divorced, with eyes wide open, she's looking forward to starting a new life in Shady Lake, a small town in Western Washington. But Maggie, her Great Pyrenees, is intent on embarrassing her at every turn, dashing her hopes for a fresh start.

Written in the Sky by Celaine Charles

Julienne's design deadlines have blown past, leaving her creativity running on fumes. A Fourth of July escape to Lake Kaniksu should be the reset she needs, until all her childhood traditions fizzle away. Worried her spark has sputtered out, a charming stranger literally stumbles into her at the beach, causing her to look up. Maybe the inspiration she's seeking isn't in the lake at all.

A Detour Worth Taking by Eliza Storm

With all the changes happening in Sasha's life, her family's annual backpacking trip is the one thing she is counting on to remain constant. But when her sister Sydney invites her fiancé and his friend along, suddenly every tradition is broken and Sasha is pulled into a detour she didn't ask for.

Book Number: Three

Genre: Adult | Anthology | Contemporary | Romance | Short Stories

Review: 🌟🌟🌟

A sweet collection of short stories that highlights the importance of spending time with friends and family over the holiday season rather than buying into the consumeristic pieces of the Fourth of July.

Violet is looking for a fresh start for her and her dog, Maggie. She's excited to be moving into a new small town, but she's annoyed by the guy next door. Julienne feels as though she has lost her spark. Desperate to be inspired again, she returns to her childhood lake cabin with her best friend. Sasha is afraid of change. When her sister invites more people to their annual backpacking trip that's usually just the two sisters and their gramps, Sasha fears that things will never be the same again.

I thought it would be fun to read some Fourth of July books this year in celebration of America 250. This one sounded like a low-risk and easy book to tackle, as it is made up of three short stories. Thank you so much to the authors for the gifted copy of this book!

"A New Leash on Love" by S.D. Porter: 🌟🌟🌟

This story follows recently divorced Violet who is looking to start over after finally dumping her husband. Her dog, Maggie, is her entire world, so it's fitting that Maggie plays a major role in this story. Maggie ends up finding Vance and his dog over and over again, which turns into a sweet story about Violet accepting help in unlikely places and feeling hopeful that she may be able to find love after heartbreak after all.

"Written in the Sky" by Celaine Charles: 🌟🌟

This one was definitely my least favorite of the bunch. Julienne runs a card/stationary business, and she feels as though she has lost her spark. Desperate for new ideas, she decides to spend the Fourth of July weekend with her best friend and her parents. Unfortunately, things don't work out and all the traditions from her childhood are being cancelled left and right. I thought Julienne was too much of a spoiled brat for me to really relate to her. Julienne also starts a blossoming romance with a guy she meets at the beach, but I did find it a bit too cheesy for my liking also; the romance really didn't float my boat in this one. I did like the themes about life changing and embracing the newness for the better.

"Detour Worth Taking" by Eliza Storm: 🌟🌟🌟🌟

This one was by far my favorite of the three. I would have read Sasha and Carter's romance as a full-length novel; the romantic tension between these two was done well and I feel these two could easily go the long haul together. The camping trip that Sasha takes with her sister and gramps every year is super sweet, and it reminded me a ton of my camping days. This one has great themes like embrace the change in your life and trust those that you love most. I honestly thought this was a super cute story and was sad when it ended. It even includes great tropes such as there's only one tent and forced proximity. Bonus points for this one actually including a kiss though!

There are a few things woven throughout all three stories, but nothing too crazy. They all take place in areas surrounding Seattle, several of the stories utilized the name Maggie, and of course, they are sweet romance without the spice. Some characters' lives also briefly intertwine with Sasha going to Andie's pilates studio, but nothing that really made a difference. I'd definitely be willing to check out the other books in this series around their respective holidays, because I had fun with this one. I think just a hint more romance in the first two stories would have truly elevated this collection.

Overall, "Caught a Spark" was a short story collection celebrating the Fourth of July that can easily be read in a single day. "Detour Worth Taking" was definitely my favorite and utilized the romantic elements the most, but all three stories have their value. I've never read a book that's centered around Independence Day and I'm glad to report that I didn't hate it! The romance is sweet, the characters are realistic, and the three stories mesh well together. I'd be totally down for reading more books from this series, because I found myself actually impressed by this one!