Rating: 5🌈
Anthologies/collections are a fantastic way to get to know new authors or rediscover writers you haven’t read for a while!
If anyone asks me to recommend one collection of contemporary stories? It would be this one! You have a great selection of writers who have never had their work in this charity anthology before, and the stories here are just incredible. Honestly 5 star reads! All together in one place to savor.
Not familiar with these authors? What a treat lies within. Most are on my Auto read-must have lists, but I added to mine as well here. Happy happy joy joy!
Plus all proceeds from the charity anthology go to benefit LGBTGIA + charities.
The overall Collection is always the H2H dating app, but this collection has the theme of #NeverHaveIEver for 14 Authors and their romance stories.
The H2H app users challenge themselves to do something outside of their comfort zones. And fall in love along the way.
I have listed all the stories and authors below. An extended version with a mini-review of each is on my website, scattered thoughts and rogue words dot com. Honestly, it’s a tad long for here! But these stories deserve it. Heart eyes, folks!
Love it so much!
Stories and Authors:
1. Never Have I Ever Fallen In Love by Lucy Lennox
2. Never Have I Ever…Cold Called A Stranger’s Phone Number by A.M. Arthur
3. Never Have I Ever… Ridden A Bike by Alice Winters
4. Never Have I Ever… Dyed My Hair Flaming Red by Daryl Banner
5. Never Have I Ever…worn That For Halloween by E.M.Lindsey
6. Never Have I Ever…Sung In Public byJodi Payne
7. Never Have I Ever…Gotten Lost by K. Webster
8. Never Have I Ever…Taken A Vacation by Kate Hawthorne
9. Never Have I Ever…Spent the Night With Blanche by Louisa Masters
10. Never Have I Ever…Had A Makeover by Mia Monroe
11. Never Have I Ever…Flown in A Airplane by Neve Wilder
12. Never Have I Ever…Gone Skinny Dipping by Riley Hart
13. Never Have I Ever … Watched The Godfather by S.E. Harmon
14. Never Have I Ever… Kissed Someone On the Lips by Spencer Spears
15. Never Have I Ever…Been On A Date by Tal Bauer
16. Never Have I Ever Fallen In Love by Lucy Lennox-part 2. The End
And now for my blog 😂…..
1. Heart2Heart by Lucy Lennox
Jonah , on behalf of his employer H2H, went off to Alaska,taking an adventure in a floatplane to create content for their latest event.
His taxi to the town, a tiny floatplane from Knockwood Aviation, flown by Pilot Pete Valentine started his adventure immediately. And so did my laughter. As Pete and Jonah go on many “neverhaveIEver” firsts for Jonah and his article, their attraction and feelings for each other grow.
The story is split in half,as it begins and ends the anthology.
It’s a fav of mine 😍 it’s also a prequel to Lennox’s next series focusing on Knockwood Aviation.
2. Never Have I Ever…Cold Called A Stranger’s Phone Number by A.M. Arthur
“For A Good Time Call…” says a note stashed in a library book. What Charlie finds is romance where he never thought he’d find it, with the help of his jock roommate, Jasper.
Heartwarming, sweet, and lovely.
3 Never Have I Ever… Ridden A Bike by Alice Winters
Owen, the baker , writes “never have I ever ridden a bike” into the H2H app chat, and with those words , Alice Winters sends Owen, his roommate Lance, and their cat Thor the Destroyer off on a madcap afternoon of zany insanity, also includes bike riding lessons! Not surprisingly it ends happily and with declarations of love! Hilarious, sweet, and pure Winters!
4. Never Have I Ever… Dyed My Hair Flaming Red by Daryl Banner
Stagehand Zakary Tisdale wrote “never have I ever dyed my hair a wild color’ on the H2H forum. It’s his birthday and he’s naked in his bathroom , looking at himself in the mirror.
I wasn’t familiar with Daryl Banner but after reading this wonderful story I’m putting him on my list to seal out what else he’s written. Because this is a little gem with lots of heart. One flaming red hair color changes everything, including the way he thinks about himself. Love it.
5. Never Have I Ever…worn That For Halloween by E.M.Lindsey
Baker Domenico has loved his
best friend, Shiloh, since they were children. But he’s been afraid to tell him until the H2H forum NeverHaveIEver persuaded him to post a comment about Halloween. Now he’s committed to a couples costume. And everything is about to change.
Lindsey has written a beautiful, moving story, about deeply layered characters and their love for each other. It’s absolutely one of my favorites here.
6. Never Have I Ever…Sung In Public byJodi Payne
Nathaniel Killiney’s a dentist who admits on the H2H forum he’s never sung in public.
Ethan Lowman is a high school theater/arts teacher and Nathaniel Killiney’s crush when they were in the very same high school year’s ago.
Nathaniel’s comment on the H2H forum brings about a reunion that’s full of promise, for a romance as well as letting Nathaniel finally being able to sing in public. Very sweet.
7. Never Have I Ever…Gotten Lost by K. Webster
‘A single line “Never have I ever gotten completely and utterly lost” in the ‘Meet local friends’ thread in the H2H forum starts Hunter obsessing over this as if anyone could get lost in the age of almost instant GPS availability and map directions
Hunter’s never been lost . So he’s scanning quickly through the comments until he sees one from like minded Dallas Drew. Dallas aka Andrew, who claims to also never have gotten lost. Both are Americans that now live and work in Norway. Both also have elements to them that make that fact something that’s capable of drawing them together for a meetup.
Andrew, on the high functioning end of the ASD spectrum is lost in his life. Alone and missing his mother after her recent death, is going to try for an adventure. Something this meetup with Hunter represents. Hunter is feeling alone ,depressed, and his self image has taken a big hit due to his awful last relationships. Now he’s reaching out for a change and a chance for someone and something more.
What follows is a wonderful, vulnerable, magical journey. I heart this story so much. Adding this author to my must have more of pile.
8. Never Have I Ever…Taken A Vacation by Kate Hawthorne
Jermaine. Never have he ever taken a vacation. Raised by a struggling single parent, that wasn’t an option and his job as a flight attendant makes flying to other places something that’s just a stopover.
Milo, a travel blogger . For him, nearly every day was a vacation. One flight to New Orleans when they meet provides the sparks for changes they never expected.
Sexy, and unexpected!
9. Never Have I Ever…Spent the Night With Blanche by Louisa Masters
H2H forum line Golden Girls prompts a user to say….Never Have I ever binge watched the Golden Girls.
Soon there’s a planned Golden Girls marathon at a coffee shop/ bookstore for everyone, especially the one who’s severely lacking in knowledge of the Blanche. That’s Fin.
At the marathon, he meets several ppl , among them Clayton Hollingsworth Devereaux. Clay and Fin instantly hit it off.
10. Never Have I Ever…Had A Makeover by Mia Monroe
Constantine needs a makeover. A company offers a professional event geared just for that very thing. There he meets a stylist named Deacon who sees a quiet, lovely teddy bear of a professor with self image issues. Con is just the man Deacon’s been waiting for, and this makeover is the pathway to the start of a beautiful relationship.
A terrific story with relatable characters.
11. Never Have I Ever…Flown in A Airplane by Neve Wilder
Beau , a musician, had never been on a airplane. Now he had to fly to a old friend’s wedding in Venice, Italy. Beau mentions this fact on the H2H forum and gets a reply from UpRightPosition that he has to visit a certain restaurant in Venice while he’s there and have a safe flight!
So it’s so of fated that UpRightPosition turns out to be Jack, the hugely attractive flight attendant flying from Atlanta with him to Venice. That flight to Venice is the beginning of many firsts and a HEA.
A very sweet story.
12. Never Have I Ever…Gone Skinny Dipping by Riley Hart
Mikey on the H2H message board: Never have I ever gone skinny dipping.
Shy, awkward, the one who never followed through Mikey. With a secret pen name. Who had a crush on someone he’s only known online since he was 16. It’s been 2 years of steady chatting and every time it’s been time to meet, Mikey has found excuses not to.
So it stopped. And that became Mikey’s biggest regret.
Now he’s secretly writing erotic novels under another name when he’s not being Mickey Boring, the librarian ( his real name) by day.
Time to change things up!
Ronan Winters runs the local coffee shop , Extra Shot, and runs a queer podcast Sex with Ronan.
Things are going to happen online personalities and real life collide, revelations occur and there’s a HEA waiting at the end.
Very well written and sweet romance.
13. Never Have I Ever … Watched The Godfather by S.E. Harmon
Ad: Looking for someone to go see to movies in the parks , I’ll bring the popcorn and snacks.
Ashton Westlake, lawyer, in Michigan, while things get smoothed over with the client he offended at his father’s law offices. Loves baking.
His cousin puts the ad in the H2H message boards hoping to get company for Ashton as he watches movie classics, for the first time, in the park.
Levi, HistoryBuff24/7 , answers CoolLawDudes ad . Professor of American History, Late of a bad relationship. And also former teacher of Ashton!
Who’d had a very obvious crush on him.
Fifteen years difference in age, but equal in attraction. The reunion at the park sees a return of the sparks of attraction from so long ago.
What follows is an absolute delightful romance of two men finding their way back to each other at the exactly right stage in their lives, through movies, tv shows, and baked goods. It’s totally charming, and I was engaged from start to finish.
14. Never Have I Ever… Kissed Someone On the Lips by Spencer Spears
Westley: Never ever have I kissed someone on the lips…
That’s Wesley’s post on the H2H board. He’s shy, awkward, 20, and never been kissed.
He’s in DC for an internship , from Connecticut, sweating out the wonderful Dc summer (the author has our summer right). Living his Professors’ Washington DC row house , he finds himself hiding up on the roof deck, watching a neighbor’s party . It’s sad and pretty til a thief jumps out of their window with a haul of jewels, causing West’s world to upend in the strangest way possible.
Oh, Spencer Spears! What a fabulous tale that you’ve written! I was with these two all the way! And I need more! I want to know if West called him! Give me that sequel!
A favorite!
15. Never Have I Ever…Been On A Date by Tal Bauer
H2H board. Never have I ever been on a date
Cletus, heliopilot for a mission for Strickland, mngr for National Science Foundation for Antarctica. Responsible for 3k lives spread between 3 bases, now holding a bloody uniform as they lifted off.
Damien Bronson, Dino Doc to his students at the South Pole, came to Antarctica chasing his dream of proving his thesis right, that the bones of dinosaurs exist there. He’s also nurses a very big crush on pilot Cletus.
When their boss Dr. Strickland asks the men to find the body of the scientist that disappeared and who’s bloodied garment Cletus has now found, it sets off a series of events that could only have come from the fabulous Tal Bauer. Exciting, horrific, fast paced, and romantic, it’s an A ticket ride the whole way. Outstanding!
And finally the last half of
16. Never Have I Ever Fallen In Love by Lucy Lennox… part 2
Jonah is flying around in a floatplane, trying first time adventures for his article for H2H , and Knockwood Aviation and the Valentines family, especially one in particular,Pete, Is keeping him busy.
Never Have I Ever Been To Alaska….
Now Jonah and Pete have been everywhere, they’ve spent time getting to know one another and Jonah has had time to make some life changing decisions.
Lucy Lennox’s story brought us a great new universe and engaging family, the Valentines. The Knockwood Aviation company, in all its elements, and all the Valentines are Lennox’s next series. This story is the absolutely perfect prequel to launch it.
I’m invested in these people and their romance, but also in the tiny town and it’s citizens.
I can’t wait for more.
What an outstanding collection of authors and stories this is! You have a great selection of writers who have never had their work in this charity anthology before, and the stories here are just incredible.
Not familiar with these authors? What a treat lies within. Most are on my Auto read-must have lists, but I added to mine as well here.
And on top of fabulous romances, the proceeds go to support LGBTGIA + charities.
Win win!
I’m highly recommending this anthology. Grab it up before the next one comes out. That’s the kinky one😉
Description:
Once upon a time, a bunch of authors wondered… what would happen if Heart2Heart, the dating and community app responsible for bringing together couples from all over the world, encouraged people to do something they’d never done before?
#NeverHaveIEver is trending on H2H, and fourteen authors who’ve never before appeared in a Heart2Heart anthology (and one who’s never left) have come together to show how funny, hot, and heartwarming it can be when H2H app users challenge themselves to do something outside of their comfort zones–from singing in public, to skinny dipping, to getting their first real kiss–while they manage to fall in love along the way.
As always, all proceeds from this anthology will benefit LGBTQ+ charities to ensure that love in all its incarnations will be celebrated and protected every single day of the year!
Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words 