This is one of those cases where one tries to do too much within the same project. This anthology attempts to throw together short stories, essays, and letters, all of which initiated in different contexts and not as part of a cohesive project. The result is an anthology that seems to lack a common thread or purpose; it doesn't feel like there's a curated collection here. And I found myself surprised at the stories that were included because they didn't seem quite up to the expected caliber of their authors, but that might also be attributable to what I recall was a relatively short timing for the call for submissions.

I absolutely want to support GRNW, as it's a project I believe in, but I have to give an honest rating to this particular work. I hope the next project is conceived and developed in a more intentional, purposeful, and cohesive way... ( )

There are two parts to this book - fiction and essays.
The fiction I've rated bellow. The pairings are either mage and cyborg or soldier and tattoo artist.
The essays are in a letter-to-self form, mostly about how writers felt about writing and reading romance.

Slack Tide by Karelia Stetz-Waters - 3 stars
Too short to be higher rating. The writing is flowery and not really my thing most of the time.
Two girls - one is a tattoo artist, the other just finished a tour in the military. Sweet reunion :)

Charmed by Chance by Alex Powell - 3 stars
Cute, with some wtf moments.
The MC whose POV we're in is kind of flaky, but at at least he warns people :D
But his priorities are kind of out there - he ranks getting beaten up and mugged the same as missing a date and getting his favorite shirt ripped. So yeah.

Broken Art by Dev Bentham - 4 stars
Oooh, I loved this one!
A soldier in the Navy goes to a tattoo artist to get his tramp-stamp "fixed". The author managed to give the characters depth despite the story being short. It's practically begging for a sequel.

Caroline’s Heart by Austin Chant - 4 stars
I really liked it. It was interesting and the writing flowed nicely. I liked the world building!

Sun, Moon, and Stars by E.J. Russel - 3 stars
This needs to be even longer to develop the world more. There's so much potential.
I had a few niggles but I liked it.

The Hollow History of Professor Perfectus by Ginn Hale - 4 stars
The world building is very interesting - a steampunk/magical alternate universe set sometime at the turn of 2oth century USA. Magic is prosecuted and our MC is a wind mage. She and her girlfriend get pulled into solving a crime.

Fade to Black by Josh Lanyon - 4 stars
Similar setting as the first story in this anthology - a retired soldier reunites with a tattoo artist. The story is just as short but the writing is more articulate. Loved!

Demonica by Megan Derr - 3 stars
Classic Mean Derr - short and sweet, interesting world building.

In all, I really enjoyed this anthology. ( )

I really loved all the Cyborg/Mage stories. It's fantastic how much variety you can get out of the same premise. (The Tattoo Artist/Soldier stories were less my cup of tea, but that's because I'm a big old fantasy/sci-fi nerd.) The essays were heartwarming. ( )