Stranded Hearts is a collection of romantic novellas by three very popular BSB authors. The main theme of each story (besides romance of course) is that the main characters have to be stranded or stuck together as they get to know each other.

The first novella is EF5 by Kris Bryant. In this tale photographer Alyssa Bates gets pulled over by police officer Katy Emerson for speeding. Things go from bad to horrible, though when sirens signal a powerful tornado coming. The two women are forced to take shelter in a nearby abandoned diner where they end up fighting for their lives.

Trapped Tycoon by Amanda Radley combines close quarters with a workplace and age gap romance when trainee Clara Foster becomes trapped in an elevator with the owner of the company, Francesca Burford who has just fired Clara a short time before. To make matters worse, it’s Saturday and they may be stuck there until Monday morning when the office opens back up for work.

Wings Over Boston by Emily Smith unites flight paramedic Ryland Matthews and pilot Tess Goodwin when Tess is asked to be a substitute pilot on Ryland’s team. These two women know each other from the past and even had a brief relationship that ended a while back. Now a medical emergency and an unexpected mechanical problem leave the two grounded together.

All three novellas are well written as I would expect from these accomplished authors. The characters are well-developed, and the stories are easy and interesting to read. I have to admit I have a favorite novella, and that would be EF5 by Kris Bryant. The setting of the story and the disaster related plotline had me riveted to the pages, and I totally fell for both Alyssa and Katy. I can easily see this couple having a HEA. I also enjoyed Ms. Radley’s Trapped Tycoon. Francesca makes a very good ice queen to Clara’s youthful outlook on life and love. I had a little more trouble connecting with Ryland and Tess in the third novella, but I can at least see a Happy for Now ending with them.

I’m very glad I got the chance to read these novellas. If you like stories with characters falling in love when they are stranded together, then you should try Stranded Hearts.

I received an ARC from NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books for an honest review.

Loved this anthology. The first story is the one that I am still thinking about, because it deals with the devastation and destruction that an EF5 tornado can cause and what happens afterwards is as devastating as well. Katy and Alyssa were trapped in a cooler with rising water. I would definitely not be very calm in that situation. The author did a great job writing this short story, because you felt everything the characters felt and then some. I liked the other stories in this book as well, but this one was my favorite. I would definitely recommend this book to my friends and family and I look forward to what these authors write next.

Tornado, elevator, and helicopter trouble. These short stories all had stranded and romance in common. I enjoyed all of the stories. They all left me wanting more which in my opinion is a good thing. Of the three, I enjoyed the ice queen/age gap story the best. Francesca was a bit over over top but I enjoyed how she came around.

What's better than a sapphic fiction? Three of them written by awesome sapphic writers in one book. Bryant, Radley, and Smith each bring you strong leading ladies finding a little love for themselves in some hairy predicaments.

Bryant has you bracing yourself and finding shelter during a tornado that levels the playing field. Radley has you cozily stuck 30-stories up in an elevator that practically plays a wingman. And Smith has you flying high then quickly grounded in Martha's Vineyard for some steamy reconnecting. The stories do not overlap, the common thread are hearts finding one another and attempting to bring around a small bit of happiness- and it all just works:) Each are a quick read with lots of happy feels; couldn't ask for anything better!

Each story was unique but they all fit together cohesively. I thought the third was the strongest, but they were all spectacular and I had a good time reading them. Excellent vibes!

THINGS I LIKED:
I was not aware that this was sapphic and therefore I started screeching when it was, so thank you for that
The pacing was excellent
Situational humor was executed perfectly, like when Katie's parents found Alyssa sleeping in her bed. I cackled
The second story was a good rivals to lovers romance and I say that as someone who normally doesn't like the trope at all
In the second story, the quips and banter were gold
Loved the whole third story. The vibes were there and I was here for it.

THINGS I DIDN'T LIKE:
I wasn't as big a fan of the Katie's POV in the first story. It seemed more stilted and less relatable than Alyssa's
The dialogue was very hit or miss. Sometimes quirky, sometimes simply odd and unrealistic
I didnt' understand the jump into them being together in the first story- maybe I missed something.
I wish there was a lot more history behind Francesca and Clara's animosity in the second story
The age gap in the second story bothered me a lot- I wish Francesca had been more like 40 instead of 53

Overall this is a good read. It includes three novellas, and I’m giving each Novellas 4 stars. My personal favorite is Wings Over Boston by Emily Smith.

I found all the stories excellent and well-written. I would recommend this book to all romance readers.

Thank you, NetGalley, Publisher, and Author, for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

As in many books with short stories, the evaluation can be uneven, since they do not have much more in common than the main theme. Authors with different styles, more or less interesting stories.

In this case, the only one that has caught my attention has been the first, the one that has the tornado as the triggering circumstance. The other two have not been very interesting for me. The second one about two women locked in an elevator, with a previous not very pleasant clash between them, has reminded me a lot of Thirteen Hours by Meghan O'Brien, which is unbeatable in that regard. And the third one, the second chance for two women who have changed their priorities since they broke up, has not been very interesting for me either.

Perhaps it was because in a short story everything cannot be developed adequately. In other cases, short stories have left me wanting more but not this time.

This was one of the better anthologies that I've read in a while, with all stories being centered around the theme of two women being stranded together.

Although all of the stories were good, my two personal favorites were Wings Over Boston by Emily Smith and EF5 by Kris Bryant.

Wings Over Boston features flight paramedic Ryland Matthews and pilot Tess Goodwin who get stranded in Martha's Vineyard due to a mechanical instrument issue with the medical helicopter. This story is a butch/femme, second chance romance that is the steamiest of the three stories. Both characters seem to be at the right points in their lives to commit to a relationship.

EF5 by Kris Bryant immediately gets the reader amped up by the nature of the story, an EF5 tornado that makes its way through a small town in Missouri. Prior to the tornado, wedding photographer Alyssa Bates is pulled over for speeding by the town sheriff, Katy Emerson. They become trapped together in a town diner when the tornado hits.

The other story was Trapped Tycoon by Amanda Radley. The trope is age-gap, femme/femme, and ice queen boss. Trainee investor Clara Foster is at the office over the weekend catching up on paperwork when owner Francesca Burford arrives. Clara was actually fired by Francesca for allegedly stealing a very expensive pen. I remain confused as to why Clara was still at work, especially during the weekend, when she had been fired the day prior. In any case, after an argument both women leave together in an elevator that malfunctions and they become trapped.

I would recommend this novella to other readers. 4 stars

I received an ARC from Bold Strokes Books and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review,

Three Novella in which three couples are stranded


Alyssa and Katy gets stranded when a approaching tornado hits when the dust is settled they both help the town rebuild all the while falling for each other.

Clara gets fired for something she didn’t do by her boss Francesca makes matter worst they both gets stuck in the elevator without nowhere to go they start to bond.


Ryland and Tess had brief affair and went their separate ways they both are in for a surprise when they both working on a medical flight and windup being stranded. Can they be together this time when one wasn’t ready before.


I enjoy all three even though I love ice queen age gap one the most I just felt that story could’ve been a little longer but other then that I love all three authors and can’t wait to read their next book.











I received an ARC copy of this book from the Publisher via Netgalley and voluntarily leaving my review.

There are several short stories by acclaimed authors. The first story is about being trapped in a tornado and the result. The second story is about a fired assistant and her nasty boss being trapped in an elevator. The last story is about medics and pilots being stranded and the ensuing reclaimed love story.
I found all the stories excellent and well written. I would recommend this book to all romance readers.

EF5 - This was the first book I've read by Kris Bryant so I didn't really know what to expect from it, but it turned out to have a lot more substance than I was expecting. Based on the description of the story I was expecting the entire thing to occur within the room in which they took refuge during the storm. I was so glad it turned out to be more than that. Although the attraction started there, their relationship really starts once the storm is over and the rescue/recovery efforts starts. Having the story end with them going on their first actual date was perfect.

Trapped Tycoon - I have read a few Amanda Radley books in the past and love her stuff, this was no different. She does such a great job of creating characters that have some insecurities but are not weak. The premise is one that's been done before, but this did not feel like a cliche. I loved Clara and Francesca's banter regarding the missing pen. Their conversations while trapped in the lift were well crafted and paced so it never got boring. I liked that this story continued after they got out of the lift but also ended on a "there's more to come" note. I would gladly read another story with these two characters.

Wings Over Boston - This was probably my least favorite of the three stories. It's not poorly written or anything like that, there's just not much to it. The theme of "right woman, wrong time" was good, but I wish Rylan and Tess had spent more time talking about the people they had become. Also, the "trapped" scenario was the least interesting of the three.

I’d give each of these novellas 4 stars. All three have the same premise as the title tells, it’s some sort of situation where the ,main characters are stranded. All three were well written and the pacing was well done. I’m not the biggest novella fan, I like a little more meat in a story, but I enjoyed these. I’d love to see a full length novel for all three.

In Stranded Hearts we find 3 romance novellas by three different authors. Kris Bryant and Amanda Radley are well known authors for me and the reason why I picked this up. Emily Smith is new to me.

My favourite is Bryant’s story, it feels the most fleshed out and I wanted more, but was also satisfied with what I got. That, to me, is everything a good novella should be.
Radley’s novella is fine, it’s enjoyable enough. It’s just a standard age gap by Radley and a workplace one at that, I’m not the biggest fan of that trope.
Smith’s story is well written and way steamer than the other two. It’s a sort of second chance novella and I feel like I’m missing just little things here and there to make this story really click for me.

I enjoyed all these stories, but as always I would have preferred my favourite to be the last one on the collection just to go out with the best feeling of the book. As it stands I’m giving it 4 stars rounded up.

This anthology features three sapphic novellas where the two MCs are trapped together.

EF5: DNF

Not really for me, I’m not a fan of dual first-person POV, especially when the story backtracks when the POV switches and I have to re-read the previous scene but from the other POV only so I can understand MC2 also considers MC1 attractive.

Also in light of certain current events, I’m just not mentally in a good place to read a disaster story so I decided to pull the plug and bail on this one.

No rating

Trapped Tycoon: five stars
Themes: age-gap, ice Queen, femme-femme

Radley hits it out of the park with this one! The MCs are stuck in an elevator for the majority of the story and it just sparkles with sarcasm, witty dialogue that blooms into vulnerability and finally honesty. Bits of humor are sprinkled throughout, and the ending is sweet and hopeful.

Wings Over Boston: ummm…what comes after five? Can I give like six stars? Is that a thing?
Themes: butch-femme, second chances, medical, only one bed

Emily Smith is a new author to me but OMG if she writes other stuff like this? I’m a total fan!! Ryland is the perfect butch, cocky and swaggering on the outside, sweet and just the tiniest bit gooey on the inside. Tess is her perfect match, feminine but strong and a badass helicopter pilot who is not going to put up with any games or bullshit.

The story weaves the present with the shared past, the second chance that comes when mechanical trouble strands the two, along with Ryland’s partner Mitch (who is hilarious in his own way). The evening they share is fun, irreverent, and frankly sparking with sexual tension that ramps up to a truly explosive climax (ahem).

It’s interesting to see how the two MCs have changed in their time apart, how they see each other and also themselves through new eyes. I didn’t expect to get teary-eyed during this, but I did (and I’m reading this at work so that was something).

So, two out of three ain’t bad.

Overall rating: 3.75 stars

An anthology of three novella’s with the theme of being stranded together. I enjoy novellas and having some from favorite authors is a treat.

In EF5, Kris Bryant writes an action packed story of surviving a tornado. A photographer helps the town sheriff in the immediate aftermath a natural disaster.

Trapped Tycoon give Amanda Radley a chance to shine at writing dialogue. Two women are trapped in an elevator for hours. There isn’t much to do but talk. But how do you talk to your life long crush and work hero who just fired you? So much background and information is shared in the conversations between these two. It is a big age-gap romance, which the author often writes, and it is done very well.

Wings Over Boston is a second chance romance. Two women who went out briefly three years ago reconnecting while working on a medical flight. They end up stranded for an evening on Martha’s Vineyard. This is the only story that gets steamy, which fits because they knew each other previously. One wasn’t ready for anything serious before so the question becomes is she now? Emily Smith is the only author I haven’t read previously.

If I had to rate personal preferences between the books I’d give the nod to the first and last. Both were good and I could easily read longer stories about their characters. I missed the heat Bryant usually brings but it fits the short time-frame for her book. I appreciate NetGalley, Bold Strokes Inc., and the authors for allowing me to read an ARC in exchange for a review.

Novellas are an under appreciated platform that are often passed over in favor of full length novels. However, the shortened length of novella’s also give the advantage of not a word wasted just to draw out an exceptional story line. Kris Bryant anchors this short story collection with an action packed survival of a tornado and the immediate aftermath. The award winning author masterfully balances the adrenaline of survival and the developing attraction between Alyssa and Katy. This story is not to be missed, and it ranks as one of my favorites of this author. The other two novellas rounding this perfect summer read offer bonus content to the first and together this book is a perfect collection of summer reading in one package. I received a copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Overall 3.75
I like Kris Bryant's story the most. It was emotional and I was intrigued by the plot the whole time. It was new to see what's happening to a town after a natural disaster. There are cute and funny moments to balance out the heaviness of the story. I would rate EF5 a 4.5 by itself.

I had some problems with the age gap in Trapped Tycoon, so I lowkey just imagine Clara being in her late 20s/early 30s while Francesca being in her early 40s. Idk, I feel weird that Clara was a kid and has idolized Francesca for about half of her life. The banters between them are fun to read, but whenever the age or Clara's idolization comes up, it makes the gap obvious. Although Clara wasn't a timid, naive, young intern, which close the power gap, but still. Other than that, I like the cute concept of being trapped in an elevator together that leads to romance. I would rate Trapped Tycoon 3.5.

In Wings Over Boston was straight up a spicy romance. it's short and light, plus I like 2nd-chance-romance. I kinda want a longer version to see how Emily had grown and changed into the "right" person. I would rate this 3.5.

EF5
Two women meet then a tornado hits. Good story about them surviving the tornado and helping the town get back on its feet. Oh, and of course their romance.

Trapped Tycoon
Trapped in an elevator with the boss who has just fired you! Do they iron out the misunderstanding? What happens next? Nice age gap story. Found it quite enjoyable.

Wings Over Boston
Second chance at love. New helicopter pilot discovers she knows co-worker from a brief liaison a few years ago. This time round is Ryland ready to settle for the one from before? Is this time now the right girl at the right time. Find out by reading this entertaining short story.

I have read some work by Amanda Radley before and it was pretty good. I like the whimsical nature of it. However, unfortunately, this one did not really hook me. I found myself uninterested in the characters and stories.

A fast read for me. This book contains 3 novellas that share a “stranded together” theme. The stories also share the alternating point of views of the protagonists, which I am not the biggest fan of but it did work for these stories.

EF5: I really liked this one up to the point when they weren’t stranded together anymore and then it kind of fizzled out for me and I got a little bored. But overall it was 3 stars.

Trapped Tycoon: This one didn’t seem too realistic (the entire pen issue was a bit strange and I saw another review stating that if they were the boss, they would run, and I agree) plus the age gap was a bit too big for me. 2.5 stars.

Wings over Boston: A reunion story. It was a quick story, the steamiest from this collection but the ending felt a bit abrupt. 2.75 stars.

Big thanks the Net Galley and the publisher from the digital copy in exchange for an honest review.