There wasn't even one story I skipped in this one. Matched so many different vibes. I am loving these anthologies again!

This romantasy anthology brings together twelve short stories from well-known and rising authors, including Olivie Blake, Kelley Armstrong, and Tasha Suri.

Each tale mixes magic with romance, offering fresh takes on classic tropes like enemies to lovers, second chances, and magical rivalries.

Some stories really stood out 'Designated Virgin Sacrifice' by Kelley Armstrong was clever and fun, while 'Until December' by Kelly Andrew had emotional depth and a unique twist on time magic. Others felt a bit rushed or relied too much on insta-love, which made it harder to connect with the characters.

The variety of voices and magical settings kept things interesting, but not every story hit the mark. It’s a good pick if you enjoy dipping in and out of short reads, especially when you're in a reading slump.

Overall, it’s a charming collection with a few gems, though I wish more stories had room to breathe.

My Selling Pitch:
A fantasy romance short story collection, but only Blake and Andrew’s work is worth reading so you may as well skip it.

Pre-reading:
On this episode of if Olivie Blake writes it, I’ll read it.

(obviously potential spoilers from here on)
Thick of it:
The Fall Guy

The way they’re opening with Blake.

I love this woman’s style.

She really takes her hooks seriously.

Okay, this one’s pretty manic, even for Blake.

Oh, we’re Princess Briding.

I too am capable of complex thought that I’ll happily turn off in favor of a himbo’s ministrations.

It’s the New Girl ‘that's not how I would kiss you’ scene.

She is so damn good at romantic throwaway little bits.

She does so much characterization in so little time, like she’s so efficient and so talented!

It’s always a masked ball lol.

KICKING MY GODDAMN FEET.

Just clean this up and make this a full book. It’s so Princess Bride. It would fit in so well with the Knight and the Moth. Like she’s so good.

She’s so funny. I love the tone switches too. She’s like full romance, and then right back to modern humor.

That was cute. It’s like a 3.5 that I’ll round up to a 4 because she really has some gems in there. But like just write us the campy full-length fantasy book, babe.
4/5
——-
Dubious

I haven’t read her, but I’ve seen her books before.

Is this the Knight and the Moth lol?

Butch vamp, got it.

It’s The Irresistible Urge all over again, haha. Like I know it’s a basic setup, but I love it every time!

The girlies love a Saltburn.

3/5 really basic, but solid enough
—————
Until December

Oh, absolutely not. No bully romances here.

Love a Scorpio.

I’m sure they’re time-traveling to each other.

Boston, you’re my home🎶

I assume this has to be like the Infinite Fates book. (I’m so behind on reading that one.)

This isn’t meant to be a short story. This is meant to be a whole book.

What other books has this author written? I should read them. This is really gorgeous lighting imagery. (OH. I have read her. She always writes gorgeous imagery with that Raven Boys dark academia feel.)

Kicking my feet. Just write the full book!

The way I am so invested with so little.

This needed to be a book.
5/5
————
King’s Witch

I’ve heard of this author, but haven’t read her yet, although I have an ARC for her Silver Sea book.

Are you just getting that Shrek mirror dating show, too haha?

I’m sure it’s Lark in disguise as the priest.

2/5. Like the most basic plot and obvious twist
—————-
Designated

I don’t think I’ve ever heard of this author.

2/5 just ham-fisted, good for her feminism. Fine, but you’ve seen it better before.
————
Second Class

Haven’t heard of this author.

Dark and Drowning Tide?

A minty girl

Academia loves Stern as a last name and like bitch, I get it. I do too.

This is an Xmas book.

You’re a bottom ass bitch. You’ll only ever be a bottom or whatever that quote is lol.

2/5 Unfinished and done to death!
—————-
Bamboo

Fathomfolk is messy, but I still want to like it.

3/5 Solid. Original. Folktale style. Good messaging. Little preachy but you know. Exactly what you want from a short story. If they’re too good I want them to be books lol.
——-
Slay

I don’t think I’ve heard of this author either, but Peter Pan retellings are def up my alley.

This is very YA.

1/5 hard fuckin’ pass. Don’t poor little influencer me.
———
San’t Marten’s

Never heard of this author.

Inexplicably- Augustus and Faustus read the same in my brain. Too many similar letters I guess?

cicatrice

Good setup. Needs a better author to execute for a full book. Politicking doesn’t really work in short story format. 3/5
————-
Good Deeds

Assistant to the Villain isn’t good, but it’s very likable.

Mien

I feel like honey doesn’t rot your teeth.

This is so insta love it’s not even funny.

Where the hell did the smut in this come from?

1/5 that was preachy and awful
———
Larkspur

Still haven’t read this author, but I’ve heard such good things

Including a short story where you need to have read her entire book series to get the most from it is pretty shitty behavior. Standalones or bust.

Votary

Vaguely Geographer’s Map

I’m pretty checked out from this one. So much info dumping, so unclear if it’s relevant. (It’s not.)

Oh, so it’s Heartless Hunter’s secret identity vigilante shit.

Every book is bears.

Sobriquet

Blake did this better.

1/5 that was bad.
———
Rosebud

Loved The Warm Hands of Ghosts. I’ve been meaning to read more from her.

The Listeners

Real weird writing of this. Reads like she’s lusting after her sister.

Craquelure

Dancing Princesses or Beauty and the Beast? (Both.)

He smells like gold bullion ??? Wild.

2/5 men are lame.

Post-reading:
This was such a promising collection at the beginning but it really petered out.

Best of the collection by a mile was Until December by Kelly Andrew. I know it’s a plot that’s been done to death, but it was done so well. The banter was phenomenal. I’d love her to pull it and develop it into a full-length novel. It’s absolutely there.

Blake’s story was campy fun as usual. I would’ve been surprised if I didn’t like it, frankly.

The weakest was Maehrer’s. She’s a TikTokker turned writer and you can unfortunately tell. She’s so lovely online, but her writing reads like teenaged Wattpad fanfic.

Arden’s story was disappointing. She’s a very capable writer, so it was extra off-putting to read language that felt more like incest than plain jealousy. It’s also a gloomy note to end the collection on. For a fantasy romance assembly, it seems odd to go out with men taking out their wartime misery on women. It really lacked the romance that the other stories at least attempted to have.

On the whole, I think it’s a skippable collection. Blake and Andrew’s are the only ones worth reading, and even then, they’ll be familiar plots to you. The stories themselves end up feeling a bit repetitive and echo each other. It’s thematic, sure, but it’s also pretty boring when the vast majority are just okay. I need more than that to stamp my name behind a book. I also think it’s inappropriate to include a short story that relies on you having read the author’s entire series to get the most out of it when everything else in the collection has been a standalone. That’s not fair to your readers.

Pick it up, don’t, but either way, some agent needs to get ahold of Andrew and convince her to flesh hers out into a dark and sexy book. She’s really got something there.

Who should read this:
Fantasy romance fans
Olivie Blake fans
Dark Academia romance fans

Ideal reading time:
Winter

Do I want to reread this:
Nope

Would I buy this:
Tempted because pink, and I really did like Andrew’s!

Similar books:
(If you liked the short story, try this full book in order of appearance.)
* Masters of Death by Olivie Blake-campy, urban fantasy, ensemble cast, queer romance, enemies to lovers
* The Knight and the Moth by Rachel Gillig-campy, fantasy romance, enemies to lovers
* The Irresistible Urge to Fall for Your Enemy by Brigette Knightley-campy, fantasy romance, enemies to lovers
* The Starving Saints by Caitlin Starling-psychological horror, historical, unreliable narrators, enemies to lovers queer romance
* Lucy Undying by Kiersten White-Dracula retelling, queer romance
* Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo-dark academia, magical realism, urban fantasy, mystery, romance
* The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V. E. Schwab-magical realism, historical, romance
* Ink Blood Sister Scribe by Emma Torzs-magical realism, ensemble cast, queer romance
* Your Blood, My Bones by Kelly Andrew-YA gothic horror, fairytale retelling
* Boys with Sharp Teeth by Jenni Howell-YA dark academia, mystery, magical realism
* Immortal Dark by Tigest Girma-YA dark academia, urban fantasy, mystery, enemies to lovers romance
* A Dark and Drowning Tide by Alison Saft-academia, fantasy, mystery, queer romance, enemies to lovers
* Deathless by Catherynne M. Valente-folktale retelling, historical, magical realism, romance
* Starling House by Alix E. Harrow-YA gothic romance, enemies to lovers
* This Dark Descent by Kalyn Josephson-poltical fantasy, ensemble cast, romance
* Assistant to the Villain by Hannah Nicole Maehrer-campy, fantasy workplace romance
* The Geographer’s Map to Romanxe by India Holton-campy historical, urban fantasy, enemies to lovers romance, marriage of convenience
* Heartless Hunter by Kristen Ciccarelli-historical, urban fantasy, enemies to lovers romance
* The Listeners by Maggie Stiefvater-historical, magical realism, romance

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This collection of short stories was sooo good! I was hooked on to every single one. They were all unique in their own way.

The Fall Guy by Olivie Blake - 4 stars
Fun, flirty and I really liked the romance - I just got a bit lost with a ton of worldbuilding/infodumping right at the start.

The Dubious Ladies of Mirador by Melissa Marr - 3 stars
I quite liked the world and the way the story wrapped up, but it was pretty confusing throughout.

Until December by Kelly Andrew - 5 stars
I love this author so much! This was torture! Such a fun time travel twist, and my heart broke on the last paragraph.

The King’s Witch by Tasha Suri - 4 stars
Short and sweet, easy to grasp the worldbuilding. Likeable characters, destroying the world for love is a slay. Just wish it had been a little longer!

Designated Virgin Sacrifice by Kelley Armstrong - 3.5 stars
A twist I wasn’t expecting! Very fun and goofy, I just didn’t feel particularly connected to the main character.

Second Class Magic by Kamilah Cole - 3 stars
Cute but not my favourite. It felt pretty rushed, even for a short story.

Bamboo Ink Paper Clay by Eliza Chan - 2 stars
I couldn’t make sense of this story or connect to the characters.

Slay the Princess, Save the Dragon by A.C. Wise - 4 stars
This is so cute! Wish we’d seen more of the dragon, but I loved the message and the romance is sweet and delightful!

Sant Marten’s Book of Mild Melancholy by A.G. Slater - 2.5 stars
Points for the main character having the same name as me, but this was confusing and not very engaging.

Good Deeds and Their Magical Punishments by Hannah Nicole Maehrer- 3 stars
Sweet, but didn’t stand out! The romance felt too rushed.

The Larkspur by Megan Bannen - 3.5 stars
Cute! I love this world from her series, I think you might struggle to grasp the worldbuilding if you haven’t read Hart & Mercy.

Rosebud by Katherine Arden - 4 stars
Beautifully written, the ending felt pretty abrupt but I loved the overall message and vibes.

What a great selection of authors and pieces of work! It was a great way to find new authors as well as some favourites. I always feel hopeful that I will love the various anthologies that are released but the short stories always end just as I become invested. I think I need to accept that I will never love anthologies or short excerpts like this, because it just isn’t enough for me.
Overall it left me wanting more and allowed me to read a snippet of works from new authors. The stories were interesting and the characters were fun but once again I just wanted more!

When the real world feels like a never-ending dumpster fire, sometimes the only sensible option is to disappear into a book that feels like a hug and this anthology delivered exactly that.

Nonetheless, writing a believable romance and a rich fantasy world in short story form is a real balancing act. And The Secret Romantic’s Book of Magic is an anthology, so every story’s working with limited space.

Therefore, I went into this collection with my expectations managed and my ratings liberal. I factored in brevity, so consider my stars generous.

Some stories did wonders in spite of brevity. Some stories were tender, others were fierce. Some were cheeky, some were cute, some were subversive, some I struggled to connect with and some needed more space to develop.

The theme here is love in all its messy, magical, melancholic forms. From non-binary dragons and the destruction of the environment via beauty capitalism and Big Pharma (A.C. Wise), to a witch kidnapping a mortal to prove kindness exists and win a bet (Hannah N. Maehrer), to cottagecore secret island aesthetics with sentient library books that giggle and gossip (Kamilah Cole), to magical rivals trapped in a destructive murderous time loop (Kelly Andrew), to a subversive, feminist virgin-sacrifice story (Kelley Armstrong), this anthology gave me so much inclusivity, diversity and range in premise, characters, tropes, worlds and plot.

The Dubious Ladies of Mirador (Melissa Marr) gave us this fun banter, which is worth mentioning alone for these lines:

"I was sent to kill you."
"I will give you a little death as often as you want."

Tasha Suri’s contribution delivered sapphic yearning and heartbreak in such a compressed space, that I now need to read her entire backlist, plus her upcoming The Isle in the Silver Sea ASAP. Other new-to-me spellbinding, twisty authors I need more of in my life are Kamilah Cole, Katherine Arden, A.G. Slatter and Megan Bannen.

I applaud the range of flavours, the commitment to inclusivity that felt intentional, not performative, and the stories that made my cynical little heart warm up.

Your favourites may vary from mine, but with this much variety, there’s probably something in here for just about everyone. Ratings for individual stories below.

1. The Fall Guy | By Olivie Blake | ★★★☆☆

2. The Dubious Ladies of Mirador | By Melissa Marr | ★★★★☆ 🏳️‍🌈

3. Until December | By Kelly Andrew | ★★★★★

4. The King's Witch | By Tasha Suri | ★★★★★ 🏳️‍🌈

5. Designated Virgin Sacrifice | By Kelley Armstrong | ★★★★★

6. Second Class Magic | By Kamilah Cole | ★★★★★ 🏳️‍🌈

7. Bamboo, Ink, Paper, Clay | By Eliza Chan | ★★★☆☆

8. Slay the Princess, Save the Dragon | By A. C. Wise | ★★★☆☆ 🏳️‍🌈

9. San't Marten's Book of Mild Melancholy | By A. G. Slatter | ★★★★★

10. Good Deeds and Their Magical Punishments | By Hannah Nicole Maehrer | ★★★★☆

11. The Larkspur | By Megan Bannen | ★★★★☆

12. Rosebud | By Katherine Arden | ★★★★★

A huge thanks to NetGalley & Titan Books for the advanced review copy in exchange for an honest review!

[I received an ARC via Netgalley in exchange for a review]

An eclectic collection that should have a bit of everything for fantasy-romance readers. I was surprised at the breadth of genres and styles in the collection, ranging from spirited romance with an adventurous to bittersweet horror-romance and so, so much in between.

That said, as with any short story collection, I found some of the stories are fantastic, some a disappointing, and most simply fall somewhere in the "enjoyable but not my favorite" category. The stand-out was Katherine Arden's *Rosebud,* a bittersweet war story with threads of horror, love, grief and loss.

I did appreciate that there a fairly wide variety of fantasy-romance genres within the collection, as I wasn't exactly expecting that! I would recommend checking this one out if you like short stories and you're interested in something new from popular fantasy writers.

I really wanted to enjoy this anthology after having loved so many of the authors works, but unfortunately the majority of the stories fell a little flat or felt incomplete/rushed to me.

Thank you Megan O’Reagan and and Titan books for a NetGalley ARC copy of The Secret Romantic’s book of Magic!

3.5/5 or 40/60 ⭐ (I rated each story out of 5)

This was such a fun collection of short stories highlighting a variety of relationships and walks of life. Since fantasy is such a broad subject, I didn't feel all the stories as a whole were very cohesive together, but definitely loved the creative different worlds each author brought to the table 📚✨

My favorites of the collection:
The King's Witch by Tasha Suri
5 / 5 ⭐
I need a full length novel!!! The tension, this couple?! Swoon! I need to pick up some of Tasha's other work, because this was excellent! ⚔️

Designated Virgin Sacrifice by Kelley Armstrong
5 / 5 ⭐
This was the best kind of reversal for the “damsel in distress” and kept you guessing who to root for until the very end! 👸🏼

The Larkspur by Megan Bannen
5 / 5 ⭐
Megan can literally do no wrong, she's an expert at writing sweet romance and I will eat it up EVERY TIME. I love the Undertaking of Hart & Mercy world and this was a great little addition that made me cry. 💕

As someone who enjoys romance fantasy, I knew that this collection of stories would be a chance to dive into “romantasy” which offered a little edge. Something a little different and satisfying compared to the explosion of romantasy works on the market. And I was right! Each tale brings a unique flavour to this collection of short stories, bringing together a collaboration of authors into a whole piece which works incredibly well. While I’m biased to a few favourites - Katherine Arden, Tasha Suri, for example - the whole collection was immensely enjoyable. This was a fresh palette cleanser after a bit of a slump, and a much needed revitalisation.

While an anthology is always limited in terms of space, it’s impressive what each story plays with, even with brevity in mind. Some achieve huge impact in a very short time! I love that the theme is love itself, in all its forms, complicated and messy. The inclusivity of each piece was affirming and a joy to read, and it’s definitely helped add more authors to my TBR!

An excellent collection of short stories from some of my favorite authors: particularly Megan Bannen, Kelly Armstrong, and Kelly Andrew. Perfect for getting yourself out of a reading slump, or when you're not ready to dive into a massive, sweeping tale. Or anytime, really. The Secret Romantic's Book of Magic is a lovely addition to any reader's collection.

what i like about a book of short stories is you can dip in and out of it, a great range here by different authors all with a different vibe.

A rich and emotionally diverse fantasy romance anthology that delivers both charm and complexity, The Secret Romantic’s Book of Magic is a captivating collection of 12 short stories that range from whimsical to profound. As with most anthologies, not every entry lands equally, but the standouts are exceptional enough to make this a must-read for romantasy fans.

Unlike typical anthologies that invite slow, piece-by-piece consumption, this one is hard to put down. easily bingeable thanks to the range of engaging voices and imaginative worlds. With contributions from powerhouse authors like Kelley Armstrong, Katherine Arden, and Meagan Bannen, and delightful surprises from newcomers such as Kamilah Cole and Kelly Andrew, the collection balances fresh magic systems, compelling romances, and clever subversions of fantasy tropes.

“Rosebud” by Katherine Arden: A haunting post-war gothic tale infused with time-slipping magic and emotional depth, it felt the most polished and atmospheric of the bunch.

“Until December” by Kelly Andrew: A mesmerizing academic rivals-to-lovers romance with time-magic twists. A standout for its emotional resonance and immersive world-building.

“Designated Virgin Sacrifice” by Kelley Armstrong: Witty, trope-busting fun with just enough bite to make its satire land. A clever twist on monster-slaying and virgin-sacrifice narratives.

“The Larkspur” by Megan Bannen: A treat for fans of The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy - a cozy, character-rich story with a twisty plot and plenty of heart.

“Second Class Magic” by Kamilah Cole and “Bamboo, Ink, Paper, Clay” by Eliza Chan offer unique worlds and narrative styles, though both feel like they could’ve used more breathing room.


A few stories suffer from brevity, offering interesting setups but lacking the space to develop fully satisfying arcs, especially where romance is concerned. Some rely too heavily on insta-love or ambiguous world-building, which can pull readers out of the emotional journey.

Overall,
An enchanting and eclectic mix of magical short stories, The Secret Romantic’s Book of Magic is ideal for fantasy romance readers craving emotional stakes, romantic twists, and experimental world-building. While not every entry is a gem, the highs more than make up for the lows. A re-readable addition to any romantasy lover’s shelf.

An interesting collection of short romantic fantasy stories in all its various forms and tropes. We have enemies to lovers, shape shifters and more galore. And while I liked some of these, for the most part I just found them a little bit same-y or, dare I say, a bit dull. My favourite was Disgraced Virgin Sacrifice by Kelley Armstrong, which was a standout for me in managing to subvert the common fairy tale trope of the damsel in distress and not make it seem obvious or cliché.

I liked the idea of this anthology more than the execution. I just don't think I'm a short story fan, but those that do and like fantasy romance should definitely give this a try.

I was really excited about this book because I love a good anthology, especially when I’m just wanting a quick little read without committing to a full novel or series, or to introduce new authors I haven’t read before. Unfortunately, it fell a little flat for me. In such short stories, I don’t expect there to be a ton of world building, but it seemed like that’s what was going on in many of the selections….or the stories took place in worlds that I wasn't familiar with because I hadn’t read a particular novel or series before. So this might rate higher if you’ve read books by more of these authors before. I did appreciate how inclusive some of the stories were, and I do have some new authors to explore, but overall, I just didn’t love this.

I love anthologies like this as not only do they bring together stories from one of my favourite genres, but also introduce me to new authors. A very enjoyable read.

This was a great smash up of short romance stories. I loved each story, honestly wish that there was more to all of the stories. If you are looking for a bunch of different and interesting romances that are quick and easy reads this is for you.

Short stories, big feelings, and a little enchantment in every chapter

Anthologies can be hit or miss, but this one? Solid hit. With a lineup full of authors I already love (plus new ones I now need more from), this collection is a warm, romantic, and often magical delight. If you like your fantasy with strong romance energy and a touch of witchy or whimsical chaos, this is exactly the vibe. With how short these 12 stories together are, I think it's perfect for when you are slumpy!

The King's witch was my favorite with a gorgeously built world, aching emotion, and a relationship between Lark and Silver that felt impossibly real for such a short page count. I also adored Designated Virgin Sacrifice by Kelley Armstrong (the twists! the fun!) and both Slay the Princess, Free the Dragon and The Larkspur, which had some of the most compelling relationships in the whole collection.

Even the stories that weren’t personal favorites were still strong ,thoughtfully written, emotionally engaging, and full of that swoony, spellbound feeling. A beautifully curated collection and an easy recommendation for fantasy romance lovers everywhere.

I genuinely don't think I have ever seen such a talented group of writers featured in an anthology before!! As such, The Secret Romantics Book of Magic is a compilation that will truly offer something for everyone. When I saw the group of writers being featured, I had a feeling that we would be getting unique and subversive takes within the romantacy genre and gosh, was I proven right! These stories reminded my of everything the genre can be in deft hands!