This anthology gave me everything I needed in a short story collection. So much so that I think I need a copy for my shelf so I can just read it when I need something short, but powerful.

Would recommend.

3.5 stars (rounded up to 4 for NetGalley)

I'm a big fan of short stories as they give you a feel for the author's style without having to commit to a novel (not that I have an issue with DNFing). As with a collection of short stories, story quality will vary, and there will be some stories you really like and some that you don't.

I LOVE that there is a song recommendation for each story!

This is a collection of 11 short stories where the power of love is (supposed to be) the main theme, but don't let that lull you into a false sense of happily ever after. There were a couple of stories in here where the sex scenes overshadowed the plot (but not in a good way). For this reason, I also feel like the blurb of the book is a bit misleading, as sex does not always equate to love.

Most of the stories I enjoyed, although I feel like they could benefit from being a bit longer - it's probably quite difficult to write love stories in so few words because it doesn't give the characters the time needed to develop the intense feelings we're supposed to believe they have for each other. My biggest criticism of these is that all of the characters are meeting each other for the first time, and we're supposed to believe that they're falling in love with each other instantly?

The standouts for me were Soulbound and The Jersey Devil (these were the most similar to the fantasy and dark fantasy, respectively, that I usually read), and I would read a full-length novel of both of these in a heartbeat.

Thank you, Astronaut Publishing and NetGalley, for providing an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was a diverse collection of short stories, and as usual with anthologies, some resonated more with me than others. I appreciated the variety of styles—it kept things fresh and engaging throughout. Some tales were deeply emotional, others more magical, and a few leaned into darker or spicier themes.

Each author brought a unique voice and vibe, which I really enjoyed. I also liked being able to read at my own pace, taking breaks between stories without feeling rushed. While not every story landed perfectly, overall, I’m glad I gave this collection a chance.

I've not really read many anthologies but I really enjoyed this one and it's made me want to try more.

So many well written and beautifully told stories it flew by!

I think my favourites were Soulbound by Starr Z Davies and The Dragon and the Songbird by Cat Devlin.

There's something for everyone - love, sadness, action, adventure and spice. The playlist for each story was such a good touch!

I've discovered authors I've never heard of before and added their books to my never ending TBR.

This was a fantastic collection of stories!

Thank you to NetGalley and Victory Editing for the arc. This is my own honest review of the book.

The 11 short stories within Fragments of Tender Hearts have something for every type of romantasy lover. I found it to be a great palate cleanser between other books, and some of the shorter stories were great company while waiting for my coffee to finish brewing.
As with most short story collections, it is a bit of a mix - and with the variations of proses and themes, there were some I found entertaining and fun, but some I either really struggled to get into and/or finish.
Overall, I would still suggest this to romantasy readers that want to pick up a short story here and there.

I really liked this collection of stories, some heavier than others but a great concept. Definitely need to check the TWs before starting these but otherwise I liked them. Sometimes you just need something short to read in-between long books and this was perfect because I could finish one and go back forth between these books and others.

3.5
It was a collection of short stories, and like always with these kinds of books, I liked some more than others. The styles were very different, which I actually enjoyed, it kept things interesting. Some stories felt more emotional, some more magical, and a few had a darker or more spicy tone.
I liked how each author brought their own vibe. I also liked that I could take breaks between stories and didn’t have to rush. It made the whole experience feel relaxed. It wasn’t perfect, and not every story hit the same, but as a whole, I was glad I read it. Thank you so much to the author and Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read the book in advance, I received this for free and I'm leaving a honest review

Fragments of Tender Hearts has 11 short stories with a fantasy theme and we had dragons, demons and sirens and more.

I wanted so much to love this and some of the stories I really got into and absolutely loved and then some I just didn't really enjoy - how it often is for an anthology.

However, I would really recommend this. With the stories all having different authors and different themes, I think you'd be really unlucky if there weren't any stories you didn't like. Well written, and just something a bit different.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for a free ARC in exchange for a review!

This is the first book from a brand new publishing house, and it's a collection of short fantasy stories. Obviously, with any short story collection, especially from different authors, the quality does vary.

In my opinion, the first story is the strongest. It's a straightforward but fun Rapunzel plus Dragon retelling. The Jersey Devil story was also really enjoyable with some gay feminine rage. A Fire Rekindled was okay, and I also didn't mind Even the Weeds.

However, my main issues were that these were not short storiez. Most of them were insanely condensed novels, and even had chapters, who h just didn't work for me. The structures didn't make sense with the lengths and meant that the stories often came off as rushed and even confusing.

Don't get me wrong, most of the stories had very interesting concepts or characters but we're really let down by the format. I wish they had taken maybe three stories and tripled their length, or even just expanded them into at least novellas. I'll keep my eye out for the publishers ' next work but you can probably give this collection a miss. Two and a half stars rounded up to three for Goodreads.

A massive thank you to NetGalley and Astronaut publishing for this ARC collection of fantasy short stories. This collection would be ideal for fantasy readers who need a palette cleanser from some of the more marathon-length novels and series available across the genre and are keen for a smorgasbord of more bite-size stories.

This was a rollercoaster ride of short stories. I almost DNF’d as the first few stories weren’t pulling me in and I don’t think they nailed the short story format – plot lines were rushed, unclear or followed the overdone and boring damsel in distress setting. However, from Soulbound onwards, the stories really picked up and hooked me in. In saying that, I think because the stories spanned a lot of different tastes, readers will find at least a few stories that will interest them.

I did wonder while reading if there was a minimum requirement of a sex scene for stories to be included in the collection – I think almost every story had some kind of sex scene wedged in. Given the over saturation of romantasy books in general, the scenes feel like they’re trying to appeal to a wide range of audiences without actually hitting any of the marks that would make them specifically interesting for any one group, or encourage people to look at more books in a new genre (apart from Song of Brine and Bone). Given this, I think the book isn’t marketed entirely correctly (or appropriately) and would be improved if the blurb was more transparent or if some of the stories removed the redundant and entirely unnecessary sex - which to be clear, should not be conflated with romance as the blurb suggests.

I really loved the premise of this and I’m conscious that this is a debut work for a new publisher. I sincerely wish you and all the authors all the best, and I’m extremely grateful for the opportunity to have received an ARC.

THE DRAGON AND THE SONGBIRD (a Rapunzel retelling)
Fine idea, poor execution. I struggle with stories where it’s a high stakes “lust at first sight” and the spice is there to tick off a box instead of building tension and easing into the romance. In a short story format, I think this could have been improved if Liora and Morrdryn knew each other beforehand instead of being complete strangers to each other and focused on a reunion of a love that was already there to fuel the passion. Good effort on the twist in this one, unfortunately I was just put off by the romance side of this story. 2 ⭐️

THE STEALER OF NAMES PROVES HIMSELF TO BE A TERRIBLE DEMIGOD (the grim reaper comes to terms with his new role)
This one went right over my head. I am a bit of a dumb reader - I don’t want to guess at hidden meanings, I need things laid out on a silver platter for me. I had no idea what was happening. Writing style wasn’t my cup of tea, felt a bit juvenile, and I didn’t understand what was going on, so for me it didn’t hit the mark. 2 ⭐️

DEATH WEARS A FEATHERER CLOAK (a woman by day, tree by night, Lark tries to break her curse)
Again, this has the same problem as the Dragon and the Songbird - the romance feels like it’s been shoved in to tick off a box, rather than feeling natural or like something the reader wants. While the story is generally written well, it’s another damsel in distress tale with a sudden ending and an unexplained plot point (what was the bargain with Death and how did the MMC meet Death?). 2.5 ⭐️

A FIRE REKINDLED (an enslaved siren is saved by a god)
At this point, I’m groaning when I get five minutes into a story and it’s just more hooking up between two strangers. This is the point where I realised the stories felt like caricatures of stereotypical pornos. 1 ⭐️ because there was absolutely zero substance to this story, and zero delivery on the excitement I had when the blurb noted there was a siren story included. I couldn’t make heads or tails of who the master was or the presence of the god among the rest of the political entourage, so this also lost points for lack of clarity and the introduction of random elements (like the special magic metal) that weren’t explored further.

SOULBOUND (forbidden romance between an elf princess and human commander)
This started out answering all my complaints from the above and then just devolved into another sex scene (albeit, closed door), which just felt like it cheapened the story a bit. While the dialogue felt a bit cliche and unnatural, and I think the story would have benefited from another chapter to tie up what happened with the demon battle, it did have a good setup, great pacing and was a clear improvement from other stories in the collection. 3.5 ⭐️

ECHOES OF THE LOST (where the FMC goes through a breakup and makes a deal with the devil)
Fantastic, give me 14 more. This lives up to the blurb of the collection – great setup and references to other well-known works to situate the reader in the world while still hitting the short story format. A good twist and a satisfying ending; I have no notes. Great for fans who enjoyed the setting of Crescent City or the broad strokes of Dante’s Inferno. 4.25 ⭐️

BOUND BY FLESH (a sorcerer falls in love with a woman he finds through a magic mirror)
This feels like it could be a Grimm Brothers story. Appreciated that it was short and punchy. 3.75 ⭐️

SONG OF BRINE AND BONE (a siren and a man who doesn’t drown)
An introduction to the world of tentacle porn. Somehow I didn’t hate it. I’m taking no further questions on why I rated this so high. 4.5 ⭐️

EVEN THE WEEDS SAY LET HER GO (three women found dead and a devil hidden in plain sight)
Short and sweet, with a sapphic element. Again, another example of a story that missed the mark of the difference between romance and sex for the sake of it – as with almost every story in this collection, I don’t understand what the sex added to it. 3.5 ⭐️

THE ARE OF SUMMER (where air falls in love with summer and wants to prevent the passing of the seasons)
A longer story which felt a little like Hades and the abduction of Persephone and the impact it had on the seasons. I really liked this, but once again felt the scene involving sex was entirely unnecessary. 4 ⭐️

Short stories are usually hit or miss because it can be difficult captivate the reader in such a condensed manner. There is some extremely good writing in this set, but not many of these truly moved me as much as I'd hoped. The ones I liked most are: Death Wears a Feathered Cloak, The Jersey Devil, The Are of Summer, Song of Brine and Bone, and Soulbound. Thank you Netgalley for the ARC!

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.

Upfront I'll say, I'm usually not big on Romantasy, as I'm just not a great enjoyer of romance in general. I took my time reading this anthology of love, desire and sacrifice, set against the backdrop of fantastical and mystical worlds, or the shadows hidden in ours. I'd say the range of the stories is very broad, reaching from explicit love and greek mythology to demons and the underworld, or tales steeped in folklore.
Personally, I particularly enjoyed "Echoes of the Lost" by Nastasia Bishop-McHugh, "Even the Weeds Say Let Her Go" by Sam Trathen and "The Jersey Devil" by Rae Windsor. Though I've highlighted at least a handful of beautiful quotes in every story, or even bookmarked entire pages that have had me trying not to turn the page too fast because I just couldn't wait to know what happened next.

I loved how there was an entire playlist with a song for every story, since I'm someone who always listens to music while I read, I absolutely adored how each song set the tone of the tale and I could get immersed in its world.

The layout and design of the book (as read on Kindle) is also beautiful, I love it when books are designed accordingly to their content. I can't wait to see what else we'll get to see from Astronaut Publishing in the future, as this is their debut publication.

3.75 stars rounded up (of course!)

Thank you Netgalley and Astronaut Publishing for the e-Arc.

Fun interesting read. Not like anything I’ve read before. I think the first was my favourite as it was closer to my normal taste but they all kept me engaged and interested.

This book had so much going on and it was entertaining throughout.
It is spicy and features a diverse range of characters.
The themes are very tense and intense which added to the enjoyment reading it.

2.5 Stars

First I would like to thank NetGalley for giving me an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I liked the addition of the playlist. I listened to it while reading the book, and felt that it was a nice touch that created the perfect vibe and ambience for each short story.

The Dragon and the Songbird
This story wasn’t for me. At times the descriptive writing was pretty good, but the dialogue between the characters did not feel real, and it relied on too many one-liner mmc lines whose purpose is to make everyone swoon. It had the bare bones of an enemies to lovers romantasy novel, but in short story form the elements that makes those stories work are so distilled here that it didn’t work. It felt rushed, the world building was limited, and resolution came too quick and continently, the romance was not believable at all, and the explicit intimate scene felt really unnecessary to the story. She’s running for her life trying to escape and then they suddenly have an insta-lust connection that they act on right away is ridiculous. The concept was interesting but the execution just didn’t land. The short story format just doesn’t work for this plotline.

The Stealer of Names Proves Himself to be a Terrible Demigod
This second story was more interesting and I was definitely intrigued but the magic and the decision MC had to make. It still felt too short to be fully fledged out but it was still beautifully written. I did feel the emotional turmoil in the decision that was made. I wish it was longer but this one was enjoyable.

Death Wears a Feathered Clock
This one was also disappointing. There’s so much internal musings that we don’t actually get much development between the two characters. The timeline was write, it felt rushed, and the romance was not believable or fleshed out. It didn’t make sense to me and their instant connection didn’t really make sense. They met once as a bird and a tree and they didn’t talk but fell in love? At most it’s an escape from a lonely existence but this story just wasn’t for me.

A Fire Rekindled
Um I don’t know how to feel. In such a short story it dealt with heavy topics, and I found the story to be compelling with her finding her power after being enslaved and abused. I just didn’t like how the power imbalance played out with the supposed romance of the siren and the god. It also was really rushed as well. I’m glad the god fought back against injustice but at the same time the line about how he would leave her to still be enslaved if she didn’t fight back and defy her “master” was icky. This one was a bit better than the other ones I’ve read.

Soulbound
The world-building and establishment of characters was far better in this story. I understood the characters and the world more easily. I liked this one. Nothing too different or innovative about soulmates and forbidden love but it was enjoyable.

Echoes of the Lost
Choosing to make the main couple have an obsessive toxic love was definitely a choice. The FMC broke up with him because she knew their relationship was chaos yet she is still so in love with him she wants to save him and put herself in danger?? The romance that’s supposed to be the backbone of this story was not working for me. She’s fighting so hard for a love that she knows is toxic for her so I’m not rooting for the couple and I don’t want them to end up together. If the couple was given a better backstory this story would’ve been so much more compelling. I didn’t like this one. The writing was good but I don’t like the storytelling choices of promoting toxic relationships.

Bound by Flesh
This story is about a guy who stalks a woman by watching her in a mirror and then takes revenge on her when she moves on from him?? The writing had a lot of telling rather than showing since I think the story is told from a named third person’s perspective reporting on Bael, which made it seem rushed and clunky. Since it was so short i don’t think I really got to connect with the characters, but I honestly didn’t want to because this story was just about the creation of evil.

Song of Brine and Bone
The tentacle sex bordering on rape came out of nowhere. I actually liked the message of this story a lot more than the others. The explicit scenes were a bit much and the love was so rushed in the timeline of the story that it seems far fetched that they both would care so much in so little time. But the ending was sweet and this one was more enjoyable as a whole than other stories in this book.

Even the Weeds Say Let Her Go
This one was confusing. The world building was weak and I didn’t really grasp what was going on until the second to last chapter. And I didn’t really like the up in the air ending.

The Jersey Devil
I actually liked this one. It painted a picture of the world and dealt with topics that are still relevant today. We love to support women’s rights and wrongs.

The Are of Summer
I really liked the concept of this story and the writing was good. I didn’t really like the ending because I felt this story couldn’t make up its mind about what it was. Is it a story about how selfishness can bring destruction - but then erasing the memories of the mistake prevents you from learning to not repeat things. Or is it just about the inevitability of time and nature to run its cyclical course? If it’s the latter I feel like it falls a bit flat. Nonetheless it was enjoyable and easy to read through.

Fragments of Tender Hearts presents eleven compelling tales of love, sacrifice, and fate. Certain narratives shine more than others however the collection as a whole is an engaging and worthwhile read.

1 story.
The way she wanted to kiss the guy was a little weird, not explained. She just liked that he was powerful and bad? He said her name and she asked ‘do you learn the names of all your victims’ after he just SAVED her from drowning. It felt like a weird wattpad story.
The whole smutty scene was a little wattpad-like too, but it wasn’t too bad.
3/5

2 story. I read the first two pages on kindle and there was a lot of ‘but’,
Very big paragraphs with a lot of info dump throughout the whole story that would better be made into smaller ones.
At the beginning it says that the first son of the first son is a stealer, but later in the story there is inner monologue that it wouldn’t skip over him and choose his sister. It can’t choose his sister because it should be a son? Why was that ‘sister’ reference even necessary if it is impossible for other reasons? Or did I miss something?
Also, I somehow thought that the person the narrator refers as ‘you’ was dead, but at the end it says that they’ll come to bed later to ‘you’. I don’t know if it was me or the story itself that made me think that an not really understand it.
4/5

3 story. She is a tree in love with a bird?
The story itself was very different from everything I have ever read before, but it was interesting and read fast. I liked it.
It was a little not clear why he was death and how the curses exactly came to be and how exactly they were broken. Everything else I really liked.
5/5

4 story. Why did the god want her? Why did he kiss her? It was a good story, it read fast and well. There could be more reasoning for the things that were happening.
3/5

5 story. This was a short and cute story, reminding me of Romeo and Juliet, only with a good ending. I liked it. It was good and had everything it needed.
4/5

6 story. I read the words ‘first true love’ and they feel wrong. Maybe it would be better to write ‘first love’? True love is the one and only, no? Its somewhere in chapter 3. The whole story was interesting, easy to read. I liked it.
4/5

7 story. It would be interesting if the stories intertwined a little. For example the mirror from this one could be briefly mentioned in another story, so that the reader could remember how it came to be. It was an interesesting and very short story, maybe a little too short.
4/5

8 story. I like the inspiration from Greek mythology. The romance felt rushed and not developed.
4/5

9 story. It was very not clear what exactly was the Bonnie hunting lad and the Boru and what was happening in her head. It would have been better if it was explained more and maybe more context added to the story. But overall, I liked it, it was a very interesting concept.
3/5

10 story. A big yes to making stupid men pay and women win.
5/5

11 story. I really liked this story. The concept was very unique and very interesting.
5/5

A collection of captivating stories of passion, sacrifice and destiny. Meet Death and Nature personified, find liberty in defiance, and experience the heartbreak of fate as you explore unforgettable fantasy worlds.

Follow dragons, sirens, demons, and fae through the inevitable consequences of love, and the tender hearts who bear the cost. But beware, gentle reader, for not all love stories have a happy ending. Find within these pages proof that love can be as powerful as it is dangerous and stories that will delight and disturb.

𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐤 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐨 𝐀𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐮𝐭 𝐏𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐚 𝐝𝐢𝐠𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐚𝐝𝐯𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐝 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐜𝐨𝐩𝐲 𝐯𝐢𝐚 𝐍𝐞𝐭𝐆𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐅𝐫𝐚𝐠𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐓𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐬: 𝐀𝐧 𝐀𝐧𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐅𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐬𝐲 𝐋𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐒𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬

I loved this! each story was unique in its own way and I loved each story and now have some new authors to enjoy!