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!

First I want to thank NetGalley and Astronaut Publishing for this E-ARC. Fragments of Tender Hearts is a collection of short stories from various different authors. I am very happy I got to opportunity to read and review this. I went into this not knowing what to expect and sadly, I ended up not finishing this book at about 50% through. Some of the short stories were really interesting and fun, however others I found to be a little confusing and clunky. I wish we got more of “A Fire Rekindled” sad to see that it was only one chapter as I found that to be the story I enjoyed the most. I would definitely read more from these Authors.

I enjoyed most of the stories.
Some felt a little chaotic and rushed.
But overall all have something to give.

Tricky to give a review as the stories varied for me a lot, but I’d say 3 stars overall. My favourite was A Fire Rekindled - I’d love several of them to be longer so I could get a real look at the author’s styles. A fun anthology to dip into when you’re needing a romance fix!

Thank you netgalley and Astronaut publishing for an early e-arc of this book! This was a 3 star read for me. I really enjoyed two of the short stories I thought they were written beautifully. I will definitely check out more of these authors work! Thank you to netgalley and Astronaut publishing for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Fragments of Tender Hearts is a captivating anthology of eleven fantasy stories, each under 10,000 words—short enough to dip in and out of, yet rich enough for world building without feeling rushed.

Every story is well-written, offering a wide range themes, with varying levels of gore and spice. Personally, I am a big romantasy fan, so those were the ones which immediately drew me in.

While I enjoyed them all, a few stood out as favourites:

The Dragon and the Songbird- I’m not sure how the tension between the main characters built so quickly, but somehow, it did, and I was definitely rooting for them!

Death Wears a Feathered Coat- I thought this one was really unique. The opening had me piecing things together, trying to get my bearings, and I loved the intrigue.

A Fire Rekindled- This one left me wanting more. I’d love a few more chapters to see how the relationship unfolds

Soulbound- I love a forbidden relationship, and this one delivered with a really satisfying ending.

Echoes of the Lost- My absolute favourite- I couldn’t put it down! I loved unravelling the mystery alongside Riley, and that ending left me grinning.

Song of Brine and Bone- Another forbidden relationship, and the spiciest story in the book (In a way that’s... different- just wait until you read it!). I’d love to see this world expanded into a full novel.

I’ve discovered several new authors through this anthology, and I’m excited to see what they release next!

Thank you to NetGalley and Astronaut Publishing for the ARC copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC. This was the first anthology I have ever read and I cannot believe myself. So refreshing.. Each author brought a different feeling, ups and downs. Forward and backward.. I had to simmer in the feelings after each story, so I cannot say I finished in one sitting but I guess that was normal. I cannot say I loved one better than the other.. but I must say I will seek for more short stories..

Fragments of Tender Hearts is a collection of eleven short stories from various authors depicting, love, grief, mythology in their own ways. Most chapters were relatively short and easy to follow. You can spend a small portion of your afternoon reading one short story a day I heavily enjoyed the idea of being able to take my time to digest every story. My favourite was "A Fire Rekindled" - Becca Ryden. Some stories contained more gore or spice than others so that's something to keep in mind. I personally adore anthologies so I had a blast reading through this collection. Here are my individual ratings for each story:


- THE DRAGON AND THE SONGBIRD: 4 stars

- THE STEALER OF NAMES PROVES HIMSELF TO BE A TERRIBLE DEMIGOD: 4 stars

- DEATH WEARS A FEATHERED CLOAK: 3 stars

- A FIRE REKINDLED: 4.5 stars

- SOULBOUND: 4 stars

- ECHOES OF THE LOST: 3 stars

- BOUND BY FLESH: 4 stars

- SONG OF BRINE AND BONE: 3.5 stars

- EVEN THE WEEDS SAY LET HER GO: 3 stars

- THE JERSEY DEVIL: 3.5 stars

- THE ARE OF SUMMER: 3 stars

Overall I give this anthology 4 stars, really enjoyed it. Some stories I felt were a bit rushed, I understand that they are short stories but I believe that many of these could have had 3 more chapters or so for more even pacing. Great read!

Thank you NetGalley & Astronaut Publishing for allowing me to read this ARC collection of short stories.
Like all collections my opinion of each story is mixed, all are well written although a little chaotic for some. I enjoyed some more than others.
The range of stories is different, some are spicy, some fairytale like, some contain mythical creatures and some have a melancholy vibe.
My favourite story although short was A Fire Rekindle by Becca Ryden

Fragments of Tender Hearts is a collection of 11 fantasy romance short stories. As is often the case with short story collections, especially when each story comes from a different author, it is very much a mixed bag. They also vary wildly in length so we do not get the same taste of each author's prose. My ratings for each individual story is as follows:

💜 The Dragon and the Songbird - 3.5✨
💜 The Stealer of Names Proves Himself to be a Terrible Demigod - 4✨
💜 Death Wears a Feather Cloak - 1.5✨
💜 A Fire Rekindled - 4.5✨
💜 Soulbound - 3✨
💜 Echoes of the Lost - 2✨
💜 Bound by Flesh - 4✨
💜 Song of Brine and Bone - 3✨
💜 Even the Weeds Say Let Her Go - 2✨
💜 The Jersey Devil - 3.5✨
💜 The Are of Summer - 3✨

Average: 3.09/5 rounded down

Thank you to NetGalley and Astronaut Publishing for providing an ARC copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

I loved the story A fire rekindled by Becca Ryden. I honestly wish there was more of it. and will definitely check out any of her other books.

the other stories were ok. I liked the mix of long and short, and how each story was very different. but nothing stood out as much as the first siren story.

I was gifted this Arc from Netalley for an honest review

This book is a series of short stories all based around matters of the heart. Some of the stories are extremely short, others are several chapters long (although the chapters themselves aren't long even in that case). Some stories are much spicier than others, some are more melancholy. Some are very fairytale vibe and others a little less. All in all there really is a little (or a lot) of something for everyone. While I did enjoy some stories far more than others there weren't any bad stories.

A fun little extra, which might be a leftover from my fanfiction days, but I really liked the playlist the book had for the stories. It was a fun extra bit to listen to it while reading the stories.

Thank you to Netgalley and Astronaut Publishing for the ARC copy in exchange for an honest review.

FRAGMENTS OF TENDER HEARTS
(Multiple authors)
4⭐️
4🌶️

✔️Short stories
✔️Romantasy
✔️Dark Romance
✔️Mythical

Eleven captivating stories of passion, sacrifice, and destiny, where love is as powerful as it is dangerous

•───⋅☾☽⋅───•──•───⋅☾☽⋅───•
I really enjoyed this collection on short stories! No two stories were the same! Each story was fast pacing - thrilling and exciting 😍 some stories were somewhat crazy but that made me enjoy it even more! There was magic, mythical beings, heartbreak, new love. Each story made me want to read more!

Brilliant work from all authors

3.5!

this was a collection of short stories about love and loss in many different ways—beautifully written and very atmospheric but i’d recommend checking the trigger warnings beforehand. some were a bit confusing or felt a little rushed due to their length. still i really enjoyed it overall, some stories more than others, but it made for a nice and quick read.

thank you to netgalley and the publisher for this ARC — opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Firstly, I would like to thank the publisher and NetGalley for an early e-arc of this book! I have decided to rate this book 3 stars. This book is a collection of short stories written by a few different authors. I enjoyed two of the short stories in this book. I thought they were not only written beautifully but the stories actually were really well thought out and not rushed for only being a few chapters. The other ones I didn't enjoy as much. I thought those stories while written beautifully as well were confusing at times and I just found it harder to enjoy them. Overall, great job to all the authors in this book. This was really cool to read. Thank you again to the publisher and NetGalley for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review!

Oh to read this book! It was an honor to read something so fascinating! Fragments of Tender Hearts is a great story and I had the time of my life reading it. 5 stars from me!