Autumn Leaves: Chick-lit Anthology Kindle Edition

A wonderful anthology that I read in a seasonally-appropriate context (ummm, I read it in autumn). Penned by primarily Adelaide authors (with one Sydneysider and an expat living in Scotland thrown in), this is a collection of the trials and vicissitudes of that thing we call love, all set amongst the turning leaves. The stories are heart-warming and engaging and are a true pleasure to read. One reads like an impossibly bad dream, but you still don;t want to put it down. I was apparently addicted to fantasy, horror, thrillers and war tales when I picked up my first romance, written by the very-talented Carla Caruso. And now it appears I won't be putting them down any time soon. Oh, I still read the other stuff, but I think I'll always find time to slip a romance into the list, now and again... I would recommend this to people that like being in love, or falling in love, or people that like being alive. Ok, I'd recommend it to anybody.

Autumn Leaves is an anthology full of chick-lit short stories by wonderful Australian authors. After reading Hot Stuff: Surfing Love, I checked out all the authors on iBooks to see what was available for each author and this anthology was available for free. I just couldn’t resist. I love these anthologies that have a reoccurring theme, and for this set, all stories took place in autumn. Autumn also happens to be my favourite season and sadly I do not get to experience it while living in Darwin, so this was the perfect collection to take me back to beautiful autumn days.

“She is excited, like a little kid and the bits just aren’t adding up. Dread is building like a rock in my gut. Tanya is naked in our bedroom and my girlfriend isn’t acting like she’s about to dump me.”

Mark thinks Kate is cheating and that she is planning on leaving him so Mark plans to break her heart first. Leaving Princess Kate was the perfect story to open with! So different to read a chick-lit story told from a male’s perspective. I don’t think I have read chick-lit told from just the male point of view before. This story could have gone further and it would have been so good to read! The ending was such a cliffhanger! All I could think was WOW!

“But autumn wasn’t over just yet, and for the moment, that warmed her.”

Misty and Jesse are both assigned to follow a rock band while on tour, but they would much rather get to know each other a bit better. Stolen Kisses was really special to me as it reminded me very much of the first night that Ross and I had first hung out together. It was incredibly similar in some ways. I can see how Carla Caruso is one of Renee’s favourite authors! She has a way of writing a story that you can see the story going further but it is also perfect if it ends where it does.

“I’m planning to run pretty fast though, so I’ll warm up quick. I had lots of practice doing my training at home in the bush, running away from snakes and drop bears and stuff.”

Melissa is an Australian who has been living in New York for the last five years. After a break up where she is deemed indecisive, she decides to prove him wrong and enter the New York Marathon. Laura Greaves, I cannot wait to read more of your work. This great story was filled with Aussie humor and the characters were witty and full of humour. Run to You was just so cute.

“An amoeba ancestor of Samantha’s must have pissed off an amoeba ancestor of Craig’s in the primordial ooze and the vendetta had started.”

After a “friend” “borrowed” her life savings and got her fired, Samantha is forced to move back home to a neurotic mother. Rebound is all about how everything can go oh so wrong and then oh so right. I just wanted to hug Samantha but I am so glad that it worked out for her in the end.

“I turn my back on my faux husband and lock eyes with a cute guitarist I noticed on the way in.”

Just Friends did not go the way that I had expected at all. Nathan makes a bargain that if they are both single at 30 they should join together in matrimony and have a baby. I was screaming at her the whole entire time that he was gay. I thought her a blind bimbo. Just goes to show that you really shouldn’t jump to conclusions.

“No need to pant after a man who’d made it clear he wouldn’t forgive me for breaking his heart – ever.”

Deluge is the story of Carly returning home after her mother is diagnosed with cancer. The return means seeing the love of her life and being reminded of what she had to give up for her family. This was the quickest story of the lot. It was an okay story, I didn’t love it and I didn’t hate it.