★ 04/22/2024
Editor Ellis and poet Flame (Apocrifa) bring together 21 exquisite love stories that reflect the mission of Generous Press: “to publish lush, high-caliber romance fiction written by brilliant BIPOC, queer, and disabled authors.” Whether readers are in the mood for a goofy and fantastical romance between an assassin and her impossible-to-kill target (“Why Won’t You Die?” by Jessica P. Pryde) or a tender, sensual meet-cute between two middle-aged Orthodox Jewish women during Shavuot (“The All-Night Deluxe Tea Room” by Temim Fruchter), there’s something for any taste. Lengthy, luxurious stories, like Ayla Vejdani’s “Luna x Noura,” in which a recently divorced woman on the verge of giving up on online dating meets someone shockingly well suited, intermingle with brief, sexy entries, like Richard Siken’s “Stunt Man,” which comprises an imagery-rich moment of longing from the unnamed narrator. There are no duds in the bunch and each story will leave readers wishing they could remain submerged in that world a little longer. This is a triumph. (May)
