I haven’t read any Rainbow Rowell since she’s been working on her faux-Harry/Draco fan fiction pastiches. Not interested in that. What I am interested in is short stories. Mostly trying to figure out how they’re made. And I don’t think I’ve ever read any short stories that weren’t science fiction/horror or the post-modern literary realism kind they force you to read in college courses like “The Jilting of Granny Weatherall” and “A Rose for Emily“. These are romantic short stories.

They could have titled this collection “Oops! All Meet-Cutes”. But they’re still fun. And, surprisingly, I was able to finish the book, unlike many other collections I’ve tried over the years. Maybe I can enjoy short stories if they’re not experimental. These are fun, light-hearted, and have a consistent tone throughout (unlike anthologies, which are so hit-and-miss you’d think a blind man was handling the gun). Nothing in here is as heartwarming as Fangirl or reaches the emotional level of Eleanor & Park. But it’s still a pleasant book to bring on vacation somewhere.