Scarlet Yearnings is an engrossing collection of short stories by Scarlet Ibis James. A young girl meets her estranged father for the first time and learns to smile with a broken heart. Married in haste, a young couple slowly discovers their incompatibility as their marriage disintegrates over the years. Two strangers get a second chance at love when they renew the connection they felt years ago. Tired of his mundane job, a doorman conjures up stories of strangers he sees every day. A married woman seeks her therapist's approval to start a relationship with someone she actually loves. A teenager has finally had enough of her abusive grandmother and leaves home to start her life anew. Old feelings spring up when a man catches a glimpse of his old flame in the subway.

The stories in Scarlet Yearnings explore different facets of human relationships and show how they impact a person's trajectory in life. This is a wonderful short story collection, both evocative and thought-provoking. Through these captivating narratives, Scarlet Ibis James takes a deep dive into the intricate relationship dynamics between people, illustrating both the highs and lows of relationships in all their myriad forms. The characters have agency and seem like real people dealing with real-world issues of everyday life. Each story is unique and has something different to say. James is a master at capturing human emotions and feelings on the pages. This is why the protagonists feel relatable. I loved every story in this collection, but Love Is Forgiveness and Self-Acceptance was my favorite of the bunch. Short story lovers are in for a treat!

Scarlet Yearnings by Scarlet Ibis James is a collection of various stories. In The First Time She Met Her Father, Trisha meets the man her grandmother had said was her father, and she hopes that he can offer his affection. This is the day that she also learns to hate the color red. But why? In Love in Cosmic Times, Tessa starts dating Wright when she decides to explore the world of digital dating. Tessa can feel the chemistry between them, but when she initiates the process to meet him, he ghosts her. What is Wright hiding? Is he who he says he is? In Seven Was the Symbol of Their Love, Nancy and Bill get married soon after meeting. Their marriage was okay until the arguments started, and, as years passed by, Nancy had to get used to Bill’s disappointments. Will their marriage be saved?

Scarlet Yearnings by Scarlet Ibis James is wonderfully written and covers various social issues. Some of the themes, such as those of love and relationships, show the importance of social bonds and how they affect how we relate to each other. I also loved the thought-provoking issues captured, such as the dynamics of online dating, where you could be talking to an AI program instead of an actual person, and the dangers of such encounters, where you cannot verify who you are really talking to. Scarlet ensured that all emotions and events were vividly captured, which helped create a mental picture of what was happening, and the reader will also appreciate the excellent narration, which adds to the overall beauty of the work.