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Reviewed by Karen Hesson for Readers' Favorite
Scarlet Yearnings Beyond First Glance: Collector’s Edition by Scarlet Ibis James is a breath of fresh air. It’s a collection of short stories that includes popular romance tropes, like second-chance romance, fake dating, and marriages in trouble, but in a different and more emotionally satisfying way. Other stories point out that sometimes the most beautiful loves of our lives aren’t the romantic kind. Maybe this love is found in a best friend, a grandparent, or even yourself. Other stories are filled with suspense and keep you on the edge of your seat. Each one is strong and could stand on its own, but together, in this collection, they read like real life in all its simplicity and complexity.
No matter the story, Scarlet Ibis James breathes life into each character in a matter of sentences. They have unique voices, histories, and motivations almost immediately. The stories in Scarlet Yearnings Beyond First Glance are also rich with cultural and sensory details. I could see the people and the places, hear their voices, and smell the food cooking in the background. This is impressive in any type of writing, but especially in short stories where you only have a few pages to get it right. All the stories felt complete as written, but I would also gladly read any of them as full-length novels. I think my favorites were The Affair She Didn’t See Coming and The Practice of Love. They spoke to me on a personal level and left me feeling uplifted.
