finding ms write by jae and jove belleFinding Ms Write by Jae and Jove Belle, is the latest short story collection from Ylva Publishing. With twelve short stories by new and established authors, it’s all about women falling for other women who love words. Authors, booksellers, editors, beta readers, book club members—if you can think of a job related to books or writing, there’s probably a story about someone who has it.

The Characters

All of the stories are short, so we don’t spend much time with any of the characters. That said, the authors all did a great job with the space they had. I was particularly impressed to see women of all ages and even some who didn’t have perfect bodies. Some standouts include Barbara in Jove Belle’s “Cherry Park Pulp,” a 1950s housewife whose book club members don’t know is a lesbian or that she writes lesbian pulp fiction; Maggie in “Between the Lines” by A.L. Brooks, a notorious office player at a publishing company who finds the right incentive to turn over a new leaf; and Cathy in Jacelle Scott’s “Cruise,” a former history professor who’s enjoying life while she can.

The Writing Style

With twelve different authors contributing, we see twelve different styles. I’m happy to report, however, that this collection is consistently good across the board. The stories are usually sweet, often fun, and occasionally sexy, although few are sexually explicit.

“Romance on a Side Note” by Chris Zett is beautiful, featuring a used bookseller teaming up with a librarian to help an elderly woman find the friend she’d made decades ago through shared notations in a library book. “Vegan Delights” by Hazel Yeats has a magazine writer falling for her neighbour, and hilariously pokes fun at terrible sex scenes. Jae’s “Sex Sells” is completely adorable, about a mystery author and her long-standing crush on her possibly straight editor.

The Pros

A bunch of stories about women in the publishing industry? What’s not to love?! Not only are these stories consistently great, but they’re the perfect length to read on your lunch break.

The Cons

I wish so many of these were full-length novels, especially “Consignment” by Elaine Burnes, and the stories by Jae and A.L. Brooks.

The Conclusion

Jae and Jove Belle did a great job choosing twelve excellent stories. I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys short story collections.

[tweetthis]Check out the review for Finding Ms Write by @JaeFiction and @JoveBelle [/tweetthis]Excerpt from Finding Ms Write by Jae and Jove Belle

“Can you die of a caffeine overdose?” Mara asked instead of a greeting.

A moment of silence filtered through the connection.

“Good morning to you too. I’m doing just fine, thanks for asking.” Despite the mild rebuke, Hayley’s sexy voice was laced with humor.

“Good morning,” Mara repeated dutifully. “How’s my favorite editor today?”

“I’d be flattered if I didn’t know for a fact that there’s not exactly a lot of competition in that category.”

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Bits and Bobs

  • ISBN number: B01H1P59MK
  • Publisher: Ylva Publishing

Jae Online

Jove Belle Online

review-copyNote: I received a free review copy of Finding Ms Write by Jae and Jove Belle for review. No money was exchanged for this review. I will always review books as honestly as possible and on occasion I refuse to review books.