The Light of Love: A Heart’s Through History Winter Anthology

ANTHOLOGY: Composed of ten short stories, this anthology runs readers sporadically through history, jumping through different love stories. As a bonus, readers get to watch each of the protagonists fall in love during the time of the winter solstice.

This anthology launches through years of history, starting with the Viking age, to the medieval age of the Scottish Highlands and England, then to a time-traveling story placed in Ireland, a forbidden love in Nantucket and a detour in California during the Gold Rush. In the last three, readers glide through the 19^th century in Wisconsin, Tokyo and finish back at Harvard college. Throughout every story, the authors guide readers through the winter solstice celebrations, emphasizing the important tie between the lovers and this special holiday season.

In a beautiful whirlwind of romances, readers get to experience every trope imaginable in each of these ten love stories, ranging from enemies-to-lovers, childhood friends-to-lovers, forbidden love, time-travelling love, and even a second-chance romance. The mini short stories make the plot feel a bit fleeting, squeezing all the stories in one anthology and straining the attachment to the characters. However, each romance gives us a beautiful storyline, hitting all the necessary plot points including a well-developed setting, exciting conflicts, and a satisfying ending. Some stories are tougher to follow along with for readers who don’t know many details about certain celebration traditions, making it hard to follow along with the unknown details. Still, something about watching these couples fall in love in spontaneous places across the world and in completely different timelines highlights the magical feel. Plus, the historical accuracy of each period was well-done, providing a more thoughtful and interesting read. Readers will love these short and sweet romances, hoping they will find their winter solstice lover some day too.  

Austen Grace