What it is: Love on the Road 2015 is an anthology that collects the winning short stories from the Love on the Road international writing contest. The stories all loosely revolve around love, although some are dark and tragic while others are light-hearted and fleeting.

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What I liked about it: There’s a lot of diversity of topics and characters between the stories. I expected solely corny romantic stories, but the collection delivered more complex and convoluted pieces. So many different cultures were represented in this book, which allowed for new perspectives.

What I didn’t like about it: I frankly didn’t think the writing was that good as a whole. Some stories, obviously, were captivating and exciting, but most fell short. There was a lot of “telling” rather than “showing,” which is tempting in a short story to establish backstory but even more important to avoid because space is a commodity. I didn’t find myself eager to turn each page, and it took a long time to read this book.

Memorable quote: “A get-well card, a potted plant, the detritus of friendship. Of all the villains who inhabited his visions, they were the worst.”

Overall rating: 2.5/5 stars.

Challenge satisfied: #23, read a book published this year.

Additional notes: I received this book in a Goodreads First Reads giveaway. Also, fun fact: it’s the dirtiest book I own, between minor page damage from a spill and strange black marks on the cover likely from traveling with it.

Love on the Road 2015 is book 13 of 24 for my Read Harder Challenge. You can also read my reviews of It’s Kind of a Funny Story and I’ll Give You The Sun. 

An affiliate link is used in this post. All opinions in this review are my own and are not influenced by the affiliate.