Her Unexpected Valentine

by Marcie McEachern from the February 16, 2026 issue

As Sophie musters the courage to follow through on a holiday tradition, she never expects the evening to become a classic love story.

Off the Cuff Observations

Casablanca...I have never seen that movie! 

So, she's fulfilling her late grandmother's wish that she to go this Casablanca revival. The importance of family as an institution can't be overstated in Woman's World stories.

Oh, I agree with Gran that the concessions are highway robbery, but I can't say no to theatre popcorn! We go on Tuesdays when it's half off.

The smile he gave her as they shook hands turned her insides effervescent--all bubbles and shimmering light. -- Love this physical reaction that is not the cliched electricity.

The banter between them regarding the contraband snacks is fantastic.

Maybe Cupid, maybe Gran. -- Woman's World magazine has a feature in every issue called "My Guardian Angel" in which people tell stories about how they've received signs that their loved ones are watching over them. In my Basics class, I recount the story of how first got published by WW. After a few failures, I scoured the magazine looking for inspiration and found it in the horoscope section. So keep in mind all the regular features and remember that their readership is interested in those things--everyday heroes, recipes, ways to save money, horoscopes, puzzles, beauty, travel, kindness... Think about ways you can incorporate them in your stories.

"Unless you've got a four-course meal hidden in your purse." -- LOL!

Photo by Breve Storia del Cinema via Flickr CC License 

True Love for the Win

by Diana Georgelos from the February 9, 2026 issue

When Jenny arrives at her sister's annual Super Bowl party, she never expects her biggest rival to transform into her perfect match.

Stream of Consciousness Observations 

Wow, that stadium made from sandwiches and finger food sounds really impressive! And I love the idea of offering a prize for the favorite party food at the party. I would be so down for competing in that!

I like the playfulness between Jenny and her "rival" Ben.

Oh, no! Her food slid off the tray. I feel for her so much. I had made a special cheesecake for a party once and dropped it right when we were leaving the house. I was heartbroken.

Hooray, they're joining forces!

Ah, leave it to a boy to think showing off is the way to a girl's heart. LOL 

...in matters of the heart, collaboration trumps competition when it comes to finding the perfect teammate. - How true!

Photo by Switz1873 via Flickr CC License

Say Aloha to Love

by Eileen Buffone from the January 26, 2026 issue

When a snowstorm derails Lauren's tropical trip, she's disappointed. But her handsome best friend Cody arrives to cheer her up--and sparks fly.

Observations

This was a cute friends-to-lovers story centered around a cancelled trip to Hawaii. I have a trip to Maui scheduled for November later this year, and since I live in Southern California, beings snowed in isn't something that will happen to me. LOL

It's fun to see a plot that isn't a first meet.

Considering how short these stories are, I think Eileen did a great job showing the friendship morphing into something more. Here are some of those moments.

He looked into her eyes. "...I always love seeing you smile."

As they ate and talked, she felt the energy between them shift...but something felt different today--there was a spark.

Lately, Lauren had been noticing his attentive eyes and strong hands more than usual. At times, she noticed his muscles flex...

...Cody slipped his arm gently around her shoulder. Butterflies paraded through her stomach. Oh my.

Photo by Colby Stolpa via Flickr CC License

Almost Home

by Millicent Porter Henry from the January 12, 2026

During a snowy night, a work call gives Marnie the chance to rewrite the ending she always wanted.

Observations

We've seen romance writer heroines before in Woman's World, but have never gone behind the scenes to one of the tasks necessary for an indie author who publishes her own work and doesn't go through a publisher. Getting cover art is one of those tasks. I liked the slight foreshadowing here:

Why did the drawings of a man and woman on a bluff overlooking a river seem familiar, like she'd actually been there?

And I absolutely loved the ending. I was getting to the last paragraph and found myself wondering if we were going to get back to the apple pie and the twins. Obviously, we did and it was so funny.

Photo by Timothy Vollmer via Flickr CC License

Love in the Air

by Alice Benson from the January 9, 2026 issue

When Greta headed on a skiing trip, she didn't expect to make a connection with a fellow skier--and it was the sweetest winter surprise!

Off the Cuff Observations

Details in the first paragraph--the dazzling glitter of the snow, the jolt of the ski lift, and then that smooth glide--bring me right back many years ago to when I used to ski. 

There are a lot of words dedicated to the man's appearance. This is purely an author's choice when writing a Woman's World story. In my Basics class in the section on how to write short, I advocate minimizing physical descriptions. Readers have good imaginations. You don't need much to sketch out a character's looks. However, painting a picture of what the character looks like can be a good thing, especially if, as I suspect, this chin dimple becomes "important."

Okay, the ex-boyfriend also had a chin dimple. I immediately think Greta's motto is now "Beware the cleft chin." LOL. 

So they're stuck on the lift and are finding out they have things in common. Nice.

Ha! The cleft chin is mentioned again. I expect a third mention at the end of the story to bring things full circle. It's kind of funny, isn't it? That a tiny physical feature can be a central motif in the story?

I like the suggestion that they race and that the loser buys drinks. 

So, looking back, the majority of the story is showing them connecting and having things in common. This will show up over and over in Woman's World stories for good reason. These are the basics of a loving relationship. We readers need to believe the couple has a good chance for happiness together. 

Also, I was wrong about mentioning the cleft a third time. I really thought the last line would be about the cleft. LOL

Photo by Jonathan Cutrer via Flickr CC License

Time Will Tell

by Lauren King from the January 5, 2026 issue

When Tessa stops by a clock shop, she meets one of the owners--and their instant connection proves the sweetest moment often arrive right on time.

Observations

My favorite part of this story was when he's asking her questions, at first, to register her for the layaway plan, but later to get to know her better. That was funny and the pacing was perfect and added to the humor.

Not much else to comment on. Solid story.

Photo by Alan Myers via Flickr CC License

The Sweetest Christmas Surprise

by Lisa Weaver from the December 29, 2025 issue

A flurry of snow--and a little fate--brings Holly a second chance at first love just in time for the holidays.

Off the Cuff Observations

Dashing out of the frosty falling snow and into her cozy candy store, Holly Nicholas let the tantalizing aroma of homemade chocolates wrap around her like a warm hug. 

Okay, can we talk about this sentence??? First, it really sets the scene and lets us know Holly owns a candy store. It brings in the sense of smell, which is often neglected in descriptions. There are two lovely examples of alliteration. And it is packed with holiday references. 

She uses these holiday-evoking words dashing (dashing through the snow), frosty (the snowman), wrap (wrapping presents). And did you notice her name? Give that a second look please and then give Lisa Weaver a little salute. 

Oh, a gingerbread latte. Those are yummy. Starbucks used to have a gingerbread loaf with this lovely creamy frosting on it, but it's been discontinued. It was so moist and yummy and I miss it.

...quivering like Santa's belly when he laughed... -- Love it.

I don't know if I'm stretching the holiday reference thing too far but Gabe's last name, Kingsman, might be referring to the three kings. And their town is Merrylake. 

Oh, I did not see his visit coming. Talk about story pacing!

The promise of delicious possibilities hung in the air between them. -- This is very subtle, but notice the use of the word delicious and how it ties in with the candy shop. It's minute details like this that are the mark of a pro.

They're going to see A Christmas Carol. I will never forget the time I saw it with Patrick Stewart playing Scrooge. I love him, but I fell asleep, despite all my efforts to stay awake. So disappointed with myself for missing the entirety of his performance.

Another surprise was that they both had the same idea for the date. This is another detail that you may not notice consciously. I think this could indicate that they think in the same way--a sign that they might make a good couple. We readers always want to believe they have a future of happiness ahead of them and the more you can convince us that they are a good match beyond that meet cute, the more satisfying the story will be.

Thank you, Lisa, for writing a story that had so much for me to talk about!

Photo by Rachel Tayse via Flickr CC License