Baking Love

by Cathy Cormany from the April 24, 2025 issue

Tagline: Hugh's sister is on a mission to set him up, but Hugh's too busy running his bakery to notice--until he meets Josie. With flour on her cheek and a love for sweet treats, she just might be the recipe he needs for romance!

Observations: Were you guys fooled by this story too? I totally thought Claire was the love interest! I love being surprised.

I wanted to discuss verisimilitude in Woman's World stories. The degree of reality in these stories is fluid. Where I live in surburbia, there are pretty much no mom and pop type bakeries. There are grocery stores and chain bakeries like Panera, Nothing Bundt Cakes (hate that name), Corner Bakery and the like. There is a cake place - but that's more specialty baking like for weddings. Other than that, Corner Bakery is called that because they want you to feel like you're in the type of bakery that doesn't exist anymore. 

But in the world of Woman's World stories, they certainly do. As I've said before, there is a certain amount of nostalgia present in the romances, mainly and probably because of the demographic skewing toward older women. 

So if you're someone like me, who strives to ground her stories in reality (is it safe for the heroine to say yes to a man who invites her to dinner at his house when she just met him in the grocery store?) remember the fact that you can sculpt the world of your story to fit the tone of WW's published stories and expectations of the readers.

Photo by Greta Ceresini via Flickr CC License

Good Guy in Green

by Shannon Fay from the March 17, 2025 issue

Tagline: Andy's hectic morning turns around when her daughter's teacher offers a thoughtful gesture--and a surprise dinner invitation--that might just make St. Patrick's Day her favorite holiday.

Observations: It's easy to see why this story was chosen for the St. Patrick's Day issue. This rang very true as a slice of life in a mom's life. It really brought back memories of when my kids were pre-teens. I also very much remember the anxiety of not wearing green on St. Patrick's Day, not wanting to get pinched! There were a lot of moments I wanted to touch on in this story.

I loved the moment when Andy calls Mr. Parr Greg and the daughter chides her for it. Hilarious.

That moment when Andy wonders how the wearing green situation was her fault was one of the ones that resonated with me as true to life.

I thought that the moment when Greg notices Andy's tension has not dissipated was great in that it showed he would make good boyfriend material. You always want to believe the couple in these stories has a solid chance at a future together. 

Finally, did you notice the black moment in the story? (The black moment is when you think all is lost.) Let me know in the comments if you saw it.

Photo by Tony Alter via Flickr CC License

Sew in Love

by Anne Gwynne from the March 31, 2025 issue

Tagline: Viola, the last single woman in her friend group, reconnects with Adam, a former classmate, while preparing to be her best friend's maid of honor. Could this reunion amid wedding preparations lead to romance?

Observations: I really identified with the character who made me remember when all my sorority sisters were getting married. It's a forlorn feeling, going to a wedding at which you want to be happy for the couple but are secretly and sadly envious.

I thought this was a cute premise--meeting someone from your past--a guy you secretly admired--at the tailor shop. And who hasn't dreamed of being wanted by Mr. Popular? This is a fantasy fulfillment story, for sure. 

Mrs. Choo was a cute secondary character who was kind of a matchmaker but more of an encourager, which was amusing. 

I have no idea what "lake effect snow" is. Anyone care to enlighten me?

Also, I was very puzzled at Mrs. Choo's statement, "She sins most of the time too." I was like, whaaat?  Weird that the tailor would comment on something like that, but then I figured out it was probably a typo. It was probably supposed to be "wins," which makes total sense. That just goes to show you, you shouldn't rely on spellcheck!

Photo by Jeff Egnaczyk via Flickr CC License

Two Tickets to Love, Please

by Vicki Cox from the March 10, 2025 issue

Tagline: Nora and Dale meet during a Star Wars screening, and while bonding over the film, a spark of romance soon begins to grow.

Observations: I loved the premise of this story, mostly because I think Star Wars is a perfect movie. I have very fond memories of seeing that in the theatre more than once the summer it came out and blasting the soundtrack over and over from my cassette player. 

I also appreciated the nostalgia introduced via the landmark theatre being refurbished and opening again in modern times. It's no secret that the demographic of Woman's World reads on the gray side the spectrum. There's nothing we boomers love more than a blast from the past.

Photo by Lynn Kelly Author via Flickr CC License

Dance of Second Chances

by Mina Beckett from the March 3, 2025 issue

Tagline: Liora gains confidence and sparks romance when she dances with a cclose friend at the Mardi Gras ball.

Observations: I have to say, I am pleasantly surprised to see this type of story appear in Woman's World. For years, I've been advising people to steer clear of heavy subject matter, but there is "a new sheriff" in town, and perhaps the editorial staff is more open to stories with a little more heft to them--like this one.

I mean, Liora has been battling back from what appears to be a career-ending injury. She was once a ballet dancer. Now, she seems to have finished her physical therapy and is dancing (non-professionally) for the first time since her accident. This story is all about her conquering her fear and realizing she can still enjoy dancing, if not at the level she once enjoyed, and finding romance along the way.

I really loved how encouraging Gavin was. The ending was fulfilling, but, for me, leaning more toward self-realization than romance. Which might be a good thing because I couldn't help but wonder at how ethical it is to start a relationship with a patient.

Even so, I very much enjoyed this story.

P.S. I know this photo is not of a masquerade or a ball but it is Mardi Gras and it was so cute, I couldn't resist.

Photo by Shreveport Bossier via Flickr CC License

Skiing Slopes Into Love

by Donna Clancy from the February 24, 2025 issue

Tagline: Carol rekindles more than just her love of snow sports on a weekend away at a ski resort when she runs into an old flame.

Observations: Ha! This was a matchmaker story that I didn't see coming. I LOVE being surprised. This was also an old flame story, so don't hesitate to combine two tropes together in one story. 

I liked that Ms. Clancy seemed very familiar with skiing. All the little details rang true. Even if you're not familiar with an aspect of your story, the internet is only a click away. I wrote my first hockey romance not being a hockey fan at all, but thanks to Google, I was able to learn a lot about the sport and some of the behind the scenes stuff that made it seem to reviewers like I'd been a fan for a long time. 

Shout out to Donna. Congratulations on your first published story! You're proof that persistence is so important. You nailed the tone, the tropes, the connection between the characters... Brava!

Warm Hearts on a Cold Night

by Kristen Walsh from the February 17, 2025 issue

Tagline: Cherie didn't expect that a crisp winter skate at the lake would have her falling into the arms of a Valentine's Day sweetheart. 

Observations: What's more romantic than meeting while ice skating and sipping cocoa? I really liked the setting of this story. I could just picture the twinkling lights, hear the scrape of the skates on the ice and smell the hot chocolate. 

My favorite line: "The pickup hockey team is my way to keep from turning into a cold and lonely winter hermit." That made me laugh!

On the flip side, there were three instances of blushing at the end of the story. Having a critique partner read your drafts would be a good way to avoid repetition like this. Or you could always hire me to edit your story for you! 😜 

Photo by Elvert Barnes via Flickr CC License