A Treasure Uncovered

by Carrie Langevin from the June 29, 2026 issue

Tagline

When Christina heads to Cape Cod for the summer, a handsome seafood shack owner--and his lovable dog--turn her getaway into something more.

Off the Cuff Observations

She's vacationing for three months. Is she a teacher?

Yes, she's a teacher. LOL

I love the idea of a vintage cottage, but I doubt a refrigerator from the 60s would still be working. Maybe it was meant to be 60s style.

Thank you again to the publishers for extending the word count of the romance stories! I'm often noticing richer descriptions like in this story. 

I love the golden french fry scarfing Lab. Woman's World does love dogs in stories. I noticed that back in 2005!

And the coincidences rack up. First, she happens to run into Randy on the beach. Then his aunt just happens to own the cottage she's renting. Actually, this type of thing is to be expected in these stories. Yes, it's a little goofy, but that's what makes Woman's World stories so fun. You have to enjoy the tongue-in-cheekiness of this very specific genre.

OMG. See what I mean? He lives in Florida during the winter in her neighborhood! Well, of course he does. And his niece is a former student.

I liked how Carrie wove the sea glass throughout the story at the beginning, middle and end as a sort of motif. 

Photo by Kathleen Dagostino via Flickr CC License

Sweet New Chapters

by Anne Olivier from the June 22, 2026 issue

Tagline

When Lucy helps her father settle into a new senior liing community, she bumps into an old flame. Could it be a second chance at love?

Off the Cuff Observations

Lucy's dad needs to socialize more. Boy, I identify that loud and clear as a daughter with an 89-year-old mother. People think they want to live a long time, but when you outlive your friends, it can be tough. Dementia just makes it harder. She has trouble finding the right words which subsequently makes her reluctant to talk to people on the phone. She hasn't been allowed to drive for years, so she also is stuck at home. Aging is no picnic in the park, that's for sure. Anyway, back to the story.

OMG. I'm so far behind I'm analyzing a Father's Day story. <smh>

The dads are getting along. They're laughing and connecting. It has me really wishing my mom's visit to an assisted living place went as well as this.

And who doesn't love a good old-fashioned bookstore owner story? I was in Seattle for a bit after our cruise was over and I happened upon a romance bookstore! I had such a good time going in there. Beguiled Books, if you're interested.

I don't know why Bingo gets a bad rap. I think it's fun. The only problem I have is the slow speed at which they usually call the numbers. 

This is a cute story and a clever twist on the Father's Day theme. Two thumbs up for me!

Photo by Anne Varak via Flickr CC License

A View Worth Sharing

by Chris Maday Schmidt from the June 15, 2026 issue

Tagline

Patti's furniture delivery mistakenly ends up at her neighbor Nick's place. What follows is an evening on the patio--and the promise of second chances!

Observations

I am so far behind on the blog, it's not even funny. Like I mentioned, Life has been challenging. My mother is being released from the skilled nursing facility she as been at for the past two weeks. She can no longer be left alone, so we're talking major changes for us all.  I am behind on copy editing someone's novel and was also on a week-long 35th anniversary cruise to Alaska during which I refused to work. :) Anyway, I am going to do my best to catch up. 

In my class on how to write and sell romances stories to Woman's World, I talk about many different categories of Woman's World stories. There are first meet stories, matchmaker stories, person-to-the-rescue stories and more. This is a lovely moving-on story. 

Moving-on stories feature a main character who is typically trying to get past a divorce or the loss of a spouse. What you want to do when writing one of these stories, besides identifying what the person is moving on from, is show they're emotionally ready. You want the reader to feel confident that the character is making the right decision, that he/she has a great chance of being happy. 

Chris shows this in many ways. First, she establishes that it's been 2 years since Patti's husband passed away. She mentions that "morning had always been their time, but that the silence didn't feel as heavy as it once had. And then there's this passage:

...she admitted how much she'd like to share that view with a special someone again. Maybe. Just maybe.

Lastly, Patti acknowledges that "it was time to tackle things she'd been putting off on her bucket list."

After this, from the butterflies to her giggling, Chris shows how Patti's shift in her personal perspective changes how she looks at her neighbor. 

Then there are two moments that I loved. First, there's the appearance of the bird that Patti interprets as a signal from her late husband. Right after that, Patti decides to find out if Nick has been waiting for a sign from her that she was ready. It's that decision that I love. She is not waiting passively for things to happen--she takes action. She's definitely done waiting.

I also loved the ending--especially this line:

Hope stirred again, soft but certain.

That line gives me all the feelz, and then there's the wonderful call back to enjoying coffee on the balcony, except now, she wants Nick to enjoy it with her. So if you're looking for a good example of how to execute a moving-on story, this is it.

Photo by El Gran Sueno via Flickr CC License

Revving Up New Love

by Lisa Sideris from the June 8, 2026 issue

Tagline

As Charlotte heads to a car show, she can't help feeling a little lonely--until a handsome man named Russ sparks something unexpected.

Off the Cuff Observations

I have to start by apologizing for my absence from the blog. I've been dealing with some health issues--mine and my 89 year old mother. She's still in the hospital and I would appreciate prayers and good thoughts. 

Charlotte slowed to admire patches of colorful wildflowers on the surrounding hills... --  I live in Southern California and when the poppies are blooming, it's spectacular. 

It's a car show! My husband is a member of the Sons of the American Legion and they have an annual car show that he volunteers to help with. Unfortunately, it's in July and it's always super hot but there are a lot of cool cars to see and admire and vote on.

Oh, dear. Is Gramps just sick or has he recently passed on?

"I'm hoping someone from the car show will stop, but it's still so early." -- Um. She's driving a '65 red Mustang, Russ... LOL Maybe he's just so dazzled by her that he's not putting two and two together. 

Okay, Gramps is still alive. She talked about him in the present tense.

A small current zipped between them that could have shaken up a chemistry lab. -- I like how the author took the cliche of electricity and added a little personality to it, but are currents common in chem labs? I never took chemistry.

I love how persistent Russ was. It shows Charlotte just how interested he is in her.

Nice story!

Photo by Roberto via Flickr CC License

Something Borrowed

by Debra McNally from the June 1, 2026 issue

Tagline

When Maddie is stranded before her best friend's wedding, the best man comes to her rescue--and they discover a connection that can't be ignored.

Off the Cuff Observations

So far, I like the modern feel to the story. The heroine is texting and the excitement of being involved in a wedding is palpable.

Maddie then realized she wouldn't recognize Mason when he arrived. She had only heard a few stories..." -- I like how Debra included the backstory about Mason.

He's really not an Old MacDonald type at all. -- LOL

I'm not sure why he had to sneak the bracelet to her. Doesn't Luke's grandmother know they're borrowing it? Maybe I'm missing something.

I get it...the Chicken Dance, because he's a farmer. LOL

I love how they ended up with cute nicknames. I can totally see them fifty years later still calling each other City Girl and Country Boy.

Photo by Naomi King via Flickr CC License

Love in Bloom

by Sandra Smith from the May 11, 2026 issue 

Tagline

When Evelyn stepped in to help at her daughter's flower shop, she never thought a last-minute bouquet could lead to a second chance at love.

Off the Cuff Observations

Sandra packs a lot of info into the introductory paragraph, letting us know that Evelyn is of a certain age, the time of year, and that she helps her daughter out at the floral shop. This is important when writing very short stories. Make every word count.

"...The other places I checked were too busy." -- LOL. If Evelyn were touchy, that could be a dig suggesting the floral shop was floundering.

We get a lot of the business interaction with some personal stuff thrown in. If I had been working on this story with Sandra, I would have encouraged her to beef up the personal stuff. Perhaps have Jack elaborate on what a great mom his late wife was or had them share memories of special Mother's Days in the past. Maybe things he did for his late wife were very similar to what her late husband did for her. Or maybe they share silly Mother's Day traditions like pancakes a la mode that sprang up with their kids were small. A little less of the business and a little more connection. 

The convo with Megan is, appropriately, short and sweet. All we needed was for Megan to notice and point out that Jack affected Evelyn.

Even though getting her tulips was an excellent and thoughtful move, he must have gotten them from a competitor... LOL

I like the callback to his cluelessness about flowers at the beginning of the story. This type of thing makes the story feel tighter and well plotted.

Also, I found a dialog punctuation error. Tell me in the comments if you see it.

Photo by Ruth Hartnup via Flickr CC License

Meant to Meet Again

by Mary Ann Joyce from the May 4, 2026 issue

Tagline

Sofia isn't looking for love--despite her grandmother's constsant matchmaking--until a familiar face appears at the Cinco de Mayo fiesta.

Off the Cuff Observations

As you may or may not know, I'm a Starbucks barista, and I often have customers whose name is Sofia/Sophia. I always ask with an F or  PH? They seem to appreciate that. I do the same for Sara/Sarahs.

"I asked him if he was single when I sent you to look for the chili powder." -- LOL

"He does wrap the cheese very nicely, so we'll keep him on the maybe list." -- LOL again! Can't you just picture this abuelita (grandmother)?

So, judging from her suggestion that Sofia wear a certain dress, obviously Abuelita has something planned. My mother had a Mexican embroidered dress that she absolutely loved and wore for many years.

...Sofia and her grandmother joined the fiesta in the town square. -- I'm just slightly taken out of the story wondering where they live. The mention of a town square makes me think small town, but there is not real description of the setting.

Aha, a blast from the past. So the butcher was a red herring! 

I'm noticing how smoothly Mary Ann inserts descriptions of Ben's appearance. No paragraph of it--although there's nothing wrong with putting the physical description in one paragraph--just smatterings of it here and there.

I knew abuelita would utilize the wording of the promise..."no fixups with your friends' grandsons." 

Nice story. And now I really want Mexican food. LOL

Photo by ricardo [sic] via Flickr CC License