The Sweetest Love Story

 by Audrey Wick from the December 5, 2022 issue

Tagline: Mia is falling for the mystery man leaving her notes at her neighborhood's little free library...then a mug of cocoa finally brings them together.

Observations: I adore little free libraries! It's on my bucket list to have my woodworking sons make me one. I also adored the idea of exchange notes via the books. The first story I ever sold to Woman's World had a similar idea, except the notes were placed on tables at a deli.

This story was fabulous. I wasn't surprised to see that Ms. Wick is a novelist. There was a noticeable and restrained polish to her prose that I appreciated. I hope to see more of her stories in Woman's World!

Home for the Holidays

by Melinda K. Cherry from the November 28, 2022 issue

Tagline: All alone in the big city for Thanksgiving, Tess fears her day will be a lonely one...until Gordy shows up and gives her a taste of home.

Observations: I felt these two had a good chance of having a happy future with each other. She's a painter and he's an animator, so they're both in the arts. And they both like to volunteer for the community. 

I also really liked all of the backstory about Tess. Her exasperation with her grandmother felt real and made me sympathize. Lastly, I appreciated bringing the story full circle by mentioning the ring-hungry grandma again at the end.

Reality-wise, maybe it's different in other parts of the country, but it's a bit of a stretch for me to believe an out of work animator can get by on a dishwasher's pay.

Photo by Krista via Flickr Creative Commons License