Review: Silver & Gold by Amanda Jean (Ed.)

Note: This ARC was provided by Less Than Three Press via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Silver & Gold is an anthology edited by Amanda Jean and is composed of six stories with May-December love stories being the common thread that ties them all together. Each story brings its own unique flavor to this collection, enabling them to stand out and yet never lose track of what the anthology is about. I was able to get through the entire thing in one sitting and enjoyed all six of the stories, though I readily admit that I do have a favorite or two in the pack. I'm giving the anthology an overall rating of 4.5 stars. The titles and their respective authors, along with the individual ratings, story overviews, and reviews are as follows:

One Last Leap by Helena Maeve - 4.5 stars

Philip is a fifty-two-year-old former ballet dancer and teacher who's having kitchen makeover done in the home he shared with his late partner. The contractor is twenty-something Ivan and someone that Philip's had a crush of sorts on. Philip knows that Ivan will be leaving for parts unknown when the work's done, but it seems that his feelings for him are not all that one-sided and the affection these two have for each other was quite sweet. I liked how Ivan represented an unexpected second chance at happiness for Philip.

Coffee Boy by Austin Chant - 5 stars

Kieran is a twenty-three-year-old trans gay man who is working as an intern and Seth is his thirty-five-year-old supervisor and is a bisexual divorced man who happens to have a crush on their boss and Kieran's former professor. These two don't seem to have a lot in common and there are times where it seems that Seth doesn't really like Kieran all that much, but with one conversation and more time spent together, these two make a connection based on acceptance and respect. This story is full of snark and grumpiness.

After the Dust by Eleanor Kos - 4.5 stars

Thirty-five-year-old Naval Intelligence officer and Navy SEAL Zev takes in twenty-year-old Julian after the latter shows up at his late brother's doorstep. These two are opposites, with Zed being the silently stoic war veteran to Julian's more vocal and outgoing personality, but they balance each other out.. They're brought together by the death of Zev's brother and while they're at different points in their lives, they're both in the process of undergoing changes and turn out to be exactly what the other one may need.

A Corgi Named Kilowatt by C.C. Bridges - 5 stars

Ah, it's difficult for me to resist a story that involves a dog, but the romance between twenty-three-year-old Literature PhD student and TA Evan and forty-year-old dog trainer and kennel owner Marc hit all the right notes in my book and it's definitely my top favorite in the anthology. I loved how Evan was the teacher and Marc was the student, however briefly, and that theirs was a relationship that leveled up right away and needed time to go through more of a getting-to-know-you period. This was a fantastic romance.

Memory of You by Erica Barnes - 4 stars

When forty-year-old Claudia and twenty-five-year-old Maddie meet in a movie theater, there's a clear connection between the two of them but they go their separate ways once the movie ends. They see each other again but Claudia makes it clear that she doesn't want to pursue anything with Maddie. This was a unique story because it presents the whole initial connection thing as something that is set aside by one of the main characters due to her past. The ending leaves you with a feeling of hope for a happily-ever-after.

Runner by Sam Schooler - 4 stars

Nineteen-year-old trans gay shifter Eden and thirty-six-year-old recluse Mick find themselves married and stuck with each other for thirty days. They both have pasts that they would rather forget, but being in one another's presence allows them to purge some of their demons simply because the other listens and accepts them wholeheartedly. This was the lone story that had paranormal elements but still had that familiar theme of two people running from their painful memories and finding a future with one another.

Release Date: 07 October 2015

Date Read: 06 October 2015

Learn more about Amanda Jean (here), Helena Maeve (here), Austin Chant (here), Eleanor Kos (here), C.C. Bridges (here), Erica Barnes (here), and Sam Schooler (here).

Pre-order Silver & Gold on Less Than Three Press.