Fix Your Crown by Callie Rae, Alexi Ferreira, Amanda Shelley, Amaya Black, Angela Sanders, Barb Shuler, Brittany Tarkington, E.K. Woodcock, Jade Bay, Jami Denise, Jo Richardson, Khloe Summers, Ruby Wolff, Sofia Aves, Tanya Nellestein

Disclosure: I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from the author. All views expressed are only my honest opinion. A positive review is not required.

Published on: 28 September 2021
Type: Short Stories, Anthology
Genre: Fiction Anthologies, Literary Anthologies & Collections
Author(s): Alexi Ferreira, Amanda Shelley, Amaya Black, Angela Sanders, Barb Shuler, Brittany Tarkington, Callie Rae, E.K. Woodcock, Jade Bay, Jami Denise, Jo Richardson, Khloe Summers, Ruby Wolff, Sofia Aves, Tanya Nellestein
Read: 22 September 2021
Shelved: 25 September 2021
Rating: 4 / 5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Synopsis

13 Authors. 13 Women. 13 FIERCE Heroines.

Fix Your Crown is a collection of 13 stories about bold Heroines who will not be stopped.

With each purchase, we are donating 100% of the royalty to a charity that will empower women to fix their crowns.

Official Website: Fix Your Crown

Review

Reign by Alexie Ferreira

Mafia romance. Arranged marriage. Alpha main characters.

I enjoyed the story, which talks about family, respect, sacrifice, and love – a union formed for protection and later morphs into more. The attraction is magnetic, and chemistry is sizzling that it was impossible not to believe in “perfect matches.” This story is a prologue to a bigger story, as hinted by the author.

Hoops & Scoops by Amanda Shelley

Basketball star. Met early on. Sports Romance. Second chance romance.

A lovely story about revisiting the past and realizing how much better DeShawn and Chloe are together versus apart. The story is sweet and sassy but also with mature and characters who grew up.

Moon Magic by Angela Sanders

Paranormal romance. Witches and werewolves. Second chance romance. Chants and curses. True love. Third-person omniscient POV.

I noted POV since it is rare for me to encounter this POV. It’s an interesting take and gives readers the all-seeing and all-knowing power. There is occasional access to the other character’s inner thoughts, which is fascinating.

Reinventing Amber Jaymes by Barb Shuler

Motorcycle romance. Grit and drama. Band of Brothers. Dark, abusive past. Suspense and Danger. Survivor.

Note: Some violence happens.

I love how the story is all about fighting to survive and heal. The protagonist does not let her past (anymore) define her. With so many people behind her recovery, her confidence shines through spectacularly in the end.

Gabby by Brittany Tarkington

College romance. Dark high school past. Second chance. Coming out a new. New place, new phase.

Note: Mental health discussion.

I like this sweet romance that deals with attraction from afar. The characters were sweet and cautious at the same time since both have their share of life’s disappointments and coming-of-age discoveries. There is a bit more in this story, so I will not talk a lot about it, but it’s a simple enough story with a lot of “meat” in the exchanges between two unlikely yet likely characters.

McCatherine by Callie Rae

Shady business dealings. Trophy wife. Finally, ready to fight and outwit everyone to be free. Romantic suspense.

Note: Mental and emotional manipulation described.

This story is a gut-wrenching piece from the very beginning. The story tells us the lengths people would go to bring others down with them; even the kids become pawns in this hateful game of deceit.

Sugar and Spice by E.K. Woodcock

Coming of age. High school setting. Repressed emotions. Misunderstanding and miscommunication. Young love. Enemies-to-lovers romance. Baking and cooking experts. Second chances.

Note: Self-loathing. Self-infliction. Anxiety issues discussed. Very happy with how this story progressed.

I am in no way a fan of this trope, and it takes a lot to make me fall for this theme since things can get complicated and hurtful at some point. Instead, this story impressed and won me over. Sugar and Spice have the right amount of angst and appropriate banter for the age and time. I enjoyed this story quite a bit! It goes to show that love and attraction can find you at any age and time. Also, with proper help, anything is solvable.

Queen Things by Jade Bay

Royal romance with elements of suspense. Commoner-Royalty connection. Marriage of convenience. Second chance. Boss lady.

I love the book’s writing style. The author did it justice with the way she worded and presented everything in the moments where the emphasis was needed. The suspense injected in the book adds a nice touch to the story.

A few things were going on in the story, which makes it exciting. One was the happenstance meeting of the two main characters: “instant chemistry” but had to be apart, then later met up in the most unlikely places and positions. Another is the lurking danger and possible mutiny coming out to oust the upcoming reigning royalty.

It was cute to see the characters’ internal battles on sorting out their feelings for the other. This story is all about a relationship/love meant to be.

Storm Surge by Jami Denise

Women helping women. MC romance. Protector/protectee. Dark and traumatic past. Inner strength unlocked.

This touching story is about love, healing, and redemption. The revelations that came out support the motivation on why the protagonist tries to help another. She finds parallels a troubled woman faced in the past. A life cycle repeats itself that pushes the main character to face her past – coming back and take on a bigger purpose.

A Word of Advice by Jo Richardson

A woman’s worst nightmare. A public mess exposed. Advising the advisor – from an unexpected source.

Sometimes not the person who doles out pieces of advice does not take hers. The main character had to learn from hard life lessons. One public meltdown knocked one famous blogger advice columnist down her pedestal, then later meets someone unexpectedly who might know what she is going through.

Remember Us by Ruby Wolff

Young, selfish BUT meant to be. Second chances. Making up for past mistakes. A secret unlocked. Lots of groveling involved.

This one was a challenging read because of what the female main character went through. She did show how strong she is and had the best support system. The one person that she thought would be her biggest cheerleader left her broken. The story fast forwards to about a year after, and as expected, the male protagonist comes back to tries to win the “love of his life.” Does he succeed? Will past feelings be buried?

A Knight to Guard by Sofia Aves

Dystopian fantasy. Romantic suspense. Operation to protect.

This story has one of the hottest intimacy scenes for a short story! This story already includes the element of mystery and suspense going on behind the scenes. I admit that I got lost in a few scenes/conversations until the revelations happened at the very end. I appreciate the ending, but I got lost on the how’s and why’s, even after re-reading the chapters. I would need to find the rest of the book/story/series to understand this particular story better because this story only shows part of the main character’s importance. It would have been awesome to find out if there’s a continuation, but the author has not hinted at it.

Once Betrayed by Tanya Nellestein

Detective drama. Romantic suspense. MC gang. Undercover cops. Disclosure: some violent scenes

What an ender! The plot was exciting, and the female lead on this was perfection. It is a first-person POV – the female character, Taya. She is not your perfect cop but a broken one trying to prove herself worthy of being where she is. I love how the story built up from Taya’s experiences internally to being assigned the case, which brought back how capable she is in her job after a tragedy. The scenes were well orchestrated and fast enough to solve all of the loose ends for the time being. The story continues further with finding the missing persons in the case both main characters were working on. This story is a prologue to a bigger story.

Overall Review:-

Overall, this anthology is a series of short stories that provides a great taste of the author’s works. Some readers may find the “ending” of that particular short or abruptly ended. While I may agree with this, I realized that I had to approach this anthology differently than regular stories. I treat some of the stories as prequels to an even bigger story. The author may have already written the next story or maybe is already in the works for the story. Nonetheless, it will surely pique your interest – believe me, that there are quite a few I am going to be looking into to find out more.

Given my comments above, this book already rocks with various stories for all readers, as discussed above. But the best part – 100% of the book sale proceeds will be donated to a charity that will empower women with breast cancer to fix their crowns. Given this beautiful cause, there is no question about this fantastic deal?!?! You’ve got the charity side and memorable stories, so as you enjoy the books, you can feel good knowing that each sale will empower women fighting to eradicate cancer.

In no particular order, my three favorite stories among the thirteen stories are Sugar & Spice by E.K. Woodcock, Gabby by Brittany Tarkington, and Once Betrayed by Tanya Nellestein.

About the Author(s)

Alexi Ferreira

Alexi Ferreira was born in Mozambique, but lived most of her life in South Africa, finally moving to England where she has lived for the last three years. Alexi is a Romantic at heart, with a passion for motorcycles and everything Paranormal. She writes Addictive, Adventurous, Romance with happy ever afters. Author of the Elementals MC, Wolverine MC, Bratva Fury and the Capella Crime Famiglia Series.

Amanda Shelley

Amanda Shelley writes romantic stories you can escape into. Some are steamy, others are sweet but all have strong characters with a little bit of sass.

When not writing, Amanda enjoys time with her family, playing chauffeur, chef and being an enthusiastic fan for her children. Keeping up with them keeps her alert and grounded in reality. She enjoys long car rides, chai lattes and popping her SUV into four-wheel drive for adventures anywhere.

Amanda loves hearing from readers. Be sure to sign up for her newsletter and follow her on social media. Join her reader’s group Amanda’s Army of Readers to stay up to date on her latest information.

Amaya Black

Amaya Black is southern girl currently living in the Carolinas. She is a fiance and mommy to a bouncy boy and gentle pitbull. She’s been writing since she was in fourth grade and went on to major in Creative Writing at a great southern and all women’s institute.

Her motto of the moment is: “Be so good they can’t ignore you.”

Connect with Amaya
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Angela Sanders

Angela Sanders is an International Bestselling author of Epic Fantasy, Paranormal Romance, and Urban Fantasy. She’s a multi-genre author who also writes psychological thrillers, supernatural thrillers, murder mysteries, and soon, Contemporary Romance (the sky’s the limit!). As a retired Navy Chief, wife, and mother, Angela lives in Kentucky where she enjoys writing, editing, reading, or all three.
Her son is the key to her heart; he has the writing bug, wanting to be like his mommy when he grows up. She began her writing journey, first in the political world, and then left it all behind to explore the more fantastical world of fiction. With the help and support of several authors pushing her along, she published her first book in June 2017 and has been writing since.

Barb Shuler

Barb is a Carolina girl by right and a Texan by birth. By day she’s a desk jockey for a rural transportation company and a book lover, reading through as many books as she can. At night, though, she turns into her alter ego: a writer—cape optional, depending on her mood.

Her stories are a mix of real-life events, personal experiences, and the craziness of her own imagination and those of her best friends. And when their imaginations blend together, it can be crazy. Barb writes in multiple genres, encounters new adventures, creates new worlds, and has a fantastic time breathing life into new stories, creating something she hopes inspires anyone who reads to fall in love with them as she has.
Barb lives by one little rule: tomorrow is never guaranteed, so make sure you live each day to its fullest.

Brittany Tarkington

Hi! I’m Brittany! I’m from East Texas where I live with my husband, son, and two dogs. I have a degree in Criminal Justice, and I used to work as a legal assistant for a criminal defense firm. These days I’m a writer and co-owner of Magnolia and Pine. I have a love-hate relationship with both CrossFit and wine. I have my days and nights mixed up, and I spend most of my time doing everything I can to avoid being productive.
I’ve always had a crazy imagination and I love writing. So, I started writing Forever Careless at the age of 21 to see if I had it in me. It was too much fluff for me, however my friends loved it. So, I wrote another; this time I pushed to boundaries of fluff.
One day, while in a very bad mood, I thought of a story without a happy ending. One with real problems and real people. A story that was very close to my heart. It nagged me constantly. Months later, I sat down and started Hazed. At first, he was going to be apart of the Forever Series. Just come in and wreck their lives. Instead, I went another route. Only weeks later, Hazed was finished. I was obsessed with it.
It took me over a year to finish my first novel and weeks to finish this one. I knew what that meant. I liked to write about bad people who do bad things. I like to get inside their minds and feel their crazy. So, if you’re looking for hearts and flowers, you won’t find them here. My stories are real and they aren’t pretty.

Connect with Brittany
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Callie Rae

Callie Rae writes romantic suspense novels. She lives in southern Louisiana with a daughter, two furry pups, and one fat rabbit named Josie. You can find Callie in her garden pretending her thumb is green. Otherwise, she is mommin’ with the best.

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E.K. Woodcock

Ebru Kartal is a book blogger turned into an author. She currently has a couple of books out in the wild and is working on many others.
When she isn’t writing, you can find her reading, blogging, or running after her gang of hooligans at home. Ebru lives in Cochrane, Alberta with her two lovely children and husband.
She was born in a land called “Turkey” and became Canadian in May 2015. She loves to travel and hopes to travel the world one day.

Connect with E.K.
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Jade Bay

Jade Bay is the author of short and steamy HEAs that’ll make you blush! When she’s not reading or writing all of the words you can find her hanging with her two favorite humans, her husband and son. She loves her readers fiercely, and is always looking to connect and talk all things hot and steamy.

Jami Denise⁣

Jami Denise is an author of gritty Contemporary and Romantic Suspense, including the best selling Jayne Series.
When she isn’t working on her next novel, she is watching old movies, or swooning over her son and her gorgeous grandsons.
She lives in her hometown in Southern California with a gang of wild cats.

Jo Richardson

Jo Richardson
-> FanAddict
-> Superhero geek
-> Sarcasm academy
-> Mystery aficionado
-> Paranormally fascinated
-> Twisted sense of humor
-> Broken in oh, so many ways
-> Believer that love is perfectly imperfect
-> Sometimes, I like to write stories about any and/or all of the above.

Khloe Summers

Khloe Summers is the best-selling author of over fifty short and steamy romance titles. Her work has been called gritty, heartfelt, and real.
Khloe lives in sunny Florida, with her own alpha hero of over twenty years. When she isn’t writing, Khloe enjoys playing the ukulele, walking the beach, baking and hiking.

Happily Ever After Guaranteed.

Ruby Wolff is an author of sexy romance and some dark romance.
She writes sexy novels, with strong alpha men, that fight for the women they want.
When Ruby is not writing her next book, she is spending time with her husband and two boys.

Sofia Aves

Sofia Aves writes fast-paced police romances, suspenseful mysteries, steamy cowboys with a Montana backdrop and the occasional cheeky god. She loves reading Indie authors and hides her collection of college romance books beneath an ever-growing TBR pile.

Sofia is a mum of three crazies and an overly large fur baby who thinks she’s a teacup puppy. She loves orchids but can’t always keep them alive. Sofia lives near Brisbane, Australia.

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Tanya Nellestein

Tanya Nellestein has been recreating the fruits of her overactive imagination on paper since she was a child. She is an avid reader, writer, experience enthusiast, outstanding car vocalist, and Queen of fancy dress. Tanya writes gut-churning Viking romance, romantic suspense and crime/mystery with a romantic angle that always includes good sex and a happily ever after – eventually. She is a finalist in the Australian Romance Readers Awards in two categories including Debut Author of the Year 2020.

Tanya has always dreamed of being a writer but only recently realized she could manifest her inner fantasies well after Vikings and Sons of Anarchy had finished filming, by creating her own bad boys and feisty heroines.