Best New Romantic Fantasy 2: Paula Guran (Editor)

An annual anthology of outstanding stories of love and wonder are compiled and honored as the best of the year. Enchanting and enchanted lovers, magical romance, dark desires, otherworldly sensations, ethereal encounters, paranormal thrills, sensual spells, supernatural suspense, sizzling speculations... Highly imaginative short fiction and novellas from the best fantasy romance writers.

Juno Publishing has recently been leading the pack in the world of paranormal romance and there is no better example then their latest offering, Best New Romantic Fantasy 2. From start to finish this anthology is packed with fifteen stories that range from heart-warming to heart-wrenching. The beauty inherent in each of these stories is enough to pull tears from even the hardest of hearts, without resorting to cheap tricks or tawdry romance novel dialogue.

Unlike many anthologies of this nature, this one includes entries from male and female authors. The stories run the gamut from the hypnotic and disjointed "The Depth Oracle" by Sonya Taaffe to the story of a breath-stealing ghost in "Journey into the Kingdom." Each of the stories explores the nature of love in a paranormal context, where the idea of love and the possibilities are governed by rules that normal individuals never have to face. However, while the situations may be otherworldly, the emotions are still familiar and still understandable.

Those who are familiar with my reviews will know how I feel about romance novels and stories. I'm generally not a fan so this book was a wonderfully pleasant surprise. The stories have a way of pulling in the reader and not letting go until they've wrapped around your imagination and heart. Each one is beautifully written and though they are all very different, they speak to places inside of us that need to be reached.
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Paperback: 320 pages

Publisher: Juno Books (June 6, 2007)

ISBN-10: 0809557843

ISBN-13: 978-0809557844



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