Even If the Sky is Falling

March 31, 2023

This collection of interconnected short stories features couples whose romances begin during what they believe to be a meteor shower that might destroy life on Earth as they know it. While the NASA-employed former lovers from the opening story know what is going on, the remaining five couples are uncertain of how long the disaster will last or what will remain of the world when it concludes. With all means of technological communication unavailable, the new (or newly reunited) lovers shelter together wherever they were when the meteor alarms went off and represent each other's most solid connection to humanity. These stories offer something for every romance fan, featuring tropes such as forced-proximity, instalove, friends-to-lovers, rivals, second chances, and enemies-to-lovers. The individual stories shine on their own, and their shared meteor shower starting point provides an excellent springboard for each couple's unique romantic trajectory. VERDICT Frequently hilarious, often touching, and with a good amount of heat, this book is recommended for fiction collections, where short stories, multicultural works, and contemporary romance titles circulate well.--Nicole Williams

Copyright 2023 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

April 24, 2023
Six couples risk their hearts when they believe the world is coming to an end in this beguiling linked collection. After a NASA scientist accidentally sets off an alarm alerting to a significant threat of falling debris, the world shelters in place, bracing for disaster. The threat of imminent doom leads exes to reunite in McCoy’s “All the Stars,” rivals to realize their true feelings in Denise Williams’s “Anything You Can Do I Can Do Better,” and a long-simmering crush to come to a boil in “Keep Calm and Curry On” by Farah Heron. “My Lucky Stars” by Lane Clarke follows feuding first-year law students Jones Miller and Dianna Ellis, who release their animosity in the wake of the disaster, leading to a first lesbian encounter for Jones. In both Charish Reed’s “Bunker Buddies” and Sarah Smith’s “Interlude,” unlikely couples take cover together, and the close spaces and heightened emotions spark love. The high-concept premise is clever and original, and each of these six couples is easy to root for. Full of intense passion and diverse characters, this is sure to be a hit. Agent: Jemiscoe Chambers-Black, Andrea Brown Literary.

May 1, 2023
This tremendously sexy, moderately suspenseful, and refreshingly diverse romantic anthology takes inspiration from 1990s disaster movies and asks what would happen if the world was ending, and you found yourself isolated with your heart's desire. Taj McCoy starts off with a bang, "All the Stars," in which former flames are reunited on a mission for NASA to alert citizens to take cover during a potential asteroid strike. An accident during their efforts sets off sirens throughout the country, and strangers are suddenly forced to find shelter, not knowing if the world is ending or how long they'll be trapped. In Farah Heron's "Keep Calm and Curry On," two Indian American chefs put their culinary competition aside to comfort each other while they wait for the all-clear. In Charish Reid's "Bunker Buddies," a Black college professor and a Black bookstore owner drink cocktails and get cozy in his cold-war-era bomb shelter. And a lovely Asian American singer hooks up with her sexy Viking-hot contractor in Sarah Smith's "Interlude" as they shelter in her finished basement. Highly recommended for all libraries.

COPYRIGHT(2023) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.