Reviewed by Kat
TITLE: The Meet-Cute Collection
AUTHOR: Lee Blair
PUBLISHER: Bosta Books
LENGTH: 290 pages
RELEASE DATE: September 5, 2025
BLURB:
Escape into a collection of four low-angst, queer romance novellas—each featuring a memorable meet-cute full of fun and feels.
Each story is a complete and standalone romance. This bundle comes in at 70,000 words, which equals a full novel. The first three stories are set in Lee Blair’s Dahlia Springs universe.
The novellas included in this bundle:
It Must Be Fate: The last thing Garrison expects is a knock on his door by someone wearing a broken heart costume who begins belting a break-up song—on Valentine’s Day of all days—in front of his coworkers. He’s not even dating anyone, so who supposedly got dumped? He can’t get the cutie with the beautiful pipes out of his mind, and like Garrison conjured him, he keeps showing up in the most awkward places making Garrison’s heart beat faster.
Pipe Dreams: Myles expects a fun night hosting a Dungeons and Dragons game night with his friends, but a plumbing emergency and unresponsive landlord have the night tanking fast. One of his friends suggests searching for a plumber on a dating app, and among a sea of unsolicited dick pics, Myles finds a man with a charming smile and the tools to save the day and steal his heart.
Under My Skein: When Heath learns of an organization that pairs skilled crafters with people needing help completing their deceased loved ones unfinished projects, he signs up hoping to get his late uncle’s crocheted afghan finished. He gets matched with a local guy who knows how to hook some yarn and a willingness to finish the project. And in the process, he gives Heath a glimpse at a wonderful future he never dared to envision.
The Roommate Mix-Up: When the bubbly server at brunch flirts with Pablo, he flirts right back—and why not? It’s Pride! He leaves his number on the receipt, and witty texts lead to a case of mistaken identity. It all works out, but not at all in the way Pablo expected.
These novellas previously appeared in charity anthologies. Read full descriptions of each story at LeeBlairBooks.com/books.
REVIEW:
I love meet-cute stories and this wonderful collection is packed full of them. The icing on the cake is that I get to travel back to Dahlia Springs in the lush Willamette Valley of Oregon. I love that LGBTQ+ town and all its wonderful residents.
- It Must Be Fate:
When Garrison Harrison gets a break-up singing telegram he never envisioned that Fate would keep putting the beautiful, angel-voiced singer/dancer Lex in his path. Lex is doing any and all jobs to make means met after his cultural anthropology teaching position is cut. And that funny mix-up in office numbers leads to many chance encounters with the gorgeous business man in the coming week. Does Fate know how to make all things all better?
I loved this novella. Both men were perfect for each other. And I loved that fate just kept placing them in each other’s paths. That dog-walking with Scout had me laughing so hard. And I fell in love with Garrison’s house and backyard immediately.
Rating: 5 Hearts
- Pipe Dreams:
When Miles has an unexpected plumbing problem and his flaky landlord can’t be reached, his geeky D&D friends suggest he find a plumber via a hook-up app. When the built jock, Brandon comes to help save the day, all the shy, smaller man can think is he can’t be possibly flirting with me. But a second chance meeting at a city council meeting lets them start talking and it turns out Brandon has always been jealous of the game nerds and want to learn too.
I loved that Myles learned to start trusting Brandon and gave him a chance instead of just shutting him down in his mind. And that Brandon was so patient with him.
Rating: 5 Hearts
- Under My Skein:
While Heath is helping his Mom go through years of memories, preparing for her house to be renovated, he discovers the Granny Square Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles blanket that his Uncle Rick started crocheting him before AIDS claimed his life. When discovering an organization called Patchwork Projects, that has volunteers that help finish projects loved ones couldn’t finish before they passed, Heath is matched with a local oncology nurse that loves to crochet and help people. Meeting up several times a week at A Whole Latte Love in Dahlia Springs, for coffee, tea, sugary treats, crocheting and working on a published paper for tenure, two men discover companionship and catch feelings.
I loved how this sweet, short novella came full circle by the end. Their lives and experiences wove together as much as the yarn that Ben was crocheting to finish Heath’s Uncle’s afghan.
Rating: 5 Hearts
- The Roommate Mix-Up:
This last short novella takes place in Portland during Pride but is not part of the Dahlia Springs Universe. After a mixup on who left their phone number for the gorgeous server at brunch. (And can I say that his name should have been Dick, instead of Curt, because he really was one that night!) Thankfully Sean, his roommate saved the day and it turned out to be the best meet-cute moment. What a story to be told for years to come on their anniversaries!
Rating: 5 Hearts
I truly loved all these stories. Some made me laugh. Some made me swoon. All made me happy and thankful I got to read them. All took me back home to my past life in Oregon. Perfect stories to read on a hot summer day at the beach!
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