“Some of these stories are excellent. The writing is consistently high-quality, though a couple of the stories are insubstantial and fizzle after a few pages. Unfortunately, the two space stories are so full of old-school sci fi tropes that I can't imagine why they're included as new, paranormal, or romance.
Several stories have a strong theme of accepting difference. Magic, myth, and love are varyingly portrayed as a sweet part of everyday life, and as a more chilling power. Some of the stories are love stories, but some aren't even vaguely romantic; I wonder whether simply including so-called feminine concerns (matings, weddings) justified their inclusion. Similarly, a few stories involve the paranormal in some form, but others seem questionable.
I've discussed the individual stories more here:
http://www.readforpleasure.com/2007/07/paula-guran-best-new-paranormal-romance.html”
