Title: Hearth Stories, Springtime Fare
Author: B. Morris Allen, Erin Keating, Em Harriett, Erin France, and JM Cyrus
Publisher: Hearth Stories
Publication Date: March 22, 2025
Genres: Fantasy, Historical, Romance, LGBTQ+
Length: 66 pages
Source: I received a free copy from the authors.
Rating: 4 Stars
Blurb:
Hearth Stories: Springtime Fair (2025) is a special issue of Hearth Stories in which each story has instructions for making something that was featured in the story (charm, recipe, ritual, etc).
This issue features the following:
Crivăț and the Snow Curse by B. Morris Allen
How to Make a Martisor
The Confession Chocolate by Erin Keating
How to Make Confession Chocolate
Creature Comforts by Em Harriett
Fox’s Almond Cake
The Soapmaker by Erin France
Unscented Soap
A Song Amongst the Prayer Ribbons by JM Cyrus
Leaf Rubbing and Forest Bathing
Content Warning: An accident that seriously injures someone’s knee.
Review:
Early spring is no time to leave the house unprepared for any sort of weather.
“The Confession Chocolate” was a cozy tale about two friends who may or may not be falling in love with each other. The storyline was straightforward, so I don’t want to share too many details about it for spoiler reasons. What I adored about it was how Mara and Lennan danced around their evolving feelings for each other while she was simultaneously grinding through the busiest time of the year at her chocolate shop. The fantasy elements of the storyline ebbed and flowed in ways that were as natural as they were playful. I think this one might be a little more appealing to fans who already love the romance genre versus those who were hoping for something deeply rooted in traditional fantasy lore, but it was delightful either way.
I had mixed feelings about “A Song Among the Prayer Ribbons.” The romantic subplot was a wonderful surprise whose details I’ll leave for others to discover for themselves, and I liked the nuanced relationship between Maren and her grumpy, elderly father. What made me pause as I was reading was the underlying theme that it’s okay for older people to be argumentative, mean-spirited, and grouchy with younger people because the former have been alive for so long. This is something that pops up regularly in both fiction and real life, and it’s something I vehemently disagree with. Yes, of course we should make some allowances for people who are grieving or in pain, but I don’t agree with the idea that living a particular number of years should grant anyone the right to treat others poorly regularly. This is something I’m saying as a younger person who has a chronic illness that causes terrible pain and other symptoms that cannot be ignored. I completely understand being in a bad mood because of how one feels, but I cannot agree with the idea that this gives anyone the license to be a jerk. Self control is key.
Stinky soap and etiquette were the conflicts in “The Soapmaker.” Conversations about someone’s odour will always be awkward no matter how gentle others try to be about it, so I kept reading with interest as the characters in this little village tried to let the kind and wonderful woman who made soap for everyone know that the scent combinations she used weren’t appealing. My favorite part of this tale was the open-ended final scene that left so much scope for the imagination. It made me wish for a sequel so I could discover what happened to the characters next.
I look forward to other readers chiming in with their thoughts on these tales.
Hearth Stories, Springtime Fare was a sweet and gentle read.