What do you think?
Rate this book
First Love: The Art of Making Doughnuts
The sweetness of first love…
Could a fiercely independent cop’s heart be stolen by the guy who makes her favorite doughnuts? Will a maid who used deceit to snare a mail-order husband get a dose of her own medicine? Can her handsome neighbor rescue a modern-day “princess” from a tenacious ex-boyfriend? Can two strangers in a rideshare be honest enough to fall in love for real? Can you remember your first love? How about your second? Third? Fourth?
Featuring the talents of Linda Budzinski, Melissa Maygrove, Michael Di Gesu, Sylvia Ney, Katie Klein, Kim Elliott, Templeton Moss, S.E. White, Denise Covey, and Sammi Spizziri. Hand-picked by a panel of agents and authors, these ten tales will touch your heart and rekindle lost feelings. Prepare to return to that first love…
Could a fiercely independent cop’s heart be stolen by the guy who makes her favorite doughnuts? Will a maid who used deceit to snare a mail-order husband get a dose of her own medicine? Can her handsome neighbor rescue a modern-day “princess” from a tenacious ex-boyfriend? Can two strangers in a rideshare be honest enough to fall in love for real? Can you remember your first love? How about your second? Third? Fourth?
Featuring the talents of Linda Budzinski, Melissa Maygrove, Michael Di Gesu, Sylvia Ney, Katie Klein, Kim Elliott, Templeton Moss, S.E. White, Denise Covey, and Sammi Spizziri. Hand-picked by a panel of agents and authors, these ten tales will touch your heart and rekindle lost feelings. Prepare to return to that first love…
186 pages, ebook
Published September 6, 2022
About the author
Linda Budzinski
5 books123 followersMy young adult novels, THE BOYFRIEND WHISPERER 2.0 (2019), THE BOYFRIEND WHISPERER (2016), EM & EM (2015), and THE FUNERAL SINGER (2013), are all published by Swoon Romance YA.
THE BOYFRIEND WHISPERER received the Romance Writers of America Young Adult Chapter’s 2015 Rosemary Award and the Virginia Chapter’s 2015 Fool for Love Award. EM & EM was named a "Must Read for Teens" by Your Teen Magazine and has been optioned for development as a TV series.
I live in Northern Virginia with my husband, Joe, and our feisty chihuahua-terrier mix, JoJo. I’m a sucker for romance and reality TV and have been known to turn off my phone’s ringer when watching “The Bachelor.”
My favorite flower is the daisy, my favorite food is chocolate, and my favorite song is “Amazing Grace.”
When I’m not writing, I work part-time in nonprofit outreach and communications and am active with my church's youth group.
THE BOYFRIEND WHISPERER received the Romance Writers of America Young Adult Chapter’s 2015 Rosemary Award and the Virginia Chapter’s 2015 Fool for Love Award. EM & EM was named a "Must Read for Teens" by Your Teen Magazine and has been optioned for development as a TV series.
I live in Northern Virginia with my husband, Joe, and our feisty chihuahua-terrier mix, JoJo. I’m a sucker for romance and reality TV and have been known to turn off my phone’s ringer when watching “The Bachelor.”
My favorite flower is the daisy, my favorite food is chocolate, and my favorite song is “Amazing Grace.”
When I’m not writing, I work part-time in nonprofit outreach and communications and am active with my church's youth group.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
July 13, 2022
One of my favorite things to do growing up was read the short stories that came in the magazines my mother received in the mail. I loved that a wonderful story could be found in just a few pages.
I still love a good short story, and I was thrilled to read First Love and The Art of Making Doughnuts. This delightful anthology is filled with ten stories that center around the topic of “first love ” in both contemporary & Historical times. Each story is unique and I enjoyed the variety. My favorites stories were a Pride and Prejudice retelling that involved popular musicians, and Marmalade Sunset that takes place in Greece and tells of a more mature love that has stood the test of time.
I found First Love and The Art of Making Doughnuts a refreshing read! The variety of stories made this anthology enjoyable and interesting. It was wonderful to be introduced to so many different authors, and I am excited to explore what else they have published. This is a gem of a book that I highly recommend.
I was given a copy by the publisher and not required to write a positive review.
I still love a good short story, and I was thrilled to read First Love and The Art of Making Doughnuts. This delightful anthology is filled with ten stories that center around the topic of “first love ” in both contemporary & Historical times. Each story is unique and I enjoyed the variety. My favorites stories were a Pride and Prejudice retelling that involved popular musicians, and Marmalade Sunset that takes place in Greece and tells of a more mature love that has stood the test of time.
I found First Love and The Art of Making Doughnuts a refreshing read! The variety of stories made this anthology enjoyable and interesting. It was wonderful to be introduced to so many different authors, and I am excited to explore what else they have published. This is a gem of a book that I highly recommend.
I was given a copy by the publisher and not required to write a positive review.
March 22, 2022
First Love: The Art of Making Doughnuts is a collection of romantic short stories centering on the sweetness of first love. I always find short story collections featuring multiple authors so interesting, because you never really know what you're going to get!
This one is no different! There were some stories that were funny, some poignant, and some a little awkward, but overall I think this collection nailed the little bites of cute romance.
The Castle of Ohno by S.E. White, an atmospheric, unique twist on Beauty and the Beast with voicey, interesting characters, was probably my favorite and definitely made me want to read on!
I also enjoyed Clyde and Coalesce by Kim Elliott, a super cute modern taken on Pride and Prejudice featuring an up and coming band and two roommates in a story that I wish was longer!
I also enjoyed how the stories of Marmalade Sunset and The Art of Making Doughnuts also showcased first loves at different stages of life with a more poignant take.
Overall, I thought this and enjoyable, light read, and would recommend to anyone looking for an uplifting collection of sweet romance to fill an evening. Thanks so much to the publisher for the ARC!
This one is no different! There were some stories that were funny, some poignant, and some a little awkward, but overall I think this collection nailed the little bites of cute romance.
The Castle of Ohno by S.E. White, an atmospheric, unique twist on Beauty and the Beast with voicey, interesting characters, was probably my favorite and definitely made me want to read on!
I also enjoyed Clyde and Coalesce by Kim Elliott, a super cute modern taken on Pride and Prejudice featuring an up and coming band and two roommates in a story that I wish was longer!
I also enjoyed how the stories of Marmalade Sunset and The Art of Making Doughnuts also showcased first loves at different stages of life with a more poignant take.
Overall, I thought this and enjoyable, light read, and would recommend to anyone looking for an uplifting collection of sweet romance to fill an evening. Thanks so much to the publisher for the ARC!
March 9, 2022
This book is an anthology of 10 short stories featuring the talents of Linda Budzinski, Melissa Maygrove, Michael Di Gesu, Sylvia Ney, Katie Klein, Kim Elliott, Templeton Moss, S.E. White, Denise Covey, and Sammi Spizziri. It is all about the magic of love and matters of the heart where the readers will enjoy reading the stories.
Each short story has an impressive plot leaving a great impact on the reader's heart. The writing style is descriptive and realistic where the readers will enjoy reading the stories. The language is lucid to make people relate to the characters.
All the stories are wonderfully woven together and unique. The first love tales from all walks of life with a surprising climax stun the readers.
The Art of Making Doughnuts, My Heart Approves, My First Love(s) and Oliver’s Girl are my personal favourites.
Refreshing read.
Each short story has an impressive plot leaving a great impact on the reader's heart. The writing style is descriptive and realistic where the readers will enjoy reading the stories. The language is lucid to make people relate to the characters.
All the stories are wonderfully woven together and unique. The first love tales from all walks of life with a surprising climax stun the readers.
The Art of Making Doughnuts, My Heart Approves, My First Love(s) and Oliver’s Girl are my personal favourites.
Refreshing read.
December 4, 2022
Actual rating 4.5
This was a fun and light read, something I needed during a time of rest and recovery. While I'm not a diehard romance fan, I was excited to read this latest collection from the IWSG. I enjoyed all the stories, but some really stood out to me. My overall thoughts on each is listed below.
The Art of Making Doughnuts - 5
(I totally understand why the collection was named after this story. For me, it was the most relatable story in the collection.)
My Heart Approves - 4
How to Save a Princess - 4
(This story was a lot of fun. Great even for non-romance fans.)
My First Loves (s) - 4
The Real Thing - 5
(Nice YA appeal.)
Paper Faces - 4
Oliver's Girls - 4
Clyde and Coalesce - 5
(The musical elements of this story added a layer of appreciation that music lovers, whether they like romance or not, can easily get into.)
Marmalade Sunset - 4
The Castle of Ohno - 5
(A kind of Beauty and the Beast tale. My mom would love this. I think I'll recommend it to her.)
Recommended to those who enjoy sweet romance or who simply want to read something light and touching.
This was a fun and light read, something I needed during a time of rest and recovery. While I'm not a diehard romance fan, I was excited to read this latest collection from the IWSG. I enjoyed all the stories, but some really stood out to me. My overall thoughts on each is listed below.
The Art of Making Doughnuts - 5
(I totally understand why the collection was named after this story. For me, it was the most relatable story in the collection.)
My Heart Approves - 4
How to Save a Princess - 4
(This story was a lot of fun. Great even for non-romance fans.)
My First Loves (s) - 4
The Real Thing - 5
(Nice YA appeal.)
Paper Faces - 4
Oliver's Girls - 4
Clyde and Coalesce - 5
(The musical elements of this story added a layer of appreciation that music lovers, whether they like romance or not, can easily get into.)
Marmalade Sunset - 4
The Castle of Ohno - 5
(A kind of Beauty and the Beast tale. My mom would love this. I think I'll recommend it to her.)
Recommended to those who enjoy sweet romance or who simply want to read something light and touching.
September 19, 2022
I loved this anthology, the result of a contest through the Insecure Writers Support Group. The short stories are very different, each one featuring the meeting of 2 people destined to love. A great mix of writing styles and a delight to read.
December 29, 2022
Among the exciting stories, Clyde and Coalesce was my favourite! Only wish I could read more of this story! Got one for my mom, friend and daughter! Can't wait to share that indescribable magical butterfly feeling... fresh, uplifting and full of surprises!
March 9, 2022
I was lucky enough to receive this book from the publisher. I hope the prospective reader will read this review fully before making any prejudgments on the book. I will give the book my thoughts. These thoughts are completely my own and not swayed in any way by anyone else’s reviews or opinions.
Check out my blog for more: www.onreviewbysara.com
My Rating: I give this anthology 3 out of 5 stars. I felt like I needed to rate the book as a whole since it is published as a whole. It was average. Some stories were great and others not so much. I, overall, liked some of the collection of stories in this book. I suggest you look at the authors to see if they are ones that you have enjoyed in the past before you read the book. If you are familiar with their writing styles, it will help you in the future if you decide to purchase the book after its release.
Check out my blog for more: www.onreviewbysara.com
My Rating: I give this anthology 3 out of 5 stars. I felt like I needed to rate the book as a whole since it is published as a whole. It was average. Some stories were great and others not so much. I, overall, liked some of the collection of stories in this book. I suggest you look at the authors to see if they are ones that you have enjoyed in the past before you read the book. If you are familiar with their writing styles, it will help you in the future if you decide to purchase the book after its release.
September 9, 2022
I received a copy of this book for a fair and honest review. There is room in the day for wonderful short stories and doughnuts. This anthology has 10 short stories that are all about first love sweetness. I enjoyed that I got the whole story in just a few pages. I love my novels, but sometimes just a group of short tales helps me get back on track for the longer reads. The stories are both contemporary and historical in nature. I am glad I got a chance to read this collection.
March 8, 2022
This was a sweet, warm collection of love stories. Some of them I really liked, and some of them I felt were missing something. A couple of them left me confused at their abruptness. In all, I liked the collection, but I wished for more.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews