Together We Stand Volume 2: A Charity Anthology for Ukraine by C.A. King, JA Lafrance, Rose Bak, A.N. Waugh, AM Cosgrove, Crystal St. Clair, Sky Purington, A.L. Morrow, TL Mayhew, C.L. Collier, Jordan Leger, Zorha Redwolf Edwards, Emery LeeAnn, Pandora Snow, M.A. Abraham, Tricia Daniels, Raven Belasco, M.K. Moore, KL Fast, Illustrated by Mikki Noble – Review by Jennifer Gordon
Together We Stand, Vol. 2 by C.A. King
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This charity anthology is not only for a good cause, but it’s full of wonderful stories, all of which are well worth a read. I literally ‘binge read’ this book and thoroughly enjoyed each story, although, the anthology as a whole definitely took me on an emotional rollercoaster. Each story is by a different author and each one is a different genre, so there is a story for everyone! The authors have written tales covering everything from horror and persecution, to loss, and unfair struggles, which all lead to either new lives, new perspectives, or new romances.
Having read all of the entertaining, enjoyable and engaging stories, it’s hard to pick out just one or two. However, C.A. King’s, story ‘ Clara’s Story’, did stand out, following a tragic accident, a mother has to come to terms with the aftermath, and the life changing effects it’s had on her daughter. The mother also gets a second chance at love. The plot had me hooked from the start and I felt engaged with the characters, and immersed in their world. I found the storyline both heartwarming and at times heartbreaking, and although it’s a fairly short story the characters stayed with me. ‘A Wife from the Homefront’, by, Jordan Leger, also stood out for me, the story focuses on a husband and wife, separated when the husband is deployed. In this story the wife is having to manage at home with their young daughter. The storyline is about having a spouse in the military and the sense of loss and loneliness that they can feel, and of course worry for the one deployed. The plot also shows how the other spouses all support one another, and how with a bit of imagination the couples can still have intimate moments even when they are apart, which does lead to some steamy scenes.
The underlying theme in this anthology for Ukraine, is survival and survivors. Each story has a very well deserved HEA, and I was left with a sense of hope, inspiration and positivity for the future at the end of the anthology.
