Skiing Slopes Into Love

by Donna Clancy from the February 24, 2025 issue

Tagline: Carol rekindles more than just her love of snow sports on a weekend away at a ski resort when she runs into an old flame.

Observations: Ha! This was a matchmaker story that I didn't see coming. I LOVE being surprised. This was also an old flame story, so don't hesitate to combine two tropes together in one story. 

I liked that Ms. Clancy seemed very familiar with skiing. All the little details rang true. Even if you're not familiar with an aspect of your story, the internet is only a click away. I wrote my first hockey romance not being a hockey fan at all, but thanks to Google, I was able to learn a lot about the sport and some of the behind the scenes stuff that made it seem to reviewers like I'd been a fan for a long time. 

Shout out to Donna. Congratulations on your first published story! You're proof that persistence is so important. You nailed the tone, the tropes, the connection between the characters... Brava!

Warm Hearts on a Cold Night

by Kristen Walsh from the February 17, 2025 issue

Tagline: Cherie didn't expect that a crisp winter skate at the lake would have her falling into the arms of a Valentine's Day sweetheart. 

Observations: What's more romantic than meeting while ice skating and sipping cocoa? I really liked the setting of this story. I could just picture the twinkling lights, hear the scrape of the skates on the ice and smell the hot chocolate. 

My favorite line: "The pickup hockey team is my way to keep from turning into a cold and lonely winter hermit." That made me laugh!

On the flip side, there were three instances of blushing at the end of the story. Having a critique partner read your drafts would be a good way to avoid repetition like this. Or you could always hire me to edit your story for you! 😜 

Photo by Elvert Barnes via Flickr CC License

Touchdown for True Love

by Carrie Langevin from the February 10, 2025 issue

Tagline: When Sherri showed up at her friend's Super Bowl party, she was dreading the though tof having to watch football. Until she hit it off with a handsome stranger by the snack table.

Observations: I really identified with this story, being a non-football fan myself. When I go to Super Bowl parties, which is rarely, I'm only there for the food. LOL

I liked the nod to the national anthem. I am a proud American and I always sing it at live events. I wish more people would. It's exhilarating to sing with a big group of people. 

I laughed when she admitted she tried the guacamole when she made it and my mouth watered when I read about the smoked chicken wings. YUM. As much as I don't like football, I love chicken wings.

It was fun to belatedly realize that this was a matchmaker story, too! I didn't see that coming, but it was a welcome surprise. I really liked the last line too.

Paige looked over her shoulder, seeing this romance unfold, and congratulated herself on a successful strategic offensive play. 

And it's a funny coincidence that this is the second story in a row to feature Swedish meatballs!

So, as a bit of a teaching moment, when writing a matchmaker story, you don't have to identify that trope and/or the matchmaker him/herself right off the bat. You can keep that card close to your vest until later as a fun surprise. 

Photo by Jeremy Keith via Flickr CC License

Love in a Snow Globe

by Wendel James Potter from the February 3, 2025 issue

Tagline: Enjoying a peaceful winter morning, Marni accepts an invitation from her handsome neighbor, Jann, to try Swedish meatballs

Off the Cuff Observations: I hate to start out with a criticism, but not sure I'd use the word "tender" to describe eyes. However, I still like the opening paragraph. It really sets the scene.

Ooh, I really like the snow globe paragraph! I also like the little summary of Marni's life right how. It paints her as a woman who is grateful for where she is and continues to work hard to meet her personal goals.

Oh, Jann sounds like the kind of neighbor every young single woman wants. Dare I say he's a NILK (Neighbor I Want to Kiss)?

She watched him as he walked to the counter for more coffee, taking in each step of his sort of lumber-swagger. That's how her breaths were coming. -- I'm a tad confused. Exactly how were her breaths coming? Lumber-swaggering? 

Ice fishing. LOL

Oh, he cooks! Another point in his favor. 

She knew her answer to his question, of course she wanted to come over, but a part of her hesitated. -- Why did she hesitate? And then why was she so confident with her answer, once she finally gave it?

Marni can't recall the last time she felt this content. -- Oops, we slipped into present tense.

Nice story! Loved the snow globe imagery and the yummy Swedish hero!

Photo by Sharon Chen via Flickr CC License

Breaking the Ice

by Mina Beckett from the January 27, 2025 issue

Tagline: megan finds herself jumping into more than just freezing water at the local polar plunge. With Reid, she may just dive into love too.

Observations: This was a very cute story and I liked it for a lot of reasons.

First, the premise was unique. A polar plunge! I've never seen that in a Woman's World story before. 

I also liked the banter between the two of them and how he used humor to calm her fears. 

I felt optimistic and happy when I got to the end. Even though no date had been nailed down, the couple really seemed like they had some fun ahead of them. 

Oddly enough, I very much appreciated that he threw his arm around her shoulders but there was no electricity, no zings, no flutterings. I know that the editors have said they like physical reactions like these to be included, but for me, it's apparently gotten to the point where not seeing it is refreshing. LOL It just wasn't needed and that Ms. Beckett realized that demonstrates how much of an art writing is. This story was published despite not having any physical attraction/reactions. I encourage you not to write your stories with a checklist. I think that is only asking for stories that seem cookie-cutter and formulaic.

Photo by Eagle102.net via Flickr CC License

A Spark in a Power Outage

by Eileen Bloss Buffone from the January 2025 issue

Tagline: Amanda, a city girl new to Montana, struggles with snow and isolation until her handsome landlord, Jonathan, offers pizza and companionship during a snowstorm.

Stream of Consciousness Observations: Contrary to my usual comments, these observations will be off-the-cuff, as I read, no forethought or analyzing. I usually do this because I'm behind on the blog and I need to catch-up. 

Oh, I am a born and bred California girl and I, too, get antsy when driving in the snow. 

She's a brave woman, moving to a new state with a completely different climate. However, as much as I like saguaro cacti, Big Sky Country would be so beautiful. I admire her sense of adventure!

"I'll bring the kerosene heater up from the basement." -- Her basement or his? I'm a little confused.

Pet peeve warning...their hands brush as she's handing him his root beer. As a barista, I hand drinks to people all day long without making skin to skin contact, but somehow this happens all the time in Woman's World stories. People's hands are constantly brushing accidentally. Maybe the point is that these people are doing it subconsciously because they're attracted to the other person? I don't know. I just know that it's very easy not to touch someone else when handing them things and it bugs me everytime I see it in a story. 

"This is the first time I've actually seen snow." -- I find it a teensy bit strange that he doesn't react more to this. All he says is that it's been a mild winter. 

Oh, a ride on a snowmobile sounds like a ton of fun. I like how Jonathan is just going for it.

Okay, I've finished the story. There was no black/gray moment, and I do miss it a little, although, as I've said many times before, it's not necessary for publication. The couple have a love of cooking in common, so that's a plus as far as their future is concerned! We always want to leave the story with a reasonable expectation of happiness and love between the couple.

Photo by Michael Lucas via Flickr CC License

 

Love Burns Brightly

by Colleen LaQuay Urbaniuk from the January 13, 2025 issue

Tagline: Peter knows a thing or two about putting out fires, but a surprise visit from Angela reveals the one fire he never quite extinguished.

Observations: First of all, I loved the tagline. It was extra clever this week.

There was a lot I liked about this story. I loved all the banter amongst the firefighters. If you love that type of thing too, I highly recommend the book Things You Save in a Fire by Katherine Center. It really goes deep into the world of firefighting. Katherine Center is one of my favorite authors.

I noticed this story had an omniscient POV, which isn't seen as much but was worth noting, if you like writing that POV.

I also really liked how much time was spent with the main characters interacting and exploring their past feelings and setting the record straight. Everything that happened back then sounded very plausible. When the story ended, I felt confident these two had a real chance at love.