The Language of Love and Other Stories - Nancy Christie - ★★★★
AUTHOR: Nancy Christie
GENRE: Short Story Collection
PUBLICATION DATE: February 4, 2025
RATING: 3.9 stars.
In a Nutshell: A delightful short story collection focussing on all aspects of love. Yes, “love”, not “romance”! Interesting plots, multiple emotions, steady paced, beautiful endings ranging from sweet to bittersweet. Not corny or mushy as you might assume. Much recommended!
I had misjudged this short story collection on initial glance, dismissing it as being cheesy romance tales. (Very hasty and judgemental of me, I admit. No offence intended to readers of the genre. It is just that I no longer enjoy such stories.) As the cover gave me romance vibes, I almost decided that this is not for me. But then, the title made me pause, bringing to my mind the fabulous "The Five Love Languages of Children" by Gary Chapman and Ross Campbell – probably the only self-help/inspirational book I've read that I found authentic and practical. I wondered if the "language" in this collection's title could also be a reference to the love languages instead of typical romantic mush. Turns out, my guess was right! This collection turned out to be everything I could wish for in a story collection, and then some more.
The twenty stories are divided across five sections: Friendships, Parent and Child, New Lovers Old Lovers, Couples, and Letting Go. As the section headings indicate, each set covers a range of emotions dealing with varied aspects of what love entails. ‘Friendships’ has only one story, and the rest have four/five each. There is no author’s note, but the title and the sections offer enough clues about the content.
While every plot is connected to love, every tale isn't a soppy Hallmark-y one. I loved how the stories explored different facets of love, including the tough task of saying goodbye. I wish ‘Letting Go’ hadn’t been the last section, though I can understand why this decision was taken from a creative angle. It would have been better to end the book on a happier note, but the stories in this set were more sad and bittersweet than joyful for obvious reasons.
The "love" in the stories covers a diverse range of relationships, ranging from spousal (new lovers as well as exes) to parental, and even varied age groups, with the cast list covering children as well as senior citizens. While the range of relations was more than satisfactory, I wish a few of the tales had explored non-hetero stories as well. Inclusivity is the only key element missing from this book, with all the marital connections in the book being straight. Not a major issue, but definitely something that could have made the stories even truer to life and embracing of pride relationships.
Most authors prefer to write emotion-driven stories from female perspectives, all the more if the author is also female. Surprisingly to me, this collection includes both male as well as female narrators, and does a great job of it as well. Whether written in first person or third person, every protagonist depicts a good range of feelings that ring true to the situation instead of appearing melodramatic.
The narrative is character-oriented and focusses on traditional storytelling, with emotions and plots getting priority over needless literary flourishes. This keeps the pacing steady and the plot development smooth.
The endings are spot on. Even when they aren't exactly happy, every story comes to a proper close. I especially appreciate this because the stories are all character-driven, and it's tougher to ensure plot integrity and closure when we see events only from one character's perspective.
While I like the simplicity of the cover design, I wish the typeface of the title and the author’s name had been bigger, and maybe a bit more fancy. The current type is too ordinary for such a lovely collection.
As always, I rated the stories individually. Of the twenty stories, a whopping eleven stories reached/crossed the 4-star mark. A further seven stories earned 3-3.5 stars. A high-performing set, indeed! As I don’t want to list out too many stories and make this review even lengthier, here are my top favourites with 4.5+ stars:
💕 Claire Juliana (PARENT AND CHILD): As someone having a daughter of the same age (but not of the same attitude, thankfully) and also a mother of the same age, I resonated with the emotions behind this story. It was almost as if it took a peek into my heart. So touching! - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
💕 The Ferris Wheel (PARENT AND CHILD): A beautiful depiction of a father trying to move on for his daughter's sake. I love that the story had a male perspective depicting vulnerability. Macho men are so overwritten and boring! - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
💕 Listen To Me (NEW LOVERS, OLD LOVERS): A touching story of true listening. This tale also brings out the differences in love languages, without explicitly mentioning the concept. - ⭐⭐⭐⭐✨
💕 Henry, Hortense and the Halloween Party (NEW LOVERS, OLD LOVERS): Every collection should have at least one story that should make the reader go, "Whoa! Even if all the other stories don't work out, this story made the book worth purchasing!" This is THAT story! Not often that I give a cheesy story five stars, but I love being surprised! - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
💕 Doors and Windows (COUPLES): Such a sad story! Not something I expected in a collection of love stories. But as we all know, the language of love needn't always be sunshine and rainbows. Bonus half star for managing a triple character perspective in a short story without any random confusing headjumping. - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Honourable mention with four stars each:
I had misjudged this short story collection on initial glance, dismissing it as being cheesy romance tales. (Very hasty and judgemental of me, I admit. No offence intended to readers of the genre. It is just that I no longer enjoy such stories.) As the cover gave me romance vibes, I almost decided that this is not for me. But then, the title made me pause, bringing to my mind the fabulous "The Five Love Languages of Children" by Gary Chapman and Ross Campbell – probably the only self-help/inspirational book I've read that I found authentic and practical. I wondered if the "language" in this collection's title could also be a reference to the love languages instead of typical romantic mush. Turns out, my guess was right! This collection turned out to be everything I could wish for in a story collection, and then some more.
The twenty stories are divided across five sections: Friendships, Parent and Child, New Lovers Old Lovers, Couples, and Letting Go. As the section headings indicate, each set covers a range of emotions dealing with varied aspects of what love entails. ‘Friendships’ has only one story, and the rest have four/five each. There is no author’s note, but the title and the sections offer enough clues about the content.
While every plot is connected to love, every tale isn't a soppy Hallmark-y one. I loved how the stories explored different facets of love, including the tough task of saying goodbye. I wish ‘Letting Go’ hadn’t been the last section, though I can understand why this decision was taken from a creative angle. It would have been better to end the book on a happier note, but the stories in this set were more sad and bittersweet than joyful for obvious reasons.
The "love" in the stories covers a diverse range of relationships, ranging from spousal (new lovers as well as exes) to parental, and even varied age groups, with the cast list covering children as well as senior citizens. While the range of relations was more than satisfactory, I wish a few of the tales had explored non-hetero stories as well. Inclusivity is the only key element missing from this book, with all the marital connections in the book being straight. Not a major issue, but definitely something that could have made the stories even truer to life and embracing of pride relationships.
Most authors prefer to write emotion-driven stories from female perspectives, all the more if the author is also female. Surprisingly to me, this collection includes both male as well as female narrators, and does a great job of it as well. Whether written in first person or third person, every protagonist depicts a good range of feelings that ring true to the situation instead of appearing melodramatic.
The narrative is character-oriented and focusses on traditional storytelling, with emotions and plots getting priority over needless literary flourishes. This keeps the pacing steady and the plot development smooth.
The endings are spot on. Even when they aren't exactly happy, every story comes to a proper close. I especially appreciate this because the stories are all character-driven, and it's tougher to ensure plot integrity and closure when we see events only from one character's perspective.
While I like the simplicity of the cover design, I wish the typeface of the title and the author’s name had been bigger, and maybe a bit more fancy. The current type is too ordinary for such a lovely collection.
As always, I rated the stories individually. Of the twenty stories, a whopping eleven stories reached/crossed the 4-star mark. A further seven stories earned 3-3.5 stars. A high-performing set, indeed! As I don’t want to list out too many stories and make this review even lengthier, here are my top favourites with 4.5+ stars:
💕 Claire Juliana (PARENT AND CHILD): As someone having a daughter of the same age (but not of the same attitude, thankfully) and also a mother of the same age, I resonated with the emotions behind this story. It was almost as if it took a peek into my heart. So touching! - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
💕 The Ferris Wheel (PARENT AND CHILD): A beautiful depiction of a father trying to move on for his daughter's sake. I love that the story had a male perspective depicting vulnerability. Macho men are so overwritten and boring! - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
💕 Listen To Me (NEW LOVERS, OLD LOVERS): A touching story of true listening. This tale also brings out the differences in love languages, without explicitly mentioning the concept. - ⭐⭐⭐⭐✨
💕 Henry, Hortense and the Halloween Party (NEW LOVERS, OLD LOVERS): Every collection should have at least one story that should make the reader go, "Whoa! Even if all the other stories don't work out, this story made the book worth purchasing!" This is THAT story! Not often that I give a cheesy story five stars, but I love being surprised! - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
💕 Doors and Windows (COUPLES): Such a sad story! Not something I expected in a collection of love stories. But as we all know, the language of love needn't always be sunshine and rainbows. Bonus half star for managing a triple character perspective in a short story without any random confusing headjumping. - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Honourable mention with four stars each:
💗 Charley and the Cupid Caper (FRIENDSHIPS);
💗 Bingo (NEW LOVERS, OLD LOVERS);
💗 The Language of Love (COUPLES);
💗 The Message is Understood (COUPLES);
💗 Goodbyes (LETTING GO); and
💗 Love Letters (LETTING GO.)
All in all, I adored this collection. As I had opted for this only on a hunch, I love that it ended up as surpassing my expectations by a huge margin. This outstanding work will probably be one of my top anthology/collections of 2025. I'd love to read more from this talented author.
Much recommended to all short story lovers who enjoy character-driven tales depicting varied hues of human love. It will also be a great gifting option for those who are looking for love stories in the month of February without looking for “love stories.”
3.9 stars, based on the average of my ratings for each tale. (If you are familiar with my ratings, you know that an average coming close to 4 stars is wonderful for an anthology.)
All in all, I adored this collection. As I had opted for this only on a hunch, I love that it ended up as surpassing my expectations by a huge margin. This outstanding work will probably be one of my top anthology/collections of 2025. I'd love to read more from this talented author.
Much recommended to all short story lovers who enjoy character-driven tales depicting varied hues of human love. It will also be a great gifting option for those who are looking for love stories in the month of February without looking for “love stories.”
3.9 stars, based on the average of my ratings for each tale. (If you are familiar with my ratings, you know that an average coming close to 4 stars is wonderful for an anthology.)
My thanks to WOW! Women On Writing and author Nancy Christie for a complimentary copy of 'The Language of Love and Other Stories', and for allowing me to be a part of this blog tour. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.
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Blurb:
'The Language of Love and Other Stories' is about all types of love the ones that exist between parent and child as well as between generations, the bonds that grow between new lovers as well as those that exist between long-settled couples.
The 20-story collection explores all the stages of the tenuous yet exciting beginning, the calmer, more mundane phases, the uncertain periods, and finally the ending—sometimes anticipated, other times devastatingly unexpected. It’s about whom one loves, how one loves, and what one does when the love is reciprocated, rejected or over.
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Author Nancy Christie:
"My love affair with writing started in my childhood. Books carried me into worlds I never knew existed, and, once I learned how to write, my imagination kept me there. With paper and pen, I could bring people to life who never before existed. With 26 letters, I could create a universe of my own.
As an adult, writing is my way of making a connection with the rest of the world. Fiction, non-fiction, essays and books—they are all the tools with which I shape the land and make my home.
While I make my living as a freelance writer and am the author of three non-fiction books: the inspirational book, THE GIFTS OF CHANGE (Beyond Words Publishing/Atria), and two books for writers: RUT-BUSTING BOOK FOR WRITERS and RUT-BUSTING BOOK FOR AUTHORS (both through BookBaby), my greatest passion is for fiction.
I’m the author of two Midlife Moxie novels: the award-winning novel REINVENTING RITA and FINDING FRAN , the second in the series (both through BookBaby); and three short story collections: MISTLETOE MAGIC AND OTHER HOLIDAY TALES , TRAVELING LEFT OF CENTER AND OTHER STORIES and PERIPHERAL VISIONS AND OTHER STORIES , all published by Unsolicited Press."
Connect with her on:
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Check out this book:
Purchase from:
Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0DG333HWN/
Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0DG333HWN/
Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0DG333HWN/
Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-language-of-love-and-other-stories-nancy-christie/1146248745
Bookshop.org: https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-language-of-love-and-other-stories-nancy-christie/21800641
Books-A-Million: https://www.booksamillion.com/p/Language-Love-Other-Stories/Nancy-Christie/9781963115284?id=8824368257731
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This has been a stop on the #TheLanguageOfLove blog tour conducted by WOW! Women On Writing. (@womenonwriting on X/Twitter.) Thanks for stopping by!
I'm so glad you enjoyed the collection--especially "Henry, Hortense and the Halloween Party." And that you appreciated the technical challenge in "Doors and Windows"--it was tricky!
ReplyDeleteI can imagine! I recently read a book where an author couldn't hold the narrative perspectives even in a full-length novel, so it must have been so much tougher in a short story. Kudos to you! Looking forward to reading more of your works. :)
DeleteSometimes I just like to challenge myself creatively, and with this one, it all came together after a few rough starts.
ReplyDelete