Author: Anthology
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Pages/Word Count: 350 Pages
Rating: 5 Stars
Blurb: Take a ride to Northern Scotland on the famous train, the Jacobite, and rediscover desire. Get lost in the Peace Maze in Northern Ireland during a downpour and let a handsome young redhead come to the rescue. Take a tour of historical Blackpool on the English coast and set the stage for the perfect romance. From England to the outer isles, the UK holds treasure troves of romance, history, intrigue, and—naturally—quirky British humor. Not Quite Shakespeare samples it all in fifteen stories.
A man in London makes an accidental confession of sexual need to a virtual stranger who happens to be his boss. An American revisits West Sussex and rekindles an old flame with a romp in the stables. A couple finds their perfect third while vacationing on a pig farm in Yorkshire. In the office, on the race track, or in the kitchen baking bread—romance in the UK is alive and well, and full of sweet surprise.
Stories Included:
Ninety-nine Problems by Becky Black
The Jacobite by Bette Browne
Illumination by Sam Evans
Wag, Not a Dog by Theo Fenraven
The Benefits of Hindsight by MA Ford
Apollo, Heathcliff, and Hercules by S.A. Garcia
Misadventures of Mislaid Men by Penny Hudson
Rough Tackle by Annabelle Jacobs
Bread and Butter Pudding by Jules Jones
First Contact by Rhidian Brenig Jones
Chanctonbury Ring by Sarah Madison
Tops Down, Bottoms Up by Jay Northcote
In the Doghouse by Chris Quinton
Wrong Number by Megan Reddaway
Best Vacation Ever by Rob Rosen
Review: Not Quite Shakespeare is a collection of short stories about quirky, sexy and typical British men. The title is a cheeky way of saying, please don’t compare these stories to the Bard. But I disagree, this collection was phenomenal and in my opinion, will be a British classic in the M/M universe.
As an anglophile myself, I loved all the offerings. I can’t even pick my favorite. Reading this anthology reminded me how much I miss England. The language, dry humor and settings are all quintessentially British. The storytelling and the quality of the writing was exceptional. I think some stories paid homage to other great British writers. I was trying to remember my HS English lit and failing miserably.
Not Quite Shakespeare has something for everyone, from old friends reconnecting and finding that time doesn’t diminish feelings to a man dialing his boss by accident and telling him what he wanted—and the boss fulfilling the request, as well as a really cute story about roommates who find that a mutual love of bread can create a relationship. Olive oil plays a major part!
All the stories were fun to read. They were cute and heartwarming, but let’s not forget the sex. Some stories had more sex than others but all had the right level of sexiness and hotness. For me, British men are a wet dream and the authors did not skimp on the Britishness or the sexiness. Just the accent alone is drool worthy, and I was reading them in an English accent. LOL
If you’re having England withdrawals, pick up Not Quite Shakespeare! It’s just as satisfying as scones and clotted cream but not as fattening, and will leave you hot and bothered!
You can buy Not Quite Shakespeare here:
Oh this looks really good!!! Gotta get my hands on it