These 18 stories address the mystery of love from unusual angles, leaving no darkness unexposed. The identity shifts born of intimate attraction find shape in arresting narrative transformations. The first section, “Strange Love,” includes narratives with offbeat structure or voice, twisted characters and morals, and quirks of discovery. When love plays games with reality, the next move often proves dangerous. Yet without love’s sly magic, what moves are left? The companion section, “Romance Not For Sale,” features stories about love that falls short of the romantic promise that society leads us to expect. These stories ground the collection in aching realism, whether set in suburbia, the Arctic, or mountain wilderness. Characters seeking connection find resolution instead in a touch of irony, a way to carry on. Readers will find here virtual experiences that resonate with their own; that delve into the mysterious yet universal realities of love in all its twisted vicissitudes, its fierce longings and sometimes flat trajectories. These are recognizable characters striving for connection, looking for openings of light in the dark labyrinths of the heart. Through their stories we discover why we fail to connect well and what it feels like when we attempt it.