technically a dnf but i quickly lost my patience with this anthology based on the stories i did read. boring, formulaic, and for the most part not terribly interested in engaging with either their historical settings or their queerness outside of some insta-love where the characters happen to be of the same gender. a skim of the other two-star reviews echo thoughts i was already having. "roja" was quite good and "burnt umber" was at least fun but none of these actually grabbed my attention or will stay with me in any meaningful way. 

another thing that stands out to me is just how poorly edited this collection really is? i don't blame the authors for this part, but inconsistent or missing commas and way too many instances of tense inconsistency. i don't think i plan to read any other collections compiled by saundra mitchell.