The second story, "The Alchemical Marriage", is by Mary Jo Putney and is a historical romance. Set in the time of the war between Spain and England, it is the story of two powerful mages who try to stop the Spanish Armada. "The Stained Glass Heart", by Catherine Asaro, is a charming science fiction romance that explores the fact that the paths of love and duty often go in separate directions.

The fourth selection, "Skin Deep", by Deb Stover, is a contemporary romance about a dead lawyer trying to earn his way to a higher level of Heaven by seeing that his widow weds the man she was intended to marry before he got in the way. Will he do it?

In "The Trouble with Heroes", Jo Beverly discovers that heroes want to go home. But home is not always the same as it was when the hero left. And, finally, Jennifer Roberson tells a tale of Robin Hood and Marian - in a story of King Arthur.

All six stories bring unusual elements to them that elevate them to a level above the normal romance. I'm not a fan of romance, but these stories kept even me interested. Pick up Irresistible Forces and indulge in romance of a different ilk.