Quiz: How Well Do You Know Mixtape: A Love Song Anthology?

Quiz Instructions

This quiz covers stories from all twelve authors in the anthology. Questions are divided into four sections: Plot/Sequence, Character Motivation, Theme/Symbol, and Synthesis. Each multiple-choice question has one correct answer. For short-answer questions, write a concise response based on the stories.

Plot and Sequence Questions (8 questions)

1. In Saffron Kent’s story, what event directly causes Fallon to confess her love to Dean?
   a. Dean flirts with a waitress in Des Moines.
   b. Dean catches her tripping on the stairs.
   c. Fallon’s mother encourages her over the phone.
   d. Dean admits he threatened her prom date.

2. In Nikki Sloane’s story, what forces Jamie and Anna’s relationship into the public eye?
   a. A TMZ post showing them on a Hawaii beach.
   b. Anna’s risqué movie billboard.
   c. Jamie’s first NASCAR victory interview.
   d. A Facebook tag from Samantha Hidenrite.

3. In Sierra Simone’s story, why did Jacey stage her own death?
   a. She wanted to escape military deployment.
   b. Devon married her brother Michael.
   c. She was terminally ill.
   d. She owed money to dangerous people.

4. In Veronica Larsen’s story, what misunderstanding leads Emilia to confess she slept with the groom?
   a. She mistakes Evan (the twin) for Devon (the groom).
   b. She sees the groom kissing another bridesmaid.
   c. She finds the groom’s dating profile.
   d. She overhears the groom talking about a one-night stand.

5. In Mara White’s story, what is the direct result of Marilyn’s one-night stand with Dallas?
   a. She gives birth to a son, Ove Dexter, who has Dallas’ green eyes.
   b. She divorces Ove and marries Dallas within a year.
   c. She never sees Dallas again until the epilogue.
   d. She confesses to her husband and they adopt.

6. In Xio Axelrod’s story, which painting does Malcolm Zaha first buy from Pellam Lindt?
   a. “Closer”
   b. “Toothpaste Kisses”
   c. “Du Ma Vie”
   d. “Cherish”

7. In Rebecca Shea’s story, what natural event traps Mia and Mateo in the cabin?
   a. A severe blizzard.
   b. A mudslide.
   c. A forest fire.
   d. An earthquake.

8. In KL Kreig’s story, why does Killian accept a job in Pensacola?
   a. To escape Richard DeSoto’s control and build an independent future.
   b. To be closer to his brother Kael.
   c. To follow Maverick, who already moved there.
   d. To get away from his mother’s interference.

Character Motivation Questions (5 questions)

1. In Leslie McAdam’s story, why does Shane initially deny his romantic feelings for Randy?
   a. He is afraid of being outed.
   b. He is still in love with his ex-girlfriend Kim.
   c. He is not sexually attracted to men.
   d. He wants to focus entirely on his internship.

2. In Elle Kennedy’s story, why does Dean agree to walk Gabby down the aisle?
   a. He prioritizes her happiness over his own pain.
   b. He hopes she will change her mind at the altar.
   c. He wants to impress her family.
   d. He is forced by his friend Remi.

3. In Marni Mann’s story, why does Bale disappear for three weeks without explanation?
   a. He was hired to infiltrate Pepper’s club and steal data.
   b. He was arrested for a crime.
   c. He was offered a job on the opposite coast.
   d. He wanted to test Pepper’s loyalty.

4. In Lynda Aicher’s story, why does Daniel Marks fire Tara?
   a. To spare a colleague with a family from being laid off.
   b. To get her alone and pursue a relationship.
   c. Because she was underperforming.
   d. Because she rejected his earlier advances.

5. In Saffron Kent’s story, why does Dean initially reject Fallon’s romantic advances?
   a. He believes she is too young and he is too busy with work.
   b. He is secretly in love with someone else.
   c. He is afraid of her father’s reaction.
   d. He doesn’t find her attractive.

Theme and Symbol Questions (4 questions)

1. What does the mixtape metaphor represent across the entire anthology?
   a. Each story is an individual song in a curated playlist of romantic experiences.
   b. Love can be recorded and replayed like a cassette.
   c. The 1990s music scene influences all the characters.
   d. Twelve authors collaborated like a band.

2. In Veronica Larsen’s story, what does the Willie Nelson song “Always On My Mind” symbolize for Emilia?
   a. Her fear of commitment and potential regret.
   b. Her fond childhood memories.
   c. Her desire for a purely physical relationship.
   d. Her dislike of Elvis Presley’s version.

3. Which three story titles are also names of popular songs?
   a. “Broken Hallelujah”, “All I Want”, “Think I’m in Love”
   b. “Mixtape”, “Epilogue”, “Inscription”
   c. “Your Everything”, “Closer”, “Always On My Mind”
   d. “The Blindfold Club”, “When Ashes Fall”, “Sombra”

4. In Chapter 43 (“Inscription”), Khalil Gibran writes: “And think not you can direct the course of love, for love, if it finds you worthy, directs your course.” Which character directly quotes this to another?
   a. Killian’s mother, Eilish, says it to Killian.
   b. Killian says it to Maverick.
   c. Maverick says it to Killian.
   d. Richard DeSoto says it to Killian.

Synthesis Questions (3 questions)

1. (Short answer) Both Elle Kennedy’s Dean and KL Kreig’s Killian make a significant sacrifice for the person they love. What is one key similarity in their sacrifices?

2. How do the stories “Broken Hallelujah” (Sierra Simone) and “Think I’m in Love” (Leslie McAdam) use physical intimacy as a form of communication?
   a. Both use intense physical scenes to express emotions that words alone cannot convey.
   b. Both use sex as a way to manipulate the other character.
   c. Both stories avoid explicit sex scenes.
   d. Both characters use physical intimacy to end the relationship.

3. (Short answer) Name one story that features a protagonist with clinical depression and one story where the protagonist struggles with a fear of commitment.

Answer Key

Question 1: a. In Chapter 4, after Dean flirts with a waitress, Fallon becomes jealous and confesses her love in his hotel room.

Question 2: a. In Chapter 8, a TMZ post shows Jamie and Anna on the beach, exposing their relationship to the public.

Question 3: b. Jacey faked her death because Devon married her brother Michael after their deployment.

Question 4: a. Emilia matched with Evan (who used the alias “Dirk”) and later mistakenly thought she had slept with the groom, Devon.

Question 5: a. Marilyn becomes pregnant with Ove Dexter, who inherits Dallas’ green eyes, as revealed in the epilogue.

Question 6: a. Malcolm purchases “Closer” from Pell’s exhibit; he later buys “Toothpaste Kisses” separately.

Question 7: a. A snowstorm strands them; Mia’s car barely makes it, and they are cut off from the road.

Question 8: a. Killian takes the job to free himself from Richard’s supervision and prove he can support Maverick independently.

Question 9: a. Shane is afraid of being outed; the pride booth confrontation forces him to face this fear.

Question 10: b. Dean chooses to walk Gabby down the aisle because her happiness matters more than his own desire.

Question 11: a. Bale was a fixer hired to infiltrate Lush and steal client data; he fell in love with Pepper in the process.

Question 12: a. Daniel fired Tara to protect a colleague with a family from the layoffs, as he explains in Chapter 8.

Question 13: a. Dean thinks Fallon is too young and his prosecutor job leaves no time for a relationship.

Question 14: a. The anthology’s opening chapter establishes the mixtape metaphor, with each story representing a different song in a love-song playlist.

Question 15: a. The song triggers Emilia’s regret about walking away from Evan and her deeper fear of intimacy.

Question 16: a. “Broken Hallelujah” (Leonard Cohen), “All I Want” (Kodaline / various), and “Think I’m in Love” (Eddie Money / various) are all known song titles.

Question 17: a. In Chapter 47, Killian’s mother Eilish recites the Gibran quote to comfort him about his love for Maverick.

Question 18 (short answer): Both Dean (in Elle Kennedy’s story) and Killian (in KL Kreig’s story) temporarily place their beloved’s happiness and future above their own immediate desires—Dean by walking Gabby down the aisle, Killian by moving to Pensacola to gain independence from her controlling father.

Question 19: a. In “Broken Hallelujah,” BDSM-infused sex allows Jacey and Devon to communicate forgiveness and atonement; in “Think I’m in Love,” Randy and Shane’s physical intimacy expresses long-suppressed emotional truth after years of denial.

Question 20 (short answer): Clinical depression appears in Saffron Kent’s story (Fallon takes daily medication and Dean reminds her). Fear of commitment is central to Veronica Larsen’s story (Emilia avoids relationships because of her father’s six failed marriages).