Tag Archives: Short Story Collections

Beyond the Dark by Lora Leigh, Angela Knight, Emma Holly & Diane Whiteside

Book Review, , , , , , ,
Overview
Image result for beyond the dark angela knight book cover

Title: Beyond the Dark
Author: Lora Leigh, Angela Knight, Emma Holly & Diane Whiteside
In: Beyond the Dark (Lora Leigh, Angela Knight, Emma Holly & Diane Whiteside)
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Erotica, Paranormal romance, Short story collections
Dates read: 4th – 18th May 2021
Pace: Medium
Format: Novella
Publisher: Jove
Year: 2007
5th sentence, 74th page: No, I’ll just… I’ll just…

Synopsis

Go beyond your wildest fantasies.
Go beyond your most forbidden dreams.
Go further than any woman has ever dared to go…

Four bestselling authors of paranormal romance and erotic thrills take readers into a seductive midnight world of demons, mages, vampires, and knights, of queens with devilish secrets, and of devils with secret desires. Going this far is so dangerous, so exciting, so captivating, you may never want to come back down to earth.

Thoughts

I really, really enjoyed this collection. It was full of romance, fun and lust. A little more intensely erotic than some of my romances. But also not overbearingly so. The perfect balance for the type of stories that I enjoy.

I did buy this because at the moment I’m devouring the Breeds series by Lora Leigh. However, it did get bumped up my wishlist because I know and thoroughly enjoy the other three authors. I also like that the story by Emma Holly is also part of a series that I’m already half reading. Then the other two novellas were beautifully pleasant standalones.

This collection was darkly sensual and seriously wonderful. I loved jumping into these four worlds and being swept away. A collection that I will definitely read again.

<- In a Wolf’s EmbraceDragon Dance ->

Image source: Amazon

Primal Heat by Sherri L. King, Lorie O’Clare, Jaci Burton & Lora Leigh

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Overview
Primal Heat : Sherri L King : 9781843607403

Title: Primal Heat
Author: Sherri L. King, Lori O’Clare, Jaci Burton & Lora Leigh
In: Primal Heat (Sherri L. King, Lorie O’Clare, Jaci Burton & Lora Leigh)
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Erotica, Paranormal romance, Short story collections, Werewolves
Dates read: 7th February – 4th May 2021
Pace: Medium
Format: Novella
Publisher: Ellora’s Cave
Year: 2004
5th sentence, 74th page: Do you understand me?

Synopsis

“Moonlust” by Sherri L King
Series: Moonlust #1
During Brianna’s trip to the Ural Mountains of Russia, a life-threatening accident places her at the mercy of a strange, reclusive man. A man whose secrets and unquenchable hunger will change her life forever…

“Pack Law” by Lorie O’Clare
Series: Lunewulf, #1
Pack law states every female shall have three mates. It’s a necessary action in order to keep the lunewulf breed alive. Sophie Rousseau has just learned who her three mates will be. And one of them is the sexy Nik Alexander who has invaded her dreams since high school. Though Sophie’s nervous about fulfilling pack law, she can’t wait to mate with Nik. Nik has lusted after Sophie, wanted her for his mate and mother of his children. He gets his way, but by pack law, Sophie cannot be his alone. Nik will share her with two other werewolves. But only on his terms.

“Running Mate” by Jaci Burton
Series: Devlin Dynast, #1
Senator Jason Devlin is a man with a secret. A big one that could ruin his political career and his family. He guards his secret closely, allowing no outsiders to penetrate his intimate circle. Kelsey Harper is a reporter itching for an interview with the elusive senator. When a case of mistaken identity lands her in his bed, she gets much more than an interview.

“Wolfe’s Hope” by Lora Leigh
Series: Wolf Breeds , #2
Hope believed Wolfe was dead, but he was only waiting for the right time to claim her. He is a man whose DNA was altered, infused with the genetic code of the wolf. His unique genetic makeup has created a male unlike any other and will make itself known in the most surprising ways. Now Hope must convince her mate she hasn’t betrayed him, and they must defeat the plans of a scientist gone mad.

Thoughts

This was a fun and incredibly lustful collection. There was a lot of intense sexuality throughout this that most definitely put this into my erotic bookshelves. Most certainly not the kind of book that I would comfortably read in front of family members. But definitely one that was good when I wanted to kill a little time by myself…

There is something fun and intriguing about this collection. I only bought it because I love the Breeds series. But I now have another three authors that I’m intrigued by and keen to add to my shelves. Not all to the same degree, I found some of these novellas more to my taste than others. But overall, these were wonderful tastes of some great stories to come…

If you like your paranormal romance a little bit extra erotic and toe curling… then this is a good collection for you. There are stories with multiple partners, bondage, all sorts of different storylines and erotica. That, and they’re all werewolves. Great fun.

<- Wolfe’s HopeMoonlust ->

Image source: BookDepository

Angel’s Flight by Nalini Singh

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Overview
Angels' Flight

Title: Angel’s Flight
Author: Nalini Singh
Series: Guild Hunter Companion
In: Angel’s Flight (Nalini Singh)
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Angels, Paranormal romance, Short story collections, Strong women, Vampires
Dates read: 26th March 2018 – 16th April 2021
Pace: Medium
Format: Collection
Publisher: Berkley Sensation
Year: 2012
5th sentence, 74th page: We need to sort this out fast.

Synopsis

In Angel’s Wolf a vampire becomes fascinated with the seductive angel who rules Louisiana. But all is not what it appears to be in her court.

In Angels’ Judgment a hunter must track one of her own gone bad, while surviving the deadly tests placed in her way by the archangels themselves. Unexpected backup comes from a stranger who might just be the most lethal threat of all…

Plus FIRST TIME IN PRINT

In Angels’ Pawn a vampire hunter faces off against two rival factions and the angel manipulating them both, and a vampire whose help is not entirely selfless…

And NEVER BEFORE PUBLISHED

In Angels’ Dance an angel trapped in the mountain stronghold of the Refuge finds herself under siege by a warrior angel from a martial court.

Thoughts

I absolutely adored this collection. It took me forever and a day to get through because I wanted to read each of the novellas in the order that they take place in the Guild Hunter series. And, honestly, since I’m a bit of a series slut, I kept picking up other series in between books. Trying to work on that habit this year…

This is definitely a collection that I’ll pick up again and again to fill my happy place in reading. It is fun and wonderful and filled with very fun romances that will make you want to pick up more and more of Singh’s books. Or at least, that’s how it all feels for me.

Many of the cute couples in this story may have a happily ever after, but the part that I love the most about their connections… it’s all about acceptance. Every relationship in this collection is about accepting one another and finding a way to create their own future. It makes the romances feel far more realistic in this story…

I love that I finally got to finish this collection! But I was also kind of sad. After all, it’s a bit of a pity that it’s all over. Now I’ll just have to dive headfirst into Archangel’s Blade…

<- Archangel’s SunMore Nalini Singh ->

Image source: Goodreads

Bad Boys of Summer by Lori Foster, Erin McCarthy & Amy Garvey

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Overview
Bad Boys of Summer by Lori Foster

Title: Bad Boys of Summer
Author: Lori Foster, Erin McCarthy & Amy Garvey
In: Bad Boys of Summer (Lori Foster, Erin McCarthy & Amy Garvey)
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Contemporary, Contemporary romance, Short story collections
Dates read: 8th February – 31st March 2021
Pace: Slow
Format: Novella
Publisher: Brava
Year: 2006
5th sentence, 74th page: “I don’t think I can.”

Synopsis

Lazy days… steamy nights… and sweltering guys with rippling muscles doing what they do best…

Lucious by Lori Foster
Bethany Churchill just quit her lousy job, dumped her lousy boyfriend and moved into a new apartment. She’s not looking for love, but her hot new landlord is determined to change her mind. SWAT officer Lucius Ryder – known to the women in the building as “Luscious”, much to his chagrin – is one sexy lawman, and before long Bethany is tempted to find out if he’s really as delicious as his nickname…

It’s About Time by Erin McCarthy
County prosecutor Trish Jones has had it with smooth-talking, under-performing suits. and though she’s never had a thing for big, brawny guys, one look at Caleb Cancouver’s bulges makes her think she might have been missing out. One Harley ride later they’re back at her place, and she realizes that she has been missing out… on quite a lot…

Wish You Were Here by Amy Garvey
Photographer Mackenzie Pruitt knows exactly what she wants her future to look like, and this summer that means renovating a dilapidated shed into a studio. But when hunky carpenter Leo Dawson shows up, she’d much rather have his capable hands on her than on a hammer. He’s not the kind of guy she always thought she’d fall for, but when he touches her, she can’t imagine wanting anyone else…

Thoughts

This collection is filled with three very fun and cute contemporary romance stories. They took me on a great summer journey that left me smiling and believing in true love. It was a wonderful way to spend a few afternoons, filling my time with novellas of cuteness and romance.

I could most definitely imagine reading this collection on the beach somewhere. Enjoying the romances and the adventures of the characters. Sadly, I didn’t get the privilege of reading this on the beach. But everytime I turned a page, I just imagined that I was there anyway.

I already knew that I love Foster and McCarthy. Garvey was an entirely new author for me. One that I found I unexpectedly enjoyed. They took me on some wonderful adventures that I will probably repeat again in the future.

<- Wish You Were HereLuscious ->

Image source: Goodreads

Where’s My Hero? by Lisa Kleypas, Julia Quinn & Kinley MacGregor

Book Review, , , , , ,
Overview
Where's My Hero? | Julia Quinn | Author of Historical Romance Novels

Title: Where’s My Hero?
Author: Lisa Kleypas, Julia Quinn & Kinley MacGregor
In: Where’s My Hero? (Lisa Kleypas, Julia Quinn & Kinley MacGregor)
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Historical romance, Regency romance, Short story collections
Dates read: 22nd – 26th December 2020
Pace: Medium
Format: Anthology
Publisher: Avon
Year: 2003
5th sentence, 74th page: Bending her backward, hooking his supportive arm beneath her, he nuzzled the tender weight of her breast.

Buy The Book Now at The Book Depository, Free Delivery World Wide

Synopsis

Dear Avon Books,

Where are my heroes? Whenever I’m reading a book by one of my favorite authors I find I’m falling for the wrong guy — not the hero, but the other man — and what I really want is for him to have his own story.

Like Jake Linley, from Someone to Watch Over Me by Lisa Kleypas…that doctor could sit by my bedside if I ever got sick. And Ned Blydon in Splendid by Julia Quinn…he makes me want to learn to waltz! I never thought living in a drafty castle would be much fun until Simon of Ravenswood in Master of Desire by Kinley MacGregor came along.

Anyway, I just wanted to let you know that these are my men — when do they get their stories?

Sincerely,
A Romance Fan

Some books are so special that there is more than one hero to love, but only a single story is told. So if you find yourself asking, “Where is my hero?” you’ll discover the answer right here in this delicious collection by New York Times bestseller Lisa Kleypas, New York Times bestseller Julia Quinn and USA Today bestseller Kinley MacGregor.

Thoughts

I figured that I would finish the year of 2020 that has been absolutely insane with some nice, pleasant romances. Normally I really enjoy dystopian fictions, but this year that just didn’t feel quite suitable. Romance was the way to go. And as one of the last books of the year, this was most definitely a great fit.

I am already obsessed with Julia Quinn but discovering Lisa Kleypas and Kinley MacGregor through this anthology was such an amazing experience. There is something uniquely wonderful about each and everyone of these authors. Late nights curled up on the couch with a cup of tea and my dogs made their words come to life. Sinking me into a happy little world where true love always wins.

I love that this collection is about well-loved secondary characters in each of the authors’ series. There have been a number of romances that I have read where you really want the story of a secondary character. A story that often doesn’t come. So I loved that there were three novellas that managed to hit that nice, sweet spot.

This is most definitely a collection that I will want to read again. It is also filled with stories from series that are now filling my wish list. I can’t wait to get further and further into the writings of these authors… I suppose that that could be a bit of a New Years Resolution for next year…

<- A Tale of Two SistersAgainst the Odds ->

Image source: Juila Quinn

Tied With a Bow by Lora Leigh, Virginia Kantra, Eileen Wilks & Kimberly Frost

Book Review, , , , , , ,
Overview
Tied With a Bow

Title: Tied with a Bow
Author: Lora Leigh, Virginia Kantra, Eileen Wilks & Kimberly Frost
In: Tied with a Bow (Lora Leigh, Virginia Kantra, Eileen Wilks & Kimberly Frost)
Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect)
My Bookshelves: Christmas, Paranormal romance, Short story collections
Dates read: 18th – 26th December 2020
Pace: Medium
Format: Anthology
Publisher: Berkley Sensation
Year: 2011
5th sentence, 74th page: Her face, her chest, her whole body burned with humiliation and frustrated desire.

Buy The Book Now at The Book Depository, Free Delivery World Wide

Synopsis

For the holidays, giving can bring as much pleasure as receiving.

Come, as these four bestselling authors invite you to savour the sweet anticipation of unwrapping these never-before-published novellas of searing sexuality, rapturous romance, and paranormal pairings.

Experience the feral fire of #1 New York Times bestselling author Virginia Kantra’s tale of the Children of the Air. Explore the outer limits of carnal craving in USA Today bestselling author Eileen Wilks’s world of the lupi, and enter national bestselling author Kimberly Frost’s all-new world of desire and devotion.

As intimate as they are imaginative, these unique holiday stories reveal the flush of surprise and joy when the most unexpected package turns out to be just what you always craved…

Thoughts

I had assumed from the cover of this book that this was going to be heavily Christmassy. It wasn’t. there were hints of the holidays throughout. And for some of the story, this was much more than a hint. But, ultimately, it had just enough Christmas feeling that it was a great read in the holidays when I was feeling very uninspired by the holiday season.

Of the holiday anthologies that I read this year this was most certainly the most lustful one. It was deliciously fun and wonderfully toe tingling. There was also the usual tales of love and romance. But, for me, I loved this collection because of the erotic aspects of the storyline. Not so much the sappy love stories. I had other collections for that.

Tied with a Bow is a great collection. One that takes place in a couple of series and worlds that I already love. And took me to a few new realities that I haven’t had the pleasure of adding to my shelves yet. The perfect mix for any anthology that I have on my shelves. A mix of startling new discoveries, and wonderful old favourites.

<- An Inconvenient MateUpon a Midnight Clear ->

Image source: Amazon

The Night Before Christmas by Lori Foster, Erin McCarthy, Kathy Love, Jill Shalvis, Kylie Adams & Katherine Garbera

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Overview
The Night Before Christmas by Lori Foster

Title: The Night Before Christmas
Author: Lori Foster, Erin McCarthy, Kathy Love, Jill Shalvis, Kylie Adams & Katherine Garbera
In: The Night Before Christmas (Lori Foster, Erin McCarthy, Kathy Love, Jill Shalvis, Kylie Adams & Katherine Garbera)
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Christmas, Contemporary, Contemporary romance, Short story collections
Dates read: 17th – 26th December 2020
Pace: Slow
Format: Anthology
Publisher: Brava
Year: 2005
5th sentence, 74th page: “Why, for God’s sake?”

Buy The Book Now at The Book Depository, Free Delivery World Wide

Synopsis

Tis the night before Christmas and all through the house, things are definitely stirring… because if you’re going to wait up for Santa, you might as well have some very sexy company…

“White Knight Christmas” is by “New York Times” bestselling author Lori Foster.
Officer Parker Ross hates Christmas; Lily Donaldson lives for it. She’s determined to introduce him to the pleasures of the season, and he’s looking forward to being deliciously converted…

“Snowed Under” is by Erin McCarthy.
Justin Fairbanks has always been attracted to Claire Robbins. When she gets soaked by a snowplough and asks him to help remove her wet clothes, well, what sane man could possibly say no?

“Ms. Humbug” is by Jill Shalvis.
Wild, daring, a complete rebel, Matt is the man no woman can tame – until he kisses his nemesis, Cami, at the office holiday party, and suddenly, all bets are off…and running…

“I’ll Be Home For Christmas” is by Kathy Love. Seven years ago, Rob Marsten chose work over the love of his life, Erica. Now, a snowstorm and a car rental mix-up leads to a reunion, and this time, Rob will show Erica exactly how much he wants her…

“Seducing Scrooge” is by Katherine Garbera
It’s Christmas Eve, and workaholic Jackson Peters is annoyed that his staff has left early. Only Krista Miller is still there, but from the look on her face, she doesn’t seem to have work on her mind…

“The Good Girl’s Guide To A Very Bad Christmas” is by Kylie Adams
Peri Knight has had it with being good. She’s made a list of her top five sexiest fantasies, and in the week before Christmas, she’s going to live out every single one…

Thoughts

I read a few Christmas anthologies at the same point at the end of 2020, and this was most definitely the sweetest of them. It was very cutesy. And kind of completely adorable. There is something hopeful about Christmas Eve, or the night before Christmas. Something that always feels filled with potential. I feel like it never truly is… but it always feels like it could be.

I only knew two of the authors when I started this collection. It was a lovely, pleasant surprise when I discovered the other four. I’ll most definitely have to do some research and add some more of their books to my wish list. Not that I really need to add any more to my wish list… considering how damn big and kind of out of control that thing is…

The Night Before Christmas helped to cure a little bit of that humbug in me and remind me what it is about Christmas that I normally love. It was filled with more cute and sweet stories than lustful ones. And was just generally a seriously enjoyable and easy way to spend a few nights in the lead up to the festive season.

<- The Good Girl’s Guide to a Very Bad ChristmasWhite Knight Christmas ->

Image source: Goodreads

Jingle Bell Rock by Lori Foster, Janelle Denison, Susan Donovan, Donna Kauffman, Alison Kent & Nancy Warren

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Overview
Image result for jingle bell rockbook cover

Title: Jingle Bell Rock
Author: Lori Foster, Janelle Denison, Susan Donovan, Donna Kauffman, Alison Kent & Nancy Warren
In: Jingle Bell Rock (Lori Foster, Janelle Denison, Susan Donovan, Donna Kauffman, Alison Kent & Nancy Warren)
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Christmas, Contemporary, Contemporary romance, Short story collections
Dates read: 17th – 26th December 2020
Pace: Medium
Format: Anthology
Publisher: Brava
Year: 2003
5th sentence, 74th page: He had the hotel employee set the packages on the floor in the living room, then tipped him generously for his time, service, and just because it was the giving season.

Buy The Book Now at The Book Depository, Free Delivery World Wide

Synopsis

Skip the mistletoe – you won’t need it after you indulge in these six tempting tales of romance filled with the sort of naughty-but-oh-so-nice men who make the season so bright it’s downright hot…

He See You When You’re Sleeping – Lori Foster
What Booker Dean wants for Christmas isn’t under the tree, it’s right next door. Frances Kennedy is everything Booker desires…and the gift he has planned for her involves a lot of delicious unwrapping…

All She Wants for Christmas – Janelle Denison
When sexy pediatrician Matthew Carlton plays Santa, pulling Faith Roberts on his lap, he has no idea what’s on her Christmas wish list…or how much he’ll enjoy fulfilling every bit of it…

Turning Up the Heat – Susan Donovan
Being stood up on Christmas Eve is bad enough, but now Valerie’s furnace is broken, too. Good thing that sexy repairman is available to raise the temperature dramatically…

Baby, It’s Cold Outside – Donna Kauffman
It’s been ten years since Suzanna York left Jace Morgan. Now, as fate reunites them during a holiday snowstorm, they’ll have plenty of time to discover that distance only sharpens certain hungers…

A Blue Christmas – Alison Kent
Thomas “Blue” Miller never expected to see Jessie Buchanan on his Christmas Tree farm again. But now that she’s here, he’s ready to show her exactly what she’s been missing…

The Nutcracker Sweet – Nancy Warren
Co-workers Daniel and Tara couldn’t hate each other more. So when they end up as Secret Santa partners, it’s a perfect chance for revenge and a dare that just may ignite the steamiest night of their lives…

Thoughts

What a fun and glorious little collection. Jingle Bell Rock is filled with six wonderful novellas that remind you that around Christmas time…anything is possible.

These are incredibly light-hearted and fun novellas. They feature people from all walks of life. People with different goals, desires and love. The thing that unites them all? Love and the festive season.

This year, I really needed something to get me feeling a little more of that holiday spirit. So I picked up a collection of anthologies off my shelves which feature Christmas and the holidays. This was most certainly one of the sweetest and cutest of the collections. There was a little bit of lust, but, ultimately I loved the fact that this was just so incredibly cute.

<- The Nutcracker SweetHe Sees You When You’re Sleeping ->

Image source: Goodreads

Dead Man’s Hand edited by John Joseph Adams

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Overview
Image result for dead man's hand book cover

Title: Dead Man’s Hand
Author: John Joseph Adams, Joe R. Lansdale, Ben H. Winters, David Farland, Mike Resnick, Seanan McGuire, Charles Yu, Alan Dean Foster, Beth Revis, Alastair Reynolds, Hugh Howey, Rajan Khanna, Orson Scott Card, Elizabeth Bear, Tad Williams, Jonathan Maberry, Kelley Armstrong, Tobias S. Buckell, Jeffrey Ford, Ken Liu, Laura Anne Gilman, Walter Jon Williams, Fred Van Lente & Christie Yant
In: Dead Man’s Hand (John Joseph Adams)
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Science fiction, Short story collections, Weird western
Dates read: 4th June – 26th November 2020
Pace: Slow
Format: Anthology
Publisher: Titan Books
Year: 2014
5th sentence, 74th page: “Am I interrupting?” she asked.

Buy The Book Now at The Book Depository, Free Delivery World Wide

Synopsis

HOW THE WEST WAS WEIRD!

From a kill-or-be-killed gunfight with a vampire to an encounter in a steampunk bordello, the weird western is a dark, gritty tale where the protagonist might be playing poker with a sorcerous deck of cards, or facing an alien on the streets of a dusty frontier town.

Here are twenty-three original tales – stories of the Old West infused with elements of the fantastic – produced specifically for this volume by many of today’s finest writers. Included are Orson Scott Card’s first “Alvin Maker” story in a decade, and an original adventure by Fred Van Lente, writer of Cowboys & Aliens.

Thoughts

What a fantastic collection. And a great new genre to add to my ever-expanding knowledge of / collection of books. Before reading Dead Man’s Hand and Westward Weird, I had never heard of Weird westerns. And now it’s a genre that I’m seriously keen to find more of. There is just something amazingly fun and awesome about this collection. Very, very enjoyable.

The gunslingers and card players throughout this anthology took me on an absolutely joyous ride. One that I was kind of disappointed finished so quickly. The idea of the wild west has always intrigued me, making this the first time that I was completely able to thrown myself into this fascination.

This anthology didn’t quite get five stars because I didn’t fall head over heels for each and every story. Having said that, I would most definitely read this again. Even those stories which weren’t quite as holy crap amazing as the others.

<- Dead Man’s HandThe Red-Headed Dead ->

Image source: Amazon

The Mammoth Book of Ghost Stories by Women edited by Marie O’Regan

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Overview
Image result for the mammoth book of ghost stories by women book cover

Title: The Mammoth Book of Ghost Stories by Women
Author: Marie O’Regan, Kim Lakin-Smith, Sarah Pinborough, Kelley Armstrong, Mary Elizabeth Braddon, Caitlin R. Kiernan, Mary E. Wilkins-Freeman, Sarah Langan, Elizabeth Massie, Alex Bell, Alison Littlewood, Nina Allan, Lisa Tuttle, Nancy Holder, Yvonne Navarro, Mary Cholmondeley, Marion Arnott, Lilith Saintcrow, Nancy Kilpatrick, Muriel Gray, Cynthia Asquith, Amelia B. Edwards, Elizabeth Gaskell, Gail Z. Martin, Edith Wharton & Gaie Sebold
Series: Mammoth Books
In: The Mammoth Book of Ghost Stories by Women (Marie O’Regan)
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Ghosts, Horror, Short story collections
Dates read: 29th June – 26th November 2020
Pace: Slow
Format: Anthology
Publisher: Robinson
Year: 2012
5th sentence, 74th page: She was a sickly child, prone to unaccountable fits and agues, and her parents were convinced on more than one night that she would not live to see the dawn.

Synopsis

25 chilling short stories by outstanding female writers

Women have always written exceptional stories of horror and the supernatural. This anthology aims to showcase the very best of these, from Amelia B. Edwards’s ‘The Phantom Coach’, published in 1864, through past luminaries such as Edith Wharton and Mary Elizabeth Braddon, to modern talents including Muriel Gray, Sarah Pinborough and Lilith Saintcrow.

From tales of ghostly children to visitations by departed loved ones, and from heart-rending stories to the profoundly unsettling depiction of extreme malevolence, what each of these stories has in common is the effect of a slight chilling of the skin, a feeling of something not quite present, but nevertheless there.

If anything, this showcase anthology proves that sometimes the female of the species can also be the most terrifying…

Thoughts

This is a fantastic collection. One which I thoroughly enjoyed but learnt fairly quickly that I shouldn’t be reading this late at night… after all, some of these ghost stories are actually kind of scary. And reading them late at night with the wind blowing through the house while you’re home alone… not the best decision making of my life. To be fair, it’s also not the worst…. But that’s a whole other story.

I love that all of these ghost stories are written by women. I definitely believe that we need a collection of women-only writers more often. Or at least, I need to buy more to put on my shelves… although not all of these stories had strong women as the voice, they still felt more relatable than many of the stories that I read by men. I suppose shared experience and all that nonsense.

As a kid, I was never into ghost stories or tales of things that go bump in the night. Although I’ve gotten more into the genre over the past few years, it’s still sometimes not the most powerful driver for me. This collection though is swaying me more and more towards those horror stories.

<- The Mammoth Book of Ghost Stories 2Field of the Dead ->

Image source: Goodreads