Genre: Horror
Book Review

Angelika Frankenstein Makes Her Match by Sally Thorne

Angelika Frankenstein Makes Her Match

Just in time for Halloween, here is a historical horror romance in which a woman builds her own boyfriend out of an assemblage of attractive parts, a deed that I do not endorse. This is a strange, off-beat book that won’t please everyone, but once I settled into it I quite enjoyed this funny romance, in which Dr. Frankenstein’s sister builds a boyfriend and learns a little something about basic ethics and empathy in a … Continue reading Angelika Frankenstein Makes Her Match by Sally Thorne

Lightning Review

The Science of Women in Horror by Meg Hafdahl and Kelly Florence

The Science of Women in Horror

The Science of Women in Horror is disappointing in the sense that there’s very little science in it. Instead, it’s an overview of women as depicted in horror, along with interviews with women who have worked behind the camera. As such, it’s pretty basic, but it did add several films to my To Be Watched List. The cover promises “The Special Effects, Stunts, and True Stories Behind Your Favorite Fright Films,” but very little of … Continue reading The Science of Women in Horror by Meg Hafdahl and Kelly Florence

Book Review

Nightmare Fuel by Nina Nesseth

Nightmare Fuel

Nightmare Fuel: The Science of Horror Films was balm to my nerdy little heart. I got into horror much the same way I got into romance, which is to say I thought I didn’t like it, then realized I had been liking it all along somehow without noticing, and then I couldn’t get enough of it. There are some interesting intersections between romance and horror as genres, and I know we have some fans here … Continue reading Nightmare Fuel by Nina Nesseth

Book Review

Book of Night by Holly Black

Book of Night

Holly Black’s first novel marketed for adults is a gritty urban fantasy in which magic allows people to control their own, and sometimes other people’s, shadows, and in which the rich and powerful trade in secrets and books of lore while jockeying for power. The protagonist, Charlie, lives in the world of normality, where she is a bartender hoping to put her sister through college, and the world of magic, in which she is a … Continue reading Book of Night by Holly Black

Other Media Review

Movie Review: Fresh

CW/TW: This is a horror movie about cannibalism and terrible dates. So be ye warned. We are recapping The Whole Meal Film here so get ready. Maya and I share an interest in horror, and goodness knows the Pink Palace of Bitches is full of people with an interest in Sebastian Stan. Accordingly, we took a break from romance (this movie is NOT A ROMANCE!) and watched a movie that says that dating is Hell, … Continue reading Movie Review: Fresh

Book Review

The Death of Jane Lawrence by Caitlin Starling

The Death of Jane Lawrence

I love a good gothic, and The Death of Jane Lawrence had a lot of buzz. But now that I have read it, I am confused about three key elements, which I list here in a Non-spoilery format: Is the title accurate? Is this a romance? What the hell happened? The book starts off in standard but solid Gothic mode. The main character, Jane, wants an “unconventional” marriage, one which will allow her to remain … Continue reading The Death of Jane Lawrence by Caitlin Starling

Book Review

The Final Girl Support Group by Grady Hendrix

The Final Girl Support Group

WHY, YOU ASK, would I review this mass of TWs on a romance book website? It’s because I know a subset of our readers are all about embracing the “Bitch” in Smart Bitches, and this is a story about women who band together for physical and emotional survival and find ways to claim their stories in a world that does not support them. Unfortunately, Maya and I were disappointed by the presence of harmful stereotypes … Continue reading The Final Girl Support Group by Grady Hendrix

Lightning Review

Empire of Wild by Cherie Dimaline

Empire of Wild

I read Empire of Wild and I am so not ok but in…a good way? This #OwnVoices novel about a woman who tries to save her husband from a supernatural threat is the horror novel you need for Halloween. It’s a quick read but rich in language and detail, right down to a grandmother keeping her magic supplies on top of her fridge in one of those blue tins that cookies come in. Joan is … Continue reading Empire of Wild by Cherie Dimaline

Lightning Review

Eventide by Sarah Goodman

Eventide

Eventide is an atmospheric story with an unusual setting and plot complications that I did not see coming. This book is simply but descriptively written and the hinted supernatural element is suitably creepy, but the plot doesn’t quite hang together and some threads are resolved too easily. I’m getting cranky about books that promise me a haunt and end up pulling a Scooby Doo instead, so here’s a quick spoiler as to whether the book … Continue reading Eventide by Sarah Goodman

Book Review

The Nesting by CJ Cooke

The Nesting

CW: Suicide, Mental Illness Spooky season is upon us (my favorite season BTW) and if you are in the mood for something delightfully Gothic with horror elements, I recommend The Nesting. This book works perfectly as a Gothic thriller, is deeply creepy, and has an interesting take on environmentalism. The only thing that I wasn’t certain of was the treatment of the heroines’ mental illness. First of all, this is a very spooky book, so … Continue reading The Nesting by CJ Cooke

Book Review

When No One is Watching by Alyssa Cole

When No One Is Watching

I should couch this review with the admission that I am the biggest scaredy cat. I don’t usually read romance thrillers, let alone straight ahead thrillers with only a little bit of lovin. Not only do I need to be promised a happy ending, I also want the beginning and middle to be fairly cheerful and absent of conflict. I am, admittedly, a bit ridiculous, but yes, I would prefer to be wrapped up in … Continue reading When No One is Watching by Alyssa Cole

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