When Darkness Loves Us (Paperbacks from Hell)

When Darkness Loves Us (Paperbacks from Hell) | Elizabeth Engstrom

pan

Another book in the Paperbacks from Hell collection.

This book just didn't work at all for me. I love creepy, and I love weird, and this book has both of those things, but nothing makes sense, and it all is too absurd with minimal character development.

The cover is the best part of this book.

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dylanisreading

When Darkness Loves Us (Paperbacks from Hell) | Elizabeth Engstrom

Today is apparently a flare-up day, and I don't have any interest in reading any of the most recent books I borrowed from the library. 🙃 Bright side: I've got cute pups keeping me company.

Snagged this from Libby's summer scares collection. I read Paperbacks from Hell last year so I'm curious about the reissues, of course.

Anyone read the tagged book or any of the other Paperbacks from Hell reissues?

#dogsoflitsy

reading_rainbow I just recently bought The Tribe but I haven‘t gotten around to reading it yet, hopefully for August TBR

The Tribe (Paperbacks from Hell)

(edited) 3y

dylanisreading @reading_rainbow I am intrigued by the description. Will definitely check it out! 3y

LiteraryinPA I hope tomorrow is a better day! 3y

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Ruthiella Hope you feel better soon! ❤️ Cute pups are always a plus! 🐶 3y

dylanisreading @LiteraryinLawrence @Ruthiella Thank you!! 3y

BookwormM Hope your flare passes soon 3y

vivastory Hope you feel better today! I read Bernard Taylor's “Reaping“ about a year and a half ago. It was better than I anticipated. I have Martindale's “Nightblood“ on my TBR shelves & am saving it for the next time I'm in the mood for a vampire book. Looking forward to your thoughts on this one. I saw that Valancourt is going to publish a second volume of their international horror stories in December. Will def be looking for that. 3y

dylanisreading @vivastory Thank you! I am feeling better today. I'll have to check out Reaping. I've been intrigued by vampire stories that are actually scary/creepy, especially since reading 'Salem's Lot recently, so I'll look for a copy of Nightblood, too. I didn't even know about Valancourt's first volume of horror stories. I love horror anthologies. I think my TBR just exploded.... 3y

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Michael_Gee

When Darkness Loves Us (Paperbacks from Hell) | Elizabeth Engstrom

pick

Y‘all I have some feelings about this book. I loved the first story and I can‘t recommend the second story for a reason I will put in the comments below if anyone is interested (but it is a spoiler). The first story is creepy, dark, and gross. I loved it. I want to read more of this author. And what a cover!!

Michael_Gee Ok that ending to Beauty Is: After a grueling sad story and then a development towards redemption through love/trust/faith, to end with that last image of Martha with a ripped off nose on her face is a disservice. We‘ve accepted all the characters regardless of whether or not we think people would act they way they do and to in one stroke reduce her to a grotesque monster is a callous, ugly shock. 4y

JoeMo I ended up spending a bunch of $ and have a pretty decent pile of 70s and 80s horror novels sitting around my place thanks to Paperbacks from Hell....I don‘t remember this title, but it sounds interesting! 4y

Michael_Gee @JoeMo oh that‘s awesome! This is the first I‘ve read in this line but I‘ve loved everything I‘ve read that Valancourt puts out. I want to read all the Paperbacks from Hell! 4y

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BookwormOfTheDamned

When Darkness Loves Us (Paperbacks from Hell) | Elizabeth Engstrom

pick

New video up! In this episode, I discuss "When Darkness Loves Us" by Elizabeth Engstrom.

https://youtu.be/lxJS6A9l5EM

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HatefulGrablin

When Darkness Loves Us (Paperbacks from Hell) | Elizabeth Engstrom

pick

Really hard to rate this book, it's actually two novellas and I have very different feelings about each. The first story 'When Darkness Loves Us' is very creepy and disturbing, I wish it could have been the whole book. The second, 'Beauty Is...' was difficult for me to get into, I actually had to put the book aside for a while. I guess all in all it was fine, but my rating is really just for the first story.

Michael_Gee That first story is wild! Creepy and gross and I loved it. 4y

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HatefulGrablin

When Darkness Loves Us (Paperbacks from Hell) | Elizabeth Engstrom

IT'S SPOOKY SEASON (and cat toothpaste)

9 likes

khooliha

When Darkness Loves Us (Paperbacks from Hell) | Elizabeth Engstrom

so-so

Welp, I just bailed on "Beauty Is..." (though my quick scan renders it a darker tale than I was presuming), so this book gets a so-so. The actual "When Darkness Loves Us" novella is a fucked up lil pick. Maybe I'll come back to "Beauty Is..." in the future, but it certainly is cringeworthy.

3 likes

khooliha

When Darkness Loves Us (Paperbacks from Hell) | Elizabeth Engstrom

Hoo boy, I read the opening novella in basically one sitting, but the companion short novel is draaaaaaaggggging...

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khooliha

When Darkness Loves Us (Paperbacks from Hell) | Elizabeth Engstrom

I have finished the first of two novellas, and I gotta say: fucked up!

2 likes

khooliha

When Darkness Loves Us (Paperbacks from Hell) | Elizabeth Engstrom

This post contains spoilers