Thank you so much to the author and publisher for sending this book in exchange for an honest review!

Can we first take a moment to acknowledge, appreciate, and worship this cover?! The cover is the first thing that drew me to wanting this book; I won't lie. I had just finished a huge marathon of the Saw movies and then I come across this book where a woman has this pig head or mask... SOLD!

I am going to go ahead and say, too, that short stories are not my favorite. I like a little more meat on the bones. Short stories usually leave me wanting more. There have been a couple of great collections I have read this year (this being one of them), but the majority of them have been 3 stars and left me wanting more and more. Christa Carmen's collection, however, engaged and shook me to the core! I absolutely loved these stories and never once felt cheated or left wanting.

One of the best features of this book is how Carmen just writes. I want to have a conversation with her. The words and the sentences that come out of her mouth are just pure dark poetry. She uses a wide vocabulary of delicately chosen words and I loved it. I found myself getting lost in the prose and I really feel it helps this collection stand out from others I have read.

My favorite stories include: Red Room, Something Borrowed Something Blood-Soaked, Liquid Handcuffs, and The Girl Who Loved Bruce Campbell. But all thirteen stories in the collection resonate with me on a horror-loving level and I truly recommend this collection! 5 stars for me on this excellent book!