Silvia Moreno-Garcia's short story THE LOVER is an ultimate story: transported me to that winter forest, that young Judith longing for more -- and finding it in the stranger with no name. A truly dark and wonderfully satisfying fairy tale for grown-ups. If there is a moral, it includes this: follow your heart and live with consequences you cannot possibly imagine. I've admired other work by this writer and this short story was a marvelous find, demonstrating her deft hand with short stories as well as longer forms. I received a copy of this book and these opinions are my own, unbiased thoughts.

This was alright. I would say that she did the best with the limited amount of pages/words etc that she had, but many a short story writer has done much better. It was readable, but no better than that and the ending didn’t feel open ended like so many books & stories do, it just felt unfinished. Like cut off abruptly & ended. Not my particular cup of tea tho I still adore Silvia Moreno Garcia. As much as I have loved some of her books (Certain Dark Things, The Daughter of Doctor Moreau) what kept them from being 5 star books was they didn’t feel fully fleshed out, so does it surprise me that her short stories suffer from same problems? No it does not. It’s the same critique I’d have for her other books…. It has very, VERY strong bones now we just need a lil more meat to fill it out!

2.5 stars bc the ending made it all seem futile & meaningless.

I loved this. It was a dark, sensuous, and twisted fairy tale with hints of Little Red Riding Hood. I loved the writing style and the overall vibe. I felt like it was just the right length to pull you into the story and then it came to a perfect ending. I haven't read anything else by this author, but now I want to check out more.

I really, really wish I could buy a paperback version of this book. The cover is amazing and I would love to have a physical copy on my shelf.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher/author for a review ARC.

A creepy, chilling short story that packs a punch...
This was an anticipated read even though I am not really a short story reader I wanted to give this one a go - it was fantastic

4 stars

Read this in the wintertime which is what i implore each and every one of you do as well. As a big fan of Mexican gothic, i was over the moon to hear she was coming out with a short story, and oh my was it gripping. The writing was so lyrical and the romance on top of that was so beautiful. Silvia, darling, you will never disappoint me.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC.

A dark and sensual fairy tale, reminiscent of the Brothers Grimm. Silvia Moreno-Garcia always writes such bewitching, atmospheric prose, and The Lover is no exception. I found the story to be very well-rounded for being so short.

"Love! What a simple word that could not encompass her feelings, so deep and turbulent she feared she'd drown just by looking at him. Her every waking hour was yearning; the nights were sleepless sorrow."

This is my first official review.

This story took a turn I was somewhat expecting but also didn't see coming.

I continued to read it, forgetting that this was a short story and was left with wanting more, though it did have a few bits of boredom in the beginning, it was quick to catch my attention again for me to be more invested in Judith's story.

Definitely would love a better view of the village and the family to understand the circumstances a bit more, but other than that, the world building was okay as it was mainly centered on the plot.

One of the best short stories I've ever read. The feel of a fairytale makes you wonder if this is Cinderella or Little Red Riding Hood only for it to have the most unexpected twists. The story takes you through a long emotional journey of longing and despair in a mere 28 pages. I have loved SMG's work, but this story cemented her as one of my favorite authors.

The Lover has got to be one of THE most interesting short stories I’ve ever read.

Days after finishing this story and I still can’t wrap it around my head what it is I read!

I’m so used to Silvia Moreno Garcia’s gothic style creepy writing and this one more than delivered.

This was like a Cinderella vibes type story where Alice the youngest sister is treated horribly by her older sister Judith & not only does Judith steal the man that Alice had feelings for but forces her wait after them and take care of the inn they run without much pay. When a strange man shows up to town, her sister’s husband suddenly finding interest in her & a wolf coincidently prowling the woods around them.. things start getting a bit confusing for Alice and trust me when I say, you will not be expecting that ending!

This fairy tale novella follows a girl longing to find her lover who she believes will come from beyond the forest to sweep her off her feet. When her overbearing sister marries the hunter she has fallen for, they begin an elicit affair. But is he really the one for her? And who is the mysterious new stranger come to town who insists he can turn into a wolf? The Lover has all the feel of a traditional fairy tale, but fleshed out into a novella. Fans of dark fairy tale retellings and supernatural fantasy will be swept away by this tale of forbidden desires.

I loved this dark, strange fairytale. I typically have a hard time with short stories caring about the characters and wanting more, but I was immersed in this story from the first line and the ending was so satisfying in a way that I always want from a short story, but don't often get. Silvia Moreno-Garcia can really write anything, and I will read everything she writes. This is a perfect spooky, wintery story to sit and read in one sitting on a snowy night with a warm drink. Thank you Amazon Original Stories and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy.

The atmosphere of this story and setting was immaculate. I thought the familial relationships between Alice, Judith and Nathaniel were messy and really well captured given how short the story was and the plot progression and conclusion were very satisfying. A great quick read.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.

What a delightful novella but Silvia Moreno-Garcia. I truly adore everything she has ever written and this is no exception. A savage little fairy tale that had me wishing for more.

This is a really nice short story - it was impossible to put down thanks to the intriguing atmosphere and the beautiful writing. Highly recommend!

I enjoyed this short story. It was quick, fast paced atmospheric story..one that reminded me of reading one of Grimm’s dark fairy tales. It is wicked, dark and enchanting, and I loved the prose.
I would have loved for this to be a bit longer, but for a short story it still contained depth and mystery and I still enjoyed it as it is.

a wonderful short story from such a brilliant upland coming author within the Mexican community. I love Garcia's writing and can't wait for more

A simple and fairytale-like short story. I was hoping to be a little more surprised or horrified, but the story was still entertaining enough.

a short, symbolic and sexy fairytale...a quick and interesting read!

curious about what I'd notice on the second read-through.

This one was well written and beautiful but just not really my speed, it was different from her more traditional books

Eh. DNF at 40 %. It wasn't written badly or anything. I just wasn't invested in the plot or the characters, and it wasn't for me. Seemed like your basic fairy tale sort of thing!

Since it's a DNF I don't feel comfortable posting this anywhere else.