I keep wanting to like and try short stories. Every time I try a new one, I'm reminded why I don't like them.

The stories were well written and eerie, but short stories just aren't for me.

Okay, the one positive - I liked the second story, Confidence Game. The instruction manual passages interspersed with what was going down in the house was clever and amusing. There was a lot of "uh oh, she wasn't supposed to do that" going on.

Now, for the rest of it. I feel bad, but I didn't enjoy this book of short stories. I was going to write up a review of each story, but by the third one, I realized my complaints were going to be the same for all of them. The writing style did not work for me at all. It was clunky and kind of flowery in a weird way. Like, in the first story, this is a quote: "But no dice. Now I was bone dry and only moonlight on tumbleweeds to tell the tale." I think all of the ideas were really creative, but I didn't enjoy the execution.

Also, this doesn't factor into my rating, but there was an issue with the kindle delivery. Entire paragraphs were missing. I had to read it in the NetGalley app on my phone, which wasn't ideal.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher.

I wasn’t sure if I’d like this horror anthology, especially after reading the first story. This ended up being really good, though! Below, my ratings for each story:

Left Turn At The Lost Soul: This was an odd story about a young man running out of gas, seeing a tree and meeting a woman. There was a creepy tone, but this wasn’t for me. 2.5/5

Confidence Game: The story of a woman and her Neep, a robot with living cells that claims to help people talk through their problems. It has an odd instruction manual with rules like a Mogwai, which was fun to read, as was this whole creepy story! 5/5

The Taste of Yellow: Young twins live in a religious commune that has a ready supply of hallucinogenic honey (aka “mad honey). Add it to some moonshine and you’ll have a Mad Night! I wasn’t sure where this was going, but the ending was fantastic, upping the rating. 4.5/5

Ova: A woman wakes up to find her boyfriend is gone and a lump on her abdomen has arrived. I wish this would have been longer… 4/5

My Head Is A Chestnut, And Other Tales From The Crypt: This was an odd story about phrenology, which always makes me think of “Django Unchained”. A general life rule? Stay away from the Jell-O shots! 3/5

Sonata In God Minor: I wasn’t sure what this strange story of a musician was at first, but the ending was fantastic! 3.5/5

In The Shadow Of The Abyss: A unique story of a couple who head to a dark island, in more ways than one. 3.5/5

Stories I Told My Dead Lover: The most beautifully written story in this anthology. 4/5

One For The Demons: A quick little poem. 3/5

I’d definitely be interested in reading more from this author! Overall, I give this short story cool 3.5 stars, rounded up.

(Thank you to Blackstone Publishing, Jo Paquette and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my review. This book is slated to be released on June 11, 2024.)

“Stories I Told My Dead Lover” is a collection of short horror stories written by Jo Paquette. These include:

-LEFT TURN AT THE LOST SOUL
-CONFIDENCE GAME
-THE TASTE OF YELLOW
-OVA
-MY HEAD IS A CHESTNUT, AND OTHER TALES FROM THE CRYPT
-SONATA IN GOD MINOR
-IN THE SHADOW OF THE ABYSS
-STORIES I TOLD MY DEAD LOVER

As someone who is relatively new to the horror genre, the title and cover of this book intrigued me. I adore short stories and applaud any author able to tell a compelling tale in such few words, and Paquette has some true gems in this collection. “The Taste of Yellow” and “My Head Is A Chestnut…”, in particular, told horrifyingly fascinating stories of abuse and misplaced trust, but through the point of views of the victims. As someone in the medical field myself, “Ova” and “…Chestnut…” kept my attention and had me holding my breath as each new paragraph unfolded.

Other stories, particularly “Confidence Game,” had me hooked from the start. Reminiscent of a Black Mirror episode, it followed a lonely woman who seeks companionship in her very own “Neep,” a living(?), breathing(?) buddy she orders in the mail and feeds lettuce while it listens to her closest confidences. This story had so much potential, and I was sad with how early it ended. Same with “Left Turn…,” I was left wanting more.

Overall, I greatly enjoyed this collection of short stories. “Sonata…” made me laugh out loud at the end. They’re the perfect length to enjoy during a study or lunch break. If you’re someone who is new to psychological horror or who scares easily like myself, this is a great intro into the genre. The book releases on June 11, 2024.

Thank you to Blackstone Publishing & NetGalley for the free eARC!

#StoriesIToldMyDeadLover #JoPaquetteAuthor #JoPaquette #ShortStoryReview #PsychologicalHorror #ARCReview #NetGalley #BlackstonePublishing

I am so thankful to the publisher, NetGalley, and the Author for granting me advanced access to this one before June 11, 2024. This one wasn't for me, but I am still really thankful for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.

"The wall comes down like a sigh, like the inevitability of pain and death and rebirth.". I enjoyed this collection of short stories, each story was unique and had something to offer everyone. My favorite was the short story entitled the same as this collection, "Stories I Told My Dead Lover". This collection of stories was one of interest I would recommend if you were trying to get into more horror/psychological thriller areas of reading.

I did not like this book. At times it felt very all over the place and I would get confused at some points because you didn’t know if it was all smaller short stories unconnected or if it was one story or what. I lost interest almost immediately and struggled to even finish it.

I extend my thanks to NetGalley and Joe Paquette for the opportunity to delve into the advanced reader copy of "Stories I Told My Dead Lover."

Set for release on June 11th (currently available for pre-order), this collection of eight short stories delves into the eerie and enigmatic realms of death, dying, and the unknown. Each story is crafted to intrigue, provoke reflection, and occasionally send shivers down the reader's spine.

Within these tales, "Left Turn at the Lost Soul" explores purgatory through a man's unexpected visit to a mysterious bar by a decaying tree. "The Taste of Yellow" challenges perceptions of artificial intelligence, trust, and authenticity in relationships. "My Head is a Chestnut, and Other Tales from the Crypt" warns against blind faith in science and medical professionals. Lastly, "Sonata in God Minor" delves into the depths of a cult mentality, offering a thought-provoking narrative.

These narratives promise a fast-paced and mind-bending journey through various intriguing landscapes, guided by the imaginative storytelling of Jo Paquette.

2.5 stars

I waited so long and was so excited for this book, but I’m a little disappointed with what I just read.
These stories all seemed like good ideas that were just put in the wrong hands. They needed more time, and some were just a little too obscure for me.
Now this could just be me, but I like my stories a little easier to read and understand. I dont want to have to think too deeply about the meaning. A little is fine but these felt a little to pompous. I’m so sorry I hate saying that and I’m just trying to be honest with my feelings.
I’m sure there are plenty of people who are going to disagree with me and absolutely love this book. It’s just not for me.

OK, this is a Wierd book. Some of the story are good until the end. It’s like they needed more time. Some hit a wall of confusion. I did skip two stories to “The stories I told my dead lover”, but I read two pages and couldn’t go farther. I just quit reading and started another arc I had.

A short volume of dark, creepy tales of horror. These types of collections usually suffer from uneven material, but these are all equally good. Disturbing stories about people, especially women, in extreme circumstances. Sonata in God Minor was my favorite, closely followed by In the Shadow of the Abyss. I liked the complicated characters and the accomplished descriptions of their environments. There is body horror, but the real terror is of the mind. Unlike most of these feminist books, men are not always horrible, or the enemy. There are bad men, but they are not caricatures or extreme stereotypes. These are mostly surreal stories. Pretty even and high quality, beautiful written tales.
I chose to read this book and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased. Thank you, #NetGalley/#Blackstone Publishing.

♡𝐞𝐀𝐫𝐜 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰♡
3 🌟
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DNF @20%, the premise of this billed as eight short stories of psychological horror. I wanted to enjoy this, but it was a mix of good and bad stories, and it just wasn't keeping my attention. I gave it 3 🌟 because the premise behind the stories is psychological horror stories, the fact you get 8 short stories in one book, and the cover art being beautiful.
Will attempt to reread at a different time.
♡𝐑𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 June.11♡
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Thank you, Netgalley, and Blackstone Publishing for the (eArc)-eBook for my honest review.

Thank you Net Galley and Joe Paquette for allowing me to ARC (advanced reader copy) Stories I Told My Dead Lover.

A collection of short stories surrounding the terrifying and mysterious subject of death, dying, and being on the brink. Releasing June 11th (available for pre-order now), eight stories will mystify the mind causing the reader to reflect and sometimes shiver.

In "Left Turn at the Lost Soul" the theme of purgatory is personified in the form of a man running out of gas and ending up at a "speakeasy" style bar by a rotting tree. "The Taste of Yellow" will have you questioning the artificial aspects of A.I. with a dive into relationships, trust, and truth. "My Head is a Chestnut, and Other Tales from the Crypt" will teach you to not put 100% trust in physicians simply for science. Finally, "Sonata in God Minor" provides a provoking moment within a cult mindset.

These are just a few of the stories you will encounter in this fast-paced, mind-bending adventure rollercoaster chartered by Jo Paquette.

Thank you to NetGalley and Blackstone publishing for my arc in exchange for my unbiased opinion.

"Stories I Told My Dead Lover" by Jo Paquette is a short story collection that is supposed to lean towards psychological horror. This collection has eight stories and like most short story collections, is a mixed bag. Unfortunately for me, I didn't really like any of them nor did I see any of the psychological horror in them. The only one I enjoyed and wanted more of was "The Taste of Yellow" which followed a young boy involved with a bee-centric cult. Other than that, the other stories just felt very half-baked and unfinished. I thought Paquette had some really interesting ideas but the execution needed a lot of editing and fine tuning. Additionally, most of the stories were very abstract rather than psychologically horrific; it felt like Paquette would introduce an interesting and slightly creepy thread just to abandon it in favor of some completely nonsensical thing that adds nothing.

Overall, I was really disappointed with this one.

An Adult Fiction debut highlighting 8 tales of psychological horror. Each short story delves into human nature touching on subjects of trust, mistrust, obsession, loss of innocence, adulthood, abuse, boundaries, loneliness & more. As with many anthologies, some stories are stronger than others, however they all held my attention & kept me turning the pages.

In order of likeness:
1. IN THE SHADOW OF THE ABYSS
* Favorite Line: “What if it could be that easy? What if, just like that, all the unpleasantness, all the scenes,all that murky badness could just be in the past? Left behind forever.”
2. THE TASTE OF YELLOW
* Favorite Line: “Sometimes it’s easier to talk when you know no one can hear.”
3. MY HEAD IS A CHESTNUT AND OTHER TALES FROM THE CRYPT
* Favorite Line: “In the ornate mirror, our eyes met for one gothic Ann Rice moment.”
4. SONATA IN GOD MINOR
* Favorite Line: “There is always one spot on any slope that is the point of no return, a moment when the balance tips and what is begun can no longer be undone.”
5. LEFT TURN AT THE LOST SOUL
* Favorite Line: “What good’s it to know when it is, when it was, when it will be?”
6. CONFIDENCE GAME
* Favorite Line: “…how much of a belief is wanting to believe, is framing reality so fully in mental Portrait Mode that everything else blurs to the backdrop?”
7. STORIES I TOLD MY DEAD LOVER
* Favorite Line: “It would be a while before I learned that you can’t hold smoke by grasping it in your hands. You can’t dig the well by wishing. You can only seal up what you’ve kept inside until it settles and becomes a part of you”
8. OVA
* Favorite Line: “Who can say where the mind goes, when the body can’t follow?”

Thank you to NetGalley, Blackstone Publishing & Jo Paquette for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I’m not usually a short story fan, but this held my attention and was pretty enjoyable to read! 3/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️

I didn’t enjoy reading this. the stories were distorted and all over the place. i could not comprehend most of the stories. it didn’t hit it for me.

Eight short stories that explore the imagination and force you to choose your destiny and face the consequences.

These were some enjoyable short stories to just cleanse my palate in between the bigger reads. I think they will appeal to a large audience.

3 Stars

Horror shorts are not easy to pull off, but this author did it. They were deep and thought provoking. They were psychological and strange. This was not what I would call a normal horror short stories book, but it was a well written set that will keep you reading, and awake at night.

*I want to thank Netgalley and the author for this book in return for my honest review*

Stormi Ellis
Boundless Book Review