Several things are enjoyable with this collection. The style and subject matter.
But honestly something was missing. Some stories didn't have a true ending.
That isn't always bad, but I think that would have helped a litte.
I didn't feel a good connection between the actual stories and the title of the collection.

This was a fun read if you' are into a horror vibe with just enough romance to keep you hooked.

Thanks so much to NetGalley for the ARC.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!

Anthologies can be really hit or miss, and it's hard when the subject is a topic that's not easy to find in older literature. I found that this collection of short stories definitely showcased a broad range of topics and styles, and even eras, but they didn't really fit the brief in terms of the actual title of the book itself. 'Carmilla' was, of course, massive, and took up a huge amount of the book - while I understand the inclusion, it definitely took up a lot of real estate that made the other stories feel more ancillary.

I will give credit where credit is due to the author themselves, who came up with lovely introductions for each and every one of the stories, giving them all the space to be showcased really well. Each story was justified, even if some of them didn't fit very well, and I found them more enjoyable than some of the stories at times. There definitely could have been a bit more of a focus on fitting the theme, but it is a weird one, and I found the author did a reasonable job with all that considered!

This book wasn't my cup of tea but if you like gothic vibes then you might like this book. I will give this book a try again in the future.

I love a good gothic tale of the macabre and this really hit that spot. Some of the stories are slowburns and it's perfectly fine because the setting is so good that I want to stay in it as long as I can. A new auto-buy author for me!

Thank you to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for this free e-ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

I loved this deeply gothic jewel box of a collection of doomed love stories. It was the perfect balance of macabre and lush, horror and romance. It was such a treat to see Carmilla and Angela Carter's The Lady of the House of Love collected together, along with others that were new to me.

The anthology begins with a 1833 short story by Mary Shelley and ends with one written in 2022. Given that it spans nearly two centuries, it's impressive and well curated the collection felt. Jo Ella Parsons has done a wonderful job of choosing stories that complement and contrast each other.

Thank you to British Library Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC.

DNF @ 19%

this isn’t the read for me, i can’t get into it. it seems like i’m just reading a bunch of words, but not really connecting with them nor the stories. i was in the middle of carmilla, and i just had to stop because i just can’t, and it was also very slowwww. i could possibly try this again, but i can’t atm.

Bizarre, macabre, weird stories about women and their doomed lovers. Loved every story and every minute.

this is my kind of anthology. you got horror, romance, gothic & eerie vibes. i enjoyed it a lot. i'm not gonna lie it was SO SLOW at the beginning and i was partly confused and was zoning out but the collections of stories was very interesting. some didn't really quite hit the mark for me but the rest was really good.

thank you for a copy! i cannot wait to read this next Halloween!

This contained one of my favourite books Carmilla. Like any anthology there is some that are worse than others BUT there was some great horror romances towards the end of the book. I would highly recommend.
Tragic but also fills the romance hole would be good to read around valentines day.

Doomed Romances is such a good story. The characters are so good. So involving. This story can catch anyone by the eyes. So so good.

A lovely compilation of stories and authors both familiar and new to me.

It was absolutely fascinating to see how they all tie together thematically, each story building upon the last, until you are left with a fascinating introspection on love and ill-fated romances. It is hard to critique anthologies such as this, when it really ought to be a critique of each story on its own. Nevertheless, over all, the collection holds its weight and does what it sets out to do.

I really appreciated the introduction to each author, the explanation of their history and the time period in which their story was written. I felt that it really added to the experience of reading, and isn't something you really see in modern short story collections. It added depth to the reading, and also served as a good way to bridge one story to the next without feeling as if you've been jarred from one world to the next, as I often feel reading anthologies.

I enjoyed reading it, and felt like I had a broader appreciation for the horror-romance genre as a whole, as well as a reinvigorated love for those precious familiar favourites (looking at you Carmilla).

An excellent collection of stories from all walks of literature. Perfect for a lover of all things literary, as well as all things macabre.
A personal favorite was the excerpt from Carmilla. I love seeing all types of works compiled like this. It had a perfect amount of variety!

I loved this as a anthology, it had that horror and romance element that I was looking for from the description. Each author wrote the story beautifully. I enjoyed that there was classics in this anthology with modern pieces as well. I was glad I got to read this and am excited for more.

This collection is like a rollercoaster of eerie love stories that make you want to hide under a blanket, but also can't stop reading. Some of the tales are super weird, but in that "can't look away" kind of way, you know?

I loved a few of the stories for sure, and even though some didn't quite hit the mark for me, the ones that did were so good! A lot of them had, like, that perfect mix of mystery and suspense, with characters who get tangled in some pretty intense situations. Totally gripping. But, yeah, a couple of them didn’t quite fit the whole "doomed love" thing, which was a little...meh.

Overall though, totally fun read if you're into a spooky vibe with just enough romance to keep you hooked.

Thanks so much to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion! 😘