“Ghost House” begins with the title story……what owner, and realtor, desires: the house that comes with it’s own ghost. Home owners talk about their ghosts as if they’re pets, sellers and realtors love them because they add value to the home. Ghosts are such fun……if they like you.
“Marionettes” was another strange story of a woman with a near-phobia of marionette’s who’s basically pushed into attending a marionette show by her fiancée, with tragic consequences.
The above mentioned stories were my favorites. I would categorize this collection of short stories more as weird fiction than horror. I’d say look elsewhere if you want a good scare. #netgalley #GhostHouse

This was chilling and both mysterious, horrifying, and feminist all in one great novel. I really enjoyed the stories in this!

This was a good read that I wanted to love more but it missed the mark for me personally. The stories in and of themselves are by no means bad. But they are way less paranormal-y then you'd think. Even with the foreword stating something about metaphorical ghosts it should still have a haunting vibe. Besides the title, in the blurb it says "modern feminist ghost stories". So I don't think it's out of pocket to expect something haunting or haunting like. The first story gives me high hopes but as I kept reading I stopped being as into it.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for this Advance Review Copy

I'm struggling with how to rate this book. I went into it expecting more ghosts/paranormal, based on the title being "Ghost House" and the blurb saying "modern feminist ghost stories". However, only 3 or 4 of the stories had any paranormal elements. The author says in the Foreword that a lot of these are stories about metaphorical ghosts that haunt us rather than actual ghosts. I don't mind metaphorical ghosts but I felt misled based on the title and description. Things I got instead of the paranormal: anal bleaching, sex dolls, frogs and attempted hallucinations, Barbies getting labiaplasties and pubic hair, strip club, sexual assault and attempted sexual assault, and bestiality. I kept thinking that I can't wait to read some of the negative reviews from people who went in expecting ghosts and got hit in the face with SEX.

The titular Ghost House short story was interesting - we live in a world where ghosts were not only accepted for haunting your house but increased the value. It was a unique take on the haunted house story. However, it didn't seem as clear as it could have been. I wasn't clear why our ghost was making life miserable for the main character when every other ghost helps people. I filled in some ideas to explain it, but the story itself left me wanting. Also, I didn't understand what was happening in the weird second to last scene with our main character - it felt like the author needed to be telling the story from a 3rd person perspective but was stuck with our narrator's first person. Also, autopsies don't seem to be a thing in this world...?

Marionettes was one of my 2 favorite stories in the collection - we get creepy, marionette dolls plus old women with curses. I wasn't clear on the final resolution of the story (was it real or imagined??) which was again frustrating. Numerous of the stories felt like they ended 1 paragraph sooner.

One More was a supernatural story about a person who gets an idea when something bad is going to happen. It had Final Destination vibes and was nice and creepy.

Terroir was my favorite non-supernatural. No supernatural elements (and the first story where I kept checking to see if I had opened the wrong book on my Kindle), but really well written and an interesting discussion about sexual ideals vs reality. Our main character learns how to let go of the shame she feels regarding sex and her vagina.

Girls was from the perspective of a neon strip club sign. Powell's Priests was about priests who make honey while having sex with married women and animals while eating raw sides of cows. They were both incredibly short and meh. Unending Day made me want to connect that poor girl with a better therapist and maybe some antidepressants. I likely would have appreciated Salad more if I weren't so frustrated with the lack of paranormal. Not My Body was a one page poem which I skimmed since it was the last one.

Overall, the stories themselves were decently written. Some needed fleshing out or better resolution. Overall, as long as you know what you're getting into with the metaphorical ghosts, it's a decent (and quick) read.

A truly unique collection of short stories. Some of these I really enjoyed, while a few were just not for me. Overall a pretty fun and entertaining read

Such a wonderful collection of short stories. There wasn't one that I didn't thoroughly enjoy, these are just what I needed to get into the mood for spooky season!

A very entertaining book of short stories, each tale having something very creepy or unsettling to offer. I look forward to reading more from this author.

When buying a ghost house is all the rage a famous sculptor and her husband get one but unfortunately there a ghost isn’t as helpful as their neighbors. When a teacher gets fired for the theft of a frog in Vincent‘s one of her many students who are suffering from early puberty a book of saints in miracles they scour the Internet and conclude the frog’s thyroid juice will cure them. When a woman gets thyroid cancer her doctor doesn’t want to speak of it and she is afraid the doctor will dollar her to death long before the cancer does. They say hell hath no fury like a woman scorned, but what if the woman just wants to release how old others for the fun of it. These stories are so imaginative I started reading it this morning and didn’t stop until the last page. I really enjoyed this fun but creepy tails and anyone who loves horror and/or the supernatural will love the stories it’s all about females at their worst or is it their best? I received this book from NetGalley and publisher but I am leaving this review voluntarily please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review

this was a great short story collection, it worked so well in the horror genre. I was invested in what was going on each story and I didn't feel like a weak story in the bunch. I liked the way Sara Connell wrote these and was glad I was able to go through this book.

“Did you see this?” her editor asked and pointed to her desktop monitor, where the title gleamed in hot pink against a white background. Claire looked at a glossy picture of a girl with her head bent toward her chest and a fringe of hair covering her face. She appeared as if she were praying or bent in shame.