I’ve always been a fan of horrorotica? Horrorromance? Monterporn? I don’t know what it’s called on this particular day but I know I like to read it even though I probably shouldn’t. The good, the bad, even the “meh” because we have had slim pickings in this genre until recently. Do you remember those Hot Blood books from back in the late ’80s & ’90s? Yeah, those were filled with lots of gratuitous sex and scary scenarios and monsters, and I remember they were sometimes pretty darn icky when it came to the sex and I ate them up so I clearly cannot be trusted. I loved those books even though if I reread them now I might be a little horrified at myself. Or maybe not. My tastes are strange. 

So with that said, I find the intimacy, romance, and sensuality of this collection is much preferred by me now. These stories aren’t shocking you with rape, or pedos, nasty one-sided sex, or gross Humanoid Creatures From the Deep (although that can be fun too, not me judging anyone here because, ugh, I think I liked that terrible movie!) But none of that is needed here. Women can desire intimacy without always having to become a victim of pervs or beasts and horror readers deserve more of this, please and thank you! 

In this collection love sometimes goes wrong, it blossoms when it’s least expected and sometimes a lady just wants sexy times for the sake of sexy times, you know? Desire is a strong motivator for many of the stories and if someone ends up dead, well, that’s the chance you gotta take for love, haha! I highly recommend all of the books I’ve read by Sonora Taylor and this one is no exception. Here’s a little bit but hopefully not too much about the stories:

Someone To Share My Nightmares

Kristen is grieving over the recent death of her favorite movie producer. She visits a bar to drown her sorrows and meets a handsome guy who tempts her into the woods with his sexiness. But honestly, it didn’t take much tempting! Heeehee. These woods are so seductive and the bugs are the least of your worries. I wish my woods were more like these here woods, tbh, and you’ll have to read the story to find out why!

Petal, Page, Piel

This one is short and gets right to the point. Fellas better beware of she who loves to caress her . . . book! Us book people aren’t playing around with you fools.

Bump In The Night

Tasha’s just trying to have a little fun with a late-night visit from a sexy plumber but the clanging and banging pipes aren’t having any of it. Sexy times interruptus are the absolute worst! This was light-hearted fun. You should all read it if you want a laugh.

Metal Meticulous 

A dark and lovely poem about a man who gets more than he bargained for!

The Parrot

Ooooh, all the stars. This one is magic. Read it! Charles, a real loathsome fella as we soon discover, is now a widower. His wife has left him to fend for himself but fortunately for him, she’s also left The Parrot, a smart device programmed to make his life easier because he’s a temperamental baby-man. Ooops, that’s just my opinion. Sorry, that snuck out. Anyhow, this one is gleefully Evil and I adored it and you probably will too.

Candy

Ummm, I think Sonora Taylor snuck into my head when she was writing this one. A man should not come between a woman and her truffles if he knows what’s good for him and that’s all I’m saying about that 😳

The Sharps 

This one is sexy and romantic and also freaking terrifying in a B monster movie sort of way. It has mutant sea creatures and new love and, come on already, what else do you need?

You Promised Me Forever

One woman discovers forever is a very long time. This man of hers is getting on her last nerve and even sexy gets old when he’s annoying the hell out of you. 

‘Tis Better To Want

I read this story in January of this year when it was released on its own but I did not mind revisiting sexy Krampus again! This story is the most explicit but it’s not super scandalous and I don’t think you’ll be needing a fainting couch but don’t yell at me if you do. It’s tons of fun. Here’s my original review that still stands:

“Well, this was the story we all needed this long dreary winter. Lydia is a naughty child when she’s first visited by Krampus. She really can’t get him out of her head once she’s set eyes on the beast. As she grows into a naughty teen and later a naughty college student she longs for the day he’ll show up again to mete out a little punishment and does her best to seduce him. Even Hell’s servant has his limits, lol!”

Sonora Taylor has written some of my favorite dark horror stories and this Krampus story was a delightful surprise 😈. This was the most explicit-saucy-sexy whatever.

So that’s that. If this sounds like fun to you (and how could it not?), you should give it a read!

Laurie is a long-time horror fan, book reviewer and a co-founder of Ladies of Horror Fiction. You can find Laurie on her blog Bark’s Book Nonsense, on Twitter as @barksbooks, on Instagram as @barksbooks, and on Goodreads.

A band of bloodthirsty sea creatures terrorize a scientist and a journalist trapped in a Carolina cove. The seduction of a plumber making a house call becomes a nightmarish haunting for both parties. A woman transformed for her lover has second thoughts about just how good "together forever" can be. And the one man a woman wants for Christmas is the holiday demon sent to punish the wicked.

Someone to Share My Nightmares is a tapestry of horrors interwoven with sensuality.
Can our deepest fears be vanquished when they’re shared with someone else?
Or is the danger doubled when two people come together?