Tim Rayborn has a strong writing style and enjoyed the overall concept of this book. It had that Valentine's Day tales and was engaged from the first page. I learned a lot from this book and was glad I read this.

An okay little read. It's very short, there were times that I wished the author went into topics/stories just a bit more.

I really loved this collection of love scary stories. I read some it while in Greece and somehow it felt lika nice place to read this book.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the eArc in exchange for my honest opinions.

I really enjoyed reading The scary book of Valentines Day lore. The stories were fun and interesting and written in an easily digestable way. Im never forgetting some fun facts that were given. Although there were some stories that didnt really interest me it didnt stop me from wanting to keep going.

Sorry, I was unable to read and review this book due to netgalley shelf app not working and not being able to read on the online reader either. So I've left a middling 3 stars as it affects my netgalley ratio if I don't review anything, but I really did want to read this and do like the cover.

This was very well written and I shared it with a friend who loved it. My issue is I’m a baby and I’d read it at night and have to keep the light on because I’m scared of everything. Haha it was great!

This was unfortunately a miss for me. I couldn’t really follow anything that was going on. I had to eventually put it down.

The authors writing is entertaining and has a comedic light hearted touch that kept the pages flowing making this book an easy read. I loved the short stories from mythology, but the author didn’t really tie them in with the holiday well. It wasn’t a scary, bloody read, but I did enjoy the book even if its intention in my opinion wasn’t fulfilled. I will be picking up a copy of this book as it was written well and entertained my mind. I can’t wait to share it with others. This book is a collection of myths based on love a character in the myth experienced and like most myths it ended in tragedy.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Cider Mill Press for a free copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Brief information and boring.

I downloaded this one around Valentine's day - naturally - as I like knowing the myths and history behind holidays.
This book explored so many myths, legends, history, and urban legends and was a really enjoyable read for anyone looking for something a little bit different. It felt really well researched, and never boring. It was also really well rounded by including stories from all around the world, from different points in time. There's no bias view to be found.
The illustrations in this were gorgeous, and the perfect companion to each of the stories.

This was an interesting collection of stories about Valentine's Day around the world, some of them creepier than others. Worth a look!

A fun and quirky way to get a hearty dose of Valentine's Day. The lore and myths surrounding the holiday along with love stories gone wrong or worse and topped off with stange customs from around the world. It is a great starting point for anyone interested in learning more about the holiday that can easily be expanded upon with a google search.

Thank you NetGalley and Cider Mill Press for access to this archived ARC!

A relatively quick read, The Scary Book of Valentine's Lore by Tim Rayborn is a fun and quirky look at the beloved romantic holiday. I loved how the different stories and legends were separated by cateogories, and how the author included all sorts of historical figures and myths. I especially appreciated the inclusion of other cultures without necessarily villainizing them, as well as LGBTQ+ figures and relationships.

A short, interesting read for anyone looking to dive a bit deeper into the commercialized holiday we're used to today.

I love the mix of horror around the most lovey-dovey holiday of the year! I would definitely suggest this to my followers to pick up for Valentine's Day.

A funny and delightful creepy history of Valentine’s Day that covers everything from the origins of St Valentine and the holiday that carries his name to broader, related vignettes about the dark side of love.

The selection of material here is outstanding, and I loved that Rayborn doesn’t limit his contents to the holiday proper. We get everything from the doomed love stories of myth to urban legends involving romantic disaster to love-lorn hauntings.

I love histories that are really dense informationally but written in a narrative, conversational style, and Rayborn really excels at making sure you’re laughing while you’re also getting a huge volume of information.

The author has a book like this that delves into the darker side of Christmas as well which is also very much worth a read. I hope he continues this and gives us more of this style of nonfiction using other holidays or cultural events as well.

As a lover of all things, romance and horror related, this was a perfect Valentine’s mashup!

This was a fun, easy to pick up at any moment and read a little titbit about either the gothic history of Valentine’s Day of the past or romance gone bad. With each chapter/article being only about two pages long this was an easy and entertaining read.

I love the variety of the true stories and the depth of the history through all the ancient lores.

I also enjoyed the accompanying illustrations with the chapters.

Thanks to both Netgalley and Cider Mill Press for the eARC copy of this book. This has not affected my review at all, which are my own thoughts.

TSBoVDL is a book full of short recollections of myths, historical records and more, that dwell into de scarier aspect of romantic love, while also talking about how it shaped the world until our days, for example, whit the creation of Valentine's Day. All this accompanied with visually stunning illustrations that represent both the beauty and the more macabre side of the stories that plague this book.

Some of these stories, I knew. Others, have been a great discovery. I laughed and I cowered in horror at most of these stories, discovering new things about historical romances affecting world history as equal as any war could have, learning about myths from cultures that don't usually get to be on the spotlight, to wonder about life mysteries still unsolved.

All wrapped in a short book perfect for people that likes to deepen in the more gruesome aspects of life and love, like me.

Quick fun and entertaining read about the darker side of Valentine's. Some I'm familiar with whilst some are never heard of before ...I wouldn't really consider them scary but it is still interesting and the picture inserts are cool and aesthetically pleasing! Nice to be able to read this one as I can't seem to see it available anywhere. Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for providing a free copy. 🖤

The Scary Book of Valentine's Day Lore by Tim Rayborn is a delightfully eerie and fascinating dive into the dark and bizarre history behind the holiday of love. Blending historical facts with creepy legends, the book offers an entertaining and slightly spooky perspective on Valentine's Day traditions. Perfect for fans of quirky history and gothic tales, it’s a fun and unique read that uncovers the unexpected side of romance.

It must have been so much fun collecting the stories for this book. Some are gory, some are tragic, and some are just plain illegal. There are gods and traditions from around the world, from every time period, including an internet blind date story. This would be a terrific coffee table book or conversation starter.
Thanks to NetGalley for letting me read this.