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.

This is a book jam packed with stories from all around the world. True stories, myths and urban legends. Whatever you are looking for, if you're not into the 'cutesy romance' of Valentines Day then this is the book for you.

Some of these I knew or at least knew a little, however, there were a lot I had no idea about or knew vaguely but never knew details. Every story was short but fascinating. Traditions and where Valentines Day may have originated kick off this book and I was drawn in.

I could read a few and put it down if I wanted to but I was always interested to see what was next.

I'll be looking for more from this author because if the other books are as good and easily accessible as this one then I'm all for it.

What a fascinating collection! Some stories/myths were more familiar than others although there were a few that were brand new to me, which made it an interesting mix.

I read this via NetGalley and thought the I striking illustrations had been crafted with great attention to detail and really do complement the text. The utilisation of a limited colour palette, dominated by shades of red and black, added to the overall presentation. I’d imagine that this would work just as well in the printed version.

Perfect to dip in and out of at any time of year and for a book that’s less than 160 pages, there is a surprising amount of information included!

Sappy romance is a big "no" for me. I like my so-called "love stories" dark and complex and, if possible, tragic. Think of Wuthering Heights and Pride and Prejudice and Jane Eyre and Jamaica's Inn and whatnot. Needless to say, Valentine's Day is utter BS. However, this little book here is a true treasury of love gone bad.

From myths and legends, historical facts, urban legends and strange customs of intimacy and marriage, Tim Rayborn has you covered. From Orpheus and Eurydice, Irish and Osiris, Zeus' lovers and Hera's revenge, these are myths of rage and lost and immortality.

From Berlioz's obsession to Mary East's secret, from Catherine Howard to Narcissus, you will find stories you weren't aware of even if you had read hundreds of books. I guarantee you that.

This is a book that will narrate the possible origins of Valentine's Day and scare you with Japanese mutilated ghosts and unsolved crimes.

Whether you are a lover of the paranormal or you tend to connect with darkness in your romance, this book deserves a place in your bookcase.

*Also, it goes without saying that countries which have forbidden the celebrations of Valentine's Day are either Muslim, populated by terrorists aka.beasts in "humanitarian need" or regimes of eastern origins (Pakistan, Afghanistan and the rest...) But keep calling them civilized, sure...*

Many thanks to Cider Mill Press and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The writing was entertaining and engaging. Despite the dark side to these stories, they were delivered in an entertaining way and at times spoke directly to the reader. It felt well researched and made it clear that there were many different versions of what we were about to be told. I liked that other possible versions were also weaved in, allowing you to "choose the one you wanted".

The book was set out well with individual stories being grouped together. I liked the picture of the rose at the end of a few of the stories, the occasional cherub, as well as the coloured illustrations of some of the characters that we met. They added interest and brought the characters to life.

I liked that there were stories from all over the world as well as from different time periods. It gave a well rounded feel to the book.

Each story was short and to the point, giving the whole book a good pace. I completed it in two sittings, but if you are a fast reader then it could be done in one.

There were so many different characters from all walks of life as well as from different cultures. They were all interesting to read about.

Overall a well written book and one that I enjoyed reading.

This is a fun collection of the less sweet side of Valentine's Day, including such topics as murders, scams, and Victorian "vinegar valentines", which were sent to someone you hated. This might be a good gift for someone who has soured on the whole concept of Valentine's Day!