Short Story Review – The Lover by Silvia Moreno-Garcia (4/5 stars)
Reading Level: Adult
Genre: Historical Fantasy
Length: 43 pages
Publisher: Amazon Original Stories
Release Date: November 1, 2023
ASIN: B0C9JYHY1D
Stand Alone or Series: Stand Alone
Source: eBook from Amazon First Reads
Rating: 4/5 stars
“Judith knows her sister, Alice, is the pretty one—but that doesn’t stop her from wishing for love. When a handsome and gentlemanly hunter appears in their village, seeking lodging from the cold, she believes her lover has finally arrived. He does, indeed, choose to stay—but as Alice’s husband, not her own. When another stranger comes out of the woods, looking every bit a vagrant, he offers Judith something mysterious and enticingly strange. Against reason and decency, she welcomes both men into her life, in different ways. As forbidden longings ensnare each of them, an unrelenting winter storm and an evasive wolf on the prowl have everyone on edge…and ravenous. By spring thaw, will any of their hungers be satisfied?”
Series Info/Source: This is a stand alone book. I got a copy of this on ebook through Amazon First Reads.
Thoughts: This was a decent quick read that is a twist on the classic Red Riding Hood fairy tale.
The story follows Judith who is jealous of the marriage of a visiting hunter to her beautiful sister, Alice. However, Alice’s husband starts to turn away from Alice and come to Judith for his hungers. Then there is the strange man that visits Judith at random times and the huge wolf that haunts the woods. Will Judith be able to run away with the hunter in the spring, or will some of them not make it through the winter?
This was a decent enough story. I enjoyed the description and bleak winter setting. I also really loved the ironic twist at the end of the story. I don’t have a ton to say about it, it was a quick read and well written. Kind of a fun read as we head into the winter months.
My Summary (4/5): Overall this was a well done, quick fairy tale retelling. I enjoyed it and am glad I read it. I have been finding that I enjoy Moreno-Garcia’s short stories more than I enjoy her full length books. If you are looking for a dark, quick, somewhat erotic, fairy tale retelling in a winter setting, this is a decent one.
