I’ve been dealing with a bad mood and migraine for about 24 hours so I just decided to read these short stories before getting back into anything longer. All in all, just a 3 for the entire anthology. This anthology is dark Halloween romance. I stupidly assumed dark romance means stories similar to A Court of Thorn and Roses, but this just seems more like, these all take place on Halloween (well I think most of them do except for that space one) and there’s not much angst going on. Some of the stories were just nonsensical and seemed to just be focused on getting to the sexy times. If that’s your thing, this should work, but I tend to like stories that have more backstory and I can see why the two leads (human, vampire, angel, monster, etc.) have some sort of chemistry. For most of the stories, it was non-existent.
Hot for Slayer by Ali Hazelwood-5 stars. Honestly, I wanted to read this in a longer format. I loved the entire premise. Vampires and guilds of slayers. Slayers, like vampires are immortal too, and their sole purpose is to kill vampires.
The story starts at the fall of the Berlin Wall and we follow vampire Aethelthryth, otherwise known as Ethel and Slayer Lazlo doing their best to stab each other. Ethel though manages to get away and we follow her to modern times when she realizes that a “baby” vampire is nearby that she hopes she can ignore. However, when the vampire attacks and Ethel is almost about to meet her maker (literally) she is saved by Lazlo. Problem is that Lazlo is knocked out and when he wakes up has no idea who or what he and Ethel are. Honestly, this whole story was great. I loved the backstory to Ethel, how she was made, how old she was, and why she’s a bit different than typical vampires. Also, I loved the chemistry and slow build between her and Lazlo. I mean it had to happen since there is the whole amnesia thing.
Halloween connection here is that it takes place a day or two I think before it and there are even scenes with kids in costumes.
Falling by Christina Lauren-3 stars. Honestly, I haven’t really liked any of their romance stories in eons at this point, but this was better than the stories that came after it. I have to say though the premise though intriguing, fell apart because there’s no explanation for so many things it drove me up the wall. We just hear about things and oh here’s sex, and oh we are now in love. I think all together the story from soup to nuts takes about 4 hours.
We follow Cat who is in college (I think, I refuse to look this up) and is frustrated that her relationship with her current boyfriend is just boring. She realizes she doesn’t really care for him after he messes up their joint Halloween couple costume. Instead of leaving the party they are at, she goes to the bathroom and meets someone named Brigan. Brigan is special though. He senses something special about Cat too though who is not acting the way most humans do around him. Also yes, sexy times.
Halloween connection as I said above is that they are at a Halloween party. I won’t spoil the horrific costume that Cat chose.
Spicy Little Curses by J.T. Geissinger-2 stars. I honestly only gave this two stars because it takes place in New Orleans. Other than that, the whole story is a fail in terms of character development, plot, and the ending that leaves several mysteries to unfold which makes zero sense since this is a short story. We get little asides about Petra’s bloodline, witches, voodoo, her boss, and I don’t know what else and I just did not get it at all. Unless Geissinger has plans to turn these characters into a series in the future, it’s a total short story fail to leave mini mysteries that don’t get resolved. Also they have zero chemistry people. You have a male lead that is tale, dark, and inked up and you do nothing with him at all.
Petra, is a reporter that is in New Orleans looking into a man (Dax Rousseau) that people whisper can ink tattoos that can almost come alive. When Petra goes to Dax’s tattoo parlor, she’s shocked to sense something about him and he her, and when Dax’s tattoos come alive under her touch, he’s worried that a family curse is about to strike again. I still say the curse sounded way more interesting and I think that would have been better for all if Petra got taken out.
I honestly cannot even remember the Halloween connection here, but you got witches, curses, voodoo, etc.
I read this for Halloween Bingo 2025, “Spellbound” square.
Space Vampire by Ruby Dixon-2 stars. Absolutely not. I don’t even want to get into how the world building makes no sense and it’s just a very long scene in essence to get to the two leads naked. It’s about sex in space with a vampire. There’s also zero chemistry. I don’t get why authors don’t understand for I think a good portion of the romance community, we need the chemistry. If you are just going to put people in absurd situations and have them get naked in two seconds, we could just go and watch [redacted.]
Dana is a human and an overlooked pet of an alien scientist in space. When the aliens abandon ship because a monster is coming to kill them, Dana goes exploring. What she finds though is a vampire named Vlad who needs blood and other things. I don’t know. I refuse to skim this again.
Halloween connection from what I can recall is not a thing in this story.
Beautiful Nightmare by Katee Robert-1 star. Again, this was chemistry free and I was more interested in the whole angel versus demon thing and that was about it. It just doesn’t make any sense honestly.
A sleep paralysis demon that’s bad at her job named Gemma, meets a human named Caleb who she is supposed to scare, but instead inspires lust in. And then…just go with what you think happens next.
Halloween connection was that Caleb wants to take her out to a party? I don’t even know, again, I refuse to re-read this one.
My Boyfriends Are All Monsters by Kimberly Lemming-3 stars. Honestly, this deserves 3 stars for actually trying for character development with the female lead (Lucy) and her best friends. I was more entertained by them and their back and forth with each other. And I was interested in how Hemlock was doing everything they were and how it would look to outsiders. That said, Lucy and Hemlock still chemistry free and I just wasn’t that invested in them at all.
This story follows Lucy who is on the worst hiking date ever. She’s with her current boyfriend, his supposed best friend who is a girl (and into him), and someone else. Lucy gets injured climbing up a mountain and her boyfriend suggests she waits there for him [I would have broken up with him then]. Lucy though is determined to get back to civilization, and never speak to him again. Before she goes though, she throws a coin into a well she finds and wishes for a man like you get in Hallmark movies. She doesn’t realize though that wish is going to have repercussions for her…sexy repercussions. Sorry, I could not resist.
Halloween connection was that it is taking place around that time since it’s mentioned the town Lucy stumbles in is decorated to a point that a Hallmark movie would be like, isn’t that a little bit much?
I read this for Halloween Bingo 2025, “Mysterious Mountains” square.