Rating 3 ⭐️
Spice 🌶🌶
Single POV
Beetlejuice retelling
Paranormal romance novella
Black cat x golden retriever
Mental health rep
Forced proximity
Medium burn
Revenge
HEA
⚠️ Triggers- depression, suicide ideation/intent
Getting With the Ghoul takes a more serious, emotional turn compared to the first book in this series. Samantha’s depression, suicidal ideation, and deep loneliness are portrayed with surprising emotional depth. I genuinely appreciated the representation of mental health as it felt raw and honest; even if it wasn’t quite what I was expecting going in.
That said, I came in hoping for another fun, spicy escape, and while Samantha does get her happy ending, the journey there felt heavier and less playful for a Halloween novella. The first half of the book struck a solid balance between its darker themes and lighter moments, keeping a steady, engaging pace. However, the back half felt rushed. Her ongoing fixation on a friend who “left her behind” years ago was understandable through the lens of depression, but it became repetitive and slowed the emotional momentum at times, thus leaving me continually frustrated with her.
One of the highlights for me was the black cat x golden retriever dynamic between Samantha and Al. He was obnoxious in a fun, endearing way that kept things entertaining even during the heavier moments. The Beetlejuice-inspired retelling, along with the fourth wall breaks (and the actual mentions of Beetlejuice himself), brought a clever and meta charm I really enjoyed.
Overall, if you’re looking for a monster romance that mixes depression, humor, and healing with a dash of spice and a clever nod to Beetlejuice, Getting With the Ghoul is still worth the read. It offers something different for a halloween novella, as it has a deeper emotional core that might resonate with readers who like their romance with a little more weight.