Zero

The Towns Syndicate #1

by Mandy Muse

A Nightmare before Christmas retelling.

Blurb and Cover coming soon!

Genres: Dark Romance, Novella, Halloween, M M F, Why Choose, Dark, Retellings

188 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 3, 2024

About the author

Mandy Muse writes spicy adult romance. Born and raised in Texas, she is a stay at home mom with an imagination that has always left her daydreaming. When she is not writing, she is trying to keep three kids from playing with her laptop and keep them from learning how to read, so she never has to explain what mommy writes.

Reviews

[Dani (Daniiireads) · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️

Zero, a dark and sexy retelling of The Nightmare Before Christmas, revolves around a creepy carnival run by two masked murderers, and the woman they’ve become obsessed with.

It’s short, spicy, and the perfect spooky season read!

- dark romance
- poly (MMF)
- masked men
- primal + breeding kink

CW: on page death, mentions of SA & human trafficking, character gets auditory flashback of SA (not on page)

[Beth Roger aka Katiebella_Reads · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ehh

Nightmare before Christmas spicy retelling. Very much on the nose. Good plot premise. Ok execution. Not so great writing.
I needed a Z read for A-Z reading challenge. Not sure if I will use this.

[dj&books · Rating 5 out of 5]

This ended up being waaaay more than I expected it to be and I’m obsessed! This nightmare before christmas retelling is so spot on and wild I’m so happy there is a second book! Definitely my favorite read so far this month! Running to book 2!

[Fathi MYHKSKPG (heylittlesiren) · Rating 4 out of 5]

✨If you are a looking for a short and spicy novella to read this spooky season, Zero is the one.

In this book, there were different theme town such as Halloween Town, Christmas Town, Valentine Town and they were owned by the Mayor. Each town had their specific and specialized theme.

Boogie and King were the leader of Halloween town. They were obsessed by this girl, Ally who went to their town before. This year, instead of just watching the girl they decided hunted Ally. Little did they knew, that Ally already had eyes on both of them.

Short yet spicy! Perfect for spooky season.

Thank you The Author Agency and author Mandy Muse for the arc copy!

[Nicole · Rating 2 out of 5]

really didn’t like this but needed to read a book that started with Z so i had to persevere

[Dino Queen · Rating 4 out of 5]

please note that the trigger warnings and topes/themes may contain spoilers
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
HEA: HFN
POV: multi 1st person
spice: several open-door spicy scenes
TWs: abuse, CSA (non-descriptive), death, drug trafficking, dubious consent, gun violence, human trafficking, kidnapping, murder, organized crime, PTSD, SA (non-descriptive)
Kinky Content: anal, anal play, biting, bondage (zip ties, handcuffs, rope, garland, string lights), breathe play, breeding kink, cum play, deep throating, degradation, dirty talk, Dom/sub dynamics, double penetration, dual penetration, dubcon, eyes on me, fancy peens, fear play, felching, fingering, forced orgasms, frotting, hair pulling, hand necklaces, irrumatio, mild knife play, manhandling, mask kink, nipple play, oral, orgasm denial, primal play, public sex, slapping, spanking, spit as lube, stalking kink
standalone: standalone story in the Tangled Duet world
final thoughts: this was a fun, kinky, dark read that had me on the edge of my seat. There was a lot of dark content but the darkest stuff (for me- SA/CSA) was more insinuated and hinted at rather than described which I appreciated. The rest of the scary, gore, and triggering content was described at varying levels and helped paint the dark storylines.
This could use a bit of polishing in some spots, but I enjoyed the story so much that it didn’t matter much to me as a reader. Ally reminded me a bit of Sibby from the Haunting Adeline universe which was fun.

read this book if you love
⛓️ BDSM
🫡 big MMC
🖤 dark romance
🥵 dirty talk
💬 epistolary
🍆 fancy peens
😳 forbidden lovers
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 found family
🤫 hidden secrets
🎃 holiday themes
💘 instalust
😏 kinky
🌈 LGBT+ representation
🔫 mafia
🪄 magic (kinda- fortune teller)
💞 mutual pining
🥰 nicknames
😜 obsessed MMC
😜 over the top, jealous, possessive MMC
📖 retelling (Nightmare Before Christmas vibes)
🗡️ revenge
👺 secret identity
☠️ “touch her and die”
☠️ “touch him and die”
😠 “who did this to you?”
⚔️ why choose (MMF)

[Billie Pariseau · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a perfect spicy read just in time for Halloween!! Mandy killed it ONCE AGAIN!! If you love nightmare before Christmas, give this one a shot. It’s dark, it’s quick, it’s Halloween.

One thing about me is i LIVE for Halloween novellas. They are my absolute favorite. So I take them very seriously. And this one had me hooked from the literal first sentence. Boogie and King??? HOT AF. But i mean… who doesn’t love a man in a mask??

[Tonya ✨ · Rating 5 out of 5]

One thing about Spicy Novellas??? I always want MORE!!!

This was just perfect & great read just in in time for Halloween season!!

King and Boogie together?? HOT.

King, Boogie and Ally together??? HOT ASF 🔥🔥🔥😮‍💨😮‍💨

"I didn't need someone to save me, I couldn't be saved. I needed someone to walk through the darkness with me and make sure it didn't consume me."

Tropes >>>
🎃Nightmare Before Christmas Retelling
👻MMF
🎃Masked Men
👻Spicy Novella
🎃Primal
👻Dark Romance

[Alexandria Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hold onto your candy bags, because Zero is about to deliver the ultimate dark and twisted Halloween treat! 🔥

King and Boogie rule Halloween Town with an iron fist, hiding in the shadows and waiting for the perfect moment to strike.

Year after year, they watch Ally—a doll-faced beauty who just can’t stay away from their creepy playground. But this time? Oh, this time they’re done watching. They’re ready to hunt. 👀💀

Zero is a Nightmare Before Christmas retelling with a deliciously dark twist. Imagine all the spooky vibes of the original story, but replace Jack and Sally with masked, primal bad boys, and ramp up the heat to scorching! 🔥🔥

Mandy Muse delivers a novella that’s equal parts sinister and sexy, as King and Boogie set their sights on Ally, a girl with her own dark secrets. And let’s just say...once they’ve claimed her, there's no going back. 💀

The chemistry between this trio is absolutely electric. Boogie and King are obsessed, and Ally is the perfect prey.

It’s primal, it’s intense, and the way they chase her through the town? Unreal. 😈 You’ll be rooting for them to catch her every step of the way. And when they do...well, let’s just say it’s as spicy as it is satisfying. 🥵

But this isn’t just about the spice—there’s also a killer backdrop of Halloween Town, with a crime syndicate twist that adds just the right amount of danger. The Mayor runs the show, and the stakes for Boogie and King’s decisions are sky-high: take Ally, or eliminate her. The plot is tight, the tension is real, and you’ll be on the edge of your seat until the very last page. 😱

So, if you’re looking for:
🎃 A dark and twisted Nightmare Before Christmas retelling
🎃 MMF primal play with off-the-charts tension
🎃 Masked men who know exactly what they want
🎃 A fast-paced novella with just the right amount of spice and story

Then Zero is the Halloween read you need to add to your list! 💀

[☆ Cosmic's Library ☆ · Rating 4 out of 5]

"King and Boogie are ruthless, but with you, I see them differently."

I was prepared for a bit of a wild ride, but I don't think I was quite prepared enough. King and Boogie 🥵 you are definitely unhinged, and I think I definitely screamed very loud interally, so i didn't wake anyone. 😝 Amongst all the mystery, chase, excitement, and spice 🌶 the underlying story of Ally and where she came from and what she was going through was quite heartbreaking 💔 and I really loved that whole element to the story. The final chapters were fantastic and I was so glad she had some kick-ass murderous men on her side to reveal the secrets of Christmas Town and make her the fucking Queen that she is! 👑 I am so glad I took the time to to read this Novella as a filler between books. 🤭 Definitely 100% recommend if you are into Dark Romance and bonus if you are a fan of Nightmare Before Christmas. 🖤

'Ten, Nine Eight, "Run Doll"
Seven, Six, Five, "Run Little One"
Four, Three, Two!
One. Zero.'

[rissys.bookshelf · Rating 4 out of 5]

~ Dark Romance
~ Masked Men
~ Spicy Novella

✨ My thoughts ✨
Oooo this was so fun. I am not a huge dark romance person. I am very picky about what I read when it comes to this genre of romance. But if Mandy writes I have to read it. This book is perfect for the fall/Halloween season. I enjoyed it so much. The story flowed so well. I loved how it was a retelling of Nightmare before Christmas. The spice was absolutely delicious. This book is MMF. Also do I now have a thing for masked men?? I truly had the best time reading this one. I can't recommend it enough for those who love dark romance

Zero is a standalone spicy novella. It is recommended for 18+. As always please check TW before reading. This book is out on October 3rd. Perfect timing for the Halloween season.

✨ I want to thank Mandy for an E-arc of those book. These are my own true thoughts ✨

[Christina · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Spicy Spicy Novella that will get you into a holiday spirit!

You know if your holiday spirit is Nightmare Before Christmas vibes and some dark romance with un-alivers/stalkers/a house of mirrors...

yes to all the above.

I really liked Zero and when those tidbits of a skeleton, a boogie mask and a doll with a patchwork dress came in it sucked me in even more. King and Boogie start things off with a bang and then as the night goes on they have had their eyes on Ally for a couple years and lets just say when that trio happens its a Oogie Boogie Bash that you can't turn away from. It's not all fun and games on Halloween night, Ally comes from Christmas Town and there are things that are happening that has her trying to save the girls that come into town and then has the help of King and Boogie when they come looking for her and see what is being done behind the Mayors back.

Zero brings the heat and doesn't stop even when you get to the end.

Check TW this is an MMF romance and very spicy.

4.5 ⭐️
4 🌶️

[Courtney · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐️: 5/5

🖤 Why Choose (MMF)
❤️ Nightmare Before Christmas Retelling
🖤 Masked Men
❤️ Pr!mal Play
🖤 Crime Syndicate

When the ARC for this came out I immediately signed up…a dark why choose retelling of one of my favorite movies, yes please! This did not disappoint. I absolutely loved this novella (can I please have more?). I loved the premise and how the towns were retold as operations of a crime syndicate. I loved the relationship between King and Boogie, I could melt with some of their interactions. The spice was fantastic, I loved the dynamics between the three of them. I loved Ally was a strong and sassy FMC that gave as good as she got from King and Boogie. A must read Halloween Novella!

[Rachel Nahabedian · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars.

Oh, my word this was everything I've ever wanted in a story and it felt like it was a full-length and not a novella. However, I wanted it to never end and I wish it was a full-length.

Boogie and King were not only hot together, but then you add in Ally and it was a scorcher!

The crime syndicate element was fun. Learning about what each of the towns do was fun. I hope all the town novellas are released as a omnibus or something at some point.

As with all dark romances, please check your trigger warnings as there is talk/descriptions of drug use and human trafficking among other things.

𝔖𝔠𝔯𝔢𝔞𝔪 𝔣𝔬𝔯 𝔪𝔢, 𝔏𝔦𝔱𝔱𝔩𝔢 𝔒𝔫𝔢," 𝔥𝔢 𝔤𝔯𝔬𝔴𝔩𝔢𝔡 𝔞𝔤𝔞𝔦𝔫𝔰𝔱 𝔪𝔶 𝔫𝔢𝔠𝔨. "ℭ𝔯𝔶 𝔣𝔬𝔯 𝔪𝔢, 𝔟𝔢𝔤, 𝔣𝔦𝔤𝔥𝔱 𝔪𝔢.
𝔐𝔞𝔨𝔢 𝔪𝔢 𝔴𝔬𝔯𝔨 𝔣𝔬𝔯 𝔶𝔬𝔲𝔯 𝔰𝔴𝔢𝔢𝔱 𝔭𝔲$$𝔶."

Thank you The Author Agency and Mandy for the ARC.

[Balayageandbooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Nightmare Before Christmas retelling… yes please! This book was incredible! The author created this world that was so vivid and it immediately sucked you in! The MMC’s were deliciously dark and OTT for the FMC. The FMC was sweet yet a total force to be reckoned with! The story was unique and had me in a chokehold! I couldn’t put this book down! And boy these three had me fanning myself cause they were one HOT trio! A absolute MUST READ!

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a spicy novella and a nightmare before Christmas retelling.

This is exactly what I needed! A quick easy read that had me hooked from the beginning. This is a why choose, which is my favorite so I was already excited but this had me hooked it was so good and so steamy.

What can I say besides I ate this book up and I am so happy to have read this book and I will 100% be rereading closer to Christmas time hehe

[Meghan Evans · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this to finish my ABC challenge, and it was fitting for the season.
The Nightmare Before Christmas is one of my favorite movies. While this was 90% smut and 10% plot, the author did a pretty good job with the retelling. There were some grammatical errors but I've found that's common in novellas. The plot was certainly darker than I had expected (tw: SA, non-con, child trafficking), but overall I enjoyed this novella.

[Shannai · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 ⭐️

A spicy MMF Halloween novella, that actually had a decent plot. I liked the concept of different themed towns; Halloween, Christmas, Valentines etc, and the crime syndicate story.

Mandy is a new to me author, and I’m intrigued by her others books, so I’ll be checking out those!

Tropes

MMF
Dark romance
Masked men
Primal play
Nightmare before Christmas retelling

[Samantha Burke · Rating 4 out of 5]

Okay, how is this novella not more popular!!! This is a spicy Nightmare before Christmas MMF novella and good LAWD 🥵🥵🥵🥵

It was hot, it was dark, it was quick! I ate this one UP!!

Make sure you check the TW before reading as it is dark!

[Mai · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️ 4 🌶️

wasn’t the best writing and it was mostly smut but i needed a short filler book with spice. this one was a nightmare before christmas retelling and i loved that part of it! i might read her other books when i want something fun.

[Mariah Greeno · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome book

[Joanne- Bookish.zebra · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was my first book by Mandy.
I received an ARC of 'One' and needed to read this novella first.
It's a quick read but I found it lacking plot. Hopefully this is not the case for 'One'.

[Ali Moore 🦋✨ · Rating 5 out of 5]

It wasn’t perfect but I loved it 🤣 nightmare before Christmas retelling w 🌶️🌶️🌶️. Just a fun read in general 😁

[Madi Yaussi · Rating 3 out of 5]

I needed a book for my ABC challenge, shut up.

I haven’t used Urban Dictionary this much since my wattpad days

[Dani · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this novella so much!!!! I love Mandy's writing so much and a Nightmare before Christmas!!! Trust me you need this MMF in your life!!

[Bumble.Bees.Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

when I tell you that this was the shortest hottest MMF I’ve read in a HOT MINUTE. have you ever wanted a nightmare Before Christmas retelling but make it spicy and why choose? this book has it all. It is an absolute must read for spooky
season!

[Readingwithdesi · Rating 5 out of 5]

AHHH THIS WAS MY FAVORITE READ EVER!! I need this for my book collection! If you love Halloween then KING and OOGIE are waiting for you!! I wish I could re-read this for the first time because I love it!!

[Ariel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Imagine a crime syndicate, but the factions are holiday towns! This was such a refreshing spin on The Nightmare Before Christmas theme. Ally’s been visiting Halloween Town for years, always feeling like two mysterious men have been watching her. But this year? They’re ready to do more than just keep their distance 😈. It’s a short story, but the pacing was perfect, and the plot kept me hooked. Definitely left me wanting to read more from this author!

[Heather Roue · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had fun reading this, y’all. I love that Mandy has connected the world of the Belladonna and Her Beasts, the Tangled duet, and this book. It provides more layers and understanding of what is happening and I love it!

This novella can absolutely be read without having read the other books though. It’s quick, spicy, and offers a decent amount of plot in condensed amount of pages. I love Mandy’s books and she did not disappoint with this one!

King and Boogie are delectable together. Add in Ally and you have the perfect dynamic to kick a$$ and take down anyone who stands in their way.

[Natasha · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I found out Mandy Muse was writing a MMF Nightmare Before Christmas retelling, I was so excited to read it and it did not disappoint. Unfortunately, I will be needing more from this world that was created...
Basically, there are 5 holiday towns and the two in the book are... Halloween and Christmas towns, you never would have guessed huh?
These towns are fun places for families and people to go, except there is a back of house/underground side of the towns that is dark.
The FMC, Ally, comes to Halloween Town once a year and she caught the eye of King and Boogie, the MMCs, the heads of Halloween Town. They have a plan this year, get the girl.
I really enjoyed this story and I want to know what's going on at the other towns because this was so interesting seeing what these two towns did plus the story was hot. Like being chased down by a man wearing a mask is actually my biggest fear but it was hot to read about!
These three fit together so well and you can tell from the beginning that they are meant to be, including that psychic lady's premonition 🔮
Thank you to Mandy Muse for allowing me to be on the ARC team!