Don’t Scare Me, My Love

Seastone Seasons #1

by Flynn Woods

He tries to scare me. I scare him back.

Nicholas loves horror movies, creepy places, and gory stuff. It makes him feel alive.

While traveling around the country filming for his MyTube channel, gas station owner Jason catches his attention. Not only does he wear an eye patch, but his stories about how he got it are gory and entertaining—even if they're clearly made up. They talk longer than expected, and soon, they compete to see who is the crazier one. It ends with a If Nicholas can scare Jason, he'll go on a date with him.
Challenge accepted.
There is only one problem: Jason is not so easy to scare…

Don’t Scare Me, My Love is a sweet, spicy, and slightly spooky gay romance following gas station owner Jason and horror film enthusiast Nicholas. Expect a Happy Ever After and definitely no jumpscares. (I swear. None. Okay, you got me. Maybe one.) This standalone novella is book one of Seastone Seasons.

Genres: Romance, M M Romance, LGBT, Contemporary, Holiday, Halloween, Queer

198 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 22, 2024

About the author

Flynn Woods is a US-based writer of steamy, gay, new adult romance.
The books focus on personal fantasies about strong men who know what they want and do everything to get it.
If Flynn isn't working on the next story, he likes reading, cooking, and hiking with his husband.

Reviews

[Rain · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun mix of spooky and sweet.

Nicholas is a horror-loving goof.

Jason is the mysterious one-eyed gas station owner with a deadpan sense of humor.

Together they have the perfect banter-filled chemistry. The try-to-scare me challenge was adorable and clever.

I’d describe it as Halloween-adjacent. Lightly creepy, decently spicy, and all-around charming.

Tropes:
Contemporary gay romance
Opposites attract
Grumpy/sunshine
Small-town
HEA

I wasn’t a big fan of the huge time jump but overall this was a quick, sweet read.

Thank you, Dan! This was the perfect book to read this month.

[Izzie (on pause) McFussy · Rating 3 out of 5]

“…Why-are-my-gay-friends-so-weird-Donut.” 🍩
Yesss! Forget Dunkin. Donuts should have names like the above.

Like…
Why-is-weird-used-31-times Donut. 🍩
or
Leave-me-in-peace-while-I-read-and-eat-my-donut, Donut. 🍩

Nearly all of the first half and epilogue were pretty darn good. The bulk of the second half though, was so riddled with typos, it distracted me from the story:

👻And Nicholas’ face lit up when it saw me.

👻…curled my toenails.

👻Ghost Hill changed to Gravity Hill.

👻MyTube changed to YouTube and then back.

There was also a 12 month time jump which didn’t help:

Needless to say, he stayed another night. […] Days turned into weeks. […] Before we knew it, we celebrated Christmas, then New Year…

Anyway, it was cute.

🌹My thanks to Rain for the rec. 🌹

[Betty Loves Books Galore · Rating 5 out of 5]

story of Jason and Nicholas

This is a strangers to more romance, featuring Jason and Nicholas, and is book one in the Seastone Seasons series.

Jason runs the local gas station in the small town of Seastone. Nicholas loves horror movies, anything spooky and has been travelling around the country filming for his adventures.

Jason meets Nicholas early one morning and it’s instantly attraction for both of them. Nicholas is intrigued with Jason and enjoys the wild stories he spins about why he is wearing an eye patch.

Nicholas ends up asking Jason for a job at the gas station and they flirt up a storm until the flirting builds up and they act on their attraction.

This book is low angst and super sweet. I loved Jason and Nicholas relationship. They have great chemistry and their scare pranks escalate hilariously throughout the book. They are such a good pair. It’s a great little town with lots of interesting characters. I’m looking forward to future books in this series.

Things to expect in this MM romance are:
1st book in series
Strangers to more
Boss x employee
Small town
Halloween
Dare, Bet & Pranks
Sweet and Spicy
Low angst
Both love spooky things
Both fall hard
HEA

[Daniel Greene · Rating 5 out of 5]

Haven’t read anything like it!

This was a frolicking and different twist on a romance novel. It was cute and funny as well as sweet and sexy. Very low angst and a HEA, but never boring!

[SJ · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m not a fan at all of scary pranks, so the cuteness factor was dialed way low for me. Focusing on the romance, the first half was good with the meet cute of road tripper and vlogger, Nicholas, and rural gas station owner, Jason. This was a match made in Halloween heaven as they are both deep into thrills and chills and all kinds of silly plans to scare each other. There is romance and there is sex in their deepening, no angst relationship, but I would have liked it a lot more without the long and drawn out third act prank that was the prelude to a proposal.

[Daniel Myatt · Rating 2 out of 5]

A run of the mill MM romantic story that has a horror prank theme running through it.

Jason and Nicholas, meet, flirt, fall in love, pull pranks on each other, and have sex! that's it that's the book.

[Sara Hall · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a fun and quick read for spooky season. I loved the pranks and the overall setting of the story.

3.5⭐️

[Elizabeth]

DNF at 46%.

It's cute but I'm starting to get bored. Too much flirting that feels like first date with little depth.

[Nick Jasek · Rating 5 out of 5]

For a short little novella this was packed. You got to know the characters and they’re different quirks, then got to watch them fall in love and embrace each others weirdness. We love a quick steamy fun rom com

[Terri · Rating 1 out of 5]

Past 20% in, it's obvious the editing quality diminishes. Chapter 3 (of 12) is awkward and clunky, and my confidence that I'll enjoy the rest has dropped. ALSO, I'm pretty sure English is not this author's native language, given the numerous peculiar word and phrase choices I keep highlighting, just in the first quarter of the story.

DNF at 24%. Too much mental editing required, I'm done. One star for premise.

[Glenn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Place and circumstances significantly influence this heartfelt romance between two men whose shared passion for the horror genre leads to a joyful future together, where they delight in startling each other.

Nicholas is an itinerant individual, residing in his mini-van while creating content for his YouTube channel, endeavoring to fulfill his parents' desire for him to settle down. His travels bring him to the quaint community of Seastone, as depicted in the inaugural book of the Seastone Seasons series.

Flynn Woods meticulously develops the characters through their interactions within this small community, particularly highlighting Jason, a notable figure who wears an eyepatch over his single eye, sparking more inquiries than he cares to address. Upon their encounter at Jason's gas station during Halloween, Jason recounts a gruesome tale of how he lost his eye, only to later confess to Nicholas that he alters the story each time out of weariness from repeated questioning.

Their playful exchanges quickly capture the attention of patrons who soon pair them together. It is at this juncture that Nicholas becomes determined to share Jason's story, which ultimately inspires the book’s title. Nicholas decides to work at Jason's gas station, further intensifying their romantic banter, especially after Jason's friends encourage the pairing, agreeing that their chemistry is undeniable.

Flynn Woods masterfully portrays the Halloween spirit, encompassing a community bonfire and the deepening affection between the two protagonists. The romance blossoms shortly after their meeting when Nicholas accepts a job offer at the multi-functional gas station. Their relationship is further cemented during the annual bonfire when Jason confides in Nicholas about his impaired night vision due to the loss of his second eye, leading to a poignant moment where Jason declares that Nicholas has become his missing eye after voluntarily guiding him out of the darkened forest.

The narrative skillfully advances towards the subsequent Halloween, where both individuals orchestrate elaborate scenarios to scare and surprise each other on the anniversary of their relationship. The story culminates with an old hotel, a video production for Nicholas’s YouTube channel, and a proposal that takes an unexpected turn, portraying a tender and enduring love between two highly compatible men, making it a captivating read (I did it in one day).

As a note, I read book 2 of this series before I read this book. It captured me with the great storytelling and sense of an accepting community that I enjoy in MM romances.

[Jenn Donald · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well this was a fun and weird surprise and I loved every bit of it! Jason and Nicholas made me laugh, cringe a bit and totally fall in love with them. It’s a story of two complete strangers who meet in a total moment of chance and see something unique and special in each other and end up finding a happy, albeit strange, wonderful life together.

This was such a fun read, between the unique character personalities and just how Jason and Nicholas bond – trying to scare the crap out of each other, it’s different but it leaves an impression. I enjoyed that this was a low angst story and more about these guys and how their relationship grows than about any drama. It made me smile and laugh and brought it all together with a sweet HEA! I will definitely be looking for more in this series – just fantastic!

[Denise · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is book one in the Seastone seasons series and I really enjoyed the story, this was a short novella but the characters and story were so interesting I really liked reading how Jason and Nicholas met and fell in love and their love of Halloween, horror movies and trying to scare each other.

[Toddles · Rating 3 out of 5]

DON'T SCARE ME, MY LOVE
3 STARS

I received this ARC edition in exchange for an honest review before its release date of October 22, 2024 on Amazon and Kindle Unlimited.
--If you are afraid to do something, just do it scared.-

This 186 page E-book Halloween Romance novella by Flynn Woods is not unlike visiting a haunted house attraction. Expect the unexpected. Expect to scream and then laugh. Expect to be cringed at times for the poor choices and story plot. Don’t come at me until you read the whole review.

--"This town is like something out of a horror movie.”-

This Character based plot written in an alternating chapter duel POV, moved at a medium pace. When Nicholas, who is a wanderer who lives in his car, works odd jobs so he can visit places to post about online, rolls into a small unknown town called Seastone, that his gut told him to go too, he meet the one-eyed owner of a gas station named Jason. The strangers-to-lovers spooky meet/cute was adorable and really set the tone for the rest of the novella when it comes to their relationship. Nicholas knows immediately he is where he belongs because the gas station is decorated to the max for Halloween and this handsome man is wearing an eye patch.
--“….you felt like the right thing from the first moment that you laid your eyes on me, screaming like I was death itself.”

As a horror film fanatic and prankster, Nicholas feels more comfortable than he has in a long time and his chemistry with Jason makes for a fun and jump scare experience for the both of them. There was no limit on the lengths they would go to startle each other, even though Jason doesn’t scare…. Easily. Homage to classic horror tales are used and did get campy at times. The big prank did go a bit too long for me, to the point I got uninterested and just wanted it to end. It’s what brought my rating down to a 3 star.
--He should’ve just taken me for a ride. He'd have won our bet in minutes.-

What I loved about this novella was the use of a sight disability! From only having 1 functioning eye that lead to night blindness and a loss of perception and learning how eye prosthesis are used. It was creative, interesting, and educational. It also showed, in my opinion, the reality of how noisy, judgmental, and rude people can be towards others with major physical differences. The running joke throughout the novella about his eye was funny and kept that detail lighthearted.
--"Your eyes are beautiful. All five of them.”-

The spice was great! 4/5🌶! This was the first time I had read a romance where both men were uncut! That was great, as most of the time, that detail is left out or is rarely used altogether. The more spicy scenes there are, they better it gets until the very end. The author doesn’t repeat experiences and switches it up.
--”Please never stop hiding that spider from me,….it’s always one of the best parts of my day.”

As a disclosure, there will be a second novella coming out for the holiday season with Jason's best friend as a MC. I’m sure both of these books can be read as standalones, but I always enjoy them more when you read the full lineup in order. I will be jumping into that snowstorm when it gets released because I’m a sucker for a holiday romance.

HAPPY READING!

[Emma Collins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Don’t Scare Me, My Love by Flynn Woods is an absolute Halloween treat—a quirky, slightly spooky romance with just the right blend of humor, warmth, and thrills. Nicholas, a YouTuber who thrives on horror, crosses paths with Jason, a gas station owner who sports an eye patch and a talent for spinning wild, gory tales. Their instant chemistry kicks off a delightful back-and-forth challenge: if Nicholas can finally scare the unshakable Jason, he scores a date.

Woods has crafted a fantastic balance of playful romance and Halloween vibes. The banter between Nicholas and Jason is packed with charm and just enough suspense to make the story perfect for an October read. The small-town autumn setting, coupled with Jason's mystery and Nicholas's mischievous spirit, sets up a cozy, spooky atmosphere that draws you in from the start.

This book is a joy from beginning to end, with relatable, lovable characters and a fresh, entertaining premise. Whether you're a Halloween lover or just in the mood for a sweet, unique romance, Don’t Scare Me, My Love delivers everything a reader could want. It’s the perfect kickoff to the Seastone Seasons series, and I’m eagerly awaiting what’s next!.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Lori · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m not normally a fan of horror movies, though I’ve been known to read some horror. And who doesn’t know the standard tropes of the popular films – the abandoned house, teenagers in the woods, etc.?

Woods’s short novel featuring two gay men who both enjoy horror movies meeting and entering into a bet about who can scare the other, with a date as the prize, is very enjoyable.

Nicholas comes into Jason’s life when he runs out of gas in the lot of the gas station Jason owns just a week or so before Halloween. Jason helps Nick get back on the road, then Nick surprises Jason by applying for the open clerk position at the station. Nick is enchanted by the Halloween decorations, and unfazed by Jason’s jokes about why he’s missing an eye, and this sets the stage for a series of pranks played on one another.

Over time, the two men become more than co-workers and fellow Halloween/horror enthusiasts, sharing difficult stories and drawing others into their pranks. It’s a good pre-Halloween short novel, with realistic characters and a sweet HEA.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Alix · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first book in the Seastone Seasons series and what an introduction! The author has jam-packed this novella with fully developed characters, equally wonderful side characters whom I look forward to reading more about, a very interesting setting (I mean - I can't remember ever reading a book partly set in a gas station!), lots of seasonal fun, and a nice amount of both sweet and spice. I am personally not a huge fan of most horror movies and so I appreciated when Jason acknowledged that he is more the "I-laugh-a-lot-when-I'm-watching-one" because that's how I am. However, it definitely seems as if horror becomes more and more something these MCs enjoy together! It's so unusual and I love all the pranks and thematic elements included from start to finish. They arrive at their HEA in such a natural way! I very much look forward to the next book, since it looks like it will involve Jason's close friend, Jack.

Thanks to the author for this complimentary copy - I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[nina · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5⭐

“I wanted to ask you if you want to spend eternity with me—not just this life. I want us to stay together forever and haunt others when we become ghosts.”

well it's certainly a unique book and i'm giving it its flowers for that! i haven't read anything like this. it's fun, silly, and spooky. there are some moments where i was liking it, but then something would happen that just took me out of it. the build up in the first half was decent (though it was still fast paced), but the second half lost me a bit. the time jump was sudden, but it actually worked out decently since most novellas feel so rushed and this allowed for more to happen. the smut (and dirty talk and some dialogue in general) felt very weirdly written, but that seems to be on brand for the book given how many times they used the word "weird" to describe themselves.

cute little festive read but extremely unserious (and that's okay!)

[Carol (§CoverLoverGirl§) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Scardy Pants

Wow, this is definitely one to read at Halloween, it will have you splitting your sides laughing at the antics of these two guys, Jason and Nicholas.

The setting is the wild mountains of Pennsylvania, in a tiny hamlet of Seastone.

Hundreds of miles from any sea. Jason works the Gas Station and one day he finds this van parked in front of the doorway to the station,as he arrives to open up shop.

Both of these guys are so weird, wild and wonderful, I won’t explain, just get the book and enjoy them scaring each other to death, with the help of a lovely bunch of friends.

This was a nice short read, no angst, but plenty of feels and steam to keep you warm this Season.

There is a second book, ‘Home Between Home, also set in Seastone.

[Kayla Cook · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nicholas is passing through the sleepy town of Seastone on his travels when he has a chance encounter with Jason. Jason owns a gas station on the outskirts of town and after some talking and flirting, Nicholas applies for a job there. He's constantly bouncing around place to place, picking up random jobs to support his traveling hobbies.

Nicholas is obsessed with horror movies, all things spooky, and being scared. Jason casually tells him that nothing scares him, so Nicholas makes a deal with him - if he can scare Jason, then he wins a date. And he gets his date :)

Super cute, i love how they just get each other. & dont let Jason's sweet disposition fool you - that mans a freak with a wicked mouth.

[T.L. Clark · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun Halloween novella.
It had cosy vibes with spicy scenes. The challenge to scare Jason into a date was a cute new take. And I liked the disability rep with him having one eye.
Nicholas is a roamer - he's been travelling around in his minivan for years, filming spooky MyTube videos. His fandom is horror films, which is fine by the not-easily-scared Jason.
And I was relieved there weren't any real jumpscares in here.

The characters had depth, although their speech patterns made them seem alike so I sometimes got a bit confused who was who.

The words 'glans' crops up way too often, and just doesn't do it for me - sorry. Give me good old-fashioned 'head'.

I was rooting for these two.

Yeah, fun for spooky season ;)

[JJ Fey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Don't Scare Me, My Love was such a fun surprise – a quirky small-town romance that’s full of Halloween vibes! Jason and Nicholas had me grinning with their prank war and unique chemistry.
Their relationship kicks off with a playful agreement: Nicholas only gets a date if he can successfully scare Jason. And when he finally figures out just how to do it, it’s absolutely perfect (no spoilers here!).
The story has just the right amount of spooky atmosphere without anyone actually being in danger, keeping it light and fun but still suspenseful. It was refreshing to read something a little different, and I loved every page of this quick read.

[Jenn (not Lily) · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.25 stars
The first 50% of the book is the week or so leading up to Halloween when these guys first meet. Nice meet cute, good match, overall pretty adorable with a slight horror-fan vibe. There's no formal break, but once Halloween is over, they continue getting to know each other, and in a few short paragraphs, it's the following Halloween. The second half of the story is each of them plotting to scare the other. Cute, funny, and lots of jump scares, but not actually too scary since I knew everything was a set-up.

[Traci S · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5⭐️
An absolute delight of a Halloween romance! I love horror movies so this was definitely in my wheelhouse. The author has created a rarity- a novella with fully developed MCs, a creative premise, a ton of humor, a few good scares and a town that definitely needs revisiting. This was excellent, so happy this is just the start of this new series.


I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first time I've read one of Flynn Wood's longer works. I really enjoyed the depth of character and growth each demonstrated throughout the story. It was nice to read a book with 2 gay protagonists that read like a traditional male/female romance.

I would urge any lover of good romantic stories full of heart, growth and simple love to check this book out.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Amanda Grange · Rating 5 out of 5]

I would describe this as a Halloween rom com with a twist. I love scary movies/scary stories so Nicholas is a kindred spirit of sorts. I love the heat between them. I love the funny anecdotes. I love that Nicholas is a soft cinnamon roll. I love the horrormoon. Most of all I LOVE the tricks they pull on each other. Just so freaking cute!.

[LJ Henley · Rating 4 out of 5]

This low angst book is sweet, just like Jason and Nicholas. Small town, instant attraction, lots of scary pranks towards each other (since the title), pretty well written and kept me reading! I liked the other characters introduced in the town too!.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Marie · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was ok. 3.5 stars solid. The pacing was weird and the dialogue seemed forced but the story was sweet. The final prank seemed way OTT.

The author used cum as a verb though and that always makes my brain make the windows shut down noise.

Anyway, perfectly cozy and steamy October read.

No cheating
No breakup

[Ren || Reading What I Want · Rating 4 out of 5]

★ ★ ★ ✬

Ehhhh, SO MUCH POTENTIAL, but between the use of the word "glan" and the insane time jumps, this one just felt...off.

I also had a TIME figuring out who was who. Both men had similar appearances and personalities so I constantly got them mixed up.

And I didn't realize how boring spicy scenes could be. I mean, they weren't terrible BUT I skipped them. 🤷‍♀️

[Amanda Reeves · Rating 4 out of 5]

Don't Scare Me, My Love is the first book in the Seastone Seasons series and it looks like it will be a fun one to read. This is a small town, short, steamy, fun, low angst read about Jason and Nicholas. Loved the story and the characters and can't wait to read the next in the series.