This is a fun, cozy, Halloween romance that can get you in the mood for Halloween and fall.
FMC Pepper has been cursed to run The Dead of Night store, while there are some nice perks, the downside is her limited time with the outside world each year, and the fact that nobody can remember her from year to year except for the time the store is open. One day, FMC Christina walks into the store, and they are instantly drawn to each other. Pepper helps Christina find items for the haunted house she is working on, and offers to assist her as much as she needs. Christina does not realize that Pepper used to be in charge of the haunted house herself prior to the curse. It is also a perfect excuse to spend more time with Christina.
The more time they spend together, the more the two of them fall for each other. But, with the dwindling time until the store closes, will they find a way to break the curse?
I love how Pepper and Christina complement each other. While Christina prefers to wear clothes that blend in with a crowd, Pepper prefers to wear vibrant, stand out clothes and shoes. Pepper is also a lot more whimsical, while Christina is practical. As they get to know each other, these opposite qualities work perfectly together and help bring Christina out of her bubble more. I also find Christina's wandering trains of thought amusing, because I do the exact same thing myself!
The names of the stores are also super cute there is Patty's Pancake Parlor, Deja Brew, The Book Burrow. And don't forget that Pepper drives around a hearse as her regular car!
Complaints: While I thought this story was cute and cozy and great for Halloween, the timeline in the story was extremely confusing, and is what ultimately brought down the rating. Near the end of the story, you learn that half of the chapters you read where Christina and Pepper did things together, were actually things that happened in years past. But nowhere does the story explain that this is the case. I started to have a hard time understanding what was happening currently in the story, and what was happening in the past. There are also things that Pepper doesn't understand, references to movies, use of smart phones, but she was only in this curse for 5 years, so that does not make sense. She would have known how to use a smart phone. Once you find out that Christina and Pepper have met and then re-met, 3 times, more of the story doesn't make sense. Supposedly this was Christina's first year working on the haunted house, yet she pulled out a receipt from 3 years ago with Pepper's flowers doodled on it. I don't understand what Christina was doing in the town for 3 years, because it seemed like this was her first year working there. So again, the timelines are pretty confusing.
Beyond the timeline, the story was cute. It would have been better if the timelines weren't so confusing, but it is still a cute read for Halloween.
Some fave Quotes:
"One of the best things about having my soul eternally tethered to a seasonal holiday store was that I could eat anything I wanted."
"This really pretty girl is asking if she can hang out with me more, isn't she?"
"Christina was like a beautifully layered crepe cake, and I couldn't break through each layer fast enough-always wanting more."
""I could totally kiss you right now." Pepper's eyebrows shoot up, and my face heats to the temperature of a thousand suns. What in the heckity heck would make me say such a thing?"
"Why was it when you liked someone, it turned your brain into mashed potatoes?"
""Everything you wear is bold and exciting, and, well, I'm-" "Beautiful without even trying," she says, and immediately my cheeks heat up again."
"She is my person, and when you find someone who truly gets you-like Pepper gets me-you hold on to them with everything you've got. I won't let her go."
Thank you to Booked with The Emily's, the author, and Berkeley Romance for a copy of this book!