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Heathen's Creek: Haunted Love
Haunted by the spirits of Lavender Hill, Amelia quickly packed her bags and left home the moment she turned of age. Years passed, and after losing her job in the city, she had no choice but to return to her hometown - where she is forced to face the apparitions that have always followed her, particularly, the Haunted Woman.
But Amelia's life takes an unexpected turn when she meets the vampiric musician Everest Steele. Through him, she begins to uncover the true meaning behind the ghostly woman's presence, Faced with a fate she never imagined, Amelia is thrust into a world of monsters and creatures of the night - a dark and twisted realm known as Heathen's Creek.
Haunted Love is the first book in the Heathen's Creek series, a paranormal romance woven with ominous horror, mystery, and fairytale lore. Through the eyes of Miss Amelia, Haunted Love offers a chilling glimpse into the life of a human thrown into a land of monsters and not-so-fairytale creatures.
But Amelia's life takes an unexpected turn when she meets the vampiric musician Everest Steele. Through him, she begins to uncover the true meaning behind the ghostly woman's presence, Faced with a fate she never imagined, Amelia is thrust into a world of monsters and creatures of the night - a dark and twisted realm known as Heathen's Creek.
Haunted Love is the first book in the Heathen's Creek series, a paranormal romance woven with ominous horror, mystery, and fairytale lore. Through the eyes of Miss Amelia, Haunted Love offers a chilling glimpse into the life of a human thrown into a land of monsters and not-so-fairytale creatures.
193 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 12, 2025
About the author
Anna Hellström
3 books29 followersAnna Hellström writes paranormal romance, fantasy and horror. To learn more about her and her works follow her on instagram @annahellstromauthor
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
July 2, 2025
Hellstrom's debut is an absolute must read. The dark aura of her tone, style and worldbuilding permeates every page. Heathen's Creek is, at its heart, a ghost story. A ghost story that dives deep into themes of attachment, lust and longing. If you are looking for a gothic urban fantasy with the spice meter turned all the way up to 100, welcome to Heathen's Creek.
The characters are fun, each purveying a particular archetype. There are enough ghouls, goblins and monsters here to satisfy the craving of any dark fantasy enthusiast. Mia, our FMC, is the most plain out of all of them. But that allows us to project ourselves onto her psyche, while the side characters are all very colorful. Lina is my personal favorite. She's a riot, the kind of girl you'd want to party with but god forbid you get on her bad side.
The story moves at a very fast pace. It strikes a great balance between sexy and scary, which is not easy to pull off. The ending comes very abruptly, leaving you eagerly anticipating a sequel. Hopefully we don't have to wait too long! The prose is well written, and get better as the story moves along. Hellstrom uses beautiful imagery to describe her scenes and the look of her characters without ever becoming flowery or verbose. No purple prose here!
The worldbuilding was my favorite aspect of this book. Just when you think you understand the depth of the the characters and the extent of magical creatures hiding beneath the veil between the ordinary world and the mystical world, boom! You are hit with another shocking revelation, and it never feels out of place. Imagine Nightmare before Christmas meets What we Do in the Shadows, but everyone is a lot more lustful. One of my problems with urban fantasy is that it often becomes an excuse for shallow worldbuilding. That is not the case here. And as this is a shorter book, I feel we are only scratching the surface.
Prepare yourself for a well-balanced combination sexy fun and chilling terror, and a fast-paced gothic romance that will keep you reading well past bed time, and perhaps keep you awake once you attempt to sleep.
The characters are fun, each purveying a particular archetype. There are enough ghouls, goblins and monsters here to satisfy the craving of any dark fantasy enthusiast. Mia, our FMC, is the most plain out of all of them. But that allows us to project ourselves onto her psyche, while the side characters are all very colorful. Lina is my personal favorite. She's a riot, the kind of girl you'd want to party with but god forbid you get on her bad side.
The story moves at a very fast pace. It strikes a great balance between sexy and scary, which is not easy to pull off. The ending comes very abruptly, leaving you eagerly anticipating a sequel. Hopefully we don't have to wait too long! The prose is well written, and get better as the story moves along. Hellstrom uses beautiful imagery to describe her scenes and the look of her characters without ever becoming flowery or verbose. No purple prose here!
The worldbuilding was my favorite aspect of this book. Just when you think you understand the depth of the the characters and the extent of magical creatures hiding beneath the veil between the ordinary world and the mystical world, boom! You are hit with another shocking revelation, and it never feels out of place. Imagine Nightmare before Christmas meets What we Do in the Shadows, but everyone is a lot more lustful. One of my problems with urban fantasy is that it often becomes an excuse for shallow worldbuilding. That is not the case here. And as this is a shorter book, I feel we are only scratching the surface.
Prepare yourself for a well-balanced combination sexy fun and chilling terror, and a fast-paced gothic romance that will keep you reading well past bed time, and perhaps keep you awake once you attempt to sleep.
August 12, 2025
Well worth the wait! So excited for book 2😍
October 9, 2025
I absolutely loved this book. I was roped in from page one. I love the author’s writing style and storytelling abilities, made the book hard to put down. I finish it in one day and I can’t wait for book two! That cliff hanger definitely left me on the edge of my seat!! This book was the spicy version of Dracula’s timeless love story and I am so here for it! It gave what it needed to give for sure
January 10, 2026
I’ve had the pleasure of interacting with Anna on Instagram through many collabs we’ve participated in, and every time she described her book, I was more and more intrigued to pick it up…so I did!
This was such an intriguing paranormal romance that had an incredible gothic vibe coupled with a good amount of spice! I enjoyed getting to see the various layers the story had, as this is not your typical vampire love story. I loved the mystery behind the Haunted Woman, I loved the complexity that is Everest Steele, and I anxiously loved the debauchery filled Heathen’s Creek.
With the way this book ended, I’ll definitely be jumping to read book 2 when it releases in February this year! I’m imagining we’ll get Amelia developing into a stronger person given the strange circumstances she has found herself in, we’ll get groveling from Everest because how dare he(!), and we’ll find out a lot more about this mysterious Billy who I have very lustful feelings for and I don’t know why 🫣
This was such an intriguing paranormal romance that had an incredible gothic vibe coupled with a good amount of spice! I enjoyed getting to see the various layers the story had, as this is not your typical vampire love story. I loved the mystery behind the Haunted Woman, I loved the complexity that is Everest Steele, and I anxiously loved the debauchery filled Heathen’s Creek.
With the way this book ended, I’ll definitely be jumping to read book 2 when it releases in February this year! I’m imagining we’ll get Amelia developing into a stronger person given the strange circumstances she has found herself in, we’ll get groveling from Everest because how dare he(!), and we’ll find out a lot more about this mysterious Billy who I have very lustful feelings for and I don’t know why 🫣
November 23, 2025
4.25 ⭐️ (rounded up)
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
Such a cute, funny, and smutty read! I enjoyed unraveling the mystery behind the haunted woman and Mia cracking the tough exterior of a man that is Everest. The ending had me screaming, but I’m so happy knowing Anna is working on a sequel as we speak! What an amazing debut novel — I’m so looking forward to the next book 🖤
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
Such a cute, funny, and smutty read! I enjoyed unraveling the mystery behind the haunted woman and Mia cracking the tough exterior of a man that is Everest. The ending had me screaming, but I’m so happy knowing Anna is working on a sequel as we speak! What an amazing debut novel — I’m so looking forward to the next book 🖤
September 29, 2025
Fantastic read from a promising new author! The sexiness and mystery of Heathen’s Creek had me hypnotized. Because who doesn’t want a mysterious lead singer vampire to seduce you? I’m excited for a sequel after that cliffhanger.
September 30, 2026
This had my interests until it gets to a weird spot. Don’t want to spoil it though so I’ll just leave it at that. Just wasn’t for me.
September 3, 2026
It's almost spooky season! Need a book with vampires, demons, and gargoyles? Of course you do!
Welcome to Heathen's Creek by Anna Hellström, where these creatures (and more!) roam the night. But before going to Heathen's Creek, we meet Amelia, a human who is haunted by her past self and finds her long lost love. Or rather, he finds her.
This is a story of intrigue, curiosity, love, and trust. As a history buff, I love the idea of past lives and this story fills that desire. And of course, there's vampires! Seriously though, this was a fantastic and fun read with an ending that'll leaving you hanging!
Welcome to Heathen's Creek by Anna Hellström, where these creatures (and more!) roam the night. But before going to Heathen's Creek, we meet Amelia, a human who is haunted by her past self and finds her long lost love. Or rather, he finds her.
This is a story of intrigue, curiosity, love, and trust. As a history buff, I love the idea of past lives and this story fills that desire. And of course, there's vampires! Seriously though, this was a fantastic and fun read with an ending that'll leaving you hanging!
September 14, 2025
Great book! Love the chemistry between Everest and Mia, looking forward to the sequel!
October 16, 2025
Genre: Paranormal Romance, Urban Gothic Romance
4⭐️
4🌶️
Okay, I’m going to preface my upcoming review with: it’s my fault for reading a few cozy, golden retriever monster romances prior to this one- so I didn’t feel as attached to the MMC as I wanted to be while reading. That’s a me-issue. The author did a wonderful job writing, especially as a debut author, and I enjoyed reading. I think my mood didn’t exactly vibe at the time and that’s okay, reading is subjective.
I enjoyed the plot and spooky world-building, but I had slight whiplash from the actions of Everest (MMC). He’s a little standoffish at the beginning (as a hot vampire dude should be), then quick to spice, and then aloof again. He gives Mia (FMC) visions of their loving past life together during intimate moments, only to be immediately cold with Mia in real life again. The cozy reader in me wanted him to communicate with her more. That being said, I enjoyed this as a spicy and creepy ghost story. I also liked Mia when she was mad. The world-building was wonderful, the side characters were interesting, and I look forward to hearing more stories from Heathen’s Creek in the future (especially if we get more with Lina and Billy!!!).
4⭐️
4🌶️
Okay, I’m going to preface my upcoming review with: it’s my fault for reading a few cozy, golden retriever monster romances prior to this one- so I didn’t feel as attached to the MMC as I wanted to be while reading. That’s a me-issue. The author did a wonderful job writing, especially as a debut author, and I enjoyed reading. I think my mood didn’t exactly vibe at the time and that’s okay, reading is subjective.
I enjoyed the plot and spooky world-building, but I had slight whiplash from the actions of Everest (MMC). He’s a little standoffish at the beginning (as a hot vampire dude should be), then quick to spice, and then aloof again. He gives Mia (FMC) visions of their loving past life together during intimate moments, only to be immediately cold with Mia in real life again. The cozy reader in me wanted him to communicate with her more. That being said, I enjoyed this as a spicy and creepy ghost story. I also liked Mia when she was mad. The world-building was wonderful, the side characters were interesting, and I look forward to hearing more stories from Heathen’s Creek in the future (especially if we get more with Lina and Billy!!!).
October 27, 2025
𝕳𝖊 𝖜𝖔𝖚𝖑𝖉 𝖓𝖊𝖛𝖊𝖗 𝖍𝖚𝖗𝖙 𝖍𝖊𝖗, 𝖋𝖔𝖗 𝖍𝖊 𝖐𝖓𝖊𝖜 𝖋𝖆𝖗 𝖙𝖔𝖔 𝖜𝖊𝖑𝖑 𝖜𝖍𝖔 𝖘𝖍𝖊 𝖗𝖊𝖆𝖑𝖑𝖞 𝖜𝖆𝖘. 𝕳𝖊 𝖑𝖔𝖛𝖊𝖉 𝖍𝖊𝖗, 𝖇𝖚𝖙 𝖍𝖊 𝖜𝖔𝖚𝖑𝖉 𝖍𝖆𝖛𝖊 𝖙𝖔 𝖒𝖆𝖐𝖊 𝖍𝖊𝖗 𝖗𝖊𝖆𝖑𝖎𝖟𝖊 𝖘𝖍𝖊 𝖑𝖔𝖛𝖊𝖉 𝖍𝖎𝖒 𝖙𝖔𝖔.
✨🖤Haunted Love; Heathen’s Creek by Anna Hellström🖤✨
🖤Synopsis:
After losing her corporate job, Mia returns home to her childhood home in Lavender Hill. There she must face what drove her to leave years ago, The Haunted Woman, a ghost who has haunted her for years. In town she meets the striking vampire, Everest who she is inexplicably drawn to. Through him she finds out the true meaning behind the apparitions as she is thrust into a world of monsters and creatures of the night.
🖤Thoughts:
This book was short, but not so sweet. If you like Twilight but wish there were ghosts, spice, and Edward was in a band, then this book is for you! This is the perfect short, spooky, haunted and spicy read just in time for Halloween! The setting and descriptions were very atmospheric. There is a bit of a cliffhanger in preparation for book 2, just forewarning!
✨🖤Haunted Love; Heathen’s Creek by Anna Hellström🖤✨
🖤Synopsis:
After losing her corporate job, Mia returns home to her childhood home in Lavender Hill. There she must face what drove her to leave years ago, The Haunted Woman, a ghost who has haunted her for years. In town she meets the striking vampire, Everest who she is inexplicably drawn to. Through him she finds out the true meaning behind the apparitions as she is thrust into a world of monsters and creatures of the night.
🖤Thoughts:
This book was short, but not so sweet. If you like Twilight but wish there were ghosts, spice, and Edward was in a band, then this book is for you! This is the perfect short, spooky, haunted and spicy read just in time for Halloween! The setting and descriptions were very atmospheric. There is a bit of a cliffhanger in preparation for book 2, just forewarning!
November 28, 2025
I loved the book! This romance novel delivers an utterly captivating experience, blending the classic allure of a vampire – human love story with a unique twist of past life visions. The connection between the handsome vampire, Everest, and the human protagonist, Mia, is palpable and deeply romantic, enhanced by the Mia’s lifelong visions of their shared history. Beyond the central couple, the story shines with a unique cast of other unworldly characters, each distinct in their personality and contributions to the narrative. The book doesn’t shy away from steamy, sexy scenes that add to the intensity of the romance. Yet it also masterfully interweaves funny bits, providing a welcome lightness, and ensuring the story remains engaging and well-rounded. From beginning to end, the plot is utterly engrossing, making it impossible to put down. Just when you think you can breathe, the novel concludes with an exhilarating cliffhanger, leaving you eagerly anticipating book 2 in the series!
December 26, 2025
A chilling tale of love, acceptance, and friendship.
I picked this book up to support the author as we’ve interacted quite a bit online and I was super intrigued by her description! I was not disappointed! From page one, I was hooked. I couldn’t wait to see how Amelia’s story played out and her relationship with the other people in Heartens Creek was well structured.
I loved how intense Everest was from the moment we met him up until the very last page. The way he never changes really made me connect with him and root for him and Amelia.
Spicy romance can be…fun for me to read to say the least. I have no poker face, and some of the phrases really made me blush and gasp out loud.
I can’t wait to read the rest of the series!
I picked this book up to support the author as we’ve interacted quite a bit online and I was super intrigued by her description! I was not disappointed! From page one, I was hooked. I couldn’t wait to see how Amelia’s story played out and her relationship with the other people in Heartens Creek was well structured.
I loved how intense Everest was from the moment we met him up until the very last page. The way he never changes really made me connect with him and root for him and Amelia.
Spicy romance can be…fun for me to read to say the least. I have no poker face, and some of the phrases really made me blush and gasp out loud.
I can’t wait to read the rest of the series!
July 29, 2026
It has taken me weeks to even get 50 pages into this novel. The prose is lush and chilling at times. For the most part, though, this book feels like someone fed the fanfiction “My Immortal” into an AI model and told it to write a vampire novel in that style.
The author relies too heavily on adverbs and dialogue tags. There’s too much telling about Mia’s emotional state/thoughts and not enough showing. The juxtaposition between the prose and the cringey dialogue jars me out of the story every single paragraph. The plot is nonsensical.
Also, if I have to read one more time about how Mia is sooooo tiny and Everest is sooooo big, I’m going to throw up. I don’t care that he is a vampire, that man is NOT 7ft tall and operating in regular society.
The book is simply unreadable.
The author relies too heavily on adverbs and dialogue tags. There’s too much telling about Mia’s emotional state/thoughts and not enough showing. The juxtaposition between the prose and the cringey dialogue jars me out of the story every single paragraph. The plot is nonsensical.
Also, if I have to read one more time about how Mia is sooooo tiny and Everest is sooooo big, I’m going to throw up. I don’t care that he is a vampire, that man is NOT 7ft tall and operating in regular society.
The book is simply unreadable.
August 20, 2025
I was recommended this book by a friend. I just received it so I got right into it when it came! You will have to get it if you want to know more. I will say though the book is good so far and I think I might finish it today if time permits me because I’m super eager. This is the perfect thing to get my spooks season started with only one month left practically left until October. This is a perfect story to really kick start some things up! Haha it also is a unique story concept so I’m just over looking torward to reading more
September 27, 2025
I absolutely loved this story! The mix of mystery, spice, and gothic atmosphere, and fast-paced storytelling pulled me in right away. Amelia’s journey kept me hooked, and the ending left my jaw on the floor, totally unexpected. I can’t wait to see where the next book in Heathen’s Creek takes us!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 28, 2026
Good read
This story was a good vampire story. I liked it. I don't usually enjoy vampire and werewolf tales. I feel no story has made it as good as Dracula, well... this story was good. I will read more of this author's work in the future
This story was a good vampire story. I liked it. I don't usually enjoy vampire and werewolf tales. I feel no story has made it as good as Dracula, well... this story was good. I will read more of this author's work in the future
September 21, 2026
Great book and very intriguing. I highly recommend this author as she really captures horror meets mystery with a gothic tone. I personally enjoy the gothic feel and all of her books do that for me. 🔥🔥🔥🔥💀👻🎃
September 2, 2025
Hoping to learn more about mysterious Everest. Also need more Billy!!
January 2, 2026
Super fun ride. Anna is a talented writer and the book is a page turner. I finished it in two days!
August 17, 2026
Loved the story, spooky and fun. Would recommend if you're looking for a quick read that's not too serious yet beautifully written.
September 3, 2026
Absolutely loved it!
September 19, 2026
Really enjoyed this book. Poetically haunting with lots of heat!
September 30, 2026
I loved this story, it had the perfect amount of spookiness for this Halloween season! If you're looking for a good vampire read would recommend.
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews