Scary in Love

by Holly June Smith

Jenna Laing has always been what the people of Crowmorne call 'a bit strange'. As a child, she was drawn to the spooky and the scary, and as an adult, she's no different.

When the mysterious and long abandoned Miller Mansion re-opens as a Halloween haunted house, Jenna buys tickets in a heartbeat, and invites a first date, hoping he'll share her love of horror and jumpscares.

Those hopes come crashing to the ground when he panics and runs off screaming, leaving her injured and in the hands of scare actor, Mason Miller.

Mason never expected to inherit a mansion, or the eye-watering bills that came along with it. His haunt is a quick way to make money, but Jenna might be the most unexpected surprise of all.

One look at her is all it takes to fall hard, then even harder when he discovers they share similar tastes both in and out of the bedroom.

And since Mason is an expert in designing experiences that make people feel something, this Halloween he'll guarantee Jenna finally has a man to match her freak.

Genres: Romance, Halloween, Novella, Holiday, Spicy, Contemporary, Contemporary Romance

173 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 10, 2025

About the author

Holly June Smith is a writer and romance addict who is constantly falling in love with fictional heroes and dreaming up new ones.

Originally from the North East of Scotland, she now lives in Hertfordshire, England.

You can also find her on Insta and TikTok @hollyjunesmith

Reviews

[mj]

why was this so sweet and weirdly hot bye don't look at me

[Grace Btrs (Catching Up!! - semi ia-work)]

👑 HJS Is the Queen of Novellas
This is genuinely so awesome.
I am learning that HJS is the queen of novellas.
The pacing was amazing.
This shows you the progression of the romance and the characters through a very steady beat across the book, and while one night does take up more page count than other things in the story, the book is able to spread across a logical timeline that makes perfect sense for the characters.

✨ The Little Things That Made This Beautiful
I think there are a few things that make this so beautiful and are also some of my favourites in the book.

The epilogue: I will not spoil anything, but it is so emotional and so fitting for this story. 🥹

The beginning and opening: The way HJS said, I like spooky and I am writing spooky, and she really transported us to that atmosphere. 👻

The entire kink conversation: And how much care it was handled with, which invites us all to think about kink and curiosity and ask ourselves the right questions.


🖤 Mason, You Are a Breath of Fresh Air
Mason is such a refreshing MMC, who is able to deliver kink but is also a great listener—he hears what he’s being told and does something with it.
And it shines beautifully in one of the kink scenes where Jenna expressed a limit but a desire, and he crafted something that delivered on both.
He is also both the awkward, nervous, goofy guy and the confident, outgoing guy, and I loved that combination.

🕯️ Jenna Is Also a Breath of Fresh Air
Jenna is also a breath of fresh air with how witty she is, and how human she is, where a woman can like spooky and gothic and understand them on a deep level that is special to her without having to be dark or OTT.
I really appreciated how she is a woman who is differnet but "NOT not like other girls" and she is unique and very body positive without really trying hard to make us feel she's body positive. It came off natural.

🎧 The Audio Was Also *Chef’s Kiss*
HJS also shines in saying all the right things and choosing her narrators.
Evelyn Rose and James Joseph did a wonderful job.
I am beginning to associate Evelyn with warm hugs and the feeling of drinking hot chocolate. ☕️🫂
She probably only narrated drinking hot cocoa in one scene in the 3 books I heard her in, but that’s how she made me feel. 😂

Both narrators have range and feel so good to listen to.
So I definitely recommend grabbing the audio for this one!! 🎧🖤

Thank you HJS and team for the ALC!

--
Pre-read:
This girl wants her spooky hug brough to me by an ALC featuring Evelyn Rose and James Joseph in duet

[Brittany Ferraro]

✨UPDATE✨ I reread this via audio ( duet narration!) and it was absolute perfection and I loved it just as much the second time around.


4.5⭐️ What an unexpected banger. For a little novella, this one really took me by surprise I had such a fun time reading it. (Except for the ending. Please don’t ask me why I sobbed. I don’t know either. I’m sensitive. I’m emotional. I’m just a girl.)

Our FMC lives for anything spooky and scary, and our MMC literally owns a haunted attraction… a match made in hell. And when I tell you he is the definition of “if he wanted to, he would”?? This man sets up the most insane night for her, her own personal haunted house and he thinks of everything. Like, he even stashes water bottles because he knows he’s gonna be chasing her around… and cracking her back every chance he gets. And crack her back he DOES. That spice? So damn hot. THE BUILD UP AND TENSION HAD ME FOAMING AT THE MOUTH

“Those two words have my basest primal instincts kicking up again. I want to chase her and tackle her to the ground and fuck her until I need to replace the floorboards. God, I’m so fucking into this woman.”

⬆️ a down bad man right there people


I’m staring at the cover like… how did we get here?? It’s so cute and happy and then the inside is filthy in the best way. I loved every second of it.

I also wasn’t expecting it to be so detailed and intricate for something this short. The whole experience was just SO GOOD. The chemistry was through the roof, the pacing was fast but smooth, and I was hooked from the very first chapter. It’s a novella so things have to move quickly, but this is how you do it right.

This is the perfect fall novella if you want something spicy and swoony not so much scary and unhinged. I really freaking loved this one.

[Melissa]

ARC: 9/3/2025
ALC: 9/5/2026

4.75/5 ⭐️
3/5 🌶️

This novella was such a fun surprise! Scary in Love is a quick, Halloween-themed romance that throws you right into the story—no dragging, no filler, just straight to the good stuff. I actually loved that it jumped right in, because it made it so easy to binge in one sitting.

The chemistry between the main characters? Off. The. Charts. The sexual tension had me kicking my feet, and the slow tease of spice throughout was chef’s kiss. And that ending? We were FED. It’s short, sweet, flirty, and a little spooky—basically the perfect pick for spooky season if you’re looking for a cozy, spicy read that will leave you smiling (and maybe fanning yourself).

Let’s talk about our narrators! Evelyn Rose is a tried and true and she has a lovely British voice. And HJS clearly wanted us all to pass away from James Joseph (one of the Quinn app faves!) as Mason. I may never fully recover.

Thanks to HJS and Love Notes PR for an ARC and ALC of this novel in exchange for honest reviews.

[Dahlia]

DNF 45%
Guys dont come at me , i just soooo wasnt in the mood.
Hell even i is surprised, who dnf's a novella 🤡 (me)


---
In need of something fast and cute , and this one seems just like it , and the Halloween vibes are a bonus 🤭

[Jill (readinginpjs)]

If you’re looking for a spooky romcom with heat & heart, definitely pick up Scary in Love! 👻

Thank you Holly June Smith for allowing me the pleasure of beta reading this one, & for the ARC! All opinions are my own.

✦ tropes & stuff:
🎃 Halloween novella
👻 haunted house scare actor x horror fan - who’s sick of boring men
🐈‍⬛️ roleplay with a pleasure dom
💫 wish fulfilment
🥀 one unforgettable night of sexy scares
✨ MCs in their 30s
🌳 small town
🖤 dual 1st person pov

•┈••✦ review ✦••┈•

🎧 audio + ebook | ⭐️: 5 | 🌶️: 3 |

I love a good novella, and that can be tricky to find - telling a full story, building depth & emotion in so few pages, and balancing the spice with everything else - Holly does this brilliantly every single time!

I love everything about this one 🥰

✧ how they meet (Jenna’s on a horrible date at Mason’s haunted house, and he’s a scare actor)

✧ how their relationship develops with Mason seeking her out, and especially all of his adorable rambling 🥹

✧ the balance in each of their personalities
- Jenna is a horror fan & lover of all things creepy, & also has a soft side where she just wants to be loved and appreciated for who she is
- Mason is incredibly confident in so many ways, yet also nervous in his vulnerability

✧ the epilogue 😭🥹 so unique and lovely

🎧 audio thoughts: LOVE that this was narrated in duet! Evelyn Rose & James Joseph did a fantastic job at bringing Jenna & Mason to life, both captured their characters well.

📖 Scary in Love by Holly June Smith
👻: Halloween romance novella

*Connect with Me*
🤍 Instagram 🤍 Blog 🤍

[apolimia]

si te parecen hot esos videos de parques de diversiones de miedo donde están todos cubiertos de sangre y te persiguen con un cuchillo .... este libro es para vos diez de diez recomiendo

[Katerina Paus (organising my tbr)]

"I want to scare the fuck out of you, Jenna. And then I want to fuck the scared out of you."

This is the most wholesome novella I have ever read. If you ask me to recommend a good novella, it will be this one.

We know how tricky novellas can be and, more often than not, they end up being underwhelming. This one checked every box for me, and even ones I didn’t even know I needed checked.

The setting is interesting on its own. Jenna goes to a haunted house on a first date with a man-shaped individual. A series of events leads Jenna to Mason - a scare actor and the owner of the house.

The chemistry was off the charts!! I swear, the moment their eyes met, I felt it - the sparks were flying and I felt like I was intruding. The mix of sexy Mason and "I'm awkward when I'm nervous" Mason was amazing and I bought into both sides of him.

Even though most of the book takes place over one night, their relationship never felt rushed. We still got enough time to see their feelings grow, and everything felt natural. I didn't have to turn a blind eye to anything, which is something I usually have to do with novellas.

I always appreciate when novellas show us 6+ months later. I feel like it's almost obligatory for them. Ms. Smith went even further and gave me closure. Though if you ask me if I'm happy about it, I wouldn't be able to answer.

On top of everything else, the author makes her stance on female solidarity pretty clear, calling out the "not like other girls" mentality and how femininity and women are so often associated with weakness.

Kinks are a part of this story, and I adored how they were handled. Even though we read so many books with a lot of sex, they rarely, sadly, give us actual conversations about sexuality, boundaries, preferences, and all the things that come with them. Here, they take the time to talk about everything. There's no shame, no judgment, and no assumptions. I really appreciated how thorough and matter-of-fact these conversations were.

I'm starting to think Ms. Smith has one of the best narrated audiobooks. Both Evelyn Rose and James Joseph were incredible. British accents, distinct voices for the side characters, and that thing they did in the epilogue which shocked and impressed me.

Thank you, Holly June Smith for the ALC

[MagretFume]

It's the book version of a pumpkin spiced latte. 
It's sweet, spicy, cozy and perfect for the fall season. 
Its a very short and cute read,and I had a great time. 

[M (hiatus)]

This was so fun!! And hot 🤭

I didn’t like the second epilogue tho, they became ghosts, and idk, I just don’t wanna think about the characters dying or anything like that. All characters are immortal for me lol once the book ends happily, that’s it. They live forever together. No dying involved, ever 🤣 But besides that, I really enjoyed this one!

1st person - dual pov
no virgins
condoms
no sharing
no owd/omd
no cheating
no 3rd act breakup
hea

[That_awkwardbook]

This is perfect for the scream Queens that love a spicy spooky season.
Jenna loves Halloween and everything spooky, she would have thrived in the Addams family. So the new haunted house in town is her dream come true and the scare actor is her wet dreams coming true.
They immediately have scorching chemistry and it gets hot and heavy.
If you don't like smut and spice you need to read something else. Because this is for the thirsty witches.

Thank you to the author Holly June Smith and Love Notes Pr for trusting me with an eARC

[Hera]

🎃👻 Scary in Love by Holly June Smith 👻🎃

This was basically my ideal little Halloween treat: haunted houses, scare actors, creepy things, a heroine obsessed with everything spooky, and a man who is somehow both incredibly respectful and incredibly nasty. What more could I possibly ask for?

Mason was a DREAM. The man wanted Jenna’s pleasure, paid attention to every tiny detail, and somehow managed to be sweet, observant, and filthy all at once. Respectful but nasty is apparently my favorite genre of man now. And the attention to detail??? I was crossing my legs (not in fishnets unfortunately). Thank you very much.

I’ve always believed that love is, in so many ways, about being seen, and I adored how much Mason actually saw Jenna. He noticed her. He understood what she loved. He created an entire personal spicy scare experience specifically for her (I lost count of the number of times this girl finished). That kind of attention will get me every single time.

And Jenna? Jenna was me. That is all. Her obsession with haunted houses, creepy things, scares, and everything vaguely Halloween-shaped felt so ridiculously relatable that half the time I was just sitting there thinking, girl, SAME.

What surprised me most was how well the novella format worked. I was initially wondering how you make something this short genuinely spicy without the spice feeling shoved into the story just for the sake of it, but the progression felt so natural. The pacing worked, the chemistry worked, and nothing felt rushed or forced.

My biggest complaint is simply that it ENDED. Rude.

This was supposed to be a buddy listen, but I unfortunately slacked off and got left behind 💀, yet I still had such a ridiculously fun time with it. It was creepy, sexy, sweet, and exactly the kind of bite-sized spooky romance I wanted.

Technically, this is probably a 4.5⭐ read, but we’re in a haunted house and I don’t believe in half-measures, so 5⭐ it is. 🎃

I’m absolutely looking forward to reading more from Holly because if this is what she does with a novella, I need more.

[Gaby]

I honestly don’t even know how to rate this novella…but it was clearly a miss for me.

Right from the beginning (especially the first 5 chapters), it felt like the same things were being said over and over again. It was almost like the author didn’t trust the reader to retain information the first time around, so she repeated it; and not in a creative way. It was the same things just in a different POV. The same goes for how the characters felt about each other early on: we get it, you’re horny. But you don’t need to remind us every five sentences. Just like in movies: don’t say it, show it. Let the actions speak.

As for the rest of the book…I guess it was okay. But I think the second half would’ve hit harder if the relationship had been built up better in the first half. I probably would’ve cared more about what was happening between them.

All in all, if you’re only here for the smut, you’ll be fine. That part was objectively done pretty well (which is probably where the stars in my rating come from). But if you're looking for anything beyond that, you might be disappointed.

I guess what I’m trying to say is: even though this was a novella, it felt too fast-paced, and because of that, it lacked depth. I never really got hooked or invested in the characters. A short story doesn’t automatically mean shallow writing; yeah, it can be short and fun and smutty but at least give me something other than superficial level things. There are plenty of novellas and even shorter pieces that build more compelling worlds and connections. This just wasn’t one of them for me :(

————————————
*ARC review.

[Allie]

Another novella falling into the novella trap once again! I feel like there is no in-between with novellas, either I get obsessed with the characters, the plot, and the world and wish it was a full-length novel instead or I feel like I know nothing about the characters or the world because of how short the book is. Sadly, this novella qualifies for the second half of that sentence. I have never rated a novella higher than a 3 star, but am I going to stop reading them? Probably not. The holiday ones always suck me in.

I think I would have liked this book better if it was a one night stand between the two on Halloween night. The relationship felt forced like the author only wrote them as a couple because romances have to end in a HEA. I think I would have been happier if it was a one night stand and their relationship ended there. For a book that is supposed to be smut heavy, the smut didn't really begin until the 70% mark which I am usually fine with if there is a plot but it didn't work in this case since the only plot was the characters trying to get into each other's pants. I was already not enjoying myself while reading this one but what sealed the deal for my one star rating was the ending. I felt like they had just established their relationship in the last part of the book and now they are dead? I wish that I had gotten to see more of their blooming relationship. Their relationship felt very rushed to me from the last couple of chapters to the epilogue.

[Ashton Reads]

I absolutely loved this! The hero is a pleasure dom and the spice was 🥵 A perfect short and smutty spooky season read!

[adriana]

Jenna really lived the spooky, kinky life of my fantasies.

What a perfect Halloween season novella with just the right amount of personality, chemistry, appeal & steam. The cherry on top was the sweetness at the end.

[Maya]

4.5 ⭐️ // 4 🌶️!

WHEW this was so hot y'all. If you're looking for the epitome of a spooky spicy fall romance, look no further.

Jenna and Mason have insane chemistry, and I love the different sides we get to see of them depending on the situation. For example, Mason becomes the simp-iest, blushing bundle of yearning while courting Jenna, and then when they're scening he's suddenly a Dom who takes no prisoners. We love to see it! I know Jenna did.

Tropes:
👻 scare actor x scare lover
👻 halloween vibes
👻 he falls first
👻 fun with fishnets
👻 BDSM elements
👻 small town

[Jocie]

4.5⭐️
4.5🌶️

Perfect! Immaculate! Great first spooky season read. It was short, super spicy, with some spooky vibes that were calling to me. I loved haunted houses! They are one of my favorite things when it comes to Halloween so to have one surrounding one was just 🤌🏻💋.

The vibes were vibing and I’m writing some new ideas down.😉😏

[ashlyn]

Rtc buddy read with Quinn!

[Heather]

Thanks to Holly June Smith and Love Notes PR for the review copy and this is my honest review.

Holy smokes, someone hose me down because this was HOT! I absolutely adored the combination of the sexy and the frightening with a giant dollop of informed consent. Holly June Smith is so skilled at this combo and turning unconventional interactions into heated tensions.

The characters had chemistry from first sight and they only got more lit from there. The hero set up the haunted house to be their little playground with different themes: medical play, mask CNC, church bangs, and the heroine was very willing to be chased and pawed at. A perfect steamy spooky season novella read.

[Larareads]

Thank you LoveNotesPR for giving me this ARC in exchange of an honest review.

This book was such a surprise, because I absolutely loved it!!! The story is very well written and the characters are amazing! The chemistry between them, the sexual tension... and the spice!!! So sooo good!

[Heather myfriendsdontread]

I really enjoyed this one. It’s a romance between a girl who is obsessed with Halloween and a haunted house scare actor who lives in the creepy mansion in town.

There’s also a very sexy version of a haunted house that he creates just for her. I would definitely recommend for other Halloween obsessed girls.

It was very unique, I never read a plot like this one before. And I thought the extended epilogue was very creative.

[Anna Nenna]

Audio in duet style 5/5 🎧 - great performance! - available on many platforms.
Story? 3/5? - it was going great until the last epilogue! For me, instead of delivering that poetic ending, it left me wondering what was the point!?
This is not a traditional HEA! It comes out of nowhere because the tone of this short story is fun, campy and spicy but the epilogue completely changes everything and doesn’t make it spooky - just “meh… 🤷🏻‍♀️
No cheating, no sharing and … no point in going that far with their story… 😶‍🌫️

[Anna]

4.5⭐️

Okay spooky haunted house vibes perfect for fall!! I WANT A MAN WHO MAKES A WHOLE SEXY HAUNTED HOUSE SCENE THAT ENDS WITH A BANG

Thanks MLA for this sexy Audio

[niki ౨ৎ]

i wanted something quick, fun and little spooky to start getting myself into an autumn season… let me tell you i did not expect it to be this freaky and steamy! but i still enjoyed this, they were both cute 🙂‍↕️💓

[when the hype is over]

2.75 stars (rounded up to 3)

FMC that is super into horror x MMC that is an actor in a Halloween haunted house

I really liked the premise of this novella and the beginning was really strong. The story started to lose me a little when it’s revealed that the MMC is a dom and they went through a whole list of kinks which made it glaringly obvious that the MMC was very experienced in being a dom and did a lot of the things he ticked off on his list. And also, that whole dom/sub thing is just not exactly for me. I just don’t find that very interesting to read about.




Safety:
- no virgins, both were celibate for a while before meeting each other but I think FMC‘s dry spell lasted a little longer. She was also less experienced while he seemed very experienced
- no OW/OM drama
- no cheating or sharing
- HEA

[Stephanie Vern]

I have not a single negative thing to say about this so 5 stars. The spice was so good, it ended up taking a good chunk of the novella yet it didn't feel too fast or forced. Too many novellas don't acknowledge one night stands or just fucking, they have to force a love declaration to justify the characters getting together, but this wasn't that. Just cute flirting, hot consensual sex with frequent check ins that led to an eternity together chillin in the home where it all started? Perfection

[Em (semi-hiatus)]

As interesting as the plot is it didn’t really grab me, but I’ll always cheer a heroine who calls out patriarchal pejoratives mid-romance.

[MlEaNnReAdS]

I’m getting so sick of reading books and learning where an author stands politically before page 10. “ I’m more terrified of things in the real world, like the persistent dismantling of basic human rights by those in power “ I JUST WANT A NICE FALL , SPOOKY TIME READ . F me ….. 🙄

[Becky]

This little book was absolutely everything I was looking for.....and more!!
The cover looks so sweet (which it is), but then it's layered with some of the best spice I've read. And that ending....I was not expecting for it to hit me like it did!