Batty About You

by S.C. Principale

Love can drive you batty...

Bogdan and Kelly have been friends for years—but they’ve never met face to face. Why? Well, they’re pen pals, they live in different states, they both have overbearing parents and too many siblings, and one of them has a secret.

Bogdan Lupescu is not an ordinary man. Heck, he’s not even an ordinary shifter. The usual laws of the paranormal don’t apply to him, and he’s sure the sweetest girl in the world won’t want to meet a pen pal that looks so…inhuman. When Kelly invites Bogdan to attend a Halloween ball, he wonders if this could be his big chance to show her the truth about who he is. But can he do it without losing her?

Kelly has been trying to get Bogdan, her long-time pen pal, to meet up in person for ages. Something always comes up, and she’s beginning to wonder if it’s more than just badly-timed coincidences keeping them apart. Maybe the guy she’s fallen in love with over seven years of letters doesn’t share her feelings. In a final desperate attempt to see if this crazy crush has a chance, she invites him to a Halloween ball.

She honestly didn’t expect him to say yes. Now that he has, Kelly tries to plan a perfect night, only to find it ruined when she hits a low-flying bat on the way to the party. Meet the boy or save the bat? Her conscience is clear on what she should do, but her heart just might break if she misses what might be her only chance to meet the man of her dreams.

Unless there’s a Halloween surprise that neither Kelly nor Bogdan ever expected!

Batty About You is a short, steamy standalone tale of monster romance set in the Pine Ridge Universe.

104 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 11, 2025

About the author

Author of romance with bite.
Especially fond of monster and paranormal romance, but she'll write some all-human romances, too!

Reviews

[Evyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to S.C. Principale for the ARC in exchange for an honest review

technical stuff first:
The file indicated this story was 97 pages long. The actual story ended at 78% on my eReader. The rest of the novel is an excerpt from another book by this author which was kind of a bummer especially bc it is already a short story.

This was a fun and super sweet Halloween treat. The relationship between Kelly and Bodgan was pre-established and beautiful to see. I really liked their dynamic,something about their vulnerability with one another and their never ending awkwardness just got me. My only complaint is that when that one spicy scene hits, there is a bit too much talking about their relationship and future during. It started to bother me after a bit.
Otherwise it was fun and definitely got me in the mood for halloween.would recommend!

🦇 romanian MMC
🧡 mexican FMC
🦇 best friends to lovers
🧡 idiots to Lovers
🦇 pen pals
🧡 shifted sex

[Gleeful Goblin Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gleeful Goblin Review: This story feels like a love letter to online/long distance friendships and learning to love a person well before you even share the same physical space. As an Elder Millennial I have the unique perspective of having grown up being able to experience old school letter based pen pals to the dawn of Internet and social media, to now as an adult having many of my friends I consider very dear to me and I've never met them in person, may never have the chance to! So, reading this story where love has grown over 7 years of letters between our two main characters was a truly delightful read for me.

For how short this novella is there is so much eart packed into it. This is such a sweet story of very young love that has grown up as both our main characters have matured. Kelly and Bogdan are just about the sweetest love bats I've read about in a good long while and reading their story was a delight. 5/5 Stars

[Kirsty Gudmundsson · Rating 2 out of 5]

🦇Batty About You by S.C. Principale🦇

Book Challenge Prompt - Punny Title

⭐️⭐️💫

Tropes:

Monster Romance
Pen Pals
Friends To Lovers
Halloween Ball
Cinnamon Roll MMC
Short & Steamy Novella

This had SUCH a cute concept: pen pals, a secret monster identity, a Halloween ball, and a literal “hit a bat on the way to meet my online crush” dilemma.

I was ready for peak spooky-season chaos… and while it delivered charm, it didn’t quite give me the emotional punch I wanted.

Bogdan and Kelly’s long-distance pen pal history is genuinely sweet. There’s something special about falling in love through letters, especially with overbearing families and insecurities layered in.

The Halloween ball setup? Adorable.
The bat incident? Hilarious & chaotic.

Overall - a sweet, short monster romance.

🏷 Bookstagram • Batty About You • S.C. Principale • Monster Romance • Halloween Ball • Punny Book Title • Novella • Pen Pals • Friends To Lovers

[Alisha · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was super cute. A nice, bite size paranormal Halloween romance. Kelly and Bogdan have been pen pals for 7 years, since a project in high school paired them. After asking on multiple occasions and always being told no Kelly doesn't expect the yes that she gets from Bogdan when she invites him to the Halloween Ball in her local town. The night goes a little sideways for Kelly when she hits a bat on the way to the ball and even more sideways for Bogdan when he's unexpectedly hit by a car while flying.

It was cute, it was a little silly, it was steamy with spice right there at the end. Need something cute that only takes about an hour or so to read? This will do. 🖤

[BatDuckie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was so stinkin' cute! Bogden and Kelly were such an adorable and awkward couple.

Though marriage proposal on their first official date seemed like a bit much and fast, it definitely went with the story and fit.

I'd love to see more of the town's Monsters in toher stories.

I got this free from a monster group on FB during the 13 Halloween Freebies event currently going on and it was worth the read. it does end around 77% though (page 83 or so), its a nice quick smutty cute read for Halloween.

[Barbara · Rating 5 out of 5]

As part of the Pine Ridge Universe series, this book captivated me from the first page, and I finished it in one sitting. The story follows pen pals Bogdan and Kelly, who have never met in person. When Kelly invites Bogdan to a Halloween ball, he fears revealing that he is an extraordinary shifter will risk their connection. On her way to the party, Kelly’s night is upended when she hits a low-flying bat and chooses to save the animal over meeting the man of her dreams. This well-written story kept me smiling, and I truly enjoyed their journey through various twists toward a happy ending.

[NeedMoreBookSpace · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun spooky season monster rom com novella. The anxiety rep, eldest child syndrome story line was accurate. I enjoyed the silly moments, and the characters having slowly fallen in love before they even met IRL was beautiful.

[Brandy Harmon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cute

This is a fun read and can't wait for more.they are worth reading. I absolutely adore this author. If you haven't checked her out you really should.

[DemetraP · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was young adult. They are both in college.

[Victória · Rating 4 out of 5]

Double virgins
Hfn

[Ingrid Spera · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was too cute! A short insta-love, low drama, medium angst story of first love (college). Absolutely adorable!