October Ashes: A small town cozy romance set in autumn with a bit of gothic mystery

by C.W. Towne

In the small New England town of Hallow’s Edge, autumn lingers like a spell—crisp leaves, glowing jack-o’-lanterns, and secrets buried beneath the frost.

When Amelia inherits her grandmother’s ivy-cloaked cottage, she trades her city life for quiet streets, pumpkin festivals, and the dream of opening her own boutique. But the shadows of Hallow’s Edge are never far—especially the looming Ashburne Mansion on the hill, where whispers of disappearances still haunt the town.

Drawn into the mystery of her family’s past, Amelia begins to untangle threads of old journals, hidden letters, and a watchful groundskeeper who knows more than he says. And as the nights grow colder, she finds herself caught between the comfort of small-town friendships and the magnetic pull of Julian—a man as mysterious as the mansion itself.

Romance flickers like candlelight. Storms rattle the windows. The truth waits in the dark.

October Ashes is a gothic small-town romance full of autumn charm, chilling secrets, and the slow-burn fire of love—perfect for fans of cozy mysteries, dark romance, and pumpkin-spiced evenings by the fire.

86 pages, Paperback

Published September 5, 2025

Reviews

[Diandra Santuccio · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted to read a cute cozy fall book with spooky vibes.This book was okay. It had the vibes I was looking for but that was it. It was very repetitive. I felt like I was always reading the same sentence. I hated how one paragraph would end and the next paragraph jumped to either another day or another location.

[Angie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Picked this book up because of the cover and stayed for the mystery.

It was a cute book that could have been so much more. I think I learned more about the town than I did the characters. There was so much over description of the town, which I loved because the town sounds amazing and cozy but I needed more from the characters, they lacked some depth. I didn't feel a connection with any of them. There were so many moments where there could have been more...more dialogue, more thought, more development. I honestly did not feel a connection between Amelia and Julian. Yeah, he was mysterious and intriguing but I always felt like the was hiding something just for it to be nothing.

There was also a lot of repetitiveness which threw me out of the story. And the flow of the story, like we would be in one moment where it could have been drawn out more or something added to it but no, it just skipped to something else. I wanted to go back to that moment and get more from it.

[Katie Kissel · Rating 2 out of 5]

October Ashes has a cozy, moody setup, rain, candles, small-town mystery, and I really wanted to love it. But from the start, something about the pacing and characters just felt off. Relationships kind of appeared out of nowhere, with no real reason for how people connected or why they were suddenly close. The writing was polished but weirdly flat, almost like it had been edited or written with AI tools.

That feeling faded a bit as the story went on; later chapters had more natural flow and the characters started to feel a little more real. Still, the uneven tone made it hard for me to get fully invested. I liked the atmosphere, but I never felt emotionally connected to the story. Then the way the story ended brought that feeling back with the mystery being resolved and explained but not really telling us how.

If you’re into autumn vibes and small-town settings, it might still be worth a read but for me it just didn’t have the depth I was hoping for.

[Kimberly · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the storyline and the thought behind the book, that part was great. The author had a way with describing the town, the feeling of it, it was like it was there. I thought that the gothic aspect of the book worked as well and was done well. The only items I could see in the book that I had trouble with is sometimes it seemed as though the characters forgot who they were, meaning that it felt like the author at times forgot who they were writing about. The book has some repeating of scenes one right after another at times, and the book seemed to jump within the scene meaning; one minute they were in the cottage on a couch and the next they were strolling through the village. Other than those items, I enjoyed the book overall. I too like the author; love autumn and gothic romances. to the author keep up the good work. I look forward to trying more books in the future.

[Read, Run and Rescue · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not really my genre so not my cup of tea. It was well written and cute and I’m sure the cozy fall style hits well with the hallmark movie set . Young girl inherits a cabin that’s steeped with the family’s mysterious past.

[Krys · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was totally captivated by this book right from the start! ✨ The first chapter had me enchanted, and every page was a delight! It's the perfect read for spooky season! 🎃 I adored the characters and the story, and that ending? Wow! You *have* to check it out! 💖(｡♥‿♥｡)

[Monica]

Cozy gothic mystery with clean romantic scenes. The story line was intriguing and I even got a little creeped out at times, but the writing was choppy and needed editing. Despite that, it was a quick, decent read for fall.

[Sue :) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wish this had been a full length novel.

It has gothic haunted house vibes. The blossoming love between the characters seemed a little fast but was nice. I just wanted more!

[Sabrina · Rating 4 out of 5]

this was so atmospheric. I wish it would have been longer.

[Nancy Timmerman · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this charming, quick-read cozy story that made me think of sipping apple cider while wearing a cozy sweater - it put me right in the middle of a small quirky town. I enjoyed how it had a pinch of everything fall - leaves falling everywhere, small-town secrets, a creepy mansion, an eerie cottage and a romance that slowly flourishes like a gently falling leaf. I even got some serious chills along the way. Grab a cup of your favorite hot drink while you read this cozy story.