Scary In Love: A spooky, spicy, Halloween romance

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, Contemporary, Contemporary Romance, BDSM

171 pages, Paperback

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 · Rating 3 out of 5]

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

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

ARC read: 9/3/2025

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).

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

[mica · Rating 3 out of 5]

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

[Brittany Ferraro · Rating 5 out of 5]

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.

[Jill (readinginpjs) · Rating 5 out of 5]

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

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

*Connect with Me*
🤍 Instagram 🤍 Blog 🤍

[MagretFume · Rating 4 out of 5]

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) · Rating 4 out of 5]

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 · Rating 5 out of 5]

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

[Ashton Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

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

[Gaby · Rating 2 out of 5]

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.

[adriana · Rating 5 out of 5]

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.

[Larareads · Rating 4 out of 5]

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!

[Maya · Rating 5 out of 5]

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 (so behind on reviews) · Rating 5 out of 5]

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.😉😏

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[Heather myfriendsdontread · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[nikki ౨ৎ · Rating 3 out of 5]

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 🙂‍↕️💓

[Stephanie Vern · Rating 5 out of 5]

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) · Rating 2 out of 5]

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.

[DMATMOOBILforever · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finished! 4.5 stars rounded to 5. ||Holy shit this was so much FUN. Definitely the best primal play book I’ve read, or at least my personal fave. I loved that Mason was nervous and not like super smooth irl, and his switch to his dom side didn’t actually throw me off, it seemed natural. And his check ins!!! What a consent king. Gosh okay I guess I find check ins and reassurance really hot.

Also absolutely LOVED the surprise second epilogue where they were both ghosts… so fucking cute. So glad I didn’t scan the table of contents before reading. ||

[Allie · Rating 1 out of 5]

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.

[Yasmine M · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very cute ending to a spicy novella.
Their ghosts watching their family continue their traditions they set when they were alive. So sad but so cute.

Their chemistry was wow. He’s a theatre kid who has a dark side and she is a caretaker to the elderly with a bit of a morbid fascination.
This book was spicy asf.

[Dimitra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Scary In Love 🎃
Firstly,I want to thank LoveNotes PR & Holly June Smith for trusting me with this ARC!

Jenna,is the definition of the weird kid as formed by society.Always fancinated with ghosts and choosing tricks instead or treats ,she is thrilled when the abandonded Miller House reopens as a Halloween haunted house.
Here instead of having the first date of her dreams she will leave in the hands of Mason Miller,one of the actors.
And the story continues...

LET ME SIT FIRST
WHAT.
WAS.
THAT.
I REPEAT WHAT.WAS.THAT.
This was not just a book this was an above the level experience.
But let me start from the beggining.
Following Jenna story I saw my childhood self,as obsessed with haunted houses and Stephen King books myself.I love how authentic she was & how much she made me laugh with her lines 🥹.
Although,what altered my brain chemistry was that very long 🌶️ scene.-no I am not being dramatic.
This scene had me more than any other sm*t that I have EVER read,and believe me I have experienced A LOT.It was the dream for every Halloween obsessed girl out there.
WE HAD THE MAN,that as you will read in the summary actually matched her freak & he was so,so skilled in every aspect of his life.

Also,THE VIBES in this book.So spooky,Halloween-ish,autumnal and please grab a hot beverage while you read it is essential.
Smith's writing was wondeful & eye cathing for the reader!That woman KNOWS how to write.


Lastly,that ending broke me,like I truly was into tears and stared at the ceiling for at least 30 minutes.Girl,why you had to play me like that?Yet,it was one of the most beautiful endings that I have read in my life 🧡
Yes, I LOVED this book!
out on Sept,10th 🍂


♾️⭐

[Monique · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 Stars ⭐⭐⭐

I loved the premise of this and for the most part did enjoy this short story but Jenna was a bit too bratty for my liking and a bit too "I'm not like other girls" with her constant reminders about how only she likes creepy stuff in her small town.

I didn't hate her but she wasn't a fave.

Loved the creative 🔥🔥🔥

Didn't love the last epilogue though and this is a bit of a spoiler so warning

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I get that realistically all our characters have to die (naturally) at some point but I don't really wanna read about it even if it was from old age and they died hours apart. It still bums me out ya know and the fact they can't bone in the after life is kind of sad imo.

Interesting ending though and I'm sure lots of people would love it but I'm not that person 😂😂

[Sherry · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had the pleasure of reading Scary in Love written by Holly June Smith as an ARC read. As a fellow smutty Halloween enthusiast, I devoured this novella. Release date is September 10!

This Halloween novella was such a blast to read with qual parts spooky and spicy! The atmosphere had everything I crave about Halloween: creaky mansion, haunted house jumps, and just the right amount of twisted fun. Jenna was instantly relatable with her love of all things horror, and Mason provided perfect balance of dark and surprisingly sweet. I fell in love with him at first twirl, IYKYK 😏

I was NOT expecting Mason’s Epilogue. But I was so thrilled to have that as the final ending to the book 👻🖤

What to expect:
🎃 Halloween Novella
🩸 Haunted House Actor x Horror Fan
🥱 She's Sick of Boring Men
🤭 He's a Pleasure Dom
😇 Wish Fulfilment
🎲 Roleplay
🥰 One Unforgettable Night (pheeeeeew 🥵)

[MlEaNnReAdS · Rating 1 out of 5]

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 ….. 🙄

[Lucy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Grateful for the arc for this book!

HOWEVER…

After the ending I feel like 2 stars is generous.
I expected more from this book, how it was described is not what I feel as though it was.
If you are looking for a book which is just pure spice/smut and no plot then this is the book for you.

I thought it started out great but I feel as though Mason&Jenna didn’t have many interactions to suddenly develop these huge feelings for each other… it felt more like physical and sexual attraction between them rather than something for emotional and in depth.

I feel a lot of it was just a repeat and it wasn’t needed…

I’m gutted that I didn’t enjoy this but it didn’t live up to the description for me so…

[Courtney · Rating 4 out of 5]

ARC Review from a Scaredy Cat 🦇👻🎃

In all honesty, I was apprehensive to read this one 🫣. While I love a crisp Fall season, I am not a fan of the scary, the spooky, the creepy, etc,. 🍂

…Consider me converted!! Holly has created a story filled with such TORTUROUS TEASING TENSION that I couldn’t help but be possessed. These characters are endearing and unique, and had me turning pages faster than you can say BOO!

I don’t think I’ve ever read a book that had my heart pumping and feetsies kicking in equal measure! 🤗

P.s. that epilogue 🥹

[Alice Lauren · Rating 5 out of 5]

scary in love is the perfect novella to put you in the spooky halloween vibe 👻

right off the bat jenna and masons chemistry was off the charts, their banter was amazing, the spice was absolutely insane, if anything i wish we got to see more of them 😭 i need a whole book on jenna and mason fr

this was without a doubt one of the hottest books i’ve ever read, with it being under 200 pages it’s such a quick, spicy read but also now i’m so invested like that epilogue???🥺 i need to know anything and everything about their life together !!!

[Liv Young · Rating 1 out of 5]

The lion does not concern himself with whatever the fuck that was