No Planning For Love

Monstera Bluff #1

by Katie Haypenny

Welcome to Monstera Bluff, a quaint, coastal small town with a monstrously big secret.
After Cara Bishop’s terrible year of heartache and upheaval, she finally lands her dream job as a city planner… in a place that just so happens to be inhabited by monsters and witches she never knew existed. Go figure they’d grapple with the same urban planning issues as everyone else! As the shock of their existence wears off, she’s determined to land on her feet once and for all in this unusual yet charming place that feels so far away from everything she’s trying to escape. Except, a brooding gargoyle named Ben—who is frustratingly unavoidable both at work and outside of it—as well as some odious local power brokers seem quite unhappy with her sudden appearance in their hidden, magickal town.

Ben Garde-Pierre thought his humdrum road construction project for the town would proceed like any other. That is, until Cara—a human uninitiated with his world— arrives with a shiny new job at town hall, shaking up his entire life. Her presence proves to be an unexpected though not unwelcome complication. Ben soon recognizes he must protect her from a series of escalating forces that would drive her away, including his own burgeoning attraction to her.

Despite these obstacles, will Cara reclaim her career and make a life for herself in Monstera Bluff? Or will this be yet another mistake in her rollercoaster of a year?

This story
❤️MCs in their 30s
❤️Slow burn romance
❤️He falls first
❤️Secret cinnamon roll MMC
❤️Sweet and Spicy
❤️Fish out of water
❤️Found family
❤️Mid-sized FMC
❤️Dual POV
❤️Hidden, magickal small town with witches and monsters
❤️Guaranteed HEA

No Planning For Love is a spicy, small-town, slow burn monster romance told from dual perspectives. It’s the first book in a series of interconnected standalone novels that are best enjoyed in series order. Each story, focusing on a different couple, is set underneath the tree canopies of Monstera Bluff in coastal Georgia, just waiting for you to visit.

Perfect for readers of spicy paranormal, fantasy, cozy, and small-town romance. Fans of Ashley Bennett, Hazel Mack, C.M. Nascosta, and Lyonne Riley will love this fish out of water tale of finding love and fulfillment in a magickal small town where a big city urban planner never expected to end up.

Content warnings are available on the author’s website.

No AI was used to write this book or to create any of its artwork.

354 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 17, 2025

About the author

Katie delights in a good story, especially when it weaves in a powerful dose of swoonworthy romance. After years of work in the corporate world, she's now putting her creative skills to better use. She’s often found typing away on her laptop in coffee shops, pouring her heart into captivating tales set in a whimsical, made-up little place called Monstera Bluff. Currently, she enjoys life in picturesque Savannah, Georgia, where she shares her days with her husband.

Reviews

[Michaela Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

No Planning for Love was just the best!!! It was such a joy to read. The magic in the city of Monstera Bluff pulls you into the book instantly! Katie Haypenny’s world building is unique and filled with delight & wonder.
Every single one of the characters in No Planning for Love has so much depth while also all holding an air of whimsy. I truly fell in love with the town and its’ residents!!
Our FMC Cara, has been through it!😭 The poor, beautiful baby can’t get a break!! So when she falls into a hidden town of Whispered Folk (monsters!), she just might find the peaceful hope she craves for. I loved getting to see her grow and renew her self confidence. She’s gorgeous, caring and kind, intelligent and the best at her job! She deserves to love fully and be loved.
Our MMC Ben, is a hot grumpy gargoyle that’s secretly full of sunshine. He falls super hard for our girl Cara and almost ruins it. He’s basically a super hot, magical and edgy Hallmark Hunk. Ben will do anything to protect Cara. They’re probably one of my new favorite couples!
No Planning for Love is not only full of magic but is full of mystery & thrills too! Crime rises in Monstera Bluff when Cara arrives. She’s being hunted and haunted in her dreams. To make it worse, she’s getting awful texts from unknown numbers. When evil makes itself known, the magic used to fight it was so enchanting. I’m desperate for more in the second book in this series!!

[Cati · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you Katy Haypenny for reaching out and sending me a copy for review! This was so cute! It’s about Cara who moves to a mysterious small town in South Georgia that is a haven town for monster or Whispered Folk. She goes for her dream job as a city planner and finds the fresh start she needs. She finds the kind of grumpy but secret cinnamon roll Ben who runs the construction company that does most of the construction for the town. Ben is the definition of “he falls first and hard” and it’s too sweet! Sadly there are force within the town and in Cara’s past that want to make things difficult for her but with Ben and her new friends she be able to face it! I love this small town so much and I can’t wait for the series to continue and to get Ada’s story and hopefully Clancy’s too! Highly recommend!

[Beth’s Book Collection · Rating 4 out of 5]

“But isn’t that what magick can be? Swimming against the tide of the world around you, molding it into what you want to see?”

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️

What you’ll find in this book:
- MCs in their 30s
- Slow burn romance
- He falls first
- Secret cinnamon roll MMC
- Sweet and Spicy
- Fish out of water
- Found family
- Mid-sized FMC
- Dual POV
- Hidden, supernatural magickal small town
- Guaranteed HEA

Small town supernatural romances are such a guilty pleasure for me, if I’m sad or feeling unwell I will always reach for a book that fits this description. A blend of cozy and spicy had me practically inhaling this book, and I will definitely be picking up further books in this series. Katie has done a great job of a creating a supernatural small town haven that felt homey but at the same time gives us moments of wonder as we explore the town of Monstera Bluff with Cara uncovering secrets and characters as she does. This book balances the heartfelt and heavy moments with light comical moments alongside the stark normality of everyday jobs and problems. This book swept me up and pulled me along for the ride and deposited me gently down when all is said and done.

Following a year of heartache and upheaval, Cara Bishop has upended her life to move for her dream job as a city planner, what she didn't expect is for her new home to be a town filled with monsters and witches that she never knew existed until now. Turns out humans and monsters alike suffer the same issues when it comes to urban planning which is where Cara comes in. As her initial shock wears off Cara is determined to find her feet despite this unusual yet charming small town feeling so far from everything she has ever known and running from. However, trouble never seems far away when the brooding gargoyle named Ben, becomes frustratingly present in her life both in an out of work as well as certain members of the community being downright unpleasant about her sudden appearance in their magickal town. Cruising by in his everyday life Ben Garde-Pierre thought his latest road construction project for the town would go ahead like all the others, at least that is how he presumes until Cara arrives and shakes up his entire life. Slowly but surely Ben realises her presence despite being unexpected it is not unwelcome. Ben swiftly recognises he must protect her from a series escalating factors that would push her away including his growing attraction for her. The question is with all of these obstacles in her way can Cara reclaim her life in a way she never has before or will this be yet another mistake along the way.

Cara is definitely the character with most depth in this story, we see the world first hand through her eyes with her experiences and reactions to the changing world around her as she experiences the supernatural within Monstera Bluff. I love how her reactions to the crazy situation that she is thrown into feel so realistic, a sense of complete bafflement and the appropriate amount of freaking out. We read as Cara slowly adjusts to her new life with every day presenting new surprises. This story wouldn't feel complete without its challenges, and having anti-human members of the community alongside the ghosts haunting Cara'a past meant that this story was propelled forward providing balance. I really enjoyed Ben, how he gives us that gruff aloof demeanour initially and then slowly begins to soften as the story goes on. I actually really enjoy how quickly he comes protective of Cara even though that would put some people off, and how quickly their relationship developed felt natural given the situationship they find themselves in.

Despite the dual POV in place Cara is very much the main character in this book, as we uncover the story of her past and what is haunting her present and causing chaos within the town. I really enjoyed that we straddled the events of the past and present throughout, providing context for Cara’s personality and feelings. Each character we get to meet has such distinct personalities and I can’t wait to read more about them in coming books. I loved the slow burn romance, but at the same time that Katie doesn’t keep us waiting for very long because let’s be real I’m here for the sweet tender moments as much as the spice. This book was such an easy read in the best way, we get plenty to sink our teeth into but it is super light and enjoyable with that guaranteed HEA I was looking for.

Author: Katie Haypenny
Series: Monstera Bluff
Publisher: Independently Published
Release Date: October 17th, 2025
Pages: 354

[Ash (so there’s this book) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Genre: Adult Paranormal Romance
Spice: 2/5🌶️
*spice ratings are relative to similar books in the same genre*

E-copy kindly gifted by the author in exchange for an honest review.

The Catalog: F/M, human x gargoyle, secret town of monsters, dual timelines, mid-size FMC, prophecy, FMC hired to be the city planner, strained colleagues to lovers, slow burn, MCs in their 30s, lots of lore, tail play, grabbing him by the horns, danger & mystery

CWs: cheating (historical), toxic work environment, toxic relationship, fat phobia & weight loss culture (could be triggering for those recovering from ED), narcissist ex, assault (physical, nearly sexual)

Synopsis:
After Cara’s horrid breakup, she’s been looking for a new start, but nothing has worked out. When she gets the offer to be a city planner, her dream job, for a small town, she’s ecstatic and accepts immediately. However, the town is shrouded in mystery, and when she arrives it becomes apparent why: Monstera Bluff is a hidden town where paranormal beings and monsters go for sanctuary.

Thoughts:
No Planning for Love is a paranormal romance featuring an idyllic town where monsters go to live outside of human society. I really loved the idea of Monstera Bluff and its mission to be a home for the supernatural. The story follows Cara, a human that was blindly brought into the fold, and Ben, a gargoyle that thinks she’s better off if he fights his attraction for her.

Their romance is a reluctant colleagues to lovers arc, in which some miscommunication silts their working and personal relationship.

What I Enjoyed:
• Monsters Bluff and its mission
• The humorous side characters (namely Clancy)
• The discussion of urban planning as it pertains to social justice issues
• The overall vibe of the book
• The dual timelines

What Didn’t Totally Work For Me:
• Despite being advertised as slow burn, the MCs are involved by the end of week one, story time. It didn’t feel slow burn at all, and when the characters overcame their main miscommunication, their physical relationship happened immediately
• I did not feel the romantic burn between the MCs. There wasn’t much buildup to their relationship, no pining, no tense moments. It felt like a switch was abruptly flipped. I was missing chemistry.
• I’m so sorry, because I know this is stylistic, but I didn’t enjoy the use of “mayhaps”
• The story, overall, could have used an information edit. The amount of detailed info (about city planning, about monsters, about magick, about…everything) was very thick, and at times, bogged the story down immensely. While details can be incredibly helpful and delicious, in this instance, the story didn’t leave breathing room.
• It was disappointing that the FMC was midsized, had on page discussions about her weight, described how she basically had an eating disorder multiple times, continued to make harmful comments about her own body, and NEVER had a self-realization moment. There were one too many comments about “if I keep eating like this, I’ll gain weight!” to be comfortable. It felt an awful lot like the message was one of diet culture, weight loss, and body shaming.
• While I understand that, IRL, a human thrown into a supernatural town could be frightened, I felt the FMC’s reaction was a little too much (sad face).
• The FMC’s story arc felt incomplete. She has so much trauma to work through and the story kinda left it with a HEA despite that?

[Meredith · Rating 4 out of 5]

This small town monster romance was really enjoyable, super sweet, and lighthearted while also deeply emotional.

Cara, human urban planner, is hired by the town of Monstera Bluff after a failed attempt to launch in Atlanta (as a transplant to Atlanta, I get it) and after traumatic personal and professional incidents in Chicago. This girl has been done dirty in the past, but a fresh start in a small Georgia coastal town might be exactly what she needs.

She’s shocked to discover that Monstera Bluff is a haven community for the Whispering Folk, what we call monsters, that she never even knew for real. I love the name Whispering Folk for these beings. It’s so poetic. While most of the town is welcoming and embraces her presence, not everyone is happy to have a human among them. Hide among these is Ben, the gargoyle owner of the construction company contracted to do the infrastructure work supporting new development as the town expands.

Cara was such a sweet protagonist, jumpy at the existence of the monster community, but quick to find “her” people and to show her professional and personal worth. And Ben’s motivations - and desires - quickly become clear. There’s some growing suspense, evil warlocks and fae, and one heck of a Samhain celebration where everything comes to a head.

The worldbuilding unfolds naturally as we’re introduced to Monstera Bluff and the history of the Whispering Folk through Cara’s eyes. Pacing is moderate. There were a few times where I was frustrated with Cara’s fear of her new world, especially towards the end (girl, he uses his tail during spicy times, but you’re nervous about flying?), but honestly, how would any of us react? The burn is slow, but when it finally goes ablaze, it’s deliciously spicy and they are ALL in.

Overall, I really enjoyed it and fingers crossed Rose leaves her amazing Chicago apartment and we get a sequel in this world!

[Shelby · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5⭐️
2/5 🌶️

This was such a darling and cozy monster romance with endearing characters and an intriguing plot that immediately drew me into the world of Monstera Bluff. Cara finds herself the newest resident of a hidden magickal town, landing a dream job as a city planner after one of the worst personal and professional betrayals by her now ex-boyfriend. Now she is learning the ways of her new monster friends and neighbors, called Whispered Folk, while trying to figure out a work and personal dynamic with a certain grumpy gargoyle named Ben. Most of the town is very accommodating, except a few powerful councilmen that are set to push Cara away from their town for good. Ben soon realizes he must protect Cara from terrible forces and try to not fall for her in the process.

This book is dual POV and also has flashbacks from Cara’s previous life (which some of the flashbacks may be triggering, her ex-boyfriend and family were kind of the worst and led her to have a lasting body/self-image disorder). There is some fun banter between the main characters and Monstera Bluff is a unique town with interesting characters and personalities. I absolutely adored Clancy, the town’s mayor and centaur playboy. The main characters, Ben and Cara, were wonderful and I enjoyed Ben’s POV to help explain some of his actions. My only minor complaint, although maybe I might have just missed reading it and if so then ignore me, but when did Cara tell her human friend Rose about Ben and the monster town’s existence?? And then suddenly Rose was just…there. Honestly, that super minor plot hole (for me) pales in comparison to how great of I time I had reading, because overall this book was such a delight and I highly recommend. I love-love-love supporting indie authors, especially their debut novels and I’m SO EXCITED to read the continuation of the Monstera Bluff series with Ada and Norrel’s second-chance love story. I also can’t wait to see what other characters’ romances we get to read about in the future (a Clancy romance?? Cara’s friend Rose romance??).

-Gargoyle x human
-Hidden, small town
-MCs in their 30s
-He falls first
-Grumpy x sunshine
-Secretly a cinnamon roll MMC
-Workplace romance
-Found family
-Slow burn (in the sense that it took about 50-ish% of the book to get into some steamy parts, but in actual chronological timing of their romance was all of a week or so of meeting each other)
-Cozy romance with mystery
-Sweet and Spicy
-Dual POV

[Megan Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this story we see a Cara, a human, escaping to this little secret town. Her new job has her working alongside a local gargoyle, Ben. As the story develops we get to see how their relationship goes from misunderstandings, to friendship, to a deep love for one another. Together they must navigate city development, trouble makers within council, and some meddling side characters!

No Planning For Love has all the vibes. There are some sweet and tender moments, sadness and heartbreak, times of suspense, and even some where you will screaming “what are you thinking?!” (miscommunication trope, and all). What I really enjoyed about this read was the writing itself. Katie did a wonderful job in describing Monstera Bluff and all the things within it. It really allowed me a good visual, think cozy Halloween Town vibes. I also appreciated the flashbacks to Cara’s previous life to better understand her character. She had been through a lot. The way Ben took such compassion with her was so sweet. Katie did a fantastic job in terms of character development. Readers truly get to watch the evolvement first hand. I’ll also note that I really liked the choice Katie made in terms of Cara’s reaction to the town. So many times, I’ll read about characters who are unfazed or excited about a monster small town. To see a different reaction felt more realistic and I appreciated that.

My final note is just on Cara’s size, given the focus of my account. Cara is on the smaller end of mid-size (US Size 12). Her size does fluctuate throughout the story due to life stresses. Please note there are brief instances of fatphobia and while those moments are difficult, they are so important to shed light on. I believe Katie does a wonderful job with writing these moments in realistic but not overwhelming ways.

Highly recommend this one!

[E.M. Bell · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was an incredibly fun, spicy read. Urban Planner Cara lands a dream job after after hitting an emotional rock bottom. The catch? It's in the middle of nowhere Georgia in some town she can't even find on a map. We soon learn the reason Monstera Bluff is so mysterious--its full of ACTUAL monsters. But don't worry,they're (mostly) nice. The author did a wonderful job creating a small town filled with monster folk, all of whom have their own unique personalities and characteristics. The dynamics among the Whispered Folk was probably my favorite thing--from the centaur/man-ho mayor who loves puns to the reserved but secretly sweet gargoyle contractor, everyone felt real and as a reader you wanted to know how they'd react to the evolving situation in town. The theme of "fish out of water" was written really well, and I found myself sympathizing with Cara more than once. The spicy scenes were definitely steamy and had feelings along with the smut, which I always appreciate. The author left open the possibility for Cara's girl group to also find a monster man of their own, and I can see more than a few romances set in this town. Will Rose end up with/tame Clancy? Will the forestry department wolven get a lady love? What about Ben's younger brother? I'll certainly look forward to more in this series. An engaging, low-stakes read I could definitely see myself rereading.

[Chelsea · Rating 5 out of 5]

What would you do if you got hired for what seems like a dream job? Take it, obviously.
But would you still take it if that dream job was in a monster town called Monstera Bluff?
…yeah, same. I’d have questions.

Cara is having an absolutely terrible year, so when she’s pushed into what looks like the perfect opportunity, she grabs it, only to realize she just accepted a city planning position in an actual monster town. Once she stops panicking (valid), she starts falling in love with Monstera Bluff and becomes determined to help shape it into an urban paradise without losing its charm.

Enter Ben: a brooding, quietly devoted gargoyle who figures out pretty quickly that Cara might be exactly what he’s been waiting for. Their connection blooms into a slow-burn, all-consuming, once-in-a-lifetime sort of love,
the kind that sneaks up on you and refuses to let go. Add in small-town monster drama and an MMC who will protect his girl at any cost? I was sold.

I was not prepared for how freaking adorable this book would be.
The chemistry? Immediate, who doesn’t love a little instalust.
The banter? Top-tier.
The spice? Spicing, and delightfully so.

This is one of those romances where the universe clearly has a plan, even if the characters absolutely do not, but they slowly learn not to ignore fate. Haypenny blends charm, humor, suspense, heart, and spice so well that I fell for these two instantly.

A monster romance with big feelings, big heart, and a gargoyle you will absolutely fall hard for. I loved this. 🧡📚

[Kara McCrea · Rating 5 out of 5]

please see that this isn't an arc review, however I was given this book for free by the author in exchange for my unbiased opinion 🩷

I REALLY enjoyed this book. Not only is the FMCs name cara (so ofc as a Kara I loved that!) but I really did feel like starting off the book it was just going to be something 'small town' and 'cozy' but it was so much more than that.

Cara was smart and determined. Passionate about her work, and as I think we'd all be, a bit apprehensive about moving to a new place and not really knowing what she was getting herself into.
And our MMC Ben? Omg don't get me started on him I am obsessed. He comes off as this cold aloof guy and then you actually get to know him and he's just so stinking sweet I loved him.

As I said starting off the book really did give odd small town cozy vibes, but the bigger (and more serious) overarching plot is really what kept me so interested in knowing what was going on. And can't say I expected the outcome we got!

This book was really great and I can't wait to read the next one in the series because I'm dying for that second chance romance man 😂🩷

[Maria F · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Time stills while I watch her stunning form.”

💜Review of Not Planning for Love by Katie Haypenny, A Monstera Bluff Novel Book 1.💜

This is a really sweet monster romance! Our FMC is trying to get away from ghosts of her past which leads us into her new start in the charming Monstera Bluff. The romance is a sloowww burn filled with longing and cute dates! These two had so many sweet moments, it is a great slow build relationship! But my favorite moment has to be the first time Ben spots her, he immediately has it bad for her! I squealed!!!!

I love the found family and really neat variety of monsters and paranormals we are introduced to here! I see so much potential for more stories amongst these residents!

What’s Inside
❤️Gargoyle/Human Romance
❤️Secret Monster Community
❤️Slowwww Burn
❤️He has a tail 😏
❤️Healing after heartbreak
❤️Found Family
❤️Small Town
❤️Magick & Mystery

💜The Vibes💜
All the Sweetness and hope of new beginnings

The second book in The Monstera Bluff Novels, Second Chance Magick, comes out February 6th!

[Kaitlin · Rating 4 out of 5]

"May the moon and stars above bless us in hearth, home, and love"

🩷 MCs in their 30s
💜 Slow Burn
🩷 Hidden Monster Town
💜 He Falls First
🩷Human x Gargoyle

Cara has some really messed up things happen to her in the human world, mostly revolving around her ex Mark. Cara finds herself in an off the map town called Monstera Bluff. She lands her dream job as a city planner in a town that is mostly inhabited by monsters. Mark's parents were just as awful as Mark was. I see where he got his lovely personality from.

In comes Cara's super hot gargoyle coworker, Ben. I felt like there was a lot of miscommunication between the two which led to me not really feeling the biggest spark between them at first. Once they really tried to get to know one another, it felt like they were made for each other.

I think it's neat that you have every kind of monster/paranormal creature living in the same city peacefully. Each creature seems to have their schedule and habits and everything goes smooth. I also loved that the FMC is in her 30s! I was surprised by the twist towards the end. I enjoyed the book overall and it was a cozy paranormal romance with a bit of spice 🔥

[Isa Newbury | reading_isa · Rating 4 out of 5]

**Thank you to the Author for the ARC; all opinions are my own.**

3.75-4 ⭐️
2.5 🌶

This was a really sweet debut monster romance. I really love the idea of a hidden town for monsters to live their lives in peace. No Planning for Love is a full-length monster romance novel that deals with a lot of issues. The FMC has gone through A LOT. I did feel like pacing was off and/or slow in some parts while in others it just blazed forwards. All-in-all, I did enjoy this one, and I look forward to what Katie Haypenny has in store next!

☆monster romance
☆gargoyle x human
☆fated mates
☆toxic (past) relationships
☆past abuse
☆tail play

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Guys. This book was SOOO good!! I'm a sucker for a small town romance, especially so when that small town is full of incredible magic wielders and monsters. This book was so well written and captivating that I can't believe this is the authors debut novel. It not only has the cozy fantasy vibes one would hope for but a seriously engaging plot and of course a HEA. I really enjoyed the suspense and mystery our MMCs were dealing with throughout the story. I'm so excited to see more in this series and from this author!

[Robyn G · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love finding a small monster town romance, just all these monsters going about their day to day life without humans knowing is just so fascinating!
Cara gets hired to help out this small town but when she gets there she realised something was very different.
Ben, was understandable skeptical about Clancy bringing in a human but once he spent more time with her he couldn't stop!
I loved the whole charm of the town and Ada and Clancy!
Cara's ex peed me off like no tomorrow but that was the aim of the game so it hit the mark LOL
I can't wait to revisit this town!

[T. Kirk · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a fun book! It's undeniably sweet and cozy but also spicy at the same time! If you like an MMC with a dirty mouth, you'll love Ben! I also thought the unique world with all the different monsters was intriguing, and I look forward to getting the stories from more of them! Each of the residents we get to meet seems like they could have their own book. Overall, this was a fun twist on the monster romance genre with lots of unique aspects and the kind of cozy small-town charm that makes you wish this place was real!

[Lady Grimm · Rating 5 out of 5]

Super cute with a lot of heart

This story was really cute! It was slow to burn, but once the match was lit, it blew up lol Overall the storytelling style was dramatized with a lot of background and world building woven in-- the vibes kind of reminded me of a Canadian TV show I was obsessed with called Lost Girl!
It got a bit darker than I was expecting, but it all worked well with the plot. Excited to read more! (Rose and that tech troll whose name I can't remember, I'm looking at you even though I know Ada is next 👀) 😂

[Melissa Wright · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book had a lot going on and it took me awhile to settle in, but once I got there it was pretty good. It has a nice slowburn angst paranormal romance feel, with a storyline that will kept me pretty interested. It looks like more stories to come in this world. Definitely recommend giving it a read 📚.

[BobbiJo · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a pretty good read. It’s sweet for sure with a great plot and some steamy moments.

Definitely a slow burn with the miscommunication trope all over it. Cara has been through a lot and Ben is good for her.

With that being said, I did have to rate it 4 stars. There were things that just didn’t sit right with me, but that doesn’t mean you won’t love it!

[Mike · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loooooved the slow-burn between the MMC and FMC. Cara is so relatable!

The town is full of captivating characters and the setting is wild and mysterious. This debut sets up really nicely for many more in this series.

There's also some really interesting city planning aspects to this story which add some depth.