Run, Little One

by Heather Valerie

They told me it was just a party.
A haunted woods rave, masks and firelight, nothing more than music and alcohol and stupid dares.

But when two men I’ve known my whole life step out of the shadows in glowing masks, the rules change.

Run, they tell me.
Run before we catch you.

I should be afraid. Colton, the boy who always watched me like I already belonged to him, now hunts me with a knife in his hand. Felix, my other best friend, teases me into surrender while his eyes burn with something I’ve never seen before.

They’re my past. They were supposed to be my safe place.
Now they’re my predators. My temptation. My undoing.

The woods are dark. The pumpkins grin.
And I don’t know if I want to escape… or be caught.

157 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 3, 2025

Reviews

[Bookish_Ashleigh · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was the perfect quick and dirty Halloween read : dark, spicy, and just the right amount of spooky. It starts as a harmless haunted-woods rave, full of masks, firelight, and dares, but when Colton and Felix step out of the shadows, everything changes. The moment they tell her to run before we catch you, the game begins, and the tension is absolutely delicious. I loved every bit of it — from the twisted friendship dynamic to the chase through the woods, every page drips with heat and danger. Colton’s possessive edge, Felix’s teasing charm, and the heroine’s mix of fear and desire make this story impossible to put down. It’s a dark fantasy wrapped in glowing pumpkins and adrenaline, the perfect bite-sized read for anyone who loves their romance with obsession, thrill, and a little touch of terror. If you love dark, spice, and spooky — this one’s for you. 🎃🔥

[Tiffani Willingham · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hands down the best Halloween novella I’ve read yet at the beginning of season! Heather Valerie Author wrote it perfectly and the spicy was top tier. Definitely a 5 star read. Release day is October 14th & cannot wait to read book 2 & 3🖤

[Skye Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 Stars
4 Chillies

This is a great short smutty novella, I really enjoyed how fast paced it was and the spice. The writing is good, and the characters are perfect for each other.

Tropes->
• MMF/MM/MF
• Friends to lovers
•Halloween
• Primal Play
•Knife Play
•Murder

[Alison · Rating 5 out of 5]

Short and spicy, just the way I like it! Another novella that’s beautifully done by Heather❤️

[C G · Rating 4 out of 5]

Smut filled dark Halloween novela! Perfect read to start the month. She's the prey and doesn't know it, yet! Short and straight to the spice. Hunters and prey right from the beginning!

Thanks for this one Heather!

[Taylore · Rating 4 out of 5]

The spice was spicing with this one! Run Little One is fast-paced with enough plot to keep you interested. It’s a dark why choose with a stalker feel to it. What’s not to love?

[Hayley · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐️
5 🌶️

I read this book as another ARC, and I can’t say anything bad about it! It’s a fun, short, spicy, sort of dark Halloween novella. There was no plot, and I wasn’t mad about that.

I loved the characters and the spice, definitely recommend if you’re after a short, full of smut novella.

[Lisa Kimbrell · Rating 4 out of 5]

ARC review:

It was a good read. Super dark. Lots of triggers so make sure you check before reading. MF, MMF, MFM, MM. Very 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️.

[Sage Vance · Rating 4 out of 5]

ARC:
Tropes : MMF, MM, MF, Best Friends, Halloween, Primal, Short Novella, Smut with no plot.

This was a really good book, I’d recommend it if you’d like a short and steamy dark book.
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

[Katie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Spice: 4/5🌶️
Rating: 3.5/5 ⭐️

Trigger warnings include:
Graphic Sexual Content
Knife, Blood & Breath Play
Violence
Substance Use
Psychological Manipulation
& more!

Run, Little One is a multiple POV Dark Romance / Horror-Smut Novella. And follows Lilah, Colton and Felix during the night of Halloween. I would assume (as it’s not explicitly confirmed that the characters are 18 and still in High School).

The characters are introduced in the prologue as 3 (MMF) best friends who grew up together, however they all harbour (not so) secret feelings for eachother but haven’t acted upon them. But Colton and Felix have more than a few surprises for Lilah planned during a Halloween Party.

I have a few thoughts regarding the MMC’s as the prologue is only from FMC’s POV. The two MMC’s are morally grey/black and blame their childhood for their dark desires. However as this is a novella (and book 1 of the Boys Who Hunt series) I assume that this might be further detailed in subsequent books as the reader is left wondering what caused the dark and deprived fantasies of Colton and Felix. E.g. why did we gloss over Colton murdering two people? Why does he have no problem with Felix going down on Lilah in front of party goers, but then have a “look at what’s mine and die” mentality in the next chapter?

I’ve come to the decision novellas aren’t for me. They’re just not long / detailed enough, I need to know the ins and outs of each character and understand their character arc and why they behave the way that they do. Having said that; Run, Little Mouse is a fun, smutty and dark book perfect for the spooky season. I’d recommend for anyone wanting a quick and fun read. It’s only 144 pages!

[Asulley4785 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Run, Little One by Heather Valerie is a gripping, emotional journey that pulls you in from the first page and refuses to let go. The story combines suspense, heartfelt emotion, and complex characters in a way that feels both raw and authentic. Heather Valerie’s writing is vivid and immersive—she has a real talent for creating tension while also exploring the deep emotional struggles of her characters.

The pacing is excellent, keeping you on edge without ever feeling rushed. The relationships feel real, layered, and sometimes painfully complicated, making every triumph and setback resonate. I particularly appreciated how the author balanced moments of intense suspense with quieter, emotional scenes that allowed the characters’ humanity to shine.

Fans of suspenseful, character-driven fiction will find Run, Little One hard to put down. It’s a story that stays with you long after you finish reading. Highly recommended!

I received an ARC copy and this is my honest review.

[thisgirliereads · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another amazing book by Heather Valarie.

Run little one follows Colton, Lilah and Felix who are three friends but as you’ve guessed this isn’t your bog standard friendship this is a friendship with benefits and oh boy Lilah benefits from it extremely well as she takes Colton and Felix in every way possible.

We are in spooky season and just like the classic films reappear during Halloween I think I’ve now got a new Halloween tradition reading smutty Halloween books and this one will be making an appearance year on year!

[Amber Falleaf · Rating 4 out of 5]

“ You’ve been ours since the beginning” -Colton

This was a very good, quick read. It was a Dark, Spicy Halloween read.

Lilah, Colton, and Felix were best friends since they were young.

During a Halloween party in the woods. Colton & Felix chased Lilah through the woods. They all enjoyed each other. It went from friendship to more.

I was lucky and received this book as a ARC. I decided to leave an honest review.

[Amber Harper · Rating 5 out of 5]

A why choose book made for Halloween. Absolutely loved this book. Colton is unhinged and you think Felix is as well until Lilah finds out he’s just like Colton if not worse. I love the dynamic between them that seemed to start during their childhood and find its way back as adults. I definitely wished it was a longer book but loved it just the same.

[Bexs · Rating 2 out of 5]

i read this as an arc and unfortunately it just didnt deliver.

it was quite repetitive and some of the chapters didnt match up with what was goin on with each individual.

it was spicy but it fell short for me im afraid.

[Stacey Grammer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I devoured this in one sitting! It kept me on the edge of my seat the whole time — I couldn’t stop trying to piece the story together. The dynamic between the three main characters pulled me in and didn’t let go. Such a perfect dark, twisty read! 👻

[Nicole Gibson · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great short. Dark and dirty read. The perfect quick read for the Halloween season. Great characters with twisted friendships. Mmf/mm.

[Jackie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a quick paced Halloween smut novella, it was a very good read and I enjoyed all of it. Can’t wait for book two and three

[Cheyanne Zamora · Rating 4 out of 5]

a great spicy read that is quick and all the murderous vibes!

[Heather McCowan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a very quick, spicy Halloween novella.
I’d recommend it if you aren’t fully there for a massive plot.

[Heather Hergott · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5

[Patricia A · Rating 1 out of 5]

I'm never taking book recs from Heather ever again lol

[Jessica Penley · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

Now this was my 1st book reading for Heather Valerie and want to say thank you for this opportunity.

This was a great way to kick off October with this Halloween spicy, smutty short novella. I really enjoyed the fast paced and had enough plot to keep you interested. She doesn’t know she’s the pray just yet. The suspenseful, heartfelt, twisted friendships these characters have in this novella.
There is however, a lot of trigger ⚠️ warnings. So if your not into dark spicy smutty romance books I wouldn’t read.