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Maybe This Time
Whatever happens at Mystique stays at Mystique… until it doesn't.
When Talya Morrone agreed to a night out for her birthday after her very relentlessly persuasive sister made her, she had one goal in mind.
Attend Mystique’s Halloween night and get it over with.
But nothing about the night goes as planned when she unexpectedly runs into Ezra James—her childhood best friend and the only man she’s ever loved. They haven’t spoken in months after a letter that was meant to change everything went unanswered, but Ezra is determined to get closure and their reunion is charged with everything they’ve left years of what-ifs, regret, and a chemistry that refuses to stay buried.
As old wounds resurface and sparks ignite, Talya and Ezra are forced to face the truth they’ve both spent years avoiding.
And maybe this time, the love they’ve been running from will be the one thing worth holding on to.
When Talya Morrone agreed to a night out for her birthday after her very relentlessly persuasive sister made her, she had one goal in mind.
Attend Mystique’s Halloween night and get it over with.
But nothing about the night goes as planned when she unexpectedly runs into Ezra James—her childhood best friend and the only man she’s ever loved. They haven’t spoken in months after a letter that was meant to change everything went unanswered, but Ezra is determined to get closure and their reunion is charged with everything they’ve left years of what-ifs, regret, and a chemistry that refuses to stay buried.
As old wounds resurface and sparks ignite, Talya and Ezra are forced to face the truth they’ve both spent years avoiding.
And maybe this time, the love they’ve been running from will be the one thing worth holding on to.
91 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 23, 2025
38 people are currently reading
276 people want to read
About the author
SeRaya
8 books416 followersSeRaya is a hopeless romantic twenty-something living in one of her favorite places in the world. She loves writing swoony and steamy love stories about fierce and imperfect characters who find their happily ever afters. Her stories may be emotional rollercoasters and she does have a weakness for slowburns, but that never tempers the heat that comes when it ignites.
She's always had a love for writing and is so happy that she gets to share her characters with you!
When she's not frantically trying to make her deadline, she loves being cozied up with a good romance book, rewatching her favorite shows, and discovering new food places.
To stay up to date on SeRaya’s upcoming projects, connect with her on social media, sign up for her newsletter, or go to her website authorseraya.com.
She's always had a love for writing and is so happy that she gets to share her characters with you!
When she's not frantically trying to make her deadline, she loves being cozied up with a good romance book, rewatching her favorite shows, and discovering new food places.
To stay up to date on SeRaya’s upcoming projects, connect with her on social media, sign up for her newsletter, or go to her website authorseraya.com.
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
October 29, 2025
Such a cute halloween novella 🤭✨.
If you like childhood friends to lovers to we don't talk anymore to lovers this is for you 🙂♥️.
It's short and sweet and I enjoyed it. Especially because everyone halloween novella seems to be only dark romance so this book was perfect 😍♥️.
If you like childhood friends to lovers to we don't talk anymore to lovers this is for you 🙂♥️.
It's short and sweet and I enjoyed it. Especially because everyone halloween novella seems to be only dark romance so this book was perfect 😍♥️.
October 24, 2025
beta read🫶🏽
November 11, 2025
This short Halloween novella from Seraya—the undisputed queen of yearning—is an absolute must-read for second-chance romance lovers.
Talya Morrone (plant shop owner) and Ezra James (pastry chef) were childhood best friends whose connection spanned continents through handwritten letters. But a single, unanswered letter created a devastating silence. This book picks up months later when Talya is dragged to Mystique’s Halloween night and runs straight into the only man she has ever loved.
The moment of their reunion is pure fire. The air between them is thick with years of unspoken "what-ifs," simmering regret, and a charged chemistry that refuses to be ignored. Ezra is determined to fix the crushing misunderstanding, and Seraya makes you feel every agonizing second of their tension.
This short read is addictive, deeply emotional, and culminates in a beautiful, cathartic confession. Their love is pure obsession, and the writing is, as expected from Seraya, flawless. If you want a quick hit of intense pining and eternal love, you need this!
Talya Morrone (plant shop owner) and Ezra James (pastry chef) were childhood best friends whose connection spanned continents through handwritten letters. But a single, unanswered letter created a devastating silence. This book picks up months later when Talya is dragged to Mystique’s Halloween night and runs straight into the only man she has ever loved.
The moment of their reunion is pure fire. The air between them is thick with years of unspoken "what-ifs," simmering regret, and a charged chemistry that refuses to be ignored. Ezra is determined to fix the crushing misunderstanding, and Seraya makes you feel every agonizing second of their tension.
This short read is addictive, deeply emotional, and culminates in a beautiful, cathartic confession. Their love is pure obsession, and the writing is, as expected from Seraya, flawless. If you want a quick hit of intense pining and eternal love, you need this!
October 30, 2025
This was soo lovely despite it being so short. I wish it was longer. I was mesmerised with how the mmc looked at the fmc with so much yearning on the book cover and I knew I'm going to love this book because of that. I was not disappointed, this turned out to be a great, cute read 😁
Childhood best friends to lovers, its always been you, he disappears then later on shows up, he sends her letters (some minor misunderstanding; it was annoying how she didn't receive that letter, it would saved us and them the heartache but oh well), Halloween party vibes, secret clubs and fun stuff lol.
Finished off with a lovely epilogue ✨️🎃✨️🎃✨️
Childhood best friends to lovers, its always been you, he disappears then later on shows up, he sends her letters (some minor misunderstanding; it was annoying how she didn't receive that letter, it would saved us and them the heartache but oh well), Halloween party vibes, secret clubs and fun stuff lol.
Finished off with a lovely epilogue ✨️🎃✨️🎃✨️
February 3, 2026
2.5 ⭐️
not bad but not the best
not bad but not the best
October 24, 2025
phew 😮💨 i loved this 🫦
this book had so many of my favourite tropes! childhood best friends, it’s always been you, letters, yearning!!!! and so many more micro tropes that absolutely have my heart. and the club vibe/setting was such a nice touch!! i loved the characters, the storyline, the plot, everything about Maybe this Time fit together so so well. i genuinely enjoyed my time reading this!!
however, it fell a little flat with the letter trope. i felt Ezra and Talya’s chemistry from the moment they saw each other! it was intense, it had me holding my breath, it had me yearning for them!!! but when it came down to the turning point, to the main scene of the letter trope, it was done too quickly. the beauty of the letters is the tension, the long intense argument where you wait for everything to click into place. and while we saw that from Talya’s POV, we missed it from Ezra’s and, for me, that was important to get that tension and yearning turned into rushed need for each other, you know? lol i hope i explained that well.
i think if the story was expanded a bit more (as it’s only 91 pages) to add more emotions into the climax or more of Ezra’s POV (and possibly give us a letter or two) it would have been an absolute perfect masterpiece of a read for me.
this book had so many of my favourite tropes! childhood best friends, it’s always been you, letters, yearning!!!! and so many more micro tropes that absolutely have my heart. and the club vibe/setting was such a nice touch!! i loved the characters, the storyline, the plot, everything about Maybe this Time fit together so so well. i genuinely enjoyed my time reading this!!
however, it fell a little flat with the letter trope. i felt Ezra and Talya’s chemistry from the moment they saw each other! it was intense, it had me holding my breath, it had me yearning for them!!! but when it came down to the turning point, to the main scene of the letter trope, it was done too quickly. the beauty of the letters is the tension, the long intense argument where you wait for everything to click into place. and while we saw that from Talya’s POV, we missed it from Ezra’s and, for me, that was important to get that tension and yearning turned into rushed need for each other, you know? lol i hope i explained that well.
i think if the story was expanded a bit more (as it’s only 91 pages) to add more emotions into the climax or more of Ezra’s POV (and possibly give us a letter or two) it would have been an absolute perfect masterpiece of a read for me.
November 1, 2025
Rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice 🌶️🌶️🌶️
Swoon🫦🫦
LMAO 🤣🤣
Tears 🥹🥹
Banter 😉😉😉
Halloween Romance / Friends to Lovers / Second Chance / HEA
Tayla Marrone is alone on Halloween and it’s her birthday. Her sister arranges a surprise, sends her a Poison Ivy costume and an invitation to Mystique, an exclusive adult club. She doesn’t really want to go but knows her sister won’t let it go. When she arrives, she sits at the bar and while enjoying her drink, she is approached by Andrew. They have a pleasant chat and things are going well, so Andrew asks if she will be mate. What? Obviously, she wasn’t paying attention when the instructions were given at arrival. Just as she’s about to respond, someone else approaches and says she’s taken. She turns around to see Ezra James, her childhood best friend who’s been out of touch for nearly three years. This was a short novella with lots of spice, and I wish it had been longer.
Spice 🌶️🌶️🌶️
Swoon🫦🫦
LMAO 🤣🤣
Tears 🥹🥹
Banter 😉😉😉
Halloween Romance / Friends to Lovers / Second Chance / HEA
Tayla Marrone is alone on Halloween and it’s her birthday. Her sister arranges a surprise, sends her a Poison Ivy costume and an invitation to Mystique, an exclusive adult club. She doesn’t really want to go but knows her sister won’t let it go. When she arrives, she sits at the bar and while enjoying her drink, she is approached by Andrew. They have a pleasant chat and things are going well, so Andrew asks if she will be mate. What? Obviously, she wasn’t paying attention when the instructions were given at arrival. Just as she’s about to respond, someone else approaches and says she’s taken. She turns around to see Ezra James, her childhood best friend who’s been out of touch for nearly three years. This was a short novella with lots of spice, and I wish it had been longer.
November 1, 2025
3.75⭐ rounded up
A very cute novella, but the lack of real communication left me frustrated. When he tells her about the letter and they just move on without actually talking it through, as if none of that time apart mattered, it was disappointing.
I’m not rating it lower because it’s under 100 pages, so there’s only so much room to develop things, but it definitely could’ve been handled better. And for a “Halloween romance,” the only Halloween element was the costume and the themed party.
A very cute novella, but the lack of real communication left me frustrated. When he tells her about the letter and they just move on without actually talking it through, as if none of that time apart mattered, it was disappointing.
I’m not rating it lower because it’s under 100 pages, so there’s only so much room to develop things, but it definitely could’ve been handled better. And for a “Halloween romance,” the only Halloween element was the costume and the themed party.
November 2, 2025
4.5 stars and 2 chilies for spice
Very quick read but so sweet and perfect for the Halloween season. FMC and MMC grew up together but a misunderstanding kept them apart for the last 3 years. Special circumstance brings them together and gives them the moment to ask what happened to keep them apart.
This is a BFF to lovers story and I ate it up. Which is appropriate since he's a pastry chef. Go read it and eat it up.
Very quick read but so sweet and perfect for the Halloween season. FMC and MMC grew up together but a misunderstanding kept them apart for the last 3 years. Special circumstance brings them together and gives them the moment to ask what happened to keep them apart.
This is a BFF to lovers story and I ate it up. Which is appropriate since he's a pastry chef. Go read it and eat it up.
November 2, 2025
Short, sweet, and wholesome for the fall season. Pick this up if you're looking for something short, but still features incredible characters: Ezra, the MMC, is a pastry chef, and Talya, our FMC, owns a plant shop. Really liked their POVs and what they feel for each other. They are so adorable together. I really enjoyed Ezra and Talya's childhood friends-to-lovers novella.
November 2, 2025
Short story with a bff to strangers to lovers with a miscommunication trope.
It was ok for a short story but what frustrates me was the fact that’s not explicitly explained what happened to that letter?! Was it lost in the mail? Did someone hide it?…. And why not call your bff when you don’t hear anything from them? 🙄
It felt frustrating and unfinished! Meh, I will not recommend it.
It was ok for a short story but what frustrates me was the fact that’s not explicitly explained what happened to that letter?! Was it lost in the mail? Did someone hide it?…. And why not call your bff when you don’t hear anything from them? 🙄
It felt frustrating and unfinished! Meh, I will not recommend it.
October 27, 2025
This was such a fun, short and sweet novella. When Talya & Ezra reunite, at the mysterious place that is Mystique its clear there in some unfinished business. Ezra makes it his mission to win her back, and finally have her heart.
Really enjoyable fun read, Ezra is a babe!!
Really enjoyable fun read, Ezra is a babe!!
November 2, 2025
This was so sweety and good
What would happen if she didn't take a chance on her birthday...with her sisters demanding she didn't have a chance ..and to find her love for a wonderful future .. this was sweety, sexy and cozy
What would happen if she didn't take a chance on her birthday...with her sisters demanding she didn't have a chance ..and to find her love for a wonderful future .. this was sweety, sexy and cozy
November 7, 2025
Cute, short story
Second chance romance. Besties as kids, and always in love, until a huge misunderstanding.... They meet again and it's perfectly imperfect. Not a lot of spice or yearning, but feel good love vibes.
Second chance romance. Besties as kids, and always in love, until a huge misunderstanding.... They meet again and it's perfectly imperfect. Not a lot of spice or yearning, but feel good love vibes.
November 18, 2025
I usually don’t gravitate towards novellas however the cover of this book caught my interest. Hence why I read it and to be quite honest I actually enjoyed it a lot more than I thought I would but still not enough for it to be 4/5 stars.
3⭐️
3⭐️
October 24, 2025
such a fun quick read!!
I love SeRaya’s other books so I had no doubt I’d love this one too. It is a fun, spicy, and quick read perfect for Halloween!
I love SeRaya’s other books so I had no doubt I’d love this one too. It is a fun, spicy, and quick read perfect for Halloween!
October 29, 2025
“You know,” she murmured, a lone tear rolling down her cheek. “I used to wish for you on every birthday.” ❤️✨🥀
November 1, 2025
Great Halloween Book
What a fun sexy Halloween story! Like eating all my trick or treat candy! Yum yum!!! It was short.... But delightful!
What a fun sexy Halloween story! Like eating all my trick or treat candy! Yum yum!!! It was short.... But delightful!
November 2, 2025
Adorable.
I thought this would be dark just based on the cover but this is a such a cute love story. I’m sure I’ll be re-reading it again. I loved the pace and the ending.
I thought this would be dark just based on the cover but this is a such a cute love story. I’m sure I’ll be re-reading it again. I loved the pace and the ending.
November 2, 2025
Short and Good
GO READ IF U NEED TO GET OUT OF A READING SLUMP
GO READ IF U NEED TO GET OUT OF A READING SLUMP
November 3, 2025
Did anyone else think about “it starts with us”? Cause of the shop, the name and the vibe in the beginning?
November 4, 2025
Spicy Halloween novella? Say no more.
I’d so love a full novel about Talya and Ezra. Childhood best friends to turned lovers? So into that.
I’d so love a full novel about Talya and Ezra. Childhood best friends to turned lovers? So into that.
November 7, 2025
2.11.25
Read
November 11, 20253.5 🌟 What a fun novella filled with longing, love, and spice. Throw in a sex club and you have yourself a good time.
January 6, 2026
BRUHHFHFHDHDHDHDSH every single childhood friends to lovers with a dramatic I THOUGHT YOU KNEW?!;!; scene is always gonna do it for me . i demand a series for ezra and talya now.
November 19, 2025
was just what I needed during my reading slump
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews