A Scary Halloween Romance… Most Likely: The Haunted House

by Shay H-K Zayit

When Alma Peretz, freshly graduated from college and reluctantly back in her quirky Florida hometown, bumps into the last person she ever wanted to see—her high school English teacher and unrequited crush, Rachel Adler—her plan to quietly rebuild her life starts to unravel like a poorly carved jack-o’-lantern.

Alma has never quite lived down the sting of confessing her feelings to Rachel on the last day of senior year, only to be gently but firmly turned away. Now, in a small city where everyone knows everyone, avoiding her is almost impossible. The coffee shop, the bar, even the corner store seems haunted by Rachel’s presence.

When her old best friend dares her to finally face the town’s infamous tradition—spending one night in the supposedly haunted Harrington House, a rite of passage she’d always chickened out of—Alma reluctantly agrees. After all, she’s determined to shed her fears and start fresh. But when she shows up at the doorstep with shaking hands, she finds Rachel already there… confessing she never braved the house either.

Forced to endure creaking floors, flickering flashlights, and maybe more than one mischievous ghost, Alma and Rachel must spend the night confronting both the supernatural and the unspoken tension between them.

Alma might realize the only thing more terrifying than Harrington House is risking her heart again. And this time, Rachel might just be ready to meet her halfway.

Genres: Novella, Romance

82 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 13, 2025

Reviews

[Dara · Rating 5 out of 5]

I didn't truly know what to expect as it was a short read, but I think I have found a new author I want to read more stories of!! The way the plot was written was very entertaining and lighthearted, and the spice was quite fun too. Even with few knowledge of the characters, you could still see a tiny bit of depth, so that was also a pleasant surprise. And I had only an assumption that the book might have some small elements of Judaism because of the names of the characters, so I got excited about being right haha!

Overall, this was a cute short story, with a pretty cool haunted house concept, and interesting characters! I recommend it!

(Thank you Saphly for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!)

[Clodagh · Rating 5 out of 5]

First of all I’d like to thank Saphly for providing me with an e-Arc!

This was a really fun lighthearted read that was extremely entertaining from start to finish. This book was beautifully written and even though it was quite a short read the author managed to give their characters depth and keep the story interesting the whole way through without any unnecessary storylines.

Overall this was a cute halloween/autumn read with spooky elements and a sweet sapphic second chance romance. With interesting characters and storyline I 100% recommend this book especially if you're looking for a short, easy and fast paced read.

[Anja Miletic · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sweet, short, and perfectly cozy for Halloween!

I read "A Scary Halloween Romance… Most Likely: The Haunted House" on Halloween night, and it was honestly the perfect cozy read. It’s short, sweet, and has that soft sapphic magic Shay always brings.
I really related to Alma — I had a crush on my teacher back in high school too, but unlike her, I never had the courage to say it 😅. Reading her story felt personal and heartwarming.
And I have to mention — I totally loved the mysterious cat in the house. That part made me smile so much!
Overall, such a fun and gentle story with just the right touch of romance and Halloween charm.

[Duskvioletnova · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn't really know what to expect from this book, since it was a bit short, but I really liked it!

The characters were really well written, and -just like the romantic storyline- very relatable.
I was instantly sucked into the story and read it in one sitting. The suspense was really good, so I just couldn’t put it down.

If you’re looking for a nice romance read, but also want a bit of suspense and horror, this is definitely the book for you!

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[jennie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really didn’t know what i was getting into since it was a short book but i already had expectations because of the authors other books and how awesomely they are written, and let me just say it met every expectation i had and more. The story pulled me in quickly, i was hooked the chemistry between the main characters was so goodly written, the additional spookiness was the cherry on top. The touch of the cat throughout the book and at the end was phenomenal i loved it. Great written book i would really recommend ! Thank you to the author for providing me with the EPUB ARC of the book.

[Hannah · Rating 5 out of 5]

So far I have loved ever book I’ve read from this author…this one is no different. Beautifully written characters that make the story come to life. Loved the humor, it adds that little extra depth to the characters.

My only complaint…it’s too short! I want more of their story. I absolutely loved it.

[Jamie (TheRebelliousReader) · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars. A fun and sexy little second chance romance between Alma and her former teacher, Rachel. The two are trapped in a haunted house together and it was so entertaining and perfect for this time of year.

[Lucía · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's a short story with some spooky elements and a good romance. Really enjoyable and easy to read through.
I would've liked a little more backstory for both of them and a bit of more depth into their character but a really good short story overall.

[Sara · Rating 5 out of 5]

An awesome writer , a perfect books . And absolutely the most fun to read stories . Truly everytime u surprise us with something new , something unique , events we could not excpect. Keep up the awsome work u do
Soo muchhh loveee ur fan❤️❤️

[Victoria · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very light and easy read for the Halloween season. While it’s short, it didn’t feel rushed. I really enjoyed the haunted house plot.

[Abby A. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another one! 🎉 Short but sweet! Thoroughly enjoyed, didn't feel like it was too rushed, but I mean, expected. Whenever you see 'by Shay H-K Zayit' just know it's a good one 😆 Love it!!