Mask & Strap

by Kat Blackthorne

#1 Bestseller in Lesbian Erotica


“Little Birdie with broken wings and no place to run. Who’s going to save you now?”



When Birdie agrees to accompany her friend to an abandoned theme park for an underground Halloween party— she doesn’t realize she signed away more than just her Friday night.

Under the bright neon glow of music and partying, a sinister game is unfolding, and Birdie finds herself an unsuspecting player… And Jax, a tattooed, muscular masc in a bright green purge mask, has chosen Birdie as her victim.



When a voice booms over the loud speaker announcing the

Everyone keeps their masks on.

If you’re caught, you’re got.

No one speaks a word of this night to anyone— ever.

Run to the finish as fast as you can.

Ready? Set. GO.



“Better run, baby. If I catch you I strap you.”

Genres: Lesbian, Queer, LGBT, Dark, Romance, Erotica, Smut

56 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 17, 2025

About the author

Kat Blackthorne is a bestselling author of haunting romance. She writes passion, characters, and worlds that linger past the last page. Her tales embrace cozy darkness with magical and spooky twists. Catnip for her is banter, begging, challenging norms, and beings who worship their women.

Kat lives somewhere deep in the mountains in a witch's cottage with her talking feline. She has a collection of quotes and character names a mile long, her favorite holiday is Halloween, and her favorite book is whatever she read last.

Join her spooky reader coven on Facebook: Kat Blackthorne and The Black Hearts Coven
Follow her on Tiktok where The Halloween Boys hashtags have over six million views: @katblackthorne
Find her on Instagram: @katblackthorneauthor

Reviews

[Sanaa · Rating 4 out of 5]

You know what? Hell yeah! HELL YEAH!

This was hot 🔥 🥵 and thrilling and absolutely hit the spot 😋

My only complaint is that I feel it could've been a little longer and even more primal 😉

4 stars 🌟 🌟🌟🌟

[bree · Rating 4 out of 5]

sapphic masked primal play?! all of a sudden i have a second heartbeat. she's PURRING. how do i get my name on the list? sign me UP! take my MONEY!! 😩

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

5 stars. Where the hell do I sign up to partake in these type of activities? Damn. This was ridiculously hot and the chase between Jax and Birdie was addictive. Loved their chemistry and that scene on the ride? Delicious. No notes. I am absolutely feral over primal play in sapphic romances and I complain all the time about there not being enough so thank you Kat Blackthorne, I’m forever grateful to you for feeding my addiction. This was great and I will be reading it again.

[★ Reshika · Rating 5 out of 5]

5⭐️/5⭐️

“If I catch you, I strap you” so where do I sign up for this?! This was a sapphic romance with mask kink
Omggg ladies do it better indeed! The fact we only see men in masks and doing the chasing but in this we got a masc lesbian who wears a mask and a dominant woman who is obsessed with the girl
It was very short I wish we could’ve got more of them!
The smut in this one omggg I was a puddle it was so freaking hawt no joke
Also the fact the people on the cover is the author and her gf makes it even more super hawt!

[Arianna ✨ · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a fun, quick Halloween themed read from Kat Blackthorne! I always know I’m going to love what she writes but this novella had me turning pages so fast I had to turn on the continuous scroll in my Kindle app.

Features:
- sapphic
- carnival after dark
- primal play
- masked play

[Randinicole_reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

fun little sapphic novella

[Mrs. Pendragon Pages · Rating 5 out of 5]

This Sapphic (entirely sapphic🙌🏼🙌🏼) masked primal-play short story is ridiculously hot. 🔥
The thrill of the chase, hidden identity, and the exhibitionism/voyeurism make this such a fun short read. Birdie and Jax's chemistry will leave you breathless; they are sinfully HOT! 🫦🔥

[Kaela · Rating 4 out of 5]

what did i do to deserve this surprise halloween, smutty, sapphic novella in my inbox??? nothing because this is what i ALWAYS DESERVE

this reallllllyyyy gives devil's playground (one of my FAVORITE sapphic novella series) and is such a fun and short halloween read. PICK THIS AND THE DEVIL'S PLAYGROUND SERIES UP THIS NEXT WEEK OKAY? THEY ARE THE PERFECT BOOKS TO READ FOR HALLOWEEN OKAY? OKAY!

thank you so much kat for an arc copy of this <3

[Heidi H. · Rating 5 out of 5]

First, the cover is hot enough to melt a mask (or a strap, let's be real). Then you jump right in to this steamy, sapphic Halloween treat and it's hard to catch your breath. Kat Blackthorne has given readers a surprise short story that will fulfill all your dreams for a masked masc. I literally shivered when Jax told Birdie to run. If you are ready for a sinfully, sensually spooky sapphic story, look no further!

Open door spice level: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ (4/5)

[Shazz · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Run! If I catch you, I strap you!"

I loved this short and quick mask sapphic read.
Set in an abandoned theme park, players are invited via a text message with the location for the game. Your mask you wear puts you as either Prey or Predator.
If you are prey, like Birdie, you need to run or hide to make it through the night and hope that the predators don't get you. Or maybe you want them to catch you? 🤭
When Jax eyes land on Birdie though, well let's just say, the hunt begins. 😈

[cloudy · Rating 5 out of 5]

another masked lesbian halloween erotica with dark elements, we really own spooky season this year and it makes me want to cry (both ways, if you know you know). now i need a crossover between this and switch, just some sapphic shenanigans.

[mads · Rating 4 out of 5]

another dark, sapphic, Kat Blackthorne read? sign me up every time 👏🏽

[bariatricbookworm · Rating 5 out of 5]

The cover and title gives you EXACTLY what it promises. A masked masc with a strap. And yes, the strap matches the neon mask. 👌🏻💚

[Kassie Bates · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was good, so hot!
Just wish it was longer!

[TJ Phillips · Rating 2 out of 5]

A bit too short erotica with a terrible friend. Seriously who sets someone up for that without warning?

[Chrissy MacLaughlin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quick, spicy, sapphic, and full of some fun primal chase scenes with a hot masked lesbian. 🥵 4⭐️

[Dani-Lynn Harris · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ - 𝓻𝓪𝓽𝓮
🌶️🌶️ - 𝓼𝓹𝓲𝓬𝓮
🔥🔥🔥 - 𝓹𝓵𝓸𝓽
🩸 - 𝓰𝓸𝓻𝓮

🖤 𝓶𝓪𝓲𝓷 𝓬𝓱𝓪𝓻𝓪𝓬𝓽𝓮𝓻𝓼🖤
Birdie & Jax

🖤 𝓽𝓻𝓸𝓹𝓮𝓼🖤
𝓯/𝓯 𝓻𝓸𝓶𝓪𝓷𝓬𝓮
𝓶𝓪𝓼𝓴𝓮𝓭 𝔀𝓸𝓶𝓮𝓷
𝓼𝓮𝔁𝓾𝓪𝓵 𝓪𝓼𝓼𝓪𝓾𝓵𝓽
𝓵𝓮𝓼𝓫𝓲𝓪𝓷 𝓼𝓶𝓾𝓽
𝓿𝓲𝓸𝓵𝓮𝓷𝓬𝓮

🖤 𝓻𝓮𝓿𝓲𝓮𝔀🖤
This is short, spicy, and slightly unhinged book that had me on my toes for the entirety of the plot. The ominous event that she is dragged to and being unprepared had me gripping my chair. The interaction between Birdie and Jax was divine, and for a f/f romance, the tension was dripping. And the spice at the end was far worth the wait.

When Lu-Lu gets the invitation to a secure Halloween party, she decides to make Birdie tag along with her since they wear the same size. Upon arriving, they are forced to sign an NDA before entering, causing Birdie to become curious about the contents of the party. Lu-Lu insists that it’s gonna be a fun night, but that doesn’t stop Birdie from having her own feelings about the situation. But upon entering the venue, Birdie finds out that it’s more than just a popular funhouse. It’s a primal game of cat and mouse, and unfortunately she chose the wrong shoes to wear to the event. As things start, she loses Lu-Lu in the pursuit and is immediately sought after by a group of ravenous guys, when a masked stranger comes to her safety.

The difference between this primal story and others is that there are zero cis hit men presented. All females chasing down others to torment in sexual ways. It's very fast-paced and first, you start thinking her friend brought her there and dressed her inappropriately for the event on purpose, but there's a hidden agenda in store for the readers. I love Birdie and Jax and I hope to hear from them again in the future because their story isn't done yet.

[~lil maso~ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Primal Play? ✅
Ferris Wheel? ✅
Exhibitionism? ✅
A strapped and possessive masked masc? ✅

Birdie gets invited by her friend to attend a “Halloween party”; unknown to her, this kind of party is more about predator versus prey, and she is the prey.

Jax overhears Birdie's friend bragging about bringing her clueless friend and takes it upon herself to keep her safe, even if her reasons are a little on the self-serving side.

Overall, this is a super short dark novella that is more smut than plot, which left me feeling like something was missing … like where is the rest, Kat? You can’t just leave me hanging over here lol There is a real lack of masked mascs and I for one would like some more.

3 stars for the story and an extra star for the narration, K.D knocked it out of the park.

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[Meagan Bowman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️/5

Review: Are you tired of all the masked men in books and need a little break? Allow me to introduce you to masked women! This was actually my first masked women book and omg it was perfect. Even though this is a short novella it was done perfectly within a few short pages and even wrapped everything nicely though I wanted more, more, more.

Birdie is lured to what she thinks is a Halloween party only to find out this is a game of predator and prey and if you don't want to get caught you better run, run, run.

Jax is a predator and immediately seeks out Birdie as her prey. Will our hot masked mommy catch her and Birdie hers by the end of the night? Guess you will just have to read and find out.

Thank you so much to this amazing author for allowing me to ARC read this book. I was obsessed and omg that cover is insanely hot! I would literally read anything Kat writes at this point and I'm here for every second of it.

[QueerBookshelf || Ines ✨ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Halloween party? Abandoned amusement park? Primal chasing game? Sapphic masked women? A mix of pleasure, awakening desire and fear? Spicy AF?

Yeah, if you like all of that, you definitely should check out this short … it’s fun, it’s hot, it’s delicious, it’s spooky, it’s a thrilling ride … perfect for Halloween … just read and enjoy! 🔥🙌😋

VIBES & TROPES:
💚 sapphic Halloween • abandoned carnival
🩷 neon pink cat-eared masked, femme bookworm in stiletto pumps
💚 neon green purge masked, muscular, tattooed masc
🩷 chasing game • primal play
💚 high spice
🩷 toys • strap
💚 voyeur!sm
🩷 masked women
💚 dub-con • cnc • safe word
🩷 light stalking
💚 Pillow Princess • Stone Top

QUOTE:
“Welcome, players,” the ominous voice began. “On this hallow’s eve, pursuer and pursued come together for the thrill of the chase, the pleasure of being caught, and a night of mischief and seduction.”

[Cheryl · Rating 5 out of 5]

As soon as Jax set their sights on Birdie, she needed to claim her. She would be Jax's and no one else's. I might have held my breathe a little bit more each time that Jax and Bridie interacted. With each scene getting spicer and spicer.

I love a stalker/chase spicy read. This book is one spicy treat. I am obsessed with it. I definitely would have wanted to be prey. Um, is it possible to be turned on by an audiobook? This is a rhetorical question as the answer is YES! It is even more pleasurable when the narrator turns out to be the author themself.

So, the next time that you are in the "mood" for an amazing read or in my case audiobook, you will want to grab this book. I now need to get my hands on all of Kat's books.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a super quick read and the title is exactly what you get. Of course the fun of reading this is finding out just how you get your masked masc to strap the shy pillow princess. This book includes primal play, consensual non consent, masc and femme, the scene of an abandoned amusement park, and so much more. This was a great little spooky spicy sapphic dark romance. I loved the nod to another Kat Blackthorne book, Lady Venom Takes A Mistress. Also the cover art features the author and her partner. I love the dedication Kat has to creating exactly the story and art she wants. I 100% recommend Mask & Strap for a thrilling good time.

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

“One: Everyone keeps their masks on at all times. No exceptions.
Two: If you’re caught, you’re got.
Three: No one speaks a word of this night to anyone—ever. Now… prepare to run to the finish as fast as you can.”

“Little Birdie with broken wings and no place to run. Who’s going to save you now… from me?”

This short, spicy, sapphic novella was exactly what I needed. I love that Kat and KD were the cover models for this story, and could so clearly picture them as the characters. I devoured this hot little story in under an hour, and highly recommend it to pull you out of your rut!

𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩’𝙨 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙗𝙤𝙤𝙠?
ᴅᴀʀᴋ sᴀᴘᴘʜɪᴄ
ᴍᴀsᴋᴇᴅ
ᴘʀɪᴍᴀʟ
ʜᴀʟʟᴏᴡᴇᴇɴ ɴᴏᴠᴇʟʟᴀ

[Dee · Rating 3 out of 5]

I saw content warnings for this book, and while I appreciate them (no one should stumble across something that is triggering) for me, the warnings set a certian expectation that wasn't met.

I've read MM & MF books with primial play and CNC (consensual non-consent), so maybe I'm jaded, but this especially the CNC barely requires a mention.

With that said, readers new to those tropes are bound to get more out of it that I did. Check the other stellar reviews.

On a side note, which may be another 'me thing', but I found it really, really weird listening to a character constantly references another book written by this author.

[Grave · Rating 5 out of 5]

if you’re looking for a fun, spooky & dark sapphic ride.. this book is for you.

I honestly devoured this book, Kat once again had me reeled in from the first page and I wouldn’t expect anything less. The abandoned theme park setting was perfect, the game? Diabolical.

I absolutely ADORE both Birdie and Jax, the banter mixed into the flirting, the way they bounce of each other and the way their game develops.

I don’t wanna give anything away as this is such a fun one to go into blind and trust me, it’s so worth it.

So grab the book, get cosy and enjoy this incredibly insatiable ride.

[annas.bookcase · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great quick sapphic spooky season read. Masked women deserve their time to shine and this book definitely does the trick. Birdie is brought to an exclusive Halloween party with no idea of what awaits her. Predator or prey—chaser or chased—if you’re caught, you’re got! Jax wastes no time staking her claim on her Little Bird, but this night might just be awakening something in Birdie she never realized was there.

“Better run baby, If I catch you I strap you.”

I also love that the author posed with their partner for the cover!

[Shedevilreads Bookstagram · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mask & Strap by Kat Blackthorne is a Halloween themed lesbian romance that I listened to on audio narrated by K.D. Blackthorne.

This is the first book of Kat's that I have read, and it won't be my last. I really enjoyed this fast-paced novella. I honestly would love to get more of Birdie and Jax's story after Halloween night.

K.D. did a great job on the narration. I look forward to listening to more of her work in the future.

I would recommend this book if you're looking for a Halloween themed lesbian erotica.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

haha loved this!

This was a phenomenal short spicy read! I loved birdie and though her friend was just a jerk . She managed to make it out like a bandit with Jax. I have to say the game was pretty Interesting and something I’m wondering if I would enjoy 😉 I got a tingle of excitement with the prey running around getting caught. The ending was fun , this whole tasty morsel was fantastic!

[Ralene · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great, quick spooky season read. The abandoned theme park was the perfect setting of sinister and deceptively cheerful. So many places to run and hide and even better be found. My heart flutters at the thought of being chased and caught by someone like Jax one dark and haunting Halloween night. Sign me up for the yearly repeat. I can definitely understand why the participants keep coming back for more.

[cloud_9_reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

Holy hell, what a ride! All hail Queen Kat for delivering this wickedly fun and spicy little romp through an abandoned carnival. The perfect mix of primal play, tension, and downright filthy masc/femme heat…and such a perfect read for spooky season. Kat Blackthorne nailed the eerie-meets-erotic vibe my heart didn’t know it needed!

Is it too much to ask for a sexy, muscled masc to try and catch me next time?