Falling for Bella

by Katie Reus

She’s the face of her family’s New Orleans ghost tour company…

Bella has been working with her family at their popular tour company since she was a kid. She loves her city and giving tourists the real history. Even if the rival tour company across the street has been a thorn in their side for years. She’s been doing her best to ignore them, but it’s hard, especially since her recently returned former best friend is back in town and now running the other company. So what if he makes her heart pound whenever he looks at her? He’s the enemy and she wants nothing to do with him.

He’s trying to clean up his family’s mess…

Ansen and Bella used to be best friends, but their feuding families eventually drove a wedge between them. Now that he’s back home to stay, he’s hoping they can put the past behind them—so he proposes they fake a relationship to get their families to declare a truce. The upcoming Halloween festival provides them a chance to grow their businesses and gain more exposure—if only their families will stop their petty squabbles and pranks. If they can pull off that Halloween miracle, maybe he can finally convince Bella that he wants more than friendship from her—and that nothing about his proposal is fake.

SHORT NOVELLA

Genres: Romance, Novella

63 pages, Kindle Edition

Expected publication October 20, 2026

About the author

Katie Reus® is the USA Today bestselling author of the Endgame trilogy, the MacArthur Family series and the Deadly Ops series. She fell in love with romance at a young age thanks to books she pilfered from her mom's stash. Years later she loves reading romance almost as much as she loves writing it. However, she didn't always know she wanted to be a writer. After changing majors many times, she finally graduated with a degree in psychology. Not long after that she discovered a new love. Writing. She now spends her days writing paranormal romance and sexy romantic suspense.

Reviews

[Madison Warner Fairbanks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Falling for Bella by Katie Reus
Contemporary holiday romance novella. Fake relationship and second chance troupes.
Bella and Ansen work for competing family run tour companies on the same block in New Orleans. The families have been competitive for years with pranks and light hijinks. Bella and Ansen fear new corporate competition will undermine their business. They come up with a plan, crossing resources and fake a relationship to save their future.

Short and sweet. Romance, humor, longing, and family. A Halloween lunch hour romance read to cheer up your day.

[Lea Bookjoy · Rating 4 out of 5]

🇫🇷French & English reviews🇬🇧

*Cette chronique est basée sur un NetGalley ARC en échange d'un avis neutre et honnête*

📖Genre & Tropes📖 : Romance contempo x Short story x more or less enemies to lovers x fake relationship x New Orleans setting x Halloween x Family rivalry

Une romance d’Halloween mignonne que j’ai dévoré trop vite !

Grande fan de Katie Reus, j’étais hyper impatiente de lire cette nouvelle qui a lieu pendant Halloween à la Nouvelle-Orléans ! Et ce fut une lecture très agréable avec des personnages attachants et bien écrits MAIS aussi très frustrante parce que beaucoup trop courte ! Les personnages auraient mérité leur propre tome beaucoup plus long et les ébauches d’intrigues m’ont laissée très frustrée (je voulais le complot de la grande multinationale et surtout les explications derrière les « blagues » de leurs cousins … Les bombes à paillettes OK mais la fausse petite amie ??)

Bref, une petite romance mignonne mais trop courte !

PS : to the publisher and Netgalley, thank you so much for the ARC =D



⭐~⭐~⭐~⭐~⭐~⭐~⭐~⭐~⭐~⭐~⭐~⭐~⭐~⭐~⭐



*This review is based on a NetGalley ARC in exchange for a neutral and honest review*

A cute Halloween romance that I devoured way too fast !

As a huge fan of Katie Reus, I was super excited to read this short-story set in New Orleans during Halloween ! It was a very enjoyable read with likable, well-written characters—BUT also very frustrating because it was far too short ! The characters deserved a full-length novel of their own, and the hinted-at plotlines left me feeling very frustrated (I wanted the big corporate conspiracy and, above all, the explanations behind their cousins' "pranks" ... Glitter bombs are one thing, but the fake girlfriend ??)

In short, a cute little romance, but too short !

PS: To the publisher and NetGalley, thank you so much for the ARC =D

[Katie_thebookslayer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was given an advanced readers copy of this book in exchange for a review.

I adored this enemies to lovers Halloween themed short story. It had everything I needed to zoom through and enjoy every moment.

Bella was such an open character ready to try something a little crazy to save both rival businesses from a corporation, showing she loves her family and what they’ve built. Ansen was loveable from the start, not to mention his point of view and the yearning for Bella!

It was easy to read and had a cast of loveable characters that I’d love to get to know better so I think I’ll be looking up this authors other works asap!

[Julianne Harkleroad · Rating 5 out of 5]

An adorable, Halloween themed, forbidden romane-esqe novella for 18+ year old readers.

Childhood best friends, Belladonna Jackson and Ansen Leblanc stopped talking to each other after a prank went too far. Adults now, and preparing to take over their competing family businesses, Ansen comes to Bella to beg for her help. For decades now, both New Orleans Ghost Tour companies have survived, but the Leblanc business is beginning to struggle and an outside investment company is buying up businesses on this very block. Ansen fears they will be next. Bella greatly appreciates how Ansen has matured and can't say no to a fake dating ploy to finally get these fueding families on the same page. What begins as an awkward dance between the ex-friends quickly blossoms into something more until an outside force threatens to pull them apart... Have they truly reconciled or will this upset pull them apart again?

Katie Reus's Falling for Bella is an adorable short story about being vulnerable and challenging old practices when they no longer benefit you 💖 I loved the sister's secret in this one! 😂 And Ansen's mom 🤣 She's totally my mother! Don't give her any more ideas!!

Tropes: enemies to lovers, forbidden romance, protective MMC, smart FMC, fake dating, us v. them, he falls first, HEA
Spice: 2/5 🌶️
Gore: 1/5 🩸
Language: 3/5 👀
Triggers: none

Thank you to Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op and NetGalley for this ARC!

[May · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a really cute novella perfect for fall and Halloween time. Ansen and Bella used to be best friends but the rivalry between their families made them drift apart. Ansen proposes fake dating so their families can have a temporary truce and to help stop a business take over. Bella is skeptical, but she (not so secretly) still thinks Ansen is hot and missed him so she goes along for the ride.

I loved that this took place in New Orleans and the family business was the two rival ghost tour companies. I like that both main characters had big families and that even in a novella, their personalities came out. I'm usually a fan of longer stories but I enjoyed being able to sit down and have a nice reading break from real life and finish this in one sitting. There was romance but it was also a fun read over all!

[Pamela Lilley · Rating 5 out of 5]

A friends to enemies to lovers romance, it’s super quick and super sweet with a little bit of fake romance in the mix. The story follows the feuding families of Ansen and Bella, who both run ghost tour companies in New Orleans (on opposite sides of the same street). In order to avoid a takeover, the best thing both families can do is unite and stand strong together. With the help of a whopper of a white lie from Ansen and Bella they might just manage it. The question is, is it a lie? Because no matter how hard Ansen and Bella might be trying to kid their families, they’re really kidding themselves into believing they don’t have real feelings for each other. A fun and enjoyable stress free read. I received an advanced copy of this book. This is my honest review.

[Janina · Rating 3.5 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC

As Sabrina would say: short‘n sweet!

A sweet novella about two family’s who have rivalling Halloween tour businesses - sprinkled with some fake dating!

I enjoyed it for what it was, but it was a bit difficult to feel deeply about these characters and their relationship. That’s more the formats fault rather than the authors tho. Their journey was certainly cute and I wish it would’ve been longer as the fake dating aspect simply was too short! I need the yearning, I need the tension!!!

Perfect for anyone who is looking for a quick read during the Halloween season (it’s not spooky tho!)

[Shelley C · Rating 5 out of 5]

Falling for Bella🎃

Falling for Bella was a short Halloween love story🙌 Bella and Ansen were friends years ago and he’s just rolled back into town. He has an idea to stop the feud between their families as he wants to be more than just friends with Bella🥰

This book was a nice change of pace for me as I’ve been stuck in a romantasy phase of late, so was nice to change gears and have a fun, fast paced read. I received an advanced copy and voluntarily leave my honest review👻

[Mindy Lou's Book Review · Rating 5 out of 5]

Super cute! I’m in the fall/Halloween reading mood and this cute, short story hit the spot. It gives a nod to the Romeo and Juliette theme, meaning rival families, but done in a fun way. With both MC’s having huge families, I’d love to see more on some of the cousins.

[Laura Gonzalez · Rating 4 out of 5]

Falling for Bella is a sweet, spooky-season romance that had me smiling from start to finish. Give me feuding families, fake dating, and New Orleans ghost tours, and I'm already sold.
Bella and Ansen's relationship has all the ingredients I love in a second-chance romance. They were once best friends, life and family drama got in the way, and now they're stuck working on opposite sides of a long-running family rivalry. Watching them go from awkwardly reconnecting to very obviously falling for each other again was equal parts adorable and frustrating. In other words, exactly what I wanted.
The fake dating plot was a lot of fun, especially since Ansen is clearly far more invested in making the relationship real than he'd probably admit. Add in the Halloween festival, family pranks, and small-town chaos, and the story feels like a cozy autumn rom-com with just the right amount of heart.
My only reason for not giving it five stars is that it's a novella, and I wanted more. More Bella and Ansen, more family antics, and honestly, more ghost tour shenanigans. The story moves quickly, but that's the tradeoff for such a short read.
Charming, funny, and packed with fall vibes, Falling for Bella is the perfect romance to curl up with during spooky season. It left me wanting to book a ghost tour, eat Halloween candy, and believe that sometimes your former best friend really is the love of your life.

[Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a fun romance novella! Perfect Halloween vibes, and lots of humor I wasn't expecting but absolutely loved (plus there's a Biscoff flavored cake involved, which I will need ASAP)!

A quick short story/novella with a childhood-friend-to-lovers meets family-rivals-to-lovers that was done really well! I felt their connection and love for each other, and there was just enough rundown of their history and reasons for falling out to make me believe in the romance. Throwing in the Halloween festival was a cool backdrop, plus the humor (again) and little details like Bella's Halloween drinks, glitter bombs, and candy corn bowling.

Yearning, a purely sweet romance, and all the fun spooky vibes I was wanting! The family drama/antics added even more to it and actually ended up playing into the story in ways I didn't anticipate (making the 'reveals,' if you will, even better).

One event that happened seemed a little sudden and never got resolved, I wanted to know about how their businesses fared with the collab in the long run, and there was one trope that just isn't my preference, but otherwise a fabulous read in my book! Would definitely read more from the author!

Thanks to NetGalley and the author/Victory Editing Co-Op for the eARC to read and review; all opinions are my own.

[Woodatsi · Rating 4 out of 5]

A short sweet novella with a Halloween theme in typical Katie style.

Bella and Anson are both leading the ghost tours of their families companies. Once childhood friends until a longstanding prank made them grow apart and had Anson leaving. A decade later Anson is back and with a developer looking to compete and profite of the feud between their families, Anson proposes to fake date so that they can work together and stop the feud. And if it gives him an opportunity to finally show Bella he wants more than a fake relationship the better right?

I loved the dynamics between their siblings, Bella's sister had a delightful secret, and the banter and pranks were top notch. The only little niggle I had was that I didn't really feel the chemistry between the two main characters, but that's just personal feeling.

All in all Falling for Bella is a sweet enjoyable read that you can finish in just a few hours or less.

*ARC kindly received from the author via Bookfunnel. I'm leaving an honest and voluntary review.*

[schniefelise · Rating 4 out of 5]

Falling for Bella is a romantic short story by Katie Reus.

Bella and Ansen are leading their respective families ghost tour companies. They used to be best friends but a longstanding prank war between their families led to their estrangement. Now Ansen is back proposing they fake date to get their families to stop their feud in order to save both their companies from a new competitor.

This is a really cute short story. Despite the fast pacing the storyline works well. The characters are lovely, you just have to root for them. There is even a little steam on these few pages. I would have liked some more details about the cousins and the pulled pranks but even with the little details we have the story still works out great.

Overall, this was exactly the cute and short romantic story I was looking for today. If that is what you are looking for as well, I would absolutely recommend Falling vor Bella.

[Anahi Garza · Rating 4 out of 5]

Childhood best friends x family rivality x fake dating x halloween setting = a perfect novella.

Ansen and Bella, former childhood best friends and current family rivals. After their feuding families eventually drove a wedge between them, they now must work together in order to grow their businesses and gain more exposure. What better way to get their families to declare a truce than faking a relationship?

Due to the past between Ansen and Bella their relationship didn’t feel rushed at all. Anson was the definition of a down bad man. Ever since high school the majority of his thoughts were occupied by her. One glance at Bella and his mind would literally go: “bla bla bla proper name place name backstory stuff”.

This was a very enjoyable read. It was short, yet full of drama. I wished it would have been a full-length novel instead of a novella.

Thank you Katie Reus, KR Press, LLC and NetGalley for the ARC.

[Mary Gosse · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great book! I really enjoyed the characters (plus their moms and cousins) and thought they and the storyline were very well developed for a novella! Bella and Ansen’s romance was sweet and surprising, since they used to be best friends, but that friendship fell apart years ago. I loved how they jumped back into their friendship and the beginning of this book and were both secretly hoping for more). Even though it was a short read, the author really immersed you in the story and it never felt like things were moving too quickly.

Overall, I would recommend this book! This was my first “Falling For” book and I’m looking forward to reading all of the others now as well. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the early release copy - this is my honest and voluntary review.

[Reading Addict · Rating 4 out of 5]

Falling for Bella is an adorable novella and I loved the story of Belladonna Jackson and Ansen Leblanc so much that I didn't want it to end! Bella and Ansen were great friends growing up but due to their meddling relatives they had a falling out in high school. Now it's over a decade later and Ansen is back in town running his family's business and Bella has been here in New Orleans running her family's business when Ansen has the idea to reconnect and maybe bring this family feud to an end. Let the Halloween hijinks begin! Falling for Bella is a quick read told from dual POV. It's sweet, funny and the perfect short story for a fall afternoon.

[Nextbookaroundthecorner · Rating 4 out of 5]

I hadn't realized that Falling for Bella was just a novella. So I finished the book in less than an afternoon. Of course, true to Katie Reus, the story is sweet, funny and cozy. But I wouldn't have minded a longer version of the story.

Now, you just dive right in and before you know it, the Ghost Tour has come to an end...

Still, a highly enjoyable story about two feuding families and two members who decide to bury the hatchett. A little Romeo and Juliet, if you think about it.

In all, four out of five stars from me and a special thank you to Netgalley for providing the arc. Looking forward to another one of Katie's stories. Keep 'm coming please.

[Sue Plant · Rating 5 out of 5]

would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this short story

a family fued
hallooween
fake dating

how to save your business and keep the big companies away....

fake dating... thats what anson thinks will help keep that big company away and stop them from forcing them out.... only he has to persuade bella that its a good idea....

anson and bella use to be childhood friends until their families fall out shattered that.... but hes now back and he wants both businesses to be successful and he wants bella back in his life

a fun quick read that many will enjoy especially around Halloween

[Kristie · Rating 3.5 out of 5]

This was a cute, seasonal Halloween read with a New Orleans ghost tour backdrop. An introduction to Katie Reus' writing for me, I’ll definitely be checking out more of her books. That being said, because it's a short novella, everything just wrapped up a bit too quickly for me. The enemies-to-lovers transition happened way too easily, and I really wanted more of that angst and tension to make the romance feel earned. Even the big family rivalry felt pretty minor and resolved too fast. It’s definitely a fun, cozy fall story, but I just wish it had been a full length book so the plot and characters could truly get the page time they deserved!

[Kris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ansen & Bella(donna)

⭐⭐⭐⭐.5

Such a cute and fun friends-to-strangers-to-more romance!
I enjoyed the family feud, fake relationship, pranks, and the chaos along the way. Ansen and Bella were really cute together, even though I didn’t feel a huge amount of chemistry between them, especially with that miscommunication… it felt a little like a missed opportunity…

The ghost tour setting and festival added a fun atmosphere, and the meddling families kept things entertaining.
A light, enjoyable read with plenty of family drama, miscommunication, and a sweet romance.

[Alyssa Knappenberger · Rating 4 out of 5]

With this book falling under 100 pages, it is a quick read that will take you maybe an hour to read. This will be the perfect book to curl up with on a cool fall night. I loved all the characters and didn't find myself disconnected from the characters due to the length of the book. The author did a great job introducing the characters and their families and I could sense the chemistry between the two main characters. This is a great book to read if you are looking to make your yearly reading goal.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in return for an honest review.

[Deborah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Katie has worked a lot of detail into this super sweet and engaging Halloween novella. There’s plenty of humour, and shenanigans courtesy of feuding families and too many cousins to count, some with secrets of their own. Ansen wants to bridge the business rivalry and Bella is definitely intrigued by his proposal. Can these two carry out the ruse or will the joke be on them with exploding glitter and paint bombs. Thank you to NetGalley and the author for the opportunity to read and review her work.

[Stacy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Falling for Bella by Katie Reus was an absolutely delightful short story filled with all the cozy vibes and spilling over with warm humor. Our two main characters are from warring families in New Orleans. They decide to pretend to date so their two family businesses will band together to stop a larger corporation that is trying to take over. So basically you get a little bit of the Romeo and Juliet feels with a sprinkle of Halloween throw thrown in. This was a really sweet and quick read.

[Gosia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Super fun and extremely quick read. 100 pages so like an hour read. 3rd person narration but I didn’t mind, it worked well for this story!
Kind of second chance and fake dating as a way to end the feud between the two families.
It was quite fast paced but considering the length, it was a given!
Fun and cute with Halloween setting.

Thank you Katie for NetGalley ARC!

[Katie 📚🩷 · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a cute, cozy, Halloween-y novella! It’s short, sweet, and spunky- perfect for reading in a couple hours on Halloween! I love the fake dating trope and enjoyed the Romeo & Juliet vibe also. My only minor con is that it’s written in 3rd person. I heavily prefer 1st person POV but I liked the writing style here so I didn’t mind much! Thank you publisher and Netgalley for early access.

[Barbara Lack · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you want to read a short, but cute Halloween book this one is it for sure. I loved Bella’s bouncy personality and Ansen is just the sweetest. The pranks are funny and it’s just an overall fun book.

[Anita]

My thanks to the Publisher and Author for providing a complimentary digital Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) of this novel via NetGalley. This is my fair, honest and personal review. All opinions are mine alone and were not biased in any way.

[Ifeoluwa Shobande · Rating 3 out of 5]

Too much drama from just a small read 📖. I Enjoyed this so much.

I got an ARC from NetGalley via KR Press, LLC.

This is my honest review of this book.

Thank you, Katie Reus.

[Karen Fisher · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a wonderful novella! So much fun to read. I had to laugh at the "smut thread.".

[Christy Warthen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Super sweet!

A fun, festive story with endearing characters, a dash of drama and a pinch of action.

I voluntarily read an advanced copy.