Headlessly In Love: A Morticians Guide to Navigating the Ghostly Realm Of Romance in the Village of Sleepy Hollow

by E.M. Ashwood

The legend states that every All Hallow’s Eve, when the veil has thinned between the realms, the Headless Horseman emerges from his tomb and rides the streets of Sleepy Hollow. He terrorizes the masses as he searches for his head, or rather, a new one, before returning to the realm of the dead, only for the cycle to repeat itself every year.

Dr. Katrina Fox has lived in the village of Sleepy Hollow her entire life, and has never witnessed such specter, but she has seen plenty of other spooky things. Experiencing the supernatural goes hand in hand with taking care of the dead. Things go missing, personal items get moved, and sometimes, the scent of a departed’s perfume or cologne lingers in the air.

These strange occurrences happen daily at the oldest funeral home in the region, and have long since stopped bothering Kat. She loves her job, she cares for the clients who pass through her doors, and sends them off with dignity and compassion. What she doesn’t share, is how lonely she has become.

Unfortunately, being a mortician doesn’t bring in many friends.

So when she meets a man at a local Halloween-themed speed dating event who admires her love of the dead, she falls harder than she ever anticipated.

Of all the days her could have ghosted her, he chose Halloween. Her favorite holiday. Filled with a burning hot rage, she goes in search of the man who completely enraptured her heart.

She expected to find her crush, but ends up finding a local legend waiting for her instead.


Headlessly In A Morticians Guide to Navigating the Ghostly Realm Of Romance in the Village of Sleepy Hollow is set in the world of the Mating Habits of North American Cryptids series. While it can be read as a stand-alone, it's best to read the series before picking up this novella.

89 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 23, 2026

About the author

I’m E.M. Ashwood, and I write monster romances with too many footnotes, ridiculous levels of absurdity, and spice levels that could probably Mothman himself blush. My home life is equally cryptid-coded: one dog who moves like a wrecking ball, two cats that double as Halloween decorations, and a husband who keeps me fed when my ADHD brain forgets.

When I’m not writing (Who am I kidding, I’m always writing) I’m either cranking out yet another Star Wars fan-fiction to defend Anakin Skywalker’s honor with my best friend, researching cryptids I’d probably let take me to dinner, or with my nose stuck in my kindle reading about them.

Reviews

[Shelby · Rating 5 out of 5]

Headlessly in Love
By: E.M. Ashwood
Genre: Monster Romance
Format: eARC
Approx 90 pages
2/5🌶️

Dr. Lila Rhodes is back to investigate a paranormal occurrence, this time in Sleepy Hollow. Kat, a small town mortician, has kept to herself after the tragic death of her high school best friend, no longer attempting to form relationships with the living and busying herself with the family business. At the urging of her mom and the spirits, she attends a speed dating event and instantly connects with a man named Brom. Everything is going well until Halloween night, when the perfect Brom ghosts her and is nowhere to be found.

E.M. Ashwood does such a good job with the juxtaposition of serious topics with humor, while giving the reader a strong storyline and character development in such a short novella. This is technically book 3.5 of the “Mating Habits of North American Cryptids” series and while it can be read and enjoyed as a standalone, there is a prologue and epilogue with Dr. Lila Rhodes (from book 1) and mention of characters for the previous books. I know I always say this with her books, but this series is such a vibe; the dialogue and way the author describes things always make me chuckle. I love her characters so much. This was a fun, fast-paced spooky season romp with some of my favorite microtropes.

Content/Trigger Warnings, etc
🖤 Mating Habits of North American Cryptids book 3.5 (Interconnected standalone, best if read previous books, but not necessary)
🎃 Sleepy Hollow inspired
🖤 Mortician FMC
🎃 Headless horseman
🖤 Insta-lust
🎃 Spooky vibes
🖤 Fall in the Northeast
🎃🥵 She rides the pumpkin
🖤 Explicit spice, profanity
🎃 Slight dubcon
🖤 Hand necklace
🎃 Mention of death, dying, and mortuary processes
🖤 Loss of a loved one, grief, self-isolating behaviors

[Grace · Rating 5 out of 5]

Spooky and Spicy! Perfect for Halloween

The empress of spooky love is back, with a new addition to the naughty, scaroused-for-cryptids playbook. I am obsessed with E.M. Ashwood's new spooky paranormal romance; it's a delicious retelling of Sleepy Hollow! "Headlessly In Love: A Mortician's Guide to Navigating the Ghostly Realm of Romance in the Village of Sleepy Hollow" is book 3.5 in the Habits of North American Cryptids Book series. Depressed Goth Mortician baddie Katrina Fox is lonely but not really looking for love when sweet, smooth, and sexy Professor Brom Bones rides into her small town of Sleepy Hollow and rocks her world, simping his way into her life. I enjoyed the Addams Family vibes and the spicy run through the woods! He calls her 'pumpkin' squeeeeel! I highly recommend this bone daddy x goth girly for your Halloween reads!

[Nicolle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Now that’s a graveyard SMASH!! What a fun, spicy little novella!! Even if it did make me cry multiple times (E.M. you must be stopped (please never stop))! I LOVE LOVE LOVED this and I am a little salty (like a pumpkin seed amount of salt) that it’s a novella because I am dying for more Kat and Brom!! Mainly more…you know…graveyard smashing 😏 But really, amazing Halloween vibes, fall vibes, general spooky vibes!!!
•
I received a digital advanced review copy from the author. This review is my honest opinion.

[Alex S · Rating 5 out of 5]

That’s it, everyone else can go home. This is THE Halloween novella of the season!

I’m obsessed, I loved every part. From Kat, who is basically me, being a curvy mortician baddie. To Brom’s large hands, hard chest, and.. oh yeah he turns into the headless horseman on Halloween and lets her ride his head 😮‍💨

Goddamn this was good! And as always, the lovely Lila Rhodes. The writing is unique and fun, and EM is hilarious. Her dry dark humour is perfectly matched for this kind of series

[Lisa Ann D. · Rating 5 out of 5]

. .˚⊹. ࣪𓉸 ࣪⊹˚.
“Ghosted by the ghost.”
.˚⊹. ࣪𓉸 ࣪⊹˚.


𝗛𝗘𝗔𝗗𝗟𝗘𝗦𝗦𝗟𝗬 𝗜𝗡 𝗟𝗢𝗩𝗘:

A Morticians Guide to Navigating the Ghostly Realm Of Romance in the Village of
Sleepy Hollow

(DR. LILA RHODES PRESENTS:
HEADLESSLY IN LOVE
MATING HABITS OF NORTH AMERICAN CRYPTIDS: VOL 3.5)

by E.M. Ashwood

Releases October 23, 2026
.˚⊹. ࣪𓉸 ࣪⊹˚.

🎃 𝗧𝗥𝗢𝗣𝗘𝗦 & 𝗢𝗧𝗛𝗘𝗥 𝗚𝗢𝗢𝗗𝗜𝗘 𝗚𝗢𝗢𝗗𝗦:

MONSTER ROMANCE
INSTA LUST
SMALL TOWN
PLUS SIZE FMC
S𝖯𝖨𝖢𝖸
PUMPKIN RIDES
COOL & SEXY
MORTICAN X HEADLESS HORSEMAN
HALLOWEEN VIBES

.˚⊹. ࣪𓉸 ࣪⊹˚.

This is a short read & I don’t want to give anything away. So, I’ll just say I felt so much reading this! It’s humorous. Sexy AF. Heartfelt. And a range of other things. (Yes, I got teary. NGL) It absolutely kicks ass and may be my new favorite by the author! Love this series.
These 2 main characters absolutely were electric. And damn, I love me a goth baddie FMC.

🎃

WOULD I READ AGAIN? 𝗛𝗘𝗟𝗟 𝗬𝗘𝗦!!!
WOULD I RECOMMEND? 𝗙𝗩𝗖𝗞 𝗬𝗘𝗔𝗛!

𝗠𝗬 𝗥𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗚: ★★★★★
𝗲𝗮𝘀𝘆 𝘀𝗼𝗹𝗶𝗱 𝗙𝗜𝗩𝗘 𝗦𝗧𝗔𝗥𝗦

.˚⊹. ࣪𓉸 ࣪⊹˚.

“You’re lucky I don’t shove my cock between them now and paint your beautiful face with my cum.”

.˚⊹. ࣪𓉸 ࣪⊹˚.

𝖳𝖧𝖠𝖭𝖪 𝖴 𝖲𝖮 𝖣𝖠𝖬𝖭 𝖬𝖴𝖢𝖧 @authoremashwood
𝖳𝖧𝖨𝖲 𝖶𝖠𝖲 𝖬𝖸 𝖥𝖱𝖤𝖠𝖪𝖨𝖭𝖦 𝖯𝖫𝖤𝖠𝖲𝖴𝖱𝖤 𝖳𝖮 𝖱𝖤𝖠𝖣 & 𝖱𝖤𝖵𝖨𝖤𝖶!

⋆˖⁺‧₊☽◯☾₊‧⁺˖⋆

𝗛𝗮𝗽𝗽𝘆 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴. 𝗕𝗲 𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗳. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗰𝗲 𝘄𝗲 𝗲𝘅𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝘀, 𝘄𝗲 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗮𝗹𝘀𝗼 𝗴𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗲𝗹𝘃𝗲𝘀.
❤︎ ❤︎ ❤︎
𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗗 𝗤𝗨𝗘𝗘𝗥 𝗔𝗟𝗟 𝗬𝗘𝗔𝗥
𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗗 𝗙𝗔𝗧 𝗔𝗟𝗟 𝗬𝗘𝗔𝗥
𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗗 𝗗𝗜𝗩𝗘𝗥𝗦𝗘 𝗔𝗟𝗟 𝗬𝗘𝗔𝗥
✨🌈✨

[Orchid · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you, E.M. Ashwood, for the arc copy! This is absolutely one of my favorite retellings I've read so far. I was hooked since the start, and I love the idea of a gothic girl/mortician being paired with the headless horseman. Also, I wouldn't mind an extra bonus scene or epilogue where we get to see him use his actual 🍆 Other than that, this series just keeps getting better!

As for the characters, Kat was such a sweet, kind, and resilient person. After everything she's been through, she deserves all the love and care. Brom, on the other hand, was a gentleman overall, but definitely a certified freak in the sheets. I love the way he talked her through it, and the 🎃 scene was steaming hot.

I WOULD RECOMMEND IF 📒

If you're looking for a short and spicy monster romance novel featuring themes such as "headless horseman MMC," "plus size, mortician FMC," "small town," "instalust," "pumpkin riding," "speed dating," "age gap," and "HEA," then this is the book for you.

[Denise O · Rating 4 out of 5]

Karina is a mortician who took over her family’s funeral business, she doesn’t have many friends and she spends more time with the dead than the living. So when she sees a flyer about speed dating event, she decides to go to it, what has she got to lose. At first it was a disaster until she hears a deep masculine voice that pulls her attention and her night just got better.

Brom has no issue telling Karina how much he desires her and when he kisses her she melts, it’s been a long time since she felt this attracted to someone 💕

But sometimes not all is as it seems, Brom holds a secret and on Halloween night the headless horseman appears and he coming for Katrina 🎃

This was such a fun, hot, spicy sleepy hollow retelling and all I could think about after reading was the pumpkin head scene 🎃🔥 If you’re looking for a short spooky novella to read over Halloween I would recommend this!!

[Kaily · Rating 5 out of 5]

How did this Novela manage to be so silly and sexy AND yet also make me cry? TWICE. I am absolutely down bad for Brom. He was hot as a "human", which is not common for me, but the things that came out of that Pumpkin head mouth? Oof.

Kat is a perfect mix of confident and a little bit afraid to put her herself out there. To quote Lila, Kat is a "total corporate goth baddie."
Brom is well spoken, thoughtful, and an old soul. ;) Also a super hot man with a removable Pumpkin head.
Just typing the name Sam has me tearing up, and was unexpected depth in a short spicy romp of a story.
It's a shorty so I wont say anything more except I loved it, as a certified "hesitant to read a novela" person it is a 5 star perfect Halloween season read.

[Kori · Rating 5 out of 5]

POV: You fall for a dead guy while speed dating in Sleepy Hollow

Tropes:
Monster Romance
Supernatural Speed Dating
Mortician Heroine
Instant chemistry
Sleepy Hollow Reimagining

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Brom🎃 & Kat🪦

Short, sweet and perfectly filthy…

100 pages; 100 reasons to pick this novella up this Halloween. Headlessly in Love is definitely a don't miss one sitting October read!

Highly recommend if you love monstrous mmc’s, witty morticians, fast paced novellas and the creative use of a pumpkin head.

[Dorky Dreamers · Rating 5 out of 5]

“𝔸𝕟𝕕 𝕨𝕙𝕖𝕟 𝕀’𝕞 𝕕𝕠𝕟𝕖 𝕨𝕚𝕥𝕙 𝕪𝕠𝕦𝕣 𝕞𝕠𝕦𝕥𝕙, 𝕪𝕠𝕦 𝕘𝕖𝕥 𝕥𝕠 𝕕𝕖𝕔𝕚𝕕𝕖 𝕚𝕗 𝕪𝕠𝕦 𝕨𝕒𝕟𝕥 𝕞𝕖 𝕥𝕠 𝕞𝕒𝕜𝕖 𝕪𝕠𝕦𝕣 𝕔*𝕞𝕖 𝕕𝕣𝕚𝕡 𝕚𝕟𝕥𝕠 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕘𝕣𝕒𝕧𝕖𝕝 𝕒𝕓𝕠𝕧𝕖 𝕞𝕪 𝕓𝕠𝕟𝕖𝕤.”

Brom, the headless horseman that you are 🥵.

You guys, that pumpkin riding scene changed my brain chemistry. HOLY HOTNESS. My cheeks were burning and I think that the temperature in my apartment spiked for like a full five minutes.

Also, Kat is the goth mommy of my dreams 😍.

Okay real talk though, are we ever going to find out more deets about these 2 men in black dudes lol

I mean like they gotta be wondering why every time they come across a cryptid or a monster there’s also a woman to be found getting absolutely railed by them 😂😂😂

[Becca :) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I need more of this story oml

Headless horseman meets goth mortician baddie but he’s soft and sweet as a human and a FREAK in his ghost form. Yeah nothing gets better than this.

Also made me cry and that’s really the best marker of a book in my opinion. Anyways 10/10.

[balayageandbooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Did I devour this book… yes. Yes I did.

Once again our infamous paleontologist Dr. Rhodes takes us on amazing journey to find another well known folklore/cryptid.

This FMC….shes 100% black cat and she 100% had me in all of my feels. Between the loss of her best friend to never truly feeling like she’s fit in… and when she finally puts herself out there… well you’ll see.

The MMC, he’s a total hottie…he’s got the whole I’m a college professor and I’ll charm the panties right off of you vibes….he’s sweet… he’s thoughtful …he’s a total gentleman…until Halloween. Iykyk

These two characters had this undeniable chemistry … and when the tension finally reaches it boiling point and they both snap…LAWD have MERCY it was HOT!

The way these books always have me kicking my feet and squealing!

They’re hilarious. They’re sweet. They’re HOT!

And now I’m even more excited to see what comes next cause let me tell you what … I think it just might be my favorite cryptid EVER!

[Aimee C · Rating 4.75 out of 5]

Dr. Rhodes has agents knocking at her door yet again. She gets taken to sleepy hollow to meet Katrina and talk about her case.What happened all because she went to the Halloween themed speed dating?absolutely love thr back and forth between Lila and Katrina.