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Monster Diner: A Pumpkin Hollow Novella
Lizzy’s life is in shambles. On the day she gets fired from her job and catches her loser boyfriend cheating, she finds out her estranged father died and left her a run-down diner. Now she has to return to her childhood home of Pumpkin Hollow, a hidden community for witches and paranormals like her, and run the family business. But Lizzy isn’t the sole owner. Her father left half the house and diner to Victor, his business partner and dangerously hot reanimated corpse.
Victor’s maker crafted him to be the perfect man and cobbled him together from premium parts. But Victor’s desire to be a chef disappointed his creator, and he abandoned him. Since he didn’t have a family, he built his own. He adopted a newly turned zombie teenager and invested his life’s savings into buying half his friend and mentor’s diner to save it from ruin. Victor thought he had it all, then Lizzy, the girl that got away, returned. This time, he won’t let her go.
Lizzy has no desire to run the diner or dating, the tall, scarred chef, but the diner is understaffed, in their busiest season. She agrees to stay until Halloween, help Victor out until after the yearly festival. But as the kitchen and their relationship heats up, she realizes it’s not just inheritance but hearts on the line…
Victor’s maker crafted him to be the perfect man and cobbled him together from premium parts. But Victor’s desire to be a chef disappointed his creator, and he abandoned him. Since he didn’t have a family, he built his own. He adopted a newly turned zombie teenager and invested his life’s savings into buying half his friend and mentor’s diner to save it from ruin. Victor thought he had it all, then Lizzy, the girl that got away, returned. This time, he won’t let her go.
Lizzy has no desire to run the diner or dating, the tall, scarred chef, but the diner is understaffed, in their busiest season. She agrees to stay until Halloween, help Victor out until after the yearly festival. But as the kitchen and their relationship heats up, she realizes it’s not just inheritance but hearts on the line…
- GenresMonsters
173 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 5, 2026
About the author
Nicolette Andrews
37 books680 followersNicolette Andrews is a born and raised San Diegan with a passion for fantasy, especially if it has a romance and some mystery and intrigue mixed it doesn't go amiss either. Apart from writing, she enjoys spending time with her husband and two daughters, preferably somewhere outside enjoying the San Diego sunshine.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews
September 6, 2026
“If I had superior morals, I wouldn’t be thinking about bending you over and fvcking you here and now.”
🎃🧙
Monster Diner
by Nicolette Andrews
𝚎𝙰𝚁𝙲 𝚁𝚎𝚟𝚒𝚎𝚠
𝚆𝚊𝚜 𝚎𝚡𝚙𝚎𝚌𝚝𝚎𝚍 𝟿/𝟾/𝟸𝟼 𝚋𝚞𝚝 𝚖𝚢 𝚞𝚗𝚍𝚎𝚛𝚜𝚝𝚊𝚗𝚍𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚒𝚜 𝚒𝚝 𝚠𝚊𝚜 𝚛𝚎𝚕𝚎𝚊𝚜𝚎𝚍 𝚎𝚊𝚛𝚕𝚢-𝚘𝚞𝚝 𝚗𝚘𝚠
𝗠𝘆 𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴: ★★★★☆ 𝗳𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘀
🧙🎃
🧙this dedication:
TO THE BURNT-OUT, PEOPLE PLEASING, ELDEST DAUGHTERS, MAY YOU GET YOUR BACK BLOWN OUT BY FRANKENSTEIN'S MONSTER OR IF NOT HIM, A MAN WHO WORSHIPS YOU AS YOU DESERVE. CAUSE YOU DO DESERVE IT, DON'T TELL YOURSELF YOU DON'T.
🍂🍂🍂🍂🍂🍂🍂
𝗡𝗢𝗩𝗘𝗟𝗟𝗔
Frankenstein’s Monster
Plus Sized Empath Witch
Special peen (Vibrating)
Childhood friends to lovers
Sh+tty Ex
Cozy Small Town
Spicy Use of Kitchen Time
Single dad
Part of the Pumpkin Hollow series
𝗟𝗜𝗭𝗭𝗬 & 𝗩𝗜𝗖𝗧𝗢𝗥'𝘀 𝗦𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆
🧙🎃🍂
Thank you much for the ARC @nicolette_andrews
Such a perfect story. No dullness or lacking moments. The novella length was perfect to tell this tale. (But I certainly would have been on board for more)
Their dynamic works so well. And I think both main characters stood out.
Very well done. Passes the vibe check all around!
🍂🎃🧙
•••🍂
“You didn’t want me to feel entrapped by you.” •••
🍂
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
✨🌈✨
🎃🧙
Monster Diner
by Nicolette Andrews
𝚎𝙰𝚁𝙲 𝚁𝚎𝚟𝚒𝚎𝚠
𝚆𝚊𝚜 𝚎𝚡𝚙𝚎𝚌𝚝𝚎𝚍 𝟿/𝟾/𝟸𝟼 𝚋𝚞𝚝 𝚖𝚢 𝚞𝚗𝚍𝚎𝚛𝚜𝚝𝚊𝚗𝚍𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚒𝚜 𝚒𝚝 𝚠𝚊𝚜 𝚛𝚎𝚕𝚎𝚊𝚜𝚎𝚍 𝚎𝚊𝚛𝚕𝚢-𝚘𝚞𝚝 𝚗𝚘𝚠
𝗠𝘆 𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴: ★★★★☆ 𝗳𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘀
🧙🎃
🧙this dedication:
TO THE BURNT-OUT, PEOPLE PLEASING, ELDEST DAUGHTERS, MAY YOU GET YOUR BACK BLOWN OUT BY FRANKENSTEIN'S MONSTER OR IF NOT HIM, A MAN WHO WORSHIPS YOU AS YOU DESERVE. CAUSE YOU DO DESERVE IT, DON'T TELL YOURSELF YOU DON'T.
🍂🍂🍂🍂🍂🍂🍂
𝗡𝗢𝗩𝗘𝗟𝗟𝗔
Frankenstein’s Monster
Plus Sized Empath Witch
Special peen (Vibrating)
Childhood friends to lovers
Sh+tty Ex
Cozy Small Town
Spicy Use of Kitchen Time
Single dad
Part of the Pumpkin Hollow series
𝗟𝗜𝗭𝗭𝗬 & 𝗩𝗜𝗖𝗧𝗢𝗥'𝘀 𝗦𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆
🧙🎃🍂
Thank you much for the ARC @nicolette_andrews
Such a perfect story. No dullness or lacking moments. The novella length was perfect to tell this tale. (But I certainly would have been on board for more)
Their dynamic works so well. And I think both main characters stood out.
Very well done. Passes the vibe check all around!
🍂🎃🧙
•••🍂
“You didn’t want me to feel entrapped by you.” •••
🍂
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
✨🌈✨
September 23, 2026
Jerk of a boyfriend dumps her and her dad tries to play matchmaker.
September 15, 2026
I said before and I'll say it again I am obsessed with this paranormal little town!
These characters...OH EM GEE...
The way my heart instantly broke for the FMC, between the judgment from her mother, to the awful Ex...and then the loss of here estranged father... she seriously deserved some happiness in her life!
The MMC, if there ever was a cinnamon roll MMC...this is the one! Healing from his own past, and the loss of the one person who actually saw him as more than just an object...he still manages to hold it together...even his stitched up heart that is beating for the one woman who got left when they were teenagers.
Between the hilarious banter, the tension, and off the charts chemistry these two have...
And the moment when they both realize that this is way more than saving the diner....it was all soooo good!!!
I cannot wait to read more Pumpkin Hollow couples!
These characters...OH EM GEE...
The way my heart instantly broke for the FMC, between the judgment from her mother, to the awful Ex...and then the loss of here estranged father... she seriously deserved some happiness in her life!
The MMC, if there ever was a cinnamon roll MMC...this is the one! Healing from his own past, and the loss of the one person who actually saw him as more than just an object...he still manages to hold it together...even his stitched up heart that is beating for the one woman who got left when they were teenagers.
Between the hilarious banter, the tension, and off the charts chemistry these two have...
And the moment when they both realize that this is way more than saving the diner....it was all soooo good!!!
I cannot wait to read more Pumpkin Hollow couples!
October 4, 2026
★★☆☆☆
Soooo… this was not for me 😭
And somehow I walked away from a romance about a Frankenstein-style reanimated zombie man with a vibrating dick thinking, wow, the monster really deserved better.
Make of that what you will.
Lizzy's life implodes when she discovers her boyfriend cheating on her, loses her job, and then finds out that her estranged father, Frank, has died. She returns to Pumpkin Hollow and discovers that she's inherited half of her father's diner and house.
Who owns the other half?
Victor.
Her childhood friend.
The man she left behind.
The man whose feelings for her apparently never completely went away.
And unfortunately for Victor, Lizzy has returned 💀
First, let's discuss the fact that Lizzy is apparently an empath witch.
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.
I'm sorry.
Empath?
Bitch, WHERE? 😭
Because I spent half this book wondering whether her supernatural ability was actually sensing other people's emotions and then choosing the response most likely to emotionally kneecap them.
Especially poor fucking Victor.
Victor is basically a Frankenstein-style reanimated man who was created from "premium parts." His creator wanted him to be a certain kind of perfect man, but Victor had the absolute audacity to develop his own dreams.
He wanted to cook. That's it 😭
He genuinely loves cooking and wanted to become a chef, but his creator was disappointed by his choice and ultimately abandoned him. And this is where Victor's story actually made me SAD because this poor man has spent his existence wanting to be seen as a person rather than somebody else's creation.
Then Frank came along. Lizzy's father became incredibly important to Victor because Frank actually saw him as more than a collection of body parts. They became close, Victor became involved with the diner, and Frank essentially became part of the family Victor never had.
Then Victor goes and creates his own little chosen family too because he adopts a newly turned zombie teenager.
So yes.
He's a single dad.
Not because there's an ex-wife lurking around waiting to cause drama.
No.
This giant reanimated cinnamon roll basically went, well, somebody needs to love this zombie kid, and became his dad.
STOP 😭
Frank's death therefore hits Victor incredibly hard too. Meanwhile Lizzy and Frank were estranged when he died, so she comes home carrying her own complicated grief and unresolved issues.
Fine.
I can understand that.
What I could NOT understand was why she apparently decided Victor needed to become the emotional punching bag for all of it.
Because the diner is struggling.
Victor has invested heavily in keeping it alive. He has poured his money, time and heart into this place because it isn't just a business to him. It's tied to Frank, his family and the life he built for himself.
Lizzy?
She wants her inheritance resolved.
Immediately.
Girl.
This man was close to YOUR FATHER, helped run HIS DINER, invested his own money into keeping it alive, is grieving him too, and you're basically standing there like:
💰👄💰 So about my half…
I couldn't fucking stand her. 😭
Victor has until Halloween to somehow raise enough money to buy Lizzy's share of the diner.
They're also understaffed, so Lizzy agrees to stay temporarily and help.
And obviously spending all that time together starts resurrecting their old feelings.
Victor already loved her.
That's the worst part.
This isn't some emotionally unavailable man who needs convincing that relationships aren't fatal.
This poor stitched-together bastard has basically been carrying a torch for the girl who left Pumpkin Hollow while building an entire life in the place she abandoned.
He knows what he wants.
Her.
Lizzy spends considerably more time treating knowing what she wants like an advanced calculus exam.
And eventually they hook up.
Which brings me to something that absolutely must be documented for science.
Remember those "premium parts" Victor was created with?
Apparently somebody installed the deluxe package.
His dick vibrates.
😭😭😭😭
FRANKENSTEIN'S MONSTER CAME WITH BUILT-IN BATTERIES.
Excuse me???
Imagine discovering your childhood friend has been reanimated with a factory-installed Hitachi and STILL deciding this relationship isn't worth pursuing.
Could never be me.
But apparently Lizzy is stronger than the troops because after becoming intimate with Victor and letting this poor man believe there might actually be something between them, she pulls away.
Again.
And eventually she tells him they need to end things because she's leaving.
Basically:
Thanks for the orgasm, Stitch. Anyway, fuck off 🫡
MA'AM.
This is supposedly an EMPATH.
I was ready to climb into Pumpkin Hollow myself and start filling out adoption paperwork for Victor because clearly someone needed to rescue him from this romance.
And yes, I understand what the book was trying to do with Lizzy.
She's spent her life being influenced by other people's expectations. She's a people pleaser. She's grieving. She's just been cheated on. She's lost her job. Her relationship with her father ended with unresolved feelings because he died while they were estranged. Returning to Pumpkin Hollow forces her to confront everything she ran away from.
Her character arc is supposed to be about figuring out what she wants instead of doing what everyone else expects from her.
I GET IT.
Understanding a character's motivation does not magically make that character less irritating.
Because Victor isn't trying to control her.
He isn't demanding that she stay.
He isn't manipulating her into choosing the diner.
He isn't behaving like her creator—sorry, HIS creator—or like all the other people who have dictated what her life should look like.
He's just… there.
Supporting her.
Loving her.
Trying to save the diner.
Raising his kid.
Cooking his little monster meals.
Grieving Frank.
Existing with his vibrator dick.
And somehow catching emotional strays anyway 😭
That's what made her constant hot-and-cold behavior so frustrating to me. She gets close to him, retreats, wants him, pushes him away, sleeps with him, then essentially tells him this needs to end because she's leaving.
Meanwhile I'm sitting there like:
VICTOR, BABY, STAND UP. THERE ARE OTHER WITCHES IN THE COVEN.
Eventually, of course, Lizzy realizes Pumpkin Hollow isn't simply the miserable little place she escaped from. The diner isn't merely an inconvenient inheritance she needs to liquidate. Victor isn't someone else's expectation being forced onto her.
Pumpkin Hollow can be home because she chooses it.
Victor can be the man she loves because she chooses him.
And yes, thematically, I understand the parallel.
Victor was literally created according to someone else's expectations and rejected when he chose his own path.
Lizzy has metaphorically spent her life being shaped by other people's expectations and needs to learn how to choose her own path.
They should complement each other beautifully.
On paper.
Unfortunately, in execution I spent considerably less time rooting for Lizzy's journey of self-discovery and considerably more time thinking:
Can Victor discover another woman? 😭
Because I LIKED HIM.
He's probably the main reason this got two stars instead of one.
Give me the abandoned Frankenstein chef with daddy issues, an adopted zombie teenager, a struggling diner, years of unrequited feelings and a dick with multiple speed settings.
★★☆☆☆
Victor deserved a better woman, the diner deserved better finances, and I deserved several fewer chapters of Lizzy discovering that the thing she wanted was the thing everyone with functioning eyes had already figured out.
Soooo… this was not for me 😭
And somehow I walked away from a romance about a Frankenstein-style reanimated zombie man with a vibrating dick thinking, wow, the monster really deserved better.
Make of that what you will.
Lizzy's life implodes when she discovers her boyfriend cheating on her, loses her job, and then finds out that her estranged father, Frank, has died. She returns to Pumpkin Hollow and discovers that she's inherited half of her father's diner and house.
Who owns the other half?
Victor.
Her childhood friend.
The man she left behind.
The man whose feelings for her apparently never completely went away.
And unfortunately for Victor, Lizzy has returned 💀
First, let's discuss the fact that Lizzy is apparently an empath witch.
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.
I'm sorry.
Empath?
Bitch, WHERE? 😭
Because I spent half this book wondering whether her supernatural ability was actually sensing other people's emotions and then choosing the response most likely to emotionally kneecap them.
Especially poor fucking Victor.
Victor is basically a Frankenstein-style reanimated man who was created from "premium parts." His creator wanted him to be a certain kind of perfect man, but Victor had the absolute audacity to develop his own dreams.
He wanted to cook. That's it 😭
He genuinely loves cooking and wanted to become a chef, but his creator was disappointed by his choice and ultimately abandoned him. And this is where Victor's story actually made me SAD because this poor man has spent his existence wanting to be seen as a person rather than somebody else's creation.
Then Frank came along. Lizzy's father became incredibly important to Victor because Frank actually saw him as more than a collection of body parts. They became close, Victor became involved with the diner, and Frank essentially became part of the family Victor never had.
Then Victor goes and creates his own little chosen family too because he adopts a newly turned zombie teenager.
So yes.
He's a single dad.
Not because there's an ex-wife lurking around waiting to cause drama.
No.
This giant reanimated cinnamon roll basically went, well, somebody needs to love this zombie kid, and became his dad.
STOP 😭
Frank's death therefore hits Victor incredibly hard too. Meanwhile Lizzy and Frank were estranged when he died, so she comes home carrying her own complicated grief and unresolved issues.
Fine.
I can understand that.
What I could NOT understand was why she apparently decided Victor needed to become the emotional punching bag for all of it.
Because the diner is struggling.
Victor has invested heavily in keeping it alive. He has poured his money, time and heart into this place because it isn't just a business to him. It's tied to Frank, his family and the life he built for himself.
Lizzy?
She wants her inheritance resolved.
Immediately.
Girl.
This man was close to YOUR FATHER, helped run HIS DINER, invested his own money into keeping it alive, is grieving him too, and you're basically standing there like:
💰👄💰 So about my half…
I couldn't fucking stand her. 😭
Victor has until Halloween to somehow raise enough money to buy Lizzy's share of the diner.
They're also understaffed, so Lizzy agrees to stay temporarily and help.
And obviously spending all that time together starts resurrecting their old feelings.
Victor already loved her.
That's the worst part.
This isn't some emotionally unavailable man who needs convincing that relationships aren't fatal.
This poor stitched-together bastard has basically been carrying a torch for the girl who left Pumpkin Hollow while building an entire life in the place she abandoned.
He knows what he wants.
Her.
Lizzy spends considerably more time treating knowing what she wants like an advanced calculus exam.
And eventually they hook up.
Which brings me to something that absolutely must be documented for science.
Remember those "premium parts" Victor was created with?
Apparently somebody installed the deluxe package.
His dick vibrates.
😭😭😭😭
FRANKENSTEIN'S MONSTER CAME WITH BUILT-IN BATTERIES.
Excuse me???
Imagine discovering your childhood friend has been reanimated with a factory-installed Hitachi and STILL deciding this relationship isn't worth pursuing.
Could never be me.
But apparently Lizzy is stronger than the troops because after becoming intimate with Victor and letting this poor man believe there might actually be something between them, she pulls away.
Again.
And eventually she tells him they need to end things because she's leaving.
Basically:
Thanks for the orgasm, Stitch. Anyway, fuck off 🫡
MA'AM.
This is supposedly an EMPATH.
I was ready to climb into Pumpkin Hollow myself and start filling out adoption paperwork for Victor because clearly someone needed to rescue him from this romance.
And yes, I understand what the book was trying to do with Lizzy.
She's spent her life being influenced by other people's expectations. She's a people pleaser. She's grieving. She's just been cheated on. She's lost her job. Her relationship with her father ended with unresolved feelings because he died while they were estranged. Returning to Pumpkin Hollow forces her to confront everything she ran away from.
Her character arc is supposed to be about figuring out what she wants instead of doing what everyone else expects from her.
I GET IT.
Understanding a character's motivation does not magically make that character less irritating.
Because Victor isn't trying to control her.
He isn't demanding that she stay.
He isn't manipulating her into choosing the diner.
He isn't behaving like her creator—sorry, HIS creator—or like all the other people who have dictated what her life should look like.
He's just… there.
Supporting her.
Loving her.
Trying to save the diner.
Raising his kid.
Cooking his little monster meals.
Grieving Frank.
Existing with his vibrator dick.
And somehow catching emotional strays anyway 😭
That's what made her constant hot-and-cold behavior so frustrating to me. She gets close to him, retreats, wants him, pushes him away, sleeps with him, then essentially tells him this needs to end because she's leaving.
Meanwhile I'm sitting there like:
VICTOR, BABY, STAND UP. THERE ARE OTHER WITCHES IN THE COVEN.
Eventually, of course, Lizzy realizes Pumpkin Hollow isn't simply the miserable little place she escaped from. The diner isn't merely an inconvenient inheritance she needs to liquidate. Victor isn't someone else's expectation being forced onto her.
Pumpkin Hollow can be home because she chooses it.
Victor can be the man she loves because she chooses him.
And yes, thematically, I understand the parallel.
Victor was literally created according to someone else's expectations and rejected when he chose his own path.
Lizzy has metaphorically spent her life being shaped by other people's expectations and needs to learn how to choose her own path.
They should complement each other beautifully.
On paper.
Unfortunately, in execution I spent considerably less time rooting for Lizzy's journey of self-discovery and considerably more time thinking:
Can Victor discover another woman? 😭
Because I LIKED HIM.
He's probably the main reason this got two stars instead of one.
Give me the abandoned Frankenstein chef with daddy issues, an adopted zombie teenager, a struggling diner, years of unrequited feelings and a dick with multiple speed settings.
★★☆☆☆
Victor deserved a better woman, the diner deserved better finances, and I deserved several fewer chapters of Lizzy discovering that the thing she wanted was the thing everyone with functioning eyes had already figured out.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 25, 2026
This was a fun time, a short story that no doubt would have given a really nice full length novel had it been a bit more explored! It is a cozy fun read for this time of the year.
The writing was pretty good and the characters were fun, but Lizzy was a bit annoying at times tbh. All in all it was a cutsy fun time, nothing too memorable, apart from the fact that he has a vibrating d/ck 😂😂😂 Would recommend as a pallet cleanser or if you are looking to reach your reading goal and want a quick read.
3 ⭐
The writing was pretty good and the characters were fun, but Lizzy was a bit annoying at times tbh. All in all it was a cutsy fun time, nothing too memorable, apart from the fact that he has a vibrating d/ck 😂😂😂 Would recommend as a pallet cleanser or if you are looking to reach your reading goal and want a quick read.
3 ⭐
October 30, 2026
I loved love LOVED Victor - the reanimated MMC who cares for everyone, adopted a reanimated teen so he wouldn't be abandoned and worshipped Lizzie to no end. Lizzie on the other hand was meh. She worked all book to push Victor away FOR NO REASON and is supposedly an empath??? She seemed so blind to other peoples feelings it felt intentional at times.
The spice was so fun and the ending was mega happy I just wish Lizzie was more emotionally mature. I get she got dumped and inherited a diner she didn't want blah blah blah but that's no reason to take others down with you.
The spice was so fun and the ending was mega happy I just wish Lizzie was more emotionally mature. I get she got dumped and inherited a diner she didn't want blah blah blah but that's no reason to take others down with you.
September 15, 2026
I am OBSESSED with this paranormal little town!
The character development was so good! Lizzy deserved some happiness after everything she’d been through, and Victor was the ultimate cinnamon roll MMC. Their banter, tension, and chemistry were EVERYTHING!
Add in Igor the crow familiar, a struggling diner, and a Halloween deadline, and I was completely hooked!
I cannot wait for more Pumpkin Hollow couples!
The character development was so good! Lizzy deserved some happiness after everything she’d been through, and Victor was the ultimate cinnamon roll MMC. Their banter, tension, and chemistry were EVERYTHING!
Add in Igor the crow familiar, a struggling diner, and a Halloween deadline, and I was completely hooked!
I cannot wait for more Pumpkin Hollow couples!
October 9, 2026
This was such a cute and cosy read. Every character felt alive and vibrant, even if they only had a small part. An excellent read for this time of year
October 5, 2026
A childhood friends to lovers in which an empath returns to her hometown after he father’s death and learns that her friend has since taken over her father’s beloved diner.
Lizzy’s life has fallen apart… again. Moments after breaking up with her jerk of a weasel shifter boyfriend, Lizzy learns that her father has just passed away. She decides to return to her hometown of Pumpkin Hollow to sort out her father’s estate. Upon reaching her father’s love and joy, Lizzy learns that her childhood best friend, Victor, has been working as the co-owner of her father’s diner ever since she left. Lizzy has no interest in running the diner or even sticking around Pumpkin Hollow. Victor is desperate to buy out Lizzy’s inherited share of the diner, but he needs time. A deal is struck that Lizzy will work at the diner until Halloween in the hopes that Victor can come up with the needed funds. Despite the huge pressure on both of them, the two manage to catch feelings for one another as they are constantly forced into close quarters both at the diner and at home.
I figured a diner set in a cozy small town and ran by a handsome monster would make for a great time. Thank you so much to Nicolette Andrews for the eARC of this book! This is my first read by her, so it makes me very happy they were willing to give an early copy of this one to me.
At the start of this one, I had really high hopes. Unfortunately, Lizzy herself was the major downfall of this one. At the start, Lizzy is fleeing a cruddy situation only to be welcomed home with open arms by her childhood best friend, Victor the friendly monster. I wasn’t expecting her to treat Victor like her personal emotional punching bag, but that is indeed what happens. I really love childhood friends to lovers, so I’m sad that though Victor gets the girl in the end, she treats him so poorly for the majority of this book. This sweet monster who loves to cook deserved someone who saw his worth from the very beginning. I know Lizzy is dealing with a lot; I mean, her father just died, she’s inherited a staple of this small town, and is trying to forge her own path rather than just do the easy thing that’s put in front of her. It just really doesn’t justify how she treated Victor throughout the course of this novel.
Besides the uncomfortable romance between Lizzy and Victor, this book had a ton going for it. My favorite part was definitely Victor himself. He is essentially Frankenstein’s monster, though he was created by a different unnamed creator. This man designed him to be the perfect son with an impeccable body and a genius brain. When Victor decided to develop ambitions of his own such as wanting to learn to be a chef, his creator threw him to the wayside. Victor has quite the tragic backstory, but it only makes him stronger. I think it is so cute that he decides to adopt a newly undead by the name of Brayden. They don’t always get along, but seeing Victor love Brayden unconditionally was seriously the cutest.
The diner was another fun element of this story. There is something about a local diner in a small town that has such cozy vibes. It would also make a great setting for a horror story, but I’m glad that this one exuded the cozy vibes that Pumpkin Hollow needed. Victor has put his heart and soul into making the diner the best that it can be. The respect he gives his patrons and employees is so charming. Lizzy finds herself falling in love with the diner again as the story goes on, but again, she alienated herself from me due to her jerkish actions towards Victor.
The spice in this one was… interesting. Lizzy only agrees to have sex with Victor as a casual thing, which near breaks his heart. Victor has been crushing on Lizzy since they were teens, so it only makes sense that this is hard for him. He actually turns down her initial offer to sleep with her, which I admired, but he does eventually give into the temptation. And oddly enough, they do it for the first time in a freezer, so that was something. This novella does include a few additional steamy scenes, but I didn’t think it took over the story. I would have enjoyed the spice more, again, if I would have liked Lizzy.
Overall, there were things I really enjoyed about “Monster Diner” and things I could have done without. I loved our MMC Victor and all that he stands for. His backstory is well-developed and I love his relationship both with the diner and his undead son. The diner setting was also very cozy and perfect for fall reading. On the downside, I found our FMC to be a huge jerk, and I found I couldn’t forgive Lizzy for many of her transgressions against Victor. I am still super excited to keep making my way through this series, even though the first two installments have let me down a little bit.
Lizzy’s life has fallen apart… again. Moments after breaking up with her jerk of a weasel shifter boyfriend, Lizzy learns that her father has just passed away. She decides to return to her hometown of Pumpkin Hollow to sort out her father’s estate. Upon reaching her father’s love and joy, Lizzy learns that her childhood best friend, Victor, has been working as the co-owner of her father’s diner ever since she left. Lizzy has no interest in running the diner or even sticking around Pumpkin Hollow. Victor is desperate to buy out Lizzy’s inherited share of the diner, but he needs time. A deal is struck that Lizzy will work at the diner until Halloween in the hopes that Victor can come up with the needed funds. Despite the huge pressure on both of them, the two manage to catch feelings for one another as they are constantly forced into close quarters both at the diner and at home.
I figured a diner set in a cozy small town and ran by a handsome monster would make for a great time. Thank you so much to Nicolette Andrews for the eARC of this book! This is my first read by her, so it makes me very happy they were willing to give an early copy of this one to me.
At the start of this one, I had really high hopes. Unfortunately, Lizzy herself was the major downfall of this one. At the start, Lizzy is fleeing a cruddy situation only to be welcomed home with open arms by her childhood best friend, Victor the friendly monster. I wasn’t expecting her to treat Victor like her personal emotional punching bag, but that is indeed what happens. I really love childhood friends to lovers, so I’m sad that though Victor gets the girl in the end, she treats him so poorly for the majority of this book. This sweet monster who loves to cook deserved someone who saw his worth from the very beginning. I know Lizzy is dealing with a lot; I mean, her father just died, she’s inherited a staple of this small town, and is trying to forge her own path rather than just do the easy thing that’s put in front of her. It just really doesn’t justify how she treated Victor throughout the course of this novel.
Besides the uncomfortable romance between Lizzy and Victor, this book had a ton going for it. My favorite part was definitely Victor himself. He is essentially Frankenstein’s monster, though he was created by a different unnamed creator. This man designed him to be the perfect son with an impeccable body and a genius brain. When Victor decided to develop ambitions of his own such as wanting to learn to be a chef, his creator threw him to the wayside. Victor has quite the tragic backstory, but it only makes him stronger. I think it is so cute that he decides to adopt a newly undead by the name of Brayden. They don’t always get along, but seeing Victor love Brayden unconditionally was seriously the cutest.
The diner was another fun element of this story. There is something about a local diner in a small town that has such cozy vibes. It would also make a great setting for a horror story, but I’m glad that this one exuded the cozy vibes that Pumpkin Hollow needed. Victor has put his heart and soul into making the diner the best that it can be. The respect he gives his patrons and employees is so charming. Lizzy finds herself falling in love with the diner again as the story goes on, but again, she alienated herself from me due to her jerkish actions towards Victor.
The spice in this one was… interesting. Lizzy only agrees to have sex with Victor as a casual thing, which near breaks his heart. Victor has been crushing on Lizzy since they were teens, so it only makes sense that this is hard for him. He actually turns down her initial offer to sleep with her, which I admired, but he does eventually give into the temptation. And oddly enough, they do it for the first time in a freezer, so that was something. This novella does include a few additional steamy scenes, but I didn’t think it took over the story. I would have enjoyed the spice more, again, if I would have liked Lizzy.
Overall, there were things I really enjoyed about “Monster Diner” and things I could have done without. I loved our MMC Victor and all that he stands for. His backstory is well-developed and I love his relationship both with the diner and his undead son. The diner setting was also very cozy and perfect for fall reading. On the downside, I found our FMC to be a huge jerk, and I found I couldn’t forgive Lizzy for many of her transgressions against Victor. I am still super excited to keep making my way through this series, even though the first two installments have let me down a little bit.
November 1, 2026
so this is kinda like the opening book for the pumpkin hollow novellas and it sets the ground work on what this town is and sets up an iconic location, the diner, which we see in other books
lizzy, an empath witch, has made probably a million bad decisions. and on the tail end of one, she gets a call that her dad has passed and she needs to go home to deal with his life’s work, the diner
in comes victor, a reanimated man who embodies the idea of frankenstein. he ended up being very close with lizzy’s dad once she left pumpkin hollow and is a co owner of the diner… which now they have to work together for a month while figuring out what to do with the business as lizzy wants to sell and start over (without making man mistakes) and victor desperately wants to save the diner
they have a bit of history as kids and their long ago feelings come back to the surface as they live together in her old childhood home
lizzy was trying so very hard not to fall into old patterns and get swept away by a man and in the process found her life’s calling, which was to continue her fathers and grandfathers legacy which i love that she stayed for herself and not victor (tho they do end up together ofc!!)
devouring the next one now!
overall: 4/5
spice: 3/5
lizzy, an empath witch, has made probably a million bad decisions. and on the tail end of one, she gets a call that her dad has passed and she needs to go home to deal with his life’s work, the diner
in comes victor, a reanimated man who embodies the idea of frankenstein. he ended up being very close with lizzy’s dad once she left pumpkin hollow and is a co owner of the diner… which now they have to work together for a month while figuring out what to do with the business as lizzy wants to sell and start over (without making man mistakes) and victor desperately wants to save the diner
they have a bit of history as kids and their long ago feelings come back to the surface as they live together in her old childhood home
lizzy was trying so very hard not to fall into old patterns and get swept away by a man and in the process found her life’s calling, which was to continue her fathers and grandfathers legacy which i love that she stayed for herself and not victor (tho they do end up together ofc!!)
devouring the next one now!
overall: 4/5
spice: 3/5
October 17, 2026
⭐⭐⭐⭐
I went back to Pumpkin Hollow this week. I was craving a diner milkshake and a Frankenstein’s monster type, and that’s exactly what I got. I’m a sucker for childhood friends to lovers, and this one was such a great October read. All the perfect amounts of reconnecting, finding new normals, and giving in to old yearning.
Lizzy is at a life low, having lost her job and then broken up with her cheating boyfriend. That only continues to pile on when she finds out about the death of her father. With all of this swirling in her brain, I can’t blame her for struggling to trust her own instinct. She knows that she has certain tendencies, and is trying to ensure she doesn’t repeat poor patterns, and that makes trusting yourself hard. I enjoyed reading her work through that.
Victor is awesome, straight up. I love that his worry is overcoming the perfectionism forced on him by his creator and how that spills over into his relationship with Lizzy. Also, the lore that his food has to be super spicy to be able to taste it is great, and I love how that comes back around in trying to help his newly turned zombie son find enjoyment in food again.
I went back to Pumpkin Hollow this week. I was craving a diner milkshake and a Frankenstein’s monster type, and that’s exactly what I got. I’m a sucker for childhood friends to lovers, and this one was such a great October read. All the perfect amounts of reconnecting, finding new normals, and giving in to old yearning.
Lizzy is at a life low, having lost her job and then broken up with her cheating boyfriend. That only continues to pile on when she finds out about the death of her father. With all of this swirling in her brain, I can’t blame her for struggling to trust her own instinct. She knows that she has certain tendencies, and is trying to ensure she doesn’t repeat poor patterns, and that makes trusting yourself hard. I enjoyed reading her work through that.
Victor is awesome, straight up. I love that his worry is overcoming the perfectionism forced on him by his creator and how that spills over into his relationship with Lizzy. Also, the lore that his food has to be super spicy to be able to taste it is great, and I love how that comes back around in trying to help his newly turned zombie son find enjoyment in food again.
November 6, 2026
I'm always looking for books in which Halloween people--a term I use for what I have been informed most people call "monsters"--just kind of live their lives, so when I stumbled upon this series, I was all in. This introduction to the charming town of Pumpkin Hollow has a lot of things I like, notably a heroine over 30 (in her 40s, even!), an inheritance that necessitates returning to one's small hometown, a lovably mischievous animal familiar, and an undead love interest. Overall solid in terms of what I like in a brain candy book, although I would have liked a bit more strangeness and thought that things got much less interesting after Lizzy and Victor started sleeping together. I also have unanswered questions about why Victor's creator, who presumably made him as either a child or adolescent since he went to high school, included the genital features that make an appearance here. Spoiler:
October 4, 2026
This was the perfect start to my spooky season reading! It was the perfect balance of spice and sweetness with a lil side of the feels.
I definitely resonate with Lizzy in multiple ways even though her stubbornness had me wanting to crash out at times 😂 though I completely understand her struggle to understand what she wanted even though it was right there... eventually. Seeing her find not only her passion but the love she deserved gave was so beautiful.
And the way Victor has me in love and ready to jump into this book even though I'm finished with it is insane! He struggled so much with wanting to be perfect though no one is perfect, but everyone is perfectly imperfect. And I wish he knew that sooner.
AND I JUST WANNA HUG HIM 😭
(Among less appropriate things but we don't talk here about those things) 🤭
I definitely resonate with Lizzy in multiple ways even though her stubbornness had me wanting to crash out at times 😂 though I completely understand her struggle to understand what she wanted even though it was right there... eventually. Seeing her find not only her passion but the love she deserved gave was so beautiful.
And the way Victor has me in love and ready to jump into this book even though I'm finished with it is insane! He struggled so much with wanting to be perfect though no one is perfect, but everyone is perfectly imperfect. And I wish he knew that sooner.
AND I JUST WANNA HUG HIM 😭
(Among less appropriate things but we don't talk here about those things) 🤭
September 12, 2026
10 ⭐️ ARC READ
The character development was PERFECT!
You have Lizzy, freshly grieving & out of a long term relationship. Victor, a stick in the mud trying to hold the diner together after franks death, A crow familiar friend named Igor.
& The looming deadline to come up with enough cash to buy Lizzy out of the diner by Halloween.
The coziest fall read & I’m begging for book 2!
📖📸 review: https://www.instagram.com/p/DdMjeJRGp...
📖🎵 review: https://vt.tiktok.com/ZSqmv7fBG/
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The character development was PERFECT!
You have Lizzy, freshly grieving & out of a long term relationship. Victor, a stick in the mud trying to hold the diner together after franks death, A crow familiar friend named Igor.
& The looming deadline to come up with enough cash to buy Lizzy out of the diner by Halloween.
The coziest fall read & I’m begging for book 2!
📖📸 review: https://www.instagram.com/p/DdMjeJRGp...
📖🎵 review: https://vt.tiktok.com/ZSqmv7fBG/
📸/🎵lilgingyreviews
Forbidden Chapters Review Team
📸 https://www.instagram.com/lilgingyrev...
🎵 https://www.tiktok.com/@lilgingyrevie...
📚 https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/1...
September 26, 2026
Spice: 4/5
I really started off liking this book but while I loved the town and especially Victor, Lizzie's flip-flopping really started to piss me off. It seemed especially cruel to Victor, who was doing his best to support everyone. I liked Lizzie and understood her confusion to a certain degree, since it was clear that everyone in her life told her what to do but Victor never tried that. So, her hot and cold treatment of him really made me sad for him.
I really started off liking this book but while I loved the town and especially Victor, Lizzie's flip-flopping really started to piss me off. It seemed especially cruel to Victor, who was doing his best to support everyone. I liked Lizzie and understood her confusion to a certain degree, since it was clear that everyone in her life told her what to do but Victor never tried that. So, her hot and cold treatment of him really made me sad for him.
November 8, 2026
Ok so I loved how dedicated the MMC was to everyone in his life but yeah he needed to leave some space to look after himself and the FMC she has a lot of awesome qualities but bearing the end she was a bit frustrating tbh because she just wasn’t listening to Victor when he said how he felt. I just felt protective of him I felt like she was mucking him around.
Overall it was a good time, it’s just for an empathetic witch I thought she would be a little more self-aware.
Overall it was a good time, it’s just for an empathetic witch I thought she would be a little more self-aware.
October 1, 2026
This was actually a really cute and fun Halloween romance, the ONLY reason I gave it 3 stars instead of 4 is bc I found it odd she just consistently said she needed to stop jumping from man to man and figure out who she is- then jumps right into a mans life and stays again. But fr if said man was this reanimated corpse who has a vibrating dick I’d also stay so go off sis I guess!
October 22, 2026
Perfect Halloween Novella
This is the perfect Halloween Novella and a great intro to monster romance if you are new to the genre! It was so cute! I even got teary at times. And I really related to Lizzy! I love how confident Lizzy is! I even really related to Victor in his perfectionism! So cute and I'm just fully obsessed with the Pumpkin Hollow world!
This is the perfect Halloween Novella and a great intro to monster romance if you are new to the genre! It was so cute! I even got teary at times. And I really related to Lizzy! I love how confident Lizzy is! I even really related to Victor in his perfectionism! So cute and I'm just fully obsessed with the Pumpkin Hollow world!
September 9, 2026
4⭐️
This was such a fun cozy, but spicy paranormal novella! I had such a good reading it. I related to Lizzy so much and seeing her get her happy ending was so satisfying!
Thank you Nicolette for an eARC!
This was such a fun cozy, but spicy paranormal novella! I had such a good reading it. I related to Lizzy so much and seeing her get her happy ending was so satisfying!
Thank you Nicolette for an eARC!
September 23, 2026
Bingeing the pumpkin hollow series novellas? Don’t mind if I do. Did I imagine Jacob Elordi’s frankenstein monster the entire time? Why, yes I did.
This Halloween novella was so cute & handled grief surprisingly well in such a short amount of time.
This Halloween novella was so cute & handled grief surprisingly well in such a short amount of time.
October 9, 2026
This was a cute halloween novella. I enjoyed the story. The FMCs hesitations to commit got a bit too repetitive for my liking. The characters had good chemistry. The story felt complete even with it being a novella.
October 25, 2026
a liiiiiidol bit too on the nose with the frankenstein-related names (i get it but i would’ve liked something less in ur face u know) but this was another short & sweet book from the pumpkin hollow series that i truly enjoyed
September 10, 2026
Victer and Lizzy are super cute!
I love a good monster romance.
And this one was well done.
I love all the characters and the story was so cute.
I love a good monster romance.
And this one was well done.
I love all the characters and the story was so cute.
September 21, 2026
3.5. Cute. A cozy quick little transition into spooky monster read season.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 30, 2026
so cute!
This was my first book by Nicola Andrews, and it did not disappoint. I absolutely cannot wait to read more by her, and the rest of the pumpkin Hollow crew.
This was my first book by Nicola Andrews, and it did not disappoint. I absolutely cannot wait to read more by her, and the rest of the pumpkin Hollow crew.
October 15, 2026
this monster deserved more than her and her “oh i don’t want him” like bitch please.
October 19, 2026
I loveeeeed Victor SO much and he was absolutely such a green flag who deserved the world.
October 22, 2026
DNF. I couldn't get into it but maybe I'll try it again another time.
October 22, 2026
This was cute a fun Halloween read. Definitely looking forward to more books in Pumpkin Hollow!
October 24, 2026
Super cute Halloween novella with a few, well written spicy scenes 😏
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