Hallowed by The Headless Horseman

by Jacklyn Hyde

101 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 2, 2026

About the author

Hello!! My name is Jacklyn Hyde and I write books geared toward readers who like paranormal romcom vibes. I like piña coladas, short walks to my car, and a huge fan of carbs. Give me all the smut and if that sounds like you...I have cookies and would love new friends ❤️

Reviews

[Heather]

Stars- ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice- 🌶️🌶️🌶️
I received this as an ARC. All thoughts are my own

Tropes: monster romance, fated mates, curses, cozey Halloween,


Another amazing cozey read from Jacklyn!
Taking place in the legendary sleepy hallow, our FMC, Catherine finds herself in an unusual situation. One involving a cozey haunted town, a horse who breaths fire and the legend himself, the headless horseman.
Written with Jacklyn’s love for humor and wit, this story takes us on an adventure that is sure to make you fall in love with the horseman.
It is well written and thought out. As a slower burning book, the smut helps sport the plot, not drive it. Allowing for the characters to explore the relationship before jumping into it!
Each charter has a unique personality and helps to build the vibe of the book.
I hope to see more of this couple further down the line of the series. As someone who loves the legend of sleepy hallow, I have been craving a book like this. One with adventure, curses, and of course, romance!
If you’re looking for a read that is perfect for a cold stormy October night, this is it!

[Jillian]

This is a cute Headless Horseman reimagining romance novella. It is in the same universe as the Monster Bae series but can be read as a standalone.

FMC Catherine Van Tassel is traveling to a party when she gets into a strange car wreck and ends up in the forest in a pumpkin patch. But MMC Victor Crane happens to be one of those pumpkins. He’s been cursed for hundreds of years, searching for his true head, and apparently his true mate.

This book was fun, but almost a little too cute for me. But I enjoyed the whimsy and how sweet Victor was. It also connected to the magic and world of the Monster Bae series, which I enjoyed.
Overall, it was an entertaining, quick read and would be perfect for someone who doesn’t love the scary side of Halloween but still wants a fun seasonal read.

Spice 3.5/5
Plot: 3.5/5
Writing: 4.5/5
My Enjoyment: 4/5

*** I received an ARC and am voluntarily leaving my honest review.

[Nicole]

5 ⭐️
🌶🌶
Dual POV

Monster Romance
Monster Bae series novella
Cute & Cozy vibes
Halloween night
Curse Breaking
Fated Mates (no instalove though)
Flavored cum
Vine play
HEA

Jacqueline Hyde has once again taken a piece of classic monster lore and dropped it into the modern world without losing what makes the original story so recognizable, and I absolutely ate it up.

Hallowed by the Headless Horseman is a quick, cozy Halloween-night romance that can be read completely as a standalone. You don't need to have read the Monster Bae series to pick this one up, which makes it such a fun option if you're just looking for a cute, seasonal read. It's also a great little introduction to Hyde's style of bringing classic monsters into a modern setting while keeping the heart of their original stories intact.

This isn't a scary read at all, though it definitely delivers on the fall/Halloween atmosphere. There are a few moments where you might wonder, but overall this is much more cute and cozy than creepy.

I especially loved the attention to the little details. Hyde incorporates Samhain traditions and Halloween folklore in ways that feel natural to the story rather than simply being there for atmosphere. There are some especially sweet callbacks to the origins of Halloween traditions that I really enjoyed, and those little touches are exactly what make her monster retellings so much fun.

I also really enjoyed Victor and Catherine's dynamic. There's an immediate pull between them, but the romance doesn't feel like it has to sprint toward a finish line (no instalove here!). I loved getting to watch them actually spend time together, talk, learn about each other, and enjoy the night. Victor's approach to their relationship was particularly sweet, and I appreciated the care and respect he showed Catherine throughout.

And then there is Brom Bones. This giant, intimidating black stallion being an absolute sass machine who is terrified of spiders and has very strong opinions about how many treats he deserves? He's an absolute menance, and absolutely delightful. He was easily one of my favorite little additions to the story.

My only real complaint is that I wanted more. Not because the story felt rushed, because it didn't. The pacing was actually one of my favorite things about it. There was enough time for the characters to spend the night together and genuinely get to know each other, while the story still had enough forward momentum to keep things moving. I just wouldn't have complained if this novella had been a little longer because I was enjoying their time together. And, I think that's a testament to how well Hyde handles the novella format. Everything feels purposeful, the plot moves at a good pace, and nothing feels crammed just to fit the page count.

This is cute, cozy, seasonal, clever, and just plain fun. If you want a Halloween read that gives you all the fall vibes without actually trying to scare you, this is an easy one to pick up, even if you've never read the Monster Bae books.

[JabberwockyStories]

Thank you Jacklyn for allowing me to be a Beta reader! This is my honest review!

Hallowed by The Headless Horseman is a side story set in the Monster Bae series. This follows Catherine who accidentally finds herself lost in the middle of a pumpkin patch after a car crash. This just happens to be the pumpkin patch where Victor Crane's curse allows him to walk the Earth. Stunned by each other, they begin to work together to get Catherine back to her car and her belongings with a short side mission to get Victor back his head.

This was such an incredibly sweet and spooky Headless Horseman retelling that I had so much fun throughout! I love Brom so much from the prior series so was so happy to learn more about him and his relationship with Victor! I died laughing he is afraid of spiders

I love the small town our charcters find themselves in and it gives such great Halloweentown vibes! All in all this was as sweet as spooky and a very enjoyable novella!

[cassie]

🎃 HALLOWED BY THE HORSEMAN — Jacklyn Hyde 🎃

I am officially OBSESSED with Jacklyn Hyde’s books. 🖤

This was such a fast-paced, spooky little Halloween adventure and I absolutely flew through it. The perfect mix of creepy, fun, monster romance and just enough “pumpkin spice” to make things VERY interesting. 😂🎃

And honestly… have I ever been attracted to a pumpkin with vines before? No.
Did Jacklyn Hyde somehow make it happen? Absolutely. 🌿🎃👀

I loved the Halloween atmosphere, the wild adventure and the completely unhinged monster romance energy. It was exactly the kind of fun, spooky read I wanted for October.

Jacklyn Hyde has officially become an author I will happily pick up without even knowing what the monster is. 😂🖤

Spooky ✔️
Feral ✔️
Monster romance ✔️
Halloween vibes ✔️
Questionable attraction to pumpkins ✔️🎃

Now onto No Bones About It because apparently I have learned nothing. 😂🖤

[Ciara Hartman]

📝 Story Review: So this Novella is a pretty quick read at about 100 pages and it was very cute! A lighthearted spooky vibe with ghouls and witches, a cemetery and spirits, but also cozy fall themes with pumpkin spice and apple cider! A stallion who is scared of spiders and a headless horseman who is a kind gentleman just wanting to break the curse he’s been under.

There was one spicy scene at the end of the book, but overall it felt like a sweet cozy fall romance with a dash of paranormal zing. (Kinda like Hotel Transylvania!)

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4/5
Spice Level: 🌶️🌶️ 2/5
POV: First Person; Dual
Genre: Paranormal Cozy Monster Romance
Standalone Novella, Related to the Monster Bae Series

Vibes: Cute & Cozy, Halloween Adventure

Tropes 👇

- Sleepy Hollow Retelling
- Halloween & Fall Vibes
- Quest to find a skull
- Curses & Magic
- Fated Mates
- Curvy FMC

CW’s 👇

- On page car crash
- Vine Play w light bondage

[Marie-Hélène]

Two hundred years ago today, Victor and Brom were cursed by a witch when Victor fell in love with her sister, which is how Brom became his fiery self and Victor turned into the headless horseman. In the present, Catherine is driving to her parents’ place after a gruelling work week when she has to swerve for a black cat running into the street. She slips and ends up in the field where Victor’s jack-o-lantern head lives, and they set out on a quest to give him back his skull.

This is so cosy and wholesome! It’s a quick read that will fuel all the fall and halloween feelings inside of you, in the most wholesome way. After meeting Brom in the Monster Bae series, I loved to finally get to know our cursed horse’s owner! ’t Is the season for rereading all Jacklyn Hyde’s books, my dears.

[Megs]

🖤🎃ARC Review🎃🖤

Thank You Jacklyn Hyde for this ARC of Hallowed by The Headless Horseman, this was so cute and pumpkin spicy 🤭🥵

Cathrine and Victor were the fated mates that you don’t see coming, plus when they both realize something from the past that becomes the ah-ha moment was 🤯

I love the kinda scavenger hunt/obstacle course vibes of following the task of finding Victors head.

The pumpkin spice of it all was that extra bit of fun! Because Cathrine loves her pumpkin spice, in all forms 🤭

This was a perfect read for spooky season and love how it was fun and flirty with a mission.

Tropes:
🖤Slow Burn
🎃Fated Mates
🖤A Little Spooky
🎃Cozy/Fluffy
🖤Misunderstood Monster
🎃Paranormal Romance

[Dan reads books]

The perfect combo for this October… I mean it’s the Halloween night in a single shot!

I’ve been enjoying this series so much (you don’t need to read it to enjoy this but if you like this vibe? You’re gonna love the other full books) so i already knew I would love the vibe and how not to let it charm us? We have an spooky but cozy village, some scary monsters and other who are fun and cute, a fated mates subplot that’s always fun to read and the legend of the Headless Horseman but make it cute and sexy haha

Super recommend it for the spooky coziness lovers!

[Nicole Evans]

Such a cute novella! We have Viktor the headless horseman and Catherine. She gets in a crash and falls onto his head in his pumpkin patch. From there it is a wild ride to try and get his head back and reunite him with his human form. Viktor is exceptionally sweet and thoughtful, and Catherine is out of her element but immediately trusts him. It was nice to just have a wholesome story with the funny quips that this author is now for. Can't leave out Brom! The fiery horse that is terrified of spiders! 🤭

[Samantha Willens]

A cute pumpkin spice novella! Jacklyn wrote a fun take on the classic Washington Irving tale. Already meeting Brom in Frank’s book, it was nice to see it all tie in. I just want to see a bit more of the village.

Thank you to Jacklyn Hyde for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

---

Star: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Steam: 💋
Spice: 🌶️
Dark: 🏙️ afternoon delight

[Haley Denison]

Received as ARC.

This was such a cute and perfect read to start off the official spooky season. It was quick enough I was able to devour it all on October 1, very fitting! As with all novellas my little reader heart always wants more, but I am so thrilled to have spent the time with Victor and Catherine having daring adventures and falling in love. What more could a girl want?

[Angel]

This was a cute and fun read! It has everything I was looking for in a Novella. Only thing I'd have loved more of is the spice. It was a little to short and not enough of it. Over all I really enjoyed this though

[Kimberly]

This is such a fun Halloween read! So gets you ready for the spooky season!
This was an ARC read. Thank you Jacklyn Hyde for letting me be a part of this journey!

[Reba Densley]

I have always loved the Headless Horsemen and I love Halloween. I love Victor. And Brom is such a stubborn butthead that it makes you laugh. I only wish it was longer because I liked it so much.

[Echo]

Perfect book for the month of October. This was a quick read. It was one of those once I started I couldn’t put down kind of reads. Really enjoyed this one!

[Nita]

Cozy Spooky

This is one of those perfect cozy lightly spooky fall reads. The plot was really interesting and eventually you get a decent spicy bit.

[Jen Baldwin]

VERY descriptive and slow moving