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Monster Till Midnight
What if you staged the best haunted house in the history of the holiday, but nobody came?
Brady is prepared with mounds of treats, stellar special effects, and an extraordinary welcome for the throngs of trick-or-treaters he expects in his first year at his new place—a gloriously gothic house with the reputation for really being haunted! But the trick’s on Brady: Halloween is almost over and not one person has knocked on his door.
Once a top Interdimensional Law Enforcement agent, Rej was busted down to Creature Control after a run-in with his arch-nemesis. When he tracks a non-sentient construct across the dimensional barrier, he’s sure he’s about to confront Gorvenath again. But the person who bursts onto the porch in a swirl of tuxedo coattails is a monster of a very different sort—but is he Gorvenath’s accomplice or his victim?
Monster Till Midnight is an 11,000-word gay romance featuring a hopeful samhainophile, a suspicious LEO, gratuitous candy corn, and a relationship that threatens to be really, really, really long distance.
Brady is prepared with mounds of treats, stellar special effects, and an extraordinary welcome for the throngs of trick-or-treaters he expects in his first year at his new place—a gloriously gothic house with the reputation for really being haunted! But the trick’s on Brady: Halloween is almost over and not one person has knocked on his door.
Once a top Interdimensional Law Enforcement agent, Rej was busted down to Creature Control after a run-in with his arch-nemesis. When he tracks a non-sentient construct across the dimensional barrier, he’s sure he’s about to confront Gorvenath again. But the person who bursts onto the porch in a swirl of tuxedo coattails is a monster of a very different sort—but is he Gorvenath’s accomplice or his victim?
Monster Till Midnight is an 11,000-word gay romance featuring a hopeful samhainophile, a suspicious LEO, gratuitous candy corn, and a relationship that threatens to be really, really, really long distance.
54 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 26, 2018
27 people are currently reading
99 people want to read
About the author
E.J. Russell
54 books412 followersE.J. Russell –grace, mother of three, recovering actor–writes romance in a rainbow of flavors. Count on high snark, low angst and happy endings.
Reality? Eh, not so much.
Reality? Eh, not so much.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews
October 28, 2019
Wow... this is just wonderful. I certainly hope the author decides to add more Rej & Brady adventures as I will gobbled them up as fast as she can release them. Considering this is a fairly short book I am seriously impressed by the amount of world-building the author managed in it. She has created an awesome adversary for the two to battle. Loved, loved, loved and loved this book!!!!
November 1, 2022
“I really shouldn’t keep ogling him. How creepy to have a pumpkin leering at you.”
Monster Till Midnight is a charming novella. Let's face it, nothing screams Halloween more than a guy with a Jack-O-Lantern for a head!
I would happily read more stories set in this world; it was pretty well developed given the (short) novella length and had a lot of potential for further story development.
Monster Till Midnight is a perfect light Halloween read. E.J. Russell brings their signature humour to this story, making it just plain fun to read!
This book is featured on the Word Nerd Reviews blog – Halloween 2022 Top Picks. See what else is in the list here
All my reviews can be found on my blog: The Word Nerd Reviews
Follow Me: Facebook , Twitter & Instagram
The Word Nerd Reviews is currently looking for reviewers aged 18+ to join the team. If you are interested, visit the blog for more information.
Monster Till Midnight is a charming novella. Let's face it, nothing screams Halloween more than a guy with a Jack-O-Lantern for a head!
I would happily read more stories set in this world; it was pretty well developed given the (short) novella length and had a lot of potential for further story development.
Monster Till Midnight is a perfect light Halloween read. E.J. Russell brings their signature humour to this story, making it just plain fun to read!
This book is featured on the Word Nerd Reviews blog – Halloween 2022 Top Picks. See what else is in the list here
All my reviews can be found on my blog: The Word Nerd Reviews
Follow Me: Facebook , Twitter & Instagram
The Word Nerd Reviews is currently looking for reviewers aged 18+ to join the team. If you are interested, visit the blog for more information.
November 1, 2018
Between Rej, an interdimensional officer of the law recently demoted to interdimensional creature control, and Brady, a perfectly normal human trapped in a totally not-normal Halloween costume, this is a hilarious story that involves not just alternate dimensions, but also includes multiple time streams, techno-magic, and a cross-dimensional villain threatening to destroy it all.
Please find my full review on Rainbow Book Reviews.
Please find my full review on Rainbow Book Reviews.
October 30, 2018
This was fun, fun, fun!!! Wish we had more time in this universe.
November 4, 2018
Great little mm story in the theme of Halloween. Time travel and other elements. A fun story. This is a new to me author and I’ll read her again.
October 21, 2019
Very short, cute, fluffy Halloween read with a pair of adorkable characters. Not too solid world building, but I got the gist and enjoyed the story nonetheless.
October 31, 2022
Fun, if too short.
December 12, 2018
What a great spooky read! I don’t think I’m the only reader who will be longing for more after finishing this one 😉 Though I have to admit that I’m a sucker for E.J. Russell’s quirky, sometimes adorably awkward characters.
Rej was adorable in a gruff, all business sort of way and so was Brady. The twist that this one took was fun and the world building with such a short story was fantastic. Also, I’m not a “judge a book by its cover” reader, but this one is such a perfect fit for the story that I couldn’t NOT mention how much I love it. ❤ This was another one that I picked up as a Halloween freebie and it was perfect… just wish there was more 😉
Rej was adorable in a gruff, all business sort of way and so was Brady. The twist that this one took was fun and the world building with such a short story was fantastic. Also, I’m not a “judge a book by its cover” reader, but this one is such a perfect fit for the story that I couldn’t NOT mention how much I love it. ❤ This was another one that I picked up as a Halloween freebie and it was perfect… just wish there was more 😉
November 12, 2018
I love this quirky, full of snark little Halloween story. Even though this sort of takes place at Halloween - I say sort of because it's Brady's Halloween but for Rej it could be any time or place in his dimensional/ time jumping life - it's a great little read at any time of the year.
Brady and Rej are great MCs, I felt a spark between them right from the start. Poor sweet Brady, how awful am I for laughing at his predicament but I couldn't help it, it was hilarious!
Monster Till Midnight is a great combination of Scifi, magic and romance. I wish it was longer, I'm so not ready to give up Brady and Rej! I want to know more about them. I want to be part of Brady and Rej's love story and their adventures through time.
Maybe at some point in the not too distant future E. J. Russell will grace us with a novel full of Brady and Rej's adventures.....maybe if we ask really nicely.
December 11, 2018
Cute short story [spoilers]
Cute and funny but very short. I loved the miscommunications and the different perspectives.
The only negative (apart from the length) was the ending, it makes sense if this story will be a prequel but otherwise the motivation behind the ending makes me sad, Rej's only reason for visiting in that scenario would be if something had happened to his new partner and he couldn't say what he wanted to say to his partner so he goes and says it to Brady. Hopefully this will make sense when you read the book without giving away too much now. Wonder if anyone else saw that?
Cute and funny but very short. I loved the miscommunications and the different perspectives.
The only negative (apart from the length) was the ending, it makes sense if this story will be a prequel but otherwise the motivation behind the ending makes me sad, Rej's only reason for visiting in that scenario would be if something had happened to his new partner and he couldn't say what he wanted to say to his partner so he goes and says it to Brady. Hopefully this will make sense when you read the book without giving away too much now. Wonder if anyone else saw that?
November 5, 2018
This has a bit of everything, Halloween, magic, time travel, dancing, haunted houses, candy corn. The cover is perfect and I really loved Brady and how he dealt with the whole thing, he was just an adorable character who was coping as best he could under the circumstances. I did find the whole time travel thing at the end confusing and I found that Rej started out completely out of his depth then seemed to suddenly understand everything. But the squirreltopus was a cute touch. It was just a really enjoyable read and it was a freebie. I really enjoyed it.
October 23, 2024
Re-read 10/22/24: obviously I didn't like this as much two years ago, but I'm bumping it up to 5 stars this time! I wonder how I'll feel about it in 2026...
Re-read 11/1/22: still pretty cute, but I might not be as completely enamored as I was on the first read.
Original review: That was freaking adorable! She says this is the only story in this universe, but I'd love to see more set here -- such great possibilities!
Re-read 11/1/22: still pretty cute, but I might not be as completely enamored as I was on the first read.
Original review: That was freaking adorable! She says this is the only story in this universe, but I'd love to see more set here -- such great possibilities!
October 30, 2022
Monster till Midnight is a brilliant short story!
Some perfect Halloween stories are long, in-depth, highly detailed tales of terror and mayhem and then there are those that offer up the same level of thrills in a condensed package. Truth is, some of the all time classics were just that: short stories from a collection or even magazine shorts. Just because something is short on quantity doesn't mean it will be short on quality.
So honestly? Monster till Midnight is a flat out brilliant story, short or otherwise.
I won't give away too much, this is another older story I just discovered but I don't want to ruin it for others who like me are just discovering this EJ Russell gem. Is it paranormal? Sci-fi? Fantasy? I found it to be a bit of all three with just the right helping of heat and humor to balance out the Halloweenie flavor.
Rej and Brady are a delight! I feel for Brady, going full-on Halloween party mode and no one shows up, I grew up in the middle of the boonies and the only trick-or-treaters we got was the neighbor's grandkids so I can sympathize with his disappointment to a degree. You just want a line of cars to appear but they don't. As for Rej? You can't help but cheer for him in his quest to capture his archnemisis, kind of like Doctor Who vs The Master, almost glad when he doesn't locate him as he expected because you know there's more to the story than he's telling and yet you don't want him to fail either.
Think I'll end there before giving away too much but if you, like me, havn't read Monster Till Midnight by EJ Russell, I highly suggest forgoing the tricks and seek out this fun little sneaky treat.
Some perfect Halloween stories are long, in-depth, highly detailed tales of terror and mayhem and then there are those that offer up the same level of thrills in a condensed package. Truth is, some of the all time classics were just that: short stories from a collection or even magazine shorts. Just because something is short on quantity doesn't mean it will be short on quality.
So honestly? Monster till Midnight is a flat out brilliant story, short or otherwise.
I won't give away too much, this is another older story I just discovered but I don't want to ruin it for others who like me are just discovering this EJ Russell gem. Is it paranormal? Sci-fi? Fantasy? I found it to be a bit of all three with just the right helping of heat and humor to balance out the Halloweenie flavor.
Rej and Brady are a delight! I feel for Brady, going full-on Halloween party mode and no one shows up, I grew up in the middle of the boonies and the only trick-or-treaters we got was the neighbor's grandkids so I can sympathize with his disappointment to a degree. You just want a line of cars to appear but they don't. As for Rej? You can't help but cheer for him in his quest to capture his archnemisis, kind of like Doctor Who vs The Master, almost glad when he doesn't locate him as he expected because you know there's more to the story than he's telling and yet you don't want him to fail either.
Think I'll end there before giving away too much but if you, like me, havn't read Monster Till Midnight by EJ Russell, I highly suggest forgoing the tricks and seek out this fun little sneaky treat.
October 29, 2018
A very fun short with a fascinating world and a fluid ending that leaves an opening for more! Brady is just trying to run a haunted house in his own house but nothing is going right. When his temp shows up Rej is dressed wrong and acting odd- not that it matters when the night is a bust. But when a unique costume malfunction happens Brady realizes Rej may have something more going on, and it's not a prank.
Rej is at first a very gruff character, but he eases as he learns more about the situation and you see the man underneath all of that gruffness. He very clearly cares about Brady once he realizes the whole situation and is working from a difficult point himself. The respect he shows in what is an unusual happenstance goes a long way to helping Brady and it really makes the two of them click.
Brady is impressive for how he deals with the madness going on so cooly. Sure, there is a bit of a freak out, but honestly the situation warranted it! Otherwise Brady is ready to help and try to figure out new things, as well as pitch in how his own skills can apply to the new situation. He really makes the whole thing work!
The ending has a bit of fluidity that leaves a nice opening. Russell could go and tell the story continuing on of what happens with these two in their ensuing adventures through time, which would be a book I would surely read! Or, if left, there is plenty of story setup for the reader to imagine what happens with these two and what their own ending will be! Excellent short!
Rej is at first a very gruff character, but he eases as he learns more about the situation and you see the man underneath all of that gruffness. He very clearly cares about Brady once he realizes the whole situation and is working from a difficult point himself. The respect he shows in what is an unusual happenstance goes a long way to helping Brady and it really makes the two of them click.
Brady is impressive for how he deals with the madness going on so cooly. Sure, there is a bit of a freak out, but honestly the situation warranted it! Otherwise Brady is ready to help and try to figure out new things, as well as pitch in how his own skills can apply to the new situation. He really makes the whole thing work!
The ending has a bit of fluidity that leaves a nice opening. Russell could go and tell the story continuing on of what happens with these two in their ensuing adventures through time, which would be a book I would surely read! Or, if left, there is plenty of story setup for the reader to imagine what happens with these two and what their own ending will be! Excellent short!
October 29, 2024
I was hoping to get some Halloween reads in before the big day and this novella was just right for the season. It’s a paranormal cross dimensional low angst rom-com. Not a lot of spice but quick sweet read.
Rej has been tracking the nefarious Gorvenath across time and dimensions and happens to find evidence of him at Brady’s haunted house corn maze. The unsuspecting Brady doesn’t realize he’s become part of the villain’s plan and Rej scrambles to figure things out and what traps await them both. The selfish part of me wanted more like with Halloween candy but it ends with the promise of whatever awaits both of these characters!
It’s a good read if you’re looking for something under a few hours to satisfy that candy corn craving!
Rej has been tracking the nefarious Gorvenath across time and dimensions and happens to find evidence of him at Brady’s haunted house corn maze. The unsuspecting Brady doesn’t realize he’s become part of the villain’s plan and Rej scrambles to figure things out and what traps await them both. The selfish part of me wanted more like with Halloween candy but it ends with the promise of whatever awaits both of these characters!
It’s a good read if you’re looking for something under a few hours to satisfy that candy corn craving!
December 6, 2019
Short and Sweet
The premise of this story really captivated me. Rej and Brady have almost a Buzz lightyear and Woody dynamic, except the aliens are real and out to get you. It feels like there could be setup for a novel to follow this short; I'd definitely like to know more about this world. Some of Rej and Brady's feelings seem a bit rushed, especially how Brady trusts Rej after his erratic behavior. Watching Brady's haunted house come to life (in more ways than he expected) is delightful.
The premise of this story really captivated me. Rej and Brady have almost a Buzz lightyear and Woody dynamic, except the aliens are real and out to get you. It feels like there could be setup for a novel to follow this short; I'd definitely like to know more about this world. Some of Rej and Brady's feelings seem a bit rushed, especially how Brady trusts Rej after his erratic behavior. Watching Brady's haunted house come to life (in more ways than he expected) is delightful.
October 11, 2022
💥 Read for the Bang In The Night 2 - The Monster Smash (#BangInTheNight) Bingo with the
#ButDoTheyBang
Group 💥
Bingo Images:
•• 11. This Is Halloween! ••
🎉🎉 Double Bingo (5th & 6th) 🎉🎉
🌟 4.5 Stars 🌟
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November 16, 2019
What a cute little Halloween novella! It was a little confusing at times, building a completely different world in novella format has to be hard, but it was still very enjoyable. I loved the idea of other dimensions, and I thought it was really well done here. Probably would’ve been better as a full length novel, but it still worked and will probably be something I reread around Halloween in the future.
November 1, 2018
I wish this had been full length! I loved this so much! It was clever, with some fabulous twists in it and loads of laughs!
It was a minute to read, but I wish that we had more time with these characters and their discovery of love that is more hinted at than explored.
In any case – highly recommended for a quick, fun, Halloween read!
It was a minute to read, but I wish that we had more time with these characters and their discovery of love that is more hinted at than explored.
In any case – highly recommended for a quick, fun, Halloween read!
November 14, 2018
This was really cute and silly in the best way. Only peripherally about Halloween but still fit perfectly. Fully realized world even though it's a short story.
Fun, sweet, and believable love story set both on earth and beyond. Definitely worth the read.
Fun, sweet, and believable love story set both on earth and beyond. Definitely worth the read.
March 19, 2021
Quirky
Quirky little story that is definitely interesting because of its weirdness. Seeing as how the author lists it in the Magic Emporium universe, this makes sense. It was bumped up to a five because the ending shows that there is a definite HEA.
Quirky little story that is definitely interesting because of its weirdness. Seeing as how the author lists it in the Magic Emporium universe, this makes sense. It was bumped up to a five because the ending shows that there is a definite HEA.
October 7, 2022
This was so cool! I was all, how is it all going to come together?! And I shouldn't have doubted because it did! What an awesome universe! I don't know why it took me so long to read this book, lol.
(I hope the author dips back into this universe someday!)
(I hope the author dips back into this universe someday!)
October 27, 2022
Cute
Nothing like messing with the time streams. My inner Dr Who geek is squealing in delight. This is a cute little Halloween tale with endless possibilities. I loved it so much! Rej and Brady’s story was delightful and fun.
Nothing like messing with the time streams. My inner Dr Who geek is squealing in delight. This is a cute little Halloween tale with endless possibilities. I loved it so much! Rej and Brady’s story was delightful and fun.
October 28, 2018
Fun and quirky little story!
November 18, 2018
I really enjoyed this Halloween short story. Rej and Brady clicked and I enjoyed watching them try to figure out what all was going on with Brady and his house. Loved the ending.
December 18, 2018
I like E.J. Russell's writing but I didn't like this book. A totally objective review would rate it higher but...
March 19, 2019
A little bizarre (all I’m gonna say is squirreltopus ha ha), a little funny, & a fantastic short story!
October 19, 2019
Cute
This is a chute, short, Halloween story. Sci-fi-ish with fun characters. I wish it was longer or that another story was written about their journey to catch the bad guy.
This is a chute, short, Halloween story. Sci-fi-ish with fun characters. I wish it was longer or that another story was written about their journey to catch the bad guy.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews