Back of Book: 

Welcome to Pumpkin Hollow!

This little witchy town hidden away from humans in the White Mountains National Forest, situated directly in between New Hampshire and Maine, belongs to neither. It's home to supernatural creatures of all kinds, but mostly witches of every variety.

Fern Appleton is a cozy cottage witch who runs the town bookstore with her adorable tuxedo cat, Bramble. While some might say she's lonely after her parents moved away, Fern believes that it's hard to be lonely with a talking cat for a familiar. For the first time, it's entirely on Fern to decorate Petals & Pages Bookstore for Pumpkin Hollow's annual Pumpkin Festival, and she's terrified of disappointing her parents.

Sparrow Blackburne and her twin, Lark, are dream witches. It's about the only thing they have in common - Sparrow has ebony hair, while Lark is ginger. Sparrow works at the town library while Lark is a botanist. After saving Fern from falling off a ladder while decorating the bookstore, Sparrow begins to notice the pretty young witch all over town, even in her dreams. Bramble requests Sparrow & Lark to help get the bookstore ready for the festival, and the close proximity stirs up plenty of feelings.

In a town this small, it's impossible to keep secrets. Will these two fall for Lark and Bramble's matchmaking scheme?

Book Number: One

Genre: Adult | Fantasy | Romance | LGBTQIA+ 

Review: 🌟🌟🌟

Two witches who have spent years with their noses stuck in a book accidentally run into one another and catch feelings in this cozy autumnal novella. 

Fern Appleton has recently taken over running her family's bookstore and she has a lot to prep before Pumpkin Hollow's busiest season of the year hits—fall and the Pumpkin Festival. Luckily, Sparrow Blackburne volunteers to help decorate the shop with all the autumnal vibes Fern could dream of. When Sparrow’s conniving sister, Lark, and Fern’s sneaky cat familiar, Bramble, hatch a plan to set the two of them up, Fern and Sparrow have no choice but to give love a chance. 

After spending my summer basking in the rays of the “Crescent Cove” series, I knew I had to check out “Pumpkin Hollow.” Many of the authors overlap, so I was stoked when they announced this cozy witchy collection that is perfect for fall. Thank you so much to Kay Leyda for the eARC of this one! 

The vibes of Pumpkin Hollow are honestly great. If you are one of those people who live for watching the leaves turn colors, enjoying a pumpkin spice latte, or basking in the cooler weather, you should definitely give this series a try. Pumpkin Hollow is such a cozy small town and I’m really looking forward to meeting its many residents over the course of this month. 

The fact that both of our FMCs are bookish witches is super sweet. Fern owns a bookstore whereas Sparrow works at the library. I can’t say that either is central to the plot, but I don’t think any of us are complaining about more bookish content inside our reads. Also, yay for a sapphic couple to be included in a large collection like this! 

My favorite part of this one is the vibes of the Pumpkin Festival. I’m always so jealous of characters that get to experience their hometown’s fall festival, as they all sound so cute and adorable! Going on a first date at a festival such as this does sound a tad overwhelming, but it would be so fun to attend with close friends, family, or one’s significant other. 

Now that I’ve talked about my favorite parts, I’m going to transition over to what didn’t really work for me. From the start, I had a hard time keeping our main characters straight as Fern, Sparrow, and Lark all have a ton in common. It really didn’t help that Fern and Sparrow had such similar names; I know that they are twins and all, but it took me at least forty pages to remember who was who. The fact that Fern and Sparrow are both constantly working with books made it hard to tell which PoV I was currently reading, and this only added to me not having the easiest time keeping everyone straight. 

Honestly, I was so annoyed by how often the terms “younger witch,” “young witch,” “older witch,” and “little witch” appear throughout the course of this novella. It honestly made me feel like I was losing my mind when Fern and Sparrow constantly refer to each other as “younger” and “older” witch. That just didn’t seem natural to me at all, especially when it is just as easy to write “Sparrow said.” I know this is such a nit-picky thing, but it honestly drove me bonkers, so I felt I had to include it in my review. I even went to the length of using the Kindle search feature and some of these searches were in the forties, which I found a touch ridiculous. 

Before I go, I do want to say that this one ended a tad abruptly. The Pumpkin Festival isn’t even over by the time the last page is flipped, which I found a bit odd. The epilogue felt a bit more like a chance to name drop other characters in the series rather than actually share more about Fern and Sparrow’s relationship. But then again, most authors probably would have turned this into a sex scene, so I have to give Leyda kudos for sticking to her guns and keeping her no-spice reputation alive. 

Overall, “Ruffled Feathers” was a fine introduction into the “Pumpkin Hollow” series, but I didn’t find it to be anything special. Fern and Sparrow form a sweet relationship with one another, but it doesn’t develop into anything further than cute. The autumnal vibes were on point and this one makes me very hopeful for the rest of the series, I just don’t think this romance was one hundred percent for me. 

Back of Book: 

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…

Book Number: Two

Genre: Adult | Fantasy | Romance 

Review: 🌟🌟🌟

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. 

Back of Book: 

Air witch Zephyr McAllister is the world’s greatest broomstick racer.

Well, she was, until a crash left her unsure of herself and bearing scars she won’t let anyone see. Now she’s retired early with an entire lifetime ahead of her. And with the realization that her dream career and ex-fiancé have left her behind.

The once overconfident racer has returned to her hometown of Pumpkin Hollow, where she only uses her flying broomstick to deliver the mail. She falls into a lull until the local mechanic, Neil Finnegan, a Storm witch from her past, sparks a rivalry between them.

Though her racing days are behind her, Zephyr can’t keep her competitive nature down. She knows she can make the stoic Neil drop his guard, but is she ready to drop her own? When fighting doesn’t faze him, and she turns to flirting, Neil might prove a challenge her bruised heart isn’t ready for.

A standalone novella full of magic and sweet and spicy romance that will have you racing to the finish. Part of the multi-author standalone series, Pumpkin Hollow.

Book Number: Three

Genre: Adult | Fantasy | Romance 

Review: 🌟🌟🌟🌟

A cocky and confident broomstick racer returns to her cozy hometown after a devastating accident that ended her career and has her realizing that some things are even more important than winning. 

Zephyr McAllister is known for doing everything fast. She may not be able to spend her time broomstick racing anymore after an accident left her unable to return to the sport, but one could bet that she’s going to figure out how to deliver her mail route as quickly as possibly. When she keeps literally running into the town’s mechanic, Neil Finnegan, he forces her to slow down and consider what she really wants out of life. 

I didn’t manage to get my hands on an ARC of this on, so I checked it out through Kindle Unlimited. I’ve never read any of Blaine’s books before, so I wasn’t sure what to expect other than this one was based on the movie “Cars,” which I thought was quite unique and sounded entertaining. 

Right off the bat, I found myself laughing at the dialogue. The banter between Zephyr and Neil is quite witty, but honestly, Zephyr is the master of quips and her conversations are always quite humorous. I also thought that Levina’s comments were quite hilarious, especially when they pertained to her Uncle Neil. 

Zephyr McAllister is like a mix of Lightning McQueen and Dusty Crophopper. This is a combination of characters I never expected to be blended to create a FMC of an urban romantasy, but I was totally there for it! I love her cocky attitude and her never-ending confidence. Like McQueen, she seriously needed to learn what was most important in life and that there was more to live for than winning. The growth arc she goes through is quite wonderful, and I love that she also got to go through a bit of the coaching arc too and bestow her wisdom on the younger generation. The Crophopper bit comes in with the fact that Zephyr is afraid of heights. I thought this was such an ironic thing because she’s an air witch as well as a racer, but it’s totally understandable due to the trauma she’s been through. Long story short, I personally found Zephyr to be a very engaging character to follow. 

Unlike the previous installments, this one wasn’t dual PoV. This had me not knowing Neil as thoroughly as the other MMCs, but I still thought he was a great guy. He pushes Zephyr to slow down and consider what the end of her career as a racer truly means for her as a person. Their romance is fast and filled with conviction, and I wouldn’t expect anything less from these two. The way that Neil takes control is pretty hot, especially because Zephyr is brimming with so much swagger. Meeting a character that matches her ferocity was cool and made for a really fun romantic dynamic. 

I also thought the side characters in this one were really cool. Dale is Zephyr’s cardinal familiar, and honestly, I adored his attitude. He has very strong opinions and likes to listen to rock music at full blast, so it’s hard not to like the little guy. Levina adds a great splash of color, as she is a high schooler who is so over the blossoming relationship between her idol and her uncle. The bond that Levina and Zephyr eventually form is so sweet, but I thought it was great seeing her pretend to hate the romance that was occurring between two of her favorite people. Even Zephyr’s coworkers had vivid personalities, which made it easy to tell Tawny and Karah apart at all times. 

I also thought that Zephyr and Neil’s magic complemented each other well. Zephyr is an air witch and Neil is a storm witch, so these two abilities go hand in hand. I thought it added a really cute aspect to their flirting as Zephyr would sometimes jump high in excitement and Neil would shock her with little bursts of electricity. It truly added a unique little touch to the romance. 

Overall, I had a really fun time with “The Mechanics of Broomstick Racing.” I laughed aloud quite often while reading this one; the dialogue was super witty! The relationship between Zephyr and Neil is certainly fiery and fast-paced, but it fits their natures so well. The side characters were also a great asset to this story. I loved the racing elements and the fact that this one is inspired by the world of Pixar’s “Cars.” This one was unlike any paranormal romance I’ve read thus far, which was really fun. I definitely wouldn’t be opposed to checking out more of Baine’s work in the future, because I thought this one was a blast! 

Back of Book: 

A curse twisted every word she spoke. She’d given up all hope, until he–quite literally–crashed into her life.

Lucia Atropa has the most dangerous garden in Pumpkin Hollow and a curse she can’t escape. Every word she speaks twists in the ears of those around her, a parting gift from her family for speaking up about their patenting of folk remedies. She's done trying to be understood. Her night-blooming flowers never ask her to explain herself, and she busies herself in her work, even as the loneliness creeps closer every night.

She didn't account for a six-foot-something Mothman with wings, a leather jacket, and a ridiculously strong affinity for lamps.

Hawk Acheron just does the deliveries. He doesn't settle down, always on the move for good reasons he doesn't talk about. But when a broken Moon Queen flower dusts them both with its pollen, suddenly he can feel everything Lucia is feeling and for the first time in years, someone actually understands her.

Now they're stuck within each other until Halloween, when they can to break the bond for good. Surely nothing could come from two emotionally stunted people spending the most magically potent time of the year forced to stay near someone who can read their every feeling like a book. No reason why this should become anything more than a temporary inconvenience.

Except the counter-spell requires them to both truly want it broken. For a witch who's been betrayed by everyone she trusted and a mothman who's spent his life taking care of others, choosing to trust is scarier than any Halloween fright.

For two very lonely people, one fateful delivery leads to a whole lot more than a broken greenhouse window.

Book Number: Four

Genre: Adult | Fantasy | Romance 

Review: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

A cinnamon roll cryptid and a lonely witch unexpectedly crash into one another and quickly find that their lives feel a lot less lonely. 

Lucia Atropa used to be a part of a prestigious family until she was cursed five years ago to never be able to express her thoughts. No matter what she says, everyone only hears vile words that she would never utter. Desperate to break the curse, she is finally ready to do a ritual that is years in the making. When a handsome mothman by the name of Hawk Acheron crashes through her greenhouse’s wall, the two find themselves magical entangled with each another. Consequently, Lucia and Hawk can sense each other’s feelings and can only go within a twenty foot radius of one another. Lucia has two curses to attend with now, but she finds that life is a lot less lonely because Hawk can actually hear what she is saying. They may only have two weeks to figure out how to fix their situation, but two weeks is plenty of time to catch feelings for someone when one is around them constantly.

I recently read “Beaches and Bites” by Thorne and thought it was really fun, so I was looking forward to this installment in the “Pumpkin Hollow” series immensely. I’ve also never read a romance featuring a mothman hybrid, so I was super stoked for that, too. 

One thing that stuck out to me right away is despite how kickbutt these characters seem, they are actually so sweet on the inside. Lucia seems grumpy and harsh, but she’s been living in a world of solitude for five years, so who can blame her? Hawk has tattoos and piercing and rides a motorcycle, but he’s truly a cinnamon roll. Thorne seems to be drawn towards sharp characters with harsh backstories, but I love how fluffy these two were on the inside! 

Lucia has truly been through a ton. I can’t believe anyone would be so cruel as to put a curse like that on another person. To know that it was someone she once loved makes it hurt all that much more. The fact that Lucia literally can’t talk to anyone without them completely hearing different words made for a very interesting minor conflict, as she can only communicate accurately with Hawk and nobody else. The fact that people can’t read her writing and people can’t repeat her words for her makes the curse very thorough and her situation all that more devastating as she is truly isolated from the rest of the world. Lucia’s isolation makes her relationship with Hawk that much sweeter. 

For as long as he can remember, Hawk has given his all into taking care of his six younger brothers. When finally given the chance to take a breather, Hawk begins to realize that his family is fine without his constant supervision. His brothers are mostly all adults now, so he doesn’t need to micromanage their every move. It’s nice that he finally realizes that he is lonely and that he deserves to live his own life, too. 

Lucia and Hawk are so cute together! I am such a huge fan of forced proximity when it is due to a magical spell gone wrong. Seriously, I am an absolute sucker for when the romantic pair can only go a certain distance from one another; it makes the forced proximity all that sweeter for some reason. Lucia and Hawk are very respectful of each other’s boundaries, but it’s really hard to deny their attraction for one another when they can literally feel each other’s emotions. The way these two support each other is also so sweet. Lucia has been so alone, but Hawk defends her in front of her family without a second thought. He sees who Lucia truly is, not the curse that has tainted her existence for years. I must say, these two have such fiery chemistry, but they support it with sweet moments towards one another. 

Thorne is the queen of casual sex turns to a deep connection! Lucia and Hawk begin sleeping with one another with no strings attached, but it’s only inevitable that they will fall head over heels in love in two weeks time. The spice was real steamy in this one, but I enjoyed how one could see their relationship deepening each time as they got to know each other more, too. 

This one is set a bit on the outskirts of Pumpkin Hollow, so this one feels a little different than the other books. I thought the isolation only made the romance that much hotter, but it also paled the town’s importance a bit. It didn’t bother me at all though.

I found myself scratching my head when characters started talking about shifter autoimmune disorders. It tickled something in the back of my brain but I couldn’t place why, as it wasn’t mentioned in the previous installments of this series. That’s because it was actually mentioned in Thorne’s other book “Beaches and Bites”! I wasn’t expecting a little crossover moment, but I absolutely loved seeing Mia Perez and Marcus Webb briefly apppearing in this one. I’d read an entire book about these two, so I’ll take the crumbs I can get. 

Overall, “Moth to a Flame” was such a fun cozy paranormal read. I loved Lucia and Hawk as characters, and their chemistry with one another was scorching! The forced proximity was scrumptious and I absolutely ate up all of their interactions caused by the backfiring spell. This book is such a sweet one that includes great themes such as using one’s voice for good, standing up for what’s right, and seizing what one wants before it is too late. Ava Thorne has proven to me that she is great at writing fast-paced, sexy romances that still have me falling in love with the characters. I look forward to checking out more of her books in the future! 

Back of Book: 

When healer witch Milo Pembrooke and his handsome Chimera mate, Grievance, discover Pumpkin Hollow has a new “pest” just days before the annual Pumpkin Festival, they volunteer to catch it before frightened townsfolk take matters into their own hands. But the elusive culprit turns out to be a mischievous baby dragon who’s more interested in smashing pumpkins than causing trouble.

Between overflowing customers, an unexpected potion mishap, and one tiny ice-breathing troublemaker, Milo and Grievance may discover their little family is about to get a whole lot bigger.

Book Number: Five

Genre: Adult | Fantasy | Romance | LGBTQIA+ | Erotica

Review: 🌟🌟

A scorching monster romance with a hint of a snowy mystery that is perfect for the autumn season. 

Milo Pembrooke and his mate, the shapeshifting chimera Grievance, are sent to discover why snow keeps showing up in inexplicable places. The Pumpkin Festival is only days away, and it will be a disaster if the town has to worry about snow and ice amongst all the festive chaos. As the two investigate, they find it hard to resist their primal urges and can’t seem to keep their hands off one other. There are several mysteries to solve and only a few days to do it. 

Tereza Kane is another one of the authors in this collection that I’ve never read a book from. I was looking forward to this one because it’s the only MM relationship in the entire set, but this one was a tad too spicy for my liking. 

The first thing that I observed about this one is that it felt like I was being thrown into book two of a series. Milo and Grievance are already an established couple which was fine, but it just constantly alluded to things about their relationship in a way that made it seem like I already should have read a book about how they met and the first mystery that Milo had to solve for the town. There are a few other instances that felt similar, such as when it expected us to already know who Sadie was. It wasn’t hard to use context clues to surmise who she was, but still, I didn’t love that this feeling persisted throughout many pieces of the book. 

Despite there being an important mystery for these two boys to solve, this book mostly has them ignoring it and having sex with one another instead. There was a plot reason why they had sex for literal chapters at a time, but it still felt like an excuse to make this book extremely steamy for no reason. I was chill with the first two scenes, but once it went on for another two with another one thrown in at the end, I just found myself caring less and less with each one. Also, with Grievance being a shapeshifting chimera, there is about every type of monster spice and kink imaginable, so just take that into account. 

And once the mystery is finally the main focus again, it pretty much shows up on their doorstep and solves itself, which was a tad frustrating. I would have appreciated a bit more attention on this plot point rather than these two men’s insatiable desire for one another. 

Despite my complaints, I did find their found family to be really sweet. Milo and Grievance are mates for a reason, as they would literally do anything for one another. Pip is a really sweet almost-familiar to Milo, and has a great attitude towards life. Even the goat added to the cute found family vibes (though Esmeralda is the baby they never knew they needed). 

Also, this one does make me excited to dive into Aly Hollis’s book in this series and meet Sadie and Rowen in earnest. They seem like two very mischievous individuals, and I figure their blossoming romance should be quite comical. 

Overall, “Something Handsome This Way Comes” was not my cup of tea. There were elements of this one I liked such as the found family and the premise that it was going to be a cozy fall mystery, but it ended up focusing on sex and little else. I was quite disappointed by the trajectory this one ended up taking. I did like the characters and such, so it could have been a way worse read, I just found myself not really caring after the main plot got thrown to the wayside. 

Back of Book: 

When the caretaker of Pumpkin Hollow’s cathedral passes away, Kitchen Witch Amelie is called to take her place. But when the town illusion begins to fail and the dead start to rise from their graves, Amelie must help the residents of the cathedral get ahold of their powers before they reveal the quaint little town to the dangers of the human world.

Can she get the convent of witches under control before everything falls apart? And what happens when they all start to take a special interest in her? Will there be enough of her to go around?

Book Number: Six

Genre: Adult | Fantasy | Romance | LGBTQIA+ 

Review: 🌟🌟🌟🌟

A why choose sapphic romance in which four witches must take down the undead in order to save their cozy small town. 

After the prior caretaker of Pumpkin Hollow's cathedral passes away, Amelie is called to take her place. Upon reaching the cathedral, Amelie embraces her powers as a kitchen witch and tries her hardest to welcome her new friends by making them delectable meals. Just as she is beginning to get to know her fellow witches, disaster strikes the graveyard and suddenly the undead are being animated left and right. It’s up to the four girls to utilize their magic in tandem before these creatures infect the rest of Pumpkin Hollow. 

I’ve never read a book by Harlowe Savage before, so I’m glad they took a chance on me. Thank you so much Harlowe Savage for the eARC of this book!

I haven’t read very many poly romances in my day, so I was excited to dive into this one. I was super curious to see if all the girls would get together or if they would all just be Amelie’s girlfriend. It made me really happy that all four girls come together and that they love each other unconditionally after only a short time together. Their relationship may have moved a bit fast, but their personalities all blend well together, so I think they will be happy in the long run. 

I thought it was really cool that each of these young women utilize their powers for the good of Pumpkin Hollow. Regina is a seer and it’s her job to record her prophecies and visions and monitor when they come to pass. Hestia is an illusion witch in charge of maintaining the border around Pumpkin Hollow that hides it from humans. Delia is a death witch who is in charge of taking care of the cemetery and any magical induced problems that may occur. Amelie’s job is essentially to take care of all of them so that they can focus on their own duties to the town and generally maintain the property. This book isn’t very long, but I appreciated how in-depth each witch’s power was. 

All of their familiars are so stinking cute! As Amelie moves in, it is super sweet to see her get to know Regina, Hestia, and Delia in turn. Seeing their animal companions befriend one another immediately was so wholesome, and felt a bit like foreshadowing just how quickly their relationship would evolve. Amelie’s familiar is a ferret by the name of Truffle, and he’s so darn cute! I am a sucker for ferrets, so I fell in love with him, despite the fact that he wasn’t very important. 

Another thing I thought was really cool was that two of the characters in this book are siblings to characters in another book in the series. Amelie is Rowen’s sister and he is the MMC in Hollis’s “Blood Sugar” while Delia is Rosalin’s sister who is the FMC of “Grave Expectations” by Katryna Lalock. I haven’t read either of these two books yet, but I love this connection already. Also, the rest of this series is really hyping up Rowen’s book, so I hope it is amazing. 

There are three sex scenes in this one, which is a few considering how short it is, but I think they made a ton of sense. Amelie slowly tries getting intimate with her fellow witches, so each sex scene adds another witch to the party. They only got sweeter as more participants engage, and I thought their trust for one another was super wholesome. 

Overall, “They Were Broommates” is a sweet and spicy why choose sapphic novella that I had a great time with. Amelie’s caretaking nature makes her relationship with Regina, Hestia, and Delia that much sweeter, and I thought it was fun getting to know these girls alongside her. I appreciate how this book had an actual conflict that the girls worked together to solve and wasn’t just pure romance vibes. I wish this one would have been a little longer, but I honestly I thought Savage did a wonderful job with the page count that she had.

Back of Book: 

Rowen Sinclair values his quiet, orderly life running his family’s magical bakery in Pumpkin Hollow, until vivacious Sadie crashes into his life.

As a brand new vampire, Sadie Corvin is struggling to survive on her own. She uses hook-ups to get blood, but after a memorable make-out session with sexy witch Rowen, she’s shocked to learn he owns the bakery that just hired her as a night baker.

Rowen is furious with the sunshine vampire—she’s a total disaster in the kitchen and somehow convinces him to let her keep her job. Now he has to train her to bake properly, resist kissing her again, and prepare for the upcoming pumpkin festival all at the same time!

Warning: This cozy novella is both spicy and sweet, and contains an adorable town full of witchy small businesses, a grumpy kitchen witch with magenta hair, a hot mess vampire bombshell, and some very inappropriate uses of frosting...

Book Number: Seven

Genre: Adult | Fantasy | Romance 

Review: 🌟🌟🌟🌟

A cute novella about a newly-turned vampire who accepts a job at Pumpkin Hollow’s bakery in order to start a new life for herself. 

Sadie Corbin is a new vampire gearing up to becoming a full-fledged member of Pumpkin Hollow, but first she needs cash—and blood. The night before she starts her new job at the local bakery, she decides to refuel at the local bar. There she runs into Rowen Sinclair, and a sexy make-out session ensues that has Sadie’s bloodlust sated. When she arrives at the bakery the next day, both Sadie and Rowen are mortified when it turns out that they are in fact coworkers. Despite being her boss, Rowen can’t seem to ignore Sadie’s magnetic personality and vintage style. Sadie knows she shouldn’t flirt with her boss because she really needs this job, but the thought of drinking anyone else’s blood ever again makes her sick to her stomach. Can these two focus on baking when there’s so much chemistry between them? 

Aly Hollis is another author in this collection that I’m already familiar with, so I was super excited to reach this installment. Thank you so much Aly Hollis for trusting me with an eARC of this one! 

The premise of this one is super goofy, which makes for such a great rom com vibe. Sadie and Rowen make out with each other only to realize that they are coworkers less than twenty four hours later. It’s super fun to see them try to ignore the fact that they nearly slept with one another and that they have insane chemistry all while trying to keep the bakery functioning. 

Stories that involve magical baking are always so cozy, and this one was no exception! It was super cute seeing Rowen teach Sadie his ways in the kitchen. The fact that a good portion of this book is solely these two baking cookies, cupcakes, breads, and other delicious pastries really had my sweet-tooth jealous. 

Ralph was such a quirky familiar. We met him in the book “Something Handsome This Way Comes,” but in this one we really learn what a lovable weirdo he is. I’ve never thought to consider that a possum may be cute, but Ralph was in his own quirky way. 

The lengths that Rowen goes to in order to protect Sadie is so valiant. Sadie has a bit of a damsel in distress moment and he comes to her aide. Shockingly, she doesn’t make a huge fuss about it and actually just accepts the help he is offering, which I found very refreshing. I’m not saying all women need a man to save them, but I think everyone needs a little help now and then. And besides, why go through so much extra effort when your soul-mate is so willing to give?  

I was actually surprised that these two held off on having actual sex as long as they did. I mean, it was still only a matter of days after they met, but after not hooking up outside the bar, I was proud of them for talking through some things before sleeping together. They still weren’t the best at communicating all of their feelings, but they did leagues better than some couples in this series. Also, I’m still not a fan of characters having sex in areas in which cooking is done for the public, but that’s honestly the only thing I can complain about throughout this entire book. 

Overall, “Blood Sugar” was a really fun installment of the “Pumpkin Hollow” series. Vampires always make for a fun time and pair that with cozy baking and one gets a super cute story. Rowen and Sadie definitely seem like a bit of a mischievous couple, but the way they help each other is super sweet. It only seems right that these two ended up together and they both solved the major problem that the other had. I am definitely a fan of Hollis’s writing, so I’m looking forward to seeing what she does next! 

Back of Book: 

From author Fleur DeVillainy, author of Spellbound Scones and Sky of Thorns comes a new fall romance full of laughter, magic, and pumpkin spice lattes.

A fake-dating paranormal romance set in Pumpkin Hollow. A kitchen witch, a jaguar-shifter detective, and one week until the Pumpkin Festival.

Evie Hawthorne is barely holding Brews and Broomsticks together. The B&B is booked solid, her aunts keep setting the parlor on fire while they scry for her soulmate, and a family curse says the bed-and-breakfast stays unlucky until she finds her mate. She does not have time for a man.

Liam Ironwood does not have time to be polite about it. The jaguar shifter is in town to stop a thief who has already taken three magical heirlooms, and he believes the Hawthorne wand is next. A boyfriend is the perfect cover. It keeps the town from asking why he is really there, and it keeps Evie's aunts from finding her a date.

All they have to do is pretend until the festival. Then the pretending starts to feel like a claim, the thief gets closer to the wand, and Pumpkin Hollow stops playing along.

Potions and Paw Prints is a standalone in the Pumpkin Hollow series. Small-town paranormal romance, fake dating, grumpy sunshine, opposites attract, and a slow burn that turns spicy.

Book Number: Eight

Genre: Adult | Fantasy | Romance 

Review: 🌟🌟🌟

A steamy paranormal novella featuring an overwhelmed witch who finds release in fake dating a jaguar shifter for a week. 

Evie Hawthorne is honored to continue her family’s legacy by running the Brews and Broomsticks Bed-and-Breakfast. With the Pumpkin Festival only days away, every room is booked and Evie is working harder than ever. When she receives a phone call from a dashing detective by the name of Liam Ironwood, she offers him her own room so he can proceed with his investigation. After a few shenanigans ensue, the town believes that Evie and Liam are dating and they decide to go along with the ruse. It’ll make the perfect cover for Liam’s investigation and Evie with be able to let some stress out. As the week progresses it’s no surprise that the fake dating doesn’t stay fake for long. 

This is the third of DeVillainy’s books that I’ve read, so I’m starting to become familiar with her work. Thank you so much to the author for the eARC of this one, though I somehow misplaced it and had to read it with KU anyway. 

From the start I was wary of this one because it was dedicated “To the readers who told me my novellas weren’t spicy enough…” I knew this would be trouble as I personally believe that DeVillainy’s novellas were already plenty spicy. This one is under two hundred pages and has (I believe) five sex scenes, so she definitely wasn’t exaggerating when she said it was spicy. The steamy bits all happen in the last thirty percent of the book though, so I found that I could enjoy most of this story without having to worry about the spicy scenes, though this one is a case of lust at first sight. 

Evie certainly needs a break, so I can’t even fault her when she accepts Liam preposterous fake dating scheme. There is really no reason Liam had to drag her into his business besides the fact that he knew they were fated mates and he didn’t want to let her out of his sight. I personally thought the scheme was a bit selfish, but again, Evie needed something to relieve her stress and what better way to do than flirting with a brooding jaguar shifter? 

One of my favorite parts of this one was the residents that reside at the B&B. I thought the ghosts added a great autumnal touch to the story as well as added a touch of drama. This one doesn’t have very many side characters, so I think the ghosts and Evie’s eccentric aunts did a great job of filling that void. 

The mystery element was a tad weak in this one, but I know it was just an excuse to put Liam in Evie’s proximity, so I’m not really mad about that. The crime is solved within moments of the culprit showing its face, which added no urgency to the story whatsoever. At least the mystery coming to an end forced Evie and Liam to confront their feelings and talk to one another. 

Overall, “Potions and Paw Prints” isn’t a very inspired paranormal romance, but it was still a fun read that is perfect for some cozy fall reading. I thought the fact that Liam was a jaguar shifter would be really cool, but it mostly was an off-brand werewolf experience. This one was a bit too instalove-y and steam-filled for me to love it, but it was still a solid addition to this series. The residents of the B&B were my favorite part as Evie is a determined young woman, her aunts are a hoot, and the ghosts always seem to be in everyone’s business. I look forward to exploring more of DeVillainy’s catalog as time progresses! 

Back of Book: 

For three hundred years, Alaric Blackwood has watched over Pumpkin Hollow as a ghost, cursed to witness the town he died protecting but never touch it again.

Rosalin Graves has spent her entire life believing she's the weakest necromancer in her family—until a chance accident awakens the town's legendary founder. Suddenly, she's the only person who can see him, hear him, and hold him.

As they unravel the centuries-old curse binding Alaric to the cemetery, friendship blossoms into an impossible love. But freeing him may mean losing him forever, and some ghosts are far harder to let go than they ever expected.

Book Number: Nine

Genre: Adult | Fantasy | Romance 

Review: 🌟🌟🌟

A spicy novella in which a young necromancer accidentally summons the ghost of the town founder and they both catch feelings for one another. 

Alaric Blackwood has watched over the citizens of Pumpkin Hollow for three hundred years. Destined to exist in a cursed limbo, he finds joy in witnessing the world changing and listening to a lonely necromancer talk to herself. Rosalin “Roz” Graves has always let her family down. She may be a death witch, but she’s not able to do much magically. That is, until she accidentally spills her blood on Alaric’s grave and suddenly can see him. Roz learns that Alaric has been cursed to never pass on and that he has enjoyed her company for the last several years. Roz is desperate to let Alaric free, but she can’t help but fall for the gentlemanly ghost as she conducts her research. 

This is the first book I’ve read by Katryna Lalock, and the second to last book in the “Pumpkin Hollow” series. I’ve had quite a mixed ride with this series, so I’m happy to be approaching the end. Thank you so much Katryna Lalock for the eARC of this one to read! 

The first thing I noticed about this one is that Roz shares many similarities with her sister, Delia, who was one of the love interests in “They Were Broommates.” They are twins who sucked their death magic out of each other, so they both view themselves as worthless due to their lack of powers compared to the rest of their family. They both tend to confine themselves to solitude, and the townsfolk tend to avoid them in general. I really felt for these two sisters, especially once we got into Roz’s head; she is really self-conscious and filled with self-doubt. It’s nice to see her gain confidence in herself and her abilities as this book goes on, because I already knew that she was capable of unknowingly raising the dead due to some instances in a previous installment. It was painful that she viewed herself as worthless and I’m glad her perception of herself changed greatly before this book was done. 

The entire dating a ghost thing was definitely interesting. I was hoping that since Alaric is an intangible ghost it would force these two to really get to know each other on an emotional level, but that ended up being so far from the truth. With a little bit of blood magic, Alaric could touch Roz as much as he wanted and this led to them having sex almost immediately. And then out in public. And so on and so forth. I was a bit disappointed by how fast the spice came on in this one, but it seems on brand for Pumpkin Hollow at this point.

The conflict in this one is pretty major but also not at the same time. Roz is researching how to break the curse on Alaric, which is a big deal, but there is also no urgency that comes from this. It’s pretty easy to surmise how the ending of the book will go, which had me a bit bored towards the end. 

I did think the messages about how far one would go for love were cute, even if the entire relationship was a bit sudden. Alaric had gotten to know Roz over the years and she was quite lonely before she met him, so it could be less realistic that these two are willing to risk everything for the other. There are certainly some sweet bits about their relationship, but it wasn’t anything crazy special either. 

Overall, “Grave Expectations” is a spicy novella that is a perfect read for spooky season. The romance between Roz and Alaric moves rather fast and there are quite a few spicy scenes early on in the story. The conflict was a bit drab, but if one is looking for a sweet romance filled with spice between a necromancer and a ghost, this one may be worth giving a quick read. 

Back of Book: 

Marigold “Goldie” Thorne once believed in forever—until the man she loved accused her of bewitching his heart. Shattered and determined to start over, she poured her soul into Enchantresso, a cozy coffee and tea shop where every brew carries a touch of magic.

But when Lucian Duskbane, the jackal shifter who broke her heart, walks back into town, old wounds stir and sparks fly. He claims he’s back to care for his sick father and run the family repair business, but Goldie can’t ignore the way his eyes still linger… or how her heart still races.

One sip, one look, and they’re both reminded—some loves are brewed too strong to fade.

Book Number: Ten (Last Book) 

Genre: Adult | Fantasy | Romance 

Review: 🌟🌟🌟

A second chance romance between a coffee witch and the jackal-shifter that doubted her very intentions ten years ago and broke both their hearts in the process. 

Marigold “Goldie” Thorne has tried her hardest to heal from the love of her life tearing her heart out ten years ago. Unfortunately, when Lucian Duskbane comes strolling back into town, she finds it hard to ignore the spark between the two of them. Lucian believes that Goldie enchanted him with a love spell all those years ago and refused to hear her side of the story. Can love flourish from their second chance meeting if Lucian refuses to listen to her? 

This is the longest and final book in the “Pumpkin Hollow” series. Thank you so much to Johnna Dee for the eARC of this one to read! 

Since this one is longer, I thought that the actual plot had a lot more time to grow. The entire circumstances around Goldie and Lucian breaking up is super messy, but at least they have time to sort through their emotions time wise in this one because it lasts more than a month. I don’t think they deal with it the best, but I’ll get into that in a bit. 

My major problem with this one is how none of the characters are likable. Lucian sort of just pissed me off the entire time. Him and Goldie weren’t just a teenage fling, but childhood friends turned lovers. The way that he doesn’t let her explain herself and he just cuts himself out of her life is so cruel. I mean, didn’t he trust her at all? I wouldn’t like being told that my girlfriend put a spell on me either and there was some magic involved that messed with his head, but he really should have tried listening for once. And then when he decides to give Goldie a chance ten years later, he doesn’t do much more than have sex with her, press her for immediate answers, and then not talk to her for like a month while she figures things out. He didn’t take the worst approach in the world, but it’s certainly not one I could get behind either. He also is just so rude to everybody this entire book, which made me not a fan of his vibe in general. 

Ellie was another character that I hated from the start. It was easy to tell that she was hiding something and that her intentions towards Lucian were anything but sincere. Seriously, this girl is a terrible wingman and best friend, and I’m glad that Goldie was finally released from this she-devil at some point.

Goldie is definitely the biggest victim in this situation, which made her slightly more redeemable. Unfortunately, she still makes some horrible decisions, such as sleeping with her ex before saying a single word to him about anything that transpired. I know the author was probably just trying to make this one spicy before we got too late in this story, but man, that was such an unhealthy decision that certainly could have scarred Goldie for life if things would have went south again. 

Nibbles was my favorite character by far! This little grifflet could never keep himself out of trouble, which I found endearing. Unlike many of the familiars in this series, Nibbles consistently comes back, so he constantly brought some much needed light to this rather dramatic and semi-toxic romance. And honestly, Lucian’s father Luke seemed like a pretty chill guy. 

This one isn’t overly spicy as it is over two hundred pages and contains three spicy scenes. They all happen in unconventional locations, which I found to be interesting. I wish they would have waited to have sex until they made up, but I guess they couldn’t be patient or talk things out with one another quickly, which is nothing new for these two. 

Overall, I had high hopes for “Ex-Presso” due to its length, but I found the relationship itself to be rather toxic. Most of the main characters are highly unlikable, and Goldie and her grifflet were the only ones I found myself attached to. The MMC, Lucian, really bothered me with his actions in a way that made me find him a rather toxic romantic partner. All of the characters have been through some rough stuff, so I get why they were so unhappy; I just wished they would have found any sort of healthy way to deal with their emotions. I did think the writing and plot structure was strong, so I’d definitely be interested in checking out more of Dee’s work in the future if the chance arises.