Back of Book: 

When a vampire slayer loses all his memories, the only person who can help him is the vampire he’s tried to kill for centuries in this unforgettable short story by #1 New York Times bestselling author Ali Hazelwood.

When Aethelthryth—“Ethel” to her modern-day Manhattan neighbors—finds her sworn nemesis Lazlo Enyedi with no memory of who or what they are, an ancient hunt becomes an unexpected chance at forbidden passion. He’s crashing on her couch, solving her sudoku puzzles, and looking at her like she’s his eternal flame (minus the whole bursting-into-ashes part). As his memories slowly return, Ethel realizes she might be in danger of losing more than just her head…

Ali Hazelwood’s Hot for Slayer is part of Scared Sexy, a deliciously dark collection of Halloween romance where things that go bump in the night might just steal your heart. These seductive stand-alone stories blend chills and heat in the perfect Halloween treat—each designed to be devoured in one sitting. 

Book Number: One 

Genre: Adult | Fantasy | Romance 

Review: 🌟🌟🌟

A vampire x vampire slayer romantic novella written by one of the queens of romance herself, Ali Hazelwood. 

Aethelthryth "Ethel" is a vampire that's just trying to mind her own business. She only preys on corrupt people that she believes deserve to die, but that isn't enough to stop her archnemesis, Lazlo Enyedi, from doing his best to kill her. He is tasked to kill Ethel's entire bloodline and he has been hunting her for centuries. However, when one of Ethel and Lazlo's scrapes ends with Lazlo hitting his head, Ethel finds herself in a puzzling situation: her archnemesis has no recollection of who he is. This leads to the strangest experience of Ethel's life, which of course is made even weirder by the sexual allure they feel towards one another. It's forbidden for romance to form between a vampire and a slayer, yet that seems to be the exact direction that Ethel and Lazlo are heading towards. 

I have to admit, this is my introduction to Ali Hazelwood's work, which I feel is quite impressive in this day and age. After all, I do love me a good romance novel, and Hazelwood's sound like such good reads. This was a fine introduction, but nothing too terribly exciting. 

Honestly, I feel like I'm a pretty big sucker for amnesia romances. I've only read a few, but I just find them so fascinating. And the premise for this one is really fun! I mean, Lazlo is literally tasked to kill Ethel and then he forgets all about her. This is a true case of enemies to lovers, and the amnesia bit makes it all the more enjoyable. 

For a novella, I felt decently invested in the characters. Ethel grew up in a religious sisterhood, which gives her an interesting background. She also has strong morals and I love how down to Earth she is. For an immortal vampire, she really appreciates the beauty in the little things. Lazlo, on the other hand, is a strong vampire slayer who we know a lot less about. He is certainly a softy deep down, but even by the conclusion of the story, I still didn't feel like I knew much about him personally. 

I must say, the amnesiac vampire who loves Sudoku has been overhyped. Sudoku really isn't that important to this story and the fact that I knew about this before I even started this one shows just how out of proportion this bit grew in a short amount of time. 

Overall, "Hot for Slayer" is a quick romantic enemies to lovers novella featuring a vampire and the slayer who is meant to kill her. He does develop amnesia though, which is pretty hilarious. The premise of this one is so funny, and the characters are decently cool, but the story itself isn't anything to write home about. This brief introduction to Hazelwood's work though has me very intrigued to read one of her full-length works someday. 

Audiobook Note: The audio production of this book was so fun! The story is told entirely from the female MC's perspective, but the guy actor voiced all the male characters the whole way through, which made for a dramatic reading experience. Nina Yndis did a fabulous job portraying Ethel. She has such a pretty accent, and she plays sassy so well. Maxim Reston also pulled off a stupendous performance as Lazlo. His Hungarian accent made Lazlo really stand out in a good way, and I'm sure that many people found his voice incredibly sexy. I would highly recommend the audiobook for this one as the actors did a superb job the whole way through!

Back of Book: 

One darkly seductive immortal’s powers of persuasion have worked flawlessly for nine centuries—until he meets the one woman who can resist him—in a wickedly hot short story by New York Times bestselling author Christina Lauren.

Cat should be afraid of Brigan—the devastatingly gorgeous stranger at a Halloween party whose very presence makes everyone else fall at his feet. But while his supernatural allure drives others to mindless obsession, Cat somehow keeps her wits…even as she surrenders to temptation. When this cursed being realizes she alone can see his true nature, one night of searing passion could break a centuries-old spell—or doom them both.

Christina Lauren’s Falling is part of Scared Sexy, a deliciously dark collection of Halloween romance where things that go bump in the night might just steal your heart. These seductive stand-alone stories blend chills and heat in the perfect Halloween treat—each designed to be devoured in one sitting. 

Book Number: Two

Genre: Adult | Fantasy | Romance 

Review: 🌟🌟

An immortal being that thrives on pleasure meets his match in the second installment of Amazon's "Scared Sexy" collection. 

When Cat is abandoned by her boyfriend at one of his friend's parties, she wasn't expecting to be drawn to a brooding stranger. Brigan is an immortal being who has been cursed to feast on the pleasure of women but never find love until he reunites with his soulmate. Most women are utterly pliable under his seductive abilities, but Cat puts up a fight. The two unite in a night that they'll never forget, but it may just ruin them both in the process. 

I'm not the biggest fan of romance stories that move as fast as this one. I knew that it would be hard for these authors to hook me on a romance in a novelette, but I find it difficult to enjoy a story that is mostly a creepy immortal being stalking a young woman, then having sex with her, and then has them drinking together at a pub. 

I must say, I was intrigued just to figure out what type of creature Brigan was and just exactly how he functioned. The fact that he feeds on the pleasure of women is beyond creepy, but it is also original. 

This one is a pretty solid Halloween tale though. It's edgy, creepy, yet certainly delivers on the heat. Despite my distaste of the main events, I could actually see Cat and Brigan making a good couple one day if given the chance. The ending was certainly ambiguous, so it's not impossible, I suppose. 

Overall, "Falling" is a quick, steamy monster romance story that is an excellent fit for spooky season. This story heavily focuses on sexual aspects and the MMC has stalkerish tendencies, so it wasn't my exact cup of tea. Brigan's entire vibe perturbed me quite a bit; it's hard to find a sex demon alluring, even if he allegedly had powers to allure people. With the entire premise, I just didn't find myself very invested in this one. However, I was intrigued enough to know more about what was up with Brigan and just what type of a monster he is. I'm interested to keep checking out this collection and see if there are any stories that I'll really eat up. 

Audiobook Note: Malia Watson plays Cat and Nicholas Boulton plays Brigan. I found Malia Watson performance to be a tad flat, but nothing bad. Their character, Cat, is pretty lonely and depressed, so it wasn't the worst fit in the world. I've listened to some of Nicholas Boulton's work in the past, and I really like how they bring characters to life. Their British accent is certainly a plus, too. I found it a bit weird how this one alternated narrators mid-chapter, but I'm sure that's how Lauren wrote it. I just found there to be few transitions, and it would abruptly jump from Watson to Boulton with little warning. 

Back of Book: 

A reporter’s disbelief in the supernatural is tested when she uncovers a tattoo artist’s sinister family secrets in an enthralling short story by New York Times bestselling author J.T. Geissinger.

Petra is skeptical when it comes to the French Quarter’s creepy urban legends. Until she meets Dax Rousseau, the proprietor of the House of Ink and Blood. The eldritch markings on his flesh tell more than the tale of a doomed bloodline. They come slitheringly alive. And the nearer Petra gets to the maddeningly sexy Dax, the closer she is to being the next victim of his ancient family curse.

J.T. Geissinger’s Spicy Little Curses is part of Scared Sexy, a deliciously dark collection of Halloween romance where things that go bump in the night might just steal your heart. These seductive stand-alone stories blend chills and heat in the perfect Halloween treat—each designed to be devoured in one sitting. 

Book Number: Three

Genre: Adult | Fantasy | Romance 

Review: 🌟🌟

Sparks fly when a sarcastic journalist meets a brooding tattoo artist in this spicy romantasy novella.

Petra is sent to New Orleans to find the scoop on the creepiest urban legends that are going around. After following her strongest lead, Petra finds herself in the House of Ink and Blood, a tattoo parlor ran by the brooding Dax Rosseau. It is rumored that his tattoos are alive, and Petra is shocked to find that the rumblings are true. When she finds herself face to face with Dax, she learns that her fate is entwined with his and that if they don't work together, Petra may just find herself consumed by an ancient curse that plagues the Rosseau family.

I feel that this story was interesting enough, but I was still mostly bored by it. I didn't find myself liking Petra or Dax as people, which made it a bit difficult for me to really engage with this story.

I haven't read many books involving voodoo, so that was different. New Orleans truly has its own magical vibes, and I thought it was fun to explore the city in this story. The curse affecting the Rosseaus was quite dark, but nothing I haven't seen done a time or two in other fantasy pieces.

My favorite thing about this one was definitely the creepy edge it had. This one was less of a monster romance and more of a romantic fantasy tale of horror. In this one, Petra and Dax are being hunted by a being that exists to reap the souls of women who fall in love with Rosseau men, which gave this one a great sense of urgency. However, the fact that this one pulled off good horror vibes isn't enough to redeem the entire story for me.

Overall, I found myself pretty bored by "Spicy Little Curses." Beyond the fact that it dove into voodoo magic a bit, this one didn't feature anything that I hadn't seen done before. I honestly hated both Petra and Dax's attitudes, which made it hard for me to truly care about their predicament. I did appreciate the creepy tone of the narrative though. I honestly should probably give up on this collection of stories as I am not the target audience, but for some reason, I still feel myself compelled to read the rest of them. They are pretty short though, so either way it shouldn't be that big of an investment.

Audiobook Note: Vanessa Moyen and Troy Duran are the narrators that bring this story to life. Moyen voiced all the feminine characters whereas Duran brought the men to life. I find it really fun when two actors read in every single chapter; it really makes for a vivid listening experience. Moyen's mic definitely had some popping issues throughout this one, which was a bummer. For the most part, I found Moyen and Duran's performance to be adequate but nothing overly exciting. 

Back of Book: 

In a universe full of heartless aliens, an abandoned human and a vampire clone discover an unexpected connection in this delightfully bite-size short story by New York Times bestselling author Ruby Dixon.

Dana, the overlooked human pet of an alien scientist, and Vlad, a genetically engineered vampire with a taste for more than just blood, find themselves unexpectedly alone on a deserted space station. As they plot their escape, they’ll have to navigate cramped quarters, steamy encounters, and the growing realization that they might be each other’s perfect match. But with their captors in hot pursuit, will their budding romance survive the vast emptiness of space?

Ruby Dixon’s Space Vampire is part of Scared Sexy, a deliciously dark collection of Halloween romance where things that go bump in the night might just steal your heart. These seductive stand-alone stories blend chills and heat in the perfect Halloween treat—each designed to be devoured in one sitting. 

Book Number: Four

Genre: Adult | Fantasy | Romance 

Review: 🌟🌟🌟

A young woman ends up stranded on a space station with a dangerous vampire in this fun space opera novelette! 

Dana has lived her life out as a pet for a strange alien scientist who treats her as if she is a poodle. One day, she wakes up and the ship is completely abandoned, and Dana sees it as her opportunity to finally escape her predicament. She soon encounters a vampire clone, who just so happens to be the "monster" that the aliens fled from. Unexpectedly, Dana befriends the vampire and convinces him to escape with her. Now, Dana and Vlad must flee before the aliens return to the ship and imprison them forever. 

I actually really enjoyed this one! I truly think that I'm in my space era right now, and I should probably utilize that more before my interest in space books fades again. I found myself laughing aloud several times and I actually felt the chemistry between Dana and Vlad from the start. 

When this book began with a content warning, I found myself a little frightened. A few books in this collection have been rather dark but didn't warrant a trigger label. Surprisingly, I found this one to actually read a bit fluffier than the others. Yes, Dana is essentially a slave and Vlad is a genetically spliced together amalgamation, but that doesn't change how cute they are together or the fact that their journey to finding one another is rather wholesome. 

I must admit, the sex scene was rather intense in this one. He's a vampire, so there is some seductive blood sucking throughout, but the one actual sex scene had me a little squirmy. It was some pretty intense stuff, which caught me off-guard with the fluffy sarcastic nature of this one, but it is what it is. 

I think if this one would have a few more incidents between Dana and Vlad during the week they spent on the space station together, this novelette would have been truly elevated. Dana and Vlad have a great vibe and it would have been really fun to even seen Dana do something as simple as teach Vlad how to make noodles for her. 

One of the things that I thought was really cute about this one is the fact that Vlad is pretty much a newborn and has little knowledge about the world despite him being a giant-blue-alien-vampire-thing. He is truly sweet and quite innocent, which I thought was cute. 

Overall, "Space Vampire" has reignited my hopes for this collection. I thought this one was another fun novelette that I found myself actually routing for the characters. The sex scene was a little intense for my liking, but nothing I couldn't get through. Trapped on a space station together is a trope that I'm really starting to enjoy and one that I should track down more of in the future. 

Audiobook Note: This one is narrated by Beth Roeg and Ryan West. I think they both did a great job of bringing Dana and Vlad to life in turn. Special shout-out to West for playing confused, but extremely hot and brooding space vampire so marvelously. I don't have any complaints for the narration of this one, so keep up the good work. 

Back of Book: 

For one awkward sleep paralysis demon, scaring humans should be simple—except Gemma’s first solo haunting goes hilariously wrong in this tantalizing dream of a short story by New York Times bestselling author Katee Robert.

When Gemma’s supposed to terrify her appointed victim, she ends up captivated instead. Caleb, a romantic who believes in all things supernatural, finds her adorably pink-skinned, horned form more alluring than alarming. But as their steamy night unfolds and unexpected feelings bloom, Gemma must choose between her demonic duties and the human who makes her feel anything but monstrous.

Katee Robert’s Beautiful Nightmare is part of Scared Sexy, a deliciously dark collection of Halloween romance where things that go bump in the night might just steal your heart. These seductive stand-alone stories blend chills and heat in the perfect Halloween treat—each designed to be devoured in one sitting. 

Book Number: Five

Genre: Adult | Fantasy | Romance 

Review: 🌟🌟🌟

Things don't go as planned for a paralysis demon when she embarks on her first solo mission in this steamy monster novelette. 

It's Gemma's first day on the job as a paralysis demon. After years and years of training, it is finally time for her to knock the socks of her first human subject. Unfortunately, rather than scare the man, she finds herself arousing him. Talk about an absolute fail. Desperately ashamed, Gemma reluctantly returns to the man's room again several nights later and finds that she is also drawn to this strange man. A forbidden romance begins to blossom between demon and man soon after. 

This one has an intriguing concept, though not the most original. Honestly, this reminded me of "Monster, Inc.," but for adults. I wasn't wholly expecting the outcome of this one, but I found it to be a fun enough read for spooky season.

Gemma was a pretty likable character from the start. She is an awkward demon who isn't exactly stoked to suck the fear out her first victim. She tries to shove herself into a mold because everyone tells her it's what must be done. When she finds herself faced with the actual deed, she panics and multiple awkward occurrences pursue. I find her relatable in ways, even if she is pretty cringe. I mean, I can be pretty darn cringe at times, too. 

Caleb, on the other hand, has me slightly more alarmed. He's a man in his forties that wakes up in the middle of the night, sees a pink demonic creature, and thinks "Yeah, I want to hit that right now." Honestly, I'm not even that mad about Caleb doing the deed with Gemma, but whose first reaction to seeing a demon in one's bedroom is "I need to bang her right now." Like, why??? 

Despite Caleb's obvious issues, I enjoyed the actual plot line of this one and found that Gemma and Caleb actually related to one another quite a bit once they actually started talking. Yes, their bond still lacked quite a bit of depth, but at least they didn't immediately jump into bed with one another. 

Overall, "Beautiful Nightmare" was an intriguing read with a solid premise that had me entertained the whole way through. Gemma was a likeable protagonist, and her bond with Caleb is sweet enough. Caleb disturbs me for a few reasons, but at least he treats her like a princess in the bedroom.

Audiobook Note: Andi Eloise tackles this one solo, which is the outlier in this collection. This story doesn't alternate PoVs, so it makes sense. Eloise does a great job of bringing awkward demon to life, and she does a solid job of voicing the male characters in this one such as Caleb and Raphael. I don't have many notes, but I feel that they did a great job with what they were given. 

Back of Book: 

Tossing a coin in a mysterious well seems like a harmless way to cope with being ditched on a mountain—until every impossibly hot man in town starts competing for one woman’s attention in this steamy short story by USA Today bestselling author Kimberly Lemming.

Lucy Sawyer’s wish for true love lands her in an enchanted town where the men are supernatural, the chemistry is off the charts, and everyone wants to date her. But they say that things that seem too good to be true usually are, and soon Lucy may need to decide if she’s willing to pay the cost of her happily ever after.

Kimberly Lemming’s My Boyfriends Are All Monsters is part of Scared Sexy, a deliciously dark collection of Halloween romance where things that go bump in the night might just steal your heart. These seductive stand-alone stories blend chills and heat in the perfect Halloween treat—each designed to be devoured in one sitting. 

Book Number: Six (Last Book) 

Genre: Adult | Fantasy | Romance 

Review: 🌟

A woman finds herself in a small town that resembles a Hallmark movie after her boyfriend abandons her on the side of a mountain. 

Lucy Sawyer has had terrible luck with men. After reluctantly agreeing to go on a hiking trip with her boyfriend in order to monitor his behavior around his best female friend, Lucy finds herself abandoned on the side of a mountain trail. Desperate and afraid, Lucy makes a wish to no longer be alone. Moments later, a handsome man appears and whisks her away to a quaint little town in the middle of nowhere where everything seems perfect. Lucy knows that there is something amiss. There's no way that every man in the village can want her so much, is there? Or has Lucy's luck finally turned around? 

I finished this collection just in time for Halloween! I'm happy that I made my way through these novellas before the holiday, but I must say, this last story was utter garbage. 

Lucy and the mysterious creature are both insanely unlikable. Lucy is a complainer who makes rash, illogical decisions, and I found myself disliking her early on. The masculine monster of this story was actually one of the most disturbing love interests I've ever encountered, so it's no surprise that I absolutely despised the relationship between these two. 

The characters of the town come off as a tad eccentric, but I didn't find them to be very interesting either. The town is certainly sus and cultish, but that makes sense as it's clear early on that the town is ran entirely by the forest creature. 

And the ending? Mega oof. If you are into monster foursomes between entities that just met moments ago, maybe you could get behind this group sex scene. However, I found it overly distasteful. And much like in "Beautiful Nightmare," who wants to bang a monster so badly on appearance alone? And a giant Kraken is her first choice? Once again, mega oof. 

Overall, "All My Boyfriends Are Monsters" is by far the worst addition to this collection in my opinion. I really disliked both of the main characters, found the writing to lack something, and was appalled by the ending. The monstrous foursome was definitely not my cup of tea in any way, shape, or form. I've always thought that Lemming's books have sounded comical, but I'm seriously having second thoughts after this one. 

Audiobook Note: Sean Crisden and Aure Nash are responsible for the narration in this one. I must say, I also wasn't the biggest fan of the audiobook either. Crisden tried way too hard to be seductive and mysterious, which made the performance a tad cringe to listen to. Nash plays Lucy pretty screechy and annoying, too, so both sides of this narration weren't all that enjoyable. This one alternated between the two every other chapter, which was fine. On a side note, both Crisden and Nash did a great job of making the side characters interesting to listen to. I didn't love their voices for the main characters, but at least there was a redeeming quality of this audiobook.