Category: Non-Traditional Romance

Love at First Fright by Nadia El-Fassi

On By TracyIn Contemporary, New To Me Author, Non-Traditional Romance, Paranormal / Fantasy, Romantasy, Standalone Title, Tracy's ReviewsLeave a comment

Love At First Fright: The new spicy paranormal romance and perfect Halloween read from the author of Best Hex EverLove At First Fright: The new spicy paranormal romance and perfect Halloween read from the author of Best Hex Ever by Nadia El-Fassi

Tracy’s Rating: 2.5/3 of 5 stars

Series: Standalone

Release Date: September 16, 2025

Rosemary Shaw has been able to see and interact with ghosts since she was a little girl. This gift led her into a very successful career as an author of horror novels, and now one of her bestselling books is about to be made into a movie! She is beyond delighted, that is until she learns Ellis Finch, a Hollywood action star, has been cast as the male lead and sets out to get him fired. Ellis Finch is tired of being stereotyped as an action hero and wants to prove he can be a serious dramatic actor. When he learns that Rosemary wants him off the movie, he is not willing to walk away without a fight. Once these two get on set and they realized they have more in common than they thought, things start to heat up. But they each have secrets and will have to learn to trust each other if they want to fully explore the possibility of a deeper relationship.

This book was nothing like I was expect based on the blurb, I was thinking a fun, paranormal rom-com, but that is not the story I got. This book had so many tropes that my head was spinning, and I felt like I was being pulled in too many directions, there are secrets, blackmail, age-gap, opposites attract, forced proximity, enemies-to-lovers, forbidden love, BDSM, and fake-dating. Any of these tropes would have made a great story, maybe even more than one, but throwing them all in made for a scattered, chaotic story and in the end, none of the tropes shine. I was also a bit surprised by the fact that both leads, and a lot of secondary characters were members of the LBGTQ community, but that wasn’t included in the blurb, I feel like that was missed opportunity to expand the reader base. Overall, I think the book had promise, but in the end, it fell flat for me.

*I am voluntarily leaving a review for an eARC that I requested and was provided to me by the publisher/author. All opinions in this review are my own. *

Song of the Hell Witch by Taylor Hartley

On By TracyIn Debut Novel, Historical Paranormal/Fantasy, New To Me Author, Non-Traditional Romance, Paranormal / Fantasy, Part of a Series, Romantasy, Tracy's ReviewsLeave a comment

Song of the Hell WitchSong of the Hell Witch by Taylor Hartley

Tracy’s Rating: 2 of 5 stars

Series: None Given

Release Date: September 9, 2025

A one-time criminal, hell witch Prudence Merriweather, has clawed her way to the top of society and now enjoys power as the Duchess of Talonsbury. But one night Prudence’s magic turns on her and she is forced to flee. She needs to get to the hell witch safe haven of Stormlash and for that she will need help. She turns to the one person she can think to help, Puck, her one-time love whom she hasn’t seen in twelve years. Widower Puck is a thief and also the father of a gravely daughter. When Prudence arrives asking for help, she makes it clear that the hell witches can also help Bea. And so, begins the journey to Stormlash and possibly a second chance at happiness.

This book was 100% not what I was expecting. I have said this before, but it bears repeating; feminism and misandry are not the same thing, and this book had way too much man-hating, female rage for my taste. I did think the trauma-based magic was an interesting concept, but the story didn’t stay on point and the super slow-burn, second-chance romance combined with a cliffhanger ending was a complete fail for me. Overall, I think that this author may have found an untapped niche in romantasy that may appeal to some readers, but this is not a series I have any desire to continue with.

*I am voluntarily leaving a review for an eARC that I requested and was provided to me by the publisher/author. All opinions in this review are my own. *