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. *

Miss Morton and the Missing Heir by Catherine Lloyd

On By BarbaraIn Barb's Reviews, Historical Mystery, Part of a Series, Regency Era (1811-1820)Leave a comment

Miss Morton and the Missing Heir (A Miss Morton Mystery)Barbara’s rating: 4.5 out of 5 Stars
Series: Miss Morton Mysteries #4
Publication Date: 9/30/25
Period: Regency London
Number of Pages: 272

The delightful Miss Morton (Lady Caroline) and her energetic, inquisitive employer, Mrs. Frogerton, lead us through another mystery filled with red herrings, multiple suspects, and a shocking villain. Mrs. Frogerton’s daughter, Dotty, has finally married her Viscount, and Mrs. Frogerton is suffering from the let-down after all of the excitement. So, when the lawyer shows up with information about a potential heir to Caroline’s father’s title, Mrs. Frogerton immediately offers to host them in her home.

Things quickly go awry for everyone. Both Mrs. Frogerton and Caroline suspect something might be amiss with Mr. Scutton’s claim to the title, but since the lawyers and the College of Arms were investigating the claim, they decided to leave it alone. The Scutton family proves to be a disagreeable lot, which cements Caroline and Mrs. Frogerton’s suspicions. With the death (accidental?) of the Scutton’s servant and then the murder of Mary, the potential heir’s sister, things get very tense.

I loved all of the character updates and cannot wait to see what happens in future books. I’m happy that neither Susan nor Dotty made an appearance, as I don’t care for either of them. Also, I strongly dislike love triangles, and I’m ready to see the one between Caroline, Inspector Ross, and Dr. Harris resolved – since this is the 4th book in the series, it is time for resolution. I vote for Inspector Ross with Dr. Harris relegated to friend status. I can hardly wait for the next book to see what happens!

I recommend this interesting, fun book and the entire series. The writing is excellent with a well-plotted, well-paced mystery with characters that you will either love or hate – no indifference here.

I voluntarily read an early copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

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