Our Halloween Romance TBR for 2025
This Fall, we’re adding some new titles to our TBR. We haven’t read these yet so we’ll be rating and cataloging as we go.
OCTOBER 15 UPDATE: We added two new books to the list (because that’s how TBRs go) and we’ve finished 11 so far. Reviews below.
OCTOBER 16 UPDATE: Just two books left to read! And we added the book covers to each review to make things easier to track. We love books covers. Did you know that book cover art is a $1BN industry globally?
OCTOBER 20 UPDATE: We’re done!
If you’re looking for our rated Halloween Romance recs, check these out:
Our TBR Just Got Weird..er
🎃 Halloween Romance Reads – The Velvet Pages Picks
We never recommend anything we wouldn’t read ourselves. This TBR has range:
Dark? ✅
Smut? (Probably.)
Sweet? Definitely.
Spice? We sure hope so.
Here’s what’s on our TBR pile this season:
🔥A Pack for Autumn
Update: We read it!
Author: Emilia Emerson
Series: Cozyverse, Book 1
Our Rating: 3.5/5
Genre: Omegaverse, Small Town Romance
Tropes: Omegaverse, Why Choose, Seasonal, Shy FMC, MMC/FMC has a Traitorous Cat, Loss of Parent (Death), Rescue, Fated Mates, Down on Her Luck FMC, Female Friendship Group, MCs were Childhood Friends
Spice Level: Hot
Pages: 362 pages
Notes: This is a sweet Omegaverse and it does scratch the seasonal itch.
Our Rating: “She's a lonely omega looking to disappear in a small town. They're a pack looking for an omega and she smells like PSL. I really liked the book until it became so patronizing to Olive. They spoke to her like an actual child and it was too much. Also, no one uses "prettily" as an adverb IRL.”
FAQ
Is it dark? → The FMC has dark moods, but the story is sweet.
Standalone? → It’s part of a series ‘Cozyverse’ but it can be read standalone.
🔥A Ryan Halloween
Update: We read it!
Author: Sadie Kincaid
Series: New York Ruthless (Seasonal Special)
Our Rating: DNF
Genre: Dark Romance, Mafia Romance
Tropes: Tortured Hero, Possessive Love, High Spice, Minimal Plot
Spice Level: Hot
Pages: 50 pages
Notes: We might come back to this one later.
Our Review: “Not a standalone. You need to be suuuuper familiar with all of these characters. So we DNF’d because that’s not what we’re looking for.”
FAQ
Standalone? → Yes.
Tone? → Pure spice, no filler.
🔥Devil’s Deal
Update: We read it!
Author: Layla Fae
Series: Jaga and the Devil, Book 1
Our Rating: 4.0/5
Genre: Fantasy Romance, Dark Romance
Tropes: God/Human, Witch/Warlock/Wizard, Villain Becomes MMC, MC is trapped, Loss of Parent (Death), Virgin FMC, Revenge, Survival, Stalker/Stalking, MC has a Tragic Past, Destitute FMC, Loss of Friend (Death), Afraid of Commitment, Abusive Relationship
Spice Level: Medium
Pages: 607 pages
Notes: It ends on a To Be Continued cliffhanger. Book 2 is out!
Our Review: “She's a witch in a small town, just trying to get by. He's the actual Devil who needs her to be his slave and won't take no for an answer. The whole book is his pushing her to her limit and her taking the challenge and rising above. But she has a limit, it turns out. Dead. Babies. The Devil is fucked.”
FAQ
Standalone or series? → It’s a series, but it’s the starter book so read on!
Vibe? → Dark and darker.
🔥Girl from the Other Side
Update: We read it!
Author: Anna Svoboda
Series: Standalone
Our Rating: 3.75/5
Genre: Paranormal Romance, Ghost Romance
Tropes: Ghost Romance, Murder Mystery, "Haunted, Isolated, Mysterious Land", Forbidden Love Interest, Protective MMC, Paranormal Protection, Suicide
Spice Level: Mild
Pages: 280 pages
Notes: A literal ghost as a love interest in a creepy manor house. Expect gothic atmosphere and haunting romance.
Our Review: “She's a ghost, haunting the manor where she died. He's a new tenant who can see her and falls in love with her spirit. Together they unravel the mystery of her death and defeat the powers of evil to find true love.”
FAQ
Is the ghost the hero? → Yes.
More of Anna Svoboda’s books? → Try “Of Magic and Zombies” - it’s one of our Halloween favorites.
🔥Plowed by the Pumpkin King
Update: We read it!
Author: Juno Delight
Series: Standalone
Our Rating: 3.0/5
Genre: Monster Romance
Tropes: Seasonal, Age 20+ FMC, Royalty, Rescue, Kidnapping, Down on Her Luck FMC, Culture Clash, Short/Novella
Spice Level: Medium
Pages: 49 pages
Notes: Art is in the eye of the beholder. This probably isn't art, but it’s also only 49 pages. It’s weird and enjoyable.
Our Review: “She's a depressed college coed, looking for love in all the wrong places. He's the Pumpkin King who has yearned for her since meeting her at a county fair where she won a costume contest. He risks everything to give her one night of pumpkin-spiced pleasure.”
FAQ
Is it connected to others? → Nope, it’s just standalone smut.
Tone? → Silly & spicy.
🔥The Pumpkin Spice Cafe
Update: We read it!
Author: Laurie Gilmore
Series: Dream Harbor, Book 1
Our Rating: 3.75/5
Genre: Small Town Romance
Tropes: Friends to Lovers, Small Town Return, Overcoming past breakups, Overcoming Past Trauma, MMC/FMC has a Traitorous Cat, Breakup Due to Misunderstanding, Stalker/Stalking, Loss of Parent (Death), Family Business, Female Friendship Group, Slow Burn
Spice Level: Medium
Notes: Costco carries three of the books - we picked them up!
Our Review: “She has inherited a coffee shop from her aunt - perfect timing since recently finding her boss dead at his desk. Our MMC is a local boy just trying to blend in after the failed proposal to his ex girlfriend a year earlier. Together they conquer their commitment fears and give in. And it gets pumpkin spicy toward the end.'“
FAQ
Is it connected to others? → This is book 1 of Dream Harbor. There are three other books in the series out. It’s all the same small town.
Tone? → Sweet.
🔥Railed by the Reaper
Update: We read it!
Author: Dalia Davies
Series: Valley of the Old Gods, Book 5
Our Rating: 3.75/5
Genre: Holiday Monster Romance, Dark Romance
Tropes: Folklore Romance, Forbidden Love Interest, Loss of Sibling (Death), FMC & MMC Enter Into A Contract, MMC/FMC is back from the dead, Power Struggle, MC has a Missing Sibling, Arranged Marriage, What the hell did I just read and why can't I stop
Spice Level: Medium
Pages: 172 pages
Notes: The focus for this book is much less on the stripper-like cover art and much more about dealing with loss.
Our Review: “She's Death's bride, finally taking her place at his side, not as a dutiful wife. As a chaos machine, shaking up how souls are sorted. He's...Death. He doesn't want a bride. And he likes things the way they are. This book is much less smutty and much more intriguing than I anticipated.”
FAQ
Do you need to read in order? → Nope, each novella stands alone. It does seem there’s a larger plot afoot.
What’s the vibe? → Deep, dark, loss.
🔥Scary in Love
Update: We read it!
Author: Holly June Smith
Series: Standalone
Our Rating: 3.75/5
Genre: Small Town Romance, Modern Romance
Tropes: Seasonal, Confessional/Altar/Church Scene Kinks, Mask Kink, Praise Kink, FMC & MMC Enter Into A Contract, One Night of Danger, Family Business, "Haunted, Isolated, Mysterious Land", Short/Novella
Spice Level: Hot
Pages: 378 pages
Notes: Sweet and spicy. The MCs are quite adorable and their meet-cute is precious.
Our Review: “She's a small town girl living in a lonely world. He's the proprietor of a haunted house and into some kinky things. They live happily ever after and assemble a commune.”
FAQ
Standalone? → Yep! Read at your leisure.
Why Halloween? → It takes place in and around a haunted house.
🔥Wolf Gone Wild
Update: We read it!
Author: Juliette Cross
Series: Stay a Spell, Book 1
Our Rating: 3.75/5
Genre: Paranormal Romance, Fantasy Romance, Shifter Romance
Tropes: Werewolf Mate, Fated Mates, Witch/Warlock/Wizard, Strong Sister Bond, Cursed MMC, Age 20+ MMC, Slow Burn
Spice Level: Medium
Pages: 378 pages
Notes: This was entertaining. It’s clear there’s a larger story with the sisters, but we had a tough time giving them much attention.
Our Review: “Evie and Mateo are adorable. I'm not sure I'll read the rest of the series. The sister stories weren't developed to interest me, except Jules.”
FAQ
Standalone? → Book 1 in the Stay a Spell series.
Why Halloween? → Witchcraft, wolves, and spooky New Orleans.
🔥NEW Amazon Original Series
These are short, fun, and affordable ($1.99 per book, ~100 pages). We loved the Meet-Cute series—here are the spooky season titles
Standalone? → Yep! Each of these is its own story.
Why Halloween? → Amazon releases these compilations periodically around the biggest holidays. The ‘Meet-Cute’ series was Valentine’s Day 2025. The ‘Under the Mistletoe’ series was Christmas 2024.
🔥Hot for Slayer
Update: We read it!
Author: Ali Hazelwood
Series: Scared Sexy, Book 1
Our Rating: 3.5/5
Genre: Paranormal Romance, Fantasy Romance
Tropes: Vampire, Enemies to Lovers, Folklore Romance, Story Told in Past and Present, Slow Burn, MMC/FMC has Amnesia, Short/Novella
Spice Level: Medium
Pages: 94 pages
Audio Length: 2 hours, 42 minutes
Notes: We suggest you read this one and skip the audio.
Our Review: “Lazlo's voice on the audiobook sounded like an old man, I couldn't see the romance. The slayer/vampire relationship angle was really cute and the writing was fun.”
🔥Falling
Update: We read it!
Author: Christina Lauren
Series: Scared Sexy, Book 2
Our Rating: 3.75/5
Genre: Fantasy Romance
Tropes: Angel/Demon, Cursed MMC, Seasonal, Hidden Identity, Immortal/Mortal, Age Gap Romance, Fated Mates, Opposites Attract
Spice Level: Medium
Pages: 56 pages
Audio Length: 1 hour, 39 minutes
Notes: This is easily a 4-star read. We rated it down because THERE’S NO EPILOGUE. WTF, Christina Lauren?? We’re mad, but we still love you.
Our Review: “Loved this book - I punished it with a 3.75 BECAUSE THERE WAS NO EPILOGUE. She's a doormat, looking for love. He's a cursed being, walking the Earth seeking his curse breaker. He's a bit of a dolt, but he's lovable.”
🔥Spicy Little Curses
Update: We read it!
Author: J.T. Geissinger
Series: Scared Sexy, Book 3
Our Rating: 4.25/5
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Tropes: Cursed MMC, Fated Mates, Short/Novella, Seasonal, Forced Proximity, Slow Burn, Hate to Love You, Tattoos, MC has a Tragic Past
Spice Level: Medium
Pages: 90 pages
Audio Length: 2 hours, 7 minutes
Notes: This is the best of the series so far. If you have to choose one, choose this one.
Our Review: “Creepy, mysterious, and so much chemistry. She's a skeptical reporter looking for a spooky scoop. He's actually cursed. Together they track down the mystical details and save the day.”
🔥Space Vampire
Update: We read it!
Author: Ruby Dixon
Series: Scared Sexy, Book 4
Our Rating: 3.75/5
Genre: Sci-Fi Romance, Alien Romance
Tropes: Seasonal, Vampire, Alien, MC is trapped, MMC/FMC is/are on the Run, Rescue, Survival, Kidnapping
Spice Level: Hot
Pages: 77 pages
Audio Length: 1 hour, 50 minutes
Notes: Ruby Dixon never disappoints for wild, otherworldly setups.
Our Review: “She's a human pet for some asshole aliens. He's a test tube vampire grown in a space lab to be a gladiator. He escapes his confines and scares the hell out of everyone...but her.”
🔥Beautiful Nightmare
Update: We read it!
Author: Katee Robert
Series: Scared Sexy, Book 5
Our Rating: 3.25/5
Genre: Monster Romance
Tropes: Forbidden Love Interest, Different Worlds, Shapeshifter Romance, Angel/Demon, Portal to Another World, Magic, Short/Novella, Doctor
Spice Level: Medium
Pages: 52 pages
Audio Length: 1 hour, 27 minutes
Notes: Monsters Inc…but sexy.
Our Review: “Cool premise, but it was overrun with cultural references and consent. She's a sleep paralysis demon in training. He's a pediatrician who's about to be her main subject. She knows she's meant for something different and what she finds in him is a new path. A new way to live.”
My Boyfriends are All Monsters
Update: We read it!
Author: Kimberly Lemming
Genre: Monster Romance
Our Review: 4.5/5
Series: Scared Sexy, Book 6
Tropes: Monster/Human Romance, Overcoming past breakups, Short/Novella, Seasonal, Forbidden Love Interest, Creative Anatomy, Exploring Fantasies
Spice Level: High
Pages: 52 pages
Audio Length: 1 hour, 26 minutes
Notes: This was not at all what I expected. It’s way better.
Our Review: “She's desperately trying to save her relationship by hiking with her bf and his friends. He's the monster who finds her after they ditch her. This is an incredibly clever and imaginative meet-cute where she tames the monster and he finally sees her.”