Some Summerween book recs 🌞🎃
Autumnal/slightly spooky/Halloweeny reads for the summer
We have less than 150 days 'til Halloween! It’s around this time I start getting in the spirit of the season — next season, that is. My logic is this: Summer is only one step away from autumn, so it’s basically autumn.
If you’re like me and ready to get into a ghouls-and-goblins kind of mood, I’ve put together a few of my favorite Summerween books. Most of these are romance or romance-adjacent, but I’ve included some mystery and magical realism, too.
Her Halloween Treat | Tiffany Reisz
Although mostly known for her BDSM works (and The Red, which is a revelation), Reisz released a trilogy of holiday-themed contemporary romances for Harlequin, and they’re all bangers. This one starts with our FMC, Joey Silvia, retreating to her family’s cabin in the Oregon woods after a particularly bad break-up. Who does she encounter there but Chris Steffensen, her brother’s childhood best friend and current handyman for the property. Pardon my French, but Joey gets absolutely dicked down in this one. Without spoiling anything, the happily-ever-after here is top-notch!
Check it out here.
Best Hex Ever | Nadia El-Fassi
The vibes are sooo right in this book. Dina Whitlock is a kitchen witch and bakery owner cursed with a hex that brings bad luck to whoever she dates. Scott Mason is juggling best man duty with a new curating job for the British Museum. Things get even more complicated when he finds himself falling for the maid of honor, who also turns out to be a witch. Dina and Scott take on weddings and curses together — all in only ~300 pages, which is right up my alley.
El-Fassi builds a really rich world that’s both cozy and compelling. I was kicking my feet, grinning like a fool reading this. Kitchen witches, nerds, and lots of chemistry — talk about pumpkin spice! (Sorry.)
Check it out here.
Halloween Boo | Sarah Spade
Hocus Pocus fan fic, so yes it is goofy, but that’s what makes it great! Dani is facing another lonely Halloween, but her luck changes thanks to the ghost haunting her apartment. Zack’s fortunes change, too, when he finds himself finally able to connect with the woman he’s been falling for — the woman he’s been haunting.
Short af, and Spade makes use of every minute. What’s not to love about ghost boyfriends? Get ready to suspend your disbelief!
Check it out here.
Sore Throat, Slight Fever | J. Lynn Carr
Oh, this book is nasty (as in, sick nasty). A witch and a vampire find themselves in a dire situation where one decision changes both of their lives. From there, some really excellent forced proximity.
Dripping with gloomy, gothic style, Carr really brings out the eerie solitude of the East Texas woods. I can’t say enough about how badass and off-kilter this book is (while still familiar — it’s a vampire romance, after all).
Check it out here.
The House at Watch Hill | Karen Marie Moning
For those who might be unfamiliar: KMM was a dominant force in the urban fantasy/paranormal romance craze of the mid-2000s. Her Fever series is what got me into romance. So I was kind of shocked by the relatively tepid reception this book got at release last year.
The main character, Zo, is really, really down on her luck until a tragedy brings about a stroke of good fortune — literally. Zo finds herself thrust into a strange new world of small-town witch politics. Not to mention her new house with its own bag of mysteries, including clues to the family she never knew.
I found this book a sexy, mysterious introduction to what’s sure to be a twisting journey. The descriptions alone were delectable, and we’ve got all the hallmarks of a seasoned urban fantasy/romance writer in a new Southern Gothic setting.
Check it out here.
The Sign of Four Spirits | Vicki Delany
A pretty by-the-numbers cozy mystery (the hook here is the sleuth owns a Sherlock-themed bookstore) featuring a séance gone wrong. But it’s the characters in this one that really stood out to me. There’s something really modern and kind of wry about them in a way you don’t often see in cozy mystery. One of the suspects is giving Teresa Guidice, another Britney Spears, plus a Nate and Vanessa from Gossip Girl sort of thing. So that’s fun! It also takes place near the ocean, making it vaguely summery!
Check it out here.
Spirits Abroad | Zen Cho
A little spooky, but mostly charming! Spirits Abroad is a collection of short stories featuring all sorts of supernatural situations and Southeast Asian folklore. Cho keeps the tone (relatively) lighthearted and the pace brisk. It’s hard to really summarize, but IMO the focus is on those everyday moments where we just wish for a little magic. I read this in a day.
Check it out here.
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What are your favorite Summerween reads? Anything you’re looking forward to reading this spooky season?
What I’m Up To
Right now I am suspicious of what I have down for the next Hickory Hill book. The story is coming a little too easily. Several of the characters are already established, which does move things along, but IDK I don’t trust it. So I’ve put that one aside to let it marinate.
In the meantime, I’m working on the book after that, which is summery and rom-commy. It’s also longer and more complicated than anything yet. The juice will be worth the squeeze, though. I’ve been sitting on this ending for a long time, and ugh I can’t wait to share it.
I also just got back from a really excellent weekend at Broken Bow, Oklahoma (which has exploded in tourism over the past 10 years, but that’s a different story). Completely by coincidence, we ended up staying in a Bigfoot-themed cabin. I got to cook on a flat-top for the first time, too, which had been on my bucket list! (More photos on Instagram here, though I did not get one of the griddle lol.)
