5 Romance Novels to Heat Up Your Fall Reading

by MK French

The weather might be cooling but there are plenty of hot romances out this month. If you are looking for paranormal romance to read for Halloween, I've got 3 for you to read. There's a rom-com and a holiday romance you don't want to miss.

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How to Help a Hungry Werewolf by Charlotte Stein

October 2024; Griffin; 978-1250352330
audio, ebook, print (368 pages); paranormal romance

Cassandra Camberwell returns to Hollow Brook intending to clear out her late grandmother’s house, not expecting her former best friend Seth Brubaker. He had tormented her in high school, and she's sure he plans to do so now. But he's actually a werewolf and thinks she’s the witch that will ease his suffering. Because Cassie can't trust him anymore, Seth will teach her about magic in exchange for the potions he needs. That seems fair until they're with a do-or-die mating bond. They're determined not to give in to it, but maybe it's not so bad...

We see the actual devastating and final humiliation that Seth had dealt in high school, and anyone who had ever been bullied will know how horrible it had felt, especially after years of friendship. When Seth shows up at her grandmother's home desperate for the potions her grandmother used to make, Cassie sees part of the transformation for herself and understands his motives for being there. She once concocted odd recipes as a child when she spent time with her grandmother but stopped long ago. Her magic comes out through cooking and baking, and Seth encourages her to pick it back up. He also introduces her to the world of magical creatures and beings that live in the world, some of which are dangerous. 

How to Help a Hungry Werewolf is at once a second-chance romance and a friends-to-lovers story. Before the humiliation at the talent show, Seth and Cassie were best friends. They fall back into that same rhythm easily and take refuge in the fact they can talk to each other about the weirdness of magic. He's protective of her, especially when old bullies resurface, and his feelings for her are revealed. Both are utter dorks in general, making reference to movies and comics, and have an easy camaraderie.

Buy How to Help a Hungry Werewolf at Amazon

Bad Reputation by Emma Barry

October 2024; Montlake; 978-1662520839
audio, ebook, print (319 pages); romantic comedy

Cole James is known as a himbo in Hollywood based on his role in a teen drama years ago and is trying to shake up his reputation by joining the cast of a historical romance. Its intimacy coordinator Maggie Niven has her own notorious background and is looking to make her comeback by being professional on set. Cole and Maggie connect, but having an affair on set could destroy his comeback and her new career.

Maggie had been a high school theater teacher fired when one of the parents in the district protested the play. Rather than answer the controversy or protect her, the district fired her. It's sad that this is a very real possibility in multiple districts across the country right now, and it's the reason why she threw herself into the role of intimacy coordinator. There, she manages boundaries on set, helps the actors drill down to character motivations, and helps to figure out how to turn "characters make love" in a script into something that has emotional salience for the viewer and doesn't make the actors feel used. Over the course of her job, she not only bonds with the cast and crew but understands trauma and helps them cope with it.

Cole had let fame go to his head in his twenties when he started acting, and since then he has let his agent steer his path back into the limelight. He had been oblivious to problems before and is now more aware of them and has the need to help however they can. The two of them are a great match, and Maggie sees him as a person and not just for his physique. While they have longing looks and understanding, the romantic and fun bits occur later. Both want more than just the appearances of things and want to make a mark on the world around them. We have our happy ending, not just for the romance but for the other characters we've grown to care about in their orbit. I couldn't put the book down once I started it and really enjoyed all the hard work the author put into it.

Buy Bad Reputation at Amazon

Best Hex Ever by Nadia El-Fassi

October 2024; Dell; 978-0593871799
audio, ebook, print (320 pages); paranormal romance 

Dina Whitlock is a kitchen witch serving magic-infused treats in her London café. Thanks to a hex, any romantic partners get bad luck. She tells herself it doesn't matter because at least her best friend is getting married. At the same time, Scott Mason is returning from two years abroad to be curator at the British Museum. He is now the best man for his best friend’s wedding and doesn't expect to fall for the maid of honor. The two grow closer, and Dina knows that Scott is in danger from the hex. Can she undo it before it’s too late?

I love the concept of Dina infusing memories and emotions into the food she makes, enhancing people's own abilities and emotions. It isn't a long-lasting effect, but little boosts that help people. Her meet-cute with Scott is plagued with bad luck, which follows her around anyway. It had started when she was a teenager and followed her since then. The more she likes someone, the more dangerous the hex got. There are incidents that throw Dina and Scott together, as well as multiple accidents, oddities, and injuries that affect both. They get along great, and I loved seeing how they grew close and truly appreciated each other. Both were able to get past some of the barriers keeping them from being in a relationship and by the end, we know more about the hex and how to get past it. It's a similar lesson so many people in our real world have, without the magical hex to back it up. Dina and Scott have their happily ever after and are able to find their way forward together.

Buy Best Hex Ever at Amazon

Christmas in Chestnut Ridge by Nancy Naigle

October 2024; Griffin; 978-1250794154
audio, ebook, print (352 pages); holiday romance

When Sheila's best friend convinces her to help decorate a tree in the annual Christmas Tree Stroll fundraiser, she immerses herself in all things Christmas within the small town of Chestnut Ridge. Sheila soon finds the sense of belonging she needs. As she helps Fire Captain Tucker assist a family with four young children who have just lost their home to a devastating fire, other sparks begin to fly.

This is a cute Chestnut Ridge novel, following And Then There Was You. Natalie had decided to settle in Chestnut Ridge and called Sheila to help with the fundraiser. Sheila immediately gets drawn into the town's needs, and flirting with the cute fire captain doesn't hurt. The two were drawn to each other even prior to the fire, and Sheila selflessly dives in to help the family, order things to help furnish a temporary home, and spend time with the Mom so she doesn't feel so alone. Her city home is fairly empty, and even on vacation when the office shouldn't need her, they continually call or text to get her opinion. She jokingly doesn't know what a vacation is, but this is more and more evident as the novel progresses. Sheila is always on the go and full of plans, and doesn't know how to slow down and relax. 

The romance itself is sweet and both are genuinely nice people getting together. It comes to a head at the end due to their tangled feelings and differences, but they sit down like rational people and actually discuss them! I really like how they are able to talk through their differences, realize how much they care about each other, and how much they want a future together. Sheila bends a lot more, but it's her choice to do so and Tucker would have worked with her if she wanted to stay in the city. Both value their jobs and their families, and I liked that it was part of them and their concerns, and not glossed over. They're adults about the conflicts, and that's what allowed them to bond and have their Christmas miracle, just like the family they helped.

Buy Christmas in Chestnut Ridge at Amazon

If I Stopped Haunting You by Colby Wilkens

October 2024; Griffin; 978-1250292902
audio, ebook, print (320 pages); paranormal romance

Penelope Skinner found horror author Neil Storm infuriating enough to throw a book at, but she's unable to write herself. Invited to a writers' retreat in a supposedly haunted Scottish castle, Penelope wonders if it's too good to be true. Neil is there as well, doubting himself as well. The two are trapped in a ghost story and attracted to each other. If they don't figure out what the ghosts want, their own story might never find a conclusion.

This is a romance with some horror elements, perfect for Halloween. Penelope is mixed white with Native, and always felt judged by others for not being enough. Neil is fully Native but got popular writing conventional horror stories with characters that followed hurtful stereotypes. Both actually were insecure about their writing and successes, so a mutual friend invited each of them as well as another writing friend to the Scottish castle as a way to kickstart the muse. While there were stories about it being haunted, Penelope and Neil are the only ones who actually see the ghosts and experience the haunting for themselves. It brings them closer together, forcing them to acknowledge their feelings and attraction. Along the way, they discover the identity of the ghosts and get inspired to write again. 

The meet-cute was more like a horror show, and the dramatic parts with the ghosts were really well done and fit with a horror movie. This book is firmly a romance, so we get our happily ever after. Even the ghosts do!

Buy If I Stopped Haunting You at Amazon

Born and raised in New York City, M.K. French started writing stories when very young, dreaming of different worlds and places to visit. She always had an interest in folklore, fairy tales, and the macabre, which has definitely influenced her work. She currently lives in the Midwest with her husband, three young children, and a golden retriever. 

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