Love at First Fright by Nadia El-Fassi

12 hours ago 1

Love at First Fright

I have to be upfront about some personal pet peeves first. I hate cosy witch stories. I don’t like twee and I don’t like cutesy. This book has touches of that initially and a lot towards the end, which has definitely coloured my experience of this book. So if cutesy, twee, and cosy are things that bring you joy, then bump this grade up a level or two.

Lara, it’s already a B, I hear you say. I know!

Rosemary writes horror novels and she’s turned one of them into a screenplay which is about to be filmed at a gothic manor in England. She is Not Happy with who they have cast as the lead in the movie: Ellis. Ellis, the famous action movie star. The character is supposed to be a willowy Victorian!

At this point I was thinking: great! Enemies-to-lovers! A classic!

Only, the enemies part didn’t last long at all. After a couple snarky interactions, both parties, being largely reasonable people, opt to communicate. Okay, open communication, great, I can work with that.

As Rosemary and Ellis interact on the film set, the chemistry is delicious. Once the BDSM enters the chat, things really heat up. It’s undoubtedly a spicy book. It was great fun to read.

My gripe comes from the lack of tension. The ‘enemies’ part was resolved pretty quickly. The fact that they lived on opposite sides of the world was also a quick mental solve. There were a few other possible sources of tension but these were so low stakes as to be laughable.

At this point, dear reader, you’re probably thinking, ‘Lara, this is not the book for you, why are you reviewing it?!’ Because, gentle reader, if a skeptic like me can find joy in a cosy book like this, then imagine the amounts of joy possible for a habitual reader of cosy stories! I had to make sure that this book was up front and centre for the Bitchery.

I really enjoyed my time with Rosemary and Ellis. Their love is sweet and spicy and so warm. I enjoyed the ghost element too. Rosemary sees and communicates with ghosts and I found the ghosts really added to the story. So what if there wasn’t actually any hard work to get to the HEA. For many, I’m sure that’s a good thing. This is a story about two good people who do filthy (but good) things to each other and fall deeply in love. What’s not to enjoy?!

As with many series, you can absolutely read this as a standalone story. It’s very easy to pick up the series at this point, and I’m definitely going to be looking out for more by this author.

– Lara

She can see ghosts. He’s haunted by his past. Together they will discover a love that is supernatural.

In this cosy and spicy paranormal romance, a successful horror author whose novel is being adapted into a movie clashes with the actor cast as the male lead, all in a spooky mansion filled with ghosts, from the author of Best Hex Ever

Rosemary Shaw’s ability to see the dead has never scared her. In fact, it’s inspired most of her horror novels, the most successful of which is being adapted into a movie, set in a beautiful manor house in the English countryside. A house that old, well, it’s no surprise there’s ghosts. But ghosts are something Rosemary can handle, she’s not so sure how to deal with her infuriatingly handsome leading man, who is all wrong for the role.

Ellis Finch is a Hollywood heartthrob with a secret. He’s tired of playing the action movie hero and would much rather be gardening with his dog Fig. Starring in a historical horror movie might be just the ticket for his new image, until he finds out that the author tried to get him kicked off the show.

Amidst filming for the movie and the chemistry-filled feuding between Rosemary and Ellis, Hallowvale manor comes alive, literally. Trying to balance the mayhem of her writing deadlines, an adorable ghostly dog and a pair of Regency-era women who are definitely nothing more than friends, Rosemary is at risk of telling Ellis her secret, or worse – falling for him.