RtP's Week in Review (10/11/26)

Reading the Paranormal's Week in Review

• Don't Get Caught by Jaye Pratt [Review] - Masked men love!
• Burn for Jack by Aiden Pierce [Review] - Monster love!
• You're Ours Now by Jaya Pratt and Samantha Barrett [Review] - More masked men love!
• Wickedly Sweet by Steph Macca [Review] - Vacay in Salem!
• Wildflowers by Adrian Blue [Review] - More monster love!
• Slash or Smash by Dee Garcia [Review] - Sexy times at Halloween!

Bookish Delights

• Books added to the pile
• Harvest Season (Seasons of Carnage #2) by Brynne Weaver
• A Cute Little Murder by Molly Harper
• Currently reading
• The Dragon's Favorite Strays by Ruby Dixon

Slash or Smash by Dee Garcia [Review]

Slash or Smash (Festive ASF #4) by Dee Garcia
Format: ebook
Source: borrowed through Kindle Unlimited
Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Date read: October 24, 2025

Festive ASF
1. Bad Santas
2. Cupid's Chokehold
3. Dublin My Luck
4. Slash or Smash - Kindle
5. Midnight Mischief

Dee Garcia
| Website | Amazon |

Synopsis (Goodreads):

Raven Vexley is that girl: pumpkin spice in hand, cozy sweaters on repeat, and a deep love for all things spooky. Fitting—or maybe a little on the nose—considering she lives in Hollow’s Moor, a small town where Halloween starts at the end of August and doesn’t let up until November’s last breath. Most years, Raven and her friends spend All Hallows’ Eve party-hopping and chasing thrills, but this time, after a few drinks and half-hearted scares, they decide to switch things up.

An escape room.

The Lock Box is the Moor’s newest haunt. Owned by a stepbrother duo who take Halloween as seriously as the rest of the town, they’re dressed in full slasher gear and awaiting their next victim when Raven and her giggling, tipsy crew stumble through the front doors. After the girls select the Haunted Mansion experience, the pseudo-brothers walk them through the rules, ending with a cryptic warning:

If the walls shift and your party is scattered, do not turn back. The manor favors those who move forward…

It’s all laughs until the lights cut out and Raven suddenly finds herself alone, cornered and vulnerable with Ghostface and Jason. Her pulse says scream, run, but something about the way those soulless, masked eyes look at her as they close in makes it all too clear: They’re playing a new, chilling game—and she’s the grand prize.

Slash…or smash?

Thoughts on Slash or Smash: This is a short and spicy little nugget of a story where a lady who likes masked men meets the two masked hunks who own the new escape room in town. She's interested, they're interested. THINGS HAPPEN.

Raven is old enough to be tired of the same old party scene on Halloween. So when one of her friends suggests trying the new escape room in town, she's down for that. She's even more down for it when the owners are masked hotties who look at her like she's the main course at an all you can eat buffet. When they separate her from her friends and suggest a thrilling alternate game, Raven is 100% on board.

Ghostface and Jason are thrilled to have Raven to play with and it doesn't take long before they're all getting something out of the game.

Fast-paced, spicy, and with some serious masked hotness. *thumbs up*

Wildflowers by Adrian Blue [Review]

Wildflowers (Spring Fever #3) b Adrian Blue
Format: ebook
Source: borrowed through Kindle Unlimited
Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Date read: October 28, 2025

Spring Fever
1. Midnight Prey
2. Cocoon
3. Wildflowers - Kindle
4. Dark Warren
5. Night Bloom

Adrian Blue
| Amazon |

Synopsis (Goodreads):

Deep in the isolated Blackwood Nature Reserve, a wildlife photographer's spring expedition turns into something far more primal. In the dark forest, the night has eyes, and every shadow is watching. Gwen is about to experience everything the forest has to offer. As the line between violation and ecstasy blurs, she will become the vessel for a terrifying spring ritual.

Thoughts on Wildflowers: I'm enjoying this series because it's delightfully whacked out and I'm here for exactly that. BUT...spiders, man. Creeping horror of the creepingest kind. Spiders that need a host. Spiders that can communicate. Spiders that have chosen a human woman as their breeding vessel. *stares in concerned horror*

Yeah. Gwen got WAY more than she bargained for when she took this trip. While it was terrifying and she wasn't really given a choice on being chosen (thank you, temporary paralyzing venom!), she also...didn't hate it? Like, she kind of did, but she also didn't. I mean, main spider dude made THINGS happen and she was kind of down with that.

I really don't know how I feel about this. Mostly because spiders aren't my thing, but Gwen was into it. And they were into her. Literally. And she walked away at the end with an open invitation to return the next year, so...YOLO GWEN! Or YOLO year after year, I guess.

Wickedly Sweet by Steph Macca [Review]

Wickedly Sweet (Wickedly Psychos #1) by Steph Macca
Format: ebook
Source: borrowed through Kindle Unlimited
Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Date read: October 28, 2025

Wickedly Psychos
1. Wickedly Sweet - Paperback | Kindle

Steph Macca
| Amazon |

Synopsis (Goodreads):

After my boyfriend has a not-so-little accident with his new female best friend, I jump at the opportunity to take a small vacation with my brother to Salem for Halloween. He's annoyed, but his two best friends? Not so much.

Halloween and Salem speak to my soul. There's something about the thrill of being scared, the adrenaline that makes your heart pound while you fight your mind to stay in control. Then, once it's all over, the rush of wanting to do it again.

I'm drawn to horror and fear. Scary movies? Check.

Deep, dark fantasies? Check.

Being chased through the Halloween Witch Hunt by two shirtless, neon skull mask wearing men covered in blood? Check.

Maybe I'm sick and twisted. But there's a reason villains are often painted as hot, seductive men.

It's because women like me exist. And we want to scream in more ways than one.

Thoughts on Wickedly Sweet: Tagging along on her brother's trip to Salem for Halloween, Audrey isn't looking for anything more than a chance to unwind and forget about her cheating ex. Then she has a few drinks with her brother's friends and tipsily shares how she likes the idea of being chased. Little did she know Brax and Nate were taking note of every word she said.

Now she's heading into the Witch Hunt (where the women who sign up as witches are literally chased by hunters) and two hunters have their eyes on her. Which is fine by Audrey because she doesn't plan on being caught. GUESS WHAT? Not only do her hunters catch her, they treat her to a night of delights. Or at least an hour-ish.

A little game of cat and mouse (or witch and hunter, I guess), one very sexy knife, a duo who know how to treat their lady right, and a lady who didn't mind being caught IN THE LEAST. *thumbs up*

You're Ours Now by Jaye Pratt and Samantha Barrett [Review]

You're Ours Now (Masked Men #4) by Jaye Pratt and Samantha Barrett
Format: ebook
Source: borrowed through Kindle Unlimited
Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Date read: October 28, 2025

Masked Men
1. Don't Get Caught
2. Nowhere to Hide
3. Are You Scared?
4. You're Ours Now - Paperback | Kindle
5. Hold Your Breath
6. Run For Us
7. Dirty Cowboys
8. On Your Knees
9. Savage Stalkers
10. Filthy Puckers
11. Brutal Bodyguards
12. Puck Me Dead

Jaye Pratt
| Amazon |

Samantha Barrett
| Website | Amazon |

Synopsis (Goodreads):

Love is my favorite thing in the world. The grand gestures, the butterflies, the happily ever after. I live for it all. The problem? My love life is a total disaster. No one ever measures up to my three best friends—Storm, Zayne, and Julius. They’re perfect in every way . . . except for the tiny detail that they don’t see me as anything more than a friend.

When an invitation to a Valentine’s Day themed matchmaking show lands in my email inbox, I think, Why not put my heart out there? Sign me up. Filming my video feels like a dream until I accidentally mention my fantasies about masked men and a little spice in the bedroom.

Fast forward to the big day, and I’m ready to meet my match. However, when I arrive, I’m not greeted by one man . . . but three. All masked. All confident. All dangerously familiar. As the night unfolds, these men teach me something I’ve never let myself believe: it’s okay to want what I want.

This Valentine’s Day, my love life might finally stop being a disaster.

And sometimes the happily ever after you’ve been chasing is right in front of you.

Thoughts on You're Ours Now: No lie, the author/mom notes in front of these make me laugh. I kinda love the dichotomy of a mom-side saying "absolutely don't do this thing" and an author-side saying "yeah, absolutely get your freak on with this thing". Anyway. Be safe and don't do the thing, but totally feel free to read about the thing.

So. Mellie accidentally bares her soul during a taped interview for a matchmaking show and one of her BFFs happens to work at the place running said show. So the interview lands in his inbox and HECK YEAH his BFF wants him and their other best friends to do very naughty things to her. Okay, maybe she didn't actually say she wanted THEM to do those naughty things, but they could infer what she meant.

Now Storm, Zayne, and Julius are planning on giving Mellie the absolute BEST V-Day surprise - all her accidentally revealed fantasies come to life. Of course, they can't let her know it's them behind the masks and none are super keen on keeping this secret, but they'll cross that bridge when they come to it.

One abandoned resort, a few sexy games of chase, a whole lot of heat, and a foursome that is going to find a way make things work no matter what!

Burn for Jack by Aiden Pierce [Review]

Burn for Jack (Holiday Horrors #1) by Aiden Pierce
Format: ebook
Source: borrowed through Kindle Unlimited
Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Date read: October 27, 2025

Holiday Horrors
1. Burn for Jack - Paperback | Kindle
2. Bleed for Cupid
3. Prey for Rabbit
4. Cry for Krampus
5. Bend for Balor

Aiden Pierce
| Website | Amazon |

Synopsis (Goodreads):

Don’t go near the pumpkin patch on Halloween night…

Jack Calloway is the pumpkin-headed boogeyman of Hallow Hill. As the legend goes, he was a man of wicked tastes, devilish allure, and had a knack for dark magic. He and his lover—my ancestor—were tried as witches and burned at the stake at the edge of Hallow Hill’s pumpkin patch.

Some say he made a deal with the devil to spare his lover’s soul and haunts the pumpkin patch to this day, waiting for her return.

“Don’t go near the pumpkin patch on Halloween,” they’ve always warned the women in my family. “Jack might get you.”
Too bad I don’t listen because I have to find out the hard way that ghost stories exist for a reason. And in Jack’s flames, I just might become one.

Thoughts on Burn for Jack: Spooky season shenanigans complete with a witchy family, a pumpkin patch with a reputation, and a full-on pumpkin headed hunk of a dude. Who happens to be totally okay with absolutely ending anyone who hurts (or attempts to hurt) his long awaited honey bunny.

Ada's tired of watching this town suck her family dry and she's determined to get out. If that means taking the town bully (and her personal nemesis) up on a monetary bet about entering the pumpkin patch on Halloween night, Ada is willing. Especially if it means she'll be able to use the cold, hard cash to fund her way out of this town.

As it turns out, Ada's personal nemesis is a liar and really shouldn't be trusted. His brilliant plan to leave her in the patch and watch when the town boogeyman do all sorts of unspeakable things to her. In a twist, Jack IS real and he's super not down with anyone hurting Ada. Mostly because he's sure Ada carries the soul of the woman he loved and lost and no one (except him) is going to get a front row seat to the things they do together.

Cue the pumpkin vines, creative sexy times, and a little dark magic. Oh, and maybe some rending of Ada's enemies. Really, what's the point in having a hunky, pumpkin-headed demon is they're not going to take care of anyone who dares to hurt you?

A little fire, a lot of steam, a witch who will (probably literally) burn down the world to keep his lady safe, and a lady who absolutely knows a good demon when it snatches out of a bad situation (and proceeds to give her everything she didn't know she was missing). *thumbs up*

Don't Get Caught by Jaye Pratt [Review]

Don't Get Caught (Masked Men #1) by Jaye Pratt
Format: ebook
Source: borrowed through Kindle Unlimited
Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Date read: October 27, 2025

Masked Men
1. Don't Get Caught - Paperback | Kindle
2. Nowhere to Hide
3. Are You Scared?
4. You're Ours Now
5. Hold Your Breath
6. Run For Us
7. Dirty Cowboys
8. On Your Knees
9. Savage Stalkers
10. Filthy Puckers
11. Brutal Bodyguards
12. Puck Me Dead

Jaye Pratt
| Amazon |

Synopsis (Goodreads):

Sometimes life throws you a curve ball. They suck in the moment, but in the long run, you end up being chased by three masked men through a cemetery. Now that’s the curve ball you want.

My boyfriend was perfect, up until he wasn’t. When Mr. Vanilla found out about my deepest, darkest fantasies, he spread them all over campus and shamed me in the worst way possible. I dropped out of college and moved to a small town, where I have just inherited a house from my long-lost grandmother.

I’m determined to get my life back on track and leave my old life behind. Never in my wildest dreams did I expect to be chased by a masked man through a haunted house on my first night in town. Or that he would make good on his promise to bring a friend next time, and then two would turn into three.

I have everything I ever dreamed about with these three masked men. Somehow, they found me exactly when I needed them. Now nothing will get in their way because they want to keep me as theirs.

Thoughts on Don't Get Caught: Look. I picked up this book because I thought a little spooky season spiciness sounded like just the thing. A lady getting chased through a cemetery by masked me? Sounds promising. And thus began my full-fledged immersion into sexy chasey-chase books with a lady who is willing to explore her boundaries and the men who are there to (consensually) push her to the edge.

Yeah. I liked this book. A lot. Lily has beat a strategic retreat from her family and ex after he shamed her for wanting things he didn't think were normal. Her family really didn't have anything to do with the shaming or even know about it, but she wanted a fresh start and she got one.

Hitting up the town's haunted house attraction seems like a no-brainer since she likes the thrill of being scared. And chased. When a masked man hunts her down through the cemetery and gives her a very special small town welcome, she doesn't resist too hard. And when he shows up again with his friends in tow, well...she's really down for that.

Meanwhile, she's made friends with North, Harlen, and Eli and doesn't realize her masked men and her new friends are one and the same.

As for North, Harlen, and Eli, they're the town troublemakers and they certainly like making trouble (of the best kind) for Lily. Eli's sweet shyness stole the show for me, but all Lily's men were sweethearts in their own way.

A little chasing, some nicely creepy masks, a town that's more understanding than anyone thought they would be, a trio who's looking to add to their group, and a lady who gets everything she didn't know she needed when she moved into her newly inherited house. *thumbs up*