Monster in the Mist by Honey Phillips [Review]

Monster in the Mist (Alien Abduction Standalone) by Honey Phillips
Format: ebook
Source: free through author's newsletter
Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Date read: November 1, 2025

Alien Abduction Standalone
1. Monster in the Mist - Kindle

Related Series:
(find all the books in the series on the 1st book review)
Alien Abduction
1. Anna and the Alien

Honey Phillips
| Website | Amazon |

Synopsis:

Kim can’t catch a break. First she’s abducted by aliens, then her desperate attempt to escape ends when she crash lands on a mysterious alien planet.

Every night the mists come, and every night they become more frightening. The most terrifying part is her response to the seductive voice that calls to her from within the mist.

Exiled to the jungle many years ago, Tiva feels his mind slipping away. But then a strange, beautiful female appears - her presence a beacon in the darkness - and their connection calls him back.

Kim doesn’t think she needs help. Tiva doesn’t think he needs rescuing. They’re both wrong!

A sweet and spicy standalone romance set in the Alien Abduction universe!

Thoughts on Monster in the Mist: As one of the (multitudes of) abducted Earth women, Kim is in a tough spot. Maybe not quite as tough as she would have been if she hadn't fought her new owner (and won when he bashed his head on a console), but she's in a broken ship on a dangerous planet and she has only herself to rely on.

Except, that might not be exactly correct. There's another being on this planet, so she's not entirely alone. Tiva is kind of a mess, though. He's trapped in his own prison and he's not sure the female he dreams about is real or a product of his fracturing mind. Unfortunately, the distance between them and the dangerous mist that creeps in every night means they can only meet in their dreams. To be fair, they had to both accept that the other WAS real before they could explore this connection, but eventually they started getting to know one another during their late night talks. And those talks turned into something more, AS YOU MIGHT IMAGINE!

That something more makes Tiva think he's put Kim's life in danger and he pulls away. Now Kim is faced with staying safe in a shuttle that she can't repair and will (probably) eventually die on her or trying to reach the male who makes her feel all sorts of things. Guess what? She chooses Tiva and his prison over being alone and YESSSS!

I enjoyed all the installments in the AA series and am thrilled to have a sweet (and spicy) snippet of another human woman finding her special someone as she works to survive. *thumbs up*

RtP's Week in Review (10/25/26)

Reading the Paranormal's Week in Review

• Pounded in the Patch by Dana LeeAnn [Review] - Twisty love!
• Stalk by Hedley Hallow [Review] - Chase-y chase masked men!
• Nightbloom by Adrian Blue [Review] - Monstrous love!
• On Your Knees by Jaye Pratt [Review] - Masked men love!
• Savage Stalkers by Jaye Pratt [Review] - More masked men love!
• Run and Hide by A. Rayne [Review] - Chase-y Chase romance!

Bookish Delights

• Books added to the pile
• None!
• Currently reading
• The Retired Assassin's Guide to Amateur Theatrics by Naomi Kuttner

Run and Hide by A. Rayne [Review]

Run and Hide by A. Rayne
Format: ebook
Source: borrowed through Kindle Unlimited
Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Date read: October 31, 2025

Purchase Links: Paperback | Kindle

A. Rayne
| Amazon |

Synopsis (Goodreads):

The last thing I wanted was to walk through a creepy corn maze with my best friend on Halloween night.

But the second we walk through the entrance, we get separated. Leaving me to face my fears alone.

Only to be found by two masked men who have no intention of letting me go.

Thoughts on Run and Hide: Straight up, I didn't dislike this book, but I also didn't understand how Mia went from being terrified of even ENTERING the corn maze to being all in with the two guys who cornered her in it. Especially when one of them got off on terrifying her. To each their own, I guess.

Anywho. Mia is being forced to try out the local corn maze by her best friend. She doesn't want to. She's super not into it. Yet, she's a good enough friend to do it. Which puts her higher on the friend scale than her BFF who basically shamed/bullied her into going even though it was pretty clear Mia isn't into the scare factor. While procrastinating actually going into the maze, Mia bumps into Kian and Cyrus and, well, they might get a little obsessed with her.

You know, to the point of warning off the other scare actors so I they can have her all to themselves.

Like I said, I didn't dislike this book, I just couldn't make the connection between her utter terror at the idea of being scared vs how she was okay with Cy scaring her with a chainsaw during sexy times.

Savage Stalkers by Jaye Pratt [Review]

Savage Stalkers (Masked Men #9) by Jaye Pratt
Format: ebook
Source: borrowed through Kindle Unlimited
Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Date read: November 1, 2025

Masked Men
1. Don't Get Caught
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 - Paperback | Kindle
10. Filthy Puckers
11. Brutal Bodyguards
12. Puck Me Dead

Jaye Pratt
| Amazon |

Synopsis (Goodreads):

I’ve always wanted to be stalked. Turns out, I already am.

Signing that contract was supposed to give me control, masked strangers, the illusion of danger, and a fantasy I could walk away from. Except the men who answered weren’t strangers at all.

They chased me through cemeteries, cornered me in libraries, and left notes on my pillow while I slept.

I thought it was a game I controlled.

Then the masks came off.

They intercepted my contract. Hacked the website and manipulated everything to make me theirs. One of them has been watching me for months before I ever signed anything.

I should run, scream, or at the very least feel violated.

Instead, I feel alive.

Because while the rest of the world wants me polished and perfect, they want me to be theirs just how I am.

And the most terrifying part? I want them too.

Thoughts on Savage Stalkers: Next up in the masked men brouhaha I've been devouring is Skye and her men. Skye who thinks she's getting a safe, (moderately) sanitized chance to live out her fantasies of being chased and stalked. Except...no. I mean, it's safe for the most part because Silas would straight up slip into feral beast mode if anything happened to her, but it's very real and raw and she has no idea the men chasing her aren't part of the request she signed a contract for. (To be fair, she signed a contract WITH the men since they hacked her request, so I guess she's getting exactly what she signed the contract for.)

So. Skye. She feels smothered and trapped in the life her mother is pushing her toward, but she doesn't see a way to break free. Signing up to have her fantasies come to life (even if it's just one time she gets to let go) is her chance to do something for herself that doesn't come with high society expectations. She did NOT expect Silas, Kain, and Zay. Silas is full-on obsessed with her and has to hold himself back from doing things that might cross a line he can't come back from. He's also the one who puts things in motion when he sees her request for a little chasing.

Zay and Kain are Silas's touchstone. They keep him grounded. They keep him from spiraling too hard. They keep his obsession with Skye from getting out of hand. And once they join Silas in giving Skye what she wants, they all start to share in that obsession. Because Skye? She fits with them. Perfectly. TO BE FAIR, it takes Kain a while to admit that. He has to see how her mother treats her before he realizes she's not the spoiled little rich girl he initially thought she was.

A little hacking, a little chasing, a little naughty library time, a trio who didn't know they were looking for a fourth until she slid into their orbit, and a lady who finds her place with the three men who rock her world in the best way. GOOD STUFF!

On Your Knees by Jaye Pratt [Review]

On Your Knees (Masked Men #8) by Jaye Pratt
Format: ebook
Source: borrowed through Kindle Unlimited
Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Date read: November 1, 2025

Masked Men
1. Don't Get Caught
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 - Paperback | Kindle
9. Savage Stalkers
10. Filthy Puckers
11. Brutal Bodyguards
12. Puck Me Dead

Jaye Pratt
| Amazon |

Synopsis (Goodreads):

The View4U competition was supposed to be fun. A way to help someone live out their fantasy, with no strings or feelings. But then I started to want more from him. I crave it. Crave him.

I didn’t expect to fall for the man who offered me a place to stay. Or the broody one who keeps pushing me away even as his eyes plead for me not to go. Then there’s the one who started it all, who makes me feel seen in a way I’ve never been before.

I should leave before they do. Love doesn’t stick in my world. People leave, and I’ve learned it’s safer not to hold on. Yet when I slip on my mask, I’m not the girl with baggage. I’m the one in control. No past, no fear. Just the game, the chase, the power.

So what happens when I don’t want to run anymore? When these men, all so different and dangerous to my heart, make me want to stay?

I thought I was the one doing the chasing. But now I think I’m the one being caught.

Thoughts on On Your Knees: I wasn't sure I'd enjoy the lady being one of the masked this time, but HOO-BOY did it work. Aspen is full of sass and snark and she enjoys pushing buttons. Especially Ridge's buttons. The guy might tell her he isn't interested, but she sees right through him.

But before we get to that, View4U had been mentioned in passing in previous books, but now we get to meet the mind behind it. Zeland. He's generous, loves hard, and maybe gets a little smitten with Aspen the first time she sasses him. How do they meet, you ask? Well! One of Ridge's autonomous vehicles picks her up on accident, she has a panic attack when she realizes she trapped in a driverless car, and she stress-vomits all over the back seat. Which is probably not the best introduction a person could make, but it really didn't faze Zeland.

Speaking of Ridge, he likes things ordered and Aspen ABSOLUTELY tests that. She pushes and pulls and basically does the exact opposite of what he expects. He's into Zeland (he doesn't like putting labels on things, but he's REALLY into Zeland) and Zeland's into Aspen so she's kinda his now by default. He's the cautious one of the trio, making order out of their chaos and he's the one to make sure all the details are in place so they're safe when they get the wild urge to act on their ideas.

One of those ideas being featuring Aspen as a masked woman on View4U. Which brings us to Arlo. Arlo who has befriended Aspen online, but doesn't know who she is. Aspen likes the shy sweetheart and wants to help him break out of his shell. A series of events lead to Arlo being chased (by choice) by an anonymous Aspen and Zeland and this is exactly what they all want, but the anonymity is also a bit of a burden. Because they're both falling for the sweet, shy guy and he doesn't know who they are in real life (did I mention that he now works for Ridge because Ridge in his infinitely cautious way wants to make sure his two partners are safe and the best way to do that is to be able to keep tabs on the guy they're chasing? Yeah, it's complicated).

Anywho. I really ended up liking this one. Ridge is convinced what he has with Zeland is enough. Then Aspen comes into their lives and he reluctantly expands his bubble of people to include her. Then Arlo slides in with them and now the guy is just living his best poly life and it's possible he still has no idea how all this happened. (Blame Aspen. She's a force of nature and even a guy like Ridge gets swept under when she goes for what she wants.)

Bottom line: Really liked this one. BIG *thumbs up*

Night Bloom by Adrian Blue [Review]

Night Bloom (Spring Fever #5) b Adrian Blue
Format: ebook
Source: borrowed through Kindle Unlimited
Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Date read: October 31, 2025

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

Adrian Blue
| Amazon |

Synopsis (Goodreads):

In a remote valley, a botanist discovers flowers that do more than bloom—they hunger. Beneath its beautiful surface, the violet grove hides a dark secret. Something waits in the shadows—something searching for the perfect host. With every breath of intoxicating pollen, she is dragged deeper into the grove's embrace. As scientific resolve gives way to primitive desire, she'll learn that some seeds, once planted, create cravings that can never be satisfied.

Thoughts on Night Bloom: You know, you innocently accept a job in a remote location that several other scientists have bailed on halfway through their stay and WHO KNEW THINGS WOULD HAPPEN? I mean, sure no one expects to find a sentient plant collective when they go to work, BUT STILL.

Kidding aside, (I kinda don't think the FMC's name was ever mentioned, which makes sense since she's alone in the wilderness and has no reason to introduce herself or otherwise say her name) our scientist goes into the whole situation with the best intentions. She's there to do a job and the reasons the ones who came before her left without warning doesn't play into that. Except, you know, it does.

Because that reason comes in the form of a plant who has very explicit ideas of what she can do for it. Soon she's helplessly enjoying everything being done to her. And when the cycle comes to its inevitable conclusion? She thinks she just might swing by next spring and see if she can help again. *thumbs up*

Stalk by Hedley Hallow [Review]

Stalk (Horrific Holiday #1) by Hedley Hallow
Format: ebook
Source: borrowed through Kindle Unlimited
Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Date read: October 30, 2025

Horrific Holiday
1. Stalk - Paperback | Kindle

Hedley Hallow
| Amazon |

Synopsis (Goodreads):

Rory thought a night of thrills in a haunted corn maze would be a fun escape with her friends. But when the scare actors begin to feel too real, she soon realizes that something far more dangerous is lurking among the shadows. A scarecrow begins to focus his chilling attention on her, his unsettling presence turning her night of fun into a twisted nightmare. What begins as fear evolves into something far darker as Rory becomes inexplicably drawn to him.

As her friends begin to disappear one by one, Rory is forced into a deadly game of predator and prey, her every move watched by the man behind the mask. But beneath the burlap and paint, he's more than just a scare actor. He’s a predator in every sense, and Rory is about to discover that she has a darkness inside her just as deep and twisted as his.

Trapped in the maze, her desire to survive collides with her growing obsession. Will Rory escape with her life, or will she surrender completely to the darkness within—and to the man who embodies it?

Thoughts on Stalk: Straight up, this book was a little darker than I like my chase-y chase Halloween books. I mean, I liked the corn maze. I liked the masked man (who was nicely creepy). The stalking through the maze was very nicely done. However, I wasn't enamored of what the masked man was capable of? Or what Rory did? Once he unlocked the darker side of her? (Sorry, I'm mentally working my way through this as I type.)

I guess it comes down to me liking a slightly lighter masked men book. The books itself was good (although a little repetitive with both Rory and Scarecrow really driving home how she'd crossed and line and was his) and there were elements I liked, but I'm not a huge fan of the more horror-esque portions. (And if you ever want a good laugh, watch me watch a horror movie through my fingers. It's a thing. I own it.)

To each their own, though. So if this is what you like, enjoy!