Amber Roberts on Haunt Your Heart Out & other cozy spooky reads

Guest post written by Amber Roberts, author of Haunt Your Heart Out.

Crisp leaves, frosty windowpanes, and early twilight: Fall is here! This is my favorite time of year. The atmosphere can feel extra eerie as the foliage drops off branches, leaving trees stretching skyward like giant wooden skeletons against a moonlit backdrop. While many people reach for books by favorite horror or thriller authors during autumn, I’ve always considered Spooky Season the perfect time for romance. Cooling fall weather is ideal for getting cozy with your crush—and even better, if it gets too spooky, they’re right there to hold your hand. Apple picking, cool-weather strolls, cidery tours, fall festivals, haunted house tours—there are autumn activities galore to get hearts pumping (with love), making Halloween and the whole of autumn a perfect backdrop for a romantic story.

In movies and books, I love those moments when one main character reacts when the other is frightened or nervous. That glorious instant when they spring into action to defend or soothe, strengthening the relationship—or sparking first fluttering feelings as they realize what their sudden protective reaction truly meant. It’s all about that little (or big!) push to get the characters out of their own heads, and into each other’s arms. What better way to give the characters that moment than to set a story during the spookiest time of the year?

Except, I have a confession to make: While Haunt Your Heart Out features ghost hunters and creepy locations, I’m actually a complete chicken. I avoid horror films and can’t even watch scary trailers without being afraid. Haunted houses actually make my knees weak (and not in a swoony way). While I’m hesitant when it comes to horror, I love lighter spooky books and I’ll even read them all year long! The combination of spooky meets sparkly is my story sweet spot. I like to describe Haunt Your Heart Out as Scooby Doo meets Ghost Hunters: Lighthearted and fun, rather than goosebump-inducing.

When fiery red and orange leaves start to tumble toward the ground and the seasons change, it’s the perfect opportunity to reach for a little treat in the form of witchy, vampire, ghostly, and paranormal romance books. Get into the cozy-creepy spirit by curling up with one of these charming sweet to steamy reads that offers those great Spooky Season vibes.

Perfect Fall Romance Reads Out Now:

• The Dead Romantics by Ashley Poston
• Kiss and Spell by Celestine Martin
• Payback’s a Witch by Lana Harper
• Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas
• Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins
• The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna
• Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree

Autumn 2024 Spooky Season Releases:

• Casket Case by Lauren Evans (12th September)
• The Little Coffee Shop of Terrors by Hazel Graves (12^th September)
• Perfectly Wicked by Lindsay Lovise (17^th September)
• Sunsets and Other Dangerous Things by Dani Frank (19^th September)
• My Vampire Plus-One by Jenna Levine (26^th September)
• Best Hex Ever by Nadia El-Fassi (3^rd October)
• The Wedding Witch by Erin Sterling (8^th October)
• The Nightmare Before Kissmas by Sara Raasch (10^th October)

And don’t forget to add Haunt Your Heart Out to your autumn- and Halloween-inspired TBR. The ghosts are friendly, I promise!