Okay, LISTEN UP! If you haven't read "this novel" yet, stop reading reviews and go read it NOW. Seriously, go in blind – it's SO much better that way. I don't usually care about spoilers, but trust me on this one.
This book is incredible. It's clever, fun, heartwarming, and sad all at the same time. It's a total page-turner, and I wanted more! It's got awesome Halloween vibes if you're into that, but it's not too much if you're not.
BUT... okay, so, while I loved it, some people thought it was a little slow-paced and predictable. The characters are well-developed, but some didn't feel super attached to them, so the romance didn't hit as hard. The plot is decent, but it could have been shorter and had more going on. There were some boring parts and flashbacks that dragged.
Basically, if you like slow-burn, cozy romances, you might dig it. But if you're looking for something fast-paced and gripping, this might not be your thing. For me, the beginning and the very end were captivating, but the middle was underwhelming.

A huge thank you to NetGalley, Berkley Publishing Group and author Ann Rose for providing me with the eARC of “A Hexellent Chance to Fall in Love”, in exchange for my honest review!
Publication date: September 9th, 2025
Reviewed on Goodreads: July 2nd, 2025

I am not sure if I can put into words what this book means to me.
What this book did to me.
I have been completely overcome by several emotions while reading this, from total joy to total anguish.
This was incredible, and I want everyone to read it.

Christina is a schoolteacher, who has been tasked with organizing the perfect haunted house for a community fundraiser. While in search of supplies, she keeps running into Pepper- an employee at a Halloween store called “The Dead of Night”. The two women start spending more time together and find themselves falling in love in the process.
The problem? Pepper is cursed to be keeper of the store and is only allowed to leave during the 70 days a year that they are open. After 70 days, she disappears and is erased from everyone’s memory.
Pepper and Christina need to break the curse to be together, but for that to happen someone has to willingly take over the job- and the curse that comes with it.

This was AMAZING. A masterpiece. A work of art.
The plot? The character development? The romance? Stunning.
There is also a shocking plot twist, that I won’t go into so that I don’t spoil anything, but it is incredible.

I can honestly say that I have no critiques for this book at all.
Pepper and Christina are perfectly written and developed characters, and so obviously meant to be together.
The autumn/Halloween vibes gave me exactly what I was hoping for, spooky and cozy!
The suspense was crazy, and I was on the edge of my seat the whole time. Every page kept me interested.

Overall, BRAVO. Ann Rose deserves an award for this. Right now.
I am so excited to read more from this author in the future, and I am now entirely DESPERATE to own a physical copy of this book for my collection.

This book had all the ingredients I typically love: a cozy atmosphere, likable characters, and a touch of mystery being slowly uncovered. It started off strong and really fit the vibe of my favorite reading season.

Unfortunately, it didn’t quite hold my attention enough to finish. While I appreciated the premise and tone, the pacing just didn’t hook me. A DNF for me, but I can see it resonating with readers looking for a gentle, character-driven mystery.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this title

I loved this book! I was hoping to read something Christmassy, but this Halloween-themed book was even better! I loved the love story between Pepper and Christina. I was getting annoyed with Pepper always saying "I got you," until towards the end when it's revealed WHY she always says it. The perfect fall book.

This was cute! I love the Halloween theming and this will be perfect for the fall. A closed door romance with lots of detail that ties together at the end.

I love the formatting and the way that it switches back between Christina and Pepper telling the story; it made me cry in realization when all of the chapters were over the course of the three years of the story.

I didn’t love how it ended; I know it gives us room for another book if possible, however I wanted to see Pepper and Christina live their lives post-curse. Hopefully I’m putting this out into the universe and it will deliver?!

Thank you so much to Berkley Romance for allowing me to read this eARC prior to release! All viewpoints are my own.

A paranormal queer romance? SIGN ME UP! Trying to break a curse so then you can stay with your girlfriend is honestly so fun to read. I was really excited going into this book and I'm to say my expectations were met!

The premise of this romance was very unique and I enjoyed the first part of the book. Unfortunately when we got to the climax of the story, the structure and execution of the book fell apart a bit and I started to get really confused and by the end just wasn't invested anymore. I also found that there was a lot references to one of the main character's sister and their relationship yet that never really went anywhere so it felt a bit pointless. Overall, it was a fun concept but the execution just didn't work for me.

I had a hard time getting into it. I think if it was around Halloween, I would’ve been able to get into it more. But once I did, the chemistry between Christina and Pepper was well written and oozing off the page. I do feel like the solution was kind of obvious or at least predictable in a way. I liked the premise of the curse and I wished that there was more on the after of it all.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC

I could not finish this one. I made it about 15-20% of the way in and it was just not well written enough for me. Which sucks, because conceptually I was into into. I loved the premise and I love a sapphic romance. But this was just really juvenile writing. The internal monologuing is so basic and obvious/repetitive observations and thoughts - there was so much telling of how they were feeling, without any real showing or believable actions/experiences to back it up. The dialogue was rough. And I know it's supernatural/paranormal, but even still, I did not really understand the logistics of who is remembered to/by Pepper and where the Keeper spends the year and how people get hired/ready if the store doesn’t exist til the season starts? Idk this was a great concept. But the execution fell super short and I am going to have to DNF.

Incredibly clever.

Imagine a retelling of Brigadoon - only instead of a quaint Scottish village reappearing every 100 years, it's a Halloween spirit store. (with a little Alice in Wonderland for flavor)

Absolutely beautiful relationship between two vastly different people who deeply belong to each other.

And the struggle it takes to be together time... and time... and time again.

(Ooo, and there's a lovely little nod to the author's debut novel 😉)

"I'm sure. Because this is the kind of thing you fight for - a person who's willing to watch you fade away and keeps coming back no matter how hard it is."

Thank you to Net Galley and Berkley Publishing Group for the ARC of A Hexcellent Chance to Fall in Love.

This paranormal romance will have you wondering what’s going on throughout while rooting for Pepper and Christina to find a way to break the curse keeping them apart.

There are so many rich details contained within each chapter. I found myself thinking about this book days after reading it, and each time, I put more and more things together. It was magical.

This book is just so freaking good. If you’re looking for a sweet romance with a bit of a twist, I got you.

Thank you NetGalley for the arc!!

I can’t even begin to describe how much fun I had reading this book!! The premise behind this was phenomenal!!!! I laughed and I cried and I hated Kev and then I was hating Ashley and oh what a joy this book was!!!

This was such a charming and slightly spooky read. I really liked the way the book balanced the magic and romance, especially the emotional weight behind Pepper’s curse. The Dead of Night store was such a fun and eerie setting, and I loved the idea of a Halloween romance where the stakes are both magical and deeply personal. The chemistry between Pepper and Christina was immediate, and it was easy to root for them even as the time they had together kept slipping away. A great blend of cozy, witchy, and bittersweet with just the right amount of trouble stirred in.

I absolutely loved this story and definitely was not expecting that twist at the end!

Ann delivered a story that blends Halloween magic and bittersweet longing. In the story, we follow Pepper, who is tied to a mysterious Halloween store that appears each year in fall and then disappears after Halloween. Once the store vanishes, so does the memory of Pepper. It reminds me of the Magic Shop in the Tales from the Tarot series that randomly pops up! And just the Magic Shop, the Halloween story leaves its patrons unaware of its magic. But, in walks Christina.

The chemistry between Pepper and Christina is genuine and electric. It never felt forced. They were so fun and flirty together! Yet, watching Pepper wrestle with her past and longing for a future with Christina was a delicate balance that Ann got just right. The twists and turns kept me on my toes, and I completely devoured this book in one sitting.

Thank you, NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group, for this ARC.

This book was a cute, cozy read. In my opinion, this book is predictable, but I typically do not mind that in a romance book. Where this book fell flat for me is how long and drawn out it feels. Overall, I did enjoy reading this book; I just think the very slow pace was not for me. If slow-paced romance books are your style, then I would recommend this book to you!

The characters are well fleshed out; I had no lingering questions about them or who they were. The only problem is that I wasn’t super attached to the characters, therefore I didn’t feel very attached to their romance either. I found myself feeling a bit indifferent toward their relationship, especially during the last half. I’m unsure if this was because of the slow pacing or just because of the character building.

The plot was decent. I did really enjoy the start of this book and figuring out what’s happening with Pepper. Where I believe this book goes wrong is that it should have been shorter. I found myself bored fairly often and wishing that a bit more was happening. I’m all for a good cozy romance, but I think there was just too little happening at all times in this book. Also, there are a couple spots where I think it dragged on a bit long (i.e., some flashbacks). I was mainly captivated toward the beginning and at the very end, but the in-between for me was pretty underwhelming.


Thank you so much to Ann Rose, Berkley Publishing, and NetGalley for providing a free eARC in exchange for an honest review!

Link to my blog: calliesbooks.wixsite.com/calliesbooknook

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for providing this book, with my honest review below.

A Hexcellent Chance to Fall in Love has a catch your eye and stay in mind premise and it does not let its readers down in delivering to it. This book checks all kinds of boxes as a paranormal romance with humor and plenty of emotional elements. With a plot centered on a curse that ties Pepper to a Halloween store where she can live her life while it’s around, forgotten by those in the town she used to live in before the curse - you know this is fun, but it takes it to the next level not just with the excellent writing that really makes the romance between Pepper and Christina and curse believable, but with a spin I didn’t anticipate and which this book had no right springing on me without warning.

Suffice to say - pick this up and prepare for a great time.

🔮 Bookish Thoughts
What a fun and cozy sapphic romance! This was such a unique Halloween story. I loved Pepper and Christina as a couple, they were exactly what each other needed.

I felt for Pepper! Being forgotten every year after Halloween for five years? Absolutely brutal, especially since she was tricked into the position!
And Christina’s was struggling. She’s stuck in this rut, constantly overlooked and dismissed by her family. Honestly, they made me so mad for the majority of the book! But watching both of them fall in love was so sweet! They really fought hard to be together 🥺🥺 The ending was cute! I wasn’t quite prepared for “upper management” 🤣 but I’ll leave it at that.

🎃 Read if you like:
• Cozy Halloween vibes
• Sapphic paranormal romance
• Magical curses
• Sapphic fall reads

🖤 Favorite Quote:
“She is my person, and no matter what happens, we will find our way back to each other. I have to believe that.”

📅 Release Date: September 9, 2025
📖 ARC provided by Berkley via NetGalley. All thoughts are my own.

Thank you to NetGalley, Ann Rose, and Berkley for the eARC of this book.

This is such a cute and fun fall read! I read it on a plane ride and can't wait to add it to my Halloween reading list!

If you're like me, you think that a cursed retailer is a ridiculous premise for a book. However, if you're like me, you're going to very quickly change your mind. A Hexcellent Chance to Fall in Love was clever, romantic, and difficult to put down. Both main characters were loveable and multidimensional, and my prediction for the ending was wrong, which I absolutely adore. This is a great Halloween (or any time!) read.

let me start off with the positives here: i really loved the premise of this book, especially since i’m always looking for more sapphic reads for the fall! the setup of the curse and pepper’s life at the store was really fun and unique, and i enjoyed the introduction to her world and the beginning of her relationship with christina.

once we really got into the meat of the story, though, the structure and execution of the plot left something to be desired for me. it started to get confusing at points — i can’t say as much as i want to without spoiling a big part of the book, but i actually started jotting down things that i thought were errors that actually turned out to be on purpose. with this reveal that comes later on in the book, it felt less like a cleverly devised twist and more like something that just left me scratching my head as i reprocessed everything. i understand that this is the point, but in my opinion, the execution of it was messy, since many of the affected moments are small, everyday things that you might not necessarily recall in the end in order for them to make more sense. like i said, it’s hard to fully explain without spoiling, but it felt a bit clumsy to me at the end of the day, as opposed to a clever twist that made things fall into place. it seems that i’m alone in this so far, so it will probably work better for other people!

i do think some people will connect with this story more than i did. it was still a fun fall read, and i did really like the concept of pepper’s curse. i hope that other readers find enjoyment in this story!