Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine for an advanced copy!

Rating: 3.5/5 stars

Tropes: age-gap, writer x actor, sub x dom, praise kink, bisexuality representation

I really enjoyed this book! I loved the representation of bisexuality, a horror author being able to see ghosts, and their relationship blooming. I loved the dual point of view because I am a SUCKER for a man's pov.

I felt like the third act breakup/ come back together felt so rushed. I felt like the issues of the third act breakup weren't fully addressed, and it made me so dang mad!

Love At First Fright is a great spooky season offering for readers looking for a cozy paranormal romance with representation for the LGBQTIA+ community. Nadia El-Fassi's sophomore book is filled with fun & touching moments. Rosemary Shaw is a best-selling horror author overseeing her first screenplay being filmed. Ellis Finch is a leading man with secrets. Rosemary doesn't see Ellis as the best casting choice & she's not shy about it. Sparks fly as they navigate filming on location. I would have liked more tension around the hate to love aspect. What I like most about this book is the strong FMC. She starts strong, stays strong, and lends that strength to others. I enjoy when the FMC doesn't take nonsense from other characters even if there's a third act breakup. It took me a little bit to pick this up but once I started reading it wasn't easy to put down. There's a juxtaposition of fluffy fall vibes & some BDSM elements that might seem to clash to some readers. Overall, I happily recommend Love At First Fright and I look forward to reading more books from Nadia El=Fassi.

He's an older action star who's being blackmailed by his agent; she's a horror author/screenwriter who can see ghosts. Meeting on the set of her film, they turn from enemies to lovers when mutual attraction and their D/s preferences ooze out of every interaction. It's cute, cozy, quick, doesn't require a lot of energy and is a hell of a lot spicier than I thought it would be, which was a very pleasant surprise.

The interactions from the MCs progressed from enemies to lovers nicely. I loved that Ellis was persistent but not movie star cocky when pursuing Rosemary. The topic of grief was underlying throughout the book, which was heartfelt but also, as a reader who doesn't really like horror, was welcome as a theme as opposed to something more scary.

Overall, it was a good read. 3/5 stars on Goodreads and I will be sharing on my IG as well by the publication date.

Thank you to Netgalley and Ballantine for providing an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine for the ARC! 5/5 stars! Are you kidding, this is the perfect fall (slightly) paranormal romance! This has it all. The crunch of fall leaves, the crisp air, the horror books/movies, witchy friends, ghost pets! Rosemary can see ghosts. She’s also a horror author and horror screenwriter of her own horror novel. And she’s confident. Ellis isn’t who people expect him to be. He’s not the tanned up, oiled action star Rosemary was concerned he’d be while portraying her protagonist, Alfred. This goes exactly where you want from their first meeting. Definitely the perfect fall vibes read.

This story was the perfect concoction of fun, witty banter, spooky vibes, crackling tension, and sweet intimacy. Definitely recommending this one for spooky season. The characters are well developed, balanced, and layered, making them a pair you can't help but root for, especially as they navigate a tangle of obstacles together.

The Vibes:
Paranormal Romance
Spice
Age Gap
Writer/Actor
Slow Burn
Ghosts
Dual POV

This was such a wonderful cozy read! Nadia has created two unforgettable characters in Rosemary and Ellis. The tension between the two with the banter was perfect. Rosemary’s ability to see spirits gave such a perfect fall vibe to the book. I loved how real the characters felt and I could not put this book down! Highly recommended for a fall romance read!

I love, love, loved this book! The plot locked me in from page one, and spit me out a new person on the last page. The characters became real to me and will live in my brain forever. The setting was tangible and perfect. The pacing was riveting, but not rushed. All coming together to be a book I can't wait to recommend to my friends.

Rosemary is a well known horror author whose book is being made into a movie. The lead role is someone she had not imagined and holds a slight grudge against him for that. Ellis is a well known actor who wants to prove Rosemary wrong but ends up annoying her further. They cannot deny that they have an intense chemistry and the more time they spend together the more intense they seem to get.

I truly loved the story. It’s beautifully written and very detailed oriented. I could picture every setting the author writes and the feelings between the characters. Rosemary is strong, levelheaded, and loving. Ellis is kind, thoughtful, and I really love the struggles he deals with. Ellis felt very relatable to me with how he deals with his issues. I just love this story it’s going to be one of my favorites this year.

Love At First Fright is paranormal romance with a cheeky wink and a cosy blanket. Nadia El-Fassi gives us ghosts, grudges and slow burn.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. spicy paranormal romance yes please! I could not put this down.

Love at First Fright is a paranormal romance that feels both familiar and refreshing. It takes classic Gothic elements (an English manor, lingering ghosts, secrets behind closed doors) and layers them with tropes that rom-com and spicy romance readers love!

At first, I wasn’t sure how all these tones would mesh—cozy ghost story, paranormal romance, BDSM subplot...but its so well done!

Rosemary and Ellis are opposites in ways that make their chemistry just make sense. She’s sharp, guarded, and practical, while he’s charming but weary of his movie-star image. Their dynamic feels believable because their dislike doesn’t overstay its welcome. It simmers just long enough to create tension, then quickly transitions into something deeper and more intimate. Communication between them, especially around insecurities and preferences, is a highlight!

The ghosts add a whimsical, cozy layer that keeps the story from ever getting too heavy. From a loyal spectral dog to Regency-era companions who bring in LGBTQ+ representation, the paranormal elements give this book so much charm and warmth!

The third-act conflict is resolved quickly, but that actually works here because their romance is built on strong communication. Rather than dragging out unnecessary drama, the author shows that Rosemary and Ellis are already capable of navigating obstacles together.

This was such a fun fall read!

Thank you to NetGalley for letting me read this early although I took forever to do so so now it comes out in three days! Anyway, I looooved this one. The main thing I'm always looking for in romance is a bit of fun because I read it to momentarily distract me from the decaying state of the world.

Love at First Fright follows our titular character, Rosemary, as filming begins for the movie based on a novel that she wrote. She's a very famous horror writer and she's upset that the lead man they cast in her movie is known for starring in rather sultry films. Obviously as time progresses the two of them start getting to know more of each other. A lot more, if you know what I mean.

One of my favorite parts of this novel was the subplot which is...Rosemary can see ghosts. It just so happens that the ghosts at their shooting location are two women who may or may not be developing a love story of their own.

I read this book super fast because I was so enthralled with what was happening. I love that Rosemary isn't a super "conventional" protagonist and, as a horror fan, I love that she is one as well.

This one just didn’t work for me. It started off as a cozy, lighthearted romance, which I was enjoying, but then it veered into a dark dom/sub storyline that felt completely out of place with the otherwise fluffy tone. The ghost whisperer element was fun and had a lot of potential, but there wasn’t nearly enough of it to keep me hooked

Love At First Fright by Nadia El-Fassi
Such a cute book with the perfect spooky vibes for Fall! I loved how the characters faced their fears and insecurities with the support of their people, finding the courage to be their truest selves. It also really captured the anxiety of perception, and the reminder that at the end of the day, you’ve got to do what’s right for you.

And let’s not forget… the spice! Steamy, fun, and beautifully inclusive for the LGBTQ+ community. Definitely a seasonal romance worth picking up!

This book is filled with fun banter and romance. It covers several genres: age gap romance, paranormal, BDSM, LGBTQ. It reads quickly and has a lovely sense of friendships and family.

I enjoyed this spicy, dual POV, paranormal age-gap romance by Nadia El-Fassi so, SO much!! Rosemary, a best-selling American horror author clashes with Ellis, the an older English closeted bisexual male lead on the film set for one of her books and sparks fly.

Rosemary is struggling with burnout as the publishing industry demands a new book from her every year, she also has a gift for seeing ghosts and I really liked that part of the story! The movie is being filmed on an old English manor and she befriends two Regency era female ghosts who never confessed their feelings for one another as well as the ghost of Ellis's beloved pet dog.

The slow burn romance between Rosemary and Ellis was fantastic and I liked that they seemed so suited to one another (she likes being a sub and he likes being a dom). The problem for the first part of the book though is Rosemary doesn't realize Ellis is fake dating one of his co-stars so she tries to fight her feelings for him.

This was great on audio narrated by Naomi Wood and Thomas Frost (who has a lovely English accent). There were also fun cameos with Rosemary's friends, kitchen witch, Dina who was the FMC in the author's debut, Best hex ever and the woman who I assume will be the star of the author's next book.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy and @prhaudio for a complimentary ALC in exchange for my honest review. Highly recommended if you're looking for a #SpookySeason read with ghosts, spice and heart or for fans of books like Haunted ever after by Jen Deluca.

Love At First Fright by Nadia El-Fassi is another amazing paranormal spicy age-gap romance story.
I really enjoyed the fun and quirky characters. I also found this to be really funny.
The romance was sweet and spicy. I liked Rosemary and Elli’s chemistry. They had great banter and tension. 
I thought this was an interesting story and the plot was engaging.

I absolutely loved Best Hex Ever and was so excited for Rosemary’s turn in the spotlight since she was a favorite character. Love At First Fright was a damn delight and I had such a great time reading it. Rosemary was just as fantastic as I remembered and Ellis Finch was EVERYTHING. I loved them together so much and I thought the dom/sub relationship was done so well and respectfully. I also loved the Juliet and Cecelia ghost storyline so much. There is some animal death mentioned and yes, it’s sad, BUT there is some beautiful closure that happens that made me tear up in the best way. I’m so happy I got to read this one early and I’m hoping for another book with these characters because I love them so much. Maybe Annie focused next?!
CW: off page animal death, biphobia, off page parent death, mentions of cancer

Thank you to Dell Romance for the digital reader’s copy!

A special thank you to Random House Publishing Group and author Nadia El-Fassi for selecting me to receive an ARC copy of Love at First Fright via NetGalley 💜 This is my honest and voluntary review:

✨Publishes September 16, 2025✨

I was so excited for this book and couldn’t wait to pick it up! Perfect for the start of spooky season 👻 🖤

First impressions:
✔️ I didn't like Ellis as a character, I found him to be rude and full of himself. The way he treated Rosemary before knowing her was frustrating and he should have had more respect for her. Once he learned who she was he was a better character.
✔️ I felt this book to be slow moving, especially in the beginning but then it quickly sped up around half way through.
✔️ Rosemary's gift of seeing ghosts is so neat, but I wish we would have gotten more

Overall thoughts on the book:
I really liked the tension between Ellis and Rosemary. I found their slight annoyance with each other to be cute and then of course that quickly turned into attraction. I love that Rosemary sees ghosts and is a horror writer, this added so much depth to her character and I really enjoyed her! Unfortunately, I still rated this book less than I thought I was going to because it just fell short for me. I had high hopes and thought that the plot overall was just okay, I still didn't care much for Ellis overall and some parts were rushed while other areas of the book should have been more rushed.

4 / 5 Stars
Sometimes I rate books based on how hard it is to put down and I flew through this book because I couldn’t put it down. Did I have some quibbles? Yes. Did I enjoy it nonetheless? Also yes. “Love at First Fright” is the second in a series but can definitely be read as a standalone. Rosemary is a historic horror writer who can see ghosts (very handy for her job) and her book is being turned into a movie (she is also the screenwriter and exec producer - fancy!). Ellis is the older, British movie star who usually acts in big action movies so Rosemary is wondering why is this Jason Statham knockoff in this movie when it should be someone who looks feeble and Victorian? It definitely doesn’t help their dynamic when Ellis finds out that Rosemary tried to get him kicked off of the movie. But first impressions are just that as Rosemary and Ellis realize that there is a deep attraction between them and maybe they also may line up perfectly with their kink preferences. Cue a movie set, some roaming ghosts, and lots of spice.

You will probably like this book if you like:
👻 Paranormal romance
🎬 She sees ghosts
👻 Bisexual rep for MCs and LGBTQ+ rep for other characters
🎬 Age gap (29F/41M)
👻 Dislike to love
🎬 Dom/sub kink (airing on the side of a soft dom)

I really wasn’t sure what I was getting into with a cozy paranormal romance with a BDSM twist and my brain was not sure how those pieces would fit together because I have never really read anything with those tropes together before (have read them separately before though). I was perhaps close-minded and thought they’d be incongruous. That’s on me. Characters can contain multitudes. I think the percentage of each (cozy, paranormal, kink) really shifted depending on how far along in the book you were (way more cozy and paranormal in the beginning, more kink in the middle, less cozy and more paranormal and relationship in the end). And I can see why some folks might find it jarring to go from a verbose, beautiful description of a Victorian manor to exploration of BDSM, but I ended up just going along for the ride and having a good time.

This has an enemies to lovers or dislike to love vibe but it lasted the exact right amount of time for me. I like when they dislike each for a bit to build some tension but then transition early into exploring and building their relationship. If you are looking for a true enemies to lovers, this ain’t it but if you’re like me, you may love it.

I really enjoyed Ellis and Rosemary together and thought that they were well balanced for each other. They were opposites but not in a way that made it hard to believe that they would actually end up together. I thought Ellis had a little bit more of an interesting backstory but they both were well crafted. And they generally communicated well regardless of their insecurities and big feelings! What a treat. The spice was fun too and their communication about their preferences was well done.

I devoured the book because I had to know what would happen to them and what the third act conflict would be. It came up pretty late and was resolved pretty quickly but I think it worked because they had established that Ellis and Rosemary generally had a track record of functioning well as a couple.

I will say that I am not sure that Rosemary’s ghost seeing abilities were necessary. I know. I’m a fun ruiner. BUT, in books like “The Dead Romantics,” seeing ghosts is crucial to the storyline and it just didn’t feel crucial here. I get that it is a series with magical and paranormal aspects but beyond it being cool that she could see ghosts, I feel like the story would have worked perfectly well as a story about a horror writer and actor minus any ghost seeing abilities.

All in all, I ate this up and loved being able to read something that I don’t usually read. It was a nice sampling of a cuisine I had never tried.

Thank you Ballantine | Dell and NetGalley for providing the eARC! All opinions are my own.
Publication Date: September 16, 2025