📣a screenwriter & the actor she’s offended end up on the same haunted film set

Thanks to the publisher & Netgalley for the complimentary ARC. All opinions provided are my own.

📖 what’s something you’re looking forward to this weekend? I’m looking forward to visiting with family before school starts next Monday (!!!).

Rosemary really didn’t want an action star in the historical horror movie based off *her* book & script. Ellis is ready to step outside action roles & serve up a haunting portrayal of someone being haunted 👻.

This premise is A+, especially considering that the old estate where they’re staying is haunted (!).

This was my first read by Nadia El-Fassi, & the author creates a warm & inclusive community of characters (for the most part) who are invested in bringing Rosemary’s words to life. If you want sensitivity & heat, this book balances both, serving up some crackling scenes that are underpinned with great communication.

The haunting isn’t quite what I had hoped for—it feels rushed—but the focus is on Rosemary & Ellis & that probably won’t disappoint a lot of people.

4 ⭐️, out 09/16.

CWs: haunting; Internalized homophobia of ghost; blackmail

[ID: Jess wears a purple & yellow dress & holds the book while standing in front of a brick wall.]

Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me access to the eARC of this book!

Love at First Fright by Nadia El-Fassi is a cozy paranormal romance filled with so much atmosphere you absolutely feel transported to every location they describe. In this book we follow Rosemary, a historical horror author (uhm yes please) whose novel is being turned into a movie. And, by the way, she can se ghosts. As the executive producer and script writer she is asked to come to be involved in the filming. Enter the first big problem, the A-List actor who is cast as her leading man: Ellis Finch. Our fiery redheaded author does not feel like Ellis is right for the role, and she lets him know it. Ellis has problems of his own: a nasty, blackmailing agent, getting older in the film industry, and oh yeah, his poor dog’s ghost following him around.
Many hijnx ensue as one would expect filming in an old (and absolutely haunted) victorian mansion. Can Rosemary and Ellis put aside their differences and move forward to create a blockbuster movie?
This book has age gap romance, a soft dom/sub relationship, well written spice, and cute dogs (both living and ghost). It has beautiful descriptions of living with loss and grief, and lovely messages of dismantling internalized homophobia and living as your authentic self. Many scenes brought tears to my eyes, while others made me laugh (I also realized I was bi from watching the 1999 production of The Mummy). This book was honestly such a treat to read and I can’t wait for it to be out where everyone else can read it.

This is the second book I've read by the author. Rosemary Shaw latest book is being made into a movie starring Ellis Finch, the best action lead currently in the movie industry. Rosemary is adapting the screenplay and is working closely with Ellis, when they discover a mutual attraction, sparks fly. Add in the ghosts, that Rosemary can see and talk to and you have a whole lot of fun going on.

I enjoyed this book, the characters are fun, the paranormal elements add to the story without overwhelming it and the chemistry between Rosemary and Ellis is a major part of this book. Warning, there is a lot of sex (all types) in this book so it may be uncomfortable for some readers how explicit (although written well) the sex scenes can be. This is a fun fast read and very enjoyable.

Cute and spooky romance read- perfect for autumn.

Rosemary is an American horror author, who can also see ghosts.
Ellis is a British actor, who has recently been cast to play the lead in a move rendition of one of Rosemary’s novels.
Rosemary does not think he is the right guy for the job, and he hates her for trying to get him removed from the movie.
Through hours on set, to staying in the same home, and nights-out with the cast, the two develop strong desire for each other, which they just cannot seem to ignore.
They also cannot ignore the secrets that they are both hiding, and the fear of what will happen to their relationship once filming has finished.

This story started off a bit slow for me, but things really picked up around the 20% mark! It turned out to be really enjoyable.

The romance:
I thought there was a good connection between both main characters.
It is enemies to lovers, so there is some tension buildup which was nice. There is also quite a bit of yearning, which I think made things more exciting.
It was not super-slow-burn, or super-fast-paced in my opinion, which I appreciate. I think the timing is really good.
This is quite steamy, so if you enjoy that you might like this story.

The writing:
This story is well-written and has a nice flow to it.
I think It would have been a bit more exciting if it were dual-pov, but that isn’t a huge deal.
It.
I love the setting! I think England is the way to go when you’re writing a book like this one. A bit darker and ghostly, but also cozy.

I appreciated reading about Ellis and his struggle with his bisexuality and coming out.
He brings up some really good points about how sexual orientation is sometimes viewed differently when it comes to men, and how it can potentially have a negative impact on how their partners view them.
I don’t see this being discussed that often, so I always think it is nice when people shed light on it.

Notable mentions:
- Sapphic regency ghosts!
- Ghost dog!
Love. Love. Love. Give me more.
The ghosts were the best part.

Pretty great read overall! Very enjoyable, and I think it will appeal to a large audience.

Thank you to Netgalley, Ballantine | Dell and author Nadia El-Fassi for providing me with the eARC of “Love at First Fright”, in exchange for my honest review!
Publication date: September 16th, 2025
*I will be posting this review to Goodreads after the books official publication date; as requested by the publisher.

I wanted more ghosts! I almost feel like a was click baited into reading a super smutty romance and not a paranormal romance. I didn’t sign up for a level 5 spice level, I wanted cosy paranormal which it is marketed as

I would have loved this if the spice was toned down. It just felt like so much of an after thought and I was skipping pages because it didn’t fit with the characters or with the premise of the book

Love At First Fight
3.5 ⭐️

Kicked off spooky season a little early this year with this romcom full of all sorts of ghosts!

A horror author catches her big break when her book is finally being made into a movie, only for the worst choice in an actor to be cast as the star. The two are at odds at first until they start to find some common ground.

This book may not have been my favorite fall romcom, but I could totally see where some would love the age gap romance with a dash of paranormal! Little more 🌶️ than I’m used to, but definitely had some side characters I liked.

Thanks to @netgalley for this ARC!

Sadly, I had to DNF this one at 25%. I loved the first book in the series but this one just couldn’t hook me. I wasn’t able to connect to the characters and while I loved the setting and the whole movie making aspect, it wasn’t enough to keep me reading.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this arc in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Not my normal read but this was so fun and will be perfect for fall. Immaculate banter. Such a fun age gap spicy romance. I loved the setting and side characters.

Cozy, fun, and overall, cute. Crimson Peak as a comfort movie? Tattoos, glasses, plus size, submissive? History buff writing gothic horror? I'm not entirely sure Rosemary isn't me in book form. Though I'm kind of over male leads treating Dominant tendencies as shameful and something to be hidden. Own it! Other than that, I gobbled this up.

So. Much. Cuteness. A confident horror writer & action actor that start as enemies before hitting it off on-set of her book to film adaptation where he's the star. We got grief, a tasteful age-gap, forced proximity, & Dom/sub kink

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group (Ballantine) for allowing me to read this early in exchange for an honest review.

🗓️ Release Date: September 16, 2025

✍🏻 Review: This book felt so cozy. Taking place primarily in a haunted house, maybe that’s not what the author expected me to feel, but it is. Reading this book felt like slipping on a warm blanket and snuggling in after the first act.

I loved the enemies to lovers bit, but as they started flirting more and more I found myself not wanting to put the book down. I made the foolish mistake of starting this book during a busy week and found myself sneaking a few pages here and there whenever I could.

The ghosts were so well developed. I wondered if they were just going to be in the background, but was pleasantly surprised to find a mini love story for the ghosts. The animal ghosts made me want to sob.

I wasn’t ready for this story to be over and felt like it wrapped up a little too quickly. I still enjoyed it though, just wasn’t ready for it to be over.

✔️ Enemies to Lovers
✔️ Age Gap
✔️ Dom/Sub
✔️ Forced Proximity
✔️ Ghosts

Okay the writing just flows.

My girl is trying to make me cry over strawberry jam and rose water. (Sorry grandma).

And a ghost who reads romance? I loved it.

I didn’t have a problem with the age gap like it made sense. This was beautiful.

Thank you #netgalley #Loveatfirstfright

I had so much fun reading Love At First Fright! It’s the perfect blend of paranormal charm, slow-burn romance, and witty banter. The story follows Rosemary Shaw, a successful horror author who can secretly see ghosts—a gift that’s inspired most of her bestselling novels. When her most popular book is adapted into a movie, she finds herself on set at a haunted English manor, clashing with the film’s leading man, Ellis Finch, a brooding Hollywood heartthrob with a surprising soft side.

The chemistry between Rosemary and Ellis is electric, and their enemies-to-lovers dynamic had me hooked from the start. Add in a ghostly dog, a pair of Regency-era spirits who are “definitely just friends,” and a house that seems to have a mind of its own, and you’ve got a story that’s equal parts spooky and sweet.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Read: June 8, 2025 - July 25, 2025

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine for the spectacular opportunity to read this book before its official release!

Disclaimer for other readers: I read purely for vibes, and I super vibes with this book. I hope anybody that picks up this book after me enjoys it as much as I did, if not more.

Don't let my reading time fool you! Love at First Fright by Nadia El-Fassi hit the spot during my paranormal romance phase and even exceeded expectations in some areas! Who would've thought all I needed in my life was to read about pets hanging around in ghost form? Not I, but it was definitely a welcome change.

The romance wasn't really hitting all the right places for me with how quickly everything moved for the two main characters and how they each handled their respective feelings for each other. Something about it fell flat and felt just a teensy bit forced. I could tell there was a connection between the two, but I couldn't feel the longing, desire, or love.

In addition to the above, I would've liked to see more of that struggle to come forward from both parties. The struggle to be 100% open and honest about something you're utterly terrified to share for fear of the other party walking away should or normally is more of a struggle and I just wanted to feel it and connect with the characters on that.

Last but not least! I REALLY wish we could've had more details about how the conflict with Ellis and Brody went down. I would've loved to feel the satisfaction of bringing down the antagonist with one of the main characters to really bring this story/journey to a close.

Again, thank you so much for the opportunity to ready this book! It wasn't bad or mediocre, I truly did enjoy the story and would recommend it to friends if they're looking for something like this.

Love at First Fright is about Rosemary, a young, up and coming horror author who is getting her first movie optioned and made. She's hugely excited about the prospect, but firmly against the casting choice for the lead, Ellis Finch. This movie is her baby and the bold, brash, studly action hero just isn't the right choice to represent her broody, thoughtful main man, or so she thinks. Ellis on the other hand, knows in his bones that he is the right man for the job. After years of playing a string action heroes, he's more than ready to slip into something more serious, more real, and he's ready to prove it to any doubters, even the author herself.

I was very excited to read this book based on the premise, but unfortunately I think in practice this book was trying to do too much. There is a ghost component (Rosemary can see spirits) which is secondary to the main plot, but given a lot of page time. There is a pushy bad guy who drives the conflict in a way that doesn't seem super believable in 2025. The inclusion of these other factors makes the conflict between Rosemary and Ellis resolve fairly quickly which makes that part less believable too. 

Overall I did enjoy myself, but there were parts that were a bit of a drag to get through. I would recommend this if you're a huge fan of romances involving ghosts or work related tension, but I think you can skip this one if that's not the case. Thanks to the author/team for letting me review this copy from NetGalley.

When I first considered reading this ARC, I knew I would be stretching my typical reading genre choice,, not generally being a huge fan of ghost stories, but there was something compelling about this story that intrigued me and I was right to have followed my instincts! FYI, I'm not a fan of any reviewer summarizing a story, that's not fair, I want you to choose to read this for yourself, but I can say that this book took me all over the place, emotionally, from laughing, to tears, to genuinely liking the characters and then becoming more connected to their lives as the story progressed. It is filled with experiences many of us have had, in the form or another, as well as the struggles with our willingness to show our true selves to the world versus showing the persona we have created in our professional lives. It's about living your life, not hiding behind things what other people might or might not think, and knowing that we deserve to be true to ourselves, because no one else can do that for us. This book contains funny banter, depictions of love, affection, beautiful countryside, birds, and gardens. This book does have quite explicit sex scenes, so if this isn't your cup of tea, just know that before you start. I was lucky to have been provided an ARC by NetGalley and thank them an the author for the chance to have read this book.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for this ARC!

I really liked this one. I liked the characters and seeing Rosemary fall in love with Ellis. I liked the way the ghosts were portrayed. There were a lot of funny scenes in this book and some good spicy scenes. A pretty solid rom com.

Thank you, NetGalley & Random House Publishing Group (Ballantine), for the eARC of Love at First Fright! ❤️👻🔮

Rating: ⭐️⭐️ . 5 / 5 (rounded up)
Spice level: 🌶️🌶️🌶️ . 5 / 5

I saw the title and was immediately intrigued! I’m a horror and romance lover so the description called to me!

I liked the characters and their development throughout the story. I also enjoyed the inclusivity at first, but then it just kind of felt like a checklist after reading further. It felt extremely forced and non-genuine. I loved the side story with the two regency ghosts! It was heart-achingly sweet.

There was a lot going on all at one time in this novel. It seemed like there were MANY tropes thrown into this book. Age gap, enemies to lovers (ish), dom/sub, famous MMC, wallflower FMC.. it was a little bit scattered to me. The FMC is also supposed to be an American girl born in the South who would occasionally have that “Southern drawl”, but she would often use British slang so that fell flat for me.

I really enjoyed reading the parts about how Rosemary can see ghosts and how it works. I did enjoy the spice for the most part but every single spicy bit seemed to end way too quick. I don’t think most women can get close to the finish line (if you know what I mean) in under, what? 3 minutes? Just from dry humping. Maybe that’s just me, and if that’s the case, I need to go to a specialist. 😅

One thing I’ve seen in lots of recent romance books is the FMC is always seemingly oblivious to the fact that the MMC is (painfully obviously) in love with them. It always seems to go like this:
FMC: “He did all of this for me without me asking!”
FMC’s friend(s): “Wow! Um… he is in love with you.”
FMC: “What? No… don’t be ridiculous.”
Ma’am, he had his finger in your butt not that long ago, confessed his deepest secrets to you, and became acquainted with birdwatching just because it’s one of your hobbies. Of course he’s in love with you!

The ending felt rushed to me and I felt like the story was slow burn for one second, then would pick up FAST for another second, then it slowed down again, etc.

All in all, I didn’t hate this book but I didn’t really love it either. I enjoyed some parts more than others but I can see many people enjoying it more than I did. It was a little too sporadic for me to enjoy it in its entirety.

DNF

Went in blind and didn’t know it was third person — not usually a big deal, but nothing about the story grabbed me. Felt like a bunch of disconnected scenes with no real flow.

Rosemary? Girl. She’s mad Ellis got cast as the lead in her book’s adaptation because he’s… hot and dates people? Be serious. And that scene under the tree?? He assumes she’s a fan and says he’s not doing selfies (fair), and she’s like “just wait ‘til he finds out I’m the writer 😌” — ma’am. He doesn’t know you. Chill.

Also, Ellis in his early 40s acting like he needs a walker and a will. Sir. You’re not ancient. Please relax.

Book tried hard to be inclusive, which I usually love, but it felt more like checking boxes than real representation.

I was curious about his kink (spoiler: it’s BDSM, called it 🙃), but not enough to keep reading. Too slow, too annoying, too meh.