Summerween (Halloween Town #1)
Author: Joss Wood
Genre: Cozy Paranormal Romance
Format: eARC
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐✨ (3.5 stars)
Synopsis
Not too long ago, I read a romance set in a town that celebrated Christmas all year round.
This time?
Halloween gets the same treatment.
And honestly... I was immediately sold on the idea.
Professional dancer Wren Callahan arrives in Halloween Town hoping for a quiet summer, only to find herself helping organize the town's very first Summerween festival. Her biggest challenge isn't the event itself, though...
It's teaching a former trauma surgeon named Dane how to dance.
As the lessons continue, the two begin growing closer, but with ghosts, small-town gossip, and a few emotional skeletons lurking in their closets, finding their happily-ever-after may prove trickier than mastering a dance routine.
My Thoughts
Halloween Town was such a fun place to visit.
The spooky-but-cozy atmosphere, the quirky residents, and the year-round Halloween celebrations immediately won me over. Throw in a little paranormal magic, and this ended up being the perfect palate cleanser after several horror and thriller reads.
Sometimes you just need something light, cozy, and full of pumpkin vibes.
Wren and Dane also had great chemistry.
Their attraction develops fairly quickly, and while there's definitely a touch of insta-attraction, it didn't really bother me here. The story leans into its cozy romance atmosphere, and I thought their relationship fit that overall feel quite nicely.
One thing I especially enjoyed was the setting itself.
Halloween Town feels like one of those places you'd genuinely want to visit. Between the festive decorations, eccentric townspeople, and paranormal touches, it creates exactly the kind of whimsical backdrop I was hoping for.
That said, I did have a couple of issues.
The biggest one was the dialogue and point-of-view transitions.
The story frequently shifts between Wren and Dane's romance and the paranormal happenings around town. While I liked both elements individually, the transitions between them sometimes felt so abrupt that I'd have to stop for a moment and work out whose perspective I was reading.
My other issue was the communication between the main characters.
They're adults...
Yet several conflicts could have been resolved with one honest conversation instead of assumptions and misunderstandings. Miscommunication is one of those tropes that rarely works for me, especially when the characters are mature enough to simply sit down and talk things through.
It didn't ruin the book, but it did stop me from becoming completely invested in the romance.
Final Thoughts
Despite those few frustrations, I genuinely had a lovely time with Summerween.
The Halloween atmosphere absolutely delivered, the romance was sweet, and the cozy small-town setting made this an enjoyable escape.
And...
I may or may not have already started book two.
(Okay... I'm about 40% in. 😄)
That probably tells you everything you need to know about how much I enjoyed spending time in Halloween Town.
⭐️ 3.5 stars
ARC Disclaimer
Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK | One More Chapter for providing the eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
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