Love at First Fright

A horror novelist clashes with a striking Hollywood star in this erotic but uneven paranormal romance from El-Fassi (Best Hex Ever). Rosemary Shaw has been able to see ghosts since she was 10 years old, a skill she’s drawn from in her writing. Now 29, she’s heading to the picturesque English countryside for the film adaptation of her bestselling historical horror novel, When the Devil Takes Hold, which is shooting at spooky Hallowvale Manor, rumored to be a hotbed of paranormal activity. She’s unhappy, however, with the casting of heartthrob action star Ellis Finch in the lead role, a dignified Victorian gentleman. Rosemary tries to deny her attraction to Ellis and keep her clairvoyancy secret even as the manor’s ghosts make themselves known. Meanwhile, Ellis has secrets of his own: he’s tired of meeting Hollywood’s idealized male image—and of hiding his sexual preference for domination. The premise is promising, but the supernatural and filmmaking elements get short shrift as the focus turns to the steamy BDSM relationship that develops between the leads. Readers in it for the kinky sex scenes will find plenty to enjoy, but those hoping for a meaty paranormal plot should look elsewhere. (Sept.)