All I Want for Halloween

August 14, 2017
Harte (Just the Thing) balances sweet and heat in a novel with all the trappings of a Christmas romance—holiday decorations, cookie baking, and well-intentioned family ribbing—that’s set at Halloween. Sadie Liberato hopes to hook up at a posh costume party her brother is catering, and she succeeds with a devil who turns out to be scorchingly aggressive motorcycle shop owner Gear Blackstone. He’s hiding from the press that have made his life hell ever since his former best friend and girlfriend screwed him over in front of cameras on a reality TV show. Harte’s protagonists are full of fire when defending themselves or each other, and that bold energy extends to their mutual attraction and explosive sexual encounters, but their emotional relationship is warm and attentive, and the bulk of the plot’s drama comes from external conflict rather than arguments or misunderstandings between the lovers. For readers who want romantic holiday cheer that’s snarky rather than saccharine, and those who prefer their Halloween more harvest festival than horrorshow, this twist on seasonal storytelling will satisfy.

August 1, 2017
Sadie meets a hot devil at a Halloween party and enjoys what's supposed to be an anonymous hookup, but when she meets him in real life and discovers that she likes him, they step warily into a relationship even as reality TV chaos swirls around them.Sadie Liberato, "the homebody of homebodies," does not want to go to the Halloween party she and her siblings are catering, but when her brother twists her arm, she decides to take the opportunity to "find someone anonymous...get her goody on and leave." Arriving at the party, she finds that a popular local reality TV show, Motorcycle Madnezz, is taping there and witnesses a confrontation among Harrison "Gear" Blackstone, the true talent behind the show, his ex-fiance, Sahara, and ex-best friend, Brian. Escaping the gawking crowd, Sadie finds a quiet corner and meets a sexy devil whom she shags against a wall behind some sheltering shrubbery. Afterward, the two overhear Sahara admit to lying on-camera to make Gear look bad, but Sahara notices Sadie eavesdropping and confronts her, actually slapping her, and then Sadie responds with a bruising punch. Ignoring the nauseating coverage of the mysterious stranger's attack on innocent Sahara, Sadie learns that Gear was her costumed lover, and the two move quickly into a sexual relationship and slowly into a romantic one. Gear is nothing like he's portrayed on the show. Both he and Sadie are straight shooters who have been hurt by manipulators, but even as they realize they're perfect for each other, they have to navigate fear and misperception--theirs and those of the people around them--before they can step into their true selves and find happiness. Harte pens a sizzlingly sexy romance that is both playful and meaningful, exploring real and metaphorical masks, perception, and reality.

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October 15, 2017

Shafted by his cheating ex-fiancee, Sahara, and former best friend and partner Brian, Harrison "Gear" Blackstone just wants his Motorcycle Madnezz TV contract to be over so he can open the custom motorcycle shop of his dreams. He certainly doesn't want to be at a contract-mandated costume party. Caterer Sadie Liberato doesn't want to be there either, but it's important that she mingle with the guests for the business. She doesn't bargain on connecting with a masked "devil" who knocks her socks off behind the bamboo or to deck the duplicitous "ex" in self-defense. She also doesn't anticipate that her "devil" is the infamous Gear--or that she ends up liking him a little too much. A "just for fun" relationship becomes real when two wary people learn to trust and go for what they really want. This riotously funny romance benefits from a captivating supporting cast. VERDICT Offbeat characters, zingy humor, and red-hot sex add up to a flawless Halloween sizzler for fans who like their tricks and treats with a surfeit of earthy spice. Harte (Just the Thing) lives in Oregon.

Copyright 2017 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

September 15, 2017
Halloween is Sadie's favorite holiday, and after being burned badly by her ex, she's ready for some fun. Following a disastrous exit from his reality-TV show, Gear Blackstone wants out of the spotlight, and he sure didn't expect a hot hookup at a costume party with a woman dressed like Xena. Readers will enjoy Sadie; she's buff, tough, and not afraid to eat a cupcake or five. Will she and her devil-in-disguise find more than sexual heat together? Harte offers a sizzling spin-off of her Donnigans series (A Sure Thing, 2016).(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2017, American Library Association.)