I've been following the author on Twitter for awhile and saw this when it was just a pitch. At that time, I desperately wanted to read it. A romcom that involves cryptid hunting?? YES PLEASE!
Then I saw the cover reveal and the vibe was exactly what I hoped it would be and I was even more excited to eventually read the book.
Finally, I saw that it was available on NetGalley. I literally squealed when I got the notification that I'd been accepted to read the book early.
The first sentence of the book was an instant hook and I'd finished reading it within 24 hours. The cryptid hunting aspect was done even better than I could have hoped. I loved Hayden...a sweet and sexy cryptid hunter/conspiracy theorist and Hallie, the non-believer who is nevertheless captivated by Hayden's enthusiasm and kindness.
The voice of the book was spot on. The characters were excellent...minus the villainous Cade, who definitely makes you hate him.
This book was so very fun and it was just a joy to read.
That said, there is a subplot of heavy subject matter with an emotionally abusive ex who has really gotten into Hallie's psyche. But I felt it was a good balance with the unique and quirky cryptid plot line.
The only thing that did start to annoy me by the end was the number of times characters clutched the fabric of the other's shirt. I hope some of those clutches will be culled by the final version of the book, but even if they aren't, it wasn't enough to make me not love the book.
If you want a fun, quirky story with some spice, you've got to read this!

I love anything published by Berkley but I definitely loved this one a lot. It’s super whimsy, but in a playful way- not one that gets weirder lol. I will absolutely be ordering this for my library and a copy for myself at home.

Hallie and Hayden investigate famous conspiracy theories and try to find the truth in infamous folklore behind cryptids. What was so unique about this romcom was the Hollywood spin behind producing a popular web series and podcast. That was so cool and it felt like they were creating a real show. The emotional journey that Hallie goes through with regaining her self-esteem after a mean and degrading relationship was so well done and heart warming to watch Hallie love and trust herself again, while falling for Hayden. The scene on the porch... iykyk... loved it! Mallory Marlowe is an author to watch and I can't wait to see what other stories her brain cooks up!