Spooky, Sexy, and Smart: October Reads That Hit All Three
There’s something delicious about October — the nights stretch longer, the air smells like cedar and secrets, and suddenly you crave stories that feel like temptation in book form.
This month’s reading list is a mix of spooky, sexy, and smart — gothic fantasies, forbidden romances, and thrillers that make your heart race in more ways than one.
Light a candle, pour the wine, and get ready to fall for something dark.
📚 The List
1. Kiss of the Basilisk by Lindsay Straube
A sensual gothic fantasy where science and seduction blur. Think dark academia meets dangerous obsession. Perfect for readers who love morally gray men and female brilliance with bite.
Vibe: Dangerous intellect, Victorian poison gardens, slow-burn insanity
2. The Bane Witch by Ava Morgyn
A witchy dark romance steeped in curses, longing, and blood-bound love. It’s lyrical, sensual, and haunting — a love story that smells like smoke and jasmine.
Vibe: Feminine rage, tragic beauty, witchcore perfection
3. The Female by Invi Wright
Erotic, demonic, and unapologetically dark — this one explores what happens when the line between desire and damnation disappears. A perfect “read with a glass of red wine” book.
Vibe: Sin, seduction, survival
4. Belladonna by Adalyn Grace
If you like your gothic romance with murder and magic, this one’s a must. A heroine who can see Death, and a man who is Death — say no more.
Vibe: Lush, romantic, gothic mystery
5. House of Hollow by Krystal Sutherland
Fairytale meets horror — gorgeous and grotesque. The writing is hypnotic, and the story lingers like perfume and decay.
Vibe: Otherworldly sisters, haunting beauty, eerie elegance
6. Haunting Adeline by H.D. Carlton
The dark romance everyone warns you about — and still, you read it anyway. Disturbing, addictive, and undeniably compelling.
Vibe: Gothic mansion, twisted devotion, taboo obsession
🕯️ Honorable Mentions
The Serpent and the Wings of Night by Carissa Broadbent
A Dowry of Blood by S.T. Gibson
The Shadows Between Us by Tricia Levenseller
💋 These stories don’t just give you chills — they awaken something.
A reminder that desire and danger often wear the same perfume.
So go ahead — dim the lights, open the book, and live deliciously inside someone else’s darkness for a while.