Thanks to Netgalley and Victory Editing for an eARC. Soleil’s father locks her in her room every Halloween to protect her. She is so tired of this and wants to experience Halloween. Halloween night she sneaks out her window to see the town festival. She meets a mysterious man who turns out to be a demon. They spend a few hours together and sleep together. He has to leave at midnight but promises to return next year with hopefully a way to stay longer. The instant love and pretty much no reaction to meeting a demon bothered me. Couldn’t get into this one and just felt it was cringy at times and boring others times. Just wasn’t for me.

I struggled with this book.
I was sold on the marketing of howls moving castle meets hocus pocus and this definitely did not deliver that…

This is probably not aimed at me trope wise- I don’t enjoy Insta love. The FMC is annoying. We learn next to nothing about the MMC the whole book. The time frame the story unfolds in is days. There’s no depth build up or chance to really get to know the characters.
Even the supporting characters were just there to make the FMC not look as ridiculous as she would if they didn’t support her.

Thanks for the opportunity in reading. I hope it finds the demographic of people who will enjoy it.

This book was a decent read, I couldn't really get into the premise though - the mfc seemed so accepting of the whole idea of demons super quick for me and then just kind of went with everything. I may come back to this book later, because the plot was engaging but this wasn't for me right now.

This book has such a good concept to it but I felt this wasn’t fully executed. Everything seemed to move super quick and I felt that just as I was getting into a scene, it was over. I also struggled to connect with the main character as she seemed quite self involved, for example her whole thing about having no friends whilst in a scene with two loyal and loving friends really irked me.
I truly believe this book could be amazing if it just had a little more put into it and was a little less rushed.
I will only be reviewing this via NetGalley.

"One Hollow Love" promises a story of love, magic, and adventure, but it falls short in several key areas, making for a mixed reading experience. The story centers on Soleil, a young woman longing to escape her ordinary life and the expectations imposed by her father. Her search for freedom and love leads her to an unexpected encounter with Jax, a half-demon from a world she thought only existed in stories. Their worlds intersect on a fateful Halloween night, setting the stage for a year-long separation and a promise that drives the narrative forward.

While the premise of "One Hollow Love" is intriguing—blending the real world with a magical realm—the execution of the world-building is underwhelming. The fantasy elements feel underdeveloped, lacking the depth and richness that could make the story's setting truly come alive. There are glimpses of interesting concepts and magical rules, but they are never fully fleshed out, leaving the reader with more questions than answers about how this other world functions and its significance to the plot.

The central romance between Soleil and Jax, which is supposed to be the emotional core of the book, also feels rushed and unconvincing. Their connection sparks quickly, but without enough development to make their bond feel genuine or compelling. The whirlwind nature of their initial meeting on Halloween night doesn’t provide enough time for readers to see why they would be drawn to each other beyond surface-level attraction. This lack of emotional depth makes it difficult to fully invest in their relationship or root for their reunion.

Character development, particularly for Jax, is another area where the book falters. As a mysterious half-demon, he has the potential to be a layered and complex character, but his backstory and motivations remain vague throughout much of the novel. Soleil, too, starts as a promising character with her desire to break free from her mundane life, but her growth feels stagnant as the plot progresses. Instead of evolving naturally through her experiences, she often comes across as reactive rather than proactive, which diminishes her strength as a protagonist.

The pacing of the story is another issue. There are moments where the narrative drags, with lengthy passages that do little to advance the plot or deepen the reader's understanding of the world or characters. This uneven pacing affects the story's tension and makes it difficult to stay engaged, especially during the middle portions of the book where the story seems to meander.

While "One Hollow Love" has moments that shine—such as the initial concept of intertwining two vastly different worlds and the tension of a year-long wait—the overall execution leaves much to be desired. For readers looking for a well-developed fantasy world or a deeply moving romance, this book might not fully satisfy those expectations. It feels like a story that had great potential but needed more depth, world-building, and a stronger foundation for its central relationship.

Overall, "One Hollow Love" offers a premise filled with potential but ultimately doesn't deliver a compelling or memorable experience. The underdeveloped world-building, unconvincing romance, and uneven pacing make it a book that may not resonate with all readers, especially those who crave more substance and depth in their fantasy romances.

DNF @ 50%
The pacing of this book is a low point for me. The book starts with a young woman who is in college but reads like a pre-teen, sneaking out of her bedroom window because her father locks her up on Halloween. She meets a demon, they hook up, he goes back to his realm, and then she sneaks home before we flash forward exactly one year to the next Halloween. It meant we didn't learn anything about the character, her father, their relationship, her life at school where she is apparently socially struggling.
The character is written with OCD and since this is own voices I had hoped it would be addressed and developed more but the FMC only exists to be with this demon who stands her up the following year. By 50% I wasn't invested in the characters, the world felt low stakes considering she gave up everything for a man she met once for a couple of hours a year ago, and the setting felt dull despite the implied danger.
I had hoped for more from a book pitched as Howls Moving Castle meets Hocus Pocus and honestly think this comparison should be removed from marketing.

The perfect read for spooky season, in my opinion. This book was just *chef's kiss* delicious. When I tell you I was giggling and twirling my hair 🤭

Our FMC, Soleil, has been locked in her room and has never truly experienced the fun of Halloween. She sneaks out, and meets Jax, a half demon. I'm not usually a fan of insta-love but this was beautifully done. Jax has to return to the demon realm at the end of the night, and a year later, Soleil goes to the demon realm to find him. I did find this a bit weird given that they only met once, and she was willing to go to literal hell for him, but hey, who am I to judge?

I had expected it to be a darker fantasy novel, given the whole demon thing, but it was a more vanilla fall/autumn vibes. It was such a fun read and I definitely recommend you add this book to your fall tbr!

DNF ~ @30%

I was really hoping to like this (Howl's Moving Castle and Hocus Pocus vibes? Sounds wonderful!). Unfortunately, I don't think this book delivers on that promise and just really isn't for me.

We follow Soleil, a college student living with her controlling and abusive father. She livesin a town where it is known that demons and spirits will break through the veil on Halloween night (at least I think?) and her father locks her up every Halloween. Finally, one year she breaks out through the window to explore the Halloween festivities and meets Jax, a hot guy with black hair who is also half-demon. His demon ancestry means he must live in the demon realm all year except for the few hours on Halloween nights. They promise to meet again the next year, but Jax doesn't show. Heartbroken, Soleil decides the only solution is to travel to the demon realm....

and this is where I needed to stop. The insta-love and flat characters were not compelling enough for me. Soleil is supposed to be in college (so at least 19/20?) and is able to live and work and do things in the real world most of the time, yet she is portrayed as a naive, pre-teen like character who has never ventured outside her own home. She meets Jax and they spend maybe like 4 hours together max, they have some rather vanilla sex and she's ready to follow him to the ends of the earth (no hate to vanilla sex, but if I'm gonna be so enamoured with a guy that I'll follow him to the demon realm after knowing him for like 2 seconds, the sex needs to have been earth shattering. She's no inexperienced virgin either, as it is noted she has dated/had sex with at least one other guy). Jax seems like he's gonna be that dark and moody guy with a hidden heart of gold, which is just a bit overdone as a trope for me.

I love the general ideas and motivations behind this story (Soleil's OCD, dealing with abusive parents, the idea of demons/witches interacting with the real world on Halloween), but the execution just isn't for me.

This is an essential fall read! The author describes this as Hocus Pocus meets Howl's Moving Castle and I couldn't agree more. There are demons, witches, vampires, and a whole other world where they live. We also get a bit of spice too. I have questions about some side characters and hope this gets turned into a series if it isn't already!

I absolutely enjoyed this book so much. It has the aspects of Hocus Pocus in the labyrinth . The plot was very intriguing from the start. It was an easy read. The fmc is a normal girl just trying to enjoy college and make something of herself. Her father is constantly controlling her an keeping her locked in her room every Halloween. She decided to sneak out her bedroom window an join the town festival. She means a man that she finds very attractive an intriguing. She trusts him an he shows her fun an a pleasurable night . It turns out he is a demon king an has to return to the demon realm by midnight. He promises to return the next year on Halloween. The next year he doesn’t return because his mother is sick she finds out later. She then goes on an adventure a journey to find him in the demon realm. This was so amazing this the first time I read a book by this author i highly recommended.

Posted on goodreads as well:

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC of this book on exchange for an honest review!

Having read one of her previous works Broken Flames, I expected something similar and I was excited to read this. This was very very different, but it felt good for spooky season.

Soleil is a character that I just did not like. She’s got some complexity to her, and her OCD is beautifully depicted. However, she is so naive at times and it was driving me a little nuts. What do you MEAN you just met this man and you trust him, he is quite literally a demon. Never trust a blonde man. Jax is a character that really ticks a lot of boxes in my booktok brain: demon, protective, sweet on her. However, he literally ticks those boxes and has no other personality. I will say him calling her “little flame” was so cute to me, and I love that it feels original. He does really overuse it though. Mr.Finkel as a familiar was my favorite, I’m a sucker for a good cat.

Going to essentially hell for a man you met once a year ago is insane behavior. Someone get this girl some therapy. For some reason, I could only picture the demon realm as the nether from Minecraft? It was not described similarly at all that’s just something wrong with my brain. Having Jax be very golden king and Vileer being dark broody enemy who she makes a bargain with to go visit leaving her with a physical moon tattoo?? Felt very Tamlin vs Rhysand but watered down. The writing is very dialogue heavy, which unfortunately is a style that my brain has a harder time focusing on with my ADHD. Again, my brain is the problem here. The plot overall felt a tad rushed, but at the same time there was a lot of filler that didn’t feel entirely necessary.

Overall, I’d give it a 3 out of 5. It was not necessarily the best writing, but I did find myself enjoying it at times.

This was awful. The FMC is locked in her room, never experiencing Halloween in her however many years, and then one night escapes. She goes to a festival or something, meets the half demon Jax and just follows him around for the night, has sex with him, and he leaves. She waits allllll year for this demon and he doesn't show up for their one time Halloween fling.
So she somehow accepts that there's a demon realm, finds a vampire, and a witch.... but doesn't know what a familiar is?! That doesn't make any sense. There's no world building. Nothing interesting happens. You can't throw out the Howl's Moving Castle and Hocus Pocus comparison and NOT deliver. Just adding "there you are, I've been looking for you," is not Howl's Moving Castle.
The FMC was stupidly obsessed with this demon she barely knew. And Jax was just cardboard. Neither had any kind of personality.

HELLO?!

This is the quintessential Halloween read -- Hocus Pocus meets Howl's Moving Castle with a little bit of the TV show Lucifer sprinkled in?

I absolutely devoured this - the fall/Halloween vibes are immaculate. It has ALL of my favorite tropes -- one (demon) horse, a ball, forbidden love. PLUS a Rhysand-esque man? I'm not kidding. This is MK Ahearn at her best.

The OCD representation is so accurate and made me feel seen. The way it's handled and woven into the storyline is STUNNING and purposeful. I genuinely have not seen OCD handled this way (and so well) and I'm so grateful to be able to see myself in a character like this.

This is the ultimate comfort read; the vibes are perfect, the stakes are low, the characters are FUN, the worlds are beautiful, the love is REAL, and BINX CODED FAMILIAR!!!

In short, this book is about overcoming your own demons while falling in love with one, stepping into your own strength, and finding family every step of the way. HIGHLY RECOMMEND.