Love and Other Conspiracies by Mallory Marlowe
First line: Los Angeles is a city of believers.
Summary: Hallie Barrett has had a hard time lately. She recently broke up with her boyfriend who also happens to be her coworker and is currently in search of a new idea for a show in order to keep her job. On a drunken night she stumbles upon a cryptid docuseries hosted by an extremely handsome and enthusiastic host. In the hopes of reviving her career she approaches the cryptid hunter, Hayden Hargrove, with a proposition for a web series. But as Hayden’s on screen persona leaves much to be desired Hallie jumps in with her questions and skeptical remarks, sparking an instant connection and a huge fan following. As they search for Bigfoot, Mothman and other legendary creatures they find themselves discovering love rather than monsters.
My Thoughts: This was such a fun romance novel for the spooky season. Rather than being scary it was a humorous story about two people who just happen to find each other while hunting for Bigfoot. And the cover is so stinking cute!
I liked the characters. Hallie felt very relatable. She deals with doubt and rejection but becomes stronger as the story progresses. Hayden was the cute monster hunting nerd. He reminds me a little of Josh Gates from the shows, Expedition Unknown and Destination Truth. I loved their banter and chemistry. It felt natural and not forced.
This is the author’s debut novel and I feel like it was a great start. It had humor, quirky characters, romance tropes and a little bit of spice (mild/medium). Everything you want from good romance novel. I would highly recommend it!
FYI: This title is only available on Libby, CloudLibrary or through Interlibrary loan.