Carving for Cara by Melissa McSherry & Dana LeeAnn

Dates Read: July 14, 2024 – July 14, 2024 (about a 2-hour read)
Date Published: October 3, 2023
Source: owned Kindle ebook, 128 pages

Goodreads — Amazon

Wow. So… where to begin. Halloween starts after July 4^th, right? I’ve heard that somewhere… ANYWAY.

FIRST OF ALL: Mama, if you’re reading this, don’t. Love youuuuu!

Second of all: Go ahead and check those trigger warnings before you read this one because WOW. I’ll include a list of TWs and tropes at the end of this review.

Third of all: I knew what I was getting into with this one. So, because of being in the correct frame of mind and going in with the correct expectations (and lack thereof), I was able to sit and enjoy this book for what it was.

What is it, you ask? Basically… Halloween/Michael Myers erotica.

Have you ever fantasized about Michael Myers sexually? Yea, me either… (REALLY HOPE YOU LEFT HERE WHEN I TOLD YOU TO, MOM. YOU WERE WARNED.) Anyway, if so, this is for you. You messed up, traumatized, little vixen, you.

This need to own her has taken root in the deepest parts of me, instantly sealing her fate to mine.

I have to admit, I was giggling quite a few times while reading this book. Especially the part where Rhett, the MMC, is sitting in the coffee shop watching Cara, the FMC. I was sitting here picturing Michael Myers drinking a cup of coffee like a normal dude at a normal table in a coffee shop and I don’t know why but it was making me giggle uncontrollably.  

I actually didn’t picture Rhett as Michael Myers for long after meeting him. I guess because I was able to read from his point of view and take a look into his mind. Knowing his mindset and what he was thinking took that Myers feel away. I lost the ‘Ooo, what is he about to do?’ factor I was looking forward to. I think I almost would have preferred if it were all told from Cara’s perspective the entire time just to make it that much creepier. (Wow… wait… am *I* the problem here? Was this book unhinged, or am I?)

If I want to keep her, she needs to be marked and broken, and when she locked eyes with me, I knew she wanted it to be me who ultimately ruins her. In those few seconds, her ghostly eyes told me all the things her mouth couldn’t, and I’ll spend the rest of my days watching her, touching her pristine inked skin, and claiming her, whether she allows me to or not. She’s mine.

Anyway… moving on.

Cara was actually fun to read and more relatable than a lot of the FMCs in the books I’ve read lately. I was able to appreciate her character and the relationship with her bestie, Sloan, that was built for me in the short number of pages this book had to offer. She’s just a girl who likes monster smut books and over-decorating her home for Halloween. She was relatable until… she wasn’t. I wish I could elaborate on that but…
All I can really say is this: the moment where we began to differ was when she decided she liked… creamed corn. You heard me. Creamed. Corn. No, I will not elaborate. Thanks.

Most people in my small town of Hallow Grove, Iowa, are superstitious and fearful of the devil, but after reading one too many dark romance novels, I’m reasonably certain he’d fuck like a god.

This was, overall, fun to read. I think the problem some people have is they go into it expecting it to be an amazing story when really, it’s a novella. Some people complained that they needed it to be longer and that the ending fell flat because of how short the story was. For me, though, I think if it had been any longer it would have lost what intrigue it managed to instill in me. It would have ended up getting absolutely ridiculous. I would have started rolling my eyes. Not to mention, I kind of enjoyed sitting here after finishing the book and thinking about all the possible outcomes after the curtain closed.

In a nutshell, this book had me laughing and saying, “Whaaaaaat the hell??” over and over again. I did enjoy it, though. I think you could too, so long as you’re ok with a cold-blooded killer, some questionable levels of consent, and some graphic content. This was basically like watching a slasher movie and instead of getting a climax, you get a porno. Actually, I guess, in this case, you DO get a climax.

I watch as she slides her feet into a set of heels, and find myself unable to control the grin that forms on my face with the thought of how much she’s going to regret wearing those later.

YOUR MENTAL HEALTH MATTERS!
Please check out the trigger warnings before jumping in! If you do choose to take the plunge, please let me know your thoughts. I’d love to hear other people’s takes on… certain events in this book… What a wild ride it was. All the way to the cornfield and back. 😅

As promised, here is a full list of tropes and trigger warnings:

Tropes: Touch her and die, knife play, stalking, possessive MMC, Halloween, small town, CNC (consensual non-consent), masked MMC, praise, she’s mine.

Trigger Warnings: violence, gore, explicit language, knife play, dubious content, sexual assault, restriction, stalking, mutilation and death of a side character, praise, gagging, excessive force, choking, and EXPLICIT sex scenes.

“Run, little nightmare.” 😈🎃