Horror
“College girl battles demons to win her one true love” is either a terrible idea or exactly the sort of thing that keeps horror interesting.
This one leans hard into the mash-up, which I don’t mind, but it lives or dies on balance. If the supernatural side is doing all the heavy lifting, the romance gets flimsy. If the romance takes over, the demons start feeling like decoration. The better books in this lane make both parts matter.
I’m always more interested in that than in whether a premise sounds sensible on paper. Sensible is overrated anyway.
This one leans hard into the mash-up, which I don’t mind, but it lives or dies on balance. If the supernatural side is doing all the heavy lifting, the romance gets flimsy. If the romance takes over, the demons start feeling like decoration. The better books in this lane make both parts matter.
I’m always more interested in that than in whether a premise sounds sensible on paper. Sensible is overrated anyway.
The bit that matters to me is whether it commits to the mess. These crossover books can be much better when they don’t apologise for being a bit lurid. If it starts trying to tidy itself into “serious” horror, it usually loses the odd, pulpy energy that made the premise work in the first place.
Also, “sensible” is a very poor filter for supernatural romance.
Also, “sensible” is a very poor filter for supernatural romance.