REVIEW: Something Cryptid This Way Comes by Susan Scott Shelley (Love in Maplewood #9)

SOMETHING CRYPTID THIS WAY COMES

Love in Maplewood - Book Nine

by Susan Scott Shelley

Release Date: July 11, 2025

Review

I’ll never tire of BFF’s pinning and falling in love. Add in a small town, and in this case, some Cryptid investigations, and it’s a swoon every time for me.

They are both great people - kind, thoughtful, and love dogs! When Trevor gets talked into doing a festival in honour of the town's cryptid, Mable, it’s only natural to call in his best friend, Bram, an investigator and podcaster, to come and help.

The only problem, they’ll have to spend a bunch of time together. But they work so well together. And before you know it, they aren’t just having doggy dates!

Investigating Mabel, preparing the haunted house, and running the B&B, they find themselves working as a perfect team. Their story will make you smile.

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Synopsis

Trevor Casal loves Maplewood and will do anything for its residents, including host the town’s first Cryptid Night to kick off the month-long Halloween festivities. After all, Mabel, Maplewood’s own monster, is a tourist attraction, and this is an opportunity to increase business for his inn, his family legacy. The event, and a rash of new sightings, brings his best friend Bram, a cryptid investigator, to town, and Trevor worries that spending so much time together will give away his secret… he's been in love with Bram for years.

Bram Macleod’s fascination with cryptids began at the age of ten, and his first encounter with Maplewood’s resident monster. In the years since his pro football career ended, he’s devoted his time to documenting investigations and myths on his podcast. Returning to Maplewood after twenty-five years away, Bram is eager to dive into exploring cryptids old and new and to spend time with Trevor, but hesitant on how to handle the fact that, lately, he’s started seeing his best friend in a new light… one that feels a lot like love.

As Bram and Trevor chase down cryptids and get immersed in the town's Halloween activities, their feelings for each other become impossible to ignore. Crossing that line threatens to change the friendship they depend on, but could give them everything they long for.

Something Cryptid This Way Comes is a low-angst MM romance with matchmaking family, tricks and treats, a guard dog who likes everyone, so many plaid shirts, bedtime stories as a form of wooing, and a love forged from friendship… with the help of the “Maplewood Monster.”

With the highest percentage of LGBTQIA+ residents in Vermont, Maplewood is a town where everyone belongs. And with festivals year round, there’s always something fun happening! This multi-author, low-angst queer series features ten standalone romances—each set against the backdrop of a different festival. Come for the celebrations, stay for the happily ever afters!

About Susan Scott Shelley

USA Today bestselling author Susan Scott Shelley writes stories with heat and heart, where love always wins. Her romances give readers lighthearted and emotionally satisfying escapes into happily ever after. In addition to crafting stories, she is also a professional voiceover artist and enjoys lending her voice to a wide range of projects.

She lives in Philadelphia with her husband and is an avid fan of her hometown sports teams. Her favorite things include running (honestly, it's more like jogging), sports (especially hockey), hard rock (but will listen to anything from heavy metal to show tunes), and writing about people from all walks of life finding their special someone.

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