Sayla Masse delivers a tale of paranormal romance, high-stakes cooking, humor, and chosen family—centered on reclaiming one’s humanity, forging community, and embracing love after loss.
In Food and Fangs: A Monster Hotel Story, author Sayla Masse weaves together paranormal romance, culinary conflict, and emotional strength. The story follows Cassandra—nicknamed Cooky—a centuries-old vampire and gifted chef who can prepare extraordinary dishes but has lost the ability to taste them. After escaping the cruel control of a French vampire, Cooky now runs the kitchen of a lavish woodland hotel in Montauk. Cooking remains her link to humanity, letting her bring joy to others even though she cannot savor the flavors herself.
Cooky’s orderly life is upended when celebrated French chef Jean Claude checks into the hotel under false pretenses. His arrival immediately disrupts both her kitchen and her emotional walls, kindling a fierce culinary rivalry filled with sharp banter and growing attraction. Yet Food and Fangs: A Monster Hotel Story goes beyond romantic tension. Jean carries his own secrets, while Cooky must face desires and vulnerabilities she has buried for decades. Amid demanding dinner services and the quirks of supernatural hotel life, their relationship becomes part of a larger tale of second chances and connection.
Masse drew Food and Fangs: A Monster Hotel Story from her passion for food and vampires, using both to explore how artists who create beauty are not always able to enjoy their own work. Cooky’s inability to taste turns that idea into a core part of her identity. Despite what she has endured, she keeps pursuing the craft she loves and uses it to build a safe haven for others. Her perseverance reflects the novel’s deeper theme: being hurt or broken does not diminish a person’s worth or ability to give kindness and support.
Though written for adult fans of paranormal and monster romance, Food and Fangs: A Monster Hotel Story also highlights community, found family, humor, resilience, and self-determination. Masse deliberately works with familiar vampire tropes while subverting expectations. Cooky rejects the monstrous label forced upon her and instead holds onto her humanity through cooking, even though she cannot eat the meals she makes. Vivid food descriptions thus carry emotional weight, symbolizing longing, creativity, memory, and her refusal to abandon the parts of herself that still give life meaning.
Sayla Masse places Cooky’s agency at the center of Food and Fangs: A Monster Hotel Story. Romance and attraction are important, but the protagonist’s journey ultimately focuses on her ability to reclaim herself rather than waiting for someone else to save her. Through kitchen rivalry, supernatural twists, found family, and an unconventional love story, Masse presents strength as something supported by community but ultimately chosen by the individual. The result is a playful yet emotionally grounded novel about continuing to create, care, and love even when life has taken something precious away.
The book is available at:
https://a.co/d/0cOnxkv6
For review copies, interview requests, or additional information, please contact:
Sayla Masse
BrightKey PR
saylamasse@wildcardpub.com
