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Happy Medium
A clever con woman must convince a skeptical, sexy farmer of his property's resident real-life ghost if she's to save them all from a fate worse than death, in this delightful new novel from the author of Mrs. Nash's Ashes .
Fake spirit medium Gretchen Acorn is happy to help when her best ( wealthiest) client hires her to investigate the unexplained phenomena preventing the sale of her bridge partner’s struggling goat farm. Gretchen may be a fraud, but she'd like to think she’s a beneficent one. So if "cleansing" the property will help a nice old man finally retire and put some much-needed cash in her pockets at the same time, who's she to say no?
Of course, it turns out said bridge partner isn't the kindly AARP member Gretchen imagined—Charlie Waybill is young, hot as hell, and extremely unconvinced that Gretchen can communicate with the dead. (Which, fair.) Except, to her surprise, Gretchen finds herself face-to-face with the very real, very chatty ghost that’s been wreaking havoc during every open house. And he wants her to help ensure Charlie avoids the same family curse that's had Everett haunting Gilded Creek since the 1920s.
Now, Gretchen has one month to convince Charlie he can’t sell the property. Unfortunately, hard work and honesty seem to be the way to win over the stubborn farmer—not exactly Gretchen's strengths. But trust isn’t the only thing growing between them, and the risk of losing Charlie to the spirit realm looms over Gretchen almost as annoyingly as Everett himself. To save the goat farm, its friendly phantom, and the man she's beginning to love, Gretchen will need to pull off the greatest con of her being fully, genuinely herself.
Fake spirit medium Gretchen Acorn is happy to help when her best ( wealthiest) client hires her to investigate the unexplained phenomena preventing the sale of her bridge partner’s struggling goat farm. Gretchen may be a fraud, but she'd like to think she’s a beneficent one. So if "cleansing" the property will help a nice old man finally retire and put some much-needed cash in her pockets at the same time, who's she to say no?
Of course, it turns out said bridge partner isn't the kindly AARP member Gretchen imagined—Charlie Waybill is young, hot as hell, and extremely unconvinced that Gretchen can communicate with the dead. (Which, fair.) Except, to her surprise, Gretchen finds herself face-to-face with the very real, very chatty ghost that’s been wreaking havoc during every open house. And he wants her to help ensure Charlie avoids the same family curse that's had Everett haunting Gilded Creek since the 1920s.
Now, Gretchen has one month to convince Charlie he can’t sell the property. Unfortunately, hard work and honesty seem to be the way to win over the stubborn farmer—not exactly Gretchen's strengths. But trust isn’t the only thing growing between them, and the risk of losing Charlie to the spirit realm looms over Gretchen almost as annoyingly as Everett himself. To save the goat farm, its friendly phantom, and the man she's beginning to love, Gretchen will need to pull off the greatest con of her being fully, genuinely herself.
416 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 30, 2024
604 people are currently reading
38961 people want to read
About the author
Sarah Adler
4 books1,819 followersUSA Today bestselling author Sarah Adler writes romantic comedies about lovable weirdos finding their happily ever afters. She lives in Maryland with her husband, daughter, and very mischievous cat. When not working, you can find her attempting to course-correct an ill-advised late afternoon nap with an equally ill-advised late afternoon coffee, as she is incapable of ever learning a lesson.
Sarah’s debut novel, Mrs. Nash’s Ashes, is a USA Today bestseller and was selected as a New York Public Library Best Book of 2023. Her second, Happy Medium, is also a USA Today bestseller, and her third, Finders Keepers, and fourth, Wild Goose Chase will be published by Berkley/Penguin Random House in the summers of 2025 and 2026 respectively.
Sarah’s debut novel, Mrs. Nash’s Ashes, is a USA Today bestseller and was selected as a New York Public Library Best Book of 2023. Her second, Happy Medium, is also a USA Today bestseller, and her third, Finders Keepers, and fourth, Wild Goose Chase will be published by Berkley/Penguin Random House in the summers of 2025 and 2026 respectively.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 3,216 reviews
May 8, 2025
Are you ready for an entertaining paranormal farm romance where a con artist fake spirit medium gets beaten at her own game when she stumbles upon a real ghost? She's trying everything to convince the hot-as-hell property owner not to sell the goat farm he's inherited, unless he wants to get cursed and remain a haunted ghost on the property forever, just like his big cousin Everett Waybill has been doing for nearly a century!
I can automatically read anything the author of "Mrs. Nash's Ashes" writes without even reading a blurb. A paranormal, hilarious, and heartfelt romance with the enemies-to-lovers trope, especially when the hero is a sweet cinnamon bun under his tough facade, is an amazing combination I always crave without further thought.
Gretchen Acorn (yes, even her name is fake) becomes estranged from her conman father after she decides to come clean to him about their drifting relationship. This ends up with her father's distasteful insults, pushing Gretchen to choose another way of making a living. She's still a fake artist, insisting that she can connect with spirits, but she has a rule: she never harms her clients who are already in deep pain from their loss. She helps them move on with their lives by saying the words they need to hear. She's scamming for money, but she's doing it for a good cause, and she's not swimming in a pool of money. She's trapped in an attic, fearing her roommate and coworker, who researches the history of their potential clients to help Gretchen know more about their problems beforehand.
When her richest client, who recently lost her daughter, offers her handsomely compensated help that may keep her financially afloat, Gretchen accepts the offer. The only thing she has to do is an exorcism at a goat farm located in Gilded Creek, where her client's bridge friend, who might be in his seventies and is a war veteran, cannot sell the place because it's haunted by a ghost. She will exorcise the so-called ghost, have a short trip to the farmland, and return as soon as things settle down. Easy peasy!
But she didn't consider many things before accepting this offer. Firstly, the owner of the property, Charlie Waybill, is the grandson of the man she's supposed to meet. This charming guy despises everything she's built her life around and threatens to call the cops on her as soon as she mentions exorcism. There's also a real ghost in the place, trapped there for nearly a century, named Everett Waybill, whom she can actually see. Everett has no intention of letting her go without getting help. According to Everett, if Charlie sells the place, he'll be cursed just like he was, and he may die as a result of a long-time family curse. Everett needs Gretchen's help to convince Charlie not to sell the place.
Gretchen realizes she's accepted the toughest job she can hardly achieve, as Charlie hates her guts and is too stubborn to believe that she's talking to his big cousin's ghost. She has to find a way to earn his trust and save his life from a proper curse. It's a tricky task, as she gets volunteered to help him on a farm surrounded by goats she's afraid of. Let's not forget the attraction she feels for him, which can break the rules she's established in her new life, where she doesn't let anybody get close to her to avoid heartbreak and abandonment. But earning his trust also means she has to come clean about her past. Can she be honest with him when she's been lying to herself her whole life?
This is a poignant, entertaining, heartwarming read about love, friendship, family, and trust that I truly enjoyed. Sarah Adler knows how to play the strings of our hearts, as always.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for sharing this wonderful book's digital reviewer copy with me in exchange for my honest thoughts.
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I can automatically read anything the author of "Mrs. Nash's Ashes" writes without even reading a blurb. A paranormal, hilarious, and heartfelt romance with the enemies-to-lovers trope, especially when the hero is a sweet cinnamon bun under his tough facade, is an amazing combination I always crave without further thought.
Gretchen Acorn (yes, even her name is fake) becomes estranged from her conman father after she decides to come clean to him about their drifting relationship. This ends up with her father's distasteful insults, pushing Gretchen to choose another way of making a living. She's still a fake artist, insisting that she can connect with spirits, but she has a rule: she never harms her clients who are already in deep pain from their loss. She helps them move on with their lives by saying the words they need to hear. She's scamming for money, but she's doing it for a good cause, and she's not swimming in a pool of money. She's trapped in an attic, fearing her roommate and coworker, who researches the history of their potential clients to help Gretchen know more about their problems beforehand.
When her richest client, who recently lost her daughter, offers her handsomely compensated help that may keep her financially afloat, Gretchen accepts the offer. The only thing she has to do is an exorcism at a goat farm located in Gilded Creek, where her client's bridge friend, who might be in his seventies and is a war veteran, cannot sell the place because it's haunted by a ghost. She will exorcise the so-called ghost, have a short trip to the farmland, and return as soon as things settle down. Easy peasy!
But she didn't consider many things before accepting this offer. Firstly, the owner of the property, Charlie Waybill, is the grandson of the man she's supposed to meet. This charming guy despises everything she's built her life around and threatens to call the cops on her as soon as she mentions exorcism. There's also a real ghost in the place, trapped there for nearly a century, named Everett Waybill, whom she can actually see. Everett has no intention of letting her go without getting help. According to Everett, if Charlie sells the place, he'll be cursed just like he was, and he may die as a result of a long-time family curse. Everett needs Gretchen's help to convince Charlie not to sell the place.
Gretchen realizes she's accepted the toughest job she can hardly achieve, as Charlie hates her guts and is too stubborn to believe that she's talking to his big cousin's ghost. She has to find a way to earn his trust and save his life from a proper curse. It's a tricky task, as she gets volunteered to help him on a farm surrounded by goats she's afraid of. Let's not forget the attraction she feels for him, which can break the rules she's established in her new life, where she doesn't let anybody get close to her to avoid heartbreak and abandonment. But earning his trust also means she has to come clean about her past. Can she be honest with him when she's been lying to herself her whole life?
This is a poignant, entertaining, heartwarming read about love, friendship, family, and trust that I truly enjoyed. Sarah Adler knows how to play the strings of our hearts, as always.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for sharing this wonderful book's digital reviewer copy with me in exchange for my honest thoughts.
medium.com
May 16, 2024
These stars are for Everett
September 7, 2024
✩ 3.45 stars ✩
“Don't you think I feel it too?" Charlie asks abruptly, less irate and more... pleading? Of course I... I feel whatever it is between us. But I don't trust it, I can't. Because I don't trust you."
What to Expect:
➼ Fake Spirit Medium
➼ Friendly Ghost
➼ Forced Proximity
➼ Enemies-to-Lovers
➼ Small Town
➼ Baby Goats
➼ Magical Realism
➼ Family Curse
➼ Slow Burn
Our FMC, Gretchen Acorn, grew up running cons with her father and now works as a fraudulent Spirit Medium. Yes, she lies to her clients about seeing and hearing from their dead loved ones, but she follows her own personal code of ethics that states that she must always leave her clients better than she found them. Through her sessions, she helps her regulars rejoin the land of the living and eventually weens them off her services rather than continue to use them to pay her bills.
When a very wealthy customer offers her a large sum of money to help a friend with an issue he’s having with a ghost on his farm, the last thing she expects is to come face-to-face with a real-life (real-dead?) ghost. Charlie, the farmer, is very skeptical and thinks she is a fraud. Since this is not far from the truth, she has her work cut out for her to prove that the ghost is real and that both his life and his afterlife will be forfeit if he continues with his plans to sell the farm.
Charlie is very adamant that she is a fake and I found his continued attacks on her character and insinuations that she is a liar to be a bit tedious. The characters play it off as a joke, but I thought many of the things he said were downright hurtful. He could not help but reiterate his lack of faith in her even in the most tender or intimate moments. If I had been in Gretchen’s shoes, I think I would have been very hurt on several occasions. This bothered me even more because of Gretchen’s backstory and her feelings that love is transactional and won’t last.
Aside from this pretty major issue, I did think this was a cute and cozy read. My expectations are a little lower for books like this which always makes them a bit harder to rate, but I would definitely recommend this as a palate cleanser or a low stakes feel good read. The ghost was fun and lovable and there are baby goats in coats, so you can’t really go wrong.
✼ ҉ ✼ ҉ ✼ ҉ ✼ ҉ ✼ ҉ ✼ ҉ ✼
Pre-read: I’m surprised this wasn’t released in the fall. It’s giving spooky season vibes. 👻🎃 Works for me though — I’m down for cozy vibes year round. 🤗
“Don't you think I feel it too?" Charlie asks abruptly, less irate and more... pleading? Of course I... I feel whatever it is between us. But I don't trust it, I can't. Because I don't trust you."
What to Expect:
➼ Fake Spirit Medium
➼ Friendly Ghost
➼ Forced Proximity
➼ Enemies-to-Lovers
➼ Small Town
➼ Baby Goats
➼ Magical Realism
➼ Family Curse
➼ Slow Burn
Our FMC, Gretchen Acorn, grew up running cons with her father and now works as a fraudulent Spirit Medium. Yes, she lies to her clients about seeing and hearing from their dead loved ones, but she follows her own personal code of ethics that states that she must always leave her clients better than she found them. Through her sessions, she helps her regulars rejoin the land of the living and eventually weens them off her services rather than continue to use them to pay her bills.
When a very wealthy customer offers her a large sum of money to help a friend with an issue he’s having with a ghost on his farm, the last thing she expects is to come face-to-face with a real-life (real-dead?) ghost. Charlie, the farmer, is very skeptical and thinks she is a fraud. Since this is not far from the truth, she has her work cut out for her to prove that the ghost is real and that both his life and his afterlife will be forfeit if he continues with his plans to sell the farm.
Charlie is very adamant that she is a fake and I found his continued attacks on her character and insinuations that she is a liar to be a bit tedious. The characters play it off as a joke, but I thought many of the things he said were downright hurtful. He could not help but reiterate his lack of faith in her even in the most tender or intimate moments. If I had been in Gretchen’s shoes, I think I would have been very hurt on several occasions. This bothered me even more because of Gretchen’s backstory and her feelings that love is transactional and won’t last.
Aside from this pretty major issue, I did think this was a cute and cozy read. My expectations are a little lower for books like this which always makes them a bit harder to rate, but I would definitely recommend this as a palate cleanser or a low stakes feel good read. The ghost was fun and lovable and there are baby goats in coats, so you can’t really go wrong.
✼ ҉ ✼ ҉ ✼ ҉ ✼ ҉ ✼ ҉ ✼ ҉ ✼
Pre-read: I’m surprised this wasn’t released in the fall. It’s giving spooky season vibes. 👻🎃 Works for me though — I’m down for cozy vibes year round. 🤗
April 13, 2024
𝙷𝚊𝚙𝚙𝚢 𝙼𝚎𝚍𝚒𝚞𝚖 𝚋𝚢 𝚂𝚊𝚛𝚊𝚑 𝙰𝚍𝚕𝚎𝚛 💜👻
⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
Tropes & What to Expect
💟enemies to lovers
💟forced proximity
💟found family 🥹
💟a charming, hilarious ghost
💟bi-sexual FMC
💟goat farmer MMC
This was a super interesting novel and I mostly enjoyed. The FMC is a sprit medium con artist who is on an assignment to exorcise this ghost on a farm. When she arrives she meets the handsome and ridiculously sweet goat farmer who knows she is a scam. You can imagine the surprise when she realizes there is a very much real ghost on the property and he tells her of the family curse on the property.
Overall thoughts: this was a cute read and a great palette cleanser from darker reads. My only issue is I wish their relationship was developed more.. it felt it went from insta-attraction to enemies to lovers back to insta-attraction then over time we got more in depth into their relationship.
Thank you NetGalley, Berkeley and the author Sarah Adler for this Arc in exchange for an honest review.
⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
Tropes & What to Expect
💟enemies to lovers
💟forced proximity
💟found family 🥹
💟a charming, hilarious ghost
💟bi-sexual FMC
💟goat farmer MMC
This was a super interesting novel and I mostly enjoyed. The FMC is a sprit medium con artist who is on an assignment to exorcise this ghost on a farm. When she arrives she meets the handsome and ridiculously sweet goat farmer who knows she is a scam. You can imagine the surprise when she realizes there is a very much real ghost on the property and he tells her of the family curse on the property.
Overall thoughts: this was a cute read and a great palette cleanser from darker reads. My only issue is I wish their relationship was developed more.. it felt it went from insta-attraction to enemies to lovers back to insta-attraction then over time we got more in depth into their relationship.
Thank you NetGalley, Berkeley and the author Sarah Adler for this Arc in exchange for an honest review.
September 8, 2023
I am UTTERLY CHARMED by this book. Witty, quick, and fresh. Goodness I adored it.
June 22, 2024
3.5⭐
Genre ~ romantic comedy
Setting ~ Washington DC & Maryland
Publication date ~ April 30, 2024
Page Count ~ 416 (38 chapters +e)
Audio length ~ 9 hours 0 minutes
Narrator ~ Mara Wilson
POV ~ single 3rd
Featuring ~ con-artist, paranormal, small town, farm life, grumpy/sunshine, forced proximity, opposites attract, slow burn, minimal steamage
Gretchen has perfected cons by 'speaking' to dead people. She's so convincing that her fancy client has hired her to help her bridge playing friend, Charlie, get rid of a suspected ghost that's not making selling the farm easy.
Gretchen's met her match because Charlie is having none of her lies, except this time she's not lying and she really does see the infamous ghost of Gilded Creek Goat Farm and his name is Everett. He agrees to let her stay for one month, but she'll need to help out around the farm every day. Turns out the farm isn't very profitable, but leave it to Gretchen to come up with some great ideas to get it in the black. I enjoyed watching her step into her yellow rain boots and take on every task given to her.
I said in one of my updates that I'm slightly in love with Everett. He's such a fun ghost and I totally would've let him rock my world back in the 1920's. Poor thing is so bored, all he wants to do is watch TV when he's not trying to scare potential buyers. Can you blame him though? He hasn't had anyone to talk to in nearly 100 years and finally someone can see him and listen to him yabber on for ages. You can't help but feel bad for him, but then slightly mad at him towards the end.
I'm normally down with a grump, but Charlie is a little too mean to Gretchen sometimes, which took me an extra minute to warm up to him. But after I heard his backstory, witnessed his sweetness towards his grandfather and read his memories of the times he spent with his grandma, he grew on me, mismatched and long sleeved sweaters and all.
Some downsides for me are that the plot only takes place for about a month, and there's a lot jammed packed in that month, but this felt so long and it took me quite a while to get through (2 weeks!). I don't feel like their relationship progressed realistically either. Their first whomp was really weird. I could have went without the stuff with her father as I don't feel like it was wrapped up nicely at all. A few chapters from Charlies POV would have been helpful.
Overall, there's a good amount of wit and TV show references that kept me entertained.
*Thanks to the author, Berkley Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC. I am voluntarily leaving my honest review*
Narration notes:
I did not listen to this one, but am just giving the info above for reference.
Connect with me ➡ Blog ~ Facebook ~ Twitter
Genre ~ romantic comedy
Setting ~ Washington DC & Maryland
Publication date ~ April 30, 2024
Page Count ~ 416 (38 chapters +e)
Audio length ~ 9 hours 0 minutes
Narrator ~ Mara Wilson
POV ~ single 3rd
Featuring ~ con-artist, paranormal, small town, farm life, grumpy/sunshine, forced proximity, opposites attract, slow burn, minimal steamage
Gretchen has perfected cons by 'speaking' to dead people. She's so convincing that her fancy client has hired her to help her bridge playing friend, Charlie, get rid of a suspected ghost that's not making selling the farm easy.
Gretchen's met her match because Charlie is having none of her lies, except this time she's not lying and she really does see the infamous ghost of Gilded Creek Goat Farm and his name is Everett. He agrees to let her stay for one month, but she'll need to help out around the farm every day. Turns out the farm isn't very profitable, but leave it to Gretchen to come up with some great ideas to get it in the black. I enjoyed watching her step into her yellow rain boots and take on every task given to her.
I said in one of my updates that I'm slightly in love with Everett. He's such a fun ghost and I totally would've let him rock my world back in the 1920's. Poor thing is so bored, all he wants to do is watch TV when he's not trying to scare potential buyers. Can you blame him though? He hasn't had anyone to talk to in nearly 100 years and finally someone can see him and listen to him yabber on for ages. You can't help but feel bad for him, but then slightly mad at him towards the end.
I'm normally down with a grump, but Charlie is a little too mean to Gretchen sometimes, which took me an extra minute to warm up to him. But after I heard his backstory, witnessed his sweetness towards his grandfather and read his memories of the times he spent with his grandma, he grew on me, mismatched and long sleeved sweaters and all.
Some downsides for me are that the plot only takes place for about a month, and there's a lot jammed packed in that month, but this felt so long and it took me quite a while to get through (2 weeks!). I don't feel like their relationship progressed realistically either. Their first whomp was really weird. I could have went without the stuff with her father as I don't feel like it was wrapped up nicely at all. A few chapters from Charlies POV would have been helpful.
Overall, there's a good amount of wit and TV show references that kept me entertained.
*Thanks to the author, Berkley Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC. I am voluntarily leaving my honest review*
Narration notes:
I did not listen to this one, but am just giving the info above for reference.
Connect with me ➡ Blog ~ Facebook ~ Twitter
December 3, 2024
why is this story about a fake medium conning a hot goat farmer the most romantic thing i’ve ever read
also the confession scene is living RENT FREE in my mind
Bookstagram | Blog
also the confession scene is living RENT FREE in my mind
Bookstagram | Blog
May 2, 2024
Happy medium was the perfect mix of funny, heartwarming, and enchanting, all wrapped up with an original plot for the seamless rom-com recipe.
Grenchem was raised to be a con artist and earns her living pretending to speak with ghosts. In an surprising turn of events, she ends up in haunted farm speaking with a real ghost, trying to convince a sceptic tattooed farmed that this time she is telling the true.
I was utterly charmed by Gretchen and Charlie! Their banter was great, and their chemistry was off the charts. I must admit that at some point I was a bit worried with Charlie’s behaviour, but he does have a wonderful heart that won me over completely.
Everett was the best character and absolutely steals the show!
I would like to Quercus Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this eARC in exchange for an honest an honest review.
P.S: As a former big4 consultant, I feel obliged to defend their honour and tell you that absolutely no one working in Deloitte, PwC, EY or KPMG would ever go to a bar wearing clothes with the company’s logo, much less bet $1,000 on whichever… everyone is usually too overworked, and value their hard-earned salary too much.
Grenchem was raised to be a con artist and earns her living pretending to speak with ghosts. In an surprising turn of events, she ends up in haunted farm speaking with a real ghost, trying to convince a sceptic tattooed farmed that this time she is telling the true.
I was utterly charmed by Gretchen and Charlie! Their banter was great, and their chemistry was off the charts. I must admit that at some point I was a bit worried with Charlie’s behaviour, but he does have a wonderful heart that won me over completely.
Everett was the best character and absolutely steals the show!
I would like to Quercus Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this eARC in exchange for an honest an honest review.
P.S: As a former big4 consultant, I feel obliged to defend their honour and tell you that absolutely no one working in Deloitte, PwC, EY or KPMG would ever go to a bar wearing clothes with the company’s logo, much less bet $1,000 on whichever… everyone is usually too overworked, and value their hard-earned salary too much.
July 10, 2024
4 stars
The story of a con-artist fake medium Gretchen who is paid to go and complete an exorcism for a farmer named Charlie on his land. Once there, Charlie rejects Gretchen as a fraud, but a funny thing happens: Gretchen sees her first ghost. Everett is Charlie's distant relative and warns Gretchen that if Charlie sells and leaves the farm he will die and be stuck in the afterlife. So now, Gretchen has to save the farmer who hates her and think's she's full of it.
I picked up this book as it fits the bingo square for Diners, Drive Ins and Dives for the 2024 Ripped Bodice Summer Bingo challenge, and I am very glad I did. I never would have picked up this book otherwise and it was so good!! I loved the whole story with Everett the ghost and Gretchen's romance with Charlie which was slightly angsty and the perfect amount of sweet. As strong as the romance was with Charlie, I thought the friendship between Gretchen and Everett was the best part of the book. There was a really good amount of character development for all of the characters which I really appreciated as often that seems to be left out of romance. Also Mara Wilson was a great narrator, she really made the book and characters come to life.
The story of a con-artist fake medium Gretchen who is paid to go and complete an exorcism for a farmer named Charlie on his land. Once there, Charlie rejects Gretchen as a fraud, but a funny thing happens: Gretchen sees her first ghost. Everett is Charlie's distant relative and warns Gretchen that if Charlie sells and leaves the farm he will die and be stuck in the afterlife. So now, Gretchen has to save the farmer who hates her and think's she's full of it.
I picked up this book as it fits the bingo square for Diners, Drive Ins and Dives for the 2024 Ripped Bodice Summer Bingo challenge, and I am very glad I did. I never would have picked up this book otherwise and it was so good!! I loved the whole story with Everett the ghost and Gretchen's romance with Charlie which was slightly angsty and the perfect amount of sweet. As strong as the romance was with Charlie, I thought the friendship between Gretchen and Everett was the best part of the book. There was a really good amount of character development for all of the characters which I really appreciated as often that seems to be left out of romance. Also Mara Wilson was a great narrator, she really made the book and characters come to life.
April 23, 2024
Happy Medium is a fun and quirky romance following Gretchen, a fake medium hired to exorcise a ghost from a goat farm, and Charlie, the grumpy farm owner who wants Gretchen and her obvious scam nowhere near him. Content to take the money and leave, Gretchen is shocked to her core when she learns the property is indeed haunted and she can talk to the ghost. The story is full of charm and so much fun happenings around the farm. I loved how Gretchen and Charlie slowly became friends and tried to understand one another before getting into a relationship. The deep moments contrasted so perfectly to the whimsy brought about by their ever flowing banter and the humourous and endearing ghost. This enchantingly sweet romance will absolutely not be my last from Sarah Adler and I cannot wait to see what she writes next!
Read If You Like:
🔮Forced Proximity🔮
🔮A Tattooed and Bearded MC🔮
🔮Slow Burn🔮
🔮Small Town Romance🔮
🔮So Much Banter🔮
🔮Enemies to Lovers🔮
🔮Baby Goats🔮
🔮Hurt and Comfort🔮
🔮A Chaotic and Friendly Ghost🔮
🔮Opposites Attract🔮
~Many thanks to Netgalley and Berkley Romance for an ARC of this book in return for an honest review.
Read If You Like:
🔮Forced Proximity🔮
🔮A Tattooed and Bearded MC🔮
🔮Slow Burn🔮
🔮Small Town Romance🔮
🔮So Much Banter🔮
🔮Enemies to Lovers🔮
🔮Baby Goats🔮
🔮Hurt and Comfort🔮
🔮A Chaotic and Friendly Ghost🔮
🔮Opposites Attract🔮
~Many thanks to Netgalley and Berkley Romance for an ARC of this book in return for an honest review.
April 30, 2024
Update 4/30/24: Reposting my review to celebrate that today is publication day!
Thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for sending me an ARC of Happy Medium in exchange for an honest review. The Goodreads description of the book tells you everything you need to know about the setup (which the story gets through pretty quickly), so I’ll move straight to my thoughts.
Happy Medium works because of the charming dynamics of the three main characters. Gretchen is the con artist with a heart of gold, twisted by her father into a petty criminal herself, but living by a code that she’ll only take people’s money “if she’s certain she can leave them better off than she found them.” But it’s a life that’s left her afraid to get close to anyone, even just as friends, because she’s always eventually been exposed and forced to leave. Charlie is the struggling hot farmer with a heart of gold, failing under the weight of family expectations but determined to get Gretchen to admit she’s a fraud so she’ll refund his friend’s money. And then there’s scene-stealing Everett, the 1920s ghost with a heart of gold who’s obsessed with watching television, can’t believe he’s finally being seen, and hopeful that he can protect Charlie from an untimely death and an eternity haunting Gilded Creek. Everett brings a hilarious prohibition-era energy to the story, saying things like “being dead is a real snore,” calling Gretchen a “flimflam artist” and her legs “getaway sticks.” His tv buddy cop relationship with Gretchen—who he comes to think of as his “hot sister”—is the sweetest and probably the best part of the story.
Happy Medium was apparently inspired as a twist on Whoopi Goldberg’s fake medium in the movie Ghost, which makes sense in retrospect. (I’ll admit I didn’t realize the connection. I haven’t seen that movie in probably 30 years). There were a few of parts of the story I was a bit underwhelmed by. Gretchen comes up with a plan late in the story that I think would have caused Charlie to become suspicious of her all over again but didn’t. There’s a late twist that I enjoyed but I thought was a bit too convenient. And I thought the whole subplot involving Gretchen’s father was mishandled—it either needed to be a good bit bigger or smaller. But on the whole, I liked the way the three characters grew and grew together, helping each other heal old wounds. And the story is often quite funny, especially Everett. Happy Medium is a charming, entertaining read. Recommended. 3.5 stars rounded up to 4.
“Okay, well, you be careful out there in the boonies. Don’t fall in love with the farmer and move to the countryside or anything.”
…
“I can’t deal with you using Guy Fieri catchphrases.”
“Well, that’s not very Flavortown of you,” he says, frowning.
…
She looks at the five-by-three-by-six-inch hole she dug beneath the weeping willow, then at the dirt covering her hands to the wrist, then at the half-empty resealable bag of David Original seeds. She doesn’t know much about planting anything, but she can now see how at least two or three of the choices she’s made are probably not strictly correct.
Thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for sending me an ARC of Happy Medium in exchange for an honest review. The Goodreads description of the book tells you everything you need to know about the setup (which the story gets through pretty quickly), so I’ll move straight to my thoughts.
Happy Medium works because of the charming dynamics of the three main characters. Gretchen is the con artist with a heart of gold, twisted by her father into a petty criminal herself, but living by a code that she’ll only take people’s money “if she’s certain she can leave them better off than she found them.” But it’s a life that’s left her afraid to get close to anyone, even just as friends, because she’s always eventually been exposed and forced to leave. Charlie is the struggling hot farmer with a heart of gold, failing under the weight of family expectations but determined to get Gretchen to admit she’s a fraud so she’ll refund his friend’s money. And then there’s scene-stealing Everett, the 1920s ghost with a heart of gold who’s obsessed with watching television, can’t believe he’s finally being seen, and hopeful that he can protect Charlie from an untimely death and an eternity haunting Gilded Creek. Everett brings a hilarious prohibition-era energy to the story, saying things like “being dead is a real snore,” calling Gretchen a “flimflam artist” and her legs “getaway sticks.” His tv buddy cop relationship with Gretchen—who he comes to think of as his “hot sister”—is the sweetest and probably the best part of the story.
Happy Medium was apparently inspired as a twist on Whoopi Goldberg’s fake medium in the movie Ghost, which makes sense in retrospect. (I’ll admit I didn’t realize the connection. I haven’t seen that movie in probably 30 years). There were a few of parts of the story I was a bit underwhelmed by. Gretchen comes up with a plan late in the story that I think would have caused Charlie to become suspicious of her all over again but didn’t. There’s a late twist that I enjoyed but I thought was a bit too convenient. And I thought the whole subplot involving Gretchen’s father was mishandled—it either needed to be a good bit bigger or smaller. But on the whole, I liked the way the three characters grew and grew together, helping each other heal old wounds. And the story is often quite funny, especially Everett. Happy Medium is a charming, entertaining read. Recommended. 3.5 stars rounded up to 4.
October 27, 2025
Halloween #8
Surprise, surprise! I was very into this. Conwoman Gretchen Acorn is a fake spirit medium that makes her money off old white women's sorrows. Color me amused.
When one of the said old white women has a ghost for Gretchen to exorcise for $10,000, she says, "Hell yes." The farmer she meets basically says, "Hell no." And sparks fly. Not just because I've been listening to that Taylor Swift song on repeat. Because I have. And I'm not a Swiftie. But I digress.
The funny part of all this is an actual ghost is haunting the property. And Gretchen can see and talk to him. And freaks the fuck out. Because why not?
It's cute. It's not scary. It's a little lusty, if you're into that. I am. Give me all the chili peppers. And while I thought some of this got resolved too quickly and easily, I'll let it slide, because I enjoy a HEA. Am I too sappy now? Someone make your girl depressed again. It me. Your girl.
📱 Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley
Surprise, surprise! I was very into this. Conwoman Gretchen Acorn is a fake spirit medium that makes her money off old white women's sorrows. Color me amused.
When one of the said old white women has a ghost for Gretchen to exorcise for $10,000, she says, "Hell yes." The farmer she meets basically says, "Hell no." And sparks fly. Not just because I've been listening to that Taylor Swift song on repeat. Because I have. And I'm not a Swiftie. But I digress.
The funny part of all this is an actual ghost is haunting the property. And Gretchen can see and talk to him. And freaks the fuck out. Because why not?
It's cute. It's not scary. It's a little lusty, if you're into that. I am. Give me all the chili peppers. And while I thought some of this got resolved too quickly and easily, I'll let it slide, because I enjoy a HEA. Am I too sappy now? Someone make your girl depressed again. It me. Your girl.
📱 Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley
April 20, 2024
Well this was disappointing. And it honestly makes me sad, specially because I was actually having fun in the beginning of this book.
This story follows Gretchen, a fake spirit medium, who is hired by one of her best clients to help her bridge partner to perform a sort of an exorcism to cleanse his farm. He's been trying to sell the property for some time now, and every time potential buyers show up, something out of the ordinary happens that makes them run for their hills without looking back.
Gretchen is, of course, happy to help, but what she didn't expect was coming face-to-face with a very real ghost. And said ghost tells Gretchen about this family curse and asks for her help to prevent selling the farm in order to save Charlie's (the property's owner) life.
Now she has one month to convince Charlie not to sell the property. And how hard can this really be, right?
I really enjoyed the way this story started. Everett, the ghost, was honestly the star of the book for me. He's hilarious and all the giggles and little laughs I gave were because of him.
And that's pretty much all I enjoyed about this book.
Unfortunately I couldn't connect to the main characters at all. There was no chemistry between them, their first intimate moment (and all the other moments, tbh) felt cringe, very awkward, and not sexy, and I couldn't see how these two people fell in love. They just don't work together.
The book itself felt both too long and incomplete at the same time? I felt like some chapters were there to just "fill in the pages" but didn't necessarily bring development to the story itself, and the plot seemed a bit messy with many loose ends.
I recommend Mrs. Nash's Ashes book by Sarah, but this one was very much a miss for me unfortunately.
This story follows Gretchen, a fake spirit medium, who is hired by one of her best clients to help her bridge partner to perform a sort of an exorcism to cleanse his farm. He's been trying to sell the property for some time now, and every time potential buyers show up, something out of the ordinary happens that makes them run for their hills without looking back.
Gretchen is, of course, happy to help, but what she didn't expect was coming face-to-face with a very real ghost. And said ghost tells Gretchen about this family curse and asks for her help to prevent selling the farm in order to save Charlie's (the property's owner) life.
Now she has one month to convince Charlie not to sell the property. And how hard can this really be, right?
I really enjoyed the way this story started. Everett, the ghost, was honestly the star of the book for me. He's hilarious and all the giggles and little laughs I gave were because of him.
And that's pretty much all I enjoyed about this book.
Unfortunately I couldn't connect to the main characters at all. There was no chemistry between them, their first intimate moment (and all the other moments, tbh) felt cringe, very awkward, and not sexy, and I couldn't see how these two people fell in love. They just don't work together.
The book itself felt both too long and incomplete at the same time? I felt like some chapters were there to just "fill in the pages" but didn't necessarily bring development to the story itself, and the plot seemed a bit messy with many loose ends.
I recommend Mrs. Nash's Ashes book by Sarah, but this one was very much a miss for me unfortunately.
April 24, 2024
Happy Medium by Sarah Adler is a paranormal romantic comedy novel. The story in Happy Medium is one of an enemies to lovers romance with a fake medium falling for a skeptical man with a little help from a hundred year old ghost.
Gretchen Acorn was pretty much raised to be a grifter spending her life conning unsuspecting people. Gretchen’s father had taught her the ropes but when he took things a little too far for Gretchen she struck out on her own building up her “fake” medium business.
Gretchen didn’t want to hurt anyone with her con but she still needed to survive the only way she knew how. When Gretchen is approached to “cleanse” a property of it’s spirits how can she say no? After arriving at Charlie Waybill’s property though he quickly runs her off seeing her as the fake she actually is but as Gretchen starts to leave she runs into Everett, an actual ghost, who begs for Gretchen’s help to save Charlie’s life.
Happy Medium by Sarah Adler was a fun story mixing a rom-com with the paranormal of a very pushy ghost. The characters were likable, even Mr. Grumpy himself in Charlie who was quick to push away help but also quick to offer it when Gretchen needed it. My one complaint with this one that brought my rating down from a solid four star fun read to only three and a half stars was that the story did drag here and there and seemed it could have been edited down a bit more with this being a really lengthy read when otherwise it was a really enjoyable read.
I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.
For more reviews please visit https://carriesbookreviews.com/
Gretchen Acorn was pretty much raised to be a grifter spending her life conning unsuspecting people. Gretchen’s father had taught her the ropes but when he took things a little too far for Gretchen she struck out on her own building up her “fake” medium business.
Gretchen didn’t want to hurt anyone with her con but she still needed to survive the only way she knew how. When Gretchen is approached to “cleanse” a property of it’s spirits how can she say no? After arriving at Charlie Waybill’s property though he quickly runs her off seeing her as the fake she actually is but as Gretchen starts to leave she runs into Everett, an actual ghost, who begs for Gretchen’s help to save Charlie’s life.
Happy Medium by Sarah Adler was a fun story mixing a rom-com with the paranormal of a very pushy ghost. The characters were likable, even Mr. Grumpy himself in Charlie who was quick to push away help but also quick to offer it when Gretchen needed it. My one complaint with this one that brought my rating down from a solid four star fun read to only three and a half stars was that the story did drag here and there and seemed it could have been edited down a bit more with this being a really lengthy read when otherwise it was a really enjoyable read.
I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.
For more reviews please visit https://carriesbookreviews.com/
October 22, 2024
I have never really been into romance books with paranormal elements. They're just not my jam. But with Happy Medium, Sarah Adams has delivered a super fun romance with some light paranormal activity that falls squarely into the category of “cozy,” and it turns out this book was exactly my flavor of jam.
It’s about Gretchen, a woman who lives in DC and works as a fake spirit medium. In order to pull this off, she employs tricks she learned from her father, a conman who she hasn’t had contact with for years. To make herself feel like she’s not doing anything amoral, she thinks of herself as more of a pseudo grief counselor, trying to help people move on by telling them encouraging things about their lost loved ones who “just want them to be happy again.” She’s tricking them, but in an effort to help them. As someone who doesn’t really do romantasy, this is a “morally gray” love interest that I can actually get into!
Gretchen has one very wealthy client, an older woman who basically keeps the business going and who is heading out on an extended trip to Europe. She wants to help make up for the lost income this trip will cause by paying Gretchen to go out to see Charlie, a friend of hers in Maryland (this reads as being somewhere in the area between Germantown and Frederick, which was a lot of fun for me as someone who lives just outside DC). Charlie’s farm is probably haunted, which has prevented it from being sold, and Gretchen is to go out an perform an exorcism. She agrees, expecting that the farmer will be an old guy and that she will be able to quickly make him believe she’s gotten rid of any bad juju. So she’s shocked to roll up to the place and find that Charlie is a really hot, youngish guy who doesn’t believe anything Gretchen says and wants nothing to do with her or the exorcism.
Imagine Gretchen’s shock when she realizes that the farm actually is haunted by the ghost of Charlie’s ancestor Everett – who tells her that there is a curse on the farm that will cause Charlie to die if he succeeds in selling the farm.
It's a very silly conceit, but Gretchen manages to talk Charlie into letting her help out around the struggling farm and the two end up falling into an enemies-to-lovers situation. The romance here is a lot of fun, but honestly it’s Gretchen’s relationship with Everett – a ghost that Charlie can’t see – that really makes the story shine. He is so funny and the two develop a friendship that took the cozy, feel-good vibes of this story to the next level. It’s not very often that I find myself enthralled by the side friendships in a romance as much as the main love story, but it worked so well here and actually had me getting a little teary eyed as Gretchen tried to figure out a way to break the curse. This was the perfect Halloween-y love story.
It’s about Gretchen, a woman who lives in DC and works as a fake spirit medium. In order to pull this off, she employs tricks she learned from her father, a conman who she hasn’t had contact with for years. To make herself feel like she’s not doing anything amoral, she thinks of herself as more of a pseudo grief counselor, trying to help people move on by telling them encouraging things about their lost loved ones who “just want them to be happy again.” She’s tricking them, but in an effort to help them. As someone who doesn’t really do romantasy, this is a “morally gray” love interest that I can actually get into!
Gretchen has one very wealthy client, an older woman who basically keeps the business going and who is heading out on an extended trip to Europe. She wants to help make up for the lost income this trip will cause by paying Gretchen to go out to see Charlie, a friend of hers in Maryland (this reads as being somewhere in the area between Germantown and Frederick, which was a lot of fun for me as someone who lives just outside DC). Charlie’s farm is probably haunted, which has prevented it from being sold, and Gretchen is to go out an perform an exorcism. She agrees, expecting that the farmer will be an old guy and that she will be able to quickly make him believe she’s gotten rid of any bad juju. So she’s shocked to roll up to the place and find that Charlie is a really hot, youngish guy who doesn’t believe anything Gretchen says and wants nothing to do with her or the exorcism.
Imagine Gretchen’s shock when she realizes that the farm actually is haunted by the ghost of Charlie’s ancestor Everett – who tells her that there is a curse on the farm that will cause Charlie to die if he succeeds in selling the farm.
It's a very silly conceit, but Gretchen manages to talk Charlie into letting her help out around the struggling farm and the two end up falling into an enemies-to-lovers situation. The romance here is a lot of fun, but honestly it’s Gretchen’s relationship with Everett – a ghost that Charlie can’t see – that really makes the story shine. He is so funny and the two develop a friendship that took the cozy, feel-good vibes of this story to the next level. It’s not very often that I find myself enthralled by the side friendships in a romance as much as the main love story, but it worked so well here and actually had me getting a little teary eyed as Gretchen tried to figure out a way to break the curse. This was the perfect Halloween-y love story.
January 16, 2024
I was so hoping that Gretchen Acorn would at least do a tarot card reading or two - even if she did profess NOT to be psychic!
That title lured me in: I was expecting visionary insights. Instead, we get a real ghost with attitude, dire warnings, and ghostly expectations! (The late Everett Waybill's TV addictions cracked me up and saved the day for me time and again. His was my favourite character in this rambling jaunt in the countryside.)
Sarah Adler is a great, even witty, writer, but very often I felt that many of the scenes did not advance the plot. (I want to add the words "filler" and "word count" to the list of my observations as to why this story seemed to drag on for me.). Yes, the episode where Gretchen helps deliver a breach baby goat is heart-warming, as is her napping with the little cuties into the wee hours of the morning to keep them safe and warm.
The steamy scenes between Gretchen and Charlie were well described and plentiful, as were the standard misunderstandings and miscommunications. The dialogue was sharp and witty and the cracks about the dog were hilarious: guard dog indeed! In his dreams! Too cute! But....
I'm going to rate this one a 3.5 rounded down to a 3 because NetGalley and GoodReads do not allow half points, and The Happy Medium did not hold my interest the way her first novel did. This book has all the elements of a great romance, but that ending was a bit of a stretch for me: Everett becomes the scapegoat as well as the hero of the day. Still a great, often hilarious read and I still highly recommend it but it took me so much longer to read this one in comparison to her first novel.
My thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
That title lured me in: I was expecting visionary insights. Instead, we get a real ghost with attitude, dire warnings, and ghostly expectations! (The late Everett Waybill's TV addictions cracked me up and saved the day for me time and again. His was my favourite character in this rambling jaunt in the countryside.)
Sarah Adler is a great, even witty, writer, but very often I felt that many of the scenes did not advance the plot. (I want to add the words "filler" and "word count" to the list of my observations as to why this story seemed to drag on for me.). Yes, the episode where Gretchen helps deliver a breach baby goat is heart-warming, as is her napping with the little cuties into the wee hours of the morning to keep them safe and warm.
The steamy scenes between Gretchen and Charlie were well described and plentiful, as were the standard misunderstandings and miscommunications. The dialogue was sharp and witty and the cracks about the dog were hilarious: guard dog indeed! In his dreams! Too cute! But....
I'm going to rate this one a 3.5 rounded down to a 3 because NetGalley and GoodReads do not allow half points, and The Happy Medium did not hold my interest the way her first novel did. This book has all the elements of a great romance, but that ending was a bit of a stretch for me: Everett becomes the scapegoat as well as the hero of the day. Still a great, often hilarious read and I still highly recommend it but it took me so much longer to read this one in comparison to her first novel.
My thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
August 27, 2024
I think I would've preferred 1st person dual POV like I usually love in romance books, but the goats & the ghost made up for it
September 9, 2024
3.5 stars
This book was fun! I’m not going to lie, the first half (maybe even a bit more…) was really slow for me and it took me a while to feel the romance, but the last 30% or so was truly fantastic! Charlie and Gretchen ended up being an unlikely pair, but perfect for one another. And I loved Gretchen and Everett's scenes. They were so funny together. Overall I’m glad I read this one. I enjoyed it!
This book was fun! I’m not going to lie, the first half (maybe even a bit more…) was really slow for me and it took me a while to feel the romance, but the last 30% or so was truly fantastic! Charlie and Gretchen ended up being an unlikely pair, but perfect for one another. And I loved Gretchen and Everett's scenes. They were so funny together. Overall I’m glad I read this one. I enjoyed it!
Audio book source: Libby
Story Rating: 3.5 stars
Narrators: Mara Wilson
Narration Rating: 4 stars
Genre: Romance
Length: 11h 38m
May 11, 2025
randomly picked this up while in the middle of watching "psych" which is crazy like how many stories are out there with a main character whose job is a fake psychic anyway this was fun. i wasn't giggling and kicking my feet, mostly cuz i didn't like the flirting or writing, but this completely embraced its silly premise, which is something i haven't had in a while.
September 21, 2024
This one was SUPER fun! Just took me a bit to get invested, but I loved the emotional ending. 🥹
September 18, 2024
Oof. This one was definitely not for me. I’m not into book bashing so let’s just do a likes and dislikes list.
What I liked:
✨ Everett the ghost
✨ The farm animals
What I disliked:
☔️ Very unlikeable, hypocritical, one dimensional characters. Female lead was just not a good person and the male lead was basically a piece of cardboard.
☔️ Lackluster romance and some cringe worthy spice.
☔️ So much unnecessary fluff (feels like author was trying reach a word count). There are several chapters that did not serve the plot whatsoever and could have been done away with.
☔️ What exactly was the plot? There were so many side stories and then there was also nothing going on at all.
☔️ Pages upon pages upon pages of repetitive inner monologues. Seriously, the main character didn’t have a new thought in her head until 300 pages in.
☔️ The ending was meh. Satisfying enough but not worth reading the whole book for.
After semi-enjoying Mrs. Nash’s Ashes, this was a huge disappointment. Yikes.
What I liked:
✨ Everett the ghost
✨ The farm animals
What I disliked:
☔️ Very unlikeable, hypocritical, one dimensional characters. Female lead was just not a good person and the male lead was basically a piece of cardboard.
☔️ Lackluster romance and some cringe worthy spice.
☔️ So much unnecessary fluff (feels like author was trying reach a word count). There are several chapters that did not serve the plot whatsoever and could have been done away with.
☔️ What exactly was the plot? There were so many side stories and then there was also nothing going on at all.
☔️ Pages upon pages upon pages of repetitive inner monologues. Seriously, the main character didn’t have a new thought in her head until 300 pages in.
☔️ The ending was meh. Satisfying enough but not worth reading the whole book for.
After semi-enjoying Mrs. Nash’s Ashes, this was a huge disappointment. Yikes.
did-not-finish
November 10, 2025DNF @ 51%: gave this one a good go but it just didn't hold my attention. still definitely like sarah adler's writing style but this particular story didn't do much for me
dnf
October 29, 2024✧.* DNF ✧.*
sorry but I couldn’t, I hate romance in third person. It feels like I’m intruding on something…..
✧.* pre-read ✧.*
I need a light happy fluffy read after the book I just read.
sorry but I couldn’t, I hate romance in third person. It feels like I’m intruding on something…..
✧.* pre-read ✧.*
I need a light happy fluffy read after the book I just read.
October 13, 2024
*3.75
This was the small town/country vibes! That cover was deceptive because this isn’t set in fall, but it honestly did feel like it. This is kind of like that movie Ghost with Patrick Swayze (which the author does mention in her authors note). The heroine poses as a medium who can talk to ghosts, and scam rich people for money. She’s hired to perform an exorcism on a man’s farm. When she arrives, she can actually see the ghost haunting this farm, and has to convince the MMC that she isn’t a fraud. This was a very fun and camp type of spooky read, and a good cozy fall read. The romance was cute, but it got repetitive, because the MMC refused to believe the FMC wasn’t a fraud. I was going to give this a solid 4 until the last 30% kind of dragged with the same stuff happening over and over, but this was overall really cute. Again, it was a little long, but a fun book nonetheless with a funny ghost companion.
* * *
Pre reading: I need something light after reading so many gothic books this month, and this seems perfect! The cover also has perfect fall vibes so hopefully it’s good for this time of year 😍
This was the small town/country vibes! That cover was deceptive because this isn’t set in fall, but it honestly did feel like it. This is kind of like that movie Ghost with Patrick Swayze (which the author does mention in her authors note). The heroine poses as a medium who can talk to ghosts, and scam rich people for money. She’s hired to perform an exorcism on a man’s farm. When she arrives, she can actually see the ghost haunting this farm, and has to convince the MMC that she isn’t a fraud. This was a very fun and camp type of spooky read, and a good cozy fall read. The romance was cute, but it got repetitive, because the MMC refused to believe the FMC wasn’t a fraud. I was going to give this a solid 4 until the last 30% kind of dragged with the same stuff happening over and over, but this was overall really cute. Again, it was a little long, but a fun book nonetheless with a funny ghost companion.
* * *
Pre reading: I need something light after reading so many gothic books this month, and this seems perfect! The cover also has perfect fall vibes so hopefully it’s good for this time of year 😍
April 28, 2024
3.5 rounded up
Hot men! Farms! Con artists! Ghosts! Romance!
Gretchen Acorn is a self-proclaimed fake medium and a complete fraud. It’s not entirely her fault, she is the daughter of a conman, after all.
Gretchen may have followed in her father’s footsteps, but she has a code of ethics. No hurting clients who are already grieving. Gretchen doesn’t see her work as conning them, she sees it as helping them to find peace. Gretchen may not be able to hear spirits, but she can fake it if it means helping a (paying) client.
When her wealthiest client offers a large sum if she can help with an exorcism on a farm in Gilded Creek, she feels like she has struck gold. Her client tells her that her friend hasn’t been able to sell his farm because, well…it’s haunted. All Gretchen needs to do is head to the farm, “exorcise” the ghost, and collect her fee.
When Gretchen arrives, she doesn’t find a 70-year-old man, she finds his hot grandson. Charlie Waybill clocks Gretchen from a mile away. He doesn’t respect anything about her. The tricky thing is, there actually is a ghost on the farm who has been trapped there for nearly 100 years—Everett Waybill. And what’s more, Gretchen can see him.
Everett has no intention of letting Charlie sell the farm—he says it will put the same curse on him that it did to Everett, and ultimately kill him. The curse has plagued their family for generations. Everett needs Gretchen’s help convincing Charlie not to sell the farm.
It was clear that Gretchen is going to have a tough time convincing Charlie of anything. But Gretchen actually feels compelled to help him be saved from this curse, if only she can figure out a way.
The love story is a mash up for forced proximity, enemies to lovers, and opposites attract. Charlie and Gretchen don’t get along, but they have chemistry. I’m a wimp with steam so this was a bit more than I prefer, but I don’t think it will be a problem for other readers.
The story was a fun premise but I did think that there was a certain something lacking to keep me fully engaged. There may have been a few too many things going on in the subplots to keep the main plot moving along.
A fun and cute read with a great ghostly character and a strong central couple!
Hot men! Farms! Con artists! Ghosts! Romance!
Gretchen Acorn is a self-proclaimed fake medium and a complete fraud. It’s not entirely her fault, she is the daughter of a conman, after all.
Gretchen may have followed in her father’s footsteps, but she has a code of ethics. No hurting clients who are already grieving. Gretchen doesn’t see her work as conning them, she sees it as helping them to find peace. Gretchen may not be able to hear spirits, but she can fake it if it means helping a (paying) client.
When her wealthiest client offers a large sum if she can help with an exorcism on a farm in Gilded Creek, she feels like she has struck gold. Her client tells her that her friend hasn’t been able to sell his farm because, well…it’s haunted. All Gretchen needs to do is head to the farm, “exorcise” the ghost, and collect her fee.
When Gretchen arrives, she doesn’t find a 70-year-old man, she finds his hot grandson. Charlie Waybill clocks Gretchen from a mile away. He doesn’t respect anything about her. The tricky thing is, there actually is a ghost on the farm who has been trapped there for nearly 100 years—Everett Waybill. And what’s more, Gretchen can see him.
Everett has no intention of letting Charlie sell the farm—he says it will put the same curse on him that it did to Everett, and ultimately kill him. The curse has plagued their family for generations. Everett needs Gretchen’s help convincing Charlie not to sell the farm.
It was clear that Gretchen is going to have a tough time convincing Charlie of anything. But Gretchen actually feels compelled to help him be saved from this curse, if only she can figure out a way.
The love story is a mash up for forced proximity, enemies to lovers, and opposites attract. Charlie and Gretchen don’t get along, but they have chemistry. I’m a wimp with steam so this was a bit more than I prefer, but I don’t think it will be a problem for other readers.
The story was a fun premise but I did think that there was a certain something lacking to keep me fully engaged. There may have been a few too many things going on in the subplots to keep the main plot moving along.
A fun and cute read with a great ghostly character and a strong central couple!
March 8, 2024
Playful one minute and heart-wrenching the next, this strikes the perfect balance for an entertaining yet powerful read. It reminded me a little bit of The Dead Romantics with the humor and heat cranked up several notches, though this love story is truly one of a kind. I loved the chemistry between the characters, the slow-building romance, the forced proximity and the flawed heroine. It’s rare that I read about a morally grey heroine, and I loved how she was able to grow and change throughout the course of the book. Our hero was also immensely appealing, the softest grump ever. Absolutely loved him. He’s a genuinely kind and loving man who sees right through our heroine, pushing her to acknowledge some uncomfortable truths about herself. His distrust of the whole situation creates some interesting friction, so I couldn’t wait to see how it all played out. I loved it!
The story follows Gretchen, a woman who was raised to be a con artist. Her father taught her to spin every situation to her advantage, so she’s been working as a medium for the last several years - convincing her clients that she can communicate with spirits, and making a great living doing it. So when Gretchen’s best client pays her to help out a friend with a ghost problem, she doesn’t see it as anything other than a new kind of con. But one step on Charlie’s property makes her realize that this situation is different. Charlie immediately knows that Gretchen is a fraud, and her usual tactics fail her. There’s also the unfortunate fact that the place is actually haunted… and Gretchen truly can communicate with this ghost. A family curse complicates matters even further, and suddenly Gretchen finds herself grappling with a situation that is entirely out of her control.
After loving Mrs. Nash’s Ashes, I was so excited to dig into Adler’s sophomore effort. Her debut was tender and funny in the best of ways, making me smile, laugh, swoon, and shed a few tears. I really didn’t know what to expect going into this one, but I can honestly say that it put me through my paces emotionally in much the same way. It’s such a fun and interesting premise, but there are heavier, impactful moments sprinkled throughout the book. Yes, I loved the absurdity of Gretchen arguing with a TV-addicted ghost while trying to win over her grumpy new roommate, but I also loved the journey of self-reflection and the many, many tender moments. Both Charlie and Gretchen have some healing to do, working on themselves in ways that only draw them closer. The love story shines front and center, but it’s the kind that develops in tiny steps that slowly build momentum. There was definitely some heat and spice, but the intimacy bled from the pages more than anything. It’s truly Gretchen’s story - we only get her perspective - but I was hooked on Charlie from the very beginning. I even liked the ghost. My love for this one grew with every chapter, and it ended up being such a dynamic, memorable read.
The story follows Gretchen, a woman who was raised to be a con artist. Her father taught her to spin every situation to her advantage, so she’s been working as a medium for the last several years - convincing her clients that she can communicate with spirits, and making a great living doing it. So when Gretchen’s best client pays her to help out a friend with a ghost problem, she doesn’t see it as anything other than a new kind of con. But one step on Charlie’s property makes her realize that this situation is different. Charlie immediately knows that Gretchen is a fraud, and her usual tactics fail her. There’s also the unfortunate fact that the place is actually haunted… and Gretchen truly can communicate with this ghost. A family curse complicates matters even further, and suddenly Gretchen finds herself grappling with a situation that is entirely out of her control.
After loving Mrs. Nash’s Ashes, I was so excited to dig into Adler’s sophomore effort. Her debut was tender and funny in the best of ways, making me smile, laugh, swoon, and shed a few tears. I really didn’t know what to expect going into this one, but I can honestly say that it put me through my paces emotionally in much the same way. It’s such a fun and interesting premise, but there are heavier, impactful moments sprinkled throughout the book. Yes, I loved the absurdity of Gretchen arguing with a TV-addicted ghost while trying to win over her grumpy new roommate, but I also loved the journey of self-reflection and the many, many tender moments. Both Charlie and Gretchen have some healing to do, working on themselves in ways that only draw them closer. The love story shines front and center, but it’s the kind that develops in tiny steps that slowly build momentum. There was definitely some heat and spice, but the intimacy bled from the pages more than anything. It’s truly Gretchen’s story - we only get her perspective - but I was hooked on Charlie from the very beginning. I even liked the ghost. My love for this one grew with every chapter, and it ended up being such a dynamic, memorable read.
January 29, 2024
as a newbie to sarah adler, happy medium was the perfect introduction to her writing. this soft at its core, yet wacky tale brought a con woman, a lonely farmer, and the resident ghost together and despite the potential for too many elements, the story soared.
thanks to a plot that was off to the races from the very first chapter, happy medium was incredibly readable. though our lead, gretchen acorn, had some questionable morals at times, her personal development was so satisfying. overcoming some hard lessons and insecurities gave way to the most beautiful love story and friendship with the men that came into her life, charlie and everett.
now, before I get to charlie, I just want to give everett, and the hoot he was, his gold star! left to haunt the farm for nearly a century due to a curse, everett was the very definition of a scene stealer. thanks to his wit and a childlike quality about it, there was never a dull moment when he was present. saved from his loneliness by gretchen's arrival, the pair forced such an endearing bond as they hoped to save charlie.
and finally, as a lover of the romance genre through and through, I get to discuss my favorite part of any book, the love story. our love interest, charlie waybill, is a humble guy, but his dedication to keeping to keeping the family farm in business has come at a cost. feeling isolated and skeptical, he has little patience for gretchen's story, that he'll die if he dares to leave the farm. luckily, true love ultimately prevails. trading truths for intimacy becomes a game of push and pull they play, resulting in a solid foundation to grow from.
happy medium was both wonderfully wholesome and a little unconventional, striking a lovely balance. there's little doubt that this is an author I'll keep my eyes on in the future.
thanks to berkley and sarah adler for this ARC in exchange for an honest review
thanks to a plot that was off to the races from the very first chapter, happy medium was incredibly readable. though our lead, gretchen acorn, had some questionable morals at times, her personal development was so satisfying. overcoming some hard lessons and insecurities gave way to the most beautiful love story and friendship with the men that came into her life, charlie and everett.
now, before I get to charlie, I just want to give everett, and the hoot he was, his gold star! left to haunt the farm for nearly a century due to a curse, everett was the very definition of a scene stealer. thanks to his wit and a childlike quality about it, there was never a dull moment when he was present. saved from his loneliness by gretchen's arrival, the pair forced such an endearing bond as they hoped to save charlie.
and finally, as a lover of the romance genre through and through, I get to discuss my favorite part of any book, the love story. our love interest, charlie waybill, is a humble guy, but his dedication to keeping to keeping the family farm in business has come at a cost. feeling isolated and skeptical, he has little patience for gretchen's story, that he'll die if he dares to leave the farm. luckily, true love ultimately prevails. trading truths for intimacy becomes a game of push and pull they play, resulting in a solid foundation to grow from.
happy medium was both wonderfully wholesome and a little unconventional, striking a lovely balance. there's little doubt that this is an author I'll keep my eyes on in the future.
thanks to berkley and sarah adler for this ARC in exchange for an honest review
November 9, 2024
This was cute, but it would've been cuter had she ended up with the ghost instead!! Having listened to the author's note, I understand why this didn't happen, but I maintain my opinion either way. I loved their silly banter, they would've been so fun together...sniff sniff.
The plot was great, I loved the concept of Gretchen being a fake psychic and then suddenly being a able to see a ghost who is just as confused as she is and then having to convince Charlie that Everett is not only real, but there's also a curse that concerns him when he doesn't wanna hear it.
The story felt a bit long in parts, but it also allowed for more character development, so it balanced out.
After reading this, I want to give the author's other books a try, I think they'll be entertaining.
The plot was great, I loved the concept of Gretchen being a fake psychic and then suddenly being a able to see a ghost who is just as confused as she is and then having to convince Charlie that Everett is not only real, but there's also a curse that concerns him when he doesn't wanna hear it.
The story felt a bit long in parts, but it also allowed for more character development, so it balanced out.
After reading this, I want to give the author's other books a try, I think they'll be entertaining.
May 14, 2024
Definitely stretched me with this genre and was a fun listen but nothing revolutionary. Might be a fun one for the summer. Also think it was 75 pages too long.
April 24, 2024
Happy Medium by Sarah Adler
Thank you PRH Audio & Berkley for the free audiobook.
Blurb:
A clever con woman must convince a skeptical, sexy farmer of his property’s real-life ghost if she’s to save them all from a fate worse than death.
✨ My thoughts:
I loved this book! Easy five stars from me! I listened to the audiobook in one sitting and I will definitely be buying a physical copy to keep forever. I live a paranormal rom com. Happy Medium was fun, cute, & charming in all of the right ways. My favorite character was hands down Everett, our friendly ghost. I was swooning over Charlie, relating to Gretchen, and laughing with Everett. 10/10 recommend this gem! Happy Medium is out 4/30/24!
Happy reading 📖
Thank you PRH Audio & Berkley for the free audiobook.
Blurb:
A clever con woman must convince a skeptical, sexy farmer of his property’s real-life ghost if she’s to save them all from a fate worse than death.
✨ My thoughts:
I loved this book! Easy five stars from me! I listened to the audiobook in one sitting and I will definitely be buying a physical copy to keep forever. I live a paranormal rom com. Happy Medium was fun, cute, & charming in all of the right ways. My favorite character was hands down Everett, our friendly ghost. I was swooning over Charlie, relating to Gretchen, and laughing with Everett. 10/10 recommend this gem! Happy Medium is out 4/30/24!
Happy reading 📖
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