How (Not) to Renovate a Haunted House

by Jenny L. Howe

In this spooky, small-town YA romance, an amateur ghost hunter and a supernatural skeptic team up for a haunted home renovation project. But is their relationship the real fixer upper?

Amity Callaway is sick of being known as the weird girl. As annoyed as she is that her recently divorced mom just moved them across the country to the tiny, quirky town of Harlow’s Rest, Massachusetts, it could be the fresh start she needs.

Until Amity discovers their absolute disaster of a new house is supposedly haunted.

Theo Hargrave, amateur ghost hunter and son of the local general contractor, is a true believer. When he shows up on their property with his EMF reader in hand, Amity is ready to debunk all his theories. She’s definitely not staring at the small scar through his eyebrow or his ridiculously soft lips.

But even Amity can admit their home renovation is doomed. Nothing is going right, from the paint that refuses to dry to the fixtures that keep coming loose. So Amity and Theo strike a deal—his family’s construction expertise for her help investigating the house’s supernatural secrets. Even scarier than ghosts, though? Amity’s growing feelings for Theo.

Genres: Romance, Young Adult, Paranormal, Fiction, Rom Com

384 pages, Paperback

Expected publication July 21, 2026

Reviews

[Chelsea · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book so much!!
First—can we talk about the cover??
• Leni??
• Orangey perfection??
• PLUS SIZED CUTIES???
Immediate yes. No notes.

This book was so adorable I couldn’t help but slap a big ol’ 5 stars on it with zero regret.

Amity (and yes, her name is Amity and I’m obsessed) is just a regular girlie living in California with her mom, getting ready to start college. Then life said “plot twist”: her parents split, the house is getting sold, and her mom lands a job all the way in Massachusetts. Because of her age and the fact that she’s getting a free ride to college, Amity has no choice but to go… not that she’d leave her mom anyway because she’s low-key adorable.

And the house they move into? An old, charming fixer-upper that is very much 100% haunted.

Enter Theo, ghost hunter extraordinaire (self-proclaimed, amateur) and contractor working with his dad, who gets hired to help fix up the house. These two team up to figure out what’s going on with the haunting so Amity and her mom can actually settle in and start fresh.

And listen… I loved Amity and Theo. They were so ridiculously cute together. The banter? The teamwork? The soft, lovey moments?? I was blushing. I was giggling. I was eating it UP.

Also, Amity wanting to be an archivist?? Okay nerd, I see you and I love you. And the puns in this book, top tier. Truly.

I had such a fun time with this one and I really hope more people pick it up because it’s just pure cozy, spooky, adorable goodness.

Thank you to NetGalley and publisher!!

[Steph · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent romantic light horror story. I genuinely laughed aloud a few times and was creeped out enough to stop reading a chapter or two at night. This story balances the nuances of first love with navigating living in a haunted house. Jenny Howe is quickly becoming an absolute standout in YA literature, and this book is another hit. Highly recommend.

[BookishKB · Rating 5 out of 5]

👻🏚️ How (Not) to Renovate a Haunted House 🏚️👻

I need more cozy paranormal romances in my life because this was so adorable and cute!

✨💖 Amity & Theo foreverrrrr 💖✨

Theo was genuinely so sweet and a total consent king, which we love to see. And I loved Amity too, even if she was truly terrible at communication at times.

The ending did feel a little rushed, but it still came together in a really satisfying way. It wrapped things up nicely for Amity, her friendships, and her family, which made it feel full circle.

💖 What to Expect
• YA paranormal
• Haunted house
• Ghost hunter MMC
• Skeptical FMC
• Small town
• Opposites attract
• Supernatural mystery
_ _ _ _

⭐️ Final Score: 5 Stars
📅 Pub Date: July 21, 2026

Thank you to Random House Children’s Books, Delacorte Romance, and NetGalley for the advanced copy. All thoughts are my own.

[Diana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Random House Children’s Books, Delacorte Romance, and Netgalley for providing a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I will preface this review with the fact that I am potentially in a biased position as I am, in loose terms, friends with the author, Jenny L Howe.

With that being said, ‘How (not) to Renovate a Haunted House’ is Jenny’s second Young Adult Contemporary Romance and I am pleased to say that yes, I loved it.

It is evident that with each publication, Jenny’s talent blossoms. Her innate ability to immediately capture her audience and invite us into her character’s worlds will always be my favorite aspect of reading her stories.

In this particular adventure, we follow Amity, who is suddenly uprooted from her life and is involuntarily moved across the country to a small town in New England, abundant with history and paranormal activity.
While facing many new challenges in her life, like preparing for her freshman year in college, processing the reality of her parents divorce, and now having to renovate a historical homestead her Mother purchased, Amity finds herself in the middle of a centuries long mystery tied to her allegedly haunted house. With the support of new friends (and old), Amity is given the opportunity to build a new life, explore her curiosity over skepticism, and embrace new and meaningful relationships.

I really did enjoy Amity’s journey in finding her stride and also particularly respected Theo’s (her male love interest) perspective on the paranormal. Like many of us who believe in ghosts, Theo, had an emotionally charged experience as a child which nurtured his interested in the paranormal. While this created a respectable conflict between our two main characters, it also led to healthy communication.

Now, while I loved this book, I do find it important to address that while reading, I identified some sensitive misinformation that needed revision. Thankfully, the author was receptive and open to these criticisms and was prompt in addressing it. I do not in any way believe that this was done intentionally and the author was very respectful during our conversation.

With that being said, ‘How (not) to Renovate a Haunted House by Jenny L Howe is scheduled to be published on July 20th, 2026 and I do highly encourage readers to check this one out! Especially for those of us who love a little historical spookiness.

[Jenni · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sweet & Spooky 👻🥰

This genre mash up of a haunted house story and a YA romance was really sweet, just a bit spooky (but not scary!), and an excellent book.

High school grad, Amity, has her summer and college plans thrown out the window by an unexpected move across the country. Her and her mom arrive at their new home to find out that it’s none other than the local haunted house. Shortly after the move, Amity runs into local ghost hunter, Theo. Theo is not only convinced her house is haunted by the spirit of a colonial era ghost named Mercy Harlowe, but he also happens to be a part of a family construction business and will help Amity renovate her house for a discount IF she lets him investigate the hauntings. From there, shenanigans and *feelings* develop…

Some thoughts:

- Amity was, understandably, upset about the move and her life being upended but she adjusted quickly and was able to understand her mom’s decision with minimal angst. I get it. I was a teenage girl once upon a time, we can be angsty 😂. But I tend to get annoyed when the angst reaches unreasonable levels and lasts the whole book/movie/tv show. Unreasonable annoying teenage daughter is almost a standard requirement in a lot of media and it drives me up the wall. Amity was not that. She felt her feelings, and then she adapted without taking it out on her mom.

- The spooky events started off slow and ramped up over the course of the book, culminating in an exciting and fast pace end of the book. Things were wrapped up really well and the story had a satisfying ending.

- Amity’s and Theo’s relationships with their fathers were both highlighted in the book and I really enjoyed reading those. They have very different fathers and very different relationships with them but it felt very real the way that they interacted and ultimately resolved, or didn’t resolve, those relationships. Overall, Amity dealt with a lot of really big things for a teenager and it always felt realistic and well-handled to me.

- Dale was the MVP!

Overall this was a really good read and if you like sweet, YA romance and a little bit of spookiness, I highly recommend it!

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

How (Not) to Renovate a Haunted House, a novel by Jenny L. Howe, available July 21, 2026!

Are you ready for a spooky haunted house, the trials and tribulations of first love, and enough Casper references to make your heart swoon? Well, look no further! Amity has to move across the country with her mom, leaving her best friend behind, only to find out the house she'll be living in is none other than Harlow’s Rest’s infamous haunted house. Enter Theo Hargrave (not a ghost): YouTube sensation Mr. FixIt’s son, aspiring social media manager, and amateur ghost hunter who makes it his mission to help Amity fix her house, but also prove that ghosts are real. Amity is an aspiring archivist who understands science and facts, and at every cool spot, wisp of wind, or odd occurrence, finds a reason for the house’s hijinks. These two would inevitably fall in love! Also, there’s a squirrel named Dale. Need I say more?

The story is so heartwarming and perfect for early romance readers or anyone looking for a fun, teenage-angsty, how-do-I-navigate-having-a-boyfriend-for-the-first-time story. Amity’s struggle with being labeled the “weird” girl, and Theo’s unwavering support and love for her, are done so perfectly! And the plus-size rep is superb as only Jenny L. Howe can! Also, I’m not a horror reader, but some parts were SPOOKY! Maybe it’s because I live in New England and know we all have Pilgrim ghosts in our cellars (read: cellahs).

Plus, this book is GORGEOUS and looks so perfect next to Love At Full Tilt (did I mention there are cameos from our favorite Fableland friends in this book?!).

Thank you so much to Delacorte, and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read an advanced (e-)reader copy and a chance to rate and review this book!

5 ⭐️ 0 🌶 (lots of pining!)

[Wendy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jenny L Howe is a delightful and hilarious read each and every time! This is a sweet YA read filled with humor and...

👻a haunted house
🥞 great local town food spots (creatively named as always)
💲fun thrifting trips
🛠️ home repair disasters
🐶 golden retriever MMC
📚 bookworm and archivist hopeful FMC

This book hooked me from the start with main character Amity's move across the country into a supposedly haunted house in Massachusetts. Her raw emotions and insecurities about the big life changes caused by graduating high school, her parents getting divorced, and grappling with trauma from mean girls in school made her such a relatable teen. Finding Ghost Boy Theo through online videos was a great way to introduce him and then have a ghost hunting related meet-cute! Amity's ability to be unabashedly herself with Theo despite her social anxiety was great to see, and I love how all of the side characters allowed her to start fresh and show her interests and be accepted unequivocally.

The ghost busting premise of this book was unique and a great way to center the storyline. Amity and Theo were forced to reveal parts of themselves and be honest with each other, deepening their relationship and testing out what it means to lean on and support someone else.

The mystery payoff was worth it and well done. I was only sad the story was over!

Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC review copy in exchange for my honest review!

[Courtney · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am a sucker for a ghost story and especially when it's done well and not too cheesy. This was such a good mix of a little bit scary, local lore and just enough skepticism within other characters.

I loved Harlow's Rest and fully want to move there myself and ghost hunt. I feel like if the author doesn't already plan to make this a fun, haunted series then that's such a missed opportunity! Take us to all the haunted buildings in town.

This got a bit slow at times and I feel like it might have benefited from dual perspectives between Amity and Theo. We could have learned a bit more about how he was feeling along the way too and it would have made their ending feel even more satisfying.

I think my only gripe is that I just had a hard time believing this was a girl about to start college. A lot of it felt a bit immature. I think the author could have easily just said that she was a sophomore or junior in highschool and still knew her plans after graduation, etc and was dealing with her plans being uprooted.

I would 100% look for more by this author in the future. This was well-written and very wholesome.

[Amy A. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this YA romance!
As a former plus-size teen, I instantly connected with Amity, our skeptic FMC with a lot of past hurt but still so much heart. Theo (our sweet, amateur ghost-hunting love interest) is just adorable the entire time. And the friend group she builds as the story unfolds is so supportive and wholesome it honestly made my heart happy.

There’s bullying, big life changes, and starting over, but what I loved most is how Amity slowly lets people back in. And yes, the cute boy being all in on her from the get go - I loved to see it. This book is cozy, uplifting, and all about love, friendship, and realizing change isn’t always the end of the world. I am one hundred percent here for it!

I received this ARC in exchange for an honest review. Huge thanks to NetGalley and the publisher!

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It was the perfect vibe that I was looking for. I loved how this book has some classic horror vibes with a sweet romance. Amity Callaway is such a relatable character. She is a plus-sized character with social anxiety, quirky, and smart. I adored her. This book discusses what it's like being around people who are not your people. No one should ever feel like there is something wrong with them when hanging out with friends. While Amity had a great best friend, it warmed my heart that she made more friends who just got her. They brought her out of her safety shell. Her close relationship with her mom was everything. That part may not be relatable to many people, but it was for me. I would highly recommend this book!

Thank you to NetGalley, Jenny L. Howe, and Delacorte Romance for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

[Diana (diana_reads_and_reads) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed Jenny L. Howe’s first YA so much that I requested this on NetGalley as soon as I saw it. It was great to read in April but it would be even more fun in spooky season. I thought the simple ties to the other book were cute, but you wouldn’t need to read them in order, which I also appreciate. I liked that the FMC came from a very different relationship experience than the one in Love at Full Tilt—I imagine this series growing to the point where teens of all types can find a character they identify with, and that makes my heart happy. The paranormal part of the plot was the weakest part of the book for me, but I didn’t really mind, TBH. I’ve already recommended Love at Full Tilt to the youth librarians I know, and I will recommend this one as well!

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well, I've never been called old by a book before but "I raise my voice to be heard over the final notes of a song by Creed, some old rock band Mom loves" and "Mom made the mistake of showing Taylor and me Casper, this movie from her middle-school years" had me looking for my AARP card.

This book was insanely adorable. A lovely YA with a little spookiness. (she says having finished it in a very well lit room...) Amity is so cute and I love her inner dialogue but I think this could have been helped by a dual POV. (She thinks a lot... Which isn't necessarily bad but again, I'm old...)

The Dunkin' shade made me laugh out loud and the restaurant names are hilarious.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for my EARC.

[Kate Chambers · Rating 5 out of 5]

I do not like scary things. Not at all. Will actively avoid anything scary. Casper is one of the scarier movies I’ve seen.

So when Jenny announced her newest book would involve ghosts and a haunted house? I was…wary.

But yall? This book is the perfect the mix of sweet and funny and spooky. I could not put it down!

And, like all of Jenny’s books, I felt so very seen by Amity’s struggles. I’ve always been the weird one, the one who was too much for some people.

Also, I need a crocheted Jane Austen from Amity. IFYKYK :)

[Maria Tureaud · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a fun, cozy read that had me laughing out loud, rooting for romance, and clutching the nightlight. Amity is such a strong, wonderful lead, and her growth truly embodies the ideal that to be different is to be an individual, one who might not have been in the right place to find her people ... until now. With a powerful message that speaks to the lies we tell ourselves, the lies we sometimes start to believe and allow to consume us, How (Not) to Renovate a Haunted House is easily my fave read of the year so far.

[Marianne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Children's Books for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I absolutely love Jenny L. Howe books. I love the plus sized FMC representation. She is an auto-buy and auto-read for me. This is no different from her previous books. Kick my feet with joy at the cutesy moments and laughing at the puns and moments in the story. The ghost meet cute, funny and adorbs. I was giggly at the banter and the interactions between these two (Amity and Theo). This is YA and sweet, cozy, spooky. The pacing was great. Story wrapped up nicely with an HEA.

[Katy Allen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was as sweet as the candy that made Mercy’s brother’s teeth rot out of his head! I really enjoyed the romance between Amity and Theo, as well as the dynamic of all her friendships and the relationship with her mom. I definitely related a lot to Amity and really liked her as a character. I did enjoy the spooky bits too and they made the story feel like it moved at a good pace. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone like me who enjoys when your horror has a bit of romance and vice versa.

[Darci Kester · Rating 5 out of 5]

Small town YA romcom with a spooky vibe. Moving across the country just out of high school is hard enough. But buying a house that everyone in town knows is haunted makes things even more interesting. Great romantic leads and friendships as well. A nice, found family feel to the story.

Thanks to Random House Children’s and Delacorte Romance for this ARC in exchange for my honest review. Watch for How Not to Renovate a Haunted House to come out July 21, 2026.

[Mari Wilmot · Rating 3 out of 5]

"I’m already the weird girl on a normal day. Now I’m going to be the weird girl who lives with ghosts."

An adorable YA romance with a paranormal aspect. The FMC and MMC are the cutest couple to exist in history. I love them and their nerdiness and banter. The paranormal aspect was actually really good. Normally I would think those are two very different books but it works! 

[Chloe]

Jenny Howe knows how to write YA romance so spectacularly well. They are always a complete joy to read and this one is no different. Even with the slight speculative edge to this one, it has that uniquely human feel to it that I associate with her books, and it only makes me love them all the more.

[Erin Craig · Rating 5 out of 5]

Small town charm, a heavy dash of the uncanny, and a sweet slow-burn romance that had me swooning--HOW (NOT) TO RENOVATE A HAUNTED HOUSE had it all! I was left utterly charmed and more than a little covered in goosebumps! Jenny L. Howe's wit cannot be denied!

[Shelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

How (Not) to Renovate a Haunted House is full of laughs, heart, and charm. Amity is a hilarious skeptic, while Theo is a true believer, and their swoony romance amidst a ghost mystery makes for the perfect page-turner. This book is an absolute delight!

[Steffanie Yopp · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was so cute! It was very YA coded, but such a good time! I had a little of everything within the book and really kept me entertained. The spookiness in the book was spooky than I thought it would be in the best way!

[Jenny Howe · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had to rewrite this book three times to get it right and I ADORE how it came out so I am absolutely giving my own book five stars.

[Kamilah Cole · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jenny wrote this book for me personally.

[Cassie cover2covertx · Rating 5 out of 5]

RTC!! :) That was amazing and adorable 💜

[Bluehairbookwitch · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sweet and swoony with a touch of the shivers! Howe has concocted the perfect recipe for a young adult romance you'll want to gobble up in one sitting.

[Christi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perfect for Summerween or Spooky Summer!
Swoony college town romance with a paranormal angle (he's a believer, she's a skeptic), a little historical and some This Old House vibes.

Amity is preparing for her freshman year of college and dealing with her parents' divorce. Her summer plans are built around a taco tasting road trip with her besties. Until her mom takes a job at a small New England college and they move cross-country into a historic home that may or may not be haunted.

While researching the town of Harlow's Rest, she comes across Theo's YouTube investigating the paranormal activity and legends connected with her new house. Amity immediately sets out to disprove Theo's theories - despite having some strange experiences in the attic and the cellar that she chalks up to life in a 200 year old house. When she finds out his family's construction company can help renovate the house, a reluctant alliance is formed.

Amity and Theo are just terrific together. I adored their banter and their chemistry. I loved how Amity also found a new group of friends in her new town. Plus there is a squirrel named Dale!

I highlighted way too many lines and conversations that made me laugh out loud. There is sprinkling of Easter eggs from the Sunspark/Fableland universe first established in Howe's first YA romance, Love at Full Tilt as well. (Which you should TOTALLY read if you haven't already.)

Thank you Random House Children's Books | Delacorte Romance and NetGalley for the advance digital copy.

Pub Date: July 21, 2026
#HowNottoRenovateaHauntedHouse #NetGalley