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valerieullmerauthor's review against another edition
5.0
Molly Harper creates wonderful characters that I can't help but like from page one. The relationship between Nina and Deacon is perfect, starting off with a simmer of attraction that grows over the book. Cindy, Jake and Dotty were perfect secondary characters, and the friendship that develops between all of them are one to be envied. I enjoyed this book (I have loved every book I've read from Molly Harper) and would highly recommend this book!!!
romancebookdragon's review against another edition
3.0
This book kinda reminded be of the haunted mansion from Disney but it also gave me the creeps at the same time
claire_loves_books's review against another edition
2.0
I didn't really enjoy Better Homes and Hauntings, It just wasn't as fun as any of Molly Harper's other novels. The plot was kind of predictable and the main characters were a bit dull.
inmyhumbleopinion's review against another edition
5.0
Molly Harper has been on my auto-buy list since I first read Nice Girls Don't Have Fangs. She writes fast paced funny, snarky, sweet and sexy romance. I have yet to read anything by her that I haven’t thoroughly enjoyed and Better Homes and Hauntings is no exception. And though I am not a fan of ghost stories this book is more like an adult Scooby Doo story. I adore the geek love between Nina and Deacon and there is a fantastic set of secondary characters. For a fun filled romp that will have you laughing out loud read this book.
aubreysmith9412's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
This book really ticked all my boxes - paranormal romance, sass, bickering, bantering, a historical mystery, a modern mystery (ish), and ghosts. Sometimes, these all appeared at the same time. Just not all from the same character.
I really loved the multiple POV this book offered. I loved seeing the events transpire from so many different perspectives, and how the house affected everyone differently. But overall, I loved that at the heart of it all, they wanted to try to solve the mystery of who, really, killed Catherine Whitney. (For the sake of ensuring this review is spoiler-free, I'll say no more on the matter.)
I honestly can't say whether or not I loved one character over the other, but as a group I loved their dynamic. They were all afraid to admit to each other, and themselves, that there were some very haunted things happening around the house, but once they admitted it out loud, they worked together to find a solution.
There was no secret-keeping, or gaslighting, or trying to sweep it under the rug. There a mildly reluctant acceptance of the events that were occurring, and a team effort to find out why it was happening, and how to stop it. And they really all worked so well together.
The mysteries were by far the threads that weaved these characters together, but they were fairly secondary to the connections being built and the overall goal of renovating the historical mansion to a modern version of it's former glory. (Did I have to google what the Gilded Age was more than once to try understand? Yes. Yes I did.)
Overall, I really enjoyed this book, and it made me realize that I've read a couple of Molly Harper titles before, a while ago, that I also really enjoyed. Once is chance, twice is coincidence, but three times is a pattern. It's time I explore more of Molly Harper's universe, and her series in full.
tessiekat's review against another edition
4.0
Cute. The writing was funny where it needed to be funny and spooky were it needed to be spooky. One particular ghostly encounter gave me the chills. The storyline felt original and the characters were funny and brought to life very well. Not the best suspense romance novel I've ever read, but very, very, far from the worst. From the first two chapters you can see who will end up with whom and the problems they are going to face, but it was still a fun read. The "mystery" of the estate and the ghostly encounters are easy to figure out from the beginning, but it makes it fun waiting for the characters to realize it. It is a cute, interesting story but it is a bit cheesy and predictable. Personally, I love a great cheesy romance with an ending I know is coming, but I know that many people don't like that, so when it comes to recommending it, it really would depend on the person. I listened to the Audible Audiobook, read by Amanda Ronconi. The characters were a bit hard to decipher between at certain points, however overall she did a good job.
traecrochet's review against another edition
4.0
I actually really enjoyed this stand alone novel by Molly Harper. Where can I find a Deacon of my own?
bookgeek117's review against another edition
3.0
More like 3.5. Slow beginning but once I got into it I liked the book.
canadianbookaddict's review against another edition
2.0
This book is a Paranormal Romance with mystery . It really sounded interesting but I thought this book was just ok. Not something I would read again because it felt like the was something missing in this book and I thought about quitting this book but I forced myself to read it until the end.
I give this 2 out of 5
I give this 2 out of 5
lynseyisreading's review against another edition
4.0
Hopefully, like me, you're already familiar with Molly Harper's special brand of humour, supernatural awesomeness and romantical epicness having read her Naked Werewolf series and/or her Jane Jameson series - both of which are fabulous and not to be missed! Here in Better Homes and Hauntings Harper brings us a tale with all of those same ingredients, although this time I found her heroine to be quite different. Harper's prior leading ladies have all been very snarky, sassy and fun, but this time Nina was more reserved, quiet and even a little unsure of herself - but still fun! The reason for her being this way was explained fully in her back story, which I won't spoil for you other than to say you will be incredibly indignant on her behalf when you read it!
Despite this slight change from the normal formula, I really enjoyed Nina's character. I also found the love interest to be much changed from Harper's normal style. Gone is the fierce and protective werewolf alpha male, and gone is the suave and sophisticated yet domineering vampire master, and in their place is billionaire techno-nerd Deacon Whitney. Or perhaps techno-geek is a better word... Which word best describes someone with incredible intelligence but hugely lacking social skills? Whichever it is, that is what he was, and he was delicious!
The story centers around the renovation of an old and supposedly haunted estate on Whitney island. The legend of the ghosts of Whitney Island have been passed from generation to generation in the Whitney family, and because of the rumours of a curse and the family's subsequent lack of good fortune, it's been many decades since any member has had the funds to renovate the old house and restore it to its former glory. Deacon Whitney, with his social networking millions and youthful exuberance, is just the man for the job. And hired to be his landscaper is Nina Linden. Nina is trying to build a business and thinks the Whitney island project will be the one to set her on the map. No sooner does she set foot on the island, however, than ghostly sightings and mysterious happenings start occurring.
With an abundance of flashbacks, dream sequences and an enticing budding romance, readers will be turning pages faster you can say, "wooooooo!" with this one.
4 Stars ★★★★
A copy of this book was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Despite this slight change from the normal formula, I really enjoyed Nina's character. I also found the love interest to be much changed from Harper's normal style. Gone is the fierce and protective werewolf alpha male, and gone is the suave and sophisticated yet domineering vampire master, and in their place is billionaire techno-nerd Deacon Whitney. Or perhaps techno-geek is a better word... Which word best describes someone with incredible intelligence but hugely lacking social skills? Whichever it is, that is what he was, and he was delicious!
The story centers around the renovation of an old and supposedly haunted estate on Whitney island. The legend of the ghosts of Whitney Island have been passed from generation to generation in the Whitney family, and because of the rumours of a curse and the family's subsequent lack of good fortune, it's been many decades since any member has had the funds to renovate the old house and restore it to its former glory. Deacon Whitney, with his social networking millions and youthful exuberance, is just the man for the job. And hired to be his landscaper is Nina Linden. Nina is trying to build a business and thinks the Whitney island project will be the one to set her on the map. No sooner does she set foot on the island, however, than ghostly sightings and mysterious happenings start occurring.
With an abundance of flashbacks, dream sequences and an enticing budding romance, readers will be turning pages faster you can say, "wooooooo!" with this one.
4 Stars ★★★★
A copy of this book was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.