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A review by readandwright
Happy Medium by Sarah Adler
5.0
Thank you Berkley for my copy! All thoughts are my own!
I’m just gonna say this: I LOVED this book. Sarah Adler is an author who just vibes with my reading taste. Her stories are unique with a quirk, but still grounded in reality. Both of her books had everything I look for in a romance: a believable connection, a great setting, and good conflict. I thought the premise of this book was so unique yet familiar, I need it to be a movie NOW! I want to watch this story play out over and over. There’s a quietness to her writing that makes me feel so good as a reader. I just loved it.
Synopsis:
“Fake spirit medium Gretchen Acorn is happy to help when her best (read: 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 Everett: 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 life: being fully, genuinely herself.” —NetGalley
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 Everett: 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 life: being fully, genuinely herself.” —NetGalley
What I Liked:
- The “Paranormal Light”: I loved Meg Cabot’s Mediator Series and it was so fun to read a contemporary romance with a paranormal element. It was unique and fun! I think this would be such a fun movie.
- The Setting: Small town farm life is the complete opposite of my life, and yet I can’t get enough of it in my books. The setting was so clear and I just loved.
- The Characters: I loved them all, including the animals on the farm! Charlie is dreamy and I became very attached to Everett.
- The Romance: A perfect enemies to lovers. The tension was great!
What Didn’t Work for Me:
- I want this to be like 4.9 stars because there was one aspect that I felt like we kept waiting for, and that was if Gretchen’s father would make an appearance. I felt like it needed to happen for her journey to be complete so I almost wonder if there had been a better way to achieve it. Just food for thought!
Character Authenticity: 4/5 Spice Rating: 1/5 Overall Rating: 5/5
Content Warnings:
dementia/alzheimer’s, death, grief, animals giving birth