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A review by katey_
Happy Medium by Sarah Adler
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I feel like I've written this in dozens of reviews by now, but I LOVE the tiniest bit of magic with my romances. Not quite fantasy (though I enjoy those, too) but a hint of magic. Maybe some time travel, maybe some seemingly crazy old lady who claims to be a fortune teller and actually is a fortune teller (yes, I just finished Melissa Wiesner's The Second Chance Year, so this is on my mind), but what I REALLY love is a ghost. It's partially why Ashley Poston's The Dead Romantics was my favorite book of 2022. So, all of this is to say that it seems like Sarah Adler wrote this book specifically for me.
Gretchen Acorn is a fake medium with morals. She pretends to talk to people's dead loved ones, but she has a rule -- she'll only do it if she thinks she's somehow helping the client or improving their life in some way -- like an older woman consumed with grief after her daughter's death, and hearing from her daughter makes moving through that grief a little bit easier. When that same older woman gives her $10,000 to remove a ghost from a farm that her friend is trying to sell, Gretchen shows up and is met with more than she bargained for: an *actual* ghost, yes, but also the extremely handsome and extremely cranky owner of Gilded Creek goat farm. What follows is a love story full of heart (and heartbreak), a lot of really cute goats, the most lovable and hilarious ghost character I've ever read, and an emotional journey for both main characters.
This book has the best of both worlds for me -- a believable romance and a slow burn that had me absolutely kicking my feet when the payoff finally arrived, and emotional depth that addressed the messiness of both characters. I liked that we got a morally gray FMC and that the reader gets to go on a journey with her and experience the push-and-pull of her attempts to be a good person despite being a con artist.
Five days into 2024 and I already know this is going to be one of my favorites of the year.
Gretchen Acorn is a fake medium with morals. She pretends to talk to people's dead loved ones, but she has a rule -- she'll only do it if she thinks she's somehow helping the client or improving their life in some way -- like an older woman consumed with grief after her daughter's death, and hearing from her daughter makes moving through that grief a little bit easier. When that same older woman gives her $10,000 to remove a ghost from a farm that her friend is trying to sell, Gretchen shows up and is met with more than she bargained for: an *actual* ghost, yes, but also the extremely handsome and extremely cranky owner of Gilded Creek goat farm. What follows is a love story full of heart (and heartbreak), a lot of really cute goats, the most lovable and hilarious ghost character I've ever read, and an emotional journey for both main characters.
This book has the best of both worlds for me -- a believable romance and a slow burn that had me absolutely kicking my feet when the payoff finally arrived, and emotional depth that addressed the messiness of both characters. I liked that we got a morally gray FMC and that the reader gets to go on a journey with her and experience the push-and-pull of her attempts to be a good person despite being a con artist.
Five days into 2024 and I already know this is going to be one of my favorites of the year.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death and Abandonment