A surprisingly adorable romcom centered around confidence artists, trickery, and accidentally discovering you actually can talk to the dead after all-- or at least, one particular ghost who also constantly makes tv references new and old.

When Gretchen Acorn, a fake spirit medium, is hired by her wealthiest client to take a trip to a local goat farm and get rid a ghost, she never expects to meet Everett (a real ghost). Everett tells her that Charlie, the farm’s owner, cannot sell his property or he will be cursed, but of course, Charlie does not believe Gretchen or any one her psychic abilities. How can she convince Charlie she is telling the truth?

Paranormal romances are usually a miss for me but after loving Mrs Nash’s Ashes, I had to make an exception for Adler’s sophomore novel, and I’m so glad I did. Everett had such an alluring presence in the story and his charm and wit added a splash of humor and depth to the story. And as for the love interest, Charlie was the perfect grumpy (and hot) farmer who had a real sweet side. All the farm life adventures from goat yoga, to selling soaps at the farmer’s market, and the hands-on manual labor, transported me right to the setting.

Read if you like:
-Paranormal romances
-Spirit mediums
-Grumpy/sunshine
-Witty humor
-Forced proximity
-Saving businesses
-Spicy slow burns
-Goat farm setting


Thank you Berkley for the ARC! Pub 4/30

"Looking vulnerable is great; actually feeling it is a liability."

Gretchen, a conwoman and fraudulent medium is paid $10k by a client to perform an exorcism at a friend's nearby goat farm, as the owner is trying to sell the property. However, Charlie, the owner, is not buying Gretchen's act and is trying to out her fraud. However, when Gretchen starts seeing and talking to a real ghost and learns of a curse on the property - and the hot owner - things get complicated.

This book was just good for my soul (but definitely feels like a fall read!); I adored our friendly ghost, Everett - he was obnoxious, and kind, and just really wanted to experience life in any way he could - like watching Fraser reruns.

As for the romance, it was a nice slow burn but there was some great tension. Charlie was honestly just trying to do his best to save his family's farm, pay for his grandfather's healthcare, and this chaotic girl with witchy vibes shows up and starts babbling. I will say, the actual sex scenes did seem a bit stilted - unsure if the writer was just not confident in writing them, or the way they translated to my brain was just awkward - because the tension and build-up were almost more satisfying than the actual climax.

However, I'm overlooking my small criticism, because I still adored the overall story, characters, and just how delightful our friendly ghost was.

HAPPY MEDIUM is out April 30, and available for preorder now!

CW // dementia; death; fraud; supernatural phenomenon

Cute and fun but still felt like a few things needed to be ironed out - the middle drags quite a bit before Charlie and Gretchen get together/Charlie finally believes her about the ghost and a couple important secondary threads don't really get tied up by the end. Overall though I had a good time reading it, it's got the exact touch of the supernatural that I really enjoy!

I was surprised at how much I enjoyed reading this book. At first, I was a bit skeptical about it since I didn’t know where it was leading when both of the characters distrusted each other from the start. As I kept reading through the chapters, I could just tell that these two characters just have something between them behind all of their sparky yet weird interactions. Trust me, you are going to notice their chemistry between them.
Gretchen and Charlie may not align together, but their chemistry is off the charts. Just from their first interaction, there were sparks between them, even though they distrusted each other so much. And yet, they can’t deny their feelings after all. Trust me, they really tried denying their feelings for each other. You can’t deny your heart, no matter how hard you try.
While Gretchen and Charlie try their best to deny their feelings, Gretchen tries to live her best life. It’s very hard when she grows up to be a con artist, and her father doesn’t help either. She truly wants to be cared for. And it’s something she didn’t realize she needed until she kept spending her time and effort with Charles. It makes her want things that she never admitted to herself.

There’s no better companion for a lonely (working) night than an enemies-to-lovers romance that delivers both heat AND depth. Reading Sarah Adler’s acknowledgments at the back made me chuckle—because it’s so true! You would’ve expected a hilarious, borderline insane book (I mean—Everett. Everett), which you DO get, but you also get really heartfelt insight on what it means to feel guarded and lonely.

I really resonated with Gretchen here, in the sense that I’m also still trying to find my footing when it comes to letting my walls down. She’s so incredibly self-aware in the most earnest way, and seeing her grow, given her history, was such a heartwarming experience. I guess a lot of why this struck a chord with me has to do with having that same fear of allowing someone to see you for who you truly are. So much of intimacy has to do with revealing your full self; of being undeniably honest with both yourself and others—and I love that Sarah Adler put as much focus on that as she did on the romance in the book. Gretchen, at her core, is so incredibly relatable, down to that perpetual need to solve/save/fix something/someone.

I honestly really loved the actual love story here, because Charlie is SUCH an endearing character. It was so easy to fall in love with him—and his capacity to love and care for the people around him. And—well, Everett. Who I’m presuming would be a modern day TV producer if he were alive (probably)—he certainly knows how to introduce comic relief, to say the least. All that to say—Sarah Adler knows how to write the most lovable cast of characters. Reading this was my own gotcha moment; that high that comes from reading a good romcom. 🩵

In Sarah Adler's latest book a a con artist sets out for another job... but ends up finding her own truth.

"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."

I really enjoyed this book. It took a very different tone from Adler's first book, "Mrs. Nash's Ashes," but I still found it endearing and entertaining.

Gretchen is open and honest to the reader in her job, motivation and the one rule she uses to keep her conscience in check. Meeting her when we do lets us into her mindset in a way that allows the reader to like her and understand her despite her unsavory career.

The more layers peeled from her also allows the reader in to see her growth as the story develops.

In the same way we meet Charlie at his hardest and get to watch him also gradually soften as we learn his motivations and hopes and dreams.

And then there's Everett!! He starts as the comic relief and transactional ghost of the story, but ends up so much more than that.

I enjoyed being in their world and found their story sweet and eye opening about the things we tell ourselves we deserve.

Gretchen makes a living as a spirit medium, conning rich ladies by communicating with their dead folks due to her difficult circumstances, and upbringing. When she gets an offer to help one of the client's friends for a huge amount, she decides to take the offer to cleanse the farm in discussion. Expecting an old farmer when she reaches the farm, she is shocked to meetCharlie who is handsome and definitely young. But the author decides to throw in a paranormal twist, and now Gretchen has to deal with a ghost in real life. This ghost is definitely hilarious and makes such an amazing friend for Gretchen.


Then she finds out about a curse associated with the farm and makes it her agenda to help Charlie from escaping the curse, as Charlie simply sees Gretchen as a horrible con artist and believes the curse to be part of the game. We have enemies to lovers trope right there. He keeps acting tough, but we can see through his rough demeanor and is such a softy in real life. The epilogue is pretty cute and gives a decent closure to their story. It also had a forced proximity trope as they share as they live together in the farm unwillingly and try to make it profitable as well. As to her profession as a con artist, I wasn’t sure if I would like Gretchen, but there was some info on what made her this way, but I would have preferred more backstory in that. I believe this would be enjoyable for readers of slow burn romance with some paranormal element. I know I did not say much about Charlie, but you have to give it to him, he was just amazing as a person, as a boyfriend, as a friend. And who can resist a hot farmer at a cute goat farm?

Mountains of thanks to @berkleyromance and @netgalley for the gifted advanced copy. Considering Mrs. Nash’s Ashes was one of my top books of 2023, to say I was THRILLED to read Adler’s new book is a massive understatement - and it didn’t disappoint!

Gretchen doesn’t believe in ghosts, which is funny since she makes her living conning wealthy ladies out of money as a spirit medium - but her mantra is always to leave her clients better than she found them. When one of Gretchen’s best clients offers an obscene amount of money to cleanse a spirit from her bridge partner’s farm so he can sell it, she agrees because she needs the money. Expecting a septuagenarian farmer when she arrives, Gretchen is shocked to find Charlie - young, handsome, and deeply skeptical of her bull$h!t.

As Charlie attempts to send her packing, Gretchen encounters Everett (an actual ghost!!), who informs her about the curse that has tied him to the house for decades, which Charlie will fall victim to if he sells the farm. She can’t leave Charlie to that fate, so she makes him a deal - give her a month to convince him that she’s telling the truth, and if she can’t, she’ll return the money. Thus begins Gretchen’s time on the goat farm, and as she tries to convince Charlie that she’s telling the truth, she begins to question the life of lies she has built for herself.

With Adler’s signature whacky charm, I fell in love with Gretchen, Charlie, Everett the ghost, Sleepy Jean the goat, all the knitting, and the whole little world. As much as this book is fun and funny, it is also a thoughtful story about loneliness, trust, honesty, friendship, and three people who each have something they need to learn to start the next chapter. It also is a heartfelt examination of how we fight to live up to (or down to) the expectations of our families.

A humorous contemporary romance with a paranormal twist.

Gretchen and Charlie's romance is slow-burn but ultimately steamy, and the setting of the goat farm, along with Everett for comic relief, made the story a truly enjoyable read.

Recommended for readers who like enemies-to-lovers, forced proximity, and character redemption arcs.

This book is everything to me!!! 5 stars!

It’s been a while since I have read a book that was all at once funny, heartfelt, and sexy. Plus, there’s a horny ghost that loves watching TV!

Something that made me love this book so much was seeing how the relationships changed over the course of the pages. Between Gretchen, Charlie, Everett (the ghost), Yolanda (Gretchen’s friend), and even the farm itself, a lot happens and the pacing feels perfect.

I will be thinking about this book for quite some time and I’m excited that I have recently learned how to knit because I might need to make a zany sweater in honor of Charlie – IYKYK.

Thank you Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

overall - i enjoyed Happy Medium! It’s not my favorite Sarah Adler book, but it was still fun, witty, and an easy read :)

gretchen acorn was a hoot of a character and i absolutely adored her so much!

thank you berkley, netgalley and sarah adler for the arc!

Thank you NetGalley for this digital ARC.

4 Stars

This was a truly enjoyable and cute romance with a paranormal twist. Having a bit more backstory on the female main character would have been nice, but for a quicker read what was included was fine.

I’m so happy that I got an ARC of this book, Sarah Adler has become a favorite author of mine over the last year! This book was so well written, as a Mrs. Nash’s Ashes fan, I loved the Millie and Hollis nod. Also, who knew my favorite character would be a 1920’s ghost with a passion for TV and gossip. What I would give to watch the Real Housewives with Everett! What a wonderful sophomore novel, you knocked it out of the park!

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

this was super fun! my first book by sarah adler and im pleasantly surprised by how much i enjoyed it. very unserious and silly, but there are a handful of heartfelt moments that make this book a delight. our main characters, gretchen and charlie, have great tension and banter. starts off as an enemies to lovers situation, but soon blossoms into much more. charlie has this facade as a grumpy and tough goat farmer, but deep down, he's a softy, especially when it comes to gretchen. everett, our resident ghost character, is a hoot and adds so much personality to the story.

overall just a really fun book. i'll definitely be picking up adler's future works!

thank you berkley for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

The premise was adorable and I loved the characters. The middle felt a little too fluffy, like some parts should have been cut. It took too long to find out Gretchen’s past. The ghost bestie was my favorite character

This was a moving story. The characters were well drawn. It took me a little while to get into the story. The plot devolved into major drama near the end with repeated chapters where the main character martyred herself which got old. However, the characters and their interactions were enough to get me through the melodrama. The epilogue was emotional and very deftly handled by the author. Library patrons should enjoy this title.

Quirky, fun, wildly funny. I’m a big fan of this author and yet again she hits it out the park. I’m a sucker for compelling mc’s who radiate off the page.

⭐️4.5⭐️

Happy Medium is about Gretchen Acorn who is a medium except the only thing she is reading is her customers internet history and ancestry.com. One day a faithful client comes into her shop and asks Gretchen to exercise a ghost from Gilded Creek Farm where she meets a very skeptical man named Charlie Waybill who immediately sees right through her and asks her to leave, as she turns to go, she runs into the ghost haunting the farm. Turns out she can communicate with at least one dead person. Everett (the farms resident specter) convinces Gretchen to stick around and help Charlie break his family’s curse.

The premise of this book is so unserious and silly but simply adds to the charm of this book for me. I loved the banter between Gretchen and Everett and the slow burn chemistry with Gretchen and Charlie. The writing was so playful, witty, and articulate with a mix of fun pop culture references.

The final conflict of this book was a little nonsensical but the conclusion was well done and I really did like the character development of Gretchen and Charlie.

I’m so grateful to NetGalley and Berkeley for this eARC.