Happy Medium was a surprisingly poignant novel about a fake clairvoyant con-woman (Gretchen) and the struggling goat farmer (Charlie) she’s persuaded to save by the ghost (Everett) who’s been haunting the farm for decades—a ghost whom she's just as surprised to see as he is to be seen.

It was lovely to watch Gretchen's relationship with Everett grow from "begrudging interpreter forced to placate lonely ghost" into a genuine friendship as well as follow the antagonism between Charlie and Gretchen as it slowly boiled into lust. Adler did such a good job introducing what could otherwise be heavy topics—Charles's dementia, Gretchen's childhood—without bogging down the whole story. Both Charlie and Gretchen were able to reckon with their respective pasts while still moving toward the expected HEA, and her emotional connection with Everett was given just as much space as her emotional and physical one with Charlie.

The characters were so adorable in this little rom-com! I loved the tension between the two and the dialog. The growth for all the characters (lovers and third wheel ghostie) were really heartwarming and charming.

This was so cute and fun! I had such a good time with the characters (and the ghosty) that I was sad to see it end. I need to read more Sarah Adler!

Happy Medium was a lot of fun! How could I not enjoy the story of a fake medium who ends up with a ghost sidekick with a TV addiction? And when you add on top of that a city girl who ends up on a goat farm and has to turn an enemy into a lover? Adorable.

I will recommend this widely to anyone who enjoys romance with just a touch of the supernatural -- and/or fans of the TV series "Ghosts."

Thanks to the publisher and to NetGalley for the opportunity to read a digital ARC in advance of publication.

This book was a little difficult for me to get into, but once I did, I was eating it up. A fake medium ends up seeing a real ghost and now has to convince a goat farmer that she really isn't lying this time, sounds like a fun time! And it was! Emotional and fun and overall fun time!!

I was so hoping that Gretchen Acorn would at least do a tarot card reading or two - even if she did profess NOT to be psychic!

That title lured me in: I was expecting visionary insights. Instead, we get a real ghost with attitude, dire warnings, and ghostly expectations! (The late Everett Waybill's TV addictions cracked me up and saved the day for me time and again. His was my favourite character in this rambling jaunt in the country.)

Sarah Adler is a great, even witty, writer, but very often I felt that many of the scenes did not advance the plot. (I want to add the words "filler" and "word count" to the list of my observations as to why this story seemed to drag on for me.). Yes, the episode where Gretchen helps deliver a breach baby goat is heart-warming, as is her napping with the little cuties into the wee hours of the morning to keep them safe and warm. The steamy scenes between Gretchen and Charlie were well described and plentiful, as were the standard misunderstandings and miscommunications. The dialogue was sharp and witty and the cracks about the dog were hilarious: guard dog indeed! In his dreams! Too cute! But....

I'm going to rate this one a 3.5 rounded down to a 3 because NetGalley and GoodReads do not allow half points, and <u>The Happy Medium</U> did not hold my interest the way her first novel did. This book has all the elements of a great romance, but that ending was a bit of stretch for me: Everett becomes the scapegoat as well as the hero of the day. Still a great, often hilarious read and I still highly recommend it but it took me so much longer to read this one in comparison to her first novel.
My thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

This was an odd book. I got halfway through and just couldn’t finish. I felt like I was switching between first person and third person, between past tense and present tense. The idea is good, The scene with the Sleepy Jean was adorable. I loved Everett. None of that was enough to keep me reading. It was just awkward.

I don’t normally enjoy a book with paranormal activity, but I loved this one by Sarah Adler. Gretchen Acorn is a fake medium, just trying to do the best she can to succeed without hurting anyone. She receives a lucrative offer she can’t refuse from one of her favorite clients. All she has to do is banish a ghost from an old goat farmer’s property so he can sell it. Turns out the old goat farmer is really a young, handsome, if cranky, hunk who is onto her scam right away.

This is a gorgeous slow-burn romance that left me in happy tears. The characters were believable and delightful. Their journey to trust in each other was heartwarming. 4⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley, Shelf Awareness and Berkley Publishing Group, Berkley for this complimentary ARC. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

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.

This book would have been perfect to read during spooky season! It's a cozy story and I loved it so much. The whole premise of this book is based around the fact that Gretchen Acorn is a fraud. She pretends to be a medium to provide for herself but has a rule that she will leave people better off. One day she's hired by a returning client to exorcise a farm for the client's friend, but the catch is, the client is a skeptic. And to make things even more complicated, when she gets to the farm she actually sees a ghost. The ghost tells her that in order to save the farmer she has to convince him to stay on the property. So this whole book is basically Gretchen trying to prove to the farmer that she is not a fraud (anymore) in order to save his life.

I really loved the story and the characters. Everett, the ghost, was such a cutie and the friendship he forges with Gretchen is so sweet.

5/5 read

Sarah Adler has absolutely nailed it for her sophomoric novel. Happy Medium is right up there with Mrs. Nash’s Ashes.

Gretchen Acron is a con artist medium, who claims she can speak to people’s loved ones that have passed away. But she sets rules – give them enough joy until they can move on. Imagine her surprise when one of her favorite clients asks her to rid a friend of his ghost. What Gretchen doesn’t account for is the much younger (than anticipated), sexy owner of said farm and the resident ghost.

Now she has to get reluctant Charlie Waybill to believe that she can actually see a ghost and to NOT sell his farm. But Charlie has a deal; work his farm for a month and get him to believe that there is actually a ghost and that she should stay. If she can’t then she has to pay back his friend/her client.

Oh boy did this story tug at my heart strings. You have Gretchen who deep down wants to be good and to belong somewhere, who wants someone to see the real her and choose her. And Charlie, Charlie had become disillusioned, has lost the magic and joy of running his late grandparent’s farm… that is until Gretchen can make him see that it is fun. I absolutely adored the resident ghost Everett. I laughed, I cried, I got frustrated, I fell in love and swooned. This book has it all. Grab it immediately – you won’t be disappointed.

Thank you to Netgalley and Berkley for the chance to read and review this book.

Thank you to NetGalley, Sarah Adler and Berkley Publishing/Berkley Romance for a digital ARC of Happy Medium in exchange for an honest review.

This was my first Sarah Adler book as I missed reading Mrs. Nash's Ashes in 2023 (it's on my TBR, though), so I was going in with a fresh, clean slate for this author with zero preconceived opinions or predictions. But, with the suggestion that Sarah Adler is great for fans of Ali Hazelwood, Emily Henry, Carley Fortune, etc. (basically my FAVES), I knew I needed to give her a shot!

I was not let down! This was a delightful & original paranormal rom-com that I devoured in one sitting!

This story follows Gretchen, a fake psychic (spirit medium) and Charlie, the super hot owner of a goat farm that needs cleansing of a ghost so that he can sell it and move on with his life. Obviously, Charlie, doesn't believe in Gretchen's abilities to speak with the dead, because, well, she's a con artist. But no one is more surprised than Gretchen herself when she can, in fact, speak to the ghost haunting Gilded Creek. A ghost who wants her to convince Charlie NOT to sell the goat farm and wants Gretchen to do everything in her power to keep Charlie from suffering the same ghostly fate of all those who came before him. To convince Charlie, Gretchen is going to have to dig deep within herself to pull this off in only one month. She's going to have to work hard & be honest, neither of which she is good at. Being a romance, obviously Gretchen & Charlie are going to develop feelings along the way!


This story was such a breath of fresh air! 2024 just started and this is book no. 4 for me and so for my favorite! It was fast-paced, charming, clever, witty, funny, sweet and just utterly perfect. I loved Gretchen, Charlie & Everett so much & couldn't stop clicking through the pages. I am 100% a Sarah Adler fan now and will be reading her first novel ASAP and signing up for all future books!

This was a 4.5 Star read for me, rounded to 5 Stars. It would be my honor to promote this title and the author on my social medium as publication gets closer. I know it's going to be a huge hit!

Oh my goodness how I loved this book. When I saw the description I knew it was for me, but I didn't realize how much it would hit me reading it. Gretchen is a fake, a fraud, but she always has the best intentions. When she is hired to do an "exercism" at a goat farm, she isn't expecting to actually be able to see the ghost haunting it. Charlie, the farm owner, hates Gretchen on-sight. He hates everything she stands for and just wants her to tell him the truth about who she is because he can tell she has so many lies built up in her. He can't help but be drawn to her, but he doesn't have to like it. Bit by bit as the two of them open up, we see more about what drives them and the reasons they are the way they are.
Everett, the old ghost haunting the farm, is such a magnetic presence and he brought so much depth to this story. In one moment he was talking about nostalgic TV shows and the next he was deep diving into emotions. At the end, I did even shed a tear or two. I felt all he connections this book had to offer.
Thanks to Berkley, Sarah Alder and Netgalley for an early copy.

I really enjoyed this paranormal romance! The romance, the humor, and the cute farmer make it a great read for typical romance readers. I see this being popular in a public library setting! The cover is so cute and will draw readers in.

Overall Take:
This was such a cute book, I highly recommend buying a copy

Star Rating:
5 stars

Genre:
Romance, Contemporary Romance, Paranormal Romance

Synopsis:
Gretchen is a con woman who pretends to be a spirit medium. One day she is asked by a long time wealthy client to help a friend free their property of a ghost. They offer to pay a hefty sum. So Gretchen jumps on the opportunity.

Gretchen doesn’t expect Charlie, a grumpy farmer who wants nothing to do with her and her conning ways. Just as Gretchen was leaving Charlie’s property defeated, she is shocked to run into Everett, the ghost who is haunting Charlies property. Turns out she really can see and communicate with the dead.

Thoughts:
This was such a fun and sweet story. I loved Mrs. Nash’s Ashes and this was one of my most anticipated reads of the year for me. And oh boy, did this one live up to my expectations and then it exceeded them.

The paranormal element to this book was exceptional and is really what made this book a five star read for me. Everett was my favorite character despite Gretchen being a lot of fun. Everett was so fun and witty and I just fell in love. I wish that if I could talk to ghosts, they would be like Everett. Oh, and then Charlie? Hot grumpy farmer alert. Yes please. I enjoyed that despite Charlie’s grumpy exterior, he had a real sweet side as well as evidenced by his hobbies and his memories with his grandparents and how he still cared for his grandfather. The way that the characters all worked together was amazing and their chemistry was phenomenal. The angst and tension between Gretchen and Charlie was just so real and present. I loved that Charlie took a lot of convincing to believe Gretchen, but then when he did, he was all in.

The farm setting was a breath of fresh air, I haven’t read one like this in I don’t know how long. And I don’t think I’ve ever read a book with baby goats, and I have been missing out! I need more baby goats in my life and you do too. I loved how Gretchen took the farm and pivoted and came up with some fresh and clever ideas to keep it afloat, truly clever.

Overall, this was such a fun read and I can’t wait for you to read it.

Thank you so much to Berkley Publishing, @Berkley Pub, Berkley Romance @BerkleyRomance and Netgalley @netgalley for this e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

Publication Date:
April 30, 2024

This will be posted on my review during publication week.

I was lucky enough to win an e-ARC of HAPPY MEDIUM by Sarah Adler through a Shelf Awareness giveaway. Thank you for the early look, and have a safe and healthy holiday season!

A cute witchy book! I would recommend to a beginner reader. I feel like this was an easy going read.

This book has a lot of heart and a little bit of heat. It is only told from the perspective of our heroine, although having a resident ghost who has been around the family for 100 years does help her (and the reader) fill in some gaps. Even though she is a con artist, she lives by one Rule: to always leave people better than she found them. Gretchen clearly has emotional damage and doesn't think she is a very deserving person, so it is nice to see how she can come into her own once she gets away from the city and is around people who really see her and like her anyway.

I haven’t read a paranormal-ish romance before, but I really enjoyed this one. Not only did I enjoy the plot, but the pacing was very well done. I wish certain plot points would have been fully tied up, but other than that, super enjoyable read!

Happy Medium was an entertaining paranormal romance. I enjoyed the premise of the story and the goat farm setting. I thought the main characters were well developed and a good match for each other. I did get a little frustrated with Charlie's skepticism with Gretchen. I felt that his "epiphany" about the curse and Everett should have been sooner. Having read this author's previous work (Mrs. Nash’s Ashes), I came in with higher expectations. Although this book wasn't my new favorite by her, I still enjoyed this read! Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for the ARC.