Having not read Mrs. Nash's Ashes, I didn't quite know what to expect from Sarah Adler, but I loved every minute of Happy Medium!

I just reviewed Happy Medium by Sarah Adler. #HappyMedium #NetGalley

This book was so cute, I ate it up in a day! It took me a bit to get into the story. The first few chapters were kinda boring. But once we got to the farm and Charlie was introduced obsessed. Let's not forget the true star of the show.... Everett. He was the perfect comedic sidekick and had me laughing.

I loved that Gretchen had a genuine side of her, that there were more than her "scamming" people. Even though I do belive her work had actually helped more people than hurt. Charlie is one of those characters you want to hold and god damn I loved him.

Overall, I enjoyed this book, and can see fans of Abby Jimenez, Katherne Center, and my queen Emily Henry also loving it

Fake spirit medium Gretchen Acorn is hired to help one of her clients friends with a ghost. She takes the money, but the friend, Charlie, is a skeptic, who accuses her of being a con artist. When she goes to leave though, the ghost appears and tells her of a curse. Now she must convince Charlie that she is telling the truth.

This is a cute little rom-com, but the main character's viewpoint got repetitive and frustrating at times. Luckily, ghost Everett is there to keep the story going!

A con artist who makes her living as a fake medium finds herself in over her head when she begins seeing an actual ghost and now has to help him break the curse on his family... except said family member is a hot grumpy farmer who sees right through her and wants her off his farm. Gretchen Acorn is a fake spirit medium and has become one of the best at her job. She has only one rule though: to leave her clients better off than when she met them, thats so she can be different from her father, a horrible con man, Gretchen might take money from people but she's adamant that they're happier when she's done. Gretchen isn't a bad person, but she's not exactly a good one. When Gretchen's client pays her to help a friend she can't help but say yes, what was suppose to be an easy pay day is ruined when she finds out that Charlie Waybill, the friend she was suppose to help isn't an old man on a farm but rather a very hot farmer who is unconvinced Gretchen can communicate with the dead. Yet Gretchen is in for the surprise of her life when she actually begins seeing a ghost, this time the con isn't fake and she is really communicating with a ghost. The ghost is related to Charlie's family and tells Gretchen that she has to help him break the curse on their family and to save Charlie. How can she save Charlie when he wants nothing more for her to get away as far as possible. Now Gretchen has to find a way to convince Charlie that the curse is very real and that she can actually communicate with him. Gretchen won't leave so Charlie offers her a deal: she'll work on the farm for a few months in exchange for room and board, that'll give her enough time to try and save Charlie. Yet the more time they spend together the more the feelings between them begin to grow. Gretchen is about to face her biggest challenge yet: being her true self and possibly opening her heart up. Can she break the curse before it's too late? This was such a cute and cozy autumnal/spooky romance vibe book. I love a fun con artist story with a touch of ghost. Charlie and Gretchen were really cute, despite how much they thought they were different, they had so much in common and cared so much about each other. This was a really cute feel good read and I had fun with it!

*Thanks Netgalley and Berkley Publishing Group, Berkley for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

Happy Medium is full of madcap whimsy plus goats in sweaters which thoroughly charmed me.

While there’s plenty of fun banter and goofiness, the author balances that with some deep dives in the MC’s feelings and motivations. I loved watching Gretchen, who’s never allowed herself to get too attached to a place or the people in her life, slowly realize that roots might not be so bad. Her heart to heart talks with Everett are particularly sweet.

The attraction between Gretchen and Charlie is instantaneous but they both fight so hard against it. And then - whew - the steam! Who knew that a hand-knit sweater with too long sleeves could be so sexy?

I loved the rich descriptions of the farm and farmers market. It sounds so appealing that I wish I could visit Gilded Creek Farm to watch the goats cavort and to try the cheese and soap.

Happy Medium gives you a contemporary, charming small town, cozy, romcom with opposites attract, slow burn spice, a ghost, and lots of goats.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

4 stars

Very enjoyable romance. Gretchen Acorn is a fake medium giving readings to wealthy DC women. Gretchen does have moral standards to leave people better off after her readings. One of her clients wants her to help a friend, Charlie, get rid of a ghost on his property so it can be sold. Surprise but Gretchen can actually see the ghost—Everett. I loved Everett the ghost!

This was another solid novel by Sarah Adler. I didn't feel quite as attached to the characters as I did in Mrs. Nash's Ashes, but it was still a really good novel. I loved Everett and would love to read a book with him as the primary character. Happy Medium had some romance, some drama, and some fun dialogue. We will definitely be buying for the collection.

Reviewers always rush to compare an author’s second book against their first.

True, Adler returns to many of the themes of Mrs. Nash’s Ashes. Aging. Loneliness. Elder care. Inherited responsibility.

But, ultimately, we should be comparing this book to other books—not just the one written by this particular author.

Did it pack the same emotional punch as Mrs. Nash’s Ashes? No, but it was enjoyable in its own way.

I was usually eager to get back to it and I read it in two days which is more than I can say for most of what I pick up.

Thank you to Netgalley and Berkley Publishing Group for the ARC.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5/5 stars

I knew within two pages that this was MY kind of book. Happy Medium is about fake spirit medium Gretchen Acorn who agrees to her client’s request to investigate the haunting that is preventing the sale of her bridge partner’s goat farm. The owner of said goat farm is the hot, brooding Charlie Waybill. He sees through Gretchen’s spirit medium act immediately and kicks her off his property. However, Gretchen can actually see the ghost that is haunting Charlie’s farm and he tells her about the curse on Charlie’s family that says if they sell, they die. Now Gretchen has to convince Charlie not to sell. She also has to deal with the feelings she is developing for Charlie.

This was such a wacky plot that I immediately adored it. Gretchen and Charlie were hilarious and adorable together and I needed them to fall in love. I also loved Gretchen’s friendship with the ghost. This is a quintessential Fall read that can be enjoyed all year long. Gah loved it so much.

ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book was wild and the most fun ride ever.

It’s a paranormal farm romance with a crazy fake medium. I laughed so damn much reading this. It was hilarious and adorable!

I will now read pretty much anything Sarah Adler writes. This was well paced, and Charlie & Gretchen are believable characters you want to root for. I laughed, I cried a little, I wanted to do goat yoga.

I didn't like this as much as Sarah Hogle's first book Mrs. Nash's Ashes, but it was still a fun read. I look forward to more books by this author. I will read them.

Equally hilarious and heartfelt! I sped through this big-hearted hug of a book and was sad to see it end!! How could a book about a con artist fake medium who ends up being able to see a real ghost for the first time ever and gets tasked with saving both a man and his family goat farm be anything but a total riot?

Throw in a horny, over the top ghost, a grumpy farmer and off the charts chemistry (not to mention adorable baby goats) and this book will have you smiling from start to finish as two lonely people find love where neither is expecting.

Absolutely no sophomore slump for the best-selling author of Mrs Adler's Ashes and I couldn't be happier for her. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review. This book is perfect for fans of Ashley Poston and Sarah Hogle!

Steam level: some open door scenes, mild details

Having read Mrs. Nashes Ashes and just absolutely LOVING it, I was so excited to see a new title from Sarah Adler! This book shares the same wonderful character development as Mrs. Nashes Ashes, with quirky main characters and a side of snark.

What I loved: I loved Everett and Gretchen, their budding friendship and the growth Gretchen has through talking to him. Everett's character was snarky and fun, I liked his quirks like how much he loves TV and all his goofy sayings.

I liked Charlie, although I wanted to know more about him. I never quite understood what he wanted to do. (Maybe he doesn't know either.) I would have liked a little more depth to his character.

Gretchen : I love that Charlie calls her by her last name, Acorn. It was one of my favorite things about their interactions. 🫠

I kind of felt like there could have been more Gretchen and Charlie development and less Everett and Gretchen, but then I ended up enjoying the bits about them too.

While I wasn't quite as head over heels for this as I was MNA, I still thought it was a solid, fun read and I can't wait to see what Sarah Adler comes up with next! (How about some yoga teacher and Gretchen's roommate fun! 🤪)

Thanks to netgalley for an ARC to review.

a cute one. i really enjoyed gretchen & charlie’s chemistry, and the story overall. i don’t usually read books with supernatural elements, but everett was a joy, and i feel like adler handled him very well.

#netgalley

I loved everything about this fun, quirky, original story! It was both hilarious and heartwarming with great banter and so many funny lines, but also characters who felt real and relatable (even the ghost!). This was my first book by Sarah Adler and I can't wait to read more.

Well, I sure called that one. If you liked Welcome to Temptation by Jennifer Crusie, you will maybe like this one, if you aren't too annoyed by all the similar elements. Like, so many similar elements. The author credits Crusie at the end of the book for "influence," but where is the line between homage and copy?

AND YET, when the book isn't taking pieces of that (and other Crusie works) to cobble together, it's truly a delight. Baby goats! Con artists! A hero who actually has every right to be suspicious of her! A ridiculous ghost...this book has a lot going for it, but cutting half the homages would've been better.

This book is absolutely lovely, rom-com gold. Reading it feels like slipping under the warmest of covers when it’s chilly outside…it is the *perfect* story for this time of year.

I was thoroughly enchanted by all the endearing characters (if I ever must be haunted, I hope it’s by a TV-obsessed ghost just like Everett) and the clever plot (the baby goats in knitted sweaters SENT ME) and really every last bit (a grumpy, skeptical farmer and a conwoman with a conscience brought together in an unlikely romance? say less) of Sarah Adler’s latest literary triumph. If you’re looking for a cozy comfort read with a touch of the paranormal, HAPPY MEDIUM is the answer.

Thanks to NetGalley and Berkeley Publishing Group for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions my own.

After absolutely loving Mrs. Nash's Ashes (MNA), I couldn’t wait to read Adler's next release, and needless to say, my expectations were sky high.

While I love the quirky set up of this sophomore release, and definitely found myself loving our ghost Everett, this was fun to read but wasn't the homerun I expected. I think ultimately what held this back is that I couldn’t get behind the romance between Gretchen and Charlie, let alone either character on their own solidly.

<b>"looking vulnerable is great; actually feeling it is a liability."</b>

The con woman set up with Gretchen was great, perhaps too good because I did find myself actively disliking her despite her "Rule" that's supposed to sooth her conscious form the harm her scamming might do. However, I do think Adler does a great job of bringing us around on Gretchen, and while I'm still not totally sold on the daddy drama that's supposed to serve as context and background to how Gretchen became the way she is, I do think it was smart to include. It softens and humanizes Gretchen a bit, giving her a bit more nuance and emotional depth.

<b>"Except what if maybe she doesn't want to run away so much as be chased? And maybe…maybe caught? Now, that's a frightening thought." </b>

There are some nice moments where the emotional vulnerability within Gretchen's internal monologue and thoughts helped make me feel invested in her growth, I just wish it was a bit more consistent and also part of her dialogue with Charlie more instead of just living in her head. Ultimately, the daddy drama felt like an unnecessary tiny violin playing distraction and didn't contribute much to the plot.

I feel the same about Charlie's background and family trauma / feelings that were supposed to provide the emotional grit and depth readers saw in MNA. Charlie felt too stilted for me and I was expecting much more intimacy and relationship building between he and Gretchen. There are some very cute heartwarming moments between them like at Meadewood, but they felt too few and fleeting overall. Instead, I think Charlie's suspicions of Gretchen hung around for a bit too long, making it hard to believe he really came around on her.

When we finally start to learn more about Charlie's past and how he currently came to be at the farm, I felt like I turned a corner on him. I was totally into it, I wanted more scenes at Meadewood, especially in the end. However sadly, it felt like Adler just used it to add some color but then didn't circle back to tie up any loose ends. T
By the epilogue, I still don't know what the Meadewood situation is which feels really inauthentic to Charlie's motivations. We also learn earlier that Charlie wants to do other things besides farming, however by the epilogue, these previous desires are not even mentioned as a passing reference, so again…it just feels like a lot of things were introduced but not finished. In addition, the resolution to Everett's situation was far far too short, with very little fanfare that just didn't make sense given how prominent Everett is throughout. We don't really even get Charlie's feelings on this which felt like a missed opportunity.

And while I loved our chatty ghost, I do think the romance suffered in development because a lot of time is spent between Gretchen and Everett. While their banter and friendship was my favorite part, I feel that that came before the romance which was supposed to be the main relationship element I feel.

I love seeing the author explore a different type of romance set up and loved the moments of levity and humor, however I don’t think this struck the right balance between emotions, romance, and character growth.

Thank you so much Berkley for my galley! I am excited to see what Adler does next.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher, Berkley Publishing Group, for an ARC of this novel.

I really wanted to love Happy Medium, but the overall novel was mediocre at best. Let’s start with the good- the premise of a fake spirit medium trying to help a farmer with his ghost problem resulting in the medium being able to see the ghost was quirky and fun. I loved that it was set in Maryland (since I’m a Maryland girl myself,) though it didn’t detail anything unique to my state resulting in a bland, anywhere farm setting. Despite my overall dissatisfaction with the novel, there were bright spots in the narrative such as when the main character, Gretchen, helps birth a baby goat despite being ill-prepared and out of her comfort zone. It’s a tender moment where you feel connected to the character. Unfortunately, these moments are far and few.

I’m just going to say it- the writing was not good. The author was obsessed with using similes in every paragraph, many of which did not make sense or were oddly specific. (How is anyone supposed to relate to the feeling of swallowing a bunch of pennies??) Gretchen’s constant self-deprecation and fear of being a terrible person became annoying after so many internal dialogues. The farmer, Charlie, was very one dimensional- you know the type- the brooding, hot guy with a soft gooey center. He seemed to have a Jekyll/ Hyde disorder because he would be concerned for Gretchen’s welfare only to suddenly become very irate with her in the same breath. And don’t get me started on the ghost! The ghost, Everett, was portrayed as a stereotypical gay best friend from a television sitcom despite being a straight male from the 1920s. I believe his character was meant to be cheeky and fun, but he ended up being intolerable and exasperating. The plot was convoluted with so much back and forth on motives and characters’ feelings. It was repetitious to the point of boredom.