#HappyMedium:⁣
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Thank you @prhaudio @berkleyromance for my gifted copies! #PRHAudioPartner #BerkleyPartner ⁣
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To be fair, if this was titled “I Ain’t Afraid of No Goats” I would have immediately ran and said please I need. But it is Sarah Adler, I LOVED Nash’s Ashes, and I’m a loyal subscriber to her newsletter, so I don’t know if it would have made a difference. (But still, genius thought) ⁣
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The skinny: I loved it. A con person getting instant karma in the fact that her schtick is real and she can talk to (and befriend) a spirit is hilarious. Not to mention, Everett is absolutely snarky and has great television taste. Charlie had the sweetest and kind soul, and I loved how Gretchen brought out the best in both. She was such a unique character and I couldn’t help but cheer for her. I never consider myself a salesperson, but she threw out a “I would hate for it to be gone” and that’s my go-to sales line. 🤭⁣
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There’s so much banter and witty dialogue between all the characters, and I wish it translated more into audio. I didn’t feel like the lines were hitting as snarky or had the intended effect it needed to. Regardless, Mara Wilson is Mara Wilson and it was still amazing on audio and of course I would recommend it.⁣
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Overall, another Sarah Adler hit. I think I like this more than Nash’s Ashes 🫣 I absolutely love how Adler writes and how different her characters are. Different in a good way, because sometimes I feel seen. ⁣
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Anywho, out now. Yes, there is spice. ⁣
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Predict text: The Happy Medium…⁣
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The happy medium is the one that is the most interesting.

A fake medium is tasked with performing an exorcism at a rural farm in order to save its owner, who is in peril due to an old curse. When she arrives, she unexpectedly falls for the owner, who is dubious of her abilities.
I really loved Adler's debut novel, MRS. NASH'S ASHES, last summer and had high hopes for this one. The premise was ambitious and definitely outside of my comfort zone (I probably wouldn't have read it if not for Adler) and I don't think it fully worked -it was VERY quirky, to the point where I found most of it too ridiculous.
Despite this, I found this to be a rather sweet read once we got into the emotional meat of it. The romantic relationship was a tad uneven, but I was rooting for these characters!

I absolutely loved this book!!! It was cute, and charming, and funny! Super entertaining! We also had the author come to our bookstore before and she was a delight!!

Of all of the magical romances coming out this season, this is my favorite so far! A fake medium is hired to exorcise a ghost from a farm. She discovers that not only is the ghost very real but that she might be falling for the owner of the farm, and that she must convince him that he’s in danger. That description might sound scary but this is the friendliest ghost since Casper. This book hooked me from page one and I read it in one sitting. The chemistry between the two main characters was perfect and the ghost was such brilliant comic relief. The book did an impressive job of balancing a fast pace without sacrificing relationship and character development. The writing never felt cheesy and the romance never felt forced (despite the forced proximity 😉). I would love to see more paranormal/magical romance from this author!

I absolutely adored Mrs. Nashes' Ashes, so when I saw Sarah Adler had another book coming out, I knew I had to read it.

In Happy Medium, lifelong con artist Gretchen Acorn, who is now posing as a spirit medium, gets sent to a Maryland goat farm by a wealthy client to perform an exorcism for a family friend. It's not her usual shtick, but she's up for the challenge -- only once she gets there, she finds there's an actual ghost she can see and talk to, and learns there's a family curse putting the cute young goat farmer's life at risk. The only problem is he can see through her for the scam artist that she is, making her job of convincing him of the curse and saving his life all the more difficult.

While billed as a romance novel, this book is much more than that. It's a story of personal growth and shedding the person your parents raised you to be to find your own path in life. It's also a story about loneliness and how hard it can be to let people in (even friends) if you've been hurt. Those storylines add a depth to the story that I did not expect and had me in tears.

This review is based on reading a complimentary advance reader copy of this book from NetGalley.

Sarah Adler brings humor and heart to two lonely people who really do need each other. The unlikely pairing of a woman who grew up as a con artist and a guy who is a recently-inherited goat farmer is a great hook. But what happens when the most unlikely spirit befriends Gretchen? Well, this tired 'medium' takes it in stride and ends up staying at the farm for a month to pitch in with the goats and earn Charlie's trust. There was a fun chemistry between these two and the banter between Gretchen and Everett was delightful. Overall this was a fun read and I was happy that both characters got exactly what they needed and deserved in the end.

Gretchen Acorn is a faux spirit medium, she can’t actually talk to the dead but she tries to help their living relatives move on from the trauma of losing a loved one. One of her clients has a bridge partner who’s having trouble selling his farm,supposedly because of a ghost. Gretchen agrees to go out to the farm to “help” him.

When she arrives, she’s surprised to see that the farmer, Charlie, is a hot younger guy, not the old man she’d pictured. And, for the first time ever, she actually sees and talks to a ghost. He’s Charlie’s ancestor and is stuck there because he sold the farm before his death. If Charlie actually sells, he too will be stuck haunting the farm in the afterlife.

Gretchen tries to convince Charlie that the ghost is real but he doesn’t believe her. She stays and helps with chores, and ends up falling for Charlie and his herd of goats. Can she convince him not to sell?

I loved this sweet and funny opposites attract, paranormal romance. The characters have depth and the love story is very believable. 5 stars.

Happy Medium takes place on a paranormal farm where a clever con woman must pretend to convince a farmer of his property's resident real-life ghost if she's to save them all from a fate worse than death. This is a Paranormal romance with a splash of enemies to lovers, small town, and forced proximity. Sarah Alder's writing is cheeky, cozy and at times deeply humorous.

I found the premise of this book to be extremely intriguing and overall the execution worked pretty well for me! The storytelling and Alder's ability to set the scene of this cozy farm was excellent and reeled me in from the get go.

I absolutely loved given the circumstances how our two leads Charlie and Gretchen got to slowly know each other through friendship before diving in to a romantic relationship, this allowed me as a reader to understand these two characters and overall connect to them more. I thought both of our main characters were intriguing and fun characters to follow, even with Charlie being a grumpier male lead. I also really appreciated the combination of deeper moments and themes to also comedic relief and overall goofy, light hearted banter. To me, this book felt like it pushed the "norm" of romance novels a bit as it felt like nothing I have read before, and I very much appreciate the creativity in the plot.

I do feel like I struggled a little bit with the overall pacing of the book, the first half for me was a breeze but I ran into som lulls in the second half. I think perhaps the overall length could have been cut down to aid in the pacing of the second half. Additionally, I struggled at times to really feel the romantic pull and chemistry between Charlie and Gretchen.

I did have a lovely time with this though and I would recommend this overall if you're looking for a witty, cozy, and magical romance to get wrapped up in!

Sarah Adler, you little rascal, you...

This book is the biggest giggle, swelled up in love, wrapped up in a book.

To say Im in love is quite honestly, the understatement of the year.

Adler, is a genius behind the keyboard and completely dominated the rom-com genre with Happy Medium. Never in my life have I experienced a book quite like this one.

A con woman and a sexy farmer? Didn't see that one coming but sign me up!

The cast of characters were eccentric, lovable, and even at times down right annoying. Gretchen, Charlie and Everett. Gosh! How am I going to live without these three now that it's over?

Big thank you to Berkley, Netgalley and Sarah Adler, for allowing me to read and review this bestseller before the big release!

Happy Medium publishes April 30th and I promise, you don't want to miss it!

Check out this teaser :

A clever con woman must convince a skeptical, sexy farmer of his property's resident real-life ghost if she's to save them all from a fate worse than death, in this delightful new novel from the author of Mrs. Nash's Ashes.

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 beneficentone. 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.

Baby goats, farmers markets, enemies to lovers…and a friendly ghost. What more could you ask for in a romcom? Gretchen is a fake spirit medium making a living conning folks. When she’s called to “cleanse” a farm for a pretty penny, the last thing she expects is to come face to face with a real ghost, who has haunted the farm for nearly 100 years. Together they’re tasked with protecting the farm’s owner from ending up with the same fate…but it’s a tall order when he just thinks she’s pulling another scam…so some hilarious hijinks are in store as they convince him otherwise.
I couldn’t stop laughing while reading this and absolutely LOVED Everett!! What better of a spooky companion could you ask for.
Thank you to Berkley for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

Happy Medium is an utterly charming read. After falling in love with the author's debut last summer, I was eager to dive into this book, anticipating a heartwarming romance. What I found instead was a delightful and quirky friendship between the main character and a ghost, which became the true standout relationship. The chemistry in their camaraderie warmed my heart and had me laughing out loud!

The romantic subplot, by comparison, seemed to take a backseat, which might leave fans of the author's previous work a bit underwhelmed. However, if you enjoy witty banter and a dose of eccentricity, the setting of a goat farm provides ample humor, and the character's growth throughout the story is genuinely satisfying. If you're in the mood for something fun and different, this book is a fantastic choice.

I absolutely adored this book. Gretchen and Charlie were so cute. I loved all of their interactions & the way Charlie took such good care of her despite his doubts about her. I also love how he fully accepted her for who she was once he understood her. Everett was also such a fun touch to this book. Normally I am not huge into paranormal aspects of books but how could you not love Everett?! Definitely recommend! 4/5

As soon as I saw hot, tattooed goat farmer, I was all in. This was such a cute, fun read! We have a con artist medium FMC who, surprise, all the sudden sees a real ghost, who happens to be my favorite character in the whole book. Mix in a grumpy goat farmer who doesn’t believe a word she says and sprinkle in some sexual tension and BAM! You have a winner. I am so glad I got the chance to pick this one up.

In these pages you will find:

-Enemies to Lovers
-A loveable, charming, and hilarious ghost
-Forced proximity
-GOATS!
-Banter galore (I loved the chemistry + slow burn between these two!)
-A fun romcom, with paranormal elements
-I’m going to say it again, GOATS!

I’m pretty sure goats + ghosts was the combo I didn’t know I needed in my life. If you are looking for a fun, quick read then definitely put this one on your radar.

I just finshed this audiobook this afternoon and it was a treat. I appreciated this unique and quirky romance plot. Gretchen Acron is a fake spirit medium. She ends up going to a goat farm to “save” one of her wealthiest clients', good friends, from the ghost on her farm. Gretchen believes this farm owner is going to be an old man. She’s pleasantly surprised when she meets Charlie, the young and attractive farm owner. Gretchen does really see the farm ghost, Everett, and needs to get Charlie to believe in his family curse. I grew to love all the characters, but I think Everett (the ghost) was the most entertaining.

This book won me over in the end, but it took some time in getting there. It was a little too silly for my personal tastes, and I sometimes felt it should have sacrificed some silliness for the sake of the romance. In the end, though, I appreciate some twists on well-worn romantic tropes, and I liked that the characters were messy. I didn't like this book quite as much as Mrs. Nash's Ashes, but I will definitely keep reading this author!

Gretchen is a spirit medium and the daughter of a con man. One of her wealthiest clients offers to pay her to do an exorcism at a friend's farm because she believes a spirit is interfering with the sale of the farm. So, Gretchen heads to Gilded Creek Goat Farm thinking that it will be easy to "cleanse" the property make some cash. But when she shows up, the owner Charlie (who isn't elderly, but young... and attractive) wants nothing to do with her mission. And then she meets the ghost who is really is haunting the property and finds out there is a curse that means Charlie will die if he sells the property. So, Gretchen cuts a deal with Charlie move in for 30 days and help on the farm in order to convince him that the curse is real. But can Charlie ever trust her?

Adler's book Mrs. Nash's Ashes was one of my surprise hits of last year. So I came into this one with high hopes for another feel good novel with a sweet romance thrown in. However, this one didn't captivate me the same way and I almost DNFed it several times. I don't know if it was the fact that the FMC starts off morally grey or the fact that I felt like Charlie wasn't nearly developed enough or the fact that there was an attempt at humor with Everett the Ghost seeing Gretchen naked without her consent. I did enjoy the last third of the book more, so I don't regret sticking it out. I felt like Gretchen was well-developed and enjoyed seeing her journey in the second half of the book.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

Rating: 3/5
Spice: 1.5/5

This is such a quick, fun read! I absolutely loved 𝙈𝙧𝙨. 𝙉𝙖𝙨𝙝‘𝙨 𝘼𝙨𝙝𝙚𝙨 last year and couldn’t wait to read this one! A broody farmer, baby goats, a fake medium, and a real ghost?! Sign me up!

Mara Wilson always does such a great job when she narrates but I especially love her humor and ability to amplify sarcasm. Everett the ghost was definitely my favorite character and Mara brought him to life in such a delightful way! You’ll definitely find yourself cracking up listening to his silly antics.

Gretchen is very good at faking her ability to talk to the dead thanks to the internet but when one of her favorite clients pays her to exercise a ghost from a house of one of her friends, Gretchen thinks she may be in over her head. That is until she shows up to the farm and runs into none other than the actual ghost! Now, she has to convince the young handsome owner that she’s not a fake while also talking him into keeping the farm so he doesn’t wind up with the same fate as ghostly Everett.

Add this one to your list if you’re a fan of:
- enemies to lovers
- cute baby goats
- ghosts with character
- a little sprinkle of spice

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review

I would recommend if you're looking for (SPOILERS)

-m/f paranormal romance
-small town romance
-goat farm
-frenemies to lovers
-meddling ghost
-roommance

This was such a cozy read, I loved the goat farm setting. But my absolute favorite part was how grief was intertwined with the paranormal aspects of the story. Of finding family even in the most unexpected of places and of forgiving yourself. So much hinjinx and fun wrapped up in this story that I'm not srue I could do it justice. Sarah has such a unique voice to her writing

Thank you PRHAudo for a free audiobook and NetGalley and Berkley Pub for an eARC.

Take one slightly scam artist medium, who actually sees ghosts, and pair her with a grumpy goat farmer and you have one hilarious slow burn of a romcom.

Mix in some baby goats and a ghost who is addicted to television for some added fun and giggles.

This one had some witty banter, some sizzle in the romance, and lots of laughs.

Mara Wilson was fabulous with narration, adding warmth and wit to the story.

Thanks to Let's Talk Books Promo for letting me be a part of this Berkley Buddy Read.

I will admit that this book took a couple of chapters for me to get into. I did not instantly connect with Gretchen's character, and the story just didn't jibe with me. But the moment Everett (the ghost haunting Gilded Creek farm) popped up on the page, I was instantly drawn in. Everett's character is so perfect and charming that you cannot help but love him. He also brought out a side of Gretchen's character that had me seeing her in a different and more likeable light. The story also gets this wonderful injection of humour and lots of slightly outdated pop culture references (which should be expected when you are dealing with a ghost who has been around since the 1920s).

The overall story is a lot of fun once you get past the first couple of chapters. Gretchen, who is a con artist who pretends she can talk to ghosts, is asked to go to Charlie's farm to help him with a ghost problem. Gretchen thinks this will be a quick and easy job, but things take a dramatic turn when Gretchen literally walks through Everett, who is a ghost. Everett explains that Charlie cannot sell the farm because if he does, the family curse will kill him and prevent him from leaving. Gretchen finds herself trying to convince a very skeptical Charlie that she isn't a con artist and that ghosts and his family curse are very real. This story takes place over a month, so a lot happens during those four weeks.

There is a real fish out of water tropey feel to this book. Poor Gretchen has no idea how to work or live on a farm, resulting in some hilarious moments. There is also a fish-out-of-water experience when Gretchen learns that ghosts are real. Her growing friendship with Everett was wonderful. Their banter and chemistry were playful and just screamed best friends. As I mentioned, I didn't immediately take a shine to Gretchen's character. But once I understood her and her past, I started to really like her. Gretchen is battling some inner demons. She doesn't want to be like her father, a ruthless conman, but she also knows she needs to earn a living. She struggles with what she does but doesn't think she can do anything else. Her lifestyle is lonely, which is why she clicks so well with Everett and Charlie. Everett doesn't judge her for who she is, and Charlie is also living a life that has him rather lonely. I loved watching Gretchen find her place on the farm and begin to realize that she can break free from the cage she has placed herself in.

The romance in this story is delightful. It has this one-sided, loath-to-lovers feel to it. Charlie cannot stand Gretchen because he thinks she is a lying con artist who is out to swindle everyone she meets. I liked the relationship between these two. Charlie is a big old cinnamon roll with a heart of gold. You can tell that both characters feel something for each other but are hesitant to act upon those feelings. Charlie, because he doesn't think he can trust Gretchen. And Gretchen because she doesn't see how these two could have a future. The chemistry was fabulous, and like so many love stories where the two MCs don't get along, the banter is sharp and witty. The spice level is pretty tame, which worked with the overall story. There is a lot of progress and regress in their relationship, which is from Charlie's lack of trust in Gretchen's intentions. There is also forced proximity, instant attraction, miscommunication, and opposite-attract tropes sprinkled throughout this story.  All of these tropes come together to make a really enjoyable story.

Happy Medium is an easy-to-love paranormal romance. I would highly recommend it to anyone looking for a unique love story.