Absolutely love romances mixed with some supernatural element, and Claire Kann’s spooky rom is such a delight. Fun, funny, a little spooky mixed in, sexy—this book has it all!

When I picked up "Looking for Love in All the Haunted Places" by Claire Kann, I was intrigued by the promise of a paranormal romance. However, while I enjoyed the humour and slow-burn romance between Lucky and Maverick, I felt the paranormal elements fell short. The haunted aspect of the story felt like an afterthought, and the reliance on dialogue took away from the spooky atmosphere I was hoping for. Overall, it's a lighthearted read with diverse representation, but I felt it didn't fully deliver on its paranormal premise.

The balance between the paranormal and the romance was fairly even and I love how those two plot point effected each other. It was fun and I love the idea that haunting doesn’t have to scary or bad, it could be something very human instead. I liked every character including the house itself. Also the asexuality rep was fantastic and eye-opening to those maybe a little less informed about the different experiences within the asexual community.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!

Last: Looking for Love in All the Haunted Places by Claire Kann: you know that ghost stories make me weak in the knees, so I was really excited by this title. What worked for me is a self-assured heroine who shines on the page, some really thoughtful conversations between the hero and heroine about the heroine’s asexuality, and the overall interesting premise. But unfortunately, the book seemed to lag in spots and just felt a bit convoluted. I missed a sense of joy. In the end, I wanted to love this one but sadly I just didn’t. 3 ⭐️️. Out 05/21. (Thanks to Netgalley & the publisher for the complimentary ARC. All opinions provided are my own.)

Now:The Prospects by KT Hoffman. I am absolutely loving this queer baseball romance. I kid you not, at 5% I was already messaging someone telling them they needed to read this book. I am about 75% in now and I know this is going to be a five-star read. Out 04/09. (Thanks to Netgalley & the publisher for the complimentary ARC. All opinions provided are my own.)

Next:Maybe Emma R. Alban’s Don’t Want You Like a Best Friend, maybe Kate Clayborn’s The Other Side of Disappearing. I’m honestly not sure.

Have you read any of these books or any on your TBR?

3.5 Stars

I have mixed feelings about this book, there were a lot of things that I loved about it, the inclusivity of the characters and ACE representation were huge pluses for me, I am ACE and feel like we are never seen or represented. That said, I wish that the book had been more spooky and less insta-love. While I ultimately enjoyed the way the romance went I think it would have been awesome to have the ace representation without any romance too. Still, I liked all the characters, I liked the house and its manifestations and for the most part, I liked the book.

Kann’s novel is one with a curious character exploring her ESP and reading people personalities, while really diving into that “love in unexpected places” trope. As a story that encompasses love, haunted houses, a deep and intriguing female character, and paranormal experiences like ESP, this is perfect for those who grew up dreaming of the paranormal. As someone who always watched shows on ghost hunting and paranormal experiences, that grew up to love reading romance, this novel was truely the perfect story for me. Beyond the concept, Kann’s writing is beautifully detailed, making this a quick and enticing read.

This is the kind of book you complete and want to read again. Everything in the book is so wholesome in terms of romance, and very well intertwined with the mystery of the house.

I was really excited and surprised to recieve and arc of this book via Net Galley! The first thing that hooked me about this book was the cover and the title if I'm honest. It's so up my alley, as I love supernatural things and my favorite genres are horror and romance. As someone who loves both spooks and swoons, I love when a book does both like this one! I would have loved a bit more of the spookiness but honestly that's just my personal preference and I think this book could be perfect for those who want just a touch of spooky vibes in their romance. I thought the character was well thought out and very likeable! But my favorite part and the part that got me the most excited when I read the description was the asexual rep! It's so rare so I love seeing it in books. This book did it well and had the character's asexuality at the forefront of the story and I love that. I think the author handled it super well! Overall, I thought this book was a fun and fast read and those who love spooks and swoons would like it! I just wish it had a bit more spooks, but again, that's just my personal preference and I think this could be great for someone who wants a nice balance! 🥰👻💜

Fun fact about me: when I was in high school, I went through a phase of wanting to be a paranormal investigator for a career. I moved away from that dream, but my interest in paranormal stories hasn’t waned so when I learned about Claire Kann’s book Looking For Love in All The Haunted Places, I knew I had to read it.

Thankfully, @berkleyromance approved my ARC request on @netgalley and I read it a few weeks ago. And I loved it. And I keep thinking about it because this story is so much more than what you think it is.

It’s a story of family and community, of loving and being loved, of chasing dreams and standing strong, of trusting, of listening, of healing from trauma.

The author did a beautiful job of world building so that we, the readers, can understand the gift of ESP Lucky has, but also empathize with the challenges it has wrought in her life, and how Lucky can use her ESP to unravel the mystery of Hennessee House.

In some ways, I really identified with Lucky. As an autistic person, I have often felt like I’m on the outside looking in, present but not fully involved or welcomed. Ignored, underestimated, having to fight for my place in the world and to be seen and accepted.

As I learned more about Hennessee House, my heart ached for it. I don’t want to spoil the story for anyone but when you read this book, I think you’ll understand that this house is so much more than your typical haunted house.

There is romance in the book, too! I really enjoyed how Lucky and Maverick grew closer to one another, learning to trust each other, be vulnerable, and figure out how to be there for each other. And Rebel - oh what a character!!! She pulls together all the characters, uniting them as a found family and provides the innocent but very intelligent wonder and curiosity that only a child can embody.

Really loved the ace representation! Overall very cute. I did find the parts about the house more interesting than the love story though.

I loved the Romantic Agenda, so I was so excited to get the advanced copy of this book. True to the authors style, this book had great Ace representation! Also, a bonus that we got a single dad!

Lighthearted, funny, and full of love in unexpected places with a little bit of mystery. I loved the mfc and her journey with having ESP. I wouldn't say this book is heavy on the romance or heavy on the spooky or paranormal, but it does have a good mix. I would recommend this book to anyone wanting a good book with a strong female lead that has a little bit of everything!

Kahn's novel is a fun book with memorable characters and an engaging plot. Lucky Hart is a Black, asexual woman with ESP that allows her to "read" people's personalities (only once at first impression) along with an incredible memory who acts as the caretaker of a haunted house. I loved Lucky's personality, voice, and vibe; I was rooting for her and the supporting cast was also very strong, particularly Rebel (daughter of single-dad love interest, Maverick) and Xander (rich owner of the haunted house).

I think some may find the book doesn't lean into either genre as much as they might like. Some might want more romance; some might want more supernatural elements. I'm of the latter camp; I'm much more inclined to love the supernatural than romance. However, despite my personal preferences, I still think the book was well-balanced. The romance and the supernatural mystery were directly tied together, so exploring one allows readers to build towards the other.

One aspect I can't neglect in my review is how Kann handles asexual relationships; in short, she does a great job. Some readers may not enjoy the frank discussions of how to navigate sex and other relationship aspects as an asexual because it does take up some significant space in the novel. However, I appreciated Kann's clarity and thoughtfulness -- including how Maverick doesn't immediately have perfect understanding and actually researches and asks questions. Same with Lucky. Their discussions showed true commitment to understanding and loving each other, character growth, and authenticity in how the characters approach their situation.

For a feel-good, low stakes read, this book was perfect for me. I would adore seeing more of Lucky's adventures and will definitely be on the look out for Kann's future books.

Good characters, cute premise, not enough haunting. House may have been the best character, but not enough of it's mysteries were revealed. Left the reader hanging a bit.

This was another new-to-me author, which is never a bad thing but it meant I didn't have any preconceived ideas and went into the story armed only with the book's title, cover, and description. I think the cover, especially, led to me to think this would be a lighter story than it turned out to be at the beginning of the book once I started reading. So I had a bit of a hard time adjusting at first, and it seemed to me like the story wasn't sure what it wanted to be. Mystery? Romance? Horror? There was a lot going on as the female main character was introduced, and while I understand that she is a very complex person and the level of detail was needed in order to fully appreciate her personality and behavior as the story went along, it was hard to process in the beginning while also trying to understand just what was going on with Hennessee House. After I learned to just let go and trust the author to take me where she wanted to go, it got a lot easier to buy in and follow, and I'm glad I stuck with it! I did enjoy this story quite a bit, and I was keen to figure out just what made this house tick. I loved that while it's presented as a romance story between Lucky and Maverick, the real relationship to follow was the one that developed between Lucky and Hennessee. As that relationship bloomed and understanding grew, it was lovely to watch Lucky do the same with others she let into her (admittedly lonely) life. I would absolutely read this author again; the level of detail she put in to helping the reader understand Lucky and her asexuality was a little academic at times, but ultimately was very helpful in appreciating Lucky's approach to Maverick. Also, Rebel was a lovely character to watch Lucky develop a close relationship with. I would enjoy reading further books if this were turned into a series, especially to see what happens in the future with Georgia as well as with Xander.

I loved this. It’s cute and funny and unique and sweet. And a good amount spooky! It’s sort of cozy horror, but that doesn’t mean it’s not scary or haunting, more that the stakes feel low.

It’s super engaging and pulled me in, and I was always curious what would happen next. I will say that the pacing is sort of…odd? Quirky? I could never really predict what the vibe would be of the next bit, maybe bc it doesn’t have traditional haunted house or romance book pacing. I’m not totally complaining — I liked the unpredictability, but it was sort of confusing.

I loved all the descriptions of Lucky’s experience with being aspec (she seems to be biromantic asexual), especially her wondering what it’s like to “lose control” sexually, which I def related to to a certain extent. I loved all the conversations they had about sex and sexuality, and that it wasn’t always 100% perfect clear communication, but that they really put effort in to sharing what they felt and thought etc.

Thanks so much to Netgalley for the E-arc!

Lucky has had a rough go, removed from her family and friends she is trying to find her place. She has an obession for the supernatural, nad is intrigued by a production company crew quitting after three night in a haunted house.She finds a away onto the crew and meets Maverick. There is something intantly between them. This was a fun read with a dash of supernatural.

Kann writes a delightful romance centered around Lucky, an asexual Black woman who is used to going it alone, especially when it comes to the paranormal, and Maverick, a single dad who is used to being part of a team. The two love interests collide in the front entryway of Hennessee House, which is where Lucky is to remain for thirty days to figure out what exactly is going on. Surprise twist, this romance has a love triangle, which is Lucky, Maverick, and Hennessee House, which is sentient and rather lonely. Kann has been on the scene for a number of years, starting out as a YA writer before transitioning to adult romance, and I honestly was curious about what an asexual romance would look like. And, it’s lovely. Maverick is not ace, so Lucky is able to explain to him (and to the reader) what romance and love can look and be for some asexual folk. Plus, Lucky’s ESP abilities means she wears dark sunglasses. How Maverick makes accommodations for her when she meets his family is beautiful and touching. Additionally, the novel is relatively clean, and would be great for any readers who are uncomfortable with the hot and heavy stuff.

This is a really beautiful, emotionally complex romance with a big side of comedy as well as paranormal elements. It's also complex genre-wise, and it deals with a lot of intense emotional and philosophical issues. Overall, it was a book I read in bursts, as its complexity and longer length made it harder to binge. That's not remotely a knock against it, though, and I'd love to see more genre-bending romances get traditionally published. Also, as ever with Claire Kann books, there's great asexual-spectrum representation.

Lucky Hart is spending a month in a haunted house for reality television. What the producers don't know is that Lucky studied parapsychology and is a psychic who can read first impressions of people. What Lucky doesn't know is that she might find love (and friendship!) in the haunted house. What a breath of fresh air! A PoC main character in a "paranormal" romance! And she's ace, to boot! This book is going to help fil so many voids in romance literature, and is sure to be a hit with readers,

This is a delicious slow burn romance with lots of late night conversations, world class cuddling, and soul searching. As a Black woman with ESP, Lucky wants to trailblaze a career path in exploring the supernatural. She hopes to use the paranormal reality show, The Caretaker, to kickstart that career. But so far, no one has lasted more than three nights alone in Hennessee House. Can the successful and tantalizing Maverick be the key to her success?

Fast paced and charming, this is a quick read full of complex and quirky characters.

Loved the ace and neurodivergent rep in this - Lucky is a glorious nerd complete with a memory palace. Lots of self-exploration as she grapples with balancing her career aspirations with her deepening feelings for Maverick.

Read this one if you like:
Single dads
Adorable kids
Instant chemistry
Spooky amusement parks
Sentient houses with secret passages
ESP/soul gazing
Supernatural activity
Cranky, semi-feral cats
Lots of banter
Asexual rep

I was initially drawn to this book by its beautiful cover, but I stayed for the story.

This is the perfect kind of low-stakes paranormal romance. I thought this book was also a coming-of-age type of story where the main character, Lucky, learns to accept and love herself too. Despite the interesting story and good writing, there was just something about this book that I couldn't connect with and I never felt fully invested in the story. But I'm sure others out there would love it.