I am afraid I did not like this book. I sometimes felt it too slow and I found the heroine's musings and trepidations too lengthy, and, frankly, boring.
Unfortunately I did not like the characters either and the explicit sex scene was way more than I had bargained for.
I had expected a lighthearted comedy with a funny ghost in the centre of the plot. Sadly I was disappointed.
I did not particularly like the author's style either.
However, It is only my personal opinion. We are all different with different tastes. So other readers might love this novel.

‘Happy Medium’ captivates with its charm, uniqueness, unpredictability, and heartwarming essence, and in my opinion surpassing even Sarah Adler's debut, ‘Mrs. Nash’s Ashes’.

In this tale, we encounter Gretchen, a quirky, lonely protagonist making a living as a (fake yet benevolent) spiritual medium. Raised by her con artist father, Gretchen learned to keep relationships transactional, avoiding attachment or emotion.

During an exorcism job on a goat farm, Gretchen encounters an actual ghost, Everett, who warns her of danger befalling the farmer, Charlie (MMC). They strike a bargain, leading Gretchen to eventually step out of her comfort zone and embrace honesty to save him and redeem herself.

Everett's endearing himbo personality, along with Charlie's alluring mix of gentleness and ruggedness, as well as Gretchen's transformation from a benignly callous con artist to a savvy yet vulnerable sweetheart, added depth to the narrative.

This romance transcends the ordinary (and often somewhat formulaic romances), with unexpected twists that keep readers engaged. Gretchen, Charlie, and Everett's journey is not only humorous but also emotionally resonant, sprinkled with just the right amount of spice.

There were a few loose threads and it could have dug deeper emotionally, but for those seeking a quirky rom-com with a paranormal twist, Sarah Adler's second novel is a must-read. I highly recommend it.
4,5⭐️

Special thanks to NetGalley and Quercus for providing this ARC.

Well, this was just a-freaking-dorable. But more, it had layers to it that I wasn’t expecting.

I went into Happy Medium expecting very much a funny romantic romp on a goat farm with a ghost. Well, there’s a goat farm and a ghost, it is funny and romantic (and yes, there IS romping…) but there’s a poignancy below the cuteness. These are three characters who are, in their own ways, lonely and searching to fill the void. And that’s what makes it a fabulous romance because it has heart as well as humour. And just downright quirky!

God, this book. I read it with the biggest, goofiest smile on my face and all in one sitting. Gretchen is a really interesting take on a romance heroine, not at all what you’d expect, imperfect but scared and someone to relate to, perfect against my marshmallow man, Charlie (who still manages to say “Good girl” in the way that melts a woman’s knees from under her!) And we absolutely need to talk about Everett who provides much welcomed comic relief! He was so funny and underneath, the ideal friend to make Gretchen realise she’s never really been a fraud.

Basically, this was unfor-goat-ably amazing (had to get one in there somehow!) and everyone should read it now. I’m not kidding (sorry, had to go for a second!)

Happy Medium is a delightful read that I devoured in just one sitting. It blends humour with a touch of the paranormal in a heartwarming and funny way. Author Sarah Adler has created lovable characters in Gretchen Acorn and Charlie Waybill that perfectly fit in the grumpy x sunshine genre.

Gretchen, a fake medium who prefers the 'harmless' con of speaking with the dead over outright hustles, finds herself in a tricky situation when tasked with cleansing a supposedly haunted goat farm. Meeting the sceptical and brooding (and hot) Charlie puts a spanner in the works. When Gretchen bumps into the real ghost doing the real haunting, her adventure takes a surprising turn, making for a charming and unconventional supernatural rom-com.

The premise of Happy Medium combines humour, romance, and a bit of the paranormal refreshingly well. The chemistry between Gretchen and Charlie is electric. The addition of a handsome (and horny) ghost adds to the chaos and charm of the story. Adler excels at creating relatable characters and placing them in entertaining situations.

I highly recommend Happy Medium with a rating of 4.5 stars. It's a fun read that offers a mix of contemporary and unconventional elements. Whether you enjoy paranormal romances or grumpy x sunshine romances, this book is sure to satisfy you.

This book isn’t at all what I expected but I was here for the ride it sent me on, honestly this is worth the read.

Happy Medium is a paranormal.romance that revolves around a fake spirit medium who is employed to do an exorcism on a goat farm.. only things don’t go quite as planned.

This book is so entertaining, I haven’t read a book that made me laugh like this in so long. It’s also very emotional and I love how everything just clicks together.

Sarah has done a fabulous job writing this book and I am so excited to read more from her.

Romance, paranormal, farm, cozy, I loved it.
Thank you Netgallery, the publisher and the author for giving me the opportunity to read it, this book has been for me like a ring to my finger, I have enjoyed it very much.
I had not read anything by this author but from now on I will follow the track because this book has made me fall in love completely.
I dare say that it is going to be one of my favourite reads of 2024, and one of the best.
It is one of those perfect readings to read with a blanket, a good tea or hot chocolate while it rains outside, because it is one of those stories that warm your heart.
The plot, the characters, the setting, there's nothing I didn't like. It has all the elements that I love in my reading.
The author's way of writing, everything, everything fascinated me.
This book has earned a place in my heart.
For me it is a clear 5 stars.

this was a super cute paranormal romance! the tension was there from the start and i loved the development throughout the book. for me it was slightly too much will they wont they, but overall i loved it. This is probably the most creative romance story i have read in a while.

When Gretchen gets paid to exorcise a ghost out of an old goat farm, she accepts the opportunity even though she is a fake spirit medium. But when she gets there, two things suddenly become clear: the farm owner is a sceptic who wants nothing to do with her and the ghost is very much real and Gretchen can suddenly talk to him.

Ever since I read Sarah Adler’s debut novel ‘Mrs. Nash’s Ashes’ I couldn’t wait to read the next one, and it was even better than I expected. It was completely charming, funny and original book with an amazing set of characters. Gretchen is the flawed protagonist; a con-woman who very self-aware of the morality of her own actions and desperate to somehow redeem herself. I absolutely adored Everett the ghost, he aded such a comic relief to the book while still being such a well rounded character. And of course Charlie was the perfect love interest. There were a few plot points that led nowhere (mainly the letter from her dad) and everything is pretty much surface level, but still it was the delightful feel-good read I was looking for.

Many thanks to Berkley, Sarah Adler and NetGalley for this ARC.

This was amazing, so funny, full of heart, hope and love. And also TINY GOATS 😍 And Everett!!!!! He’s my favorite ghost!! Thank you to NetGalley and Quercus for this ARC.

‘Happy Medium’ by Sarah Adler is a hilarious, romantic, paranormal tale set on a goat farm that had me laughing out loud so many times. Gretchen makes ends meet in DC as a fake spirit medium, using her roommates gossipy connections, social media and a premium subscription to ancestry dot com to convince monied clients that their relatives are contacting them from beyond the grave. Unlike her unscrupulous father, she operates under a strict moral code and ensures to leave her clients better off than she found them. As she begins to wean the wealthy Deborah Van Alst off her services, her still-bereaved but less overcome by grief favourite client offers her a hefty sum to help her friend who is experiencing strange events at his goat farm.

Gretchen arrives at Gilded Greek expecting to find elderly, bridge-playing Charles Waybill. Instead, she comes face-to-face with his sceptical grandson Charlie who sees right through her schemes and turns her away. On her way off the property, Gretchen walks right through a freezing cold apparition and realises she is seeing an ACTUAL GHOST for the first time… and this ghost warns her she has to stay and help Charlie who is in grave danger! The book follows her attempts to infiltrate his farm and his heart in order to save his life, and maybe get outside her comfort zone by forming a real connection.

I loved:
- Everett the ghost was comedy gold - I adored his TV obsession and banter
- Gretchen’s past was slowly revealed which made her more loveable and explained how she ended up in the life she was living
- Charlie was a golden retriever under his thin veil of grumpiness
- The story contained relatable and sensitively approached dementia representation
- Gretchen helped deliver a baby goat which was super heartwarming
- They found dozens of baby goat sweaters in the attic and I had to google pictures of baby goats in sweaters, which was a wonderful diversion!

All in all, this was a unique and funny novel which I’d highly recommend to fans of Ash Poston’s magical realism and Lyla Sage’s countryside romances. I’m giving this 4.5 stars!

I received a Digital Review Copy of this novel from Quercus Books via NetGalley, for which I am very grateful. This review is my own unedited feedback.

This review will be shared on socials no earlier than three weeks before release, as requested!

Oh wow, what a ridiculous book! With silly being my middle name, I loved every bit of it - apart from Charlie saying 'good girl.' Whatever that came from?!?!

Indeed, Gretchen was indeed a bit on the wrong side of history being a con artist, but her shenanigans with Everett showed another part of her that was warm and witty.
The cute goats, purring cats and marshmallow dogs completed the farm scenery and setting for this book. And I cannot help but smile at the knitting that was part of this story :)

So yeah, weird but wonderful and therefore deserves a place on my for-a-rainy-day shelf on Goodreads.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of the book.