I had started to read this book after failing to read Cherie Priest's "The Family Plot". This book delivered in all the right ways for a ghost story. I'm a huge fan of the "cozy horror" genre and really just want more books like this, maybe with a little more scare, just a pinch more though.

4.5 stars! I really loved this! This is a sweet little ghost story about a girl working as a PA on a reality, HGTV-type renovation show that revolves around "ghosts." There was nothing too incredibly surprising or deep, but I really thought it was perfect for what it was. I enjoyed the characters and thought they had an appropriate amount of depth for a book of this length. The storyline was fun and the book managed to keep me turning pages, even with the character reaching a sort of monotony in daily events. I thought the last 10% or so felt a bit rushed, but overall this was a great little read. I'd definitely pick up more from this author in the future!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Tor Publishing Group for the eARC, and for the opportunity to leave an honest, voluntary review.

Weird and atmospheric, this one was strange and unique in a fun way.

This is part identity crisis, part ghost story all set against the backdrop of a paranormal activity television show.

Our protagonist is untethered in life and accepts a lowly job working for her cousin. She will help create spooky settings behind the scenes for a haunted renovation show… That literally makes no difference to the story in the long run, which was a strange choice. A bit of a bait and switch considering we know from the get go that the “hauntings” are staged. In actuality, the way this book goes was fun and fresh. I enjoyed it!

Haunt Sweet Home centers on Mara, adrift and aimless, working as a PA on her cousin's home remodeling show "enhancing" the eerie atmosphere. Her family is dismissive, her coworkers are mercurial. She attempts to connect to a coworker, but can't see past her own jealousy.

Haunt Sweet Home is a good short story stretched out to novella length. It would've been better as a short story OR expanded into a longer story. Some plot points feel rushed and don't get the explanation they need. We understand Mara's struggle, but her reactions to Jo seem to come out of nowhere. The ending has a unique take on haunting that made reading it worthwhile.

Haunt Sweet Home from Sarah Pinsker is a fun little novella that blends reality TV, horror, and a bit of coming of age.

Mara is the youngest of all her cousins. She's aimless, having tried college several times, but still not committed to anything. When her celebrity cousin offers a night shift production assistant job on his home makeover/haunted show.

Mara is treated like a body. She's just told where to go, when to eat, where to sleep. It's fine, the job is okay- a little boring at times, but it's a paycheck. When the daytime version of Mara, Jo, shows up and helps terrify a pair of homeowners. Mara finally has a friend at work. Jo starts getting a tiny bit weird, and Mara is quick to separate herself. That is, until, the night in the library when Jo goes too far.
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This is a fast read. It's enjoyable and I couldn't put it down - reading way past bedtime because I wanted to see if Mara would ever grow up and become who she was always meant to be.

I feel like this is a haunted coming of age story. I almost hope that Pinsker returns to Mara and the ridiculous reality show, it's a fun setting.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review this book.

This was a little slow and not quite the ghost story I was hoping for. I wanted more creepy vibes, more eerie atmosphere. That said, the concept was new and I enjoyed the author’s acknowledgments where they shared the premise for the story. I’d have liked more meat to the reveal. I was left with weird visuals and half-structured ideas.

The premise of this book was delightful, but it seemed a little rushed in places. I really liked how the ending turned out, not quite what I was predicting.

A cozy horror that reimagines a popular trope of something going awry when trying to con a haunted house reality show.

It’s no surprise I was enthralled by Sarah Pinsker’s voice and story; what I didn’t expect was how cozy this haunting would be. But while it’s more concerned with human introspection and growth, it still delivers in the supernatural department. I loved this novel of a fake haunting turned real, and the characters who try to navigate its unexpected twists, turns, dead ends, and vistas. Definitely recommended.

The idea of the Unknown, are there such things as ghosts? Are all those Haunting shown on TV real?
This book is so different from what I usually pick up. It has around 9 chapter, it's short but definitely has an impact.
Mara, doesn't know what to do with her life. She feels left out at family dinners and always feels as if she's looking in from the outside. She's often forgotten about, and at times the bud of everyone's joke.
When she accepts a job as a night PA for her cousins TV show things begin to change.
I did like the approach the author took. Very different and fresh. You can sense the emptiness the main character was feeling. Always being pushed around, not really being included. It resonated with me. I was able to empathize with Mara. I pretty much figured out a bit of the plot, a bit predictable but I did enjoy the book. It's a good book to pick up on a October evening snuggled into a plush blanket drinking tea.

HAUNT SWEET HOME was absolutely delightful! Mara doesn't know what to do with her life, so she decides to take a job on her cousin's haunted house reality show. This show is, of course, faked, and it is her job to set up the tricks to make the homeowners believe that their house is haunted. The longer her job goes on, the more begins to happen on the sets that cannot be explained by her tricks.

While I do think this correctly falls into the horror category, it is definitely horror 'lite' and is more like a fun romp with a touch of paranormal activity than something that will scare you. I say this as a neutral statement because for someone who wants something to scare the lights out of them, this book is not it. However, if you are looking for a lighthearted, quick read, this will be perfect.

I enjoyed the writing styles, the main characters, and loved the plot concept. The pacing was perfect, giving enough depth to the context building and characters without ever dragging.

This would be a great book to pick up if you liked LOOKING FOR LOVE IN ALL THE HAUNTED PLACES by Claire Kann and something that I will not hesitate to recommend to others!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the gifted eARC!

I really enjoyed this little coming-of-age horror novella about a young woman who takes a job as a production assistant on a ghost-hunting reality TV show and finds herself caught in the middle of some inexplicable events of her own. The main character was sympathetic and often relatable, and I loved the little details of her work days and her life, sprinkled liberally throughout. I did find the horror/ghost story elements relatively predictable (I was able to figure out most of the plot points when they happened), and I wish it had kept me on my toes a little bit more, but it was a fast and enjoyable read, and I’d definitely read more of the author’s work; I know she has a couple of backlist titles that have been on my want-to-read list for a while.

I've read a few of Sarah's titles and really enjoyed them all so far. This one was a fun, fast, and quirky read about a twenty something named Mara who takes an entry level overnight production assistant job on her cousin's haunted house reality tv show.

Taking the position gives her full behind-the-scenes access to what's real and what's not on these types of ghost haunting spin offs, and helps her to continue to avoid the bigger decisions she's been putting off, like what to do with the rest of her life. Even Jo, the mysterious floater girl who starts shadowing Mara out of the blue, makes digs about her lack of direction and passion.

Mara takes an immediate liking to Jo until, on a long weekend from work, she invites her to tag along to a family get together and Jo fits in with her extended family better than she does. Is it her imagination or does Jo do everything just a little better than she can? And is she losing it or does Jo even LOOK a little like her?

While not heavy on the horror, its definitely got some fun paranormal and ghosty stuff going on. A little cheeky, a lot of heart, and a really enjoyable afternoon read! If it's not hit your radar yet, you really should check it out!

Haunt Sweet Home is a kitschy reality show that the lost and wayward Mara gets a job on thanks to her cousin. Working the night shift has her involved in the hauntings of the homes featured on the show.
A ghost story that will take you by surprise with its heart, Home Sweet Haunts is a quick read that will stick with you.
For a more indepth spoiler free review check out my youtube video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6obljz3wCtw

📖📖 Book Review 📖📖 HGTV but make it haunted, a brilliant concept that launched Jeremy to the spotlight and his cousin Mara behind in the shadows. When Mara takes a job as a PA for Haunt Sweet Home, she quickly takes over making some of those ghostly spectacles that are captured on the show happen. Obviously we can’t believe everything we see on reality television, right? But when strange occurrences arise, Mara is not only dealing with potential spirits on the set of the show but also from her past. Sarah Pinkser writes an absolutely beautiful tale about the ghosts we carry with us.

Review is on Goodreads and will be posted on instagram closer to publication date and on Amazon when published!

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC!

This was fun, I thought the pacing fell a bit flat in certain parts, especially the big reveal kind of just happened, and there was no turmoil? I wanted more of a slow realization and digging. All in all a neat little ghost story

This book had such an intriguing concept, and I did like parts of Mara's artistic relationship with wood carving and her Oma's legacy. I wouldn't categorize this book as horror, more a weird fiction story, which is fine. It went into some unexpected places, but I think this felt like it would have been more successful as a longer short story than a novella. There were a lot of moments, especially in the beginning, where Mara's listlessness and lack of connection was reflected in the way the author wrote the book, as though she was bored with her own work.

I think I would read more of Pinsker's work because I love an author who isn't afraid to get weird, I just don't think this story was enough to sustain itself.

I've read a lot of Sarah Pinsker's fiction. This includes many short stories including "One Man's Treasure" from last year which was nominated for both the Hugo and Locus awards for best novelette. I also thoroughly enjoyed her two novels, A Song for a New Day and We Are Satellites. Naturally, when I learned that she was soon to publish a new novella, I went looking for it at NetGalley. Many thanks to them for the advance reader copy they provided me in exchange for this unbiased review.

Haunt Sweet Home is the story of a young woman named Mara trying to find her way in the world. Her many attempts to complete college keep flaming out, much to her family's disappointment. Her cousin is a very successful host of cable TV show that goes by the same name as the title of the book . It follows new home owners as they begin to renovate their homes and discover that they are haunted in some way. When this cousin offers Mara a job as a production assistant on the show she takes it not knowing how it will change her life.

This short book was a mixed bag for me. It is slow to start though entertaining throughout. The meat of the story doesn't get going until around the mid-point of the story. One result for me was simply wishing that there was more to the story. In some ways, it feels like it ends just as it is getting the most interesting. Also, the main twist in the story has been used many times and was quite easy for me to see coming. But that is redeemed after the reveal as the details are unique and what the entire story is built to explore. Ultimately, this book is about coming of age, growing up, and learning for yourself who you really are. These are some of my favorite books themes. I just wish this novella was as good for me as her novels.

My rating: 3.5/5

Haunt Sweet Home is a cute, quick little horror novella. Horror isn't even quite the right word to describe it - it's cozy horror at its very coziest. Think of your favorite squishy socks, a fuzzy blanket, a roaring fireplace and a cup of cocoa, while the most adorable haunting you've ever imagined is taking place around you...that type of cozy.

It's a brief interlude into finding your truest self after years of feeling like the outcast and the directionless black sheep of the family. This one could've gone in so many different directions, and while I for sure went in expecting some terror (expect absolutely zero of that), what I did find was a sweet tale of a girl learning to accept herself and grow and become exactly who she was meant to be, in a very unexpected way.

This is a feel good novella with a splash of ghostie goodness - if you're looking for something fast (I finished it within a day) that will warm the cockles of your heart right up, give Haunt Sweet Home a read! It's fun, fast paced and will definitely bring a smile to your face!

A truly interesting take on a haunting! I really enjoyed there book’s fast pace and a chance to look behind the scenes of a ghost reality tv show!