Happily Haunted Afters is a second change romantic comedy with a supernatural twist.

The main character Emma knows what she wants and is not afraid to go for it despite obstacles such as financing being in the way! She found her dream home (and business) but needs an investor. Cue getting in touch with an old friend Jack to help. Forced to spend the weekend together we see their friendship, history and inevitable romance come out to play.

I really wanted to love this as a theme its perfect for me but I struggled to connect with the writing, the characters and story. It got a little messy in places but overall was enjoyable just not memorable or for me the style. The banter between the characters is definitely my favorite thing about it.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in return for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Whimsical, hallmark fall vibes in the book. Book me a trip to a small town in Vermont, so I can meet adorable characters like Lex, James and Natalie.
Wonderfully refreshing having a character like Lex who suffers from anxiety and overbearing parents. I always find it captivating when books and characters deal with money problems, stress and finding one’s place in life.
Lex and James have a lot of chemistry and so pleased they were able to work things. But let’s not forget the hero little Lulu the most adorable dog ever.

3 1/2 stars

Lex is perfectly content in her snowy hometown of Stowe, Vermont, even if no one else seems to be. Everyone is always leaving. Even tourists only pass through long enough to ski, and snag a commemorative bumper sticker on the way out of town.

When James rolls into the area with a documentary crew, looking to catch some of Stowe's spooky lore on film, she tries not to get attached. However, haunted happenings are her area of expertise, and by helping him, she might help herself...after all he's only bound to leave eventually.

Featuring ghost-hunting, books, a horse-drawn carriage, and the cutest furry companion, Haunt Your Heart Out was definitely an enjoyable read.

I loved the descriptions and atmosphere of Stowe's used book store; this was one thing that added to the coziness of small town, and a setting I think many of us can imagine with fondness.

The somewhat brief, but accurate (in my experience) description of the obstacles one can face with anxiety was a welcome representation of mental illness, which I enjoy seeing more of as of late.

I felt Lex to be somewhat insufferable and immature at times, especially for a 33 year old woman, but maybe this is by design. I do wish that James's character had been a bit more fleshed out. I feel as though we didn't get to know him very well, and he mostly served to aid Lex's character development. This made the romance aspect feel a little lackluster for me.

I'm a sucker for all things spooky and Christmas, and this is one of the first times I've seen them done together. That being said, I think I would've preferred the story to lean more one way or the other. (Full blown Christmas, or raging Halloween.) The paranormal aspect and sleepy tourist town vibes fell a little flat.

Parts of the book had me rushing to read more, and others felt a little slow. Haunt Your Heart Out is certainly a cute rom-com, but maybe just missed the mark a little for me

This was so cute! I love a little paranormal with my romance. I wish I could have read this closer to Halloween but I still really enjoyed myself! Thank you to the publisher for sending me this ARC

🏠 Small Town
👻 Fake Ghosts
🎥 Film K!nk
❤️ Gilmore Girls x Ghost Hunters
🫶🏼 He’s Bi
🖤 Anxiety Representation
🎬 Documentary Filmmaker
🥹 Cozy/Spooky Vibes

This book was just perfect. Perfect like a cool autumn day during spooky season minute the scaries. The backdrop of this book was the only place I could ever imagine this happening in and the author nailed it with this choice. I loved Lexs’ character so much, she was flawlessly written and I also loved James, he was a dreamboat. Liz and James had a beautiful simmering chemistry that made you sigh with how sweet it was. Their banter and their comments to each other back and forth as THE BEST.

Lex is a bookstore owner with some secrets and James is part of a ghost hunting crew and has struggles of his own to work through. This was just simply the sweetest cozy mystery with a little side of spook and our author gave us a sprinkle of twists and turns and the best ending ever. This will be a book that I will be recommending to my book friends!

Thank you @netgalley and @alcovepress for the arc in exchange for my honest review.

This book was absolutely adorable. I really enjoyed the characters, especially Lex. I feel like I resonated with her from the first chapter. This would be a great read during the winter/holiday months since the scene is in a small, cozy Vermont town. I absolutely loved this small town romance and would recommend it.
A big Thank you to NetGalley, Amber Roberts(author) and Alcove Press(publisher) for allowing me to receive an e-ARC copy of this book!

a very wholesome and warm and comforting read! made me want to curl up on a rainy day in the fall, sipping a mug of apple cider...

ghost vibes were a very fun layer but just overall it took me a long time to get through this book it just wasn't for me.

special thanks to netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for a honest review!

I’ve got to say that this book was slow to start and a little hard to get into at first if I’m being honest. But I did really enjoy the banter and slow build romance between the main characters. I really connected with the struggles and fears that Lex was experiencing and it made the book resonate with me more. I loved the small town vibe of it and how sometimes it felt like reading a hallmark movie. The world building and back story that went into this book was incredible. There were so many ghost stories that it made the book such a good and entertaining read. I love that you could read this book during Halloween or Christmas and it would still be appropriate. This book is great for people who love a small town romance with a HEA.

This book was fun, cozy, and heartwarming. Like a Hallmark movie with an autumnal, paranormal twist. The premise was great and I really loved the small town vibes and its unique cast of characters that really rounded out the setting of the romance. The writing was full of voice and beautiful descriptions of Stowe, VT.

This didn’t quite hit for me, though it wasn’t bad by any means. I felt like it could’ve been more with the “quirky town” (which didn’t seem quirky to me) and less with the main character’s absolutely endless issues. I had a hard time liking Lex, and I think that spoiled the book a little for me.

I’m thankful to Alcove and NetGalley for the ARC!

did i just watch a hallmark movie?!? because this gave me all the good vibe feels of a hallmark movie!! i loved the spooky christmas vibes! it was meshed together so beautifully and i cannot wait to own a physical copy when it releases so i can read it every holiday season!

Haunt Your Heart Out is an interesting story that follows Lex, an FMC who used to make ghosthunting/ghost sighting vlogs 15 years ago, and James, an MMC working with his best friend to create a ghosthunting documentary in the same town as Lex. I think due to the cover and the title, I was really expecting some fun spooky vibes BUT this book actually takes place in winter! It makes for a very interesting combo to have a spooky book yet sometimes cozy Christmas vibes!?!?! It's a really fun juxtaposition to read! PLUS, the pacing is kind of funky because you start off the book with the MMC and FMC meeting but don't really see/understand where things are going until you actually get into the book!
There is also a lot going on in the background of this story so I would definitely consider it to be something along the lines of Just for the Summer by Abby Jimenez, where there are family drama/family centered subplots that really create more depth for a mostly romance book!
Even though this book takes place in winter, I'd def recommend to people who start wanting to get their spooky fall vibes AND wintery Christmas vibes all at the SAME time!!!
Thank you to Alcove Press form an ARC copy of this book!💖

Unfortunately, I am not a fan of this one. I can’t say much about it, as I have almost no reflections on this book. I found it boring and hard to get into. I will say, though, that the whole ghost stories vibe was fun - but not necessarily as a spring-read. The characters had some funny banter, but I didn’t feel much tension between them and their relationship was just bland. Also, I could not relate to the FMC at all - her decision making skills had me baffled. Overall, reading this book did not bring any enjoyment whatsoever.

Haunt Your Heart Out by Amber Roberts was so great - a little romance, a little adventure - all set with the backdrop of Stowe, VT. Beautiful writing with great descriptions of the setting.

Lex McCall manages a bookstore, but is completely okay with a quiet life. She meets mysterious James, who turns out to be a ghost hunter/documenter. Lex resurrects her “Haunted Happenings” vlog to help them out. He has a nomadic spirit, though, and Lex starts to worry that she’s falling for him.

Thank you to @netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Haunt Your Heart Out was a precious little, feel good kind of RomCom. I absolutely loved the ghost hunters spook at Christmas vibes in the Hallmark movie small town setting. It worked so nicely. And would be a perfect Christmas-time read.

The story is about our girl Lex, whose living the small town dream, but dying by 1,000 paper-cuts as she tries to repair the home her grandfather left for her, purchase the bookstore she’s worked in since college, while battling her anxiety and overachieving parents and their expectations of what Alex’s life in her 30s should look like. In to her bookstore (of course) walks an out of town, never stays in one place too long, cutie James, who’s investigating the paranormal stories in town for an indie documentary. It just so happens that most of these stories were creatively embellished by Alex when she was in highschool. Can the drifter inspire some wanderlust in Alex? Or is everyone destined to leave her because her roots are too deep in her snow globe town?

I loved seeing main characters in their 30s. I feel like with older characters, there’s so much more room for backstory and character development. I thought the chemistry between Alex and James was very cute, and I loved Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds. I love that both characters dealt with a bit of anxiety, and there was a bit of LGBTQ+ representation as Alex was pan and James bi.

This is a personal preference of mine, no fault of the book, but I need a bit more tension in the beginning. Instalove isn’t really for me, and these characters got together quickly. For me it felt like it made the middle section feel a bit long, and then the third act breakup happened very fast in the end.

Overall I enjoyed this story, and I would recommend as a cozy little romance. Especially for “my we’re never recovering from our emo phase because it wasn’t a phase” girlies.

This books premise had me so excited! And overall it was a cute book. The pacing initially felt really slow and I struggled to get through the first third or so of the book. It was repetitive and a tad boring. Eventually the story picked up and it was rather enjoyable!

This book had an endearing premise but it didn't quite stick the landing for me. Maybe having more inner monologue from the main character would help me feel more connected with the characters and the story they're experiencing.

This was a really enjoyable contemporary romance that hit a lot of high points. For lovers of holiday reads, this one hits a nice Yuletide note without being overly Christmas-ey. Add in a little bit of manufactured spookiness, strangers to lovers, difficult families, found families and secret pasts...well you have a five-star cozy read.

The characters were well developed past the classic "tragic pasts' and the chemistry felt very natural and real. While a much cleaner/fade-to-black narrative than I have been reading lately, the relationship still sizzles while also being sweet and realistic. Sometimes I found Lex to be a little irritating, but I will chalk that up to age difference and that her maturing was a central theme of the novel, so it serves a purpose beyond being a "quirky cool girl." The cast of supporting characters were equally rounded and added a lot to the world building. That the story features my family's favorite Vermont town certainly helped, though the atmosphere of the story is owed entirely to Roberts' writing.

Overall a genuinely enjoyable read that will be a hit for lovers of the contemporary romance genre.

I want to thank NetGalley and Alcove Press for this ARC of this story. The cover drew me to this book, it is gorgeous. I really liked the concept of this book. The Blair Witch style blog of hauntings in the town was a nice way to bring back memories of those early Youtube days. I did feel like the romance was rushed in the beginning. I enjoyed the cozy winter vibes and that Lex had someone who was a constant in her life despite her family being terrible.

Favorite quote: "Finding where you belong is an important discovery."

This was SUCH a cozy read! I'm a sucker for anything set in Vermont because it's one of my favorite regions in the US. So the small town vibes, the spooky vibes, the bookstore...all of it was a perfect mix of so many things I love!! I was so surprised by the intricate secrets and romantic arc that appeared in this one, and it was so satisfying. It was also really fun to see a spooky vibe story set during the winter holiday season. That was a nice twist!

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an eARC of this title. These are my honest thoughts.