3.5 stars

What happens when you never want to leave your home town, but find yourself falling yet again for someone who is never in one place at the same time?

Thats the story of Lex McCall, bookshop manager and dedicated Stowe, Vermont resident, who finds herself falling for travelling ghost hunting documentarian James Coen. Adding to this complication is James and his director best friend are in town because of Lex's teenage ghost vlog, which they don't realise is fictional. Except Lex can't tell the truth because the ghost rumours mean she might finally be able to buy the bookshop from her boss at a low price.

With its cosy, small town Vermont vibes, and lovely spark between Lex and Coll, I enjoyed this book. However there was something missing which I can't quite pinpoint. I found the first 20% really slow to get into and the ending was Hallmark cheesy in tone. Yet the rest of the book had a much more layered and realistic vibe to it, with Lex and James' parental issues. The strongest part for me where Lex finally confronting her parents and sister, but I do wish that we saw more of Lex changing earlier.

Overall this was a lovely and sweet read.

Thanks to Alcove Press and NetGalley for the ARC.

this short book is about a daughter and her mom, and the way their relationship connected through skype because the mom lives in Brazil and her daughter is pursuing a degree in the USA. the feeling of helplessness because she knows for sure that she’s not living closer to her and if something bad happens to the mom, she can’t be there instantly.

it is very vibey and slow, following through the day-to-day routine of both the two main character and their thoughts, looking forward to their scheduled meeting to catch up on each other’s life.

for some people, this book could end up becoming boring since there isn’t any proposition happening, but for me, i enjoy this type of story so much because the writer could show many different emotions in very simple mundane activities.

so happy and grateful i have the chance to read this arc.

The cover is so beautiful it immediately caught my eye, and even though it isn’t Halloween, I was super excited to dive into this spooky story. This was such a wholesome romcom, with one of my favourite Halloween activities - ghost hunting! With a cozy bookstore background, this was just what I needed after a few heavy reads.

Fans of Gilmore girls, and Supernatural, this is the perfect little treat! I adored our main characters, from their banter and opposite personalities (lex was a small town girl living in a lonely world 🤭 who also battled anxiety and James was cheeky and fun), even though their miscommunications and conflict, I was rooting for them together! I loved the cozy, found family vibes and mental health rep, it really added extra depth to the cute romcom vibes. As a first time reader of amber roberts, I’m super impressed with her writing and ability to weave loveable and relatable main characters!

Thank you so much to netgalley, the publishers and amber Roberts for my arc in exchange for an honest review.

I absolutely adored Haunt Your Heart Out!

Plot Teaser:
Haunt Your Heart Out centers on Lex, a small-town girl who runs the local bookstore, and, honestly, her abandonment issues. Everyone she's loved and cared for has sprinted away from her hometown, where she desperately wants to stay. Lex decides to avoid getting attached to anyone who comes to town. However, things change when a charming ghost hunter arrives to investigate the local legends. Lex begins to question her decision to keep her distance, mainly because she played a part in creating the legends in the first place.

This little gem is perfect for those who love a good old-fashioned small-town romance but also want a bit more substance.

Some readers found it difficult to believe that Lex changed her mind so quickly about getting close to James, but as someone who has wild anxiety and little to no self-control, I get it 100%. Especially with James's adorably witty banter, I would've folded even faster than Lex. The pining ends about 20% of the way through, but that doesn't mean the fear of James leaving doesn't affect the other 80% of the book.

I also loved that the book took place during Christmas because mixing Christmas and ghosts means you have a cute little read from October to December.

This book has a bit of spice; I would give it a 3/5 on the spicy scale since there are a few explicit scenes, but the focus is on the plot.

I really enjoyed reading Haunt Your Heart Out and would highly recommend it!

Thank you to Netgalley, Amber Roberts, and Alcove Press for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Super cute, small town romance between a bookseller and a ghost hunter. I loved the characters and the personal growth they both had. I thought Lex’s struggles with anxiety were accurate portrayed. There were several moments that had me laughing out loud. I wish there had been more pining at the beginning but over all it had a hallmark movie feel to it and I enjoyed it.

I enjoyed this rom-com! We always love to see a main character who runs a bookstore, and the New England location only makes it cozier. My only criticism would be regarding the dynamics between our main characters and their parents. Navigating parental relationships in adulthood can be tough, but I felt like these plot points were more reminiscent of twenty-somethings than thirty-somethings (as someone in their early 30's). Otherall, this was a lighthearted read for any time of the year with sweet characters, and a happy ending!

I enjoyed a lot of aspects of this book. The characters felt like full-fledged people, were easy to like, and were relatable. One criticism I have is how fast Lex is to disregard her thoughts about not being involved with someone. She makes a show of not wanting to be involved, yet jumps right into a relationship with James. Another criticism I have about the book is that the eulogy feels very rushed, and doesn't really make sense to the story. It felt haphazardly thrown together. Otherwise, I really enjoyed this book.

This was really cute! Like the vibes, small town, fall/winter time and the cozy bookstore vibes gave. Personally though I didn't enjoy it that much. I have a problem with the miscommunication trope and it seemed to be persistent in the book and kinda bothered me.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC!

⭐️⭐️⭐️ stars
🌶️🌶️ spice

A wholesome small town romance with a side of ghost hunting. I don't know why I looked at this book and thought "oh cool, she falls in love with him then finds out he's a ghost" 🤦🏼‍♀️ ...I've clearly been reading too much paranormal romance. It's far more cute and less complicated than that, this is all about two would be lovers who come together over a mutual interest in ghost hunting.

The characters were likeable, and the snow capped town and bookstore setting gave us all the cozy, spooky vibes that had me aching for a hot cocoa to accompany me on the read. I could not agree more with what others are saying about this book...it's giving Gilmore Girls. Stars Hollow is exactly how I pictured this Vermont ski town, complete with its own beguiling bookworm. I often found myself reading their dialogue at double pace with an extra dose of sarcasm, in true Gilmore fashion.

The development of the romance was sweet, although I felt like a lot of the tension across the side of the storyline was fabricated for the sake of adding a conflict to overcome. One quick conversation could have avoided drama and the tension was resolved fairly quickly despite it previously being made into a bigger deal, with little explanation for the radio silence.

What I did like in the latter half was the exploration of Lex's family dynamics, battling her crippling anxiety while trying to express her needs to her boomer parents - highly relatable.

Overall a quick read that serves pretty well as a palate cleanser, and perfect for burying yourself in on a winter holiday.

Tropes/Themes:
Small Town Romance
Cosy Bookstore Vibes
Found family
Mental Health Rep

Lex managed a used bookstore in Stowe, VT and is planning to live there in her grandparents home they left to her for life. Even after her sister and parents have moved to the West Coast, Lex has no interest in leaving Stowe. When she meets James, a documentary co-director in town for the haunting, her past vlog Haunted Happenings with Natalie makes a reappearance when James and Julian want to film their ghosts. Lex is falling for James and would like to keep him in town, even if she needs to make things seem more paranormal.

Set in December, this is a nice fall/winter time read. Personally, this story was not a great fit for me. Poor communication as a consistent problem is not my favorite trope and it made for a hard to like protagonist. That said, this will likely be a good read for you if you like a small town romance, used bookstore vibes, and the story line of the love interest visiting from out of town as part of a documentary crew.

Thank you to Alcove Press for an ARC on @NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Thank you Netgalley, publisher Alcove Press, and author Amber Roberts for providing an ARC in exchange for a review! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

3 stars

A dashing ghost hunter and the bookseller who made up the ghosts he’s chasing wind up entangled in more ways than one in this contemporary romance. This was a spooky and cute book, perfect for the colder months while you sip a hot cup of tea and pretend you’re in cosy Vermont, while you blush and kick your feet. I dare say the romance felt a bit rushed at the beginning of the story, but it got better along the way. Moreover, it also deals with more serious issues, like both characters’ lack of familial support and how they deal with these problems.

This was a quick and fun read perfect for Gilmore Girls and Supernatural fans!

I chose this book based off the cover (yes, I’m that person…but it’s so cute) and the blurb sounded so fun!

This is a good read overall. I loved the main characters. There is such great banter between the FMC and her best friend and the FMC and MMC.

This seriously would have been the perfect fall read.

There may be talk of ghosts but it’s not scary and more fun than anything.

The few steamy parts were nice! I’m also a dark romance readers so they weren’t overly steamy to me. So it depends what your spice level rating is on how steamy you would consider these scenes.

Overall, I enjoyed this read. It’s fun, cute and well written.

"Haunt Your Heart Out" is the first book I've read by this author.

I picked it out because the premise seemed up my alley. I love supernatural and spooky and a good rom com.

I enjoyed this book but it wasn't my favorite. The characters are fun, but it was hard to connect. Some of the character arcs are to swift and it's hard to understand motivation.

It was still a fun read and I did enjoy aspects of it.

Thank you NetGalley for letting me have the opportunity to read this! A Gilmore girls meets supernatural! By supernatural I mean the mcm reminds me of Dean and Sam. Cute little read and main characters are easy to fall in love with. Being from Syracuse I instantly fell for James and him being from there. His banter and comments made me fall more. Lex was a sweet small town girl who’s stubborn in her ways at times. You get to watch them grown in love and it’s beautiful! I laughed a lot, there was just enough spice and I needed to know what was happening next and how it ended! Was not disappointed in the ending at all. I actually appreciated how it all came together in the end. Highly recommended, especially for a fall cozy read!

This book made me want to plan a visit to a sleepy Vermont town! The romance and tension between the couple was delectable and the banter was the cherry on top! The keeping secrets did bother me, but I was still able to focus on the book. I love matching my books to the holidays, and this would be a great spooky book for the Halloween season!

Thank you to NetGalley and Alcove Press for the eARC!

Haunt Your Heart Out is a fun romance that takes place in a cozy Vermont setting. It touches on themes such as comfortability, anxiety, staying close to your roots, growing up, and more! I thought this had some very humorous parts and very much Halloween cozy fall vibes. I wasn’t obsessed with this book, but I would definitely recommend it for the fall time.

Thank you to Alcove Press & NetGalley for the advanced copy.

I give this book 3.5 stars

Lex McCall loves her life in a quiet Vermont town and her job at the quiet bookstore but all of her friends and family have moved away. She decides that she will no longer date tourists or newcomers because they are more likely to move on and leave her behind. Lex receives an amazing offer to buy the bookstore and she cannot resist a chance to put roots down further. James is a part of ghost hunting crew creating a documentary and stops by the bookstore. Lex actually was the one who created these "ghost" stories about a decade ago. Worried her secret will come out she tampers will James' research and results.

This is a super cute Halloween contemporary romance book, do not go into it expecting real ghosts or a paranormal romance. Saying that it does give amazing witchy vibes set in a small town. I would definitely describe the book as cozy and low-stakes. It gives Hallmark meets Gilmore Girls meets Halloween but not in a way that feels overly cheesy. There are parts of the book that bring more of an emotional depth to the story like when the characters talk about their lack of familial support. Lex in particular felt incredibly relatable to me as she struggles with feelings of loneliness and mental health while also trying to be independent. Both Lex and James are extremely likable characters which makes you route for their relationship throughout the book, it also helps that they have strong chemistry.

The plot overall was super cute and there was an an added subplot of mystery and suspense that I was not expecting. There is also an underlying message of not letting fear hold you back living your life to the fullest. This is a great cozy romance with some emotional depth that is perfect for the fall. I will be re-reading this book in October when it comes out because I feel that is the perfect time to read this book.

I received an early copy of this book from Netgalley.

The positives about this book for me are the setting. I love a cosy book setting in a quirky little town.
Snowing, warm clothes, bookstore with the promise of romance with a sexy out of towner and of course some spooky ghosts. Even the front cover had me, being a bit of a sucker for this newer cartoon type front cover thats donning the books now a days. These were all A +
The promise of this book was all there for me.

Sadly,the fmc could just not be endeared to me. I am actually not sure what it was that made it difficult for me to like her. I understand anxiety as a self admitted anxious person. Family problems , absolutely, we all have them. Rejection sensitive and the "stuckness" that comes from all this because you want to be safe. Everything about her was incredibly relatable and yet, something just wasn't right by me.
Also the attraction and subsequent relationship with James felt a bit forced and meh.

I still read the book and enjoyed the ideas. Maybe I need to go back and read it at another time though and see if it's just been a bad reading day.
3 stars

I was REALLY excited for this one! I tend to go into books blind to enjoy them more so I didn’t thoroughly read the description (on purpose!) I go based on covers and vibes, and this cover was so cute and spooky! This book was okay but I think I expected like… actual ghosts? More spooky stuff? It started off feeling like a Christmas story and didn’t truly contain anything paranormal which is what I wanted to see. The setting was great and the characters were cool. Their banter was my favorite part! Overall, it was fun and I think it will be enjoyed by many even though it fell a little flat for me. I am still giving it 4 stars because it was well written and I would have had different expectations had I read the description prior to reading.

The writing in this book did descriptions and inner dialogue well, and as someone haunted by my cringey old Facebook posts, I thought the use of vlogging as a teenage hobby coming back to bite the main character was an excellent idea. I also particularly enjoyed the depiction of family and healing in the book, and thought that it was realistic and cathartic. Though the conflict of the book is a bit self-inflicted on the main character’s part, it still comes across as satisfyingly tense and complicated.

Though the characters were charming from the beginning, the story took a while to get moving, and the first quarter of the book was weighed down with repetition. The romance felt rushed at the start, which made it difficult for me to really feel invested in the relationship. The story did pick up in the second half, and I liked a lot of what it had to offer from that point on, but the first half unfortunately did not grab my attention. Though this wasn’t really for me, I think fans of cozy, flirty romance may enjoy this read. Many thanks to NetGalley and Alcove Press for this ARC. This is my honest review.

2/5 When the “ghosts” of your past come back to haunt you.