This was an 18+ paranormal romance set between a struggling bookstore manager and a town hopping ghost hunt documentary director.

The characters:
I honestly loved the characters in this. Both main characters were so real, with mental health representations, diverse backgrounds and really well thought out story lines. Their story line was really beautiful to read and I loved the way they handled each others parents so so well.

The Plot:
This was such a fun and adventurous plot! I loved seeing the MMC coming in and making a documentary on ghosts that the FMC had made up in her teen years, and her helping him whilst pretending some of them are real. It was adorable, the wintery elements, the snow kisses and their falling in love over old books. I loved the element of James buying the books she recommended, even though he had already read them, because he wanted to see what she saw in the books.

The writing style was very interesting, heavy on both descriptions and dialogue. This is a style that doesn't always worked but did for this story and this book.

4 stars.

A bookseller who writes fake ghost hauntings and the handsome ghost hunter in town working on a documentary who wants to use her stories.... but doesn't know they are fake are definitely going to clash, especially when they start falling for one another. Lex McCall is a messy pansexual bookseller who has major trust issues. She's forever jaded that she's not her parent's golden child and has major trust issues from everyone leaving her. She spends her free time making up fake ghost stories about her sleepy Vermont town. Then when her boss tells her he's going to sell the bookstore for cheap because of the supposed ghosts haunting the store, Lex can't help but feed into it if it means she can finally buy the store. Then comes James, a handsome guy who has just come into town who just happens to be part of a ghost-hunting documentary crew that are looking into the "verified" ghost stories in town, aka Lex's fake stories. The moment James meets Lex, he is charmed and asks for a date and soon things get serious... but with Lex's secret and her messing with the set... it could ruin everything if it gets out. Can Lex keep the guy or will her lies ruin it all? For a book with a fun premise and about such fun spooky things, this book was a big disappointment for me. I loved how cute the cover was and the fact that Lex is pan and James is Bi made it such a cool rep book... but the actual story felt so lacking in romance. James had insta lust and Lex never grew as a character. I really wish I liked this book more, but it was unfortunately a miss from me. If you like messy small town romances, give this one a go!

Release Date: October 8,2024

Publication/Blog: Ash and Books (ash-and-books.tumblr.com)

*Thanks Netgalley and Alcove Press for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

2.5 stars
TW; miscommunication and poor relationship with immediate family members, fear of losing loved ones

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a digital copy to review. All thoughts are my own.

This was a miss for me. I came into this expecting a wholesome time and dabbling with ghost hunting, but I walked away fairly perturbed by what actually occurred. It was a nice twist to have a Halloween-aimed story set around Christmas and connecting the two holidays together, but otherwise, I didn't get much enjoyment from this book.

I'm just going to throw it out there, there are no ghosts in this. Lex is continuously comparing everything and one, riddled with resentment over her relationship with her parents and "golden child" sister, that she is forever haunted by the past she won't let go of, but not by actual ghosts. Add in some poor relationship choices that led people to leave her behind, and she's got some major trust issues. Unfortunately, there isn't any real evolution for her character - Lex tries to push James away from a relationship and is rather hostile to her parents without giving anything but excuses to them. She is quite self-absorbed in her own pain and experiences that she forgets that other people also have feelings and there's a lot of miscommunication between those she loves that could have been more maturely sorted than how it is resolved at the end of the novel. It irked me that after all that went on, she got everything she wanted to set out for more at the benefit or sacrifice of others, than her learning to communicate properly with people.

James is pretty horny for Lex from the beginning, and whilst the banter at times was fun, the romance felt forced. There's no natural build-up, and the intimacy comes hard and fast (pun definitely intended). There's also a sex scene with consensual filming and roleplay which I wasn't a fan of and put me off any further development between the pair.

Overall, I'm quite disappointed by the lack of ghostly workings, and whilst we knew it was fake from Lex's pov, the situation between her and those making the documentary feels weird. I did like Natalie, Lex's best friend, and I'm glad she stepped out of Lex's tightly gripped bubble, and the lessons Lex had to learn about her beloved small town and the people within it, but I don't feel there were any true consequences that led Lex to grow as a person, and that made this a rather beige read for me.

The beginning and premise of this book is rather cute and intriguing.

The middle dragged on like molasses and I skimmed quite a bit.

The ending made me cry and so I've decided on 3 stars.

It really would have benefitted from dual POVs and at least 2 more spice scenes.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!!

A typical hallmark style story. It’s Christmas in Stowe Vermont but Lex has always been about haunting histories. Enter James and his pal Julien who were fans of her vlog from the 90s…..now does she fall in love with James or lie to him and have his movie be a hit so she can buy the bookstore she works at for a steal.
This is your typical love at first sight book with lots of miscommunication towards the end before it reaches its HEA.
It’s a nice enough atmospheric read but it’s not reinventing the wheel.
I received a ARC of this title, all opinions are my own.

This cover and blurb drew me in, and I loved the idea of this book, but wasn't able to get past a few chapters despite trying to read this book multiple times.

𝘼𝙍𝘾 𝘽𝙤𝙤𝙠 𝙍𝙚𝙫𝙞𝙚𝙬
𝙃𝙖𝙪𝙣𝙩 𝙔𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙃𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙩 𝙊𝙪𝙩
𝘼𝙢𝙗𝙚𝙧 𝙍𝙤𝙗𝙚𝙧𝙩𝙨
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️

•𝘏𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘮𝘢𝘳𝘬 𝘮𝘦𝘦𝘵𝘴 𝘏𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘯
•𝘚𝘮𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘳𝘰𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦
•𝘎𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘵 👻 𝘩𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘴
•𝘎𝘪𝘭𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘎𝘪𝘳𝘭 𝘷𝘪𝘣𝘦𝘴

Need a cute, but steamy palate cleanser that still fits spooky season? Look no further than this new release from

Opposites attract when city boy James meets homebody Lex in this spirited tale…where historic haunts inspire a documentary surrounding modern ghost hunters. But who is really being hunted in this cozy, snowy romcom?

✨ Publication date: October 8, 2024✨

Haunt Your Heart Out is a spooky season Ron-com set in a small Vermont town where legends of ghosts are part of the towns history.

Lex McCall loves her sleepy little town. Having grown up there spending her teenage years hosting a ghost chasing vlog, she has settled down in the house her grandfather left her. Lex is the manager of the local used books store and loves her quiet little life.

Lex’s family up and moved to California when her sister became a doctor and settled there. They are constantly trying to convince her to leave her small town and start a better life in California. Even Lex’s long term boyfriend up and left her a year ago, not willing to make it a go there.

When a handsome stranger James wonders into the bookstore, Lex is convinced she can have a short term fling while he is in town. Their chemistry is off the charts and James is only here short term while he and his friend film a ghost story documentary.

What starts out as a casual fling turns into much more but Lex is tired of people leaving her and she’s not willing to give up her own dreams to follow others. On top of that, Lex is keeping a secret that may ruin James’ entire documentary.

This was a cute book. It’s a timely read with spooky season around the corner. It was a quick read but I didn’t really get attached to any of the characters or feel a strong chemistry between the couples. This is a 3 star read for me!

Disclaimer: I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

#NetGalley #AmberRoberts #hauntyourheartout

I absolutely loved this story!!!

One bit of inconsistency, if you haven't caught it already, when we get to the parents house in CA & Jordan is making crab cakes. Her out is described as high waisted pants, but later that same night while drinking rum she is in a skirt. Idk how she changed.

I absolutely adored James. He was extremely chivalrous, very handy, and super swoony! He fixed her plumbing, accepted book recs that he already consumed, and bought duplicates. I liked how he handled her family so well. He fit right in. I just wish that he didn't leave so abruptly.

Their camera fantasy was such a fun bit of heat there in the meddle.

Alex was a good character. She embraced her fears and turned them into strengths and she had a life plan. She knew what she wanted and she didn't want handouts. I like that her family situation eased up a bit by the end. The communication and emotional dump was needed. I felt the realism to my core we all probably have a load that needs to be unloaded at some point.

Excellent story.

I loved the premise and setting for this romance, and I loved a female character who was so clear about her goals in the face of family pressure. However, I ultimately found the story lacking the emotional heft that would really draw me into the romance itself.

HAUNT YOUR HEART OUT is such a fun (and not scary!) read for not only spooky season, but any time of year. As someone who always wants to read seasonal reads but is also terrified of anything remotely scary, this book is perfect for me. There are so many things to love about this book! Great chemistry, adorable dog, small town romance, handsome stranger, the quest to purchase a bookstore, lots of shenanigans. It's the perfect cozy book for the fall.

I really wanted to love this book more than I did.

The book is set in a small town in Vermont around Christmas with James (MMC), the out of towner documentary ghost hunter, and Lex (FMC), the struggling bookseller with an old house and an intensive desire to never leave her town.

It was slow paced for me and felt like it took forever to make it through the book. It's not a slow burn and there are spicy scenes. But something just fell flat with me - maybe it was the ghosty spooky themes at Christmas, the intense anxiety of the FMC, the half-truths of the FMC, the sort of 3rd act breakup, or something else.

If you are looking for a cozy romance then you might be interested in this one.

I thought this book was great!

The idea of ghosthunters was a concept that has probably been done before, but I havent read anything like this yet!

It definitely gave winter vibes which is great because I read this over the weekend as the weather dropped!

The characters were both relatable and I enjoyed the plot!

Thank you NetGalley, and Alcove for letting me read this eARC. Sadly, this does not appeal to me. I have very few thoughts regarding this book; therefore, I can't really talk about it in depth. I found it uninteresting and difficult to get into. Though the overall ghost story vibe was enjoyable, I found the character interactions to be occasionally irritating. I did like the spooky vibes during Christmas time setting; it did somehow work together quite well. There is some cute banter and a few good tension-building moments, but otherwise I wasn't hooked. I would recommend this book to someone who is looking for a pretty mundane romance book with a spooky twist. 3/5 stars. LGBTQ+ represented in the book for those who are interested.

This book was underwhelming for me. I liked the first 30% and the overall premise. Unfortunately the story felt flat and I began to dislike Lex. All the drama was largely self inflicted and she put everyone in these boxes, not allowing any growth in their relationships. She was so self centered that it really grated.

I also didn’t love the writing and at points I felt like I was missing parts. Maybe because it was an unedited copy??

Unfortunately a miss for me.

📖: Haunt Your Heart Out-a standalone

✍️ By: Amber Roberts -new to me author

📃 Page Count: 301, eBook

🗓️ Publication Date: 10-8-24, Read 9-28-24


🙏🏾Thanks to NetGalley, Alcove Press, and Amber Roberts for this ARC👻! I voluntarily give my honest review, and all opinions are my own.

🌎Setting: Stowe, VT

Genre: Adult Fic, Paranormal/Contemporary Romance

Tropes: book lover-h, opposites attract, small town, Christmas, holiday romance, LGBTQIA+ rep, mental health, ghost-hunting documentary competition, slow burn

POV: single 1st person

⚠️TW: toxic parents-h/H, h in therapy, cheating-not H/h

💭Summary: Lex loves routine in her life. Living in small town Vermont surrounded by books is her idea of home even though all her family and friends have left town. She inherited a fixer upper from her grandfather, but the constant repairs are financially draining. Lex also wants to buy the bookstore but doesn't have the equity. When James comes to town investigating the paranormal to win a documentary competition, Lex works with him to keep him from knowing the ghost stories are fake. The more time they spend on ghost tours and interviews, the more they fall for each other.

🚺Hero: James Coen-travelling ghost-hunting documentarian, an out of towner

🚺 Heroine: Alex "Lex" McCall-33, runs a bookstore in town

🎭Side cast:
• Natalie-Lex's BFF, drives a snowplow, more family to Lex than her real family
• Lex's parents-wanted Lex to be a Dr like her sister, sell her house and move on
• Julian-James' partner, a documentarian
• Lulu-James' dog
• Jordan- Lex's sister, "the perfect daughter," a married Dr. w/ twins Isaac and Levi
•Brooks-James' father. Wanted son to be a lawyer, thinks he's a disappointment
•Charles-Lex's boss, owns Dog-Eared Books and More

🤔 My Thoughts: I loved that Lex's ideas about her sister Jordan and her parents turned out to be so wrong. Throughout the entire book she lamented about everyone leaving her and how her sister was the golden child. Lex's family issues were her own projections -not willing to change or try new things. She quit school, lived in shabby old house, and worked at a failing bookstore. James was the complete opposite with constant travelling and figuring out his career path. I liked the ghost stories Lex and Nat created about women in their vlog "Haunted Happenings" when they were teenagers. I didn't mind the 3rd act breakup because James and Lex revealed their true motivations. Lex and her family did some reconciling, she was ready to make life changes, and James put down some roots in Stowe.

Range of emotions: 😬🤔🙄
🌶️: Spice 4/5
😭: Emotion 4/5
⭐️: Rating 4/5
🧑‍🤝‍🧑: Couple 4/5

Lex McCall lives a quiet life, living in a sleepy town and working in a quaint bookstore. Everyone she knows leaves town to seek futures elsewhere, but after the bookshop's owner offers to sell it to Lex, she's thrilled. Until she meets James, a handsome stranger who is part of a ghost hunting documentary crew trying to verify the ghost stories in town.

Haunt Your Heart Out was super fun! Set in a cosy Vermont town, with a fun cast of characters this was an easy way to spend an afternoon. The MMC, James, was quite endearing and I really liked the creation of his character!

Thank you to Netgalley and Alcove Press for an e-arc, all opinions are my own.

I’m normally a horror reader. This is the absolute perfect book for spooky girls who aren’t super into romance, but want to read something a bit more lighthearted. Perfect

Haunt Your Heart Out by Amber Roberts is just a downright adorable book. Spooky vibes during Christmas time, yes please!
It was a fun read with very easily lovable characters. I would definitely recommend.

2.5 Rounded up. Hm. I liked this book at the start. Without the convoluted mess of Lexs problems, I liked the book in general. I think that these people were too old to be having the problems that they were having. Not only that but I think that all of lex's problems were pretty much in her head and non-existent and even after she found out that her problems were basically nothing compared to other people's, she still complained to James that her family was an absolute nightmare even though her family wasn't really that bad and clearly just wanted her to be around them. And she made a big deal about it as if her family was so awful for wanting her to come down and visit them more than once a year. she made her family out to be the villains when they were not in fact villains and someone else could see that and could tell but she still wasn't buying it and was making herself out to be the victim. It got to be a little bit too much for me to really fully enjoy the book with how much she was complaining about things that really did not need complaining over. And not only that but her parents seemed more than willing to help her out with the money aspect of things and yet she acted as if they were trying to control her entire life by offering to help get her money that they did not have to help her get. I also felt as if the diversity was a little bit forced in that she was pansexual and it was mentioned that she dated a man a woman and a non-binary person and I kind of feel as if the author is trying to say that pansexual people also like non-binary people as if bisexual people cannot? I don't know It just felt like some of the representation was a little bit forced in there like it was placed in there and you could definitely tell it didn't belong. Like maybe it was just a cash grab. I like the fact that James was unabashedly bisexual though. The difference for me is that James simply said and I'm bisexual and that was it but lex being pansexual was more... heavily showcased in that it was explicitly stated the different genders of people that she dated. I really would have loved this book more if it took the same direction as it had in the very beginning. It is also worth mentioning that the synopsis of the book does not match the inside of the book and is also very confusing. The synopsis makes you think that lex gets an offer for the bookstore from her boss and then meets James and then realizes that she needs to stop James from filming at the location because if he kept filming then it would ruin her chance to buy the bookstore but in reality the plot was that she meets James and then way later her boss offers her the bookstore and then she realizes she needs James to continue with looking into ghost hunting because it will get her the store if it seems to be too haunted for the owners liking. I've heard a lot of really good things about this book so I was really excited for it but I ended up disappointed in the end which is really sad.

Big thank you to the publisher for the ARC Widget.