This story was a great premise, a fake reality show that tried to convince homeowners and the public that there were hauntings where there were none, and our protagonist Mara is enlisted to help scare everyone. I love how the real ghost outdoes the fake ghost (Mara) and their relationship gets more connected and complicated. For a shorter story, this had depth, realistic characters, and a unique plot. Not too scary, just enough humor, and a feel-good ending.

I'm giving this 5 stars because this story really made me stop and think! This book was way too short for my liking since it started to really pick up at the very end.

I liked the character development for Mara and how are fit into the story.

I really enjoyed the audiobook since the "show" sections were performed by a full cast and I would have loved to have had more chapters and the TV show.

A very quick listen but this story sucks you in so fast. I love how the narrative scenes are interspersed with transcripts from the titular television show, giving the story a found footage feel to it. An HGTV-like house restoration show that specializes in haunted houses ends up getting actually haunted. The main character, Mara, is one whom many people can identify with, smart but no degree or skills to speak of, she’s drifting through life until she gets a job with that show, whose host happens to be her cousins and gets her the job. As it is quite short, anymore would venture into spoiler territory, but this book has some nicely creepy moments and a very satisfying ending.

Thank you NetGally for the advanced audiobook in exchange for my honest feedback. This was a lonely weird little book about a woman basically trying to figure out who she is. I loved what was done with the tv show aspects, I feared it was going to be cheesy but it really worked for me! The narrator did a wonderful job at bring life to the characters and making me feel the loneliness and confusion while also keeping things spooky. Again big thanks to NetGally and McMillan audio for the ARC.

This book was interesting. I enjoyed the clever spin on the ghost story but there is nothing about this book that stood out. Our main character is boring (but that’s the point) and I didn’t really like any of the other characters. BUT I enjoyed the premise of a haunted house show.

3.5⭐

I had been seeing this Novella making the rounds with some of my friends on goodreads so I knew I had to read it. It was a very fun book. It's quick, and easy to read. As most novella's I always wish it was just a little longer, but overall it packed a lot in the 176 pages. The ending could easily set up for another novella. (which I hope we get a sequel! loving the HGTV show vibes) Would be a great book to add to your Halloween TBR!

I loved this, it’s part haunting part silly home renovation tv show. I wish something like that was really on tv I would tune into every episode. Story is following Mara, a 20-something outsider in her own family. Her cousin offers her an overnight job on the reality show where she is supposed to create the hauntings… or does she.

Thanks to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for the chance to listen to this early!

Thank you for the ARC Audiobook. This was fun. I loved the narration. This is a nice short listen. I do not watch TV but I have met and spoken with people who have investigated with Zac Bagans so when we were in Vegas we went to his museum. It was a blast, but obviously it is all there for entertainment. This made me think of his show and that was fun.

Haunt Sweet Home is an eerie tale that blends supernatural elements with a deep exploration of self-discovery. Mara is grappling with the uncertainties of adulthood. Her new job as a night-shift production assistant on a ghost-hunting and home makeover reality TV show seems fun. But it quickly becomes apparent that the show's fabricated scares are not the only thing at play. The line between the supernatural and the psychological blurs as Mara begins to experience a series of unsettling incidents on set.

The story explores Mara's self-doubt and self-loathing, bringing her character and emotional life experience to life. Her interactions with a mysterious new coworker enhance the creepy atmosphere, adding tension and suspense. The author uses the haunted house setting as a metaphor for Mara's haunted past and uncertain future. As she fakes scares for the show, Mara must confront how she has been deceiving herself. The book poses a reflective narrative of self-realization and growth. The novel is a must-read for fans of supernatural fiction with a solid emotional core, offering both chills and a deep, empathetic look at the transition we experience in life.

I received an ARC audiobook for my honest review. Thank you, NetGalley and MacMillan Audio.

Haunt Sweet Home is a cozy horror novel that is told partially in the format of a reality show. The show is combination of ghost hunting and home renovation show.

If you love the cozy portion of the horror genre, I highly recommend listening to the audiobook version of this novel. The show portions are narrated by a cast of characters and I enjoyed the overall narration of this book. I preferred listening to this one and probably rated it higher than I would have if I had just read it.

Thank you @macmillan.audio for allowing me to listen to this audiobook ahead of publication in exchange for my honest review.

(This same review was shared on the Barnes & Noble website)

This was a fun story to listen to! I enjoyed the full cast (usually the books I listen to only have one narrator doing all the voices). It surprised me at first but the different narrators made the episodes of Haunt Sweet Home so easy to visualize. I could see the books sipping off the shelves in that grand library. Most of the story is about Mara and leads up to that fateful episode that is being shown, Mara is a very likable character and I really felt for her, as she felt both overlooked by her family and picked on for not really knowing what she wants to do (whether it was finishing college or finding a career). I think her taking up the offer her cousin Jeremy gave her being a PA for the night crew in his Haunt Sweet Home tv show. I kinda think it would be fun to be on the night crew for a show like that, though I guess if you spend all your time making hauntings "happen" on these houses that get picked for the show, it should be no surprise that you find one or two that actually might have resident spirits. This discovery was done in a fun way and so yes, there are ghosts but I would not consider this scary. In fact I liked how sweet it was and how the experience was able to help Mara grow and start to figure out who she wants to be.

So, fun book, both to listen to and to read. Not too long but just the right length. I loved the narrators and a big thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for giving me a chance to listen to this!

Haunt Sweet Home has an interesting premise. Our main character, Mara, is a bit lost in the trajectory of her life. Not quite succeeding in meteorology school and in need of money, she gets offered a job by her cousin, Jeremy, who is the star of a haunted house television show. Mara is hired on for the night shift and we follow her as she navigates this new job opportunity. Mara soon discovers if the houses on the show are actually haunted or if it's movie magic.

Unfortunately, the more we got to know Mara, the less I liked her. She had a woe-is-me demeanor and was self-defeating in her actions. A people-pleaser that is frustrated with her life, Mara ostracizes herself both within her family and at work. I got a bit exhausted with her by the end of this, although I can imagine some people may find her to be a relatable character.

Haunt Sweet Home is a short novel, which makes it ideal when trying to jump into a good audiobook for entertainment or to complete your yearly reading challenge. I really enjoyed the narration by Jess Nahikian. She has great range in her voice. I was excited to see multiple narrators, but these were ultimately short-features, so it was not a full-on different narration of characters throughout.

Thank you to NetGalley, Macmillan Audio, the author Sarah Pinsker, and the narrators Jess Nahikian, Jennifer Blom, Matt Godfrey, and Robb Moreira for an ALC of Haunt Sweet Home in exchange for an honest review!

✨ Haunt Sweet Home ✨

This book is a short read, I finished it in one sitting! And it’s good. It’s relatable in the aspect that the FMC Mara is changing her majors and has no idea what she wants to do. She gets offered a job on a TV show based on haunted houses.

I will say that the beginning of this book was promising and had my attention. However it seemed to get a bit repetitive, and with it being a short book, can make it a bit much.

Overall, I suggest this as a fun light read!

Thank you to @netgalley and @macmillan.audio for a copy in exchange for an honest review.

#HauntSweetHome #bookreview #booksbooksbooks #bookstagram #book #sarahpinsker

Horror has been my favorite thing recently and this sounded like something I would enjoy.

Mara is a very pessimistic character and I understand that that part of the story but it’s done in a way that made it almost hard to want to finish the story. I think this would have done better as a longer book, it was very repetitive considering it’s not even 200 pages/4 hours long.

The reveal wasn’t surprising but I would have liked to have had what came after elaborated on more.

Thank you to NetGalley for making this available in exchange for an honest review!

First of all thank you @Netgalley and @SarahPinsker for the ALC of this book.

Okay, so I always have the same problem with any short story/novella.....I want more!

That being said horror and short stories go hand in hand and this one was good. I loved how real and relatable the main character was and this one took a turn I really wasn't expecting going into it. This is not your typical haunted house ghosty story it goes much deep than that.

Some things I loved
The reality TV show aspect
The direction the story took (no spoilers here)
and the relatability

Some things I didn't love
It could have stood to be a little long (I wanted more character development)
I wanted more of Jo
It's pitched as kitschy and while I agree, it could have been a little more. I love quirky horror with a hint of humor.

Overall for what it was it was good and I would recommend for anyone looking to read a quick/fun horror this fall season, or anytime!

𝐀𝐮𝐝𝐢𝐨𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰
3 🌟
-
Haunt Sweet Home has a mix of paranormal, ghost, and faux elements.
A quick, easy, cozy spooky season read! You can easily listen to this book in three hours. It's very interesting to read. The audiobook production is good, with different narrators. I like how the story is told in a reality TV style.
𝐑𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 Sept. 3
-
Thank you, Netgalley, and MacmillanAudio for the audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

3.25 stars. The audiobook narrator did a good job with this one, it was a fun listen. I found the story entertaining and it held my attention the whole way through.

Mara, our protagonist, is a bit standoffish and wooden, so I wasn’t super invested in rooting for her. The pacing felt a bit off too, with lots of exposition and description of shooting episodes of the show, and not much about Jo.

The explanation at the end of Jo becoming a ghost due to the apple tree sculpture Mara was carving felt weak, and then the book just kinda petered out after that. A strong start and interesting story, but probably won’t be super memorable for me.

Aaaahhh! the tension! the audio! the chillssssss! it was SO GOOD.

Brief description:

Mara, down on her luck and pretty down on herself, takes a job as a production assistant on her cousin Jeremy's reality show Home Sweet Haunt. Things start to get strange shortly after Mara starts her new night shift job.

My thoughts:

Fine, I'm accepting it, I'm a horror girlie. Particularly anything with ghosts. Gimme all the ghosts!
This was insanely tense for such a short read - about 4 hours for the audiobook. The main narrator put her heart and soul into this audiobook and you can hear every bit of it. Such a fantastic job! I find some audiobooks hard to focus on, but this kept me on the edge of my seat!

The story was so well written and had themes of learning to accept yourself and embracing your flaws. I don't want to say too much, I don't want to give a single spoiler! Perfect quick read for getting into the Halloween season!

Publish date: Sept 3 2024
Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the chance to read this early!

Haunt Sweet Home is my first book by this author so I went into this not knowing what to expect. This book ended up being a miss for me but it did have some positive aspects I'd like to share. The beginning of the story starts off interesting and draws you in. But it quickly started to lose my interest. The events that occured throughout the story felt repetitive and made things drag. I really liked Mara's character. She was unique, well thought out, and fun to get to known. Sadly most of the other characters felt bland and unfinished. So while the book had an interesting concept and a likeable main character, this one just wasn't for me. But I did absolutely love the narration for the audiobook. Each narrator did a wonderful job at bringing more life and personality to their characters and the story.

Thank you to the publishers and netgalley for this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

I received a gifted an ALC copy of HAUNT SWEET HOME by Sarah Pinsker from Macmillan Audio!

HAUNT SWEET HOME follows Mara who lands a job as a PA on her cousin's Haunt Sweet Home "reality" TV show. It combines a bit of Ghost Hunters with a home renovation series, focusing in on haunted homes. And if the homes aren't haunted enough (none of them are), the production crew is responsible for scaring the homeowners and the audience with special effects. When a new crew member begins to shake things up, scaring even the rest of the crew, Mara isn't sure what is going on and what she can believe.

I have really enjoyed Sarah Pinsker's writing, especially her short story collection, SOONER OR LATER EVERYTHING FALLS INTO THE SEA, so I was excited to get this new novella! I liked Mara as our main character. She's a bit lost in life, not really knowing what her true calling is. Her family makes fun of her for her inability to settle into a job or an education, or really any path in life. I also found the idea of this TV show to be really interesting - I would certainly tune in! I liked that we got bits of the actual show brought in between Mara's chapters and the way this tied into the book as a whole.

I think there is some debate in my mind on what genre this settles into - Goodreads has it as horror and there is a haunting element, but Netgalley's Fantasy listing might make a bit more sense to me? As Mara herself is behind the scenes on much of the haunting aspects and not really scared herself, I think the potentially atmospheric and creepy moments didn't entirely land for me. Still I found it an entertaining binge listen!