I have previously loved a novel by this author so I was hopeful this one would be another favourite. Haunted house stories are not my personal favourite subgenre but I was hopeful in the hands of this author. Ultimately I found this one fine but not overly special.

I requested this one because it might be an upcoming title I would like to review on my Youtube Channel. However, after reading the first several chapters I have determined that this book does not suit my tastes. So I decided to DNF this one.

This was a nice novella about a somewhat aimless young woman who joins the crew of her cousin's paranormal reality show which visits new homeowners in their supposedly haunted houses.

Mara's job, along with the rest of the night crew, is to create the haunting. From the premise of the book, I was hoping for something a little darker and creepier, but this was book was more of a family drama and Mara's coming of age with a few spooky moments.

This was such a quick, fun read!!

Mara is hired as a production assistant on her cousin’s home-improvement show (fixer uppers that also might be haunted). She’s in her 20’s and is kind of lost, hasn’t found herself yet. We see her growing into her role on the show when she meets a…friend? Jo is a floater from the day shift. Or is she? Things get slightly creepy and while the show goes on, we watch it all happen.

I thought this was a fun coming-of-age with a little creepy/haunted factor. Perfect for this time of year (it’s October when I’m reading!). I loved all of the old houses, the old orchard, the creepy forgotten cemetery, and just the general vibe of working on a renovation show in western MA.

The narration was perfect, and I wouldn’t change a thing! It added character to some already well-written ones!

This was a short novella which was perfect for spooky season/halloween. In the story the characters are working on a tv show that goes to "haunted houses" the story was very short and not really scary though there were a few creepy parts. It is a very quick read but there were parts that felt repetitive because you see scenes from the show and then later it shows you what really happened. Overall definitely worth giving it a try.

This was a good novella. It has tours of haunted houses, questionable reality tv, and family drama. It was on the cozier side of the paranormal/horror genre.

The audiobook: All of the narrators were good and distinctive. I appreciated how they produced the segments of the reality show and the multiple narrators. I do still think this book would translate better as a physical read. The narration was not at fault - that really was good. But the way the transcripts and real time go back and forth, I just don't think the audio could provide the impact the author intended.

I was hoping for something with a little more punch, a little creepier, but overall it was an entertaining, quick listen. It lends itself well to start getting into the fall/spooky vibe reading. I do think I'd recommend to eyeball read this one over audio to get the full impact of the storytelling but the audio is a good listen.

Thank you to NetGalley, Sarah Pinsker, and Macmillan Audio for this audiobook ARC.

this was such a disappointment. The haunting elements were just a by line of the story- this felt like a family drama more than anything with our main character just constantly moaning about how her family hates her.

I liked the premise - paranormal take of reality TV with some family drama mixed in.

I am a reality TV fan and loved getting to go behind the scenes a bit on that. But some of the rest of the book didn't deliver quite like I'd hoped.

Thanks to NetGalley and MacMillan Audio for an ALC in exchange for my review.

This audiobook was thoroughly creepy and captivating, and I was hooked from the very first chapter. I really enjoyed listening to this one!

I’ve enjoyed this author's sci-fi works in the past, so I was excited to dive into this quick novella about the production of a haunted house reality show. The characterization of Mara, a relatable character trying to find her way in life, is well done—especially as she navigates a job on her cousin’s reality show while being mocked by her family. Mara’s interactions with Jo, another production assistant, add some tension, though the plot becomes repetitive in the last third, turning into a Groundhog Day-like loop that dulls the initial intrigue. While the premise was promising, the mystery twist was predictable, and the middle dragged without enough exciting developments. It’s a decent, quick read, but it didn’t fully deliver for me, earning a neutral three stars. I appreciate NetGalley and Tor Publishing Group for the opportunity to review this digital copy.

I really enjoyed the audiobook narrator. I felt her voice fit perfectly for out main character. She sounded always apathetic and a bit irritable which I think was perfect. However, the overall story was only okay for me. It really isn't a story about a haunted house, but instead about our main character finding herself. That's fine, but it made it a bit middle of the road for me as there wasn't enough of a focus on the hauntings and didn't truly feel like horror. Maybe it would have been better if we had more time with the haunting to try to build up some anxiety or dread. There just didn't seem to be any stakes really. Instead it was more like we were learning about the show... then a hint of real paranormal... then a quick conclusion. So yeah, the pacing was a bit off for me too.

This was a fun and quick read. I love watching ghost hunting shows and the premise of a show that investigates haunts while the house is getting remodeled sounds so entertaining.

Mara is such an interesting and relatable character. Her being the narrator gives the story a more somber tone as Mara doesn't have the best outlook on life or really anything. She's struggling to find her way in life and feels like she's being judged by her family - something many people in their 20's can relate to. When her cousin offers her a job on his very successful reality show Haunt Sweet Home she decides to take it as she isn't doing anything else. I loved the family dynamic of Mara's family and how it propels Mara into her decision to join the show. She falls into the job well and even gets a little bit of help. But as they move from location to location we start to question if there's a supernatural element surrounding Mara.

The writing made this such an easy read and it's pretty short so I flew through it. The haunts are a bit more lighthearted than scary in my opinion but there is a very creepy factor to the whole story. Both in regard to the show itself and the story as a whole.

The narrator has a bit of a monotone voice which at first made it hard to get into. But as I learned more about Mara's character I realized it was perfect and really made me feel more connected to Mara while listening.

Mara gets a job on a TV show renovating haunted homes, and as a PA, it's Mara's job to convince the homeowners' that their houses really are haunted. But over the summer, it seems like Mara isn't the only one doing the haunting.

This was a short, not particularly scary, ghost story. It has a fun premise, and was a quick read for me.

I thought having different narrators for the episode transcripts made those parts of the book really distinctive from the rest, and I thought the main narrator did a great job bringing the voices to life, especially Jo's.

Gave it a 3 because there was some things I loved and some things I felt were just added for page numbers. I think even a little bit shorter would have been better.

3/5 stars

Short and sweet— finished in a day! Interesting from the start and all the way through. The ending felt semi lackluster but still enjoyed overall. I especially liked the transcripts from the show -- this was a super creative inclusion!

"Haunt Sweet Home" by Sarah Pinsker is a paranormal fiction novella. At 1.0 speed, the audiobook runs 3 hrs 41 minutes. It is narrated by Jennifer Blom, Jess Nahikian, Matt Godfrey, and Robb Moreira. I didn't like the voice of the narrator doing the main character, Mara.

Mara is a young adult about 25 years old, who isn't really sure what she wants to do with her life. She gets a job with help from a cousin, as a P.A. for a TV show about haunted houses. It is monotonous and deceptive work until one time there seems to be more at work than human efforts. I did not really like this book. Your mileage (enjoyment) may vary.

Characters - 3/5
Writing - 3/5
Plot - 2/5
Pacing - 3/5
Unputdownability - 3/5
Enjoyment - 2/5
Narration - 3/5
Cover - 3/5
Overall - 22/8 = 2 6/8 rounded up to 3 stars

Thank you to Netgalley, MacMillan Audio, and Sarah Pinsker for providing me with this audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley, Macmillan Audio, and Sarah Pinsker for an advanced audio copy of Haunt Sweet Home in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This was a pretty solid novella, combining haunted houses and reality tv with a dash of family drama added in. It was on the lighter, cozier side of the horror genre, but it was a great way to start getting into the fall/spooky vibe reading.

The audiobook was very well done. All of the narrators were great and distinctive. I love how they produced the little segments of the reality show. It blended very nicely with the segments following Mara.

I was hoping for something with a little more grit, a little creepier, but overall it was still an entertaining, quick listen.

Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for sending me an early copy of this audiobook! All opinions are my own!

If you're looking for a mildly spooky, fun and light read to start of spooky season, this might be the book for you! I really liked the kitschy paranormal TV show setting and how fun that part of it was. It offset a lot of the deeper parts and gave it such a fun background.

I wish that the paranormal part had been a bigger part of the storyline. Most of it was just scaring the houseowners, which was fun, but not what had originally drawn me to the story. I wish there had been a longer buildup to the paranormal and most in depth of discovering it. But maybe that's part of the novella issue.

If you're looking for a fun few hours, check this one otu!

This book was really entertaining at first, but somewhere down the line it really didn’t work for me! It was very short and caught my attention but around 15% in i really started to dislike where the story was going. That said I did end up finishing the book but it was slightly a bit predictable.


2.5⭐️Thank You to the publisher for the gifted copy of this audiobook!

This book has a lot of fun elements to offer: haunted houses, reality TV shows, complex family dynamics, and wood carving (I love artsy stuff!). It was a quick listen via audio as well.

However, the unraveling of the mystery felt a little too obvious, and more than being scared or stressed for the MC over the situation, I felt like I was watching two friends or siblings bicker with each other. I would have loved to see more of the reality tv dynamics as well as spend a little more time in the haunted houses, especially if actually creepy things happened. It wasn’t a bad time, just not my favorite. I’d check it out if you’re looking for a quick palette cleanser that isn’t too dark.

ARC received from Macmillan Audio via Netgalley.

This novella is perfect for #SpookySeason

It's truly one-of-a-kind, blending a behind-the-scenes reality TV feel with a cozy paranormal tale that also has a touch of light horror. It's unique as it intertwines a journey of self-discovery within a horror-filled, atmospheric setting.

I loved how it manages to be slightly satirical while still delivering a chilling and haunting experience!