This was a fun horror novella on the lighter side! It follows Mara, a drifting young woman who gets a job as a production assistant on the set of a haunted house reality show. She's not sure who she is or what she wants out of life, but she begins working the night shift, helping to scare the owners of these houses. But maybe the scares aren't all pretend after all...

Haunt Sweet Home feels like a story about the ennui of a quarter life crisis and the push and pull families have on us during that stage in life. But it's also an entertaining story about reality television. The audio narration is good. You get a performance of the main character that effuses her lack of interest in most things as the story begins and a dry sense of humor. I received an audio review copy via Netgalley, all opinions are my own.

I enjoyed this, I like Mara’s character and felt sorry for her.
I enjoyed Jo coming to help her and her supernatural abilities to be there

This is a spooky novella that I had the pleasure of listening to on audio. The narrator did amazing work and kept me connected as I listened. I will be sure to read other book by this author. Thank you netgalley and the publisher for the ALC
4/5 star

I wasn't quite sure where I stood with this for the first bit, as it started with a bang, then took a while to build back up to it, but HAUNT SWEET HOME really won me over by the end. It falls perfectly into the category of melancholy horror, where the ghosts are as much within ourselves as they are outside, and we must learn to live with them and let them walk alongside us at times. Thoroughly won me over by the end, and the short novella format lent itself perfectly to make this story work.

Thanks to NetGalley & Macmillan audio for the ALC.

I won’t lie, I thought this was going to be a horror story, so that’s on me and with all the narrators I was hoping it would be more of a full cast production…. But it was just little bits that had multiple narrators.

This book just felt really slow to me. Nothing really happened until 60% of the way through. I understand that we needed to understand the FMC and how she thinks and acts, but I think it could have been accomplished in a shorter amount of time. I’d have liked to see more between Mara & Jo. The premise there was really interesting and I wish that had been explored more. Instead it felt a little too rushed and resolved too quickly.

I'm in my "I had fun. Five stars." era.

Haunt Sweet Home follows Mara, a down-on-her-luck twenty-something who's looking for a direction in life. Her famous cousin throws her a bone by giving her a space on his hyper-successful reality show Haunt Sweet Home, which combines the real-world shows Fixer Upper and Ghost Hunters. Though she's at the lowest position possible, Mara begins to enjoy her role - until she realizes the show's next haunting might be her.

Mara is a fun character. She's mopey and lost in a way I think a lot of people can relate to, but she's still young and plucky and fun at the same time. Her family history could have been fleshed out a little more I think, but her interactions with other characters are top-notch (especially her grumpy roommate). I would have loved to see her relationship with her grandmother a little more, because we get a lot of telling instead of showing there. But Oma gets her own fun scenes to explain her quirkiness, so she gets points for being adorable.

This story is almost entirely plot-driven and is really fast-paced. If you're looking for something with deep character development or strong themes, you won't find it here. But this has something that I think a lot of modern literature is missing - it's fun . I loved the ghost hunting show story and the reveal of the "twist" Did I see that twist coming a mile away? Yeah. But I liked the story anyway, and I think that counts for something.

For the audiobook specifically, I feel that the narrator did an excellent job bringing our small cast of characters to life. A big part of the way I pictured Mara in my mind came from the way that the narration depicted her - this voice was unique from other books I've heard with a similar tonality and I felt that the narrator diversified her voice enough when portraying other characters to make it clear who was talking every time. The narrators that came in for the podcast portions also perfectly embodied their character, with Maggie ("Beauty" in the "Beauty and the Beast" pairing) as a clear standout.

If you want a quick, entertaining, and totally satisfying story, I definitely recommend this one be at the top of your TBR.

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!