Many thanks to Maelstrom Press for a complimentary eARC of this title in exchange for an honest review.

Cameron Walsh lives opposite the scariest, most haunted house in town. Crimson House is haunted by a creepy White Lady - Cameron almost lost his leg the last time he went in, so he is in no hurry to ever return. But when Hugo Cruz and his dad move in, Cameron is irresistibly drawn back to the House and its secrets.

This is the second novel by author Paul Michael Winters, after his compelling debut novel, Together in a Broken World. This book is a real page-turner with its fair share of twists and genuinely spooky scenes. The chapters alternate between Cameron and Hugo’s viewpoints, giving us a window into their richly-drawn inner lives. Winters writes first love/puppy love really well: Cameron and Hugo are an adorable couple who you will instantly root for, just like Zach and Aiden in Together in a Broken World. The relationship and its development feel authentic: both Cameron and Hugo deal with serious issues all through the novel (note the content warnings), and as a result their growth and the emotional payoffs feel warranted towards the end.

The supporting cast are equally stellar, Winters has a knack for making even the characters with the smallest roles memorable. His descriptions paint such a vivid picture of each character, you could almost see and hear them in your mind. While homophobia and homophobic behaviour are present in this novel and treated with the seriousness it deserves, this is largely a world where most characters are supportive of Cameron and Hugo’s relationship. Matty and Cameron’s brother, Jack, are the awesome straight allies we all wish we had growing up. They have minor roles in the story, but characters like them make this a world that feels real and truly alive, despite the supernatural premise.

The Haunting Between Us is superbly well-paced and intricately plotted. I found myself going back to read sections that foreshadowed plot developments later on in the book. This is a book that draws you in and keeps you there until you reach the end (not unlike the novel’s White Lady with her tray of cookies!). Suitable for teen readers and above, this is a highly recommended read that I will go back to when spooky season comes along again next year. If you liked Winters’s first book, putting this on your shelf is a no-brainer. If you enjoy a suspenseful thriller mixed with an adorable coming-of-age story, this book is definitely for you.

The Haunting Between Us

5/5 stars 🌟

Where do I begin! This book was fantastic I received this as an eARC thanks to Paul Michael Winters and NetGalley.

I couldn’t put this book down, I read it during work, during my breaks and all night long to finish it!

The Haunting Between Us gives us too amazing Main Characters, Cameron and Hugo, one who is out and proud another who worries what his Pa will think of that! They are both described perfectly, when I read a book I love seeing the story like a movie in my head and all throughout this was a full scary romantic movie with twists and turns throughout so it’s 100% a must read!

Cameron’s insecurities hit hard and had me relating with his struggles in self-image and made him extremely easy to connect and feel protective over while Hugo’s willingness to stand up and look after everyone was appreciated and needed.

I love the mystery of Crimson House and supernatural references when it comes to the equipment and terminologies they used it felt like I was in a paranormal investigation! I had my thoughts on some of the facts and I was excited when the twist happened as expected! This book throws you a full historical moment and it’s great how much Paul (author) has put into really portraying the feeling that this is a real historical place with a full heritage!

Overall the Friend group, the side characters and the growing romance to the coming out moment held a place in my heart 💜 while making me sit on the edge of my seat scared of what could happen!

I will forever keep the thought of smelling cookies to be with this book! Please buy, read and SUPPORT this book when it becomes available January 7th 2025!

What a great story a boy moves into the most haunted house in town and makes friends with the boy across the street

With a plot points such as acceptance ,ghost hunting finding your self this really was a fantastic read.

This is like if The Haunting of Hill House and Heart Stopper had a baby.
It was awesome to read each character go through growth, the blossoming relationship between Cameron and Hugo, as well as them having a solid friendship group.
I honestly couldn’t put this book down, it was truly a great read, the romance was blooming, the horror was definitely spooky as hell and the twists 👀

Thank you Maelstrom Press and Netgalley for this eARC, these opinions are my own. Finished this one tonight! This supernatural thriller was so enjoyable! Cameron has spent his life in a small town wishing for a boyfriend, being bullied because he’s gay and unfit. Plus the house a crossed the street has haunted him since that night. It’s been vacant for years and is known to be haunted. On his way home he sees an old lady in the house but in one blink she’s gone. Did he just imagine it? Hugo had spent the years since his mom past moving from house to house with his dad. They flip houses and then move on. Never putting down any roots. Then they move into 16 Sycamore Lane. But weird things are happening and his dads being cagey about how they got the house. Cameron and Hugo’s worlds collide and there is an instant spark. Hugo hasn’t be anywhere long enough to really establish a relationship and he hasn’t come out to his dad. Cameron’s out but his dad doesn’t seem to want to understand. As their feelings grow so do the spooky circumstances with Hugo’s house. Can they figure out what is going on before anyone ends up hurt or worse? How will things go with their dads? A wonderfully queer supernatural story that had my flipping through the pages! Hugo and Cameron are so cute and I love their queer friend group! A spooky edge of your seat thrill ride with all the ghost hunter vibes! A not to be missed read!

“The Haunting Between Us,” by Paul Michael Winters

This book was so amazing. My number one reason why I loved it was the characters. I loved the entire M/M aspect but also the struggles each of the characters was going through, separately and together. One character has body image struggles, which I love to see how realistic and relatable issues like that represented but also it felt stronger because it was a male character who has those struggles instead of the typical female character in a book. Their relationship as a couple was beyond adorable and really added a lighthearted vibe to a gothic type of horror that was happening in the plot. One of the MMC’s is closeted to his father so I loved that he also had his own struggles with that but also being in a single-parent home and all those issues that he works through.

On top of the fantastic characters was the plot. I loved the spooky ghost house and all the horror themes. Even though it was dark and had dark imagery, the book felt light in enough places that it wasn’t all doom and gloom, I actually think the romance overshadowed all of that but in the best way. Anyways, I adored the book from beginning to end, all the characters were likeable, and it was a perfect 5 out of 5 stars.

-M/M
-Ghosts
-Haunted House

Thank you for the ARC, Netgalley.

Posted to amazon and goodreads:

The Haunting Between Us is a sweet, engaging blend of heartfelt romance and supernatural suspense - a fun take on the haunted house trope. Its mix of queer coming-of-age themes and ghostly thrills makes for a tender and chilling story—a cool combination that worked really well for me.

Paul Michael Winters handles themes like grief, bullying, racism, and self-discovery with care, weaving them into the story in a way that will no doubt resonate with young readers. The haunted Victorian mansion, with its shadowy secrets and the menacing White Lady, adds a layer of eerie tension that keeps you turning the pages.

While the book juggles familiar themes, it ultimately succeeds in creating a story that feels unique. The blend of romance and horror may lean more toward one side at times, but the emotional stakes remain high throughout.

This is a book that’s sure to find its audience among teens looking for a story that mirrors their experiences while offering a touch of the supernatural. If you’re a fan of queer romance with a spooky twist, The Haunting Between Us is well worth a read.

The little not out horror loving queer kid I was would of loved this book growing up.
The representation is wonderful, the YA creep factor is there, the haunting is genuinely creepy.
Cameron reminded me quite a bit of myself, but so did Hugo. I think the author really hit on many of the issues that young gay kids have growing up while also showing how it COULD be.

First of all, I'd like to thank NetGalley , Maelstrom Press and the author for trusting me and giving me a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

So, where do I start?

Cameron and Hugo's story begins when Hugo and his dad move into the "haunted" and abandoned house just across the street. They become Cameron's new neighbors, but their relationship has a rocky start, which gets resolved pretty quickly. After that, they team up with Cameron's friends to investigate and try to help Hugo get rid of whatever is haunting his new home.

The romance development felt authentic and organic. You can’t help but root for them, even though I have to admit they can be a bit frustrating at times. But… they’re teenagers, so what else do you expect? Cameron is openly out and proud, while Hugo isn’t. Hugo’s fears surrounding his identity feel realistic and logical, and I think the author did a great job portraying the emotional turmoil a teenager goes through when figuring themselves out, especially when they’re unsure how to tell their parents, or how their parents might react. The inner monologues never felt whiny.

Cameron also struggles with body image issues because he was bullied as a child. At times, his insecurities hit him so hard that all I wanted to do was wrap him in a blanket and hug him until he felt better. Hugo and his friends are supportive, and it’s really sweet to read about. It warmed my heart. I wish I had friends like that when I was younger, struggling with similar insecurities.

The spooky Heartstopper vibes had me hooked from start to finish. The author did a great job with the setting, descriptions, and overall ambiance of the house. As the blurb says and promises, this really feels like Heartstopper and The Haunting of Hill House had a baby! I never knew I needed this in my life, but I’m so happy I read it.

When a book has a larger cast of side characters, it can be hard to care about each one individually, but the author made it easy to get attached to them for different reasons. They don't feel interchangeable, nor is it difficult to distinguish the characters

Sixteen-year-old Cameron Walsh, longing for love and acceptance, is intrigued by the mysterious new neighbor, Hugo Cruz, who just moved into the haunted Victorian mansion across the street. As they delve into the house's dark history and the haunting presence of the White Lady, they form a deep connection. However, as their bond strengthens, the supernatural forces within the house become more menacing, threatening their lives and their budding romance.

A Queer romance mixed with a ghost story?!?! Yes please! I really loved this book a lot. I absolutely devoured it. My favorite thing about this book is that Cameron and Hugo are incredibly likeable characters. I love both of them so much. The author did an incredible job of making them have typical teenage moments, without them being annoying and unreasonable. Also, the friend group they were a part of was so amazing. The friendships were beautiful. There was also a really great alter to how Hugo and Cameron interacted with their families. This was soooo close to a five star read, but my only complaint is that sometimes the characters came to conclusions and answers very very quickly and it just felt like sometimes a bit of context was missing. It was never bad, but I felt like the YA aspect of this maybe trimmed off some areas could've used a bit more detail.

I received an e-ARC and am giving a review of my own free will! Thank you to NetGalley for the e-ARC!

Let me start off by saying that I was so beyond excited to read this book. The moment I saw it on Netgalley, I posted on my private story saying how I needed to read this book. Firstly, queer main characters!! MLM main couple with many other queer characters and such! Secondly, horror and hauntings?? Horror is my favorite genre, besides MM if that counts. Already I knew I was going to love it, but to top it all off, it takes place in Port Townsend?! Not only was I just there over the summer, and live a few hours away, but it's also where my favorite TV show (Dead Boy Detectives) takes place as well. So, to put it lightly, I was ecstatic for this.

And it definitely lived up to my hype!! I completely adored it. I don't know exactly how to describe it, but it was just so nice to read. I rarely got stuck on sentences or paragraphs and had to go back, or got confused or anything. It was one of the best experiences I've had reading a book in a while. Hugo and Cameron were so much fun to learn about and learn from, and I adore how their families were written. The varying types of acceptance and fears around coming out. Hugo's fears around coming out to his dad, along with his fears of telling his dad about the house itself, all being for nothing, and his dad always being accepting and understanding. The guilt around Hugo's mom, as well as the underlying sadness Hugo and his dad carried was really well done. It felt very real, in a less 'in your face' way than most. Cameron's mom and brother being accepting of him, and his dad not being so outwardly homophobic that most straight people would even catch it, but how devastating it is to be queer and have your parent treat you like that. It really did a wonderful job of expressing how people don't understand just how harmful it is, and why it feels so hurtful as a queer kid.

I also loved the group, all of them being well written and fleshed out so I clearly remember who is who. Matty was definitely a favorite character, he reminds me of so many close friends I have/had over the years. I really loved how there wasn't really any tension between Cameron and Hugo and the group regarding relationship stuff. No issues with Abby and Cameron, or Abby and Hugo, or issues with their relationship as a whole. I was so happy once I realized they were just incredible friends, and that was that! Their willingness to always help Hugo out with the house was so endearing as well. I just loved the dynamics.

The plot itself, the horror aspects, were very well done!! I'm usually one to pick up on the twists and such, and while I managed to piece together part of it, there was a huge chunk I was completely surprised by!! The horror was well done and manageable, not too much but also not boring either. Learning more and more about what happened continued to fill me with horror and disgust and on the edge of my seat.

Cameron and Hugo's relationship was really just so adorable. The pining and the puppy love was such a refreshing read, I kept finding myself just smiling at the pages.

My only qualm was Cameron's negative talk about his body. I read that the author had a lot of stuff come from his own experiences, which I completely get, but there didn't seem to be much of a resolution to it, or anything that helped level it out so that people reading it understood that his body-issues aren't things people should think about themselves. It's very minor, more of an issues because of personal stuff I'm going through at the moment but wanted to say smth anyways :)

This was such a great read and I'll definitely be checking out the author's other book!