It's hard to write a review when you don't really know how you feel about a book or when struggle to recall enough specifics about it. What this means is that well the book was decently done, with an intriguing enough premise to get me to start to read it, it didn't really make much of an impact.

I don't know if that was because it was shorter than what I normally read, or because I felt like it didn't really get below the surface?

What I do know is that after I went back and reread parts of it so I could have enough of a frame of reference to write this, is that I was disappointed. I wanted to feel a bit more for Fay, to understand her emotions in more depth. I wanted to struggle with her emotions along side her, not simply notate that she was feeling something and move on.

This was disorienting in the beginning. I think it was meant to be that way, but it was hard to get through the first bit. I wasn't sure what was going on and some of the things Fay said were hard to make sense of. Sometimes it was hard to differentiate what really happened from her wistful "what could have been" thoughts. This was only in the beginning though. Things started to take form when she met Dee.
The story improved and I had a hard time figuring out how to feel. I understood her frustration at seeing her husband with another family, I understood her husbands need to move on, and I felt bad for Janet who just had no idea what was going on and didn't deserve the confusion. Death is hard. And our lack of understanding of the afterlife makes it so much harder to process. No one had it easy.
3/5 stars

This book is so well written. I was captivated from the beginning. Plot is well developed and emotions are at the surface throughout until the very end.

Absolutely loved this piece.

Thank you!

I had tried to download a copy of this book to read but I could not get it to open with any of my reading apps. I then found it as an audiobook and listened to it. I will start by saying I did not care for the narrator so I believe this may skew my thoughts. I thought the plot of the book was wonderful and it started in a way I expected but then it seemed to drag in the middle before getting quite good at the end. It is one of those books that the last chapter brings it all together for you and suddenly it all makes sense. I am goi h to find a hard copy of this book to read as I believe that will make a difference in my reviews.

Engaging, compelling & unputdownable!

I absolutely could not put this book down and read it in one sitting. There is some dark humour here but a story that is so touchingly profound. I don’t think I will ever forget this story!

Thanks so much for the opportunity to read an ARC.

If anyone you have deeply loved has died this book may resonate. The idea of what happens after death and whether or not the dead can visit us are questions most of us have asked at one time or another. After my mother died aged 59, I would have given anything to have her 'visit' me especially to see my children - both born after her death, but as Sara O'Leary's novel shows such 'visits' are, at the very least problematic for the living and the dead.

I really wanted to like this novel especially as I have often, as mentioned, pondered on the themes in it, but the best I can say is that it is 'nice'. It didn't go far enough for me. Why, several years after her death, the MC returns to the earthly world is never properly resolved nor is there a sense that she has contributed to or received any great wisdom by doing so. I finished the novel wanting more. I even wondered in the last few pages whether there would be a huge 'Bobby Ewing a la Dallas' (ages me) plot twist at the end, but there wasn't.

The description of grief was solid. The aching hole you carry around, sometimes for years, is clearly articulated, but beyond that I felt a bit dissatisfied with the whole experience.

If you died and came back as a ghost to haunt your beloved home, which is now occupied by your husband and his new wife, how would you behave? Would you be a benevolent, maybe even helpful spirit or would you be a terrible, raging poltergeist attempting to scare off the new wife? The ghost of Fay is our narrator and this unlikely scenario is her afterlife. Fay does a bit of both but when she finds that her husband can see and hear her everything changes. Does she take this chance to find eternal peace or does she cling to her past and refuse to move on?

Being dead, Fay is not always connected to time or space like a living person. This gives everything a hazy, dreamlike quality where very little is definite or defined. It is difficult to distinguish between her present situation and her memories of her former life. At first she is confused about pretty well everything and we learn alongside her what happened to her and why she came back. While I was expecting this to be a sad story it actually had a lot of humour. It was sad but never depressing or bleak and there was always an element of hope and peace. This book is quite short and yet it managed to make me care about the characters rather quickly. In the end I was satisfied and pleased. I admit I got a little teary at the ending. If only everyone could have such a chance to say goodbye!

Thank you to Doubleday Canada for providing an Electronic Advance Reader Copy via NetGalley for review.

Luxurious pacing - bittersweet, compelling. Brought to mind the movie "Ghost", the scene where the ghost is slowly walking across the landscape. I kept hearing the soundtrack as I read Sara O'Leary's novel. I enjoyed this one - lots to unpack. Fay's experiences and the way she lived her memories shine a light on my thoughts about my own life. The Ghost in the House will stay with me for some time. Thank you.

Took a chance on this unique book when I got intrigued with the blurb but found it not quite reaching the expectation I had. Not to say it was a bad read, just not exactly where I was hoping for and left me confused at times. Wanted to love it more, just guess it wasn't for me.
I received an advanced copy of this book from Netgalley for my honest review.

I’m a newlywed who loves “weird” books so a ghost story that explores marriage, parenthood, and the meaning of life, sign me up! This one really hit me in the feels and I was actually tearing up by the end.
It jumps around at times which I can see some readers not liking, but I thought it worked well since the character is in a dreamlike afterlife.
I read this in one sitting which is highly unlike me so that’s an endorsement in itself.

Content warning: self-harm/cutting

This is my first book by this author.
I wasn't sure what to think of it at first,but the more I read it, the more I loved it. It's one that will stay with me for a long time. One of.the best books I have read in awhile. A sweet,tearjerker. Thank you so much to Netgalley and Penguin Random House Canada for giving me an opportunity to read this amazing novel.

The synopsis for this book was so intriguing. It had all the markers for a great story but sadly it fell short for me.

I was expecting a read that was really deep that would delve much more into the characters but sadly a lot of it was just barely glossed over.

I also found that when it jumped around between when Fay was alive there was no indication that this was happening and I found myself trying to decipher if it was dead Fay or when she was alive.

The author could definitely go back to this book, do some rewriting and come out with a spectacular book. There was just too much left unsaid that would have just evolved this book into one that would definitely drag you under.

Not a bad read just leaves you wanting so much more.

**Received ARC through NetGalley. Voluntarily reviewed**

The Ghost in The House by Sara O’Leary
Publication Date: July 7, 2020
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Description from NetGalley...
“What if there was a ghost haunting your house? What if you were the ghost? 
Everything in Fay’s life is perfect—living in the house she dreamed of as a child, married to a man she loves, and planning her life as an artist, her life seems full of possibility. Then, late one night, Fay realizes that something has gone wrong.
Things have altered in the house and somehow time has gone on without her. Fay—who thought her life was on the verge of beginning—finds it has abruptly ended. There is a child in the house and her husband, who always said she was his one and only, has found someone new. And Fay comes to learn that sometimes the life you grieve may be your own.”

Thank you to @NetGalley @penguinrandomhouseca @doubledayca for the digital ARC in return for my honest review.

My thoughts...
This is my first book from O’ Leary, a Canadian author, who has written a sorrowful, dark-comedy of a book. It was a slow start and you pretty much could figure out what was going on from the first few pages. But, I don’t think the author meant it to be a surprised. The theme has been something I’ve thought about and this book has articulated my personal thoughts on what it may feel like to lose someone you love. And because of that I was able to connect with the characters and the theme of the story. Could there have been more details on the other characters? Maybe. Could there have been more specifics on the ethereal side of things? Possibly. But, overall, this is quite a moving take on loss, grief and acceptance. A story of love, that made me look at my husband quite often as I read this book, and then after, making sure to appreciate him more and tell him so. It’s not your typical ghost story. It’s not scary. It’s a poignant story.

I was drawn to this book by the interesting concept of the story. It was a shorter read then I expected but it still made a great impact on me. I enjoyed the flow of the poetic writing and found it full of humor as well. Around the middle of the book I really felt this emotional tug when thinking about how it would feel to be haunting your old life. To see your family and friends move on. To not even know how you died or what was happening. I really felt for the main character and her experience. An enjoyable read overall.

This short novel is written by a Montreal author who has written fiction, children's books and plays. This one features Fay who thought she had the perfect life…but now finds herself a ghost in her home watching as things have definitely moved on. It is a love story that has a beginning, middle and an end. It is written beautifully and somewhat humorous (albeit dark humor).

Fay is living her perfect life - married to a husband she loves, in the house of her dreams. One night she wakes up and things are suddenly different - this is still her house, but things have changed and other people now occupy her sacred space.. At first she thinks she is being haunted by a ghost, and then she realizes that it is indeed she who is the whisper from the past. Fay struggles to figure out what happened to her, and why she has suddenly appeared, as she comes to terms with the life she had envisioned for herself, and the new life her husband has forged without her. This was an excellent, quick read that made me laugh, brought tears of sadness to my eyes and made me think about what it means to live a life without regrets.

Thanks to Netgalley and Penguin Random House/Doubleday Canada for the ecopy in exchange for review.

Let’s face it, we all wonder whether there is life after death. If not ‘life‘ then we wonder just what does happen after we die. The author uses dark humor and pathos to imagine coming back to your home after you die. Original and oddly compelling.

The entire time I was reading of Fay’s foray back to her marital home, I was wondering what would become of her. This kept me turning pages. Ironic because she was already dead.

I loved how one of the things she regretted is that she never got to finish her Denise Mina novel (and I know just the one). Fay’s love of literature was palpable.

I enjoyed the writing, the pacing, and the humour. I did feel a profound sympathy for Fay and wondered how her death came about at the tender age of thirty-seven. I could easily imagine how torn her husband was. Also, I could feel Fay’s frustration at being able to witness events, see things and people, yet not be able to touch – hug – or feel…

This novel was an original examination of all things existential. Of leaving a life you loved – much too soon. Of how regret, grief, memories, love and loss shape our lives, and of selfishness vs. selflessness. Sure it was imaginative, and ‘out there‘ to a great extent, but I really enjoyed sharing in Fay’s journey. This was a fast and enjoyable read.

This short novel had such an interesting premise and it delivered. It was such a heartbreaking story, but so well done. Fay wakes up her house, but something is very different. At first, she thinks that she is being haunted by a ghost, but then she realizes that she is the one who is lingering in her old space. We experience her coming to terms with the end of her life and her husband's new life. The story felt somewhat like experiencing the long break-up of a doomed romance.

Thanks to NetGalley, the author, and Penguin House Canada for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

A huge thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House Canada for the e-ARC of this book.

As someone who married a widower, this novel rang very close to home. O'Leary does a fantastic job of navigating the nuances of this experience. The number of times I have imagined the return of a ghost happened exactly as was described in this novel.

The tone of the novel was spot on, and the writing was compelling enough to keep me reading well past my bedtime. A great Canadian voice that I am very happy to have discovered!

This is not your typical ghost story, where family moves into a new home and starts to encounter strange and unusual events. It is more a portrayal of the stages of grief and loss, a journey in the case of this book for both the dearly departed and those left behind. Told from the point of view of Fay, we are made intimately aware of Fay's mental and emotional shifts as she slowly processes what has happened to her, the changes that have occurred in her home and the impact on Alex, her husband. Beautifully written, there is a muted quality to the story. This is in keeping with the ethereal properties of our narrator and the fact that she cannot make physical contact with the inhabitants of the house, communicating a very real sense of loneliness. Before you think this is a sad story to avoid, I will say that while this is a heart-wrenching story, the author skillfully makes use of conversations and memory shifts to also provide readers with experiences of hope, love, laughs and happiness.

A moving story of love, loss, grief, longing and letting go by a "new-to-me" Canadian author and one who's other works I look forward to reading.

I received an advanced reader copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.