This book was decent! I really enjoyed Hattie’s growth throughout this book, especially with the family angle. I did find some of the friendship elements a little more distracting and wish the love story had been a little less love at first glance, but the setting was fun. After my second book with this author I’d love to see her step away from the Jane Austen related content and just lean into a traditional series, mostly because this one was a bit far from the original text

Coming of age story in an academy that is told to be haunted. Since a paranormal movie was shot on site it's a popular spot for ghost hunters and theorists.
Hattie, the daughter of the headmaster is tasked with showing a new student around. Kit has a ghost hunting scholarship and Hattie is a skeptic. She took him on tours and interviewed others and explored the grounds for a class journalism project she started to feel like she might believe.
This book discusses grief since they lost their father and he was the glue that held them together. Loved how they finally were able to communicate and process. Grief takes time and everyone copes differently. Not all are healthy or helpful and some can push people away.
This was a fun slow burn romance set in a gothic setting.
Loosely based of Northanger Abbey but Austen.

Thank you stmartinspress for the e-ARC for my honest and voluntary review.

"I was never going to escape these freaking ghosts" was a line that I thought encapsulated what Ghosted by Amanda Quain was truly about. Hattie, a high schooler who is focused on school and getting into Udolpho meets Kit, a new student at Northanger Abbey on a ghost-hunting scholarship. The two of them definitely don't hit it off at first, but through their project on discovering if there are actual ghosts at Northanger Abbey, they end up becoming much closer.
I really enjoyed how grief was shown in this novel, by having different ways of coping for the characters who experienced Hattie's father's death. Her mother, who is also the headmistress of Northanger Abbey, throws herself into work, leading Hattie to feel a lot of pressure to also be successful and have the perfect reputation. While Hattie's sister, Freddie, goes the opposite direction and becomes rebellious, and not following all the rules that her mother expected.
It was sad and yet funny, there were times where I wanted to give the characters hugs and encouragement. Other times, I was laughing and felt like they were my friends. I loved the modern setting and having references to many things that are currently in pop culture. Overall, this book was enjoyable and would highly recommend to many others.
Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this book. All opinions are my own.

If you’re looking for a cute paranormal adjacent romance to kick start spooky season, look no further! Be warned this book is not just romance there is some heavy conversations around grief and loss that are pretty emotional! I really loved Kit as a character! Genuinely just a lovely person! Hattie is definitely a bit of an antihero. She has a lot of room for growth but we lover her despite the flaws! Overall a cute read with the spooky ghost vibes I wanted!

Ghosted is a cute young adult novel with a deep message. Hattie is barely keeping her head above water trying to be the perfect daughter, friend, and sister. She is faking everything in her life. She makes ever decision based on how it will impact those around her in her desperate need to be normal at school and the perfect daughter to her mother. The psychologist in me wanted to hug her and tell her that nothing she does will ever be enough to get her mother's approval.

Still grieving the death of her father, Hattie is trying to hold everything together at home and have the "perfect" senior year. When she is assigned to be an ambassador to new student and ghost hunter Kit, she is less than excited. But, she begins to realize, Kit sees through her "perfect" facade and she starts finding peace being in his company. Kit is a ghost believer who is totally entranced by the possibility of their "haunted school", Northanger Abbey.

Ghosted is a sweet young adult story about a girl trying to find her way and a boy who is free from worrying about the judgements of others. They help each other along the way embrace who they are and find their path. While at times it was a little long, overall, I thought this was a great read. This is certainly a book I plan to share with my students.

I've never read Northanger Abbey, but the description for this book had me intrigued. I was a big fan of the X-Files when I was younger and it said that this was a gender bent retelling.

Hattie is the dreaded middle child and when her paranormal father dies, her mom turns to work and her older sister spirals, so it her job to make sure her younger brother is ok. Hattie just wants to make it through graduation and then she's assigned new student Kit who's there on a ghost-hunting scholarship. They're also partnered together for a project to investigate the school's paranormal activity.

I enjoyed their investigations and time together. They had great chemistry and banter. This book also confronts the grief of Hattie losing her father. I've never lost someone that close, but I thought it was addressed well.

Say Jane Austen retelling and I am here for it.

This was a bit of a rom-com style story in a haunted high school. Grief was also being dealt with from the loss of a parent so it did bring on some emotions. It was a cute story though with likable characters that I will definitely be recommending.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for a chance to read and review.

After reading Quain's Accomplished last summer, I was so excited to get the chance to read Ghosted--a loose retelling of Northanger Abbey! In it, Hattie Tilney, a determined nonbeliever of the paranormal is forced to partner with Kit Moreland, a paranormal enthusiast, on a school project about...you guessed it, the paranormal history of their school, Northanger Abbey. (I recognize that was an incredibly long sentence, but bear with me.)

Oof. This book is great. I only say "oof" because Hattie's family drama in this book is A LOT and I definitely felt stressed over the way Hattie felt like she had to be absolutely perfect and controlled and a different person after the death of her dad (off-page, prior to start of the story). I felt for her and just wanted to hug her and tell her it was okay. Kit Moreland is absolutely adorable and this is one of those books where I wish we had a dual POV because I definitely wanted more of his story. While his character is sweet, I do think he could have been a little more fleshed out.

This is a lovely story about grief, figuring out what brings you joy, and honestly...the importance of communication. I loved the ending and Hattie's journey overall!

Content warning: parental death, parental neglect, teens forced to raise younger siblings

So a NORTHANGER ABBEY retelling/reimagining this is not... even though it's being marketed as such. The prep school might be named Northanger Abbey, the buildings may be Gothic architecture, and they may be allegedly haunted. We might meet a sceptic and someone that wholeheartedly believes in the unexplained. But that's where the similarities end, Austen's novel is my favorite piece of literature from her and I was expecting more of a connection to the original text given this is marketed as a retelling rather than just being inspired by it.

With that being said, GHOSTED is a fun read and stands well on its own as a YA novel with a little bit of a romance and perhaps some ghosts. I spent the majority of the novel raging at how horrible Dr. Tilney was as a parent (and honestly, in her job too given how scared students were of her). I never connected with Hattie so I didn't ever fully become invested in her life, but I did love Kit and Liam.

Advanced Reader’s Copy provided by NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and Wednesday Books in exchange for an honest review.

I have to say that this book wasn’t exactly what I was expecting. I thought it would be a sweet, cute, rom-com, and it was, but it was also a super realistic view on grief. I’ll admit this one was hard for me to read as I, like the narrator, lost my father and while I was older than her it was no less painful. I will say it was done well and I enjoyed the story, but be ready for the emotional punch. I did have a hard time connecting with the narrator, but since in her grief she cut herself off from everyone that made sense. Overall I gave this one 3.5 stars rounded up for how well emotions were depicted, particularly the grief.

It's been quite awhile since I've read a YA book & this one is a really fun one! But it also covers some hard topics like the grief of losing a parent & how your life changes after that tragic event. I really empathized with Hattie in this area!

I really enjoyed the characterization of Hattie and Kit, especially the way that Kit was able to help Hattie open up almost immediately. It was such a stark contrast to the way she was with the friends she'd had throughout her high school career up until that point.

I haven't read the source material that this book is inspired by (Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen) but now I really feel the need to!

Thank you so much to Net Galley, Amanda Quain, & Wednesday Books for letting me read an early copy of Ghosted!

I just finished Ghosted by Amanda Quain and here are my thoughts.

Hattie Tilney thought she had all her plans set in stone. She was focused… Ready for the next step until Kit Morland is assigned to her to show around. A boy with his EMF detectors and passion for ghost hunting. That is why he wanted to come to Northanger Abbey. A place teeming with ghosts. Hattie doesn’t believe a lick of it and when she and Kit have to do a project on ghosts together, she can’t be dreading it more.

Her and Kit strike a deal for the supernatural project. He has to prove ghosts exist and she has to prove they don’t. The more they investigate, the more Hattie feels like Kit might see her in a way no one has since her father passed away.

This is a clever retelling of Northanger Abbey, set in a school with teenagers, it gave it a real new flavor! I didn’t see how this book would work but I stood so corrected! It was really well written.

Hattie’s dad was a huge ghost lover too so I think having Kit come into her world was the kind of tonic her broken soul needed. A reminder of the things she loves and that they didn’t give up on her just because she gave up on them. The whole story is mostly about Hattie trying to keep her mask on around people so they don't really see her. Not letting anyone get close but once Kit came… She couldn’t keep him out.

I loved the ambience of the school. I want to go visit. I want to go ghost hunting. I love when books create such a realistic and fascinating world that you thirst to see it. It had a really cute romance undertone to it and I am such a romantic so I was fully invested in the whole book.

4.5 stars and such a great start to a promising series.

Thank you to @netgalley and @stmartinspress for my gifted copy

Ghosted is a sweet and endearing YA, gender-bent retelling of Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen. I will admit that I have not read the original work so I had no reference going into this novel.

We start by meeting Hattie, a supposedly 'perfect' girl who is actually hiding her grief and 'imperfections' behind a wall. Then she meets Kit, a guy who gives off golden retriever vibes and is basically sunshine personified. Together, Hattie learns to open up, become more vulnerable, and learn to explore her grief.

I really enjoyed the way this book explored deeper topics such as loss, grief, personal growth, and strengthening familial relationships.

My only problem with this novel is the marketing aspect. After reading the synopsis, I expected the book to primarily be a paranormal story. Instead, the only supernatural aspects of Ghosted are more about ghost stories than actual ghosts. So if you're wanting a ghost book, I would skip this one. However, if you're looking for a heartwarming YA novel with surprising depth, this is the book for you!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars

This was a cute read. Good idea that I had fun reading.

Coming of age story with ghosty elements, more than a ghost story.

Hattie dealt with a lot. She is definitely stronger mentally and emotionally than I am. Kit is definitely a book boyfriend. No junior in HS is that self aware or undeniably sweet. While there were several characters that I loved, there were some I didn’t really like. Izzy needed a therapist (everyone in this did), Freddie was really rough on Hattie. But even the characters I didn’t like had good character development that was important for the story.

Retelling of Northanger Abbey. I haven’t read Northanger Abbey so I can’t speak to that.

Special thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for my digital ARC.

I love Jane Austen and will read everything to do with her or retellings of her books. I love seeing modernized versions of my favorite works. While Northanger Abbey isn't my favorite of Jane's, I've read it plenty of times and appreciate it.

With that said, you do NOT need to know and understand Northanger Abbey to enjoy this story. It's a quick and cute book. I can sense some of the classic themes from the original in this take by Amanda Quain, but she really has made it her own and I'm cool with that.

I love that Amanda has switched the gender names here for her story. ( In Austen's NA, Henry Tilney is the MMC and Catherine Moreland is the FMC. In Ghosted, Henrietta- aka Hattie - Tilney is the FMC and Kit Moreland is the MMC ) Hattie is determined and has a plan of action for her life, but then Kit is thrown into it and she has to figure out if that plan was really worth it.

The story is really easy to just melt yourself into and enjoy for a couple of hours while you read it. It is definitely YA, so expect some silly drama and nothing too romantic. My only problem is that the book sort of showed no plot for a while. It just seemed to want to grow the relationship budding between Kit and Hattie, which was cute, but it did kind of take away a little from more interest for me. This is why I knocked it down to 4 stars.

Overall, cute story with a nice message. I'd recommend you giving it a read.

I’ve still never read a Jane Austin novel. I know. Insert all the gasps here. But I seem to really love a Jane Austin retelling. Ghosted by @quainiac was definitely a favorite YA romcoms I’ve read this year and it’s billed as an updated Northanger Abbey.

Hattie Tilney doesn’t believe in ghosts anymore, despite the fact that she attends Northanger, one of the world’s most haunted high schools--allegedly. But she’s sick of all the ghost hunters and believers and just wants to get through her senior year, following the path she thinks her mother, Northanger’s headmistress, wants her to follow. She wouldn’t know for sure. Her mother, who was always a little distant, barely talks to Hattie and her siblings since Hattie’s father died. When her mother assigns Hattie to be the ambassador to new student, Kit, who’s transferred to Northanger on a full ghost hunting scholarship, Hattie’s life gets a little more complicated.

Kit is an absolutely dreamy high school love interest, and I’m not entirely sure guys like him exist, although—in the spirit of the book—I’d really like to believe they do. And I loved, loved, loved, the slow build romance. But the book is about a lot more than romance. Kit is dealing with grief over her father, a bit of an identity crisis about finishing high school and not knowing what to do with her life, issues with her siblings about her expectations of who they are, and friend drama that was handled so beautifully.

There’s a lot in this story about identity and figuring out who you are and what parts of yourself you’re comfortable showing to the world that I think will resonant with teens and adults like me and I just completely loved reading Hattie’s journey. It was funny and sweet and painful and the themes of believing and why we don’t were woven into the story in such a lovely way.

I would 100% recommend this one to fans of YA romcoms, and I definitely plan to go back and read the author’s first book.

Perfection! Characters could be a tad over the top but that’s my only complaint. Loved the NA nod, enjoyed the gender swap, and loved the deeper reflection on grief and growing alongside it.

I was provided an ARC of this book via Netgalley, all opinions are my own.

This was a really cute YA retelling of Northanger Abbey (I've never read it so I can't compare the two) with a paranormal twist. Northanger Abbey is the most haunted high school, and Hattie has the privilege of attending the elite private school. Her mom also happens to be the headmistress. Hattie used to be really into the paranormal, but she gave it all up when her family moved to Northanger and has worked really hard to become the perfect daughter and student. She wears the mask well, but the façade is starting to wear on her as her senior year kicks off and college application deadlines loom.

Enter Kit Moreland, a laid back fun loving ghost hunter who has received a scholarship to the haunted high school, and Hattie has been assigned as his ambassador. She is supposed to help him acclimate and learn to navigate campus. On the outside the two couldn't be more opposite, but on the inside Kit reignites all of the things Hattie used to love about ghosts, legends, and the history surrounding them. As they spend more time together Hattie gains some perspective on her life and starts to think more about what she wants for her future instead of what is expected of her.

I really enjoyed this. I love a good paranormal story, and the author does a good job giving you just enough about the sightings mixed in with the history of the school to make it feel plausible. Every good legend is steeped in a bit of truth, and Hattie and Kit do a good job debating back and forth about believing and not believing in ghosts. While there was some ghost hunting, most of that was a metaphor for other issues happening in Hattie's life. There were great discussions about emotion and grief and finding out who you really are versus living up to someone else's expectations. This has a lot of hard hitting moments balanced with some humor and light romance.

I really enjoyed this and look forward to reading more from this author.

Imaginative modern adaptation of Austen’s Northanger Abbey that I liked even better than Quain’s first, Accomplished. An emotional and engaging YA love story with family at its center.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my free copy. These opinions are my own.

I'm quickly becoming a HUGE fan of Amanda Quain and her creative reimagining of classics in relatable YA romances with a great deal of emotional depth. While I really enjoyed her last Jane Austen retelling, this latest Northanger Abbey remake raised the bar even higher. Perfect for fans of Emma Lord or Kara McDowell and good on audio narrated by Laura Knight Keating. Many thanks to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review!