Thank you to Net Galley and Alcove Press for my advanced copy!

This was a solid sophomore novel from Amber Roberts! The snowy town of Stowe, Vermont was the perfect place to get lost, and I love a man who goes after what he wants. James was direct and honest about what he wanted, which was a good counterweight to Lex, who didn't always (and paid the price). The family dynamics here were believable and heartbreaking, especially when we got to meet and get to know Lex's sister Jordan a bit more later on. The supporting cast of Lulu, Natalie, Julian, and even Charles were the perfect balance to the seriousness of what Lex was hiding from James. I don't love when relationships start with dishonesty, but somehow Roberts managed to save it for me.

And I LOVED the sprinkles of "fake" dating. One of my favorite tropes, hands down!

Cute fall read? Yes ✅🎃
🌟🌟🌟🌟
This was a though one to review! I love fall/Halloween/ghosts so it does encapsulate a lot of my favorite things…. But there was just something that kept me from giving it that final star.

From the start, I found it hard to bud with Lex. (Hitchhiking, in 2024?! Yeah, pass) from that point on I was like… okay… I guess I’ll just suspend a lot of my thoughts. Mind you, I know it’s a book but for some reason that just made me side eye Lex from the start.

The book was very much a cozy read and I still am so happy I read it and I’ll prob read again once I get my preorder lol but I felt like some points I prob would’ve skimmed through had i had my paperback first. A bit slow at times and I just felt a bit ‘jerked’ around after the halfway point.

I don’t want to give spoilers since I read an ARC and I’m actually quite curious to see people’s reaction after it’s published. I’ll most likely come back and update my review once I reread it in the spooky season. 👻✨

I love spooky romances, and the premise for this one was so promising! I even really loved the characters and was enjoying the story but the story got really slow and dragged to the point where there wasn't enough story to keep the plot moving forward, either w/ characters or the premise itself. I really wanted to love this one but it ended up being one I had to get through and that was a let down. I'd definitely still try other books from this author in the future but this one isn't for me.

I am so ready for fall & this one proved that! It is literally the perfect "spooky" romance to add to your October TBR shelves. I really enjoyed this one!

Sadly this book was not for me. I made it nearly halfway through, so it was a DNF, but I did skimread through to the end.

I just found the chemistry between the two MCs lacking and the ghost story element just didn't engage me. I also think comparing this book to Gilmore Girls is misleading. It's a small town but nothing like Stars Hollow.

Sadly It just wasn't my cup of tea.

I can't believe that I am doing this! What if the people reading this review hate it? What if they read it, decide to buy it, and then hate the book!?! These types of intrusive thoughts are all too common for the main character, Alex. She is no stranger to crippling anxiety, the kind that forced her to leave college and return to the safety of her hometown, the job she loves at the used bookstore, and the home that her grandfather left her. While her parents don't understand (not that they get a say since they were never around), Lex is happy with her life. She keeps her parents and sister living in California at a distance, shows up to work, and pours whatever money she has into her home. She is satisfied with this life until she meets James.

At first, Lex won't give James the time of day; she has a strict rule against dating tourists, but when she learns he is in town for longer than just a few days, she can't help but fall. He's dashing and complicatedwas making a ghost- and reminds her of the carefree person she used to be when she hunting vlog. James and his crew are in town to document some of the alleged ghosts Lex used to speak about, and she can't help getting involved, especially when they set their sights on her beloved bookstore. Will the two figure out how to communicate what they want and need? Will Lex realize there is more to life than in her small town? Will bridges be mended?

It is a heartwarming, sweet, and, yes, spicy romance, perfect for those who want to curl up with a good book. I found myself relating to Lex on a personal level as someone who also loves my daily routine and suffers from Anxiety, and yet I was rooting for her to grow and step out of her comfort zone. The touch of paranormal, or at least ghost hunting, made the book exciting and made me smile.

Disclaimer: While I received a free advanced reader copy of this novel, my thoughts and opinions are mine.

Overall, I enjoyed this book. The plot was good and the characters felt realistic. The only reason why I didn’t give this a 5 star review is because after James finds out Lex’s secret, Lex becomes insufferable. Though her actions may be normal for certain people, I found that her behavior was super toxic and if I was James, I would not have chosen her for a significant other. Lex also sees a therapist, I feel like her deep seated dislike of her family could have been addressed in therapy so that her severe self doubt and abandonment issues were not as much of a problem. The ended (like last 20%) did seem a little bit rushed.

All that said though, I did enjoy the book. The setting of the book sounded beautiful, the people of the town give such a small town romantic feel.

This is a fun rom-com if you're looking for a sweet pallet cleanser. She works at a bookstore, he's a ghost hunter. And their chemistry is amazing right off the bat. We love a good spooky time set during Christmas in Vermont. I also love the LGBTQIA+ representation with the FMC being Pansexual and the MMC being Bisexual.

Thank you Netgalley, the author, and the publisher for the ARC

I thought this was a Halloween book, but it turns out it takes place at Christmas! What a fun surprise! Lex works in a bookstore and James chases ghosts. James is the tourist, Lex is the small town girl. They instantly have chemistry, but she knows tourists always leave. A great fall read!

What is not to love about a ghostly, bookshop, romcom? This is such a loveable story, the characters within it have you hooked along the way, the relationship building was outstanding, highly recommend

Alex, a small-town bookstore worker, feels that everyone keeps leaving her. Her parents moved to the other side of the country, any relationships she's had have fizzled out because the other person wanted to move, while Lex is happy to stay in her small Vermont hometown.
James is a wanderer and documentary co-director, and finds himself in Lex's small town with his film crew while they document the 'haunted' past of the town.

I just feel this book was too long for the actual story. If the story had been building more (more angst, more heat, more SOMETHING) it would have been ok but I honestly just got bored. Also, while I found James to be quite likable, I ended up struggling with Lex. She is so concerned with the way she perceives people to be treating her or seeing her, that she doesn't actually see the truth of the matter most of the time. So by the end I wanted her to move on from the 'woe is me' narrative because it was grating.

A fun rom com that involves ghost hunting, a cosy bookshop and a winter setting.

We follow Lex as she lives in a small town, working at a cosy bookshop while trying to repair her family home. James is in town with his friend and their crew to film a ghost documentary for a competition. Lex has experience with the ghosts in this town as she used to be a youtuber in her youth documenting them. This is cheesy, fun and just a delight to read. We do deal with anxiety, depression, grief and family issues, but I think they author handles these well. If you want a wintery romance with some Halloween, Gilmore girls vibes this is for you. I wont say much, all I will say is pick it up you will have a great time.

I wanted to like this book, I really did. There's just too many issues I personally have with the writing for me to feel any more than indifferently about it.

Chapters end with jumpcuts and no smooth transition.

The "transcripts" from videos in the book are clunky with their dialogue. It seems a bit arbitrary to present when the excerpts don't serve any narrative purpose.

The characterizations also seemed off, I never developed a solid understanding of these people beyond their base goals. Beyond that there are some moments between the protagonist and love interest that I find personally uncharming about the protagonist (seriously, who rearranges someone else's personal bookshelf??).

There's also the fact that this book isn't necessarily surprising in any way. The setup gives away the events.

This was so fun! I love a good ghost story, and the fact it also had a bookshop involved just added to the appeal! I adored the characters, as well. I will absolutely be recommending this around spooky season, and all year long!

As a paranormal investigator myself, the absolute BLAST I had reading this book was unparalleled! Readers are in for a real treat for this easy read romcom. I love that Fall cozy reads are taking over the summer beach read genre!

The premise of a fake ghost hunter story combined with a steamy romance was intriguing, but I felt the execution was somewhat predictable.

While the book had its charming moments and the small-town setting was cozy, the plot twists and character development fell a bit flat for me. Despite this, fans of flirty romances with a touch of the supernatural and small-town charm might still enjoy it

Haunt You Heart Out by Amber Roberts was a romantically written spooky book set during Christmas time. It was such a cute, quick read that I cannot recommend enough! I loved both these characters!! Thank you so much for the opportunity to read this e-ARC and I cannot wait to share it with everyone (once it’s released of course!!)

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the chance to read this early! This was an adorable and fun read with just the right amount of seriousness to progress the story. I'm not usually a fan of love at first sight books but this one just...works. It felt a little slow in some places but I was still engaged even during those pauses in storyline. The problematic families were well-done and I like that they were left with a more open-ended new beginning rather than making everything seem immediately right with the world.

okay, I love this set-up where two similarly nerdy people find each other and perfectly fit together before their romance even really begins. and spooky/bff shenanigans? just right.

This fall will be packed full of so many fun romance reads! Haunt Your Heart Out is probably my favorite fall read from NetGalley in 2024! It had me laughing and cheering for the characters. It was a fast read because I didn't want to put it down! This will be at the top of my list to recommend to "sweet" fall readers looking for romance and fun!