This novel was cute. Easy to follow with a mix of Halloween and Christmas vibes due to the ghost hunting and small town in winter setting. The characters were well written and I was happy to read a novel that focused on a woman in her thirties rather than a teen or twenty-something. This novel was a quick and easy small town romance read if you’re looking for one!

“Haunt Your Heart Out” had a really great premise and I was really excited to read it. The novel started off pretty strong with some steamy chemistry between Alex, a local bookshop manger looking to purchase the store, and James an out of town documentary maker. The connection between the two of them is instant and Alex finds herself breaking her rule of dating an out of town we who might leave her like her family did. She is presented with an opportunity to haunt the book store to encourage the sale but now she feels herself conflicted with the ethics of doing so for James’ documentary. Will she choose her small town or her growing feelings for James?

I liked the premise of the book and James is a wonderful MMC. He cares for Alex and stands up for her but I don’t like how cagey he is about leaving and how he never addresses her fears of him leaving, he basically ignores her when she refers to it. Alex had all the makings of a great FMC but I found her non confrontational at the beginning and super confronted the end, she made strange requests for having only known James a few weeks and for all her reservations she seemed to contradict herself constantly. I didn’t find she made the soundest decisions and that irked me. The book was ok but not my favourite. It’s too bad because I really wanted to like the book.

Absolute pumpkin spice perfection in book form, Hallmark meets Halloween in this spooky-themed contemporary romance. Don't expect a paranormal romance or real hauntings, this is definitely more Stars Hollow than Sleepy Hollow. I personally loved the Gilmore Girls and Good Witch vibes of the feel-good story, which follows a small town bookseller who reluctantly relies on out-of-towners and seasonal trade to keep the second-hand bookstore afloat.

Lex describes her home as a "snowglobe of a town" and I'd have to agree. Her best friend makes a living in her family's Christmas focused businesses such as a tree farm and horse-drawn sleighs. They both rebelled in their youths by adding some fuel to the fire of local legends and ghost stories, filming hauntings and ghost hunting for their YouTube vlogs. Though the channel died long ago, their legacy lives still lives on to this day and draws some filmmakers to the town to start their own investigation. This is a very low-stakes and cozy read, it reminds me of a made-for-TV Christmas movie.

The story does take a more emotional turn when Lex and her love interest bond over their lack of familial support. I really connected with Lex's ferocious independence and struggle to advocate for her own wants and needs in the face of her parent's disapproval. Her problems with loneliness and her mental health were also really relatable, particularly in the face of living up to the plans her parents had for her future. I think seeing Lex confront this troubling dynamic and her relationships with and perceptions of the rest of her family was very healing and added depth to what otherwise would have been a sugary sweet romance plot.

Lex doesn't want to leave her small town of Stowe, Vermont. Sure, the house her grandfather left her is falling apart, and her job isn't going how she wants it (mostly because her boss is a pain in the ass). But it's always been her home, and she has her friends and her routines. She's plagued by thoughts of what ifs - what if she'd finished college? what if she left with her ex-boyfriend? what if she moved to California to be near her family? When she was younger, she had a mildly popular youtube channel where she explored the (made up) ghostly lore of the town. When James comes to town, Lex vows to stay away; he's a tourist, he's just visiting, and he'll leave Stowe like everyone else. But their chemistry is hard to ignore, and he's helping with a supernatural documentary based on Lex's old videos.


This book was too slow-paced for me, so I ended up DNFing at 45%. The cover is a 10/10, but the rest of it failed to keep my attention.

Amber Roberts’ sophomore novel, HAUNT YOUR HEART OUT, is the perfect read for the holiday season! Set in beautiful, snowy Stowe, Vermont with perfect Gilmore Girl vibes, you’ll fall in love with Lex and James, too! It releases TOMORROW, so stop by your local store and grab a copy if you haven’t preordered!

The book follows Lex, an employee of the local indie bookstore who dreams of one day owning it, and James, who is shooting a ghost hunting documentary, largely based on an anonymous blog. What he doesn’t realize is that the blog was written by Lex, and that all those “hauntings” were faked.

The chemistry between these two is off the charts! The banter will slay you and the spice scenes will have you wishing you were in Stowe, too, so you could take a dive in the snow. On top of the fun and heat, Amber expertly explores Lex’s anxiety and depression. Lex and James were so adorable with their shared love of books, and I loved the complex family backgrounds that added another layer to their characters.

I can’t wait to add this book to my shelf!

This was an 18+ paranormal romance set between a struggling bookstore manager and a town hopping ghost hunt documentary director.

The characters:
I honestly loved the characters in this. Both main characters were so real, with mental health representations, diverse backgrounds and really well thought out story lines. Their story line was really beautiful to read and I loved the way they handled each others parents so so well.

The Plot:
This was such a fun and adventurous plot! I loved seeing the MMC coming in and making a documentary on ghosts that the FMC had made up in her teen years, and her helping him whilst pretending some of them are real. It was adorable, the wintery elements, the snow kisses and their falling in love over old books. I loved the element of James buying the books she recommended, even though he had already read them, because he wanted to see what she saw in the books.

The writing style was very interesting, heavy on both descriptions and dialogue. This is a style that doesn't always worked but did for this story and this book.

4 stars.

A bookseller who writes fake ghost hauntings and the handsome ghost hunter in town working on a documentary who wants to use her stories.... but doesn't know they are fake are definitely going to clash, especially when they start falling for one another. Lex McCall is a messy pansexual bookseller who has major trust issues. She's forever jaded that she's not her parent's golden child and has major trust issues from everyone leaving her. She spends her free time making up fake ghost stories about her sleepy Vermont town. Then when her boss tells her he's going to sell the bookstore for cheap because of the supposed ghosts haunting the store, Lex can't help but feed into it if it means she can finally buy the store. Then comes James, a handsome guy who has just come into town who just happens to be part of a ghost-hunting documentary crew that are looking into the "verified" ghost stories in town, aka Lex's fake stories. The moment James meets Lex, he is charmed and asks for a date and soon things get serious... but with Lex's secret and her messing with the set... it could ruin everything if it gets out. Can Lex keep the guy or will her lies ruin it all? For a book with a fun premise and about such fun spooky things, this book was a big disappointment for me. I loved how cute the cover was and the fact that Lex is pan and James is Bi made it such a cool rep book... but the actual story felt so lacking in romance. James had insta lust and Lex never grew as a character. I really wish I liked this book more, but it was unfortunately a miss from me. If you like messy small town romances, give this one a go!

Release Date: October 8,2024

Publication/Blog: Ash and Books (ash-and-books.tumblr.com)

*Thanks Netgalley and Alcove Press for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

2.5 stars
TW; miscommunication and poor relationship with immediate family members, fear of losing loved ones

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a digital copy to review. All thoughts are my own.

This was a miss for me. I came into this expecting a wholesome time and dabbling with ghost hunting, but I walked away fairly perturbed by what actually occurred. It was a nice twist to have a Halloween-aimed story set around Christmas and connecting the two holidays together, but otherwise, I didn't get much enjoyment from this book.

I'm just going to throw it out there, there are no ghosts in this. Lex is continuously comparing everything and one, riddled with resentment over her relationship with her parents and "golden child" sister, that she is forever haunted by the past she won't let go of, but not by actual ghosts. Add in some poor relationship choices that led people to leave her behind, and she's got some major trust issues. Unfortunately, there isn't any real evolution for her character - Lex tries to push James away from a relationship and is rather hostile to her parents without giving anything but excuses to them. She is quite self-absorbed in her own pain and experiences that she forgets that other people also have feelings and there's a lot of miscommunication between those she loves that could have been more maturely sorted than how it is resolved at the end of the novel. It irked me that after all that went on, she got everything she wanted to set out for more at the benefit or sacrifice of others, than her learning to communicate properly with people.

James is pretty horny for Lex from the beginning, and whilst the banter at times was fun, the romance felt forced. There's no natural build-up, and the intimacy comes hard and fast (pun definitely intended). There's also a sex scene with consensual filming and roleplay which I wasn't a fan of and put me off any further development between the pair.

Overall, I'm quite disappointed by the lack of ghostly workings, and whilst we knew it was fake from Lex's pov, the situation between her and those making the documentary feels weird. I did like Natalie, Lex's best friend, and I'm glad she stepped out of Lex's tightly gripped bubble, and the lessons Lex had to learn about her beloved small town and the people within it, but I don't feel there were any true consequences that led Lex to grow as a person, and that made this a rather beige read for me.

The beginning and premise of this book is rather cute and intriguing.

The middle dragged on like molasses and I skimmed quite a bit.

The ending made me cry and so I've decided on 3 stars.

It really would have benefitted from dual POVs and at least 2 more spice scenes.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!!

A typical hallmark style story. It’s Christmas in Stowe Vermont but Lex has always been about haunting histories. Enter James and his pal Julien who were fans of her vlog from the 90s…..now does she fall in love with James or lie to him and have his movie be a hit so she can buy the bookstore she works at for a steal.
This is your typical love at first sight book with lots of miscommunication towards the end before it reaches its HEA.
It’s a nice enough atmospheric read but it’s not reinventing the wheel.
I received a ARC of this title, all opinions are my own.

This cover and blurb drew me in, and I loved the idea of this book, but wasn't able to get past a few chapters despite trying to read this book multiple times.

𝘼𝙍𝘾 𝘽𝙤𝙤𝙠 𝙍𝙚𝙫𝙞𝙚𝙬
𝙃𝙖𝙪𝙣𝙩 𝙔𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙃𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙩 𝙊𝙪𝙩
𝘼𝙢𝙗𝙚𝙧 𝙍𝙤𝙗𝙚𝙧𝙩𝙨
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️

•𝘏𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘮𝘢𝘳𝘬 𝘮𝘦𝘦𝘵𝘴 𝘏𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘯
•𝘚𝘮𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘳𝘰𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦
•𝘎𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘵 👻 𝘩𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘴
•𝘎𝘪𝘭𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘎𝘪𝘳𝘭 𝘷𝘪𝘣𝘦𝘴

Need a cute, but steamy palate cleanser that still fits spooky season? Look no further than this new release from

Opposites attract when city boy James meets homebody Lex in this spirited tale…where historic haunts inspire a documentary surrounding modern ghost hunters. But who is really being hunted in this cozy, snowy romcom?

✨ Publication date: October 8, 2024✨

Haunt Your Heart Out is a spooky season Ron-com set in a small Vermont town where legends of ghosts are part of the towns history.

Lex McCall loves her sleepy little town. Having grown up there spending her teenage years hosting a ghost chasing vlog, she has settled down in the house her grandfather left her. Lex is the manager of the local used books store and loves her quiet little life.

Lex’s family up and moved to California when her sister became a doctor and settled there. They are constantly trying to convince her to leave her small town and start a better life in California. Even Lex’s long term boyfriend up and left her a year ago, not willing to make it a go there.

When a handsome stranger James wonders into the bookstore, Lex is convinced she can have a short term fling while he is in town. Their chemistry is off the charts and James is only here short term while he and his friend film a ghost story documentary.

What starts out as a casual fling turns into much more but Lex is tired of people leaving her and she’s not willing to give up her own dreams to follow others. On top of that, Lex is keeping a secret that may ruin James’ entire documentary.

This was a cute book. It’s a timely read with spooky season around the corner. It was a quick read but I didn’t really get attached to any of the characters or feel a strong chemistry between the couples. This is a 3 star read for me!

Disclaimer: I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

#NetGalley #AmberRoberts #hauntyourheartout

I absolutely loved this story!!!

One bit of inconsistency, if you haven't caught it already, when we get to the parents house in CA & Jordan is making crab cakes. Her out is described as high waisted pants, but later that same night while drinking rum she is in a skirt. Idk how she changed.

I absolutely adored James. He was extremely chivalrous, very handy, and super swoony! He fixed her plumbing, accepted book recs that he already consumed, and bought duplicates. I liked how he handled her family so well. He fit right in. I just wish that he didn't leave so abruptly.

Their camera fantasy was such a fun bit of heat there in the meddle.

Alex was a good character. She embraced her fears and turned them into strengths and she had a life plan. She knew what she wanted and she didn't want handouts. I like that her family situation eased up a bit by the end. The communication and emotional dump was needed. I felt the realism to my core we all probably have a load that needs to be unloaded at some point.

Excellent story.

I loved the premise and setting for this romance, and I loved a female character who was so clear about her goals in the face of family pressure. However, I ultimately found the story lacking the emotional heft that would really draw me into the romance itself.

HAUNT YOUR HEART OUT is such a fun (and not scary!) read for not only spooky season, but any time of year. As someone who always wants to read seasonal reads but is also terrified of anything remotely scary, this book is perfect for me. There are so many things to love about this book! Great chemistry, adorable dog, small town romance, handsome stranger, the quest to purchase a bookstore, lots of shenanigans. It's the perfect cozy book for the fall.

I really wanted to love this book more than I did.

The book is set in a small town in Vermont around Christmas with James (MMC), the out of towner documentary ghost hunter, and Lex (FMC), the struggling bookseller with an old house and an intensive desire to never leave her town.

It was slow paced for me and felt like it took forever to make it through the book. It's not a slow burn and there are spicy scenes. But something just fell flat with me - maybe it was the ghosty spooky themes at Christmas, the intense anxiety of the FMC, the half-truths of the FMC, the sort of 3rd act breakup, or something else.

If you are looking for a cozy romance then you might be interested in this one.

I thought this book was great!

The idea of ghosthunters was a concept that has probably been done before, but I havent read anything like this yet!

It definitely gave winter vibes which is great because I read this over the weekend as the weather dropped!

The characters were both relatable and I enjoyed the plot!

Thank you NetGalley, and Alcove for letting me read this eARC. Sadly, this does not appeal to me. I have very few thoughts regarding this book; therefore, I can't really talk about it in depth. I found it uninteresting and difficult to get into. Though the overall ghost story vibe was enjoyable, I found the character interactions to be occasionally irritating. I did like the spooky vibes during Christmas time setting; it did somehow work together quite well. There is some cute banter and a few good tension-building moments, but otherwise I wasn't hooked. I would recommend this book to someone who is looking for a pretty mundane romance book with a spooky twist. 3/5 stars. LGBTQ+ represented in the book for those who are interested.

This book was underwhelming for me. I liked the first 30% and the overall premise. Unfortunately the story felt flat and I began to dislike Lex. All the drama was largely self inflicted and she put everyone in these boxes, not allowing any growth in their relationships. She was so self centered that it really grated.

I also didn’t love the writing and at points I felt like I was missing parts. Maybe because it was an unedited copy??

Unfortunately a miss for me.