Anyone interested in friendly ghosts (and there are far more friendly ghosts than there are unfriendly ones!) will enjoy this entertaining cosy romance adventure. Yes it's a predictable romance with the formulaic boy/girl misunderstanding attraction to each other but that's the style of the genre. The characters here were all delightful, even the ghosts - well, actually, especially the ghosts!

Callie is on a school trip with her daughter Immie to a historical-themed Cotswold village. When a couple of encounters with over-enthusiastic role-playing actors and locals draw attention to themselves, Callie, as a responsible Mum, feels she has to complain to the estate's manager.

That's when realisation dawns and her world is turned upside down. No spoilers. You'll have to read the book to find out more.

My only disappointment is that Rowen Vale isn't real, I won't be able to visit and I'll not be able to see for myself the model village within the actual village... or the ghosts!

I loved the ghosts. I liked the daughter Immie, but then, she is very much like my own daughter ... who can also see ghosts.

I hope there will be more in this charmingly delightful series. I want to find out what happens next - to Cassie, Immie and the ghosts.

Harling Hall is a wonderful old house set in a beautiful estate and historic village. When Calllie visits as a helper on her daughter’s school trip she is both delighted and appalled. Some of the actors working in the village behave inappropriately fighting and brawling in full view of the children. Callie decides to put in a complaint to Sir Lawrence. However, he knows exactly why she is there complaining and starts discussing the fact that she has seen several people in the village others haven’t. Ghosts! It turns out the owner of the estate must have the ability to see and communicate with it’s residents both living and dead!

After much deliberation and a nominal £10 selling fee Callie becomes the new owner of the Hall and estate. I loved reading about her adventures as she gets to know everyone and grapples with the fact that Sir Lawrence and his grumpy Grandson, Brodie, must leave soon as is tradition when a new owner is found.
Brodie can not see the ghosts but seems indispensable on the estate, much mote than just an accountant. Callie is an independent woman but she has abandonment issues and is very protective of her daughter, Imogen, but also her own heart. As she becomes fond of her new “family” and frustrated with their behaviours she also develops a close relationship with Brodie.

The resident spirits are a mixed bunch crabbit, naughty, kind, jolly, dedicated, nosey … all beholden to the owner of the estate. Reading about them was an excellent source of amusement but also brought tears to my eyes on several occasions with some of the tales they have to tell and the fears they have as they live their “lives” in the “inbetween plane”.

Kindred Spirits at Harling Hall is definitely a cosy read. The underlying emotion and romance to the story adds to it’s appeal. The unique characters, both living and dead, have relatable traits, people who I would enjoy getting to know. As a result I very much look forward to reading the next book in the series. I want to meet more of the ghosts, hear their tales and find out if Callie is coping as the Mistress of the estate without the leadership of Sir Lawrence.

This was a well-written, entertaining book. It was sweet, fun, clever and kept me reading. I enjoyed this book and would recommend it to others.

I have loved the show "Ghosts" since it premiered in the United States. I was excited to read Kindred Spirits at Harling Hall, as it has been compared to the show. Unfortunately, I was quickly disappointed. The only true comparison between the show and the book is that a living person is able to see and speak with ghosts.

Callie's character was quite frustrating to me, she is too anxious and spends far too much time denying the truth. The romance that I was hoping would save the book for me was flat and seemed rush. There did not seem to be any real connection between the two individuals; seemed more like an afterthought.

All of the characters (living and dead) seemed rushed and needed more development. I personally felt there were too many characters shoved into such short book. With the promise of more books, it seems the author could have taken more time writing fewer but more defined characters for this book.

I am going to give the second boo a try, but the first has not given me much to be hopeful for; I almost DNF.

Kiindred Spirits at Harling Hall was a fun book.

Callie Chase chaperones her daughter’s class trip to Rowan Vale a living history village in the beautiful Cotswolds. The village is owned by Sir Lawrence Davenport and the village is populated by the living and well, the dead. The village and manor house have passed from family to family with one caveat, the family must be able to interact with the dead. The Davenports time has sadly come to an end. Sir Lawrence is the last Davenport who is able to interact with the ghosts and since he is in his 80’s and his son and grandson did not inherit his gift, a new custodian must be found. Callie innocently stumbles onto the scene. As a child she was able to see and interact wtth the dead but the disdain her father showed to her gifts caused her to suppress her talent. While at Rowan Vale, Callie is able to interact with several ghosts that she mistakes for living hictorical actors. Sir Lawrence is thrilled and relieved. Rowan Vale can be saved. He offers to sell the village and manor house to Callie for 10 pounds a bargain for sure. Callie is not interested, until she overhears her daughter Immi telling her friend that she too can see ghosts. With the encouragement of her daughter and Sir Lawrence’s grandson Brodie, Callie takes a chance. At Rowan Vale she finds friends, ghosts both friendly and annoying and possible love. Who could ask for more?

This was a delightful read. I want my own Rowan Vale to live in. A picturesque village with ghosts and quirky neigbors.. yes please!

Thanks to Netgalley, Boldwood Books and the author for the chance to read and review this ARC.

Shall I start with the setting? If Rowan Vale, nestled in the beautiful Cotswolds, was a real place, I’d have immediately booked a short break to pay it a visit – it’s beautifully described, a living history museum, somewhere I know I’d love. Single mum Callie really wants to spend more time with her daughter Immi, and that’s how she finds herself there as one of the parents accompanying her class on a school outing. She assumes the pair of soldiers brawling on the station platform at Harling’s Halt are actors employed by the estate, but it doesn’t create the best first impression. And when exploring the estate, she’s surprised to see barefoot children behaving particularly badly – and decides to visit the Hall to make an official complaint.

But she’s just the person ailing and elderly Sir Lawrence Davenport has been waiting for – they’re not actors but ghosts, and he’s ready to hand over the management of the estate to someone who’s able to see and engage with them, and to make sure they’ll be looked after into the future. For a nominal payment, he’ll do a handover and move on – it’s the way things have always been done, and how he came to be managing the estate – although that doesn’t go down too well with his distinctly fanciable but very disgruntled grandson Brodie, who’s rather more reluctant to give up his home. But the deal is sealed, and Callie starts to find out – with some trepidation – what her job entails.

With the help of a rather lovely model village and a few friendly villagers, she finds there are a large number of ghosts to be looked after, and not all of them delighted with the change of ownership. Some live with them at the Hall – a pair of old retainers (one far more welcoming than the other) and one of those misbehaving children – but many others are scattered around the estate, including a Roman soldier, a former teacher of William Shakespeare, an irate clergyman, a Hollywood actress, and a former barman at the local pub. She feels the need to approach the task in her own way, while ruffling more than a few feathers – but slowly builds bridges with Brodie, indispensable for a whole range of tasks around the estate, and someone she becomes increasingly attracted to.

I’m slipping into telling the story, and I really mustn’t – but I must say that I found the whole book a total delight. Callie herself, often very much out of her depth, is so very likeable – and I really loved her daughter Immi, taking things far more in her stride than her mother could ever have imagined or hoped for. The whole story is something so very different, the product of a wonderful imagination – and all the characters, whether ghostly or not, superbly drawn, along with all their relationships and interactions. And Callie’s developing romance with Brodie was beautifully handled – gentle and slow-burn, but with an attraction you could really feel.

As a standalone, it’s a thoroughly lovely read – but also the most perfect first book in a new series, and I’m so looking forward to the next one. I should mention, I think, that I’ve never seen the TV series Ghosts – if it has a similar premise, maybe I should, but it’s certainly not essential. And I’m a touch ashamed to say that I’ve never read anything by Laurie Gilmore or Lucy Jane Wood either – but this was a book and storyline that I absolutely loved, tremendously engaging, and I honestly couldn’t recommend it more highly.

Sharon Booth’s Kindred Spirits at Harlingen Hall is a heartwarming and whimsical delight, blending romance, humor, and a touch of the supernatural. Perfect for fans of the BBC series Ghosts, this charming story invites readers to a picturesque Cotswold village where the past is very much alive — quite literally.

The story follows Callie, a single mother longing to find a fresh start for herself and her daughter. When she stumbles upon Rowan Vale, a living museum seemingly frozen in time, she’s captivated by its quaint beauty and old-world charm. But what sets Callie apart is her unusual ability to see and speak to the village’s ghostly inhabitants. From mischievous schoolgirls to a dramatic former lord and his spirited wife, each ghost has a distinct personality that adds humor and warmth to the story.

Booth’s character development is a standout. Callie is instantly likable — resilient, compassionate, and refreshingly grounded. Her dedication to making Rowan Vale a welcoming home for both the living and the dearly departed is heartening. Brodie, the handsome yet brooding grandson of the village’s eccentric owner, adds a delicious dose of romantic tension. His complicated relationship with Rowan Vale’s legacy adds emotional depth, making his gradual connection with Callie all the more satisfying.

The novel’s humor sparkles through the antics of the ghostly residents, who refuse to let death dampen their flair for drama. Meanwhile, the idyllic setting of the Cotswolds, with its cobbled streets and ivy-clad cottages, is beautifully rendered, making readers feel as though they’ve stepped into a storybook village.

But beyond the laughter and romance, Kindred Spirits at Harlingen Hall also offers touching reflections on loss, belonging, and second chances. The ghosts are not simply comedic relief — they are tethered to unfinished stories and longings, and Callie’s ability to help them find closure adds emotional resonance to the plot.

Sharon Booth has crafted a wonderfully uplifting read that celebrates both the beauty of the present and the echoes of the past. With its lovable characters, sparkling dialogue, and heartwarming message, Kindred Spirits at Harlingen Hall is a perfect escape for readers seeking a cozy, feel-good story.

Kindred Spirits at Harling Hall by Sharon Booth delivers an engaging blend of supernatural intrigue and small-town charm. Callie, a single mother grappling with her ability to see ghosts, unexpectedly inherits Rowan Vale, a historic village inhabited by both the living and the dead. Booth crafts an immersive setting, yet Callie’s journey toward self-acceptance unfolds gradually, and her passive nature kept me from fully engaging with her for much of the book.. The ghosts bring more action and humor to the narrative and were probably the strongest part of the book for me.

The romantic subplot between Callie and Brodie develops late in the story and remains underexplored. That didn't bother me, but readers expecting a prominent romance may find this aspect underwhelming.

The novel succeeds in its depiction of a found-family dynamic and its whimsical yet heartfelt approach to the paranormal. Fans of cozy supernatural fiction will find much to appreciate.

This was a really delightful story. It is a low angst, slow paced walk through an English village filled with the living and the dead.

Callie is a single mom who can see ghosts. Well, she could. When she was younger. Then she couldn't. But a school trip with her daughter reawakens her gift and opens up a door to a new opportunity to buy & run the estate.

There are a lot of colourful characters. Most of them ghosts. Sometimes the characters are frustrating and it can take a bit long for them to realize things, but that is part of the fun of the story. The drama and build up make the resolution so much more satisfying.

The writing was easy to read and it wasn'ta struggle to follow the storyline or remember who the characters were.

If you like a cozy story about people learning how to be themselves, communicate their needs and embrace life (even in death), you should definitely check this out.

I'm a huge fan of BBC's Ghosts, so knew I was going to love this one!

It's not very often that I'm jealous of a book character, but I so wanted to be Callie and share my new home with a houseful of ghosts. I love anything to do with the paranormal, so to have it mixed into a cosy romance was perfect!

The characters living or other are delightful, even Agnes grew on me in the end.

A heart-warming read that's full of fun, thoroughly enjoyable and was an absolute delight to read.

I loved every minute of my time at Harlington Hall and can't wait to return.

I wanted to love this so much, but I just didn't. The book started off great, we got a lot of information about the characters and the village. And then around 30% it just dropped off. It didn't feel like the story was progressing and if it was, it was at a snails pace. At first I didn't love the ghosts POV, but I ended up enjoying them a lot more than Callie's. Callie was just a main character I didn't connect with and she kept saying the wrong things at the wrong time. Over and over again. How many times did she tell Brodie that he was lucky he couldn't see ghosts and then a rift would grow between them? With that being said, normally a good romance can make up an iffy plot for me, but not this time. I love cozy paranormal romance books, but this one didn't hit the mark for me.

First of all, I really enjoyed this book! The story follows Cassie who can see ghosts, she's just forgotten that she can. Until she accompanies her daughter on a school trip to a living history village and accidentally gets into arguments with a few of them. After visiting the owner of the estate on which the village is situated (and learning he can also see the ghosts), she discovers that the owner of the estate must always be someone who has that ability. And surprise surprise, he's getting on a bit and neither his son or grandson have inherited his gift. Cue him offering to sell the whole lot to Cassie for a ludicrously low price.
As expected she is incredibly sceptical and initially turns him down, but there'd be no story unless she changes her mind so cue ghostly adventures!

There's a lot to like about this book. Although it clearly has that first book in a series feel, I enjoyed slowly learning about the estate and the village and all the ghosts. Sometimes introducing so many characters can feel overwhelming, but for me in this case it's just left me eager to learn more. Especially the stories of the individual ghosts.

The main character Cassie is very relatable. There were moments when I wanted to shake her self-doubt out of her and moments when it genuinely made me tear up. (Making me cry is always a sure sign of a good book!) But as frustrating and stubborn as she could sometimes be, her decisions were totally understandable. And so much was about her concerns for her daughter and wanting to be a good parent.

Overall I really enjoyed the found family theme with a twist, and the journey of self discovery that Cassie has started down. Also a little bit of romance is always nice. I'm looking forward to reading more about her adventures, and her growing relationship with her daughter.

Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for the opportunity to read the e-ARC of this book.

Callie has always been different and she knows it. So when she starts seeing ghosts at Rowan Vale, she knows she must act upon it, even though she has always repressed her gift. When she is asked to stay in the village so she can care for the ghosts and it's residents, she begins her new life full of fun, cozy, heartwarming and sometimes difficult moments.

Kindred Spirits At Harling Hall is a beautiful story about finding a home, family,  overcoming your fears and being happy.

Thank you Netgalley and Boldwood Books

Thank you Netgalley and Boldwood Books for the ARC.

This was cozy, fun, sweet and very smooth to read. I really enjoyed it! I think that it will lend itself very well to an audible format and I would listen to an audiobook version of it if it ever became available.

Rating: 5/5
I received the eARC for my honest opinion.

I just loved this book so much and at first, I didn't think this book would remind me of the tv show Ghosts but, let me tell you a few pages in, I changed my mind, and I found myself able to put the book down. The cozy Cotswold village isn’t just for living people, but it is also a safe place for the dead as well. Whether it’s because you passed away on the land or if your relatives live there, you might find yourself in Cotswold village if you have passed away. I thought the pace of the book was on the slow side, but it is a steady pace and not an info dump too. It just took a while to have the book wrapped up nicely and it was. I found the characters to be interesting and developed well. I do wish that we would have gotten to know more about Brodie and to see more of the sub-plot romance with them. It did feel a little rushed and I would have liked to have seen more of the longing looks or something. However, even with that I really liked this book a lot.

You will meet Callie, who has been told her whole life that she needs to act normal, why has she been told this? Well, when she was younger, she would see ghosts and she had the ability to talk to them. Her family didn’t like that she had those abilities and told her to act like everyone else, just be normal. So, when she is on a field trip with her daughter’s class and of course they’re going to Cotswold Village and once she gets there she notices that 2 actors are fighting in front of the children, but something feels off and when she visits the owner of the village and tells him about it she finds out that was seeing ghosts and the elderly owner would like her to live there and run the village since he is getting up there with age. She only has one month to learn everything about the village, the actors and shop assistants who live there and work and about the ghost as well. I found her character to be easy to connect with, I know if she was a real person that I would be asking her to be my BFF, she is thoughtful, strong willed, determined, and caring. She starts to stir up the waters and make new rules for the living residents and for ghosts. I loved that her daughter came first no matter what, but you also see how being a single parent or even just a parent can be hard. I liked how she handled the situation with her daughter, at first, she thought she was doing the right thing by keeping the ghost contact to a minimum for her daughter but after she is talked to about it, she changes her mind, and you start to see their relationship grow even closer.

I liked the other characters a lot, but with Brodie… I felt that I didn’t really get to know him too well, and I liked it when we would have him in the scenes, but I felt the romance side with Brodie in it was just too short. I wanted more but I did enjoy their story and getting to see them move forward from kind of an enemies' to lovers’ scenario. I liked that he wasn’t pushy and backed away to give Callie space to think things through, even at the times I was like oh you two stop being dumb already and get together lol.

If you like cozy fantasy, with great characters, and a fun plot you need to read this book.

I want to thank NetGalley and Boldwood Books for the opportunity to review this book.

Cute, fun plot with great variety of characters👻

4.5🌟 stars
Okay, the ghosts here don't wear sheets, but they're everywhere and include some winsome and some sad characters, all in need of single mom (living) heroine Callie Chase to step in and solve problems. I even enjoyed prim, crotchety ghost Agnes and her troublemaker adopted daughter Florrie: what a great backstory. The ghosts represent a variety of time periods going back to the Romans, Shakespeare's time, Victorian, WWs I and II, the Swinging Sixties, etc.

I loved the author's Tuppenny Bridge series (no paranormal element there) and picked this one up merely because I liked Sharon Booth's writing and plot development abilities. I am really glad I did, because the ghosts quickly grew on me and Callie and her daughter Immi worked so well with the unique situation thrust upon them. Immi was a special favorite of mine as she totally embraces the upheaval in their lives and teaches her mom a thing or two about dealing with a life surrounded by spectres!

I found it both light and poignant at times as some of the ghosts reveal how they had lived and died. But a generally good-feel story and endearing characters. Looking forward to more of this new series!

Thanks to Boldwood Books and NetGalley for sharing a complimentary advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest opinion.

Review shared 3/27/25 on Waterstones and Goodreads, and with BAM and Barnes & Noble. To be shared with kobo, Google Play and Bookbub after publication.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Boldwood Books for a free copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Dull.

What a cosy little village full of ghosts! I loved this first installment to the Rowan Vale series, looking forward to the next book set to drop this summer. All of the cast of characters were delightful and unique and oddly charming. This is perfect for the fall, but truly can be enjoyed anytime of the year!

This is very light on the romance, and that part is not even a slow burn, it's more of a slow simmer. I didn't think there was enough lead up between the heroine and hero to explain the depth of feelings in the end. The relationships between the people and the ghosts is sweet and I felt like there could have been even more mystery surrounding the lives of the ghosts. Hopefully as the series continues those stories will unfold as well. It was a light, cute read. Very British, so some of the references went over my head. I will probably read the other books as they come out.

I received an eARC and all opinions are my own.

Cosy romance that is perfect for a lazy day at the beach or a rainy day by the fire

Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.