Thank you to NetGalley, Berkley Pub and the author for an ARC of this one.

Yet another brilliant and creepy read. I think this one may have officially dethroned Black Sheep as my favorite by this author. It had everything you could want from a haunted house story and more. Plus a little family drama for some added flare.

I thought Clio was a bit shallow and it was hard to like her at first, but over time her character development made you care for her more and more. Still don't like Leda though. And Leda's husband? Well, Thomas and his playlist can stay.

While her other books are creepy, I had trouble reading this one at night. Doesn't help that my bedroom closet has an attic access panel, and I kept waiting for a shadow to slink around the edges of the room.

I absolutely devoured this one, bones and all. This book is a five star read for me, and I can't recommend it enough.

Childhood trauma takes full form in a demonically good book that works through grief, family secrets and the pressure of growing up.

Clio has never learned to “Play Nice” growing up as the favorite daughter living a rich life of fashion and fast friends as an influencer but with the news of her estranged mothers death she finds herself back at home with her older sisters and the only one willing to step back into the past and learn if her mother was truly crazy or if her childhood home really had a few skeletons inside.

This book is so good and I hate to call it fun when the subject matter is so serious but it is one that plays well into the question of what is or isn’t real. Growing up in a dysfunctional house is one thing and to be so young that you feel as though you can’t trust your own memories is made only worse when you realize that maybe those closest to you aren’t honest either. It has almost the Buffy feel of breathing life into real world problems so there is something to face off against but with an unreliable narrator seemingly following in her sick mother’s footsteps, are we sure they aren’t just inner demons after all?

Clio is an interesting character as she thrives in a lifestyle that is so superficial she has never had to grow up but stomps her feet and insists she’s an adult fully capable of flipping a house and uncovering the truth about her time there. She has no real roots or connections, and it is easy to see how she would be the easiest to fall apart when those rose-colored glasses are removed or fall prey to something more menacing. She’s not exactly likeable but it is easy to sympathize with her journey and how her time at home seemed to parallel her mothers without her really noticing. Her family, also not perfect, were just trying their best in an imperfect situation while also being selfish in their own ways and while it may be easy to point at a singular entity that kind of peace is fragile and they quickly found that out.

This is such an interesting book with so much symbolism with grief, trauma and substance abuse and how a child can carry that baggage into adulthood without realizing it and sometimes ultimately the hardest part of moving on is looking it in the face.

**special thanks to the publishers and netgalley for providing an arc in exchange for a fair and honest review!**

This was such a dark and emotional read, I loved the demonic monster and haunted house but it was the family drama and generational trauma that were the real monsters in this book.

This was full of secrets brushed under the rug until they clawed their way out. It made me uncomfortable in the best way. Everyone is awful, and Clio is one of the most annoying characters I've ever read - in the most dysfunctional way that I ate up.

If you don't enjoy an unlikable MFC, this one might not be for you, but if you like all of the drama of an unreliable narrator plus a haunted house, then this read is for you.

I struggled a little with the pacing of this one, but over all, fantastic. This is on the light side of horror, but it gets under your skin and makes you an uncomfortable bystander for this train wreck.

Thank you NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for the Advanced Reader Copy. All opinions are my own.

"A woman must confront the demons of her past when she attempts to fix up her childhood home in this devilishly clever take on the haunted house novel from the USA Today bestselling author of Black Sheep and So Thirsty.

Clio Louise Barnes leads a picture-perfect life as a stylist and influencer, but beneath the glossy veneer she harbors a not-so glamorous secret: she grew up in a haunted house. Well, not haunted. Possessed. After Clio's parents' messy divorce, her mother, Alex, moved Clio and her sisters into a house occupied by a demon. Or so Alex claimed. That's not what Clio's sisters remember or what the courts determined when they stripped her of custody after she went off the deep end. But Alex was insistent; she even wrote a book about her experience in the house.

After Alex's sudden death, the supposedly possessed house passes to Clio and her sisters. Where her sisters see childhood trauma, Clio sees an opportunity for house flipping content. Only, as the home makeover process begins, Clio discovers there might be some truth to her mother's claims. As memories resurface and Clio finally reads her mother's book, a sinister presence in the house manifests, revealing ugly truths that threaten to shake Clio's beautiful life to its very foundation."

I love haunted house home rehab!

This book was wickedly fun, sharp, and totally unhinged in the best way. I flew through it. It offers a fun mix of haunted house suspense and messy family drama with a influencer twist.

Clio Barnes is a stylist influencer with a perfectly curated life…until her estranged mom dies and leaves Clio and her sisters their old childhood home. That same house her mom claimed was demon possessed (and even wrote a book about it). Clio decides renovating it could make great content… and maybe help her uncover the truth. As she digs in she started to think her claims weren’t as crazy as everyone always said.

The entire atmosphere is just the right level of unsettling. It has a creepy vibe that builds slowly. Definitely recommend to for horror readers who are looking for something more character driven than just jump scares.

Clio leads a perfectly curated life on social media, but her childhood was a different story. When her parents divorce, Clio's mother moves her and her sisters into a house that her mother insisted harbored a malevolent entity. Her mother documents her experiences in a controversial book.

With her mother's unexpected death, the property passes to Clio and her sisters. While her siblings view the house as a source of painful memories, Clio envisions an opportunity for house-flipping content. As the renovations begin, eerie occurrences and unsettling memories start to surface, and Clio finally reads her mother's book; maybe her mother wasn't as deluded as everyone believed.

This book captures a creeping sense of paranoia, perfectly mirrored by Clio's mounting anxiety as she hears her daughter conversing with something unseen. You can feel that something is always behind her or moving just out of sight, and making you question whether it's there or just your imagination.

It explores themes of loss, forgiveness, and unresolved trauma, eventually providing closure for Clio's complicated relationship with her mother and also strengthening the emotional bonds between Clio and her sisters, blending psychological suspense and emotional depth.

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for the opportunity to review and provide my honest feedback.

**Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Pub for the eARC of this haunting title!!**

I adored Harrison’s FMCs and Clio definitely delivered the biting humor and cynicism I have come to expect. A twist on the classic haunted house novel, I enjoyed the entire cast of characters in this one and especially enjoyed watching the sh*t show of family dynamics.

I am already planning to reread this one in October and think it will be the perfect book to promote to my followers for spooky season!! I definitely recommend this one and as always can’t wait for more from this author!

Rachel Harrison is at her best in PLAY NICE. An exploration of generational trauma, a haunted house, and an unapologetic main character made this captivating for me. Come for girl's girl horror, stay for pitch-perfect voice and emotionally wrought demon take that hit the same nerves as Head Full of Ghosts.

Play Nice is a refreshing mix of haunted house story and family drama, heavy on the family drama. The Barnes family, who is at the center of our novel, desperately needs some therapy, and the demon is definitely one of the most docile I’ve encountered in a haunted house trope, but mixed together they make for the perfect train wreck of a book. Harrison’s writing is engaging, well thought out, and thorough. Our FMC, Clio, is a well developed character, but my god is she wholly unlikable. She is whiny, manipulative, and often acts like a child, simple because she can. But she is engaging and interesting to read about, and the dysfunctional family dynamics are entertaining. I would definitely say that overall this book is a little lighter on the horror, but the ending definitely delivers. It has a cast of interesting and unique characters. Beyond a haunted house, it is a great story of family relations, self-development and growth, and our demons.

I’m not usually a reader of this horror supernatural genre, but this book intrigued me. And let me just say, it did not disappoint! I was on the edge of my seat during the last half of the book. Harrison can make a terrifying story funny and heart warming. I definitely was creeped out reading it and am excited to read more by this author!

Play Nice is a humorous and creepy tale centered around a dysfunctional family. We get a good mix of unlikeable characters, a bit of romance, and even a creepy kid. The book is centered around a mystery and I enjoyed learning the family’s dark secrets. Play Nice also discusses influencer culture, grief, and addiction.

I love a haunted house story and Play Nice is very unique. It’s definitely not your traditional haunting story but it’s more along with he lines of light horror. Rachel Harrison always delivers a compelling and entertaining story. Play Nice was my 7th read by the author so of course I look forward to reading whatever else she publishes.

Play Nice by Rachel Harrison will be available on September 9. Many thanks to Berkley Pub and NetGalley for the gifted copy!

This may be my favorite Rachel Harrison book! Loved it - it was just the right amount of spooky. I read this in one day, I had to find out what happened. It would have been great to get even more of the mother's perspective and I was super mad when the dad burned the other half of the book with all her notes! Loved when all the sisters finally came together. I will be recommending this to all my spooky witchy friends! I may need to read again just for fun! Thank you!!

Okay, I need to start by saying: getting approved for a Berkley ARC feels like winning the literary lottery. So when I saw Play Nice by Rachel Harrison pop up, I hit request faster than my TBR pile can give me anxiety.

Now listen, I am not a horror girl. Thrillers? Yes. Suspense? Absolutely. But horror? I usually nope right out of there. Except when it’s Rachel Harrison. She is the exception. She has this completely unhinged way of blending dark humor, unsettling atmospheres, and raw emotional truth that keeps me flipping pages with my blanket up to my eyeballs.

Play Nice is the kind of haunted house novel that doesn’t play by the rules. Yes, there are creepy vibes. Yes, the house might be demon-occupied. But more than that, this story is layered with family trauma, grief, influencer culture satire, and the terrifying realization that maybe your mom wasn’t crazy after all. And let’s not ignore the brilliance of a protagonist who’s both deeply flawed and painfully relatable because who among us hasn’t tried to content create our way through emotional avoidance?

What I loved most: this book isn’t just about a haunted house it’s about being haunted by your own past. By the secrets we shove into closets, slap a coat of paint over, and try to sell as “reclaimed.” But demons, real or metaphorical, don’t go down easy. And Rachel Harrison never lets her characters (or readers) off the hook.

It’s sharp, unsettling, and strangely empowering. A slow-burn possession story with bite. And did I mention hilarious in the most wrong, delicious way?

Final word: Play Nice is horror that hits deep, emotionally, psychologically, and sometimes literally. And Rachel Harrison? Still the only person who can get me to read horror… and love it.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Are you ready to get girly demonic? Are you ready to PLAY NICE? @rachelharrisonsghost’s sixth novel is easily her best yet - and just to give you context for that, I love the other five SO MUCH. She’s already on my Mount Rushmore of horror authors, and with PLAY NICE, she makes the case for maybe getting her own mountain? There are so many things to love about this book. First and foremost, its extraordinary protagonist, Clio Barnes. Wow. Clio is a force of nature, defiantly, unapologetically, messily, fiercely herself. She leaps off the damn page, grabs you by the scruff of the neck and drags you back into her world - in a good way! Clio is iconic, the Charli XCX of contemporary horror characters. Rachel’s characters have been subject to cursed discourse before for not being “perfect”. Why should some protagonists be held to different literary standards just because they’re not male? Hmm, could it be the patriarchy?? Fuck that noise. PLAY NICE is an amazing character study, as well as being deeply emotional, and absolutely terrifying. None of those things are mutually exclusive — here, Rachel makes them all one thing, one harrowing, powerful story.
It begins with the death of Clio’s mom, who had been alienated from Clio, her two sisters, and their dad. Mom insisted their former house was possessed by a demon, even wrote a book about it. No one in the family read it. No one believed her. But it turns out the house was never sold, and is now the family’s to do with as they please. Clio, a fashion influencer, spies a chance to create some awesome house glow-up content, and sets to work painting and fixing it up.
All good, except SHE’S NOT ALONE IN THERE. Strange things start happening. And Clio finds a copy of her mom’s book, annotated by her mom. (Rachel does some very unique and messed up and clever things with the book within a book concept)
Things get progressively more upsetting and terrifying as Clio has to confront her past and her present.
I can’t recommend this book enough, y’all. It’s absolutely fantastic. It also threatens to do for smiley faces what @catnassidy did for googly eyes in REST STOP.
PLAY NICE comes out Sept 9th. Please go preorder it!!!

Play Nice by Rachel Harrison is a captivating blend of paranormal horror and layered family drama that kept me riveted from start to finish. The story follows Cleo Barnes, a stylish influencer whose life takes a sudden turn when her estranged mother dies and leaves Cleo and her sisters the very house that fractured their family years earlier.

After a bitter divorce, Cleo’s mother Alex, moved the girls into a home she believed was possessed by a demon. Her increasingly erratic behavior eventually led to her losing custody, and she later published a book about her experiences. Now, in the wake of her mother's death, Cleo decides to flip the house before selling it. As she spends more time there, memories creep back in. To understand her mother’s version of events, she reads the book, uncovering unsettling insight that shakes the foundation of her recollections.

The horror elements are strong, but they never drown out the emotional depth of the story. The house has a presence that’s undeniably sinister, yet the relationships between Cleo, her sisters, and her father are just as intense. Themes of gaslighting and how people can hold completely different memories of the same events play a big part in Cleo’s dysfunctional family. The characters are far from perfect, and it is easy to see why Cleo learned to navigate life through manipulation.

As the story unfolds, the balance between horror and drama is striking. There are intense, eerie moments, yet Harrison intersperses them with warmth and normalcy, keeping the emotional tone unpredictable and engaging. Watching Cleo come undone while piecing together a truth that’s been buried for years adds a powerful sense of momentum.

Thank you NetGalley and Berkley Publishing, for the advanced reader copy. This is my honest review.

Clio is the youngest sister, and the only one who wants to pay her respects to her recently deceased mother. The house they lived in with their mom, was well haunted, according to their mother. But their father thought she was ill, and custody of the girls went to him.
Clio is an influencer. A self-centered person who decides that since their mom left them the haunted house, she will fix it up and they can sell it. But from the moment she walks inside, something feels off. Is it the house or the memories that live deep inside her?
A book within a book, one of my favorite kind of reads. Their mother wrote a story detailing what happened in the house, a story Clio has never read. Until now. Family drama, buried memories, and trauma meant that at no time was I certain whether this house was haunted. This family, all I can say without spoilers is that they needed a haunting to let them grieve, accept, and grow.
My favorite and the first book I read by this author was The Return. I’ve read every book she’s written since and all of them, just like this one, were page flippers.

4.5 stars

Horror books written by women just hit different!! I really liked this one a lot from the jump and felt connected to Clio pretty quickly.

The family drama in this one was SENDING me I was in a rage but like in a good way. I also found myself creeped out more than I thought I would be.

The way this one was written was just so well done it was like watching a movie in my head with no effort. It was kind of giving me Haunting of Hill House (tv show) vibes and I love that show so I found this book super engaging.

I also love how the cover looks much more cutie than the contents within. That definitely drew in me!!

Thanks to Berkeley Publishing Group, the author, and NetGalley for the arc

Play Nice is everything fans of Rachel Harrison have come to love. biting wit, fierce female friendships, and a darkly magical twist on modern life. The characters are layered, the plot is fast-paced, and the voice is uniquely hers. Harrison masterfully balances humor and heart with supernatural suspense, making this ARC an absolute treat. I couldn’t put it down!

Although this book was light on the actual horror elements I loved the writing style and ended up really enjoying this book. The characters were a bit flat, though never uninteresting, and unlike a lot of horror it never quite veered into unlikeable character territory for me. The text revealed a lot of grace and a lot of love for its characters despite their flaws and traumas.

The main character is flawed, but was an enjoyable character for us to follow both in her life as a "stylist/influencer" and in the Edgewood scenes. Her dedication to finding the truth of her family and her few memories is interesting, but I did find myself wanting more from it as well as more from the "payoff" at the end. I think there's a lot to be said here about domestic abuse, generational trauma, familial manipulation and more but the book seems content to not dive into what it means to fully work through those subjects, with the main character almost fully shielding her eyes by the end of the story. It's unsatisfying, but it's realer than anyone would like.

Unfortunately, like a lot of horrors that I've read lately, this book is light on the actual horror, I can only think of maybe four scenes of note that felt horrific, including the non-supernatural every day horrors. And, despite loving the writing, the suspense that was seeded throughout fell flat to me, and I wish it had been riveted up a bit more. However, those are personal preferences and every reader will be different.

Overall, I enjoyed this book, especially due to the writing style, and it was an interesting, though unsuspenseful, journey with light horror elements, and a lot of focus on the characters and how the past informs the present even if you can't remember it. It's a great book for readers that are looking for light horror with minimal gore or looking to delve into another take on the classic haunted house, or, the true horror, the family history that haunts our every step. I'd avoid, of course, if domestic abuse is particularly triggering for you.

This was a great, quick read. Very well paced and contains all of the elements I hope for when reading a Rachel Harrison book: a complicated main character, snappy dialog, classic horror tropes with a twist, romance, self-discovery, and a NJ/NY setting.