I enjoyed reading through this title, although horror blended with comedy is not of my particular taste. Fans of Grady Hendrix will enjoy Rachel Harrison's fun wit and word-play used throughout the book.

Play Nice is A thrill of a ride . Clio an online influencer goes home to her estranged Mother's Funeral . She gets the idea to fix up up her family home and literally face her childhood demons. Her mother has written a book about her horrors of living in the house and Clio tries to decipher what is real and what is not . Although the main character is slightly unlikeable this book will not allow you to put it down . Thrills, scares and emotions run high in this gem of a novel .

Clio's mom was unique - after her divorce, she moved herself and her three daughters into an unassuming house that turned out to be haunted... or so she claimed. Clio and her sisters didn't believe her, their father didn't believe her, and they largely cut her out of their lives. They even promised to never read the book their mother wrote about the experience. After their mother's death, the youngest daughter (Clio) decides to briefly move in to flip the house. Clio is lovely - hard and mean, sweet with her sisters, spoiled, jaded, damaged, and beautiful. Despite all her hard edges she is endearing to those around her, who also find themselves exasperated with her antics. And that's what this latest move seems to be - another ploy for attention. But Clio doesn't remember much about her mother or the time they lived in the haunted house, and renovating the house isn't as shallow an endeavor as her sisters and father might think.

I love the deliciously intense dread the story builds, but I mostly love Clio. She’s rude and funny, and I love that this isn’t another book about a good, quiet girl. The horror of the house escalates, and yet I understood why Clio kept staying even after the first creepy encounter. An overall great read.

I want to start off by saying that I have so much respect for Rachel Harrison and love her previous books. I was super excited for her take on a haunted house story but this unfortunately did not captivate me like her others. The main character Clio is a spoiled brat who never redeems herself, I'm talking ZERO character development. She is constantly making matters worse for herself by sabotaging her closest relationships (father, sisters, friends, and boyfriends) and perversely enjoys it when people call her out on being an absolute nuisance. I understand that Harrison likes to explore how terrifying certain human relationships can be amidst a backdrop of conventionally scary things but I have to say, the way that the demon presents itself is just not scary at all and quite corny actually. My favorite aspect of this book that I think Harrison tackled really well was the book within a book. I thought it was really interesting to watch Clio analyze her mother's writing and decipher what was true or not about her own childhood and repressed memories. I would recommend this book to someone who is new to horror.

Thank you Netgalley for the arc in exchange for my review. I think this is one of the scariest books I’ve read, granted demons truly scare me.

Rachel Harrison’s Play Nice is a captivating blend of psychological suspense, dark humor, and eerie atmosphere that kept me hooked from start to finish. While it didn’t quite reach perfection, the novel offers a fresh take on friendship dynamics and the sinister secrets lurking beneath seemingly idyllic lives. The story centers around Nessa and her best friend, Emily, who have been inseparable since childhood. Their bond is intense and complicated—marked by shared secrets, unspoken jealousies, and an underlying sense of something darker. When Emily unexpectedly invites Nessa to spend the summer at her family’s secluded lake house, what should be a fun reunion quickly turns into something much more unsettling. The setting is wonderfully atmospheric—the isolated lake house surrounded by dense woods, with an air of quiet menace that Harrison captures beautifully. The tension builds slowly but steadily as strange occurrences start happening: mysterious phone calls, forgotten memories resurfacing, and subtle signs that something isn’t quite right with Emily. Nessa’s perspective is sharply drawn; she’s both sympathetic and flawed—a relatable narrator grappling with her own doubts and feelings of betrayal. Harrison expertly explores themes of friendship, envy, and the masks people wear. As secrets unravel, you begin to question everyone’s motives. The novel excels in its psychological depth, delving into how past traumas influence present actions, and how loyalty can be warped into something darker. While the pacing is mostly steady, there are moments where I felt the plot could have been tightened—some scenes lingered a bit too long, and a few plot twists felt slightly telegraphed. However, these minor quibbles don’t detract from the overall suspenseful atmosphere. The ending provides a satisfying, if somewhat ambiguous, conclusion that prompts reflection on the nature of trust. In summary, Play Nice is a compelling read packed with creepy undertones and complex characters. Rachel Harrison proves once again her talent for weaving psychological horror with nuanced storytelling. It’s perfect for fans of slow-burn suspense and psychological thrillers looking for something unsettling yet thought-provoking. Four stars from me—definitely worth the read!

Play Nice by Rachel Harrison is a sharp, witty horror novel that blends influencer culture with supernatural dread. With her signature dark humor and emotional insight, Harrison explores family trauma, denial, and legacy through a haunted house that may not be so metaphorical after all. Creepy, clever, and surprisingly heartfelt.

Well, THIS is the haunted house book I wanted when I read a certain other haunted house book.

Clio, Daphne, and Leda are daddy's girls, because their mom was a crazy, abusive alcoholic. Or was she? When she dies in the house she swears was haunted, Clio–the chaotic bi, the one with low empathy and high fashion sense, the baby of the family–decides it will might be cool to renovate and flip the house, for views. But from the first moment she's there, something is VERY wrong.

This book has everything: scares, sex, family drama. Masterful work from Harrison, who plays along the razor's edge of "Is this grief or is this real?" as if it were a dull blade.

4 stars

I have a love/hate with Harrison, but this is definitely a love. I’m going to go ahead and say this is probably my favorite by her. It is near perfect for the haunted house trope. I highly recommend grabbing this one if you like haunted house reads.

This book just hit every spot of me when it comes to this genre. It's one I definitely will be telling others to read.

Play Nice by Rachel Harrison has to be one of my favorites so far this year. I've read some of Harrison's books and found the characters unlikeable. Clio, the main character here, WAS unlikeable. And as I read through this, I found out why. These characters have issues, and Harrison does not shy away from them or try to fix them. Clio grew up in a haunted house, and after her mom passed, it was left for her and her sisters, Daphne and Leda. This house is not only physically haunted, but also emotionally haunted.

Spoilers below.

Alex was such a complex mother. Her drinking pushed away her family, along with insanity. I felt so extremely sad for her. She was made to seem insane and feel so alone. And just because the demon was bored. I enjoyed the parallel between her insanity and Clio's, felt how incredibly difficult and lonely it was not to be believed, and be made to seem crazy.

The ending was haunting. Alex always told Clio to be selfish. Something her mother was not, for the most part. Alex kept coming to the house to appease the demon, in fear that it would hurt anyone else. She felt like it was her duty to save anyone from it. And it cost her her life. Clio broke that curse and decided it was not up to her to take that burden. In a sense, her mother saved her.

As a final note, I am so glad Clio realizes what a manipulative and abusive asshole her dad was. And I am glad that her and her sisters realized how much they fucking love each other. Their relationship was complex, but isn't that everyone?

The author's style is blunt and unapologetic, just like the main character's personality. This haunted house story is the perfect amount of spooky with some jump scares and psychological elements. Would recommend to new adults who enjoy horror and haunted house stories.

Whenever I read another Rachel Harrison book, I usually say that all of her various protagonists would likely get along with each other and hang out. Until now. I don’t think Clio would be invited. (Well, maybe the gals from “The Return” would give her the time of day.)

She just wasn’t my cup of tea. Several other reviewers said things like, “This character was kind of unlikable, but that made the story more fun for me!” Respectfully, I wish I could be that forgiving. Clio was an unlikable protagonist with a huge ego who had a bitchy comment to make about literally everything. For a large portion of the book I tried to figure out if maybe this was purposeful. She was, after all, a bit of a spoiled brat influencer type (who oddly enough rarely posted any sort of content despite claiming to be very successful. That aspect of the character mostly came into play very late in the plot.) But in the end, I think it was just a “me” problem, which is really unfortunate. I wanted to love this since I’ve consistently been a fan of Harrison’s other work!

I think my biggest issue with Clio, aside from her general personality, was that she seemed to resent her sisters for being hurt by the perceived abuse in their past even though they were collectively all victims. There was a cruelty behind the denial, and a refusal to even acknowledge the pain of anyone else in the family. (The dad was a different story. I wasn’t a fan, there.)

She is doing this house renovation first and foremost because she sees dollar signs, and the opportunity to reconstruct her spotty memory is mostly an afterthought. I couldn’t wrap my head around why Clio was so hateful and combative towards her siblings, who she supposedly had a good relationship with. Her sisters bring up legit trauma from their childhood and she accuses them of being “dramatic and manipulative.” It’s a real “pot calling kettle” scenario.

Plus, there were other little things that just bugged me on a personal level. Her constant quips about being hot shit simply got on my nerves. I’m willing to embrace a prickly MC, but there has to be some charm or relatability there for me.

I wasn’t into the romance in this because it didn’t feel super genuine and the flirty banter was…a lot. I thought the ending was good, but it might’ve been even more effective if the epilogue chapter had been removed. The chapter before that one left off on such a strong note.

I don’t want this whole review to be negative. There were positives, as well. Such as the extra story layer of a book within a book. I love this device. Harrison did a great job with it. And the annotations were a very cool touch, also. (A THIRD layer?!) I enjoyed the book within the book even more than the main story, and I wanted more of it! I think reading an early copy of this in electronic form messed up the formatting a little bit, but I’m assuming that it will work well on paper.

The core story of this novel was actually what I had expected to get from “How to Sell a Haunted House” but didn’t. It’s an interesting concept with eventual chilling and creepy imagery. And there was some metaphorical stuff that I appreciated near the end. If you’re expecting nonstop frights from start to finish, you might be a little disappointed. (The scares are absolutely there, but they start slowly and build.) The mystery of whether or not the presence in the house is real or if Clio’s mother fabricated it, along with Clio uncovering the truth about her childhood all work together to keep things interesting. I think that if Clio herself hadn’t infuriated me so much I probably would have liked this more, and I find that so frustrating.

I don’t want this review to make anyone think I’m discouraging you from reading Harrison’s work. I really like all of her other books. My favorites are “Black Sheep,” “So Thirsty,” and “Cackle.” She remains an author that I will automatically read. Clio and I just didn’t click, so I’ll continue to hang out with all the other Harrisonverse girlies instead.

Thank you to NetGalley and to the Publisher for the opportunity to read this early, in exchange for an honest review! All opinions are my own.

Biggest TW: Alcohol abuse, Domestic abuse, Substance abuse, Self-harm

I love everything by this author. Play Nice was captivating right from the get go and kept me invested all the way through. One star off because the ending wasn't as satisfying as I wanted it to be.

First of all, I love Rachel Harrison’s writing! I will read anything she writes. Haunted house stories are hit or miss for me. This was a hit! This was atmospheric, and downright spooky.

Clio is a complex character. I didn’t know if I hated her, loved her, or felt sorry for her. The truth is all of the above. It’s hard to write flawed characters and still keep a reader interested in their story but Harrison did this flawlessly.

This comes out just in time for spooky season. I highly recommend!

Rachel Harrison’s Play Nice is an emotionally resonant haunted house novel that delves into the complexities of family trauma, memory, and the supernatural. Set against the backdrop of a seemingly idyllic life, the story follows Clio Louise Barnes, a successful stylist and influencer who inherits her childhood home—a place her late other, Alex, once claimed was possessed by a demon. As Clio embarks on a home renovation project, she confronts unsettling truths about her past and the sinister forces that may still linger within the house. There are moments that feel familiar which helped make this read enjoyable for me. I have become a fan of Rachel Harrison with her last few books and this one did not disappoint..

Rachel Harrison is a well known voice in horror writing from a millennial & feminist point of view, and Play Nice is her latest release. I thoroughly enjoyed the premise and themes! I found a few plot points a bit abstract, but I feel like that is due to reading an ARC. Fans of Harrison and lighter horror will very much enjoy.

Another banger from Rachel Harrison! Demons terrify me, even the somewhat benign demons. Not that the demon possessing Clio and her family’s home is benign. Just not in the possessing and murderous way. More in the I will attach myself to you and prey on your fears and weaknesses way. The demon favors young Clio but also torments her mother, Alexandra. After her mother’s death, Clio and her sisters deal with the trauma of what to do with the house as the demon awakens and begins to regain power from Clio’s presence in the home. There is a lot to unpack in this book. Creepy, intense, and family drama for days!

When Clio’s mother dies, she is the only one in her family to go to the funeral. She and her sisters grew up with their dad after her mother had a breakdown. Then she wrote a bestseller claiming their house was haunted by a demon…. Clio and her sisters broke contact. But at the funeral Clio finds out her mom never sold the house and the siblings now owned it. Determined to renovate it, Clio begins to realize that maybe her mother wasn’t crazy after all.
Another great read by Rachel Harrison! Thanks Netgalley for the ARC- my opinions are my own.

Rachel Harrison always creates atmosphere that creates tension and atmosphere. It's just a house! (It's never just a house.) The warring family dynamics rang true for me. I enjoyed reading this.

The ending was a bit of a let down, in my opinion. I had to go back and re-read the last few pages because...that was it?

Despite that Harrison always will be an instant read for me!