Unfortunately, I had to DNF this book, though I did get pretty far. I did all the things - Left and came back to it thinking maybe I just wasn't in the right headspace. put it down for a month and then started again from the beginning, tried with music, without music, and all the other things we do to get into a book. I just couldn't find enthusiasm to finish this story and I HATE that. I simply wasn't connecting with the story or the characters. So, I'll just leave it with this wasn't the right story for me, but I'm positive it will find its audience.

Crazy Spooky Love is an absolute delight from start to finish, mixing humor, romance, and just the right touch of spooky charm. Josie Silver creates characters who feel real and easy to root for, with chemistry that jumps off the page. The story flows so effortlessly that I didn’t want to put it down. It is the perfect blend of cozy and whimsical, and I loved every single page.

I maybe in the minority here, but I ended up DNFing this one. I do enjoy silvers books, so I went into this one thinking I would like it but I just couldn’t get into the story. I struggled to get to the 30%mark.

This was quirky and fun. I was drawn to the paranormal mystery storyline and that was my favorite part of this book. I feel like the main plot was overshadowed by random nonsense at times. The second half was better, but the romance storyline was pretty underwhelming as well. I did like Fletcher as a love interest - he had some great quotable moments and I’d like to get to know him more.

You might like this if you enjoy quirky heroines & their faithful sidekicks, paranormal stories, or mysteries. It reminds me a bit of the Finlay Donovan series, but British and with a paranormal twist. I’m not yet sure if I’ll read the second book, but I appreciate Dell and NetGalley for providing me with this ARC.

[ARC REVIEW]
CRAZY SPOOKY LOVE by Josie Silver is a fun, kind of romcom-y mystery. But it's not actually a romance!

Melody is a medium. It runs in her family. But she decides to start her own spinoff business. Instead of just passing messages from ghosts to their living loved ones, she's going to help people get rid of ghosts by helping them cross over.

Her ex, Leo, also happens to speak to ghosts, albeit with his own TV segment. So when she sees he's trying to help a homeowner with a haunted house, she swoops in and offers her services. So now they're in competition. And there's Fletch, a very hot journalist who thinks she's a con woman. But did she mention that he's hot?? But also a tiny sliver of her does still care for Leo....

It's definitely a fun kickoff to the series, but it's technically not a romance (despite the title!) because the happy ending is related to the ghost situation, not the relationships! If anything we've got an unresolved feelings-V (not a true love triangle) with Leo and Fletch, which obviously/ideally will become the through stories for the whole series.

Anyway, you know I'm in my lighthearted romantic mystery era, so it was perfect for that.

DNF at 67%

The only reason I got this far in was because I do truly love this author but eventually I just had to give it up. I wasn't interested in the romance at all and honestly I am still not sure if there even is a romance actually brewing? I also kept going because I do want to know how the hot ghost died but eventually even that wasn't enough to keep me interested.

I couldn't root for either of the potential love interests. Leo is an ex who seemed to completely use and abandon Melody as soon as he got a hint of success. And he seems like a complete tool. A cape? And hot twins as your assistants? Also, these twins were basically written as the "sexy baby" type. Completely helpless and childish while wearing a tight mini dress and heels. What was that about? And the reporter is a complete jerk to everyone and then says incredibly creepy sexual things or just suddenly touching Melody's face all sweetly. When they kissed I was SO CONFUSED because it came out of left field. Honey, stand up! He is horrible to you! But he bought you a pooper scooper so it must be love? He is completely disrespectful. Had the love interest been clearer, or had it been the hot ghost, maybe I would've been more interested. But there was both too much going on (new business, rival ghost business run by her ex who is a tool, a jerk reporter, a house owner who is also a jerk, a crazy family, ghost murder case, himbo coworker) but also felt like nothing was actually happening?

What's worst is I already have the eARC of the next book in the series which as far as I can tell is the same story again which makes me thing this one ends with no actual romance happy ending?? There is no way I can handle 2 books of this.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this eARC.

I enjoyed this book, it was simple and fun. A nice little pallet cleanser where you want a simple romance that doesn't require much attention but still interesting enough where you wont be fully bored. A good read that you can easily binge in a weekend just for the cozy spooky vibes. I liked the family dynamic the characters have and how Arthur was there for a bit of relief but I did not like the relationship she had with her ex at the start, didn't make their chemistry quite believable but still a fun read.

When I saw Crazy Spooky Love, the cover immediately drew me in. When I saw Josie Silver wrote it, I knew I had to read it. The Two Lives of Lydia Bird by her is one of my favorites so I knew I had to read this one. Crazy Spooky Love centers around Melody Bittersweet, her gran and mom as well as her best friend. Different characters join the story line and really make this novel what it is. I loved the spooky aspects of this book, but do not fret. It is not scary spooky more as a quirky spooky. One thing I will say is this is not a romance centered book. While there are little moments in the book, it is not the main focus of the storyline which I did not mind at all. I can’t wait for more of the series!

Crazy Spooky Love completely stole my heart—fun, heartfelt, and delightfully charming from start to finish. I loved how the story balanced humor with genuine emotion, and the characters felt so real that I found myself rooting for them nonstop. The romance was swoon-worthy without ever feeling overdone, and the spooky, whimsical elements added such a unique and entertaining twist. It left me smiling long after the last page—absolutely five stars in my eyes.

If you are used to reading Josie Silver's romance novels, like myself this one is a bit different than her previous books. Crazy Spooky Love is a murder mystery filled with quirky characters that seems a bit like a version of Scooby Doo complete with a retro 70's van called Babs. This is the first in a series featuring Melody Bittersweet and her friends that lead the Girls' Ghostbusting Agency. There is a fun love triangle that adds to the mystery romance. While this is not like the other Silver books I've read, I will read Kooky Spooky Love for the humor and the characters.

I am a huge Josie Sliver fan. One Day in December and The Two Lives of Lydia Bird are my favorites of hers and both still live rent free in my head.

When I saw she was doing a romance with a paranormal twist I needed to get my hands on it immediately. Maybe I went into this one with too high of expectations because while I enjoyed this one, it wasn’t my favorite of Silver’s. Despite that, this is book one of a series and I plan on reading the next one for sure.

In Crazy Spooky Love you get to meet Melody and I really loved her vibe. She is quirky and who doesn’t love a weird leading lady? Together with her best friend and a few other loveable characters, she works to solve a mystery and that was very entertaining.

I loved the humor in this story and the cozy vibe!

This one is out September 2nd!

Thank you @netgalley and @ballantinebooks for the early copy

3.75 stars

How are you today? Did you love the Ghostbuster movies growing up? Have you ever been to a medium?

4.25 stars

This was such a fun start to a series! Josie Silver is one of my favorite romance authors, so I was curious about her foray into more of a paranormal romance, but this didn't disappoint. Melody Bittersweet can see ghosts, as do all the women in her family, and on her 27th birthday decides to embrace her gift and open up her own ghostbusting agency with her best friend, Marina. Her first case puts her at odds with her ex, Leo, a fellow medium, and finds her solving a century old murder mystery, with new love interest, skeptical reporter Fletch, on her tail. All of the side characters, including the ghosts, were so colorful and full of life that you really felt drawn into the story. New assistant Artie was too pure and Melody's grandmother was an absolute hoot. This gave lighthearted, Scooby Doo mystery vibes, with close knit friends and witty banter. Pacing was quick and light and this was an overall enjoyable read. I'm excited to read the next in the series soon, and it's perfect for this time of year.

This book was so charming! I love Josie Silvers' British humor and quirky characters. This story follows a team of ghost hunters helping a family of ghosts cross over to the other side. In order to do that, she must solve how one brother was killed and resolve the decades-long animosity between them all. All the while, doing it before her ex, who has since turned into a local celebrity as well as the local news reporter who is a firm non-believer in what they do.

I ate this story up. I found the term ghost hunters a little misleading for what they actually do. Basically, Melody can speak to ghosts and helps them cross over by resolving their issues that kept them in the physical world. Each character was well thought out and had a very different personality. Melody's mother and grandmother brought a lot a comedy to the story. They were a classic medling family that just wanted their next generation to thrive, but sometimes didn't have the best way to show it. However, don't be fooled. While this book has the word LOVE in the title, it is a bit light on the romance. It's more of a sub-genre than the main genre. But with the romance that is there, it's much more of a slow-burning, enemies-to-lovers type romance.

Thanks to the publisher for the ARC in return for an honest review. This book releases 9/2

This was such a fun read filled with ghosts and quirky characters! Melody was a great MC, and I equally enjoyed all of the other characters. The mystery was fun, even though it was a bit predictable. I didn't expect to get emotional at the end!
I also enjoyed the love triangle. Although I can't really figured out who the better one is out of the two, considering they both have their good and bad. I did fly through this book, so it's pretty fast-paced and very easy to read.
Overall a good palette cleanse that will leave you smiling by the end.

⭐️ 4/5
First Person POV, Single narrative
FMC: Melody Bittersweet
Linear timeline
Small town setting
MF romance; not the main focus | 🌶️ 3/5

Melody Bittersweet is trying to walk away from her family’s ghost-whispering business and ends up running her own ghost-busting gig instead. Between the meddling ghost brothers, a fame-hungry ex, and a cynical but annoyingly attractive reporter, her world is packed with banter, heart, and a whole lot of paranormal fun.

It’s playful, cozy, and charming, along with a little bit of romantic tension, though I wish there was a lot more. If you like your rom-coms with a ghostly twist, or rather cozy mysteries with a little rom-com twist, this one’s a Fall season must-read. For being titled Crazy Spooky Love, I was expecting a lot more romance and relationship focus and tension. It was definitely not the main focus of this book, but rather the paranormal cozy mystery. I didn't think there was enough page time spent with Melody and either of her potential love interests to make her ultimate choice feel earned, despite multiple allusions to their shared histories.

Thank you Ballantine and Dell for providing a copy of this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions expressed are my own.

This was such a fun turn for Josie Silver. I adore the cover and it was such a fun plot. I can't wait to continue on.

Ended up not finishing this after 60% in. I didn't find the plot or the chemistry particularly interesting and bummed about it!

This was my first read of anything by Josie Silver and this absolutely will not be my last. I am now officially counting down the days until the second book in the series comes out!!

This was the perfect mix of romcom, fun paranormal and easy read! Perfect for the colder autumn months with a blanket and a candle!

Meet Melody Bittersweet: medium, new boss of her own ghostbusting business, and queen of kicking ghosts OUT. Her first job? A haunted mansion with three feisty Scarborough brothers and a whole lot of unfinished (possibly murderous) business. Toss in her fame-chasing ex, Leo Dark, and a snarky skeptic reporter, Fletcher Gunn, and you’ve got banter, sparks, and spooky-cute chaos. Cozy paranormal vibes + rom-com swoon = yes please!
Super cute, fast paced read. Perfect for spooky season!

Searching for a new cozy paranormal story? Romance writer Josie Silver switches up genres to deliver Crazy Spooky Love, a story about Melody Bittersweet who sees dead people. Melody hates this gift and decides to open Girls’ Ghostbusting Agency to help ghosts move on (so there are fewer left to ruin her life). Of course, no cozy paranormal story is complete without two rivals also serving as potential love interests, an eclectic cast of employees, and a triple haunting consisting of quarreling brothers.

This is just a fun story, nothing like Silver’s other books. I practically grew up on this genre, so it was nice to read a solid foray into the paranormal world. Mixing mystery with romance, Crazy Spooky Love has a bit of everything for everyone. I especially loved the side characters who stood out more so than the somewhat bland protagonist, Melody. I’m also very curious how Girls’ Ghostbusting Agency will make enough money to stay in business (it doesn’t seem to have the best business plan lol). All in all, it’s a good story, well written, and I’m looking forward to reading the sequel Kooky Spooky Love soon!

Thank you Netgalley for an ARC of this novel!