Different, clever and funny. This was part romance and part ghost hunting gang. Just wonderful. Great dialogue and plucky characters. Really loved it.

I have been a fan of Josie Silver since “One Day in December” and am always excited when I get a chance to read and review one of her novels.

“Crazy Spooky Love” is the first in a series about Melody Bittersweet who opens her own ghost-busting agency. As she tries to get her business on the ground by getting rid of a three ghostly brothers, she butts heads with her ex—who she is not quite over—and a reporter who doesn’t believe in ghosts.

I enjoyed the ghost angle much more than the romance once, which came across a bit predictable. However, Melody is a unique and admirable protagonist, and I applaud Josie Silver for moving behind her typical type of writing and into paranormal territory.

Three and a half out of five stars.

Thanks to Josie Silver, Net Galley and the publisher for a chance to read and review this ghostly read.

Unfortunately, this was a DNF for me. The cover definitely drew me in, and the book sounded promising, but I could not get past the first chapter.
Some writing styles aren't for some people and sadly, this just wasn't for me.
So, since I did not finish it, this book won't see a rating higher than a three.

Unfortunately this one fell short for me. It gave childish vibes and would be a good YA read or it could have been an excellent novella.

Female Ghostbusters meets spooky season mystery, love triangle, and all out fun! This book is a wild ride! While I loved Melody and her ex and new interest, my favorite characters were the ghostly mischievous brothers. The antics engaged in to chase away prospective buyers were top notch. This will be a fun read in October for spooky season.

This was a great story! I really loved the characters and they were relatable. The story was well written and interesting. I would definitely recommend!

Melody Bittersweet is blessed with the family gift of seeing ghosts. Her family business has been to help ghosts communicate with their families. But on her 27th birthday, Melody realizes she wants something different, she wants to help ghosts move on, so she starts a Girls Ghostbusting Agency. With the help of her best friend, Marina, her brand new assistant, eager Artie, her mother, Silvana and grandmother, Dicey, the agency is off to a start! The first case, the Scarborough House, where 3 brothers are trapped and the Douglas Scarborough, the current owner, wants the house cleared out. But interfering with the Girls Ghostbusting Agency are Leo Dark, Melody’s former boyfriend and Fletcher Gunn, an overly nosey yet deliciously handsome reporter. Will Melody and her team be able to accomplish helping the ghost move on? Will Leo Dark take over the investigation to boost his TV ratings? Will Fletcher Gunn disrupt the investigation to make headlines? Will Melody get more than she bargained for with this case?

What a fun read, it’s a romp through paranormal land. Fun ghosts, the wild antics of Melody’s mother and grandmother add to the hilarity. This is my first book by Josie Silver and I look forward to reading more of her. The zany situations make me laugh, the love triangle was an added aspect of this plot and the characters and their relationships contained warmth and genuine care. Overall, it was a delightful read, a fun paranormal spin and an overall delight!

I ADORE these types of books, silly and a bit spooky with a sprinkle of romance (not too much but just enough) love that this is going to be a series, a perfect easy read to escape into for an afternoon

📖 Book Review 📖 Ghosts have always followed my family. At least living in the house that I grew up in, we know that nothing malicious has ever happened. I have established a lot of boundaries over the decades that thankfully has resulted in zero visual spirit sightings from me in this house (some from others), because that’s the threshold for me.

Melody Bittersweet is descended from a line of women who embraced their unique powers and props to her for being able to handle seeing beings from other realms! She is taking her gift to a whole new level with the Girls’ Ghostbusting Agency (again, more power to you, girl)! As one can imagine, dealing with the business of well, unfinished business, leaves little room for boredom and readers are in for one wild and hilarious ride in Josie Silver’s Crazy, Spooky Love. But ghosts aren’t the only thing haunting Melody as the spirits of a relationship past are very much in her present, colliding with a love triangle that is about as hot as the ghost case she is on! This delightful kickoff to this spooky fun new series is a real treat.

*Crazy Spooky Love* by Josie Silver is a charming and whimsical romantic comedy with a supernatural twist, blending ghostly encounters with heartfelt moments and laugh-out-loud humor. Silver crafts a delightful tale about love, grief, and second chances, centering on a relatable heroine who finds herself unexpectedly haunted—both literally and emotionally—by her past. The story strikes a perfect balance between spooky and sweet, offering quirky characters, witty dialogue, and a touch of magical realism that enhances rather than overshadows the romance. With warmth and originality, *Crazy Spooky Love* is a feel-good read that lingers like a ghost with unfinished business—in the best way.

This spooky romance novel was such a fun and easy read! This is the second book that I have read by this author and I can honestly say she does not disappoint! This book made me laugh and feel lighthearted! While this book does come with mysterious and dark vibes, the humor balances everything out. This does have a triangle love trope involved in it as well. This book is well written, filled with lovable characters, and came with a satisfying conclusion. It is a quirky story involving ghosts! Overall, I rate this a 4 out of 5 stars!

Thank you to NetGalley, author Josie Silver and Ballantine | Dell for this digital advanced reader’s copy in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

This book is expected to be published on September 2, 2025!

Crazy Spooky Love is a charmingly eccentric paranormal mystery with humor and heart, perfect for when the leaves start to fall and you’re craving something that feels right for the season but not too spooky.

Melody Bittersweet and the women of her family can all see ghosts, and together they run a cozy mediumship business out of their quirky home. But Melody wants more. She breaks away from the family firm to start Girls’ Ghostbusting Agency, determined to help ghosts move on rather than just pass messages along. Her first big case? Three ghost brothers who refuse to vacate a home that's waiting to be sold. The mystery surrounding them is deeper than expected, tangled in secrets, murder, and unresolved emotions.

Things get even messier when Melody discovers she’s not the only one trying to solve the haunting. Her fame seeking ex, Leo, is filming a ghost hunting TV special at the same location, and skeptical local reporter Fletcher is intent on exposing Melody’s family as frauds. The push pull dynamic with these two adds drama, though I found the romance underdeveloped and not the highlight of the book.

What really worked for me was the ghost story at the core. The Scarborough brothers were compelling, and the mystery behind their deaths kept me invested. Melody is a fun character because she is chaotic, brave, and relatable in her quest to define her own path. I also appreciated that this book leaned more into its paranormal and mystery elements than traditional romance tropes. The concept execution was somewhat lacking though, but I did enjoy it.

While I missed a bit of the emotional depth I usually expect from Josie Silver’s writing, I still enjoyed the unique direction and genre shift. Crazy Spooky Love is a fun, cozy read with a slightly erratic energy and ghostly shenanigans that never take themselves too seriously. This will be a perfect read for the fall season or Halloween.

Thank you to NetGalley, Josie Silver, and Ballantine/Dell for the eARC of this book.

I was invited by the publisher to review this book. The Bittersweet women are all sensitive to ghosts and live together in their house running their business Blithe Spirits. But one day Melody opens up her own business, Girls' Ghostbusting Agency, in the house, with the goal of getting the ghosts out. One of the cases is a trio of ghost brothers that won't leave a house so it can be sold. The case is a lot more in depth, and includes murder; then Melody learns she is not the only person trying to work the house and brothers - Leo, her ex, and his TV company are also on the case, as well as local reporter Fletcher, who seeks to discredit the Bittersweet family.

This is a great read for the months when the weather turns cooler, and the storyline was fun and unique, and was a fun genre departure from this author's past writing. I didn't care so much for the romance, and while I missed a little of the emotional element to the storyline, I still enjoyed Melody as a character. I actually appreciated that this book had more going for it than a romance trope, and really enjoyed the ghost brothers storyline!

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine/Dell for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Random House for an e-ARC of Crazy Spooky Love. What a fun read! I loved all of the characters. They were so quirky and well developed. You could truly visualize each character based on Jodie’s descriptions of them, including Barb.
Loved the mix of paranormal, mystery, cozy, and romance vibes. This book kept me guessing until the very end and I’m so ready for the next Melody Bittersweet book! Can’t wait to see if the enemies become lovers (again)!

3.25/5 stars! The cover of this book is super fun and the premise sounded like a silly, spooky romp by author Josie Silver. I think the mystery and romance aspects of this worked well. I just didn't connect with the humor as much as I had hoped. It was heart-warming, but lacked the giggles I was wanting. I liked Melody and Fletcher but never liked Leo, so this didn't feel like much of a love triangle. Interesting contemporary romance story.

This was a fun, silly, and cozy little ghost hunting mystery with a touch of romance. If you go in expecting a full on romance book, you'll be disappointed but don't let that stop you from reading! Melody Bittersweet can see dead people, as can her mother and gran. Melody wants to branch out from her family's business so she decides to start her own, ghost busting endeavor. Unfortunately, she keeps running into her ex Leo, who she still harbors some feelings for and Fletcher, the disbelieving reporter. Melody and her ghost busting crew get themselves into some sticky situations trying to help a family of ghosts move on and solve a murder. I had a lot of fun with this and think it's a perfect spooky season read, especially for fans of the show Ghosts! This will be a series and I am excited to see what sort of shenanigans these kooky characters get up to next.

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Crazy Spooky Love is a lighthearted and fun novel about a woman named Melody Bittersweet who can see ghosts and starts up her own ghost hunting business. On her first case, she must unravel the family drama and secrets between the three dead Scarborough brothers. While also trying not to fall under the spell of the wickedly handsome Fletcher Gunn.

This is such a cozy little novel. I really liked that it has fall/spooky vibes but is not scary whatsoever. The ghosts aren't scary either, she just sees them as normal people. This is a story of family, drama, secrets, and some murder! She has to rid the house of ghosts and by doing so, she needs to uncover which of the two brothers murdered their brother. I found the mystery/investigative aspect much more interesting than the romance subplot. The romance was... weird? Felt like it was just randomly thrown in with no build up, yearning, whatever. She just sees Fletch, hates him because he thinks her family business is a scam, and then like two interactions later they're making out? Nothing about these two was romantic. Looking upon the synopsis, it also claims this is a love triangle. I clearly missed that while reading this because there was not a single romantic conversation between Melody and Leo as well. The romance is completely underwhelming and just throws off the vibes of the book. I feel this would have landed better for me if it was solely a cozy mystery about a girl who sees ghosts.

Overall, I give this a 3/5. I enjoyed myself and I really liked reading about the ghosts and uncovering the mystery behind the brother's murder and which brother had killed him. If you want a light and fun novel to read for the spooky season, but isn't scary, this would be a great book to try. Just be warned the romance is kind of random and felt forced!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review!

I was happy to see Josie Silver try something new and I’m always excited for a new Halloween series, but this one was a miss for me. I was expecting more romance in this book.

I really wanted to love this, but I just couldn’t get into it. I couldn’t find a connection to any character- major or minor.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC of Crazy Spooky Love! I was delighted to dive into a paranormal rom-com with such an irresistible premise—and while it didn’t fully haunt my heart, it definitely tickled my funny bone.

Let’s start with the good: Melody Bittersweet is a delightful hot mess of a heroine. She’s quirky, determined, and just chaotic enough to be charming rather than frustrating. The town of Chapelwick is practically a character itself—leafy, eccentric, and exactly the kind of place where ghosts, mediums, and rival ghostbusting TV personalities can exist without raising too many eyebrows.

The love triangle? Oh, it’s triangle-ing. Between Leo Dark (the peacock-strutting ex) and Fletcher Gunn (the grumpy reporter with a smirk you can feel through the page), Melody has her hands full—and that’s before she even starts solving the ghostly mystery at Scarborough House.

The banter is breezy, the pace snappy, and the ghost-hunting angle gives this rom-com a refreshingly oddball twist. That said, the tone sometimes veers a little too madcap—think Scooby-Doo meets Bridget Jones with a dash of chaos potion. The humor, while charming, can feel overstuffed, with everyone delivering punchlines like they’re on a sitcom set. I occasionally wished for quieter moments or deeper emotional beats to really root me in the relationships, especially between Melody and Fletcher.

The mystery itself is fun, if not especially twisty—but this book isn’t trying to be Gone Girl. It’s here to entertain, not to haunt, and on that front, it succeeds.

Final verdict: Crazy Spooky Love is a fizzy, featherlight read perfect for anyone who wants ghosts, giggles, and grumpy love interests. While it didn’t blow me away, I’m intrigued enough to return for Book 2 and see if the Girls’ Ghostbusting Agency hits its stride.