4⭐️

Melody Bittersweet and friends continue their antics in this sequel to “Crazy Spooky Love”. If you enjoyed the first one, I believe you will feel similarly to “Kooky Spooky Love”. For me, it still feels less of a rom-com and more of a mystery-solving sitcom reminiscing of Scooby-Doo and the gang or a Stephanie Plum novel. I feel like Josie Silver’s last three titles maybe invite different expectations than what was actually produced.

I was happy to see more Fletcher in this novel, but that also meant we saw less of Marina and Artie, which I felt was a disservice. The pacing is quick and easy to finish in a day or two. The banter was stronger in this book than the former, although I maybe liked the ghost-mystery less? The ending was a touch Hallmarky for me.

I would very much enjoy an annual check-in with Melody and the team if this series continues well into the future.

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine Books | Random House Publishing for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I loved the first installment of this series (Crazy Spooky Love) and the second one was just as good!

Things I liked:
- The relationship dynamic between coworkers. It felt like a supportive, real, and was charming. I love that they all work together with such unique personalities.
- Dynamic between Melody and Fletch. Their connection deepened but remained intriguing and compelling.
- Dynamic between Melody and Leo, it was interesting to read about their professional development and complications arising from the case.

Things I didn't like:
- I wanted the book to continue as I can't wait for the next in the series!

Melody Bittersweet and her rag tag bunch of ghost busters are a blast! I loved Crazy Spooky Love and I enjoyed Kooky Spooky love just as much! These books are just a great time and have major women of Bewitched and Munsters vibes with some romance thrown in. Josie also always includes a lot of heart and that is the icing on the cake. It was great to see Melody continue to trust herself and grow in this book. Love this series and cannot wait to see what is next for the series!

I highly recommend if you enjoy humor, great characters and a lot of heart!

Thank you NetGalley and Ballantine|Dell for the ARC!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

This was a really great second installment in the Melody Bittersweet Series. I really enjoy figuring out what happened to the ghosts at the location and how to help them move on. The wacky crew from ghostbusting agency are super fun and Melody is still on the fence on what to do with Fletcher Gunn. They just can’t stay away from each other but he doesn’t believe in her abilities and is constantly trying to discredit her family in the newspaper. Her ex Leo Dark keeps getting in the middle of every case since he’s the only other person who can see ghosts in their little town. This was a fun, fast read and I can’t wait to read the next one.

Thanks to Ballantine and Netgalley for the complimentary copy of this book. All opinions in this review are my own.

Book two in the Melody Bittersweet series, "Kooky Spooky Love" might just be even better than "Crazy Spooky Love" (Book one)!!! What a great book.

I liked this one. It’s nice to have a mystery element added in. The love triangle is nice because it also adds something different and doesn’t feel too predictable. A nice, fun read to get ready for fall!

Had some pacing issues at the beginning- hard to get all the characters in one place and get them actually addressing the ghosts and their backstory. The story is great and cute follow up to first. Love this character and her sidekicks!

The premise of this was fun but the FMC was insufferable. I had a hard time connecting to her story or her love triangle because she made me want to throw my kindle at the wall.

Kooky Spooky Love by Josie Silver
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this eARC!

Melody Bittersweet is back, and this time her team is tackling the ghostly chaos at Maplemead Castle. Between a dramatic trapeze artist haunting the ballroom, her ex Leo causing his usual flair-filled trouble, and sarcastic reporter Fletcher Gunn continuing to be a thorn in her side (and possibly in her heart), there’s a lot going on.

The setup had all the fun elements I expected—melodramatic ghosts, haunted secrets, and a dose of romantic tension. Melody is as endearing as ever, even when things veer a little off the rails. Some of the humor and character antics felt a bit extra at times, but it’s all part of the campy charm of this world.

Fletcher continues to be a compelling grump, and I loved the moments where his chemistry with Melody bubbled beneath the banter. Also: Lestat the pug deserves his own spin-off—scared of a lion and still the MVP. 🐾

If you liked Crazy Spooky Love, this one ramps it up with even more heart, a twisty backstory involving a circus performer’s tragic end, and plenty of ghostly mayhem. It’s a ghost-hunting romp with mystery, mischief, mild spice, and a quirky cast that grows on you.

Surprise, surprise - i loved this one too. The cast of characters is still amazing and I loved the new ghost squad that Melody and co had to deal with. I definitely wouldn’t say this has a love triangle. Leo is the worst and is clearly just there to be a jealous and petulant child. Fletch is obviously in love with Melody and she definitely feels the same way about him. Regardless, this book is hilarious and somehow heartfelt and i absolutely had the best time reading it.

Similarly to how I felt about Crazy Spooky Love, I still don't feel like there is a real love triangle here. Fletcher is so clearly head over heels for Melody, meanwhile Leo is only really motivated by jealousy. I did love the ghost storyline a lot, especially with the twists and truns that led to it's conclusion. I can't wait to read the next installment!

Melody and her crew, along with her ex-boyfriend and his creepy twins are thrown together to clear a castle of ghosts. The ghosts are circus performers and a death is replayed again and again daily. Melody and Leo can see and communicate with the ghosts. Good read. Not sure which book in the series this is, but wasn’t lost. Highly recommend.

I have yet to be skunked by Josie Silver, and I will admit that going into this series, I was dubious. The first book convinced me how wrong I was, because it was a hoot. I wasn't sure how much better it could get, but for whatever reason - and there are reviewers who would disagree from what I have seen so far - this one took the first book and build on it successfully. For a little bit of the start, there was repetition and I'm not sure Silver quite nailed the reintroduction of the cast of characters bit the way that some other authors have - it felt a little bit forced - but once we got past that, the story moved well and the characters came together nicely.

I didn't realize that this was a rebranding of one of her series written under a different pen name, but when I did, I was like "ah, that's why she turned out two books so quickly." And there is certainly nothing wrong with that. I enjoy all of these characters together. Melody on her own can be a little much, but when you add in all the other folks in her circle, it works and makes her quirky behaviours more moderated. I will say that the twins did not figure as prominently in this book and almost felt superfluous, so hopefully they get a bit more page time in future books. And I do hope that there is at least one or two more Melody books in the works. I don't quite want it to go on and on like Janet Evanovich and her Stephanie Plum books, because there is a limit (30 is starting to get a little much). But I do look forward to at least a bit more of these characters. The romance needs to cement itself ....

If you like Silver's books and have read the first one and enjoyed it, then I'm sure this will be another good read. If you are more into romance, then this may not be your cup of tea. And if you didn't gel with the first book, I'd skip this one because not sure it is drastically different so the things that may have not worked in book 1 won't be sorted in book 2. Oh, and if you like a quirky supernatural mystery romance .... This has all of those.

Kooky Spooky Love was such a fun read! I completely adore Melody and company and loved the mystery and ghost love triangle at the heart of the story. The same delightfully chaotic energy of the first book in the series is present and dare I say, amped up. This series is just so dang fun and I can't wait for the next installment!!!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy.

Such a fun series. Melody is a ghostbuster like her female relatives before her and works with Marina her childhood best friend and Artie a you g man whose father Melody met after he passed. This installment has us working on a castle with circus folks. Craziness ensues as ex Leo and opposite, and non believer, Fletch are also on site. Really funny and yet the relationships do touch on deeper themes.

Out October 28th, 2025 And we're back, baby!

A Charmingly Haunted Follow-Up Worth Falling For

If the first in the series was a delightful whisper of ghostly romance, Kooky Spooky Love turns up the volume with heart, humor, and just enough haunted hijinks to make you grin. Josie Silver delivers another irresistible mix of spectral silliness and endearing emotional beats—proof that the supernatural can be surprisingly cozy when wrapped in Silver’s warm prose. The romance is quirky and offbeat in all the best ways, and the characters feel like old friends who’ve returned for an encore of ghost-kissed charm.

While some plot points float like fog on a Halloween night, the emotional resonance anchors the story beautifully. It’s not just fun—it’s smart, sentimental, and full of moments that remind you why you fell in love with the first. From séance mishaps to love notes from beyond, this sequel blends whimsy with heartache in a way that feels signature Silver. I’ll definitely be lining up for the next otherworldly installment.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dell for this ARC!

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for the ARC in exchange for my honest thoughts.

The premise had me hooked; ghosts and romance? Absolutely, sign me up. I was looking forward to the Scooby Doo vibes, dog and all. But let’s talk about the elephant in the room: Melody.

Our main character is the walking embodiment of “I’m not like other girls.” She can see ghosts (objectively cool), but she spends most of her time talking about how much she loves sugar and sex and makes all her decisions with a Magic 8 Ball. She heard “That’s Just Me” by Demi Lovato and made it her whole personality. She wears Converse with her dress and has a full “She’s All That” moment when she puts on heels once. It’s not whimsy, it’s infantilized quirkiness through a male gaze lens. And there’s zero character development.

As for the love interests? About as steamy and tension-filled as a wet blanket. I just didn’t feel or believe in the chemistry. The banter had me blinking like I was trying to reset my brain. Honestly, the best characters were the ghostly, chess-playing elderly couple. Artie was also very sweet too. There was a mystery thrown in there, but it got resolved so fast. I wish there were more mystery and clues to solve.

While this wasn’t for me, it reminded me a lot of Lucy Score’s Riley Thorn series, so if you liked that, this might totally work for you. But for me? I’m moving on and leaving Melody (and her 8 Ball) far, far behind.

The second installment of the Melody Bittersweet novel continues to be delightfully kooky and full of potential, and I enjoy the lighthearted mix of paranormal mystery and humor.

That said, I found myself wanting a bit more depth. Melody’s inner monologue can feel a little repetitive, often circling the same quirky traits we’ve already been told about. While I love a fun, eccentric heroine, the constant reminders start to wear thin. The romantic subplot also feels a bit stilted—progress is slow and at times frustrating, with each book feeling like it resets the relationship rather than develops it.

Overall, it’s a cute read with charm, but I’d love to see future installments dig deeper into both the plot and characters.

This series is fun, reminds me of a casual Ghostbusters sort of situation.

I really enjoy the character dynamics and interactions in this book, they were great foils for each other and were just so fun to read about. This book has some pretty funny side characters and I LOVE me some funny side characters.

We do have a little bit of a love triangle situation here.

Sometimes, the main characters did bother me. They could feel quite immature at times, especially Melody. She makes decisions with a Magic 8 ball. I get that she's supposed to be whimsical and ghosty and quirky, but it reads a bit like that "she's so crazy, love her" meme at times. Quirky needs to be done in such a particular way to work and not look like 2010's internet cringe.

There were a few plot-hole and pacing issues in this book, but I don't think that they totally distracted me or took me out of the book. They were the sort of thing I noticed after a bit, so I think plenty of people won't even notice them at all. (When I read to review, I try to pay attention to everything, even things I wouldn't normally because some people want to know that sort of thing from a review.)

Overall, I do have a fun time reading this series!

Thanks to NetGalley for the e-ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review! My Goodreads review is up and my TikTok (Zoe_Lipman) review will be up at the end of the month with my monthly reading wrap-up.

After not enjoying the first book, I decided to give the second installment a shot—but I’ve come to realize this series just isn’t for me. Melody, the MC, is an adult who makes decisions using a Magic 8 Ball, obsesses over sugar and superheroes, and exclusively wears character T-shirts and Converse. While I think she’s meant to come across as quirky, I found her cringey.

The mystery plot had real potential and could have carried the story, but unfortunately it was eclipsed by the romance plot. If these books leaned more into their mystery elements, I think I’d enjoy them much more.

I received an ARC of this ebook from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review!