I really enjoyed reading this book. The characters did a great job at working through their own struggles to elevate the other person.

Conceptually, this book was great - i mean, a sassy lesbian ghost who you accidentally corporialize and who won’t tell you why, but is somehow managing to bring you closer to the reeeally cute former tenant who lost a ring in your apartment? Classic.

The good stuff: every character had a life and personality of their own, and they didn’t have to be likeable to add to the story. This book also managed intergenerational friendships and celebrating queer history beautifully. Also I was crying all throughout the last three chapters.

The not so good stuff: the dialogue was sometimes really clunky, and the ending felt rushed. I also felt a little let down by the final revelations; like, that’s it?

Representation: queer, Desi, latinx, immigrant side character, nonbinary side character

Spice level: one sex scene, not too graphic

I downloaded this for the ghost, and stayed for the sweet sapphic romance.
Kara is a lawyer, who has moved away to escape grief at her partners death. Nisha is the former occupant of her apartment, with a missing ring and a guilty secret.
There are some spooky goings on at the start, but they soon transform the solid, immovable and secretive presence of Barb, another former tenant who died in the 80s. The mystery of why she must haunt the apartment brings Kara and Nisha closer together, as they must attempt to unravel the relationships between Barb and her gang of queer friends to find her ‘unfinished business’.
I found the character development and relationships much more compelling than the actual mystery ‘plot’. Nisha needed a good talking to regarding not making assumptions, but sadly her behaviour was all too realistic. The pacing was a bit uneven, and if there’d been a few more ‘discoveries’ in the mystery side of things I think it would have balanced it out a little. All in all an enjoyable read though - but more for romance readers than lovers of the paranormal.

This book has a definite twist on it. It’s not my typical type of read but I do love anything with a ghost so I gave it a try and honestly I liked it! The story was beautiful and I loved Kara’s character and the older ladies. Their bond was so sweet. Thank you to netgalley and publisher!

I actually really love it when ElderQueers mash up with YoungQueers. This is what happens is this great read when Kara moves into Nisha's old apartment. It turns out to be haunted or well still lived in by former resident cheeky ghost Barb.

It does seem like a hellish story. Kara moves away from her family to spend some time alone to grow and she ends up with a roommate who she did not pick and can't get rid of.

This story is both funny and sad and it will pull at your heartstrings while you are still laughing from a previous scene.

I really enjoyed this one.

I received an ARC via Netgalley in return of an honest review.

Big thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Overall, I think that was fun. I had a few issues (namely that miscommunication/misunderstanding was the primary barrier and that can be repetitive after a while). It was a nice little paranormal romance for people who want a ghost story without any of the scares. I would read something else by Jane Kolven, I saw a lot of potential in this one, there were just a few places I saw room for improvement.

I received an arc from Netgalley in exchange for an honest and fair review.
I wasn’t sure what to expect from this one, and to be 100% honest I wasn’t totally loving it until half way through, when all of a sudden the pieces of the puzzle began to come together and suddenly I couldn’t stop reading! Kara and Nisha’s story was so lovely and cute, and the premise of the book is so original and interesting. I loved the way queer history(especially lesbian history! This is a visibly lesbian book) made cameos. Kara and Nisha’s relationship is so healthy and the discussions of relationships and relationship dynamics gave me food for thought! Overall this was definitely a fun romance with a tinge of the paranormal, perfect to start October off with. 4/5 stars.

Kara moved to Chicago for a fresh start - instead, she got a new roommate who happens to be a ghost that enjoys eating all her food and using Amazon prime.

The Haunted Heart is about two women recovering from heartbreak and developing a friendship while trying to figure out Barb’s (the ghost in the apartment) unfinished business. Even though their main focus is reuniting Barb with her old friends from the 80s who coincidentally still live nearby, they realize they have to deal with some unfinished business of their own if they want their friendship to turn into something more.

I have mixed feelings about this book. What I liked - I loved the plot because it’s impossible not to love Barb and it gave a glimpse into what queer community meant in the 80s. Sonia, Rosalind, Nan, and Barb were actually my favorite characters in the entire story. What I didn’t like - I really couldn’t feel the chemistry between Nisha and Kara. There was just so much miscommunication and so many wrong assumptions they made about each other throughout the book. Their relationship seemed very forced to me. Overall, it was a fun quick read that I didn’t love but also didn’t hate. Definitely great for anyone who likes ghost stories but doesn’t want them to be scary!

thank you NetGalley and Bold Stroke Books for this arc in exchange for an honest review!

A paranormal story which is not my usual, but I decided to give it a try. The main characters were quite interesting. However, I was perplexed by some of the things that took place such as Barb eating. Regardless I recommend 3.5 stars.

Thank you, Bold Strokes Books, and NetGalley for this ARC.

⭐⭐⭐

I really liked the storyline, but it was a bit hard to get into. It had cute moments, and the sex scene was hot, but I found myself getting distracted easily, and I usually can't put a book down but I didn't find it was this one.

The storyline has potential though, and I properly would have gotten into it a bit more if I had read the paperback version.

It was good, and the author did a wonderful job. It just wasn't for me.

Good book. Loved all the paranormal, and psychic action. The relationship between Kara and Nisha was ok. I just felt that there romantic relationship was sometimes put on the back burner, and the ghost story and missing psychic was more of the storyline. Don't get me wrong I thought the relationship between these two was great, but we didn't get much of it until almost the end. Barb the ghost was very entertaining and the other supporting characters were well written and thought out as well. I would definitely recommend this book to my friends and family and I look forward to what's next from this author.

The Haunted Heart follows Kara, as she moves into a new apartment far from her old life, ready to start over. As she settles in, she notices several weird things and is sure someone is coming into her apartment. When an old tenant, Nisha, contacts her about a ring of hers that she lost in the apartment, Kara is sure that Nisha is her intruder. However, as the situation unravels, it becomes clear that something paranormal is actually happening. As they get closer and try to uncover the ghost Barb's past, they have to look back on their own as well.

I really enjoyed this story, but not for the reason I expected. I expected a paranormal investigation type of story, more related to that than anything else, with romance of course. So, I was quite surprised with what I got, but I did enjoy it a lot. This book talks a lot about lgbtq+ history, we have elderly lesbians who share their stories and I really enjoyed that aspect of the book. I love older queer people sharing their stories and the elements of found family, and this book had that exactly. I love how it acknowledged how the people who came before us paved the way for us and the appreciation shown here.

The plot is probably the weakest aspect of this novel, which might cause some people to be disappointed, as I think from the synopsis it seems it'll be more, or at least different from what it ends up being. This is less an investigation and more of a wild goose chase, 'maybe the real treasure was the friends we made along the way' type of story. The characters are definitely the more interesting part, and why I enjoyed the book as much as I did.

The characters were well built, though I feel like the miscommunication that sometimes happens between Kara and Nisha was unnecessary, there just to add some conflict. I really liked Kara, she was stubborn and at times overly direct (especially with Barb) but ultimately I think she was just trying to keep herself from getting hurt. I felt like Nisha's big secret of why the ring was lost in the apartment and her backstory was slightly underwhelming (I agree that what she did wasn't good, but by how much she was hiding it you would think she killed someone). That said, I did like Nisha as a character. She was slightly messy and lost, but she was kind and understanding and there for the people she loves. I also liked Barb, the ghost; and all of the other side characters that show up while Kara and Nisha are trying to uncover Barb's past.

All in all, I really did enjoy this book. I would say though, don't go into it expecting a great mystery uncovered, because I think you will be disappointed. Go into it expecting a queer found family, elderly lesbians, and two girls trying to heal themselves and build a relationship, and I think you'll be okay. If that seems interesting to you, I would recommend it!

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review!

The Haunted Heart
Author Jane Kolven
Arc
NetGalley


I was very interested in the story because it had to do with a ghost. I wanted to see exactly how the ghost would play into the story. When I read about the book I was instantly intrigued. Nisha and Kara got off on the wrong foot. They had a talk and were able to connect about the past and current life .

This author told a story with a twist. I really enjoyed the book, it was well written. I felt like both characters were looking for a deeper connection.

Kara had been through a hard few years and needed a fresh start, but the past was causing her to question her own judgment of the situation. This story was simply beautiful. The sense of community I felt while reading the story past and present. The woman in the story were brave and take care of each other.


This book is very different from anything I have read this year. The author did a superb job. This is the first book by the author. I highly recommend 5 stars for this book !

I would like to thank Bold Strokes Books and NetGalley for the Arc!

A ghost, lesbian herstory and a romance
I loved Kolven‘s debut The Holiday Detour so I looked forward to read the Haunted Heart. It starts promising (Kolven really can write up a storm), the main characters are interesting with their own background, and whoosh the ghost materializes: a middle-aged butch intend on pizza, video games and online-shopping. Fun. But then story slows down and the main characters are chasing their tales - waiting, boring, turning the pages. The end picks up the great beginning and reminds us of the lesbians who came before us, the giants of resilience whose herstories deserve to be recorded. And sweet love prevails. So I was a bit torn in my evaluation and would give the book 3.5 stars rounded to 4.

I didn't enjoy this as much as I thought, or as much as I really wanted to. The premise sounds fun, but it honestly became irritating and convoluted.

There was a constant antagonism through between all the characters, and NO real depth to any of them. Each character seemed interchangeable with the next, had no real originality or uniqueness in the voices or how they approached things. All were guarded, not telling the whole truth, and being ridiculously evasive about very basic not very big deals, making them out to be far more serious than they were.

The 'mystery' aspect was a wild goose chase that ended in "is that all?" for both scenarios, which made me gobsmacked. The issues were drawn out and prolonged throughout the story - just because, and so ultimately had no real reasoning or conclusion that was satisfying in any way.

It was honestly quite disappointing.

Well... The premise had me excited... But, I was slightly disappointed. I didn't love it, but I didn't hate it either. . I wanted more, I expected more... Which is probably my fault. I got all hyped up.

The story is good, different. But I was left disappointed with the ending. The characters are ok, didn't feel a spark between the two main characters. But I absolutely loved the older characters in the storyline.

Barb... Loved barb, her character, her with, the banter!

I've given The Haunted Heart a 3 out of 4.

As I said, it's a-okay read, I just think I expecting a lot more.

What would you do if you discovered a ghost was living in your new apartment? Not only that she has her own plans.
Kara has just moved in and things are happening that she can't explain. Top that off with a former tenant looking for a lost ring and you've got yourself a mystery mixed with some growing attraction.
Kara and Nisha are now trying to help Barb the ghost move on but it won't be easy.
This was an interesting story but I found it to be slow. However if you're looking for something light and easy you'll enjoy this.

Thank you #NetGalley #BoldStrokedBooks #TheHauntedHeart for this ARC

If romance with a side of sarcastic ghost is the chocolatey coating of Haunted Heart then the importance of LGBTQ history and the personal lives of the lesbians who have forged a path before us is the creamy centre.

Kara has left her home, family and friends in Wisconsin to restart her life. Little did she know her new apartment came with a ghost named Barb.

All Nisha wanted was the new tenant in her old apartment to look for her lost ring. Little did she know that she would be swept into Kara’s life.

The first three quarters of the book is reminiscent of a screwball comedy. Lots of hand waving and running around with little forward progression. It is humorous. The final third is what makes this novel. It becomes an ode to our lesbian oral history. I am so pleased
that Ms Kolven is reminding all of us to really listen to our predecessors. We can learn so much from them.

I received a free advance review copy from Bold Strokes Books through NetGalley. I am leaving this review voluntarily..

I was intrigued with the premise but I didn’t love the execution of this story. Kara relocates to Chicago from Wisconsin after taking a year getting over the death of her partner Hilary. Nisha, a former tenant of the apartment leaves a note asking for Kara to look for a ring she lost in the apartment over a year before. Kara realizes she isn’t alone in the apartment and with Nisha’s help they are able to materialize Barb, a middle aged queer ghost. Kara and Nisha want to help Barb move on but she isn’t the most corporative spirit. I was perplexed that Barb could eat, drink and order things online. Also I found it odd that she wasn’t more helpful in directing Kara and Nisha. Their story moves forward with both women being able to move on from their pasts but I wanted more from their love story. The fact that neither contacts the other for a month after their first time together was strange. Or that Nisha never personally tells her secret mistake from the past but shares it only after Barb leaves Kara clues. It showed me they weren’t as close as they should have been.

If you enjoy paranormal stories this is a unique ghost. And I did like learning a bit how things were different in the 80s. Thank you NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books, Inc. for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I received an ARC copy of this book from the Publisher via Netgalley and voluntarily leaving my review.

This was a good read but frustrating.

Kara just move into apartment she wanted to get a fresh start after her lover Hillary died. While settling in things start happening in her apartment and she thinks she losing her mind. Nisha uses to live in the apartment with her ex Angie but they broken up and she lost a ring there and meets Kara and ask her look for the ring. Kara and Nisha judge each other at first but then when the neighbor Nan that Nisha check up on said there a ghost in the apartment they decides to communicate to figure out why they are there and meets Barb. Why they try to figure out why Barb hasn’t move on she isn’t as cooperative as Kara would like. It’s was frustrating because I’m like why can’t Barb tell why she can’t move on and had Kara and Nisha just running around to figure it out and I get why but it’s was annoying but I like that it brought them together and the friends they met along the way and turn it into a family.