This author was recommended to me by a book friend and I’m so glad I read Happy Medium! I enjoyed the magical realism of the plot, with Gretchen being somewhat hard on her luck, I found her quite fun and endearing! Charlie took a bit of convincing for me, but he won me over in the end. A great rom-com, thank you!

Happy medium is an endearing combination of funny and heartwarming. The story and characters were fresh and original, while keeping the best qualities of the romance genre. A truly charming and cozy read.

I absolutely adored Everett, he was far and away the best part! I didn't really feel the romance tbh, I think Charlie was just a bit much with his scepticism and insisting she was a fake. Dial it down a notch Charlie, you're in a romance, we want to root for you!

This was an extremely enjoyable rom-com with charming characters and scenery to die for. I really enjoyed the romance and the self-discovery journey that we follow.

Happy Medium by Sarah Adler is a charming and uplifting contemporary romance that blends humor, heart, and personal growth. The story follows a woman who, after a series of personal setbacks, embarks on a journey of self-discovery with the help of an unexpected connection. Adler’s writing is warm and relatable, with a witty and engaging protagonist who learns to embrace life’s uncertainties. With its blend of romance and empowerment, Happy Medium is a delightful and feel-good read for fans of character-driven stories.

A humorous and entertaining rom-com that made me laugh and root for the characters. Well done, entertaining.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

I love anything by Adler and this was paranormal enemies to lovers romance was another hilarious winner. I love the dynamics between Gretchen and Charlie, and although Gretchen is a bit of a con artist she got royally duped at her own game with this one, however I love her character and did feel for her as she has been through a lot that has made her the way she is. Really enjoyable read!

4.5★s
Happy Medium is the second novel by American author, Sarah Adler. Gretchen Eichorn used to work with her father Evan until he went to prison. Now, Gretchen Acorn has a little business posing as a spirit medium, but she has rules she sticks to. It’s true she gets inside information from her housemate Yolanda Ortiz, as well as mining social media, but her overriding principle, her Singular Rule for Bullshitting is to only take people’s money if she’s certain she can leave them better off than she found them.

Deborah Van Alst, a canned goods heiress and wealthy divorcee, is one of those clients: Gretchen feels she has helped her grieve for the daughter she lost to a skiing accident, and has benefitted from Deborah’s recommendations of her to other clients, but plans to reduce her sessions because her recovery seems to be progressing well. But now Deborah has an unusual task for Gretchen: her good friend and bridge partner, Charles Waybill is trying to sell his Gilded Creek Goat Farm, but the sale has been hindered by the apparent presence of a ghost.

Exorcism is hardly her thing, but when Deborah offers a large sum to get it done, it’s hard to refuse. Gretchen is in for a few surprises when she gets to Gilded Creek Goat Farm: Charlie Waybill is much younger and dishier than she had imagined; Charlie has already decided she’s a charlatan; and a ghost reveals himself to her.

Everett Waybill, cousin of Charlie’s great-grandfather, explains the family curse that keeps him at Gilded Creek Goat Farm, and why Charlie can’t sell the farm. Convincing Charlie of this is going to be a challenge. Everett has a few suggestions, but nothing seems to work; meanwhile, Gretchen is able to make a deal with Charlie, letting her stay a month to help out with kidding, and giving her time to think of a way.

Adler gives the reader a cute romance with quite a bit of sexual tension, a generous sprinkling of expletives, and a hilarious ghost. A very entertaining read.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Quercus

Unfortunately I did not find myself enjoying this book and struggled to root for the characters or romance.

The cover was what drew me in at first! It's so adorable and it matched the vibe of the story so well! It was so fun, easy romcom.

This book was really good 🥹

It took a while to get into the story and connect with the characters, but once I did I devoured this book. Gretchen is so much more than she lets on. She has so many layers and as soon as you start to peel away layer after layer, you see what a great person she is 🥹

Charlie won my heart from the start. He's a sexy farmer, but he's so much more than that. He's a person with a wonderful story who wins us over early on.

And honestly, I'd miss Everet if I were in Gretchen's shoes!

I've really become a fan of the author and her writing!!! 😍

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this copy 🫶🏼

Sarah Adler cements herself as the most exciting romance author around. Every day people come into the bookshop I work in and ask for something as good as Emily Henry - and in Happy Medium, I've finally found my answer. Surprising, sexy, sweet, silly, smart, and sharp - I loved this. The dialogue is great, the characters wonderful, the romance believable, yet still super good fun. 5*

Thank you for the opportunity to review this, I enjoyed this light read with fantasy twist! And the cutest cover!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. When I finished I found myself wishing there was a sequel I could plunge right into to spend more time with Gretchen and Charlie. I really enjoyed the enemies to lovers and grumpy male main character. I did get a little frustrated by the miscommunication trope, but I appreciated the way the main character worked through it and I was glad there wasn't much of a third act break-up.

Oh, I really enjoyed this book, it was quirky and different, and just for those two traits, it was worth reading!

Gretchen is a fake medium who makes a living out of conning wealthy people. This is something she learned from her father and even though it doesn't sit well with her, she has no other skills. When she gets the chance to cleanse a property as a favour for one of her favourite clients, she takes it. After all, she needs the money. What she hadn't counted on was the resident farmer, who is very attractive and has no time for mediums, fake or real.....as well as an actual ghost that is haunting the farm and whom Gretchen can see.

Loved the character of Everett so much, I could really visualise him!

The romance between Charlie and Gretchen is a lovely one, and I did wonder how the author was going to tackle the subject of Charlie disliking mediums and Gretchen being one, but I needn't have worried, all was resolved nicely.

Gretchen did a good job of trying to overcome her early conditioning. And the goats were cute!

4.5 stars from me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Quercus Books.

Brilliant! I absolutely adore the characters in this book, especially Everett! Such a unique premise, I loved the plot, the characters and the balance of funny and poignant.

Gretchen is a medium, some would say a con artist, she would say trying to help people in her own unique way. A new client send her into the path of Everett, who lo and behold she can actually see!

How will life pan out for Gretchen now she is an actual medium?

Brilliantly written, i loved every minute of it.

Gretchen Acorn is a fraud and she’s ok with that. She’s a fraud with strict code of ethics she only aims to make her clients lives happier by giving them messages from their dead loved ones. Then her number one client has a challenge for her, a haunted goat farm needs to be cleansed so it can be sold, Gretchen can’t say no but turns out the goat farm is owned by very hot, very sceptical Charlie Waybill so won’t let her over the threshold and on her way out she Gretchen comes face to face with a real dead ghost who informs her that due to family curse Charlie will die if he leave the farm. Gretchen’s fraudulent but ethical heart can’t let this happen. Happy medium is pure joy from start to finish, Everett is the most annoying ghost that ever ghosted but in an endearing way. All together charming.

The story follows Gretchen, a woman who was raised to be a con artist. Her father taught her to spin every situation to her advantage, so she’s been working as a medium for the last several years – convincing her clients that she can communicate with spirits, and making a great living doing it. So when Gretchen’s best client pays her to help out a friend with a ghost problem, she doesn’t see it as anything other than a new kind of con. But one step on Charlie’s property makes her realize that this situation is different. Charlie immediately knows that Gretchen is a fraud, and her usual tactics fail her. There’s also the unfortunate fact that the place is actually haunted… and Gretchen truly can communicate with this ghost. A family curse complicates matters even further, and suddenly Gretchen finds herself grappling with a situation that is entirely out of her control.

I absolutely loved Mrs. Nash’s Ashes, so I was excited to dig into Adler’s next effort. Her debut was tender and funny in the best of ways, making me smile, laugh, swoon, and shed a few tears. I really didn’t know what to expect going into this one, but I can honestly say that it put me through my paces emotionally in much the same way. It’s such a fun and interesting premise, but there are heavier, impactful moments sprinkled throughout the book. Yes, I loved the absurdity of Gretchen arguing with a TV-addicted ghost while trying to win over her grumpy new roommate, but I also loved the journey of self-reflection and the many, many tender moments. Both Charlie and Gretchen have some healing to do, working on themselves in ways that only draw them closer. The love story shines front and center, but it’s the kind that develops in tiny steps that slowly build momentum. There was definitely some heat and spice, but the intimacy bled from the pages more than anything. It’s truly Gretchen’s story – we only get her perspective – but I was hooked on Charlie from the very beginning. I even liked the ghost. My love for this one grew with every chapter, and it ended up being such a dynamic, memorable read.

First of all thank you for approving my request!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! The authors writing style had me hooked throughout this book.

I didn't want it to end, a book I really couldn't put down.

Thank you to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book.

This isn't my usual genre of book, but I was very intrigued by the blurb. I was actually pleasantly surprised by how witty and fun this book was. The characters were well written, I especially liked Gretchen. The banter between the two main characters was brilliant, and I really enjoyed the lightness of this book. I look forward to see what this author writes next.