I thought the premise of this story was good - quaint Vermont town with history and ghosts. It felt like it was calling out ghost hunting shows though when all involved admitted to faking their results.

Lex was an annoying character though, she's so wrapped up in herself and thinks of herself as a victim, abandoned by her parents when they moved across country for her "perfect" sister or left behind by previous partners. She constantly looks for the criticism from her parents the she preempts it in every conversation and she's immediately defensive with them. She did suffer through anxiety and possibly depression at college but she never told anyone, instead deciding she could only rely on herself.

Lex's parents weren't great characters either really, while I don't think they were as critical as Lex liked to think, they still could have paid more attention to her. Especially when her best friends parents actually voiced their own concerns with how they were treating Lex.

James was a more likeable character and seemed to have a good handle on his emotions. Even when he found out Lex had faked some of the footage they got, he was annoyed sure and needed to fix it but he didn't want to break up with her over it, instead it was Lex who decided theyre now over and didn't even bother to listen.

Both characters are part of the LGBTQ+ community but as it had no impact on the story it seemed to be an unnecessary detail just crowbarred in.

Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.

I must sadly say that this was a DNF for me. I just wasn’t able to get into it and connect with the characters at all.

Thank you to Penguin and Netgalley for this advance copy of Haunt Your Heart Out.

Heart Your Heart Out follows Lex - a homebody who has never left her hometown (and never wants to). Lex works at the local bookstore, much to the chagrin of her family who want her to seek bigger aspirations elsewhere. But Lex is stubborn, and never wants to leave, because of this Lex sets one rule: no dating tourists, newcomers, or anyone else who is bound to leave her behind. When the bookshop owner finds out his building is supposedly haunted, he offers to sell the store to Lex at an unbeatable price (eager to offload the supposedly haunted building), Lex jumps at the chance to further put down roots. Then handsome stranger James stops by the bookstore. Lex assumes he’s just another tourist passing through, but it turns out he’s part of a ghost-hunting documentary crew that’s looking into the many “verified” ghost stories in town. Lex can’t resist getting involved—especially because these so-called ghosts are actually made up stories from Haunted Happenings, her hobby vlog from a decade prior. Worried her ghost-faking secret will get out and ruin her chance to buy the store, she tampers with the ghosthunters' research and skews the results. After all, James’s stay is only temporary and her career dreams come first. But a spanner is thrown into the works when Lex realises she's falling for James, and he might be falling for her right back...

This book was a cosy festive read - though it was marketed as halloween? But it's definitely set around Christmas! Gilmore Girls-esque holiday romcom with a hint of spooky from James and Lex's paranormal investigations. I liked the romance between the pair, I loved the scenes with Lex and her sister - but the paranormal investigations aspect fell a bit short for me. But overall a cute and quick romcom worth reading.

Haunt Your Heart Out was a lot of fun. I loved the witchy vibe during Christmas and I found the premise very unique and interesting. Lex is a homebody and works at a book store in a touristy town in Vermont. One day, James stops by and what is Lex's surprise when she learns that he is filming a documentary on the paranormal activities of her town.

From that moment, they both share more and more together, with plenty of spooky moments but some very cute too.

I really enjoyed getting to know both of them and learning the reason why they are why they are and how they got there. I loved the banting and how it all flowed easily. I loved how they were ready to talk to each other and share their fears.

All in all, super fun and cute festive read with a spooky vibe.

DNF. This unfortunately wasn’t for me. I didn’t feel the chemistry between the characters (and I usually love banter) and the characters on their own didn’t come to life in my head either. They both seemed rather uninteresting for main characters and I’m sorry but Lex was annoying. Many of her problems could have been fixed with a single conversation.

I really enjoyed the banter at the beginning of this book but sadly the chemistry seemed to fade as the romance went on. It was still a fun book but didn’t live up to the promise of the start.

The perfect book to read over the spooky and autumnal seasons, this book shares an experience of ghost hunting as well as the emotional rollercoaster of being in love and what a mystery that can be!

This book was made for the spooky season and cosy reading girlies! This is a perfect mix of Halloween and Christmas, full of witty banter and a bookseller FMC!

I was provided with a free ebook copy of this via NetGalley for review purposes. Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for this copy.

I've been enjoying a couple of spooky romances ahead of Halloween but the way this book blends Halloween into Christmas really was the best of both worlds for a copy season read. I really enjoyed the premise behind this story - Lex used to make YouTube videos about 'hauntings' in her small town and years later when James comes to investigate for his own film the pair get entangled in ghost hunting and plenty of spice.

Both lead characters had some nice development throughout the story. I think the only things that fell down for me was the relationship between Lex, her parents and sister... how could she be so self absorbed they couldn't work out something else was going on. I was able to work some of it out myself as the reader.

Saying that, if you're a hallmark movie fan I think you'll also love 'Haunt Your Heart Out'.

Lex works in a small town bookstore. She meets the hero James when he gives her a lift to work after heavy snow leaves her car stuck on the driveway. James is from out of town and filming a documentary about the hauntings in Lex’s town. In her high school days, Lex ran a series on YouTube about the hauntings in Stowe and together with her best friend Natalie, they work together to help James and his friend Julian with their documentary.
The only reason this isn’t a 5 star for me is Lex’s story with her family history felt like it was repeated quite a lot and I think she may have been a *tad* dramatic over it all. At first I did have sympathy but I felt once they got to California she was very standoffish and didn't really give any of her family to explain themselves to her.

I loved the small town vibe, it was really easy to envision in my mind as I was reading and I want to visit Dog Eared bookstore! If you like a little spice and some ghost stories this is one for you. Haunt Your Heart Out is a perfect read for spooky season.
Rating 4 stars.

This is a charming and quirky blend of romance and the paranormal, perfect for readers who enjoy light-hearted supernatural stories. The novel brings together a mix of humor, ghostly adventures, and an endearing love story that keeps you entertained from start to finish. The characters are likable, especially the protagonist, whose wit and personality shine throughout the story. The paranormal elements are fun without being too heavy, making this an enjoyable, easy read. While some parts of the plot are a bit predictable, the unique setting and playful tone more than make up for it.

If you're in the mood for a feel-good ghost story with a romantic twist, Haunt Your Heart Out is a delightful pick that delivers just the right amount of spooky and sweet!

Im so sad to say that this book for me personally was a dnf
I dont know why i couldn’t get i to it, i like in the beginning the fmc but after that i dont know it made me less excited to read the book which is a bummer because it was the perfect book for fall season

Thank you so much to the publisher for the arc

A great pick for those spooky vibes, but set at Christmas, with romance thrown in? It's different, and it could have gone one of two ways; I could have hated it, or I could have really enjoyed it . I'm pleased to say that it was the latter rather than the former!

This book had a cosy charm to it that really suited an autumnal read. The main characters were well matched and the build up was full of a natural charm in which nothing felt rushed. The small sleepy town captured my heart and I would so love to be able to my own 'Dog Earred' bookstore in real life!

Spooky vibes yet set in snowy Christmas season threw me a bit, it was a slow start which I struggled to get into but pushed through and I’m glad I did end up enjoying it.
Even if a book isn’t a home run personally doesn’t mean it isn’t someone else’s 5🌟
Thank you NetGalley, Amber Roberts and Random House UK, Transworld Publishers for this ARC, all opinions expressed are my own.

Cosy small town romance blending love and magic flawlessly. A fantastic read! I look forward to reading more of Ambers work.

A book with spooky vibes and set at Christmas, such a great idea !

I enjoyed this book, it had me laughing and smiling all throughout the book.

From the very first chapter I knew I loved the main characters, they are both so likeable which I usually don’t find in a lot of books.
The more that I read the more I wanted to keep reading more and more.

I enjoyed that it was a Christmassy book with a spooky side

I recommend this book for those who enjoy a romance read. It’s the perfect read for this time of year !

*Thank you NetGalley and Random House Uk for providing me this book in return for an honest review*

this book was enjoyable, but i wasnt obsessed. the romance bored me and the only thing that kept me reading was the haunting happenings. perfect for wanting a cosy read though!! i love characters who run a bookshop <3

This was a really charming read surrounded by fall and Christmas - I really enjoyed the concept and the main characters were very sweet together, in fact I don't think there was a character I didn't love by the end, however there was just something missing and I can't quite put my finger on it. That being said, this was still a very enjoyable read set in a gorgeous and cosy little small town that I don't think I'd want to leave either.

Charming fall read!
A perfect pumpkin spice romance with spooky elements and swoonworthy characters.
Lex was a super relatable main character. The anxiety was very well flashed out. Also her romance was adorable as well