*I read this book in 2017 and that should be noted!
Better Homes and Haunting by Molly Harper3.25 stars
Nina is hired to landscape a beautiful mansion on an island. This is her chance to rebuild her business and get away from her ex. The owner is Deacon Whitney and he sweeps her off of her feet. The Whitney estate has been abandoned for a while and the workers keep being driven away. Something lurks in the corners of the house and they are not happy about the renovation process. This is a true Molly Harper book. I used to love her Jane Jamison series back in the day and when I read this a couple of years ago, it took me back to her witty and humorous take on the paranormal genre. Harper offers a fun and light playful twist on a genre that is normally very serious or takes itself way too seriously. I found there too be some unnecessary plot points that didn't enhance the story, but made it drag along a bit. This is a fun and quick read that I'm sure many readers of the genre will love. It's got ghosts, romance, and funny banter. Plus, the side characters really sell the story. I enjoyed it and while the big reveal wasn't something I necessarily loved or was shocked by, the reading experience was fun and light. Sometimes that's what the brain needs.
Whimsical Writing Scale: 3.5
Character Scale: 4
Romance Meter: 3.25
Villain Scale: 2 (YAWN)
Plotastic Scale: 3
Cover Thoughts: Super cheesy. Super 2014 paranormal romance
Thank you, Netgalley and Pocket Books, for providing a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
The Invited by Jennifer McMahon
4.25 stars
Helen and her husband, Nate, are looking for a simpler life and they find it in forty acres of land where they plan to build their dream home. The problem is that this land has a dark past. A past where a woman was hanged for the crimes her psychic child committed and now the land wants to be heard. A local young girl from the town, Olive, wants to find Hattie's treasure. It's rumored that she buried treasure in the bog near the land Helen and Nate have just bought. What starts up as a few harmless pranks against the newcomers, invites a friendship that overcomes the hauntings and the anger of Hettie and her relatives. If you like campy horror novels, then this is it folks! This is one of those thriller novels that is more of a paranormal haunting and revenge story. It's fully of history and pages of research (which makes sense because Helen is a history teacher). The plot is captivating and at times, convoluted, but it holds up well as an entertaining story. McMahon does a great job at building (LOL, get it because they are building a house) an atmosphere of unease and trepidation. You aren't sure if it's a ghost or if it's Olive pulling a prank until it becomes very obvious that Olive's pranks aren't weighty enough to start the domino tailspin of a haunting that is occurring on their newly purchased property. The sentences are short and choppy. Looking to build a quick and rhythmic story that flows at a haunting and lyrical pace. McMahon captures the essence of the haunting of a historical lineage who wants revenge, but wants to save someone even more well.
Whimsical Writing Scale: 4.5
Helen is a crazy mess. This woman intentionally looks to buy haunted land because a haunted house would be jazzy. Well, she quickly changes her mind on that one. Olive is a really heartbreaking character to follow as she grapples with her mother leaving the family and the book does a great job at capturing the pain that an adolescence feels at being abandoned while also not having a counter parent who is present since he is so devastated by losing her. The intermingling of the two POVs made no sense to me at first, but keep reading a bit and as the stories come together and merge into one it is really quite brilliant. Basically what I'm saying is that this story would've been boring and a flop if we only had Helen's POV.
I enjoyed the side characters like Nate as well as Olive's best friend (whose name has escaped me). I liked the importance of Olive's aunt and her role in the story and I liked that weird seance treasure hunting town club. It was so weird, but interesting.
The Villain- In this story was shocking to me because I hadn't expected it to go in that direction. I didn't expect any of this story to go where it did and that's why I liked how it unfolded. I do wish that McMahon would've taken a more traditional ghost story approach overall, but having a human antagonist was not a bad thing. It just made me lower my rating.
Character Scale: 4.25
Villain Scale: 3.25
Overall, I had exceedingly high expectations for this novel and it was outside of the genre I expected. Yes, this is a ghost story, but it is more of a mystery. While I do enjoy aspects of historical lineages and family secrets, I wasn't the biggest lover of the entire approach. I do, however, greatly enjoy this novel and I'm glad that I read it.
Plotastic Scale: 4.25
Cover Thoughts: I think it's creepy. I really like it, but it's not a favorite.
Thank you, Netgalley and Doubleday, for providing me with a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
4.25 stars
Helen and her husband, Nate, are looking for a simpler life and they find it in forty acres of land where they plan to build their dream home. The problem is that this land has a dark past. A past where a woman was hanged for the crimes her psychic child committed and now the land wants to be heard. A local young girl from the town, Olive, wants to find Hattie's treasure. It's rumored that she buried treasure in the bog near the land Helen and Nate have just bought. What starts up as a few harmless pranks against the newcomers, invites a friendship that overcomes the hauntings and the anger of Hettie and her relatives. If you like campy horror novels, then this is it folks! This is one of those thriller novels that is more of a paranormal haunting and revenge story. It's fully of history and pages of research (which makes sense because Helen is a history teacher). The plot is captivating and at times, convoluted, but it holds up well as an entertaining story. McMahon does a great job at building (LOL, get it because they are building a house) an atmosphere of unease and trepidation. You aren't sure if it's a ghost or if it's Olive pulling a prank until it becomes very obvious that Olive's pranks aren't weighty enough to start the domino tailspin of a haunting that is occurring on their newly purchased property. The sentences are short and choppy. Looking to build a quick and rhythmic story that flows at a haunting and lyrical pace. McMahon captures the essence of the haunting of a historical lineage who wants revenge, but wants to save someone even more well.
Whimsical Writing Scale: 4.5
Helen is a crazy mess. This woman intentionally looks to buy haunted land because a haunted house would be jazzy. Well, she quickly changes her mind on that one. Olive is a really heartbreaking character to follow as she grapples with her mother leaving the family and the book does a great job at capturing the pain that an adolescence feels at being abandoned while also not having a counter parent who is present since he is so devastated by losing her. The intermingling of the two POVs made no sense to me at first, but keep reading a bit and as the stories come together and merge into one it is really quite brilliant. Basically what I'm saying is that this story would've been boring and a flop if we only had Helen's POV.
I enjoyed the side characters like Nate as well as Olive's best friend (whose name has escaped me). I liked the importance of Olive's aunt and her role in the story and I liked that weird seance treasure hunting town club. It was so weird, but interesting.
The Villain- In this story was shocking to me because I hadn't expected it to go in that direction. I didn't expect any of this story to go where it did and that's why I liked how it unfolded. I do wish that McMahon would've taken a more traditional ghost story approach overall, but having a human antagonist was not a bad thing. It just made me lower my rating.
Character Scale: 4.25
Villain Scale: 3.25
Overall, I had exceedingly high expectations for this novel and it was outside of the genre I expected. Yes, this is a ghost story, but it is more of a mystery. While I do enjoy aspects of historical lineages and family secrets, I wasn't the biggest lover of the entire approach. I do, however, greatly enjoy this novel and I'm glad that I read it.
Plotastic Scale: 4.25
Cover Thoughts: I think it's creepy. I really like it, but it's not a favorite.
Thank you, Netgalley and Doubleday, for providing me with a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
Have you read any of these books? Are you a fan of ghost stories? Let me know down below in the comments!
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