Haunt Sweet Home by Sarah Pinsker

Reviewed by Jeanne

Mara is an aimless twenty-something whose extended family tries to seem supportive but she knows she’s a disappointment. Her cousin Jeremy is the opposite, having had a successful modeling career even before graduation and now is the host of a popular series that combines home renovation with ghost-hunting. When Jeremy offers her an entry level position, Mara first turns it down but then becomes so desperate it begins to sound like a way to escape at least.

As one of the lowest people in the production, Mara finds herself working the night shift and learning about the finer points of providing the needed spooky events.  She operates the fog machines, makes creepy noises, and does whatever the production needs to unnerve the new homeowners.  It’s still a crappy job, but she’s starting to enjoy at least some of it until a new co-worker seems poised to outdo her on the job.

I picked up this short novel because I was in the mood for something with atmosphere and I thought fake haunted houses might be just the ticket. It was a bit disconcerting to pick up a second book in a row with an unemployed and unmotivated twentyish woman, but Mara did become intrigued with her new job and seemed on her way to, as we used to say, “finding herself.”  It was also interesting to see a sort of "behind the scenes" on how some of these reality shows work, how the production crews plan and shape a narrative.  The plot was somewhat low-key but I did enjoy it and am still thinking about the ending. I’m hesitant to say more, as it is a short book and I really don’t want to give anything away.

If you’re in the mood for something just a bit off beat, this may be a book for you.

We Love to Entertain by Sarah Strohmeyer

 

Reviewed by Kristin

Erika Turnbull had many ghosts in her past and she thinks she has finally moved beyond them. She is still living in her small Vermont hometown but now has a glimmer of hope that her job might launch her career into something huge. Real estate investor Robert Barron (aka the Robber Baron) has hired Erika to be his assistant. His project, alongside his fiancée Holly Simmons, is to renovate their home on an eighty-acre parcel of land, all under the watchful eyes of television viewers on a fixer-upper reality show.

Along with more mundane tasks, Erika takes care of every little personal detail for Robert, even receiving his shipment of illegal Cuban cigars for his bachelor party. She is also Holly’s right-hand-woman whether help is needed for hair and make-up or for a new high-end kitchen appliance. Holly even asked Erika to be her only bridal attendant. And oh yes, they are moving up the wedding and livestreaming it to gain more social media followers. Every vote will count in the To the Manor Build competition.

But, gasp, once the wedding is over, the bride and groom suddenly run off for an impromptu honeymoon, much to the consternation of the producers of To the Manor Build. They have plans to film more of the project this week, but the stars have suddenly gone missing. Not in a romantic “they only have eyes for each” other sort of missing. It is more of a “blood spatter left behind and Erika is afraid to tell anyone in case this causes them to lose the contest” sort of way. No one can reach them, the producers are getting cranky, and Erika is getting scared.

The chapters alternate points of view from Erika, to Kim (Erika’s mom, also the town clerk who is asked to officiate the wedding), to Holly’s super perky blog posts, to the people commenting on the Reddit threads regarding the reality show. The format really keeps things moving along as the reader learns various bits and pieces from the various narrators.

Since I just recently reviewed Patricia Wants to Cuddle by Samantha Allen and that book was also based on a reality show, I couldn’t help but make comparisons. The authors seem very dissimilar but their threads of humor definitely shine. Sarah Strohmeyer’s signature humor is on full display here, although definitely toned down from her laugh-out-loud funny Bubbles Yablonsky series that I read years ago. One back-cover reviewer called this new novel “Diabolical and deliciously twisty…” I find that to be a great description. It was suspenseful and fun, making me look around every corner for the villain.