Gretchen Acorn is an ethical scammer. Yes, she pretends to be psychic, digging up info on deceased loved ones via social media, but she helps her clients. She brings them peace of mind, and that’s priceless, right? Or at least, priced low enough to not dent the accounts of the wealthy socialites she scams. And if she has to lie to herself a little to believe she’s not as destructive as her con artist father, then so be it. Gretchen’s very good at lying. But when her best client hires her to exorcise a friend’s goat farm so he can sell it, she’s the one who gets spooked to discover, well, an actual spook. The place is haunted by Everett, a charming, chatty, wildly flirtatious (just because he’s dead doesn’t mean he’s dead) spirit only Gretchen can see—and he carries an ominous warning. Everett triggered a curse years ago, and now the farm has to stay in the family. If the current owner, Charlie Waybill, sells the place and leaves, he’ll die. Not an easy message to pass on, especially when the (very hot, very grumpy, very skeptical) Charlie believes everything about Gretchen is a lie.
Happy Medium follows author Sarah Adler’s absolutely amazing debut, Mrs. Nash’s Ashes. Like its predecessor, Happy Medium is a grumpy-sunshine romance and, admittedly, Charlie works slightly less well than Mrs. Nash’s Ashes’ Hollis. While Charlie’s suspicion of Gretchen’s claims is natural, his continued harshness toward someone who’s actively helping him, with no personal benefit, feels a little extreme. But the way Adler shades her sunshine heroines is so lovely. Gretchen’s not exactly optimistic—she’d describe herself as ruthlessly practical—but her drive to do good, to seek out the positive, to embrace the weirdness of life instead of letting it throw her off course resonates throughout the book. She lights up the page, bringing more than just the farm (and Charlie’s heart) to life. You completely get why her customers always leave satisfied, and Adler’s readers will leave Happy Medium feeling the same way.
