BOOK: KINDRED SPIRITS AT HARLING HALL
AUTHOR: SHARON BOOTH
PUB DATE: MARCH 2025
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REVIEW- 3.8 stars
Thanks to Netgalley and the Publisher for this ARC. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
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THINGS I LIKED
1. The setting, I loved Rowan Vale, Harling Hall, and its residence. It was creative and I enjoyed it.
2. I liked the FMC, Callie, she was an amazing character and a wonderful mother. I also liked how she took charge of the estate and owned up to her status there. It was very nice to see.
3. I also liked the other side characters, including the ghosts, they were fun to read about.
4. I liked almost everything about the book
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THINGS I DIDN'T LIKE
1. There was less romance. The book felt like more of a women's fiction than romance. Even Brodie, the love interest was more of a side character instead of the main one. It took a while before any progress in their relationship was shown.
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I liked reading this book. It was different and it had a unique storyline. I was disappointed by the lack of romance, but I still liked reading it and I would definitely recommend it.
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I absolutely LOVE this premise! A ghost friendly village with a contractual obligation for someone to take care of their wants and needs. A whole community themed in different eras and protected from the wider world. So many possibilities!

I like the realness that Callie portrays, a real woman with a sense of humour, her own demons and self doubt and a real hankering after Maltesers. Sharon Booth has clearly based Callie on me!
When faced with something too good to be true, she does the only thing a good mother would do and looks out for her child's needs first.

The other characters are great too, Broody Brodie, Loyal Lawrie and Miraculous Mia all contributing to a cast of living characters with charm. Florrie, Agnes and Audrey being only a few of the dead characters with a real presence!

Throughout the story, there are a number of plot lines and all written about with care and love. You have the normal community shenanigans with the added drama of disputes through the ages.
Beautifully written and full of heart... whether still beating or not... a perfect cosy read that has be waiting impatiently for number 2 in the series!

Thank you to Netgalley and Boldwood Books for an ARC, it was hard to put down! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Kindred Spirits at Harling Hall wasn’t my favorite fall romance but also wasn’t my least favorite. It definitely reminded me of the TV show Ghosts, and I loved the setting. The plot was a little questionable for me and I didn’t care for the love interest at all. But, I do think this would be a really fun fall book club read. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this arc ebook in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

This book started off like a warm cup of tea on a rainy day—cozy, comforting, and promising something sweet. I was fully on board for the vibes: a haunted old village, a sprinkle of charm, and what seemed to be an easy, heartwarming read. And for readers looking for just that—a light, breezy escape—this book might just hit the spot.

Let’s talk pros first:
👻 It’s perfect if you're in the mood for something low-stakes and easy to digest.
👻 The side characters were hands-down the highlight! They were fun, eccentric, and added flavour when the main plot started to… well, fizzle. Honestly, the side characters carried this book on their fictional backs.

Now for the not-so-cozy cons:
🎃 The main romance? Yikes. The love interest felt like a different person in every chapter—mysterious and charming one minute, dull and vague the next. Was he rewritten mid-draft? Who knows. The only thing that's certain? He changed his personality based on the scene the author wanted to write.
🎃 Insta-love is a hard sell, and I still don’t understand how people fall in love within a month, especially when all they do is tiptoe around haunted hallways and miscommunicate.
🎃 Speaking of plot… where was it? Apart from chatting with ghosts and awkward bonding moments, not much really happened.
🎃 Everyone in this book (except the unrealistically rational 11-year-old daughter) seemed to have left their common sense in another draft.
🎃 The world was full of quirky townsfolk and ghostly encounters, which helped set the scene, but many character introductions went nowhere. Like being handed puzzle pieces to a puzzle that doesn’t exist.
🎃 And the emotional drama? It felt less like meaningful character development and more like a filler arc. Combine that with endless miscommunication and a frustrating level of stubbornness from literally every character, and this story could’ve been at least 100 pages shorter with no real loss.

Final thoughts:
Kindred Spirits at Harling Hall had the bones of a charming ghostly tale, but the heart of it got a bit lost in melodrama and uneven writing. If you’re here for the vibes and quirky side characters—go for it! Just don’t expect too much from the plot or romance.

This was a cosy and hilarious take on the TV series Ghosts. It was funny and heartwarming.

It is the story of Callie and her daughter Immi. They can see ghosts and because of this have to move to Harling Hall to continue the living history tradition.

This was slow but any other pace would not have worked. The ghosts were the highlights of the book- their antics, mannerisms and their various grievances.

The Cotswold setting was picturesque and beautifully described. The romance was slow and didn’t happen until almost the end of the book but this book is worth a shot.

If you enjoy paranormal stories then you will enjoy

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for sending me a copy of this book to review.

This was a fun novel, and I enjoyed it a lot. I am looking forward to reading more by this author.

The ghosts at Harling Hall take center stage in this cozy paranormal romance.

The first chapter drew me in, especially the way the ghosts were revealed to Callie and to us, the readers. I enjoyed the way Callie shook things up a bit and brought a new perspective, even though she made plenty of mistakes along the way. Immi's enthusiasm for the entire project was infectious and I was feeling positive and keen alongside her.

I quite liked Callie and Brodie and when it looked like they might start something, I was excited. But they had one kiss and many non-romantic interactions that were adversarial at times. That was not enough to build a believable relationship on. The ending would've been phenomenal if the romance between Callie and Brodie had been better established. It felt more like they were at a very good place to start something, but not necessarily declare their undying love for each other.

Ultimately, this was a story about people, their fears and insecurities, their heartaches, and what made them happy. The ghosts were an interesting way of delivering all of that and they all came with unique personalities.

The history of Harling Hall was captivating, but I had a lot of questions about the ghosts and how everything worked and that kept taking me out of the story at times. I enjoyed the author's writing style and I can recommend this book if you like ghosts and human nature stories.

Thank you to Netgalley and Boldwood Books for providing me with a copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This was a nice cosy read. It follows the story of Callie and her daughter Immi who move to Harlingen Hall as Callie has the ability to see ghosts.

It is a story about finally accepting who you are and that your normal isn’t someone else’s. I really enjoyed this book and its characters. I would have liked to have learned more about some of the ghosts in the village and how they came to be there. As this is book one in the series hopefully the following book will have more information about the other ghosts.

If you are looking for a nice story with a little romance I would recommend this book. #

Thank you to NetGalley, Sharon Booth and Boldwood Books for this arc.

#booksbooksbooks #bookstagram #cosyreads #ghosts #romance #arc #netgalley

2.5/5

So let’s digest the rollercoaster ride I went through while reading this book.

The first 30% was so relaxing that I was convinced it would be a solid 4/5 read. It gave off cozy Melinda Gordon vibes, and as a big Ghost Whisperer fan, I immediately sank into the story and world. Unfortunately, that was a bit premature.

By the time I hit 40%, reality set in. I also realized just how much of a blasphemy the main character is. She’s infuriating, alright? And since the book is told almost entirely from her point of view, I felt stuck with her. I just refuse to accept that her child, Imogen, has more common sense than Callie. Honestly, probably Florrie does too.

I have a problem with characters (and people, to be honest) who assume things and then act on those assumptions instead of having grown-up conversations. Last time I checked, Callie was supposed to be an adult.

Meanwhile, Callie just assumes everything, she’s rude to everyone, and her attitude and decision-making make me think she’s about as bright as a blackout. Her character seems to be built out of three things: financial issues, being a bad mother, and a traumatic childhood.

I was hoping my interest in Brodie and some of the ghosts would balance out my issues with Callie, but it didn’t. The deeper you get into the story, the more inauthentic the dialogue feels, the more inconsistent and bland the characters become, and their decisions and feelings start bending unnaturally to serve the plot—with no clear, on-page development or emotional revelation to justify it.

What bothered me the most is that "Kindred Spirits at Harling Hall" lacks any real action or progression in the plot. I honestly don’t understand how, in the second half of the book, literally nothing happened. Nothing. The entire book revolves around the setting we have been introduced to in the beginning, and if you've read the first few chapters, you've basically read the next twenty.

Sign me up for this series! How else am I going to move into a cottage in Rowan Vale and live in this world? If you love UK "Ghosts", British history and small-town sweet romance, you'll fall in love with these characters and all the mysteries of Rowan Vale. If, like me, you're a person who walks into an old house or historic building and immediately starts imagining the stories of the people who once lived there - you'll be as excited as I am to dive into this world and explore them.

This first book is the set up to what I hope will be a fantastic supernatural romance series. It starts when Cassie and her daughter Immi take a class trip to the historic and very haunted town of Rowan Vale. Cassie used to see ghosts as a child but doesn't realize all the weird people in town acting inappropriately are dead until she goes to lodge a complaint with the town's owner/caretaker, Mr. Lawrence. Soon she and her daughter find themselves the new caretakers of Harling Hall/the village and up to their eyeballs in ghostly and human drama. Who has never imagined helping a ghost cross-over? I want to help Cassie figure out how!

This book sets the scene of the town and hall, establishes key characters, hints at backstories and teases so many mysteries as to why the ghosts are all stuck here, how they died, why only some become ghosts, why they spend their afterlives the way the do. I just HAVE to know more! Cassie and Brodie (Mr Lawrence's grandson) have their own romance starting - I need MUCH more of that. You can also read this book as a one-off. It has a satisfying ending. The audiobook was fab - great narration -though I had to set it at 2x speed.

I'm so jazzed that Boldwood books granted me this ARC. I will be eagerly following Sharon Booth for the next installment!!

Very well written and extremely captivating. Very cozy, but also not boring. It kept my attention well and had me wanting more. Very well done!
Also, the way you described the idyllic English village vibe setting - I was wanting to pack up and move to Britain and hide in a cottage of my own haha

Ghosts and beautiful estate fall into a woman’s lap after a chance meeting. But talking to ghosts and dealing with the property is not as easy as it seems. Finding her way she becomes my main problem in the story, her character felt too pushy and a stickler for the rules. Multiple situations where her opinions went against others and her managing to overrule them. Not that anything she thought was wrong but the way she went about everything was not for me. The characters were interesting especially being able to read the ghost pov, I loved that the FMC was able to change things. Noticing that things were not right she gave them a more comfortable afterlife and I see her doing more. Which is why it bothered me so much that I don’t like her personality lol. The romance in the story felt forced, not much of a connection with the MMC. They have interactions and you can see it lead somewhere but it’s rushed at the end and we miss seeing yearning, chemistry and spark between the characters. I can definitely see myself reading more of the series I just hope the author takes more time building connections with the characters.

Thanks to NetGalley and Boldwood Books I received a ARC for an honest review !

When I heard about this book, I really wanted to read it. It isn’t a genre I have ever really read before, but I’m a fan of the author, who is one of the loveliest people I’ve met online. I’m also a fan of the TV series Ghosts and was interested to see how this compared.
I was sent an ARC to read, but I really wanted a paperback (great cover, there’s even a cat that looks like mine!) so I bought one from Amazon and I’m really pleased, because I enjoyed this one so much that I intend to collect the whole series in paperback and put them on my book shelves.
Our heroine is single mum and agency carer Callie Chase. She is in her thirties and wants to spend more time with her daughter Immi (10), so she goes on a school trip to the Cotswolds with her. They are visiting Rowan Vale –a privately owned village on the Harling Estate owned by Sir Lawrence Davenport. They are there to visit the Rowan Vale Living History Village and right from arriving at Harling’s Halt on the train, the station already has an historic feel to it, even down to actors in authentic WWI soldiers’ costumes having a scrap on the platform!
It's so hard describing the plot without giving you any spoilers, but I’ll try to. Sir Lawrence (Lawrie) Davenport asks Callie if she can take over running the estate, because it turns out she can see the ghosts in the village, which is quite a rare gift. Erm, that’s about all I’m telling you about the story, as you need to read it for yourself, it’s fab and I’m not spoiling any of the surprises within the pages.
I loved the sound of Rowan Vale and if it existed, I would love to visit there, as it’s just my kind of thing – especially the vintage wartime teashop and bakery! The village itself is wonderful. There’s Rowan Farm (a working farm run as it would have been during WWII) and Ashcroft Mill (now a museum depicting life in the village over the centuries) and wait to see what happens when you visit Jack and Clara’s house!
The story draws you in straight away. Callie is a wonderful character and I could really relate to her being a single mum and not having much money. Then when she moves to Rowan Vale, it’s such a fun community with the different ghosts from different time periods, all with their own personalities.
Out of the living people, I really like Lawrie, though his grumpy grandson Brodie is a real pain. Mia is a lovely character too. I think my favourite ghost was Aubrey Wyndham, but there are a wonderful array of them with all kinds of personality traits and I absolutely loved the way the time period they cam from was shown in the dress, speech and mannerisms.
There are some books that make me think wow, I can’t wait to read more and this book is one of those. It is such a special book, it’s warm, witty, fun, endearing and it’s so easy to fall in love with the characters. It’s a perfect start to a series too and you can see there is so much more to explore with the village, its living people and its ghosts. I have already pre-ordered the second book and am impatient to find out what happens next.

The premise of the book greatly intrigued me and I absolutely was not disappointed by this gem of a book!
It definitely gave similarities to the show Ghosts, which is a delightful show, but differed enough to ensure there is a unique story to be told.

There were funny moments, sad moments, kind moments, lovely moments. With ghosts as characters, I think the author did a great job of touching upon the myriad of emotions that can come with dying and death, and what and who is left behind.

There is a romance in the story, but it didn't feel like it was the main plot, which is fine. It was a lovely bonus plot that helped to pull together a lovely ending. I think the main plot was really about Callie coming to terms with her new role as owner of Harling Hall, and figuring out how to include her daughter, who can also see ghosts, in the running of the hall without overwhelming her.

This book by Sharon Booth was so cozy and sweet! I seriously loved this and can't wait to read it again in the fall!

Not a book I would have chosen from the shelves of a bookshop, but I was pleasantly surprised. A lovely read from Sharon.

BLOG TOUR REVIEW

Review for 'Kindred Spirits At Harling Hall' by Sharon Booth

Wow!!!! Just flipping wow!!!! What an absolutely epic page turner!!! Well done Sharon!!! How on Earth have I never read any of your books before? Absolutely smashed it!!!!!!! This may be the first book I have read by this author but it most definitely will not be my last!!

This book is extremely well written with vivid descriptions creating the perfect atmosphere for the storyline. The book cover and synopsis works perfectly with the book plot and I am most definitely looking forward to reading the next book, and the previous one in this series.

I have absolutely no idea how this is the first time I have read one of this incredible author's books but I am so glad I have rectified that problem and I cannot wait to get hooked into more books by the very talented Sharon, even if they are just half as good as this page turner they are guaranteed to be addictive!! OMG!!! I ABSOLUTELY LOVE, LOVE ,LOVED THIS BOOK, AN ABSOLUTELY AMAZING, LAUGH OUT LOUD AND PAGE TURNING MUST READ!! MY FAVOURITE READ OF 2025. If you have ever seen the series Ghosts and loved it like I did then do not waste your time reading any more of my review and grab your copy of this epic page turner now!! You seriously have to grab your copy of this absolutely gorgeous page turner today!! The descriptions, the characters and the absolutely brilliant and hilarious storyline!!! I mean seriously I cannot describe just how fantastic, unique and gorgeous this book is!!! I am just so landed that this book is just the first book in Sharon's 'Ghosts Of Rowan Vale' series and what an absolutely amazing introduction to a promising new series it is!! I just really hope you are finishing the second book as I NEED it in my life YESTERDAY!!! There are just no words. I mean I'll try but my advice is stop reading this review and GET YOUR COPY NOW!!! If you love romance, 'Ghosts', mystery, magic, community, humour, paranormal… Do you know what...whatever you like to read just give this a go and you will NOT regret it!!! As you can tell I thoroughly enjoyed this addictive and stunning page turner!!! I mean I have read loads of books this year but THIS book has just shot to my favourite book of 2025 and I will be very surprised if anyone manages to knock it off that spot!! I have got to admit that my main reason for picking this book up is because of the reviews that referred to it being like 'Ghosts' as I was absolutely hooked on the series and was gutted when it ended so for this to be very similar, just as amazing (if not more, has absolutely made my day and that is without taking into the gorgeous cover and the wonderful synopsis, so thank you so much Sharon!! In this absolutely gorgeous book Sharon transports the readers to the absolutely stunning Cotswolds where we meet single Mum Callie who has decided to join her daughter Immi on a school trip to Rowan Vale which is run as a living museum. When they arrive and Callie sees some soldiers fighting and barefoot children running wild she is not impressed and puts in a complaint. Callie meets with the owner Sir Lawrence Davenport to complain but doesn't quite get the reaction she was expecting. Lawrence is delighted that she seen them and tells her she is just the person he has been looking for as he is ready to hand over the management of the estate to someone but it had to be the right person. Someone who will engage and look after the ghosts and Callie ends up buying the village for a mere £10. However, some of the ghosts are not happy with the change of ownership and neither is Lawrence's grandson Brodie. Can Callie change their minds and keep her promise to Lawrence? Well, if you want to more then you will just have to grab your copy of this absolutely fabulous page turner today and I can absolutely GUARANTEE you will not regret it! With a storyline ram packed with friendship, humour, ghosts, magic, romance and so much more what on Earth are you waiting for??? I must admit I am not typically a fan of "paranormal" books but I absolutely LOVED this one which I think is helped by the fact that Callie is a normal person and that it is very much like Ghosts, even some of the characters reminded me of ones from the show which I absolutely adored!! This book is a real genuine pick me up and will definitely turn any frown upside down!! It captured my attention from the very first page and kept me glued to the pages until the very last word and definitely left me wanting more!! Sharon's fantastic writing skills and vivid descriptions will transport the reader into Rowan Vale where they will see everything that is going on around them including the stunning settings and most of the amazing and larger than life characters! I know I did! This is one of those fantastic books that is perfect to read anywhere and everywhere from curled up next to a roaring fire to sunning yourself on a beach as regardless of where you are Sharon will whisk you away with the storyline and transport you into Rowan Vale!! I absolutely devoured this book in one sitting as there was no way I could put it down!! Each and every time I even thought about it to get some actual house work done the characters called me back to demand their attention!! The chapters are quite short which is ideal to pick up and read a few here and there whether on a break or on a bus, the problem is trying to put it down!! One of the things I really enjoyed about this storyline is that it is unique to me as I had never read a storyline like it which always makes a lovely change after reading so many books as it is getting harder and harder to find something new. An absolutely brilliant read that will make your day brighter!

Clear your schedules and grab the tissues as you get lost in this laugh out loud, addictive page turner!!

I absolutely loved the larger than life, unique and just fantastic characters that Sharon has created for this book!! Thanks to her fantastic descriptions it truly feels like you are right next to Callie and all of the ghosts Aggie throughout. I absolutely loved meeting them and was rooting for them throughout. I loved watching the personalities and confidence change and develop from the start to the finish as well as friendships and relationships. All of the characters are unique with their own personalities, weaknesses, flaws and strengths and I loved meeting and getting to know them all, well, almost all. The only downfall with the characters along with Rowan Vale itself is that they are entirely fictional even though Sharon brings them to life unfortunately, no matter how much I would love to, I am unable to meet up with them in the real world!! I was completely invested in them all throughout and I was gutted when the time came to say Goodbye! Sharon truly does an absolutely amazing job of bringing the story to life and the characters leap out of the pages as your turning them thanks to her evocative writing skills and I enjoyed getting to meet them all!! It really goes to show how talented she is creating such a wonderful storyline and all these brilliant characters in her debut book and cannot wait for the next book

Clear your schedules as this is one gorgeous, unique and unputdownable stunner ❤️ Sharon Booth welcome to my favourite author list as well as for writing my FAVOURITE READ OF 2025!!! I CANNOT WAIT FOR YOUR NEXT GUARANTEED SUCCESS!!!

Overall an absolutely gorgeous book that will sweep you away, make you laugh out loud and fall in love with Rowan Vale!!

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If you follow my blog, you know that I am a fan of the tv show Ghosts, both the BBC and the US versions. So that little bit in the blurb had me signing up to review this one right away! This is a cozy little story with a bit of romance and lots of fun ghosts to get to know, definitely reminding me in a way of that tv show.

Callie starts out thinking about how nice it would be if only she could have enough money to have a nice home for her and her daughter with a yard, or garden as they call it in England I believe. Then, when her being able to see ghosts turns into the opportunity to actually get these things, at first she doesn’t want to take it. You see growing up, her parents had shamed her about being able to see ghosts, they didn’t really believe her, and eventually she did so much to ignore the ghosts, that as far as she knew, she didn’t see them anymore. But coming on a field trip as a chaperone with her daughter to Harling Hall, a place set in the past, partly because of all the ghosts there, and her ability to ignore them is gone. You see this place has a tradition of whoever owns it is someone who can see the ghosts and talk to them, etc. Now these ghosts are from ALL time periods and of course did die around the location. There is an ancient Roman centurion, a soldiers from world war I, and people who lived during world war 2. Models from the 60s, and even a Hollywood starlet. All ages as well, elderly, teens, and children.

Soon she realizes that taking the estate for the measly price of 10 pounds, the contract has always been to sell the estate to the next owner for that little, well it is going to be in the best interest for both her and her daughter. Callie has other issues that make it hard for her to want to just take over this enormous new responsibility. Such as dyslexia, and just not having ever been a part of something like this. The current owner/residents, Sir Lawrence Davenport, or Lawrie, and his grandson Brodie, are great to have around, and she asks them to stay, but as it’s never been done that way, and Lawrie is very much a stickler, they say they can’t.

All of the different ghosts have their stories, some funny, some sad, some just very unique and with interesting historical connections. There’s a bit of an attraction between Callie and Brodie, but of course with Brodie being about to leave, both kind of agree there’s no use in starting anything. So this of course leads to longing and frustration as it comes down to the very moment when one of them must say something. There’s a bit of miscommunication with that, of course. The romance is limited to a few kisses and some tingly feelings when Callie thinks about Brodie and kissing him.

I definitely enjoyed the story, and am interested in seeing how this will become a series as it says this is the first one. Will we continue with Callie and Brodie and Immy, her daughter, and how the ghosts are around the property? I mean, like the tv show? Or will there be another romance? Maybe Mia? I’ll definitely be interested to see where it goes next!

I wasn’t sure what I expected from this book, which promises a cross between the BBC comedy Ghosts and a cosy romance, but I thoroughly enjoyed every moment of it!

All of the characters, dead and alive, are either engaging or very interesting, and the strange set-up of the village of Rowan Vale, Harling Hall manor and the very peculiar inheritance attached to it offered lots of little mini-mysteries to solve along the way.

To some extent, the budding romance between Callie, who can reluctantly see and speak to ghosts, and Brodie, who can’t but really wishes he could, takes a back-seat to the stories of the ghosts themselves and the new found family that is tentatively beginning to form between the hall’s inhabitants, old, new and very old. Personally I actually preferred it that this was a cosy paranormal fantasy with a romantic sub-plot, rather than vice versa!

As the first book in a series, there is inevitably a little bit of a slow start as the author sets about establishing the characters and setting, and how the ghost village set-up works, but all of the family background, parenting troubles and tricky first impressions kept me reading to find out more about everyone and really hoping they could all see beyond each others’ surfaces. And it ends with an intriguing teaser or two hanging ready to be picked up in the next instalment.

All-in-all, I found this a really solid series starter for any cosy ghost fans who like a bit of cosy romance with their spectral shenanigans, and I am very keen to read on and find out more about the Ghosts of Rowan Vale!

Kindred Spirits at Harling Hall is a cozy and whimsical paranormal romance full of found family, a dash of slow-burn romance, and brimming with endearing characters of the living and dead variety with plenty of personality. The plot is a perfect blend of mystery and slow-burn romance entwined around history and magic about finding a place to belong in the world.

Sharon Booth’s writing is warm, witty, and full of little details that bring the characters and Harling Hall estate to life with plausible magical realism. The sense of place that the immersive worlding building conjures up is an astonishingly vivid depiction of a tranquil, rambling estate, historical hall, and quaint village.

I loved the quirky, distinctive personalities of the cast of characters for the living and the dead as they interact with each other and rub along in their afterlife. It is pretty funny, with amusing banter between the ghosts and a humorous clash of cultural attitudes across different historical eras, that all the ghosts hail from meeting the 21st-century feisty feminist world of a single mum.

I thought this was a charming, cozy story full of laughs, sweet romance, warm fuzzies, and great banter. If you love the cozier, cottagecore side of haunting rather than thriller or horror scary, you will love the ghosts of Harling Hall and their fun and games with their living caretakers.