Happy Medium

Adler solidifies her status as a rising star of the rom-com genre with her wonderfully escapist sophomore romance (after Mrs. Nash’s Ashes). Gretchen Acorn comes from a long line of “bullshit artists.” In fact, Acorn isn’t even her real name. She makes a living as a fake spirit medium, justifying her deception by always trying to leave her marks’ lives better off than when she found them. When her highest-paying client calls her with concerns about a friend’s property, Gretchen heads to a country farm thinking she’ll spend a few days convincing an old man she’s exorcized his problem ghost. She’s not prepared to face Charlie Waybill, who is far too young, handsome, and skeptical for Gretchen’s comfort. Charlie sees right through her con and doesn’t plan on falling for it—or her, for that matter, no matter how attractive he finds her. Things get more complicated when Gretchen discovers she’s a better medium than she thought: there really is a ghost on Charlie’s property, and he urgently needs Gretchen’s help to break the curse that killed him and trapped him there—before it comes for Charlie. The witty one-liners, quirky characters, hint of magic, and idyllic setting make this a winner. Readers will be swept away. Agent: Taylor Haggerty, Root Literary. (Apr.)