Jenny L. Howe’s Haunted-House Romance Pairs Ghostly Peril with Summer Love

Jenny L. Howe’s How (not) to Renovate a Haunted House sets its romance against a move Amity never wanted: just before college, her mother takes a job across the country in Massachusetts, and Amity has to go with her. Their new home is in Harlow’s Rest, where the local ghost hunter, Theo, already knows the house is haunted. For readers who like a summer love story with a supernatural edge, the appeal lies in that pairing: awkward new beginnings, growing trust and, eventually, some genuinely scary moments.

Amity’s plans for the summer before college fall apart when her mother’s new job changes where they’ll live. The move comes with a practical incentive: the job is also where Amity gets a free ride to college. That makes the decision harder to resist, even as it sends her far from the life she expected. Her new address brings a second upheaval. The house in Harlow’s Rest isn’t merely unfamiliar; it has a ghostly reputation that Theo is determined to make her take seriously.

The setup gives the book two kinds of uncertainty to work with. Amity must adjust to a different place and an altered future, while she tries to figure out what to believe about her home and the young man warning her about it. Theo’s role as a ghost hunter gives him knowledge Amity doesn’t have, but that doesn’t mean she immediately trusts him. Their connection develops alongside that question, with the early chapters leaning more on getting to know each other than on sustained scares.

Romance first, fright later

The review by Cindy, a middle school librarian with an MLS, describes the first half as “a tiny bit spooky” and focused largely on Amity and Theo learning to trust each other. That balance is useful to know before picking up the book. Readers looking for a ghost story that keeps the supernatural threat front and center from the opening pages may find the pace gentle at first. Those who enjoy romance built through conversation, attraction and uncertainty may be more at home with its gradual start.

The source describes Theo as handsome and says he thinks Amity is special. That gives their relationship an openly romantic direction, even while the haunted house supplies the reason they keep crossing paths. The premise leaves room for both to reassess what they think about the other. Amity arrives with her summer disrupted; Theo arrives already convinced that the house presents a danger. Their growing trust has to contend with that difference in perspective.

There’s a change in temperature toward the finish. Cindy says the final scares are “pretty scary,” suggesting that readers who stick with the quieter first half will meet a stronger dose of ghostly danger later. The book’s movement from flirtation and trust-building into more intense fright could suit readers who want a romance with a late jolt of suspense, rather than a uniformly eerie mood.

Who may enjoy it

The buying advisory recommends the book for middle school and high school readers, and marks it “ADVISABLE.” Its appeal is listed as “SOME,” a reminder that the mix of romance, language and scares won’t suit every reader. The content notes report more than 70 swears, including three instances of “f” language; kissing and a mention of pornography; and ghostly danger. Those details offer parents, librarians and readers a clearer sense of the material than the haunted-house premise alone might suggest.

The reviewer also compares the novel with Howe’s Love at Full Tilt, saying this book “doesn’t satisfy as much.” That is Cindy’s assessment, not a universal measure of the new novel. Readers familiar with Howe’s earlier work may want to weigh that comparison, while newcomers can approach this story on its own terms: a disrupted summer, an unexpected move, a charming ghost hunter and a house with a frightening secret.

Publication details

How (not) to Renovate a Haunted House is by Jenny L. Howe. Delacorte (Random) lists the 369-page paperback for 2026 at $13. The combination of a college-bound heroine, a new home and a developing romance gives the story an easy entry point; its later scares add a sharper edge. For readers choosing their next book club or library read, the clearest guide is the book’s rhythm: patient romantic groundwork, followed by more forceful supernatural tension.