The Haunting Between Us

By: Paul Michael Winters

Narrated by: Andrew Gibson

Heartstopper meets The Haunting of Hill House in this queer coming-of-age romance and ghost story.

Cameron can’t believe the boy of his dreams just moved into the house of his nightmares.

Sixteen-year-old Cameron Walsh dreads the haunted Victorian mansion across the street, where the ghost of the White Lady roams the halls. When he sees her through the bay window, his ghost-hunting friend Abby wants to investigate. But then the new owners pull up, and Cameron is captivated by the brooding, handsome boy moving in. He longs for a boyfriend, but years of bullying have shattered his self-esteem.

Sixteen-year-old Hugo Cruz and his father flip old houses, moving often, fleeing from the grief at the loss of Hugo’s mother. They unknowingly move into the most haunted house in Port Townsend, Washington. From day one, Hugo encounters shadows that move by themselves, locked doors without keys, and hidden rooms. He hides the mysteries from his superstitious father, not wanting to uproot their lives.

When the White Lady becomes impossible to ignore, Hugo turns to Cameron to help uncover the house’s dark history. They soon form a bond that goes beyond friendship, but as their feelings deepen, the White Lady's wrath intensifies. Entangled in a web of sinister secrets, they risk not only their love but their very existence.

©2024 Paul Michael Winters (P)2024 Paul Michael Winters

Good plot focused book with gay characters

i thoroughly enjoyed this book. i like stories with gay main characters in them that aren't all focused on carnal relations. Good 0laot with a couple of plot twists that kept me interested

Hahn Vibes

The sample doesn't do it justice. I took a recommendation from an author I follow. When I listened to the sample I was like "meh". Wasn't sure it was worth the credit, but it sat back in my head for a couple of days until I committed. I really liked it! It reminded me of the Mary Downing Hahn books I read as a kid, so if you're looking for that level of ghost story and a queer romance this is your book! Thanks for story!

Terrifying AND heartwarming - what a heady mix!!

I’ve always loved stories of many kinds, but haunted houses…now, those were my THING as a kid. I was the dork who would sneak off looking for secret passageways in interesting old houses (usually to the embarrassment of my family, if they were with me!) I devoured books about haunted houses, always so fascinated by the stories they told (the books and the houses in the books). But something was always missing. The groups of friends were always completely straight, and for a queer kid trying (and failing) so find just one character like themselves, it was always a subtle rebuke: “You’re not one of us.” Find your own lunch table, because you can’t sit here.

The Haunting Between Us is the first haunted house story where I really felt like the message was “You ARE one of us.” This book is like a warm hug to me—a bit ironic, I know, because it’s a story about a haunted house, and a scary one at that. The story itself gets downright freaking terrifying in several parts. I kid you not that I broke out in severe goosebumps at SEVERAL points during the story. I don’t think that’s ever happened before. Yet despite that—it’s still a warm hug, too. The dynamic of this group of friends, where everyone is accepted and welcome, was something the teenage version of myself was desperately looking for, both in real life and in the stories I read. And the relationship between Cameron and Hugo is such a wonderful journey. Trials and tribulations, of course (no story, or real life, would be complete without them!!) but the way they grow together, express their feelings, and care for and protect each other…wow. It’s a soothing balm after decades of reading stories that either had a lack of representation completely, or sad/bad/negative vibes.

The parental dynamics are also very real and also very emotional for me. I won’t go into details as I don’t want to spoil anything, but this was so well done. Parents are often one-dimensional bookends in YA stories, there out of necessity but kind of in the way. Not so, with the parents in this story.

And all that aside, it’s got amazing adventure and exploration and mystery and horror (and some lines that made me burst out laughing) and an absolute pleasure to read. And yes, the ending made me tear up for sure…another example of how this book hits home on so many emotional levels.

There needs to be a word for the feeling of riding a wave, of coming off a book you absolutely love and that resonates so well, and you know that whatever you read next won’t compare. I’m totally satisfied with the ending yet also so extremely sad that I’ve come to the end of the story, because I am totally going to miss checking in with Cameron and Hugo and their friends. I guess I’ll just have to start rereading again from the beginning.

Amazing! Awesome! Engaging!

Great horror story with LGBTQ+ characters one doesn’t normally see in the horror genre. Definitely worth the listen and read!

A good read

The book was very interesting and enjoyable to read. It had mystery, adventure, horror and romance. The characters were very interesting and enjoyable to listen to the main characters Perspective of what was going o. Would highly recommend and would be reading again soon.

Paranormal Teen Romance

I usually don’t like paranormal romances. They tend to have thin plots around gratuitous sex. This being a YA story I knew there would be no sex. The plot was well thought out.

The haunting of Hugo’s house makes use of the genre perfectly without being wholly derivative. It didn’t need to reinvent the reasons for hauntings, or how to stop them, because the story was primarily built around the cast with the haunting being the thing that binds Hugo and Cameron together.

So why not 5 stars? I felt like anything and everything that could be resolved was resolved. It left no opportunity for growth of some characters should there ever be a second book. I nevertheless highly recommend it.

Hauntingly Beautiful

Hauntingly beautiful. This novel masterfully weaves together a chilling ghost story with an unexpected romance. Two high school boys—seemingly worlds apart—find themselves drawn together by a series of eerie events. As they unravel a mystery filled with ghosts, murders, and betrayal, they also discover something even more surprising: love. The atmosphere is both unsettling and mesmerizing, keeping you hooked until the very last page. A perfect blend of horror, suspense, and tender emotion—what a great story!

Loved it!

Great story, very likable MC's and secondary characters. The story gripped me from the beginning & never let up.

I loved the characters so much that I wish this was the beginning of a series.

Great narration makes the story truly come to life. This amazing coming-of-age story was heartfelt, tender & very believable. I highly recommend it to everyone of any age!

So good, more please!

This was so good! Paranormal stories aren't my typical go-to, but when I saw who the author was and who the narrator was, I had to try it out, and am so thankful I did! I immediately was pulling for both main characters, and the cast of friends grew on me pretty quickly as well. I really liked the mystery element to it as well. The narrator has quickly become one of my favorites. He doesn't distinguish the two main character voices very much in this book (he did an impeccable job in 'All That's Left in the World'), but even, still I could listen to him tell stories all day long. This has a bit of everything, the creepy factor, a little romance, and a little mystery. I would gladly listen to another tale of the friends trying to solve a paranormal mystery.

Spooky but sweet

If you're in the mood for something spooky but not terrifying, then this is the book for you. I like a bit of spookyness in my books, but I'm not a fan of overly terrifying ones, so I'm glad The Haunting Between Us turned out to be just what I liked.

This book definitely keeps you on your toes when it comes to the mysterious Crimson House, also known as Hugo's new home. It's haunted for sure, and I have chills just by thinking someone lives there with a not so nice ghost. I would have freaked out way before Hugo did.
Our other MC is Cameron, who lives across the street from Crimson House, and he also has a history with the haunted house. He's also a sweet guy who develops crushes way too easily. Like he falls just a little bit for his new neighbour when he sees him for the first time. It's just simply sweet.
Their story does not start the easiest, but the hauntings in the old house quickly bring them close.

The book is YA, which means we get a healthy dose of teenage angst, high school bullies, and the healing power of school theatre. We also have a wonderful friendship group complete with a paranormal investigator (Abby), a psychic (Chloe), her girlfriend (Maya), a sweet social non-binary friend (Taylor), and the token straight friend (Matty). I absolutely love them as a bunch.

The story definitely focuses on the Crimson House and hauntings that go on within it, but it's nicely rounded out with a bit of teenage romance and friendships that I very much appreciate. Yes, there are some spooky, slightly scary things going on, but I don't feel like the book actively tries to scare me.
The mystery of the house is the key to the whole story, and in my opinion, it wasn't that hard to solve. The book did include quite a few twists, but I saw them coming a mile away. Which is not bad. It just maybe means the author has some improvement when it comes to plot.
I appreciate that the history of the house and its inhabitants is so involved in the mystery. It added a much needed second layer to all that was going on.

As for the romance, it is very ordinary. The attraction between Hugo and Cameron is clear from the beginning, but once they get together, it's way too fast. Their relationship goes from zero to 100 in a matter of days, which is something I generally don't like in romances.
I did love their bond, though. It's nice to see young men being vulnerable and open with each other instead of repressing their problems.

Overall, I think this is a very enjoyable book. It's spooky, it's mysterious but it's also fun.
I listened to the audiobook, and it's great, and I loved the narrator.