REVIEW: You’re the One That I Haunt by Katie Jung

YOU’RE THE ONE THAT I HAUNT by Katie Jung is a speculative paranormal rom-com about Libby Lakoski, who has been secretly in love with her best friend, Carter, for years. When Carter’s wedding gets closer, Libby meets his cousin Trip—a ghost who needs her help breaking the Coldwell family curse. As they follow clues around New York City, Libby starts questioning what she really wants while an unexpected romance develops with the one person she definitely shouldn’t be falling for.

I was all about the mix of romance, mystery, magic, and fall atmosphere in this one. I liked having the curse mystery running alongside the romance. There are plenty of clues, family secrets, and little adventures along the way, but the heart of the story really comes down to Libby figuring out where she belongs and what she actually wants.

Trip was my favorite. He’s charming, flirty, sarcastic, and completely impossible for Libby to ignore. I loved how much Trip got under Libby’s skin. The more time they spend together, the more Trip becomes the person encouraging Libby to stop shrinking herself to fit into the life she thought she was supposed to want. There’s also that whole he’s a ghost and she can’t touch him problem. Watching their relationship move from an unlikely partnership into something neither of them planned for was one of my favorite parts of the book.

YOU’RE THE ONE THAT I HAUNT checked so many of my fall-reading boxes: ghosts, magic, New York City, a little mystery, plenty of banter, and a romance with just the right amount of impossible. I loved Trip and watching Libby finally start figuring out who she is outside of her lifelong feelings for Carter. Add in the family drama, the curse, the unexpected friendships, and all that ghostly tension, and this was such a fun paranormal rom-com for spooky season.

TROPES & VIBES:
👻 Ghost MMC
💕 Best friend’s cousin
💘 Unrequited love
🔥 Forced proximity
🐢 Slow burn
😏 Flirty banter
💋 Forbidden attraction
🔎 Magical mystery
🍂 Fall romance
💫 Paranormal rom-com
🗽 New York City setting
💕 He falls first

QOTD: Would you fall for the hot ghost… or are you staying far away from anything involving a family curse?

Book Info:

Publication: September 22, 2026 | Penguin Books |

Libby Lakoski has two major problems. First, she’s secretly in love with her best friend, Carter Coldwell, and second, he’s marrying someone else. Carter’s the only person who has ever made Libby feel chosen, and sure, his fiancee is a British diamond heiress, but Carter and Libby have years of shared history and longing looks between them. Not to mention, Libby is the only person Carter trusted enough to tell about the dark magic that plagues his family.

But then a third and related problem presents itself—or, himself. Trip Coldwell is Carter’s handsome, smart, flirtatious cousin who also happens to be… a ghost. Trip’s “unfinished business” is to break the Coldwell curse, but the solution hinges on Libby encouraging Carter to allow his wedding to proceed. Unfortunately, Libby is the only person who can see Trip, and her objective is the exact opposite. Can Libby put aside her pining for Carter and work with his hot and not-quite-living cousin to save both men?

As they follow a trail of clues across New York City, Libby finds herself questioning just how much Carter reciprocated her friendship, feeling perplexed by a growing attraction to Trip, and fantasizing about actually touching him. With the countdown to the wedding in full swing, Libby must choose between saving the Coldwells and holding tight to her own happily ever after.