You're The One That I Haunt by Katie Jung
Publisher: Penguin Random House
Publication Date: September 22, 2026
Format: Hardcover - 373 pages
Paperback - 385 pages
Audiobook - 11 Hours 1 Minute
Kindle - 380 pages
Nook - 384 pages
ISBN (Hardcover): 979-8904371180
ISBN (Paperback): 978-0143139324
ASIN (Audiobook): B0GKM2M3TD
ASIN (Kindle): B0GFB78FPV
BNID (Nook): 978-0593513415
Genre: Romance
Buy The Book:
Disclaimer: I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. I also purchased a hardcover edition from my Book of The Month (BOTM) monthly subscription.
Book Description:
A debut speculative romcom for fans of MY BEST FRIEND'S WEDDING and THE DEAD ROMANTICS, in which a woman must team up with a distractingly handsome ghost to save her childhood crush (and love of her life) from a generational curse.
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. For fifteen years, Carter’s affluent life on the Upper East Side has been the definition of “home” for Libby, a stark contrast to her shoebox apartment and absent mother. Carter’s the only person who has ever made Libby feel chosen, and she’s not ready to give up on him. Sure, his fiancée is a British diamond heiress, but Carter and Libby have years of history filled with runs in Central Park and late-night pizza. Not to mention, she’s the only one who knows his family is cursed.
But then a third 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 Carter getting married. Unfortunately, Libby is the only living person who can see him, and her objective is the exact opposite.
Appealing to Libby’s unrequited crush, Trip enlists her help to break the curse before Carter is affected. As they follow a trail of clues across New York City, Libby learns more about Trip and the complicated dynamics of the Coldwell family. She finds herself questioning just how much Carter reciprocated her friendship, feeling perplexed by a growing attraction to Trip, and worse, fantasizing about actually touching him. With the countdown to the wedding in full swing, Libby must choose between breaking the curse and holding tight to her best friend forever.
My Book Review:
In the debut novel, You're The One That I Haunt, author Katie Jung weaves a fun romantic comedy tale of finding unexpected love.
Set in New York City, the reader is easily drawn into this entertaining rom com as they follow Libby Lakoski and the spirit of Trip Coldwell as they team together to break the generational Coldwell family curse that affects the men in the family.
Set in New York City, the reader is easily drawn into this entertaining rom com as they follow Libby Lakoski and the spirit of Trip Coldwell as they team together to break the generational Coldwell family curse that affects the men in the family.
Libby Lakoski and Carter Coldwell have been best friends for the past fifteen years, but Libby also has an unrequited love for Carter that has become all-consuming. When Carter comes back to NYC from a four-month trip to London with a fiancée and a wedding planned in seven months, Libby is devastated that he never told her about meeting someone in London, let alone getting engaged to be married. Even worse, Carter asks Libby to help his fiancée Sabrina Carmichael plan the wedding that will be in New York City, then informs her that after the wedding they will be living in London. One night a ghost appears in Libby's apartment and asks for her help. The ghost / spirit is Trip Coldwell, Carter's cousin, and he tells her about the Coldwell family curse, that the males set to inherit the family oil business die in cab accidents. Trip has been in an accident and is in a coma at Mount Sinai Hospital, and his spirit tells Libby that his life and that of Carter's is on the line, and could she help him find a way to break the family curse before Carter's wedding day. Trip's request leaves Libby conflicted as she has to decide whether to hold onto her feelings for Carter or let go of him and save both him and Trip from the deadly curse. Libby agrees to help Trip find a way to break the family curse, but along the way she never imagined the unexpected attraction she would have towards the ghost.
You're The One That I Haunt is such a fun and flirty romantic comedy that easily keeps the reader engaged as they follow Libby and Trip's story. The reader follows along as their unexpected partnering helps them rediscover their personal selves as well as an unexpected chance at finding real love and happiness in their lives.
There was a great mixture of emotion, drama, angst, banter, humor and crazy antics mixed in this story. The author does a great job of describing Libby, Trip, Carter, and Sabrina's lives, and how the Coldwell family curse affects each of them. As Libby and Trip embark on a seven-month journey to find the missing puzzle pieces that will break the family curse before Carter and Sabrina's wedding day, their undeniable chemistry has sparks flying, and their other-worldly relationship becomes a promise of something much more real for them if the family curse is finally broken. I loved the fun banter and blossoming spark between Libby and Trip, they kept me in stitches as I turned the pages to see what they would be up to next. And can I just say that I absolutely loved Trip, he can haunt me any time! There's nothing like roaming around New York City in search of clues that will help them break the family curse, and this fun rom com story will definitely keep you entertained.
You're The One That I Haunt is a delightfully entertaining romantic comedy tale that romance fans will certainly enjoy!
Rating: 4 STARS
Rating: 4 STARS
About The Author
Katie Jung lives in Syracuse, New York with her husband and three children. By day, she works in climate change communications but spends her evenings writing stories with happier endings. Her debut novel, YOU’RE THE ONE THAT I HAUNT was selected for the 2024 SmoochPit Mentorship Program and was recently published on September 22, 2026. When she's not daydreaming about her characters, you can find Katie walking the golf course near her house (often listening to an audiobook), having solo dance parties in her car, or chasing after her kids with a cup of coffee that's most likely gone cold.
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