Play Nice

By: Rachel Harrison

Narrated by: Alex Finke, Natasha Soudek

AN INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • A woman must confront the demons of her past when she attempts to fix up her childhood home in this devilishly clever take on the haunted house novel from the author of Black Sheep and So Thirsty.

Clio Louise Barnes leads a picture-perfect life as a stylist and influencer, but beneath the glossy veneer she harbors a not-so glamorous secret: she grew up in a haunted house. Well, not haunted. Possessed. After Clio’s parents' messy divorce, her mother, Alex, moved Clio and her sisters into a house occupied by a demon. Or so Alex claimed. That’s not what Clio’s sisters remember or what the courts determined when they stripped her of custody after she went off the deep end. But Alex was insistent; she even wrote a book about her experience in the house.

After Alex’s sudden death, the supposedly possessed house passes to Clio and her sisters. Where her sisters see childhood trauma, Clio sees an opportunity for house flipping content. Only, as the home makeover process begins, Clio discovers there might be some truth to her mother’s claims. As memories resurface and Clio finally reads her mother’s book, a sinister presence in the house manifests, revealing ugly truths that threaten to shake Clio’s beautiful life to its very foundation.

I didn't want to stop listening!

Rachel Harrison is slowly becoming one of my favorite writers/storytellers in this genre. Her character-building and the way the stories flow make them so fun to read. I really didn't want to put this one down.

Clio, the baby of the family, gets a call from her sister that "Alexis", aka mom, has passed away. The story takes off from there with family drama, a haunted house, romance with the neighbor next door, and kinds of things surrounding the main storyline.

I need to finish off her catalog and wait for any more that she releases. Definitely an auto-buy author for me now.

Meh

Honestly thought this book would be better given the other books I’ve listened to by Harrison. I thought the plot line was pretty straightforward and underwhelming.

I’m STILL thinking about it, and TBH, it WRECKED me. In... THE. BEST. POSSIBLE. WAY.

Alright, let's cut to the chase. Rachel Harrison's Play Nice is the kind of book that grabs you by the collar and doesn't let go. I’m still thinking about it, and frankly, it wrecked me—in the best possible way.

​JUST A HEADS-UP BEFORE YOU DIVE IN:

​⚠️ Trigger Warning ⚠️
There are mentions of suicide, heavy family issues, and a bit of gore. Don't worry, it's not over-the-top, and I truly believe that's one of her secret weapons, really. She writes so beautifully about these ugly topics, which somehow makes it all the more gripping.
​Harrison digs into the messy, complicated, sometimes downright terrifying stuff that comes with family—especially between mothers, daughters, and sisters. She has this insane ability to make you jump out of your skin one minute and then cry into your tea the next. The horror here isn't just about things that go bump in the night; it's that creeping dread of, "Wow, this feels a little too familiar."
​I tore through the 10.5-hour audiobook in two days. Couldn't stop. Wouldn't stop. It just hits that close to home, especially if you're navigating the beautiful, chaotic minefield of mother-daughter relationships, whether you're the mom or the daughter (or both). It validates all the complicated feelings—the good, the bad, and the stuff we’re not supposed to say out loud.
​Bottom line: If you want something complex and heartwarming that will also make you check over your shoulder, this is it. It’s a gut punch and a warm hug, all at once.
​HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
❤️❤️❤️

First Rachel Harrison book

I really enjoyed this book. I hadn’t read one of her books and went in completely blind- it was a little confusing at times but overall a really fun spooky read!

The Voice of Narrator Makes It EVERYTHING!

Awesome story, awesome characters, but my god the narrator is EPIC!! I think, had I read this on my own, I would’ve missed the true personality of Cleo. I passed this one up several times, but am SO glad I finally listened!! Loved it!