Book Review: Want Me, Take Me, Haunt Me, Make Me by Isabel Crowely

It was the title of this book that convinced me to request it. The rhythm of the words just rolled around in my head, leaving me feeling like I was trying to sing it over and over to myself after only reading the title once. I had actually left the page, convinced I didn't have the time to read this book so I needed to leave it behind but that title was still twirling around in my mind so five minutes later, after having put my phone down so I could go to sleep, I signed back in specifically to request this title and crossed my fingers before falling asleep. When I got my approval, I cheered, and once I'd opened this book, I knew my instincts were right.

This book was glorious.

I loved this book within the first few pages. I was intrigued by every aspect of this story. The descriptions kept me riveted to the page, the ideas and the characters kept me reading and I was not surprised when I looked at the clock and realized it was nearly the middle of the night and I needed to actually sleep. I can't believe this is a debut, it was that impressive in scope for me and a new favorite of not just 2026 but of all time. You can rest assured, I will be paying attention to every book release from Isabel Crowley from now until the end of all time. That is how much I ended up loving this book.

Want Me, Take Me, Haunt Me, Make Me follows Hazel Lewis, a medium who has been hired to conduct a seance for a man who is dying. Except when she enters his room, Hazel realizes that it is a trap set by the old man, a serial killer who has made a deal with a demon. Hazel gets away after being bitten by the demon but now things are changing for the worst. The bite is letting the supernatural bleed into the world around Hazel, causing hauntings and threats all around her. Not to mention if Hazel dies, the serial killer gets to take over her body so he can continue with the work he used to do. Hoping she can find a solution to her problem but also wanting to keep people safe, Hazel moves to an old house in a secluded location, ready to research every book she can find in order to figure out what her next move should be. As Hazel works to understand her new reality, a reporter learns about her last client and tracks her down, demanding answers. At the same time, Hazel meets her new neighbor, a bird watcher she seems to have a connection with but can't pursue thanks to the imminent danger that is waiting to use her for something horrible. Add to that the face that watches her at night that Hazel can't help feeling drawn to, wondering about who the demon has sent to keep watch on her. Hazel will need to figure out who she is and what she truly wants before the bite changes things forever, for better or for worse for her and the people in her life.

The world of this wonderfully titled book was easy to step into as it was ours but with just an added layer to it.  The idea of the supernatural existing already was something easy to believe in except in this book, it is a reality for our lead character, Hazel, a medium who does jobs on the side while working a regular job to pay her bills. I thought this was such an interesting aspect to the story, the fact that Hazel was a regular person, had her own things to take care of but it just so happens that she has the ability to see beyond our world, she can find spirits, conduct seances and cast protection spells on her house. I was willing to believe everything Hazel said because she felt like an authoritative figure, someone who had been doing this kind of thing for the majority of her life and who knew what she was talking about. The reader is basically thrown in to the first seance alongside Hazel and we are just taken along for the ride, easily absorbed into the story and the dangers that Hazel is now being faced with. I appreciated the "hit the ground running" feel of the introduction and I was quickly impressed by the world that Crowley colored just a little differently than ours. Not to mention the descriptions of the supernatural, which were enough to make me both delighted and a little freaked out by because Crowley definitely has a talent for horror elements and it was wonderful to behold the terrors that Hazel had to face. Half the time I was smiling and the other half I was cringing because wow, Crowley had a vision and it was executed perfectly in this story. Every detail was amazing and was easy to see these things in the corners of my rooms where the light could never hit right.

Character wise, Hazel was absolutely BRILLIANT. Honestly, I have no complaints whatsoever about this lead, I loved her, the way her mind worked and how she tried to solve her problems. I loved the fact that when faced with something she didn't know how to fix, her solution was to find any and every obscure text so she could painstakingly research everything to try to find a way to stop the demon and the serial killer that was determined to destroy her. I also loved Ligat, the follower of the demon that is forced to shadow Hazel's every move, reporting back to his master so they can be sure that Hazel has not found a way to save herself. The way that Crowley balances these characters, people who seem to have in common the fact that they want to stop the demon from gaining access to the regular world, was exceptionally done. I loved the way the reveals were done, the development that went into Hazel and her developing connection to her neighbor and the way she started to question the motives of the creature sent to watch her. Everything was done with a deft hand and Crowley set up some interesting twists that while yes, I thought that was going to happen, the fact still remained that this particular twist was only the start of something that just kept building and I couldn't wait to see exactly where all our characters would end up.

I will also say that the balance between horror and romance was top-notch. I wasn't expecting the amount of romance that ended up in this book but you'll hear no complaints from me about the way the book unfolded by the end. I was intrigued from the start about the idea of what it would take to make someone willing to make a deal with a demon and the fact that Crowley explored this from a couple of different angles was so interesting. I loved the question it made me want to ask concerning one of the leads, to explain why this character ended up in the position that they were in and how they were trying to get themselves out and make things better too. The fact of the matter was to get these characters to find something they were willing to sacrifice themselves for, something other than themselves, and that as a motivating factor made this story a little bittersweet and at the same time, something heartwarming. I LOVED the way this book turned out and enjoyed every moment it took to get there.

If Crowley decides to continue writing in this world, I will be there to read more about Hazel and her friends. Either way, I will be reading any and every book that Crowley will hopefully publish in the years to come because this book will be my entire personality for the foreseeable future. End of story.

Rating on my Scale: 10 Magnificent Stars!! I adored this story. I had so much fun with Hazel and I can't wait to have this book added to my bookshelves. I'm already trying to figure out what shelf will be dedicated to all books by Isabel Crowley, as I'm sure there will be plenty of books to join this one in no time flat.

My thanks to NetGalley, Sourcebooks Casablanca and Isabel Crowley for the eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.