Serious question: Who doesn’t love book clubs these days? You get to snack on delish pickings, spend the afternoon yapping with your best friends, and dish about why you absolutely loved (or hated!) your recent read. But what if I told you you can actually teleport into the world of your favorite book (even if it’s a murder-y mystery 👀) for your next club gathering? Well, I did, and it was quite honestly one of the coolest experiences I’ve ever had as a reader.
This spooky season, I stayed in a BookTok-inspired home for a weekend getaway with my fiancé based on #1 New York Times bestseller Lucy Score’s Riley Thorn series, which kicks off with The Dead Guy Next Door. From living out activities featured in the books to seeing an *actual* Corpse in the Closet (more on this later) thanks to CLUB Crackers and HomeToGo, I truly embraced my inner Riley Thorn at the first-ever Book CLUB House. And surprise…you can too! 😉
First things first, what is the series about?
[SPOILERS AHEAD]: If you’re new here, Lucy Score’s Riley Thorn series is a 4-book romantic mystery based on the psychic Riley's life. She can see visions of moments playing out in her head before they actually happen IRL, so when she has a vision of her neighbor getting murdered, she tries her hardest to prevent it, but can’t. Riley gets involved with private investigator Nick Santiago who eventually becomes her fake boyfriend to help solve the case, and naturally, they start to fall in love in the process. The book is entertaining, keeps you on your toes with plenty of shocking plot twists, and feels like a romantic comedy with top-tier humor. Seriously, I was giggling my way through the whole thing.
Let's talk about the house
When I first arrived at the Front Street mansion on a gloomy Saturday morning (the rain was a paid actor) in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, I immediately started connecting the locations from the book to IRL. Because yes, that’s where the story takes place, and it was SO fun. Whether I was driving past the Pennsylvania State Capitol or grabbing coffee from Little Amps Coffee Roasters (Riley Thorn and Lucy Score’s favorite spot), it was so surreal to experience these places and explore Harrisburg just like how it was described in the series. And even better, to stay in a house based on the book.
I was immediately blown away by the attention to detail in every single room. Each room was jam-packed with all sorts of Easter eggs Riley Thorn readers can easily pick up on. A real-life crime scene was set up similar to the book, and a fake corpse was in the closet–an ode to Lucy’s second book in the series. There were nods to every single character in the themed bedrooms, too. We stayed in the “Riley’s Visions” room–which felt like I was actually psychic myself–that was decorated with purple and pink clouds like I was living out a real vision. Whether you want to zen out like Wander Thorn in her yoga studio or embrace your inner psychic in Blossom Basil-Thorn’s space, there is something every reader who feels a deep connection to these characters will enjoy.
Not to mention, every corner we turned in this house was the epitome of cozy—I just know my book club would have thrived here. There was a lovely lounge room filled with bookshelves, candles, reading-related decor, and book nooks any reader would crave to have in their own home. Plus, a wine-stocked fridge, charcuterie boards inspired by the series along with plenty of CLUB Crackers to go around for snacking, and of course, Lucy Score books everywhere you turned. @ my friends, I don’t know how you can top this.
The activities were equally as Riley Thorn-coded
Not only was the house Riley Thorn inspired, but the activities were, too. Along with exploring the Harrisburg area and stopping into some fan-favorite spots like the Spring Gate Vineyard and Brewery, we enjoyed a relaxing night of charcuterie board-snacking and discussing the book. In classic Riley Thorn fashion, we enjoyed tacos for dinner and even got personal tarot card readings (which I will be thinking about until further notice, thank you very much). Ending the night with late-night s’mores by the cozy firepit was the perfect way to embrace the start of spooky season.
This getaway was a literary-lovers dream. It is without a doubt the perfect spot for your next book club. Between the warm vibes of the house, to the themed rooms and activities, any Lucy Score reader would feel right at home in this unique book club experience.
