3.5 rounded up

I had fun with this, the ghost/haunted town storyline was great and I think for the most part executed really well!

I found myself really interested in the town history and finding out what’s going on with the ghosts in the town and why Cassie’s laptop would never charge at home lol

The romance itself felt underdeveloped to me. There’s a friendship that builds pretty fast with Cassie and Nick but the romance itself just kinda happens without really feeling like it made sense for it to happen and it takes a backseat to the ghost plotline.

It’s overall a fun spooky read (that still has a nice summer vibe) I just wanted a little more from it.

Thank you to Jen DeLuca and Berkley Publishing for the ARC!

2.5⭐️
Thank you so much to Berkeley Romance, Netgalley, and PRH Audio for providing free advanced copies of this! All thoughts and opinions are still my own.

Wow did this book drag on and on and on and.......

I was so excited for a new series from Jen Deluca. I enjoyed the Well Met series but was really looking forward to a new setting. Especially a paranormal one!

Unfortunately this just didn't deliver on any of the aspects - the paranormal, the small town, the romance... nothing.

This follows Cassie who is looking for a fresh start. She feels like she's grown apart from her friends who are all settling down and having kids. So she buys a house in a small costal town on the other side of Florida. Only to get there and learn that everyone truly believes this small town to be haunted.

After a not-so-great first impression with local coffee shop owner, Cassie finds herself wrapped up in her own haunted ghost story. And needs the help of the locals to find a way to live (or get rid of) her house's ghost.

I think one thing a small town romance relies on is its desirability. I need to fall in love with the town and quirks. But this didn't have any of that... I felt like we saw the same 2 places over and over again and none of them really had any personality. I never had that feeling of wanting to go there. Instead it sounded like an actual nightmare...

But the part that really brought this whole book down was its lack of plot and driving force. The entire story revolves around Cassie learning her house is haunted, coming to terms with the ghost, and then wanting to learn about the ghost's past & potentially help her move on.

All of which was fine. But we followed her doing the same things so many time it became frustrating. The outlets, the coffee shop, the tour, the fridge words... it was so repetitive.

Because I was enjoying the actual plot and pace of the story, the final little twist grated on my nerves even more. Because OBVIOUSLY. It took the MCs so long to come to then conclusion that felt so obvious from the very beginning. And that stacked on top of my lack of enjoyment left me feeling so very unenthused by this entire book.

Unfortunately I don't think this is a series I'll be continuing on with. I have a feeling the next couple will be the tour guide and the librarian and I just.... don't care.

The audio book was well narrated however. So if you're still interested in picking this one up, I highly suggest checking out the audio version.2.5⭐️
Thank you so much to Berkeley Romance, Netgalley, and PRH Audio for providing free advanced copies of this! All thoughts and opinions are still my own.

Wow did this book drag on and on and on and.......

I was so excited for a new series from Jen Deluca. I enjoyed the Well Met series but was really looking forward to a new setting. Especially a paranormal one!

Unfortunately this just didn't deliver on any of the aspects - the paranormal, the small town, the romance... nothing.

This follows Cassie who is looking for a fresh start. She feels like she's grown apart from her friends who are all settling down and having kids. So she buys a house in a small costal town on the other side of Florida. Only to get there and learn that everyone truly believes this small town to be haunted.

After a not-so-great first impression with local coffee shop owner, Cassie finds herself wrapped up in her own haunted ghost story. And needs the help of the locals to find a way to live (or get rid of) her house's ghost.

I think one thing a small town romance relies on is its desirability. I need to fall in love with the town and quirks. But this didn't have any of that... I felt like we saw the same 2 places over and over again and none of them really had any personality. I never had that feeling of wanting to go there. Instead it sounded like an actual nightmare...

But the part that really brought this whole book down was its lack of plot and driving force. The entire story revolves around Cassie learning her house is haunted, coming to terms with the ghost, and then wanting to learn about the ghost's past & potentially help her move on.

All of which was fine. But we followed her doing the same things so many time it became frustrating. The outlets, the coffee shop, the tour, the fridge words... it was so repetitive.

Because I was enjoying the actual plot and pace of the story, the final little twist grated on my nerves even more. Because OBVIOUSLY. It took the MCs so long to come to then conclusion that felt so obvious from the very beginning. And that stacked on top of my lack of enjoyment left me feeling so very unenthused by this entire book.

Unfortunately I don't think this is a series I'll be continuing on with. I have a feeling the next couple will be the tour guide and the librarian and I just.... don't care.

The audio book was well narrated however. So if you're still interested in picking this one up, I highly suggest checking out the audio version.

This was fun! In a really saturated romcom market, this felt fresh. I loved the paranormal aspect, the humor was on-point, and the characters were interesting. I hope we get to stay in this vividly-drawn world for a few more books!

I really enjoyed Jen DeLuca's Well Met series and I was excited to read something new from her and this did not disappoint! We are down in FL in Boneyard Key, the Most Haunted Small Town in Florida. I love quaint towns and this one was so much fun. I don't usually love paranormal characters but these ghosts were so much fun and so were the real characters as well. I love that this is going to be another series and I can't wait to read more! Just a fun ride and you don't have to read it anytime (it's summer now as I read it) but it would be perfect for a fall read, in time for spooky season! If I can enjoy a story with ghosts, I think it's a home run!

Cute, fluffy romance with hauntings of the non-scary variety. This small town love story -- with ghosts! -- is sweet and light, and introduces engaging characters in a quirky setting. Looking forward to more of this series!

Thank you Berkley Romance for the free book and to PRHAudio and LibroFM for the complimentary audiobook. These opinions are my own.

Cassie buys a house in Boneyard Key. She has heard about how the area brands itself as the most haunted town in Florida. But she assumes that is marketing for the tourists. And then she starts getting messages from the ghost living in her house.

I found the haunting and ghost tour aspects of this book so fun. The plot included a neat twist with lots of hints and foreshadowing to make it guessable. And the town was absolutely fascinating. I'm thrilled this is the first in the series named for the town, as it means I'll get to revisit Boneyard Key.

I didn't find the romance between Cassie and Nick quite as strong. The chemistry didn't quite connect for me, and I especially felt the steamy scene didn't fit well in the narrative.

The audiobook featured great narration by Jeannie Sheneman and was just under 11 hours long. It's a great book for the transition to fall.

Haunted Ever After was a cute small town romance told in dual point of view with a little steam. It is also first in a new series.

Nick is the owner of Hallowed Grounds coffee shop plus a lifelong resident of Boneyard Key. Cassie is new in town having just purchased a recently refurbished cottage that locals believe to be haunted. While Nick takes the town's ghostly happenings in stride, Cassie isn't too sure she wants to live with a misunderstood ghost. I especially liked Cassie's character and the spooky vibes make this a good read for fall. I'm looking forward to the next in the series!

Read this one if you enjoy:
--a coastal small town setting
--mostly friendly ghosts
--banter/humor
--a little mystery

Thank you to the publisher for my e-copy of this book.

Jen DeLuca’s Well Met series is one I have read and really enjoyed, so when I saw she had a new book release this August, it was a no brainer for me. I had to read it!

Cassie has recently moved from Orlando to the sleepy seaside town of Boneyard Key. She buys a beautiful home without knowing the history- it’s haunted! Her outlets aren’t charging her computer and since she works from home, she ventures to the local coffee shop, Hallowed Grounds. There she meets Nick, the owner of the shop. He’s from Boneyard Key and he recommends an electrician. What ensues is a lot of fun and also very heartfelt. Each doesn’t know it yet but they are the key to righting some wrongs in the town, and who knew ghosts needed their happily ever after too!!

This is such a unique romance and it’s the perfect entry into autumn. Ghosts that text and communicate through magnetic fridge tiles …oh and an exorcism too. If you are ready for spooky season, this book has all the paranormal lite and ghostly vibes you need. Plus a slow burn romance that’s so swoony and worth the read. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review:)

👻 #HauntedEverAfter: 🌊⁣
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Thanks for the free book @prhaudio @berkleyromance @librofm #BerkleyPartner #PRHAudioPartner ⁣
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“But how do you live without Publix subs?” - ⁣
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Cassie out here asking the REAL questions. Pub Sub for life. ⁣
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Flordiaians, do you need a good audio or book to get you through your next hurricane party? Well, search no further than Haunted Ever After! This was the biggest love letter to Florida and all its “Florida” things. As a Floridian tourist/brief stint resident, the vibes were immaculate to make me feel like I was hanging in the state. Lots of great references that I don’t know many would understand if they weren’t aware of Floridaisms. ⁣
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Our girl Cassie bought a house to get out of Orlando, but ummm.. it talks back? Nick, owner of the coffee shop is like “no biggie, it’s just haunted, I’ve actually got one myself” I’m sorry, what? These spirits truly put the “ghost” in “ghost town”. The former owner of the Hawkins house (now Cassie’s home) is trying to tell her something, but she doesn’t quite yet get it. As she tries to understand, she also gets to understand the town of Boneyard Key and gets cozy towards the coffee guru himself. ⁣
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Honestly this was a solid 5 ⭐️ and then we hit this weird spat that was out of left field. Like I’m sorry, we really gonna pull this off as the 3rd act breakup substitute play it off for something else and be cool? No. I get why it was done, and it makes sense, but I feel like that little spat may get others to DNF. (Please don’t it’s wonderful). ⁣
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Audio was wonderful! Jeannie Sheneman is a newer to me narrator and I really enjoyed her pacing and sarcastic wit! I felt like Elmer was perfectly portrayed on audio.⁣
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Out tomorrow, 8/13!⁣
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QOTD: where’s the most fun, or unique place you’ve taken a picture for Booksta?⁣
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I’m pretty sure I used this one back in 2021, but it’s perfect for this story so I had to!

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for this advanced copy. I recieved this as part of the #BerkleyBesties program. All thoughts are my own!

Haunted Ever After follows Cassie after she has left Orlando and landed in Boneyard Key in need of a fresh start. She doesn't know anything about the ghostly history of the town and is surprised to find her newly renovated cottage has some interesting "quirks". After meeting coffee shop owner Nick, the two recognize a bit of a spark between them. Cassie learns the history of Mean Sarah Hawkins, the so-called ghost that haunts her home and she is hesitant to believe in all the hocus pocus, despite Nick's own connections to the ghosts of Boneyard Key. As ghostly shenanigans start to ramp up and Nick and Cassie get closer, they realize that maybe there's more to the stories of this sleepy yet spooky beach town.

This was an anticipated 2024 release for me and it did not disappoint! I thought it was so cool in terms of the ghost "system" and how the ghosts and citizens communicate with each other. I don't want to spoil anything but the backstory of Sarah Hawkins will break your heart. Boneyard Key itself was so vivid in terms of setting, I could easily see this place and its residents being a real place. I appreciated the crumbs we get of other potentail couples in this series and I'm not sure which pairing I'm more excited for.

What I loved most about this book was that while it was a fun romance in a beach town, there was almost an undertone of melancholy to it. There's a lot of commentary on the concept of loneliness and how that can make you less receptive to trying to find a connection with others. Also, f*ck the patriarchy!

I think this was a great set up for Jen DeLuca's new series and I am eagerly anticipating more.

Haunted Ever After is a ghostly small town romance that honestly feels like a warm (or cool, in this case) hug. If you love a slow burn with a satisfying payoff (with some hints of paranormal activity) this book is for you.

The setting is perfection and the concept is delightful. I can see myself returning to this book every year as summer bleeds into fall… when it’s still hot during the daytime but cooler at night. Better yet on the beach for those coastal, ocean vibes.

Honestly, this book gave me exactly what I needed, which was a soft, slow-building story with two relatable protagonists and the perfect amount of ghostly presence.

Quick synopsis:
Haunted Ever after tells the story of Cassie who unwittingly moves into a haunted house/small town near Orlando, Florida.

Overall thoughts:
This one is worth a read come October if you’re looking for something fallish and cozy. It starts as a cute ghost story set in a seemingly peaceful suburb of Orlando. The book begins with a lighthearted vibe hinting at spookiness but purposefully never achieving it. I loved the first third of the novel. From the outset, it’s clear Nick and Cassie will form a relationship. I didn’t feel much investment in their romance—the true plot centers around Cassie’s search to understand the ghost living her home. Midway through the book, it began to feel like all the elements of the story weren’t meshing, and the momentum slowed down for me. This wasn’t my first from Jen DeLuca, and it surely won’t be my last, as I loved Well Met.

Recommended to readers who love:
📚 cozy, ghost stories set in small towns
📚 meddling ghosty characters
📚 Sarah Adams, Ashley Poston, Elle Kennedy

Rating: 3.0

Disclosure:
Thank you to Netgalley and Berkley
for the Digital Review Copy of Haunted Ever After. All opinions are my own.

I’m a huge fan of DeLuca’s Well Met series, so I was THRILLED to see that she was working on a new book. And set in a haunted town? Sign me up! If you’re a fan of DeLuca’s writing, you will love Haunted Ever After. This was a great book to lead into the -ber months and as someone who reads a lot of “spooky” (and spoopy) books I really appreciated this unique spin on a haunting.

Even if you’re not into paranormal books, give this one a shot. Boneyard Key is the perfect small town setting, full of all of the usual suspects. They just happen to share the town with a few ghosts. Cassie knew she was getting the deal of a lifetime when she purchases a house in Boneyard Key. What she doesn’t expect is the ghost of Mean Mrs. Hawkins as a roommate. As Cassie begins to dig into the local lore, with the help a certain attractive cafe owner, she discovers a bit of a town mystery.

Was the mystery a bit predictable? Sure. Did I have fun either way? Absolutely! The romance between Cassie and Nick was sweet and I loved watching them work together to uncover the truth behind the Hawkin’s house. All of the secondary characters were wonderful, both the living and undead, and I look forward to seeing them all again. I know this is the start of a new series, but can we please have Sophie and Theo’s book next? I’m dying to see our ghost tour gal and local historian fall in love!

Thank you to Berkley and NetGalley for a review copy.

I don't know what I expected for this book, but it blew me away and I loved every second of reading it. This book defies the typical genre expectations in the most beautiful ways (not really a paranormal mystery, not really a contemporary romance, not really a cozy horror) and I desperately want more like it.

There is a sweetness that I wasn't expecting that added a layer of coziness to what could have been a fairly horror driven plot, but instead the sarcasm, humor, and small-town charm shine even more brightly. Although filled with narrative twists and turns, there is also plenty of personal digging and growth done in a way that I think from any other author might have fell flat. Instead there are mature, growing characters who I became so invested and cheerleaders for.

I need there to be more books in this series, I am in no way ready to leave Boneyard Key.

Perfect spooky romance to add to your Spooktober TBR -- especially if you live in the South. This book is based in Florida on the beach so read it in the summer or read it for Halloween, it fits both vibes. We get haunted houses, actually a haunted town along with a little mystery that needs to be solved involving some ghosts. As far as the romance, it was a cute small town romance. We also meet some friends which I hope will get their own stories. If you happen to vacation in October, grab this one and read it on the beach. It would be the perfect setting.

3.5 but rounding down due to a couple of issues, but I will say that I had a lot of fun with this one and hope the author considers this series. This would be a fun read close to Halloween. This has a charming town filled with ghosts and quirky townspeople. The romance is slow burn but I didn’t quite feel them falling in love. My main issue with the book was a couple of times when Nick’s voice didn’t feel like how the author set him up (aside from the obvious plot points). I was by Cassie and liked that her HEA. I surprisingly cried near the end of the book which was sweet. Who thought I would be so touched by the town’s spirits?

3.5★

I am usually not one to feel a pull towards romance involving paranormal elements however I really enjoy Jen DeLuca's writing so I wanted to give this a try and I am glad I did. It was a super charming romance with a fun twist of living in the paranormal town. I found the paranormal aspect to add to the charm instead of being distracting as I have found in other books. I loved Nick and Cassie, I think they were so sweet during their good times and I loved the vulnerabilities they showed with each other. Worth the read!

A spooky romance perfect for the upcoming season!

The town is Boneyard Key Florida. The coffee shop is Hallowed Grounds. The ghosts text to communicate and everywhere you go has history and someone there who wants to tell it. Nick, the owner of Hallowed Grounds, thinks Cassie is a tourist at first but soon realizes she’s purchased the cottage down the street. The one that everyone has been afraid to walk past for decades. But it’s been renovated a bit and she’s settling down. Only Cassie doesn’t know about the town’s extra residents at first! Nick is a giant grump at first but soon they’re embarking on a journey to solve a huge mystery together.

This was so cute! It was such a fun story, I loved reading about the history of the ghosts and trying to figure out the mystery while watching Nick and Cassie get closer. This is the perfect fall read.

Thank you so much to Netgalley, Jen DeLuca, and Berkeley for providing this free ARC. This is my honest review! This published on August 13th!

I have posted my review on Goodreads, my Facebook book club, and will make a TikTok to post before the pub date.

I loved Well Met, so I was excited to see what the author could do with another favorite of mine - haunted houses.

The premise is fun. A small town that's really haunted plays up the ghost aspect for tourist appeal. A woman moves into a haunted house but doesn't know when she buys it that it's haunted. Falls in love with a born and raised local, but the ghosts get in the way of their relationship.

I really enjoy the way the characters are written. I feel that they're realistic and the dialog is believeable. There's a lot of humor from both the living and the dead. The description of the town could be any small tourist town. Well, except for the mention of hurricanes. But if you ignore that, it's anywhere on the water.

I was disappointed in the romance between the two main characters. I was hoping for more spice. It takes so long for them to finally get together and I didn't feel like the build up had enough tension.

My favorite parts of the book were the ghosts. The ways that the living communicated with them were quite fun and I was rooting for everything to work out for them probably more than for Cassie and Nick.

All in all, it was a fun read. Perfect for when you need to escape reality for a while.

I loved this book like I love iced lemon pound cake 😉! This is my ultimate spooky season read. You get ghosts and haunted houses without having to hide under the covers, plus a fun, sexy romance, great supporting characters and lots of laugh out loud moments. I would be down for more books set in this ghostly little town!

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for access to this arc!