I thought the book was trite and didn’t care for,the authors style of writing or the dialogue. The ghosts were the best thing, but it all felt lackluster.

Haunted Ever After is the first book in a romance series by Jen DeLuca. A small Florida coastal town called Boneyard Key has embraced the haunted vibes. Cassie Rutherford has recently moved to town. and her house is on the local ghost tour for a reason. Nick Royer is the owner of the local coffee shop called Hallowed Grounds. Despite the electrician's declaration that there is nothing wrong with the electricity in Cassie's house, her laptop will not charge in the house. Forced to spend time working from Nick's coffee shop, after a rough start the two hit it off. The romance is a slow burn and takes a back seat at times to Cassie's house. The overall feel of the story is sweet and comforting which I remember from the author's previous books and enjoyed a lot. I will be following along with this new series.

Thank you NetGalley and Berkley for the advanced reader copy.

I found this book very difficult to get through. It has a cute premise, a charming small town setting, and an amazing cover, but the execution left a lot to be desired.

The setting: Boneyard Key, a small town in Florida that’s “the most haunted town in America” or something fun like that. There are ghosts literally everywhere you turn.

The characters: Cassie, a new transplant to BK who bought a literal haunted house (without knowing it’s haunted), and Nick, a grumpy coffee shop owner who’s lived in BK his whole life and texts constantly with a ghost of his own. Hmm, I wonder if they might…fall in love??

The conflict: This is where it kind of fell apart for me. The conflict is that Cassie’s scared of the ghosts so she might leave, and Nick is traumatized by being left by a previous girlfriend. Okay. I guess. But the thing is, Cassie’s never really that scared of the ghosts, and she and Nick also spend most of the book in a somewhat flirtatious friendship, which to me isn’t the level of relationship where you have a complete freak out over someone potentially leaving.

There’s another level to the conflict, which has to do with Cassie not being able to have children and Nick’s reaction to that. I don’t want to spoil anything, but I thought this was handled in an odd way that didn’t really touch the seriousness of the issue. I can tell from the way it was written, and from things that have been said in DeLuca’s other books, that this is likely a personal storyline for DeLuca, so I don’t want to negate what feels right to her. But I felt like the characters could have gone deeper emotionally.

There was just very little angst in this book, which is never going to work well for me. What angst there was had more to do with the ghosts than with the characters and their internal flaws, lol. Most of the plot revolved around the ghosts and their external shenanigans.

Part of the issue is that for strong internal conflict you’d have to have strong characterization, and this book just doesn’t have that. Cassie’s personality is essentially that she works from home, likes hazelnut lattes and Publix subs (my TED talk: as a society, we really need to stop thinking a romance heroine’s food and drink preferences are a substitute for a personality), and can’t have kids. Nick is stronger—he’s a lifelong resident of BK and feels a deep connection to the place, he has strong relationships with other locals—but there were important parts of him that still felt out of focus. For example, the book makes it sound like he just fell into owning a coffee shop, and he certainly acts like it, being rude to customers and barely caring about the menu offerings, though Cassie’s obsessed with his hazelnut lattes. It’s just weird, and I feel like his need to buy a random business just to stay in his hometown could have been explored more. He has a whole thing about how important his “ancestral roots” are that’s actually pretty interesting. But the book stays surface level.

The pacing was odd for me as well—I was at the point where I thought this might be a closed door romance, since there was so little spice until literally the 90 percent mark. But in that last ten percent things get a lot more explicit, lol.

Anyway, this book is a the first in a planned series and there are several hints of couples to come in future books, so if you’re looking for a small town series to get into this might be a good one. Given my reaction to this one I probably will not pick up the rest of the series, but I could see this working for people who love sweet romances focused on community. Thank you to NetGalley for providing an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

Cassie moves to the small town of boneyard keys in Florida and is surprised to find out the ghost town tourist town is the real deal. She makes quick acquaintances with the coffee shop owner Nick when her house won't charge her laptop. Nick is very attracted to Cassie but is wary to make any new relationships after his past girlfriend did him wrong. Cassie needs some help from Nick, though, when she finds out her house is still occupied by the late Sarah Hawkins.

It was a very enjoyable book. It felt more like a cozy mystery than a full romance book. Low steak conflict and happy endings. It had one scene of spice near the end.

Thank you to netgalley for providing me with a copy to read and review honestly

All of Cassie’s friends are moving forward with their lives, either having babies or getting married. This turn of events makes Cassie do something completely out of the ordinary, which is how she finds herself buying a home on Boneyard Key. When strange and unusual things start to happen, Cassie starts to wonder if she made the wrong decision….

I absolutely adored Haunted Ever After. It was fun, and entertaining, with just the right amount of romance. I loved the spooky, yet humorous feel to it. Instead of being afraid of their town’s history, the residents immersed themselves in it and just went with the flow. I don’t know if I could be so chill about real haunted houses or unexplained events.

Now let’s discuss characters. While Cassie may have initially overreacted to the changes in her friends and her own life, I think that made her character more relatable as a lot of people find themselves stuck or at a standstill and desperately in need of a change. Cassie took a risk and embraced Boneyard Key. And when she meets Nick, she’s unsure what to make of the grumpy coffee shop owner. I, on the other hand, loved grumpy Nick!! His interactions with Cassie were so entertaining. I couldn’t wait to see how he would stick his foot in his mouth next. I loved all of the will they/won’t they moments between Nick and Cassie. And even though Nick made me a little crazy sometimes, I couldn’t help but root for him and Cassie.

Overall, I thought Haunted Ever After was a great summer read. This story had just the right amount of mystery and romance. I loved the spooky, paranormal vibes. After finishing this book, I find myself wanting to go the keys and see what haunts I can discover!

Haunted Ever After is my first book by this author and I can not wait to read more from her in the future.

I just finished this one and it was my 3rd 2024 release that is a romance but also features ghosts/haunted houses. Out of the three, this one was my favorite! Definitely have to suspend belief a little on these books, but I’m here for this trend. I think I still have one arc left that is a romance set in a haunted house.

I still found that the balance between romance and the haunted stuff wasn’t quite what I wanted, but I really loved these characters, this town, and the way the story unfolded. Definite bonus for me that it’s set in Florida and there were lots of references to the things I love about living here (and some of the things I hate 😂).

Highly recommend this one to the romance lovers and anyone looking to add a little spookiness to their romance!

LOVED!! THIS!! After finding Jen DeLuca through her Well Met series, she has become an auto buy author for me. While Haunted Ever After was a different turn than Well Met's Renaissance Faire setting, it was worth it!

I loved that this was more of a story than just a romance between the two main characters - Cassie had moved to a new town on her own and had to learn the nuances of a new place on her own, he had to make new adult friends while feeling that she was left behind by her other friends that were at different points in their lives, and of course we have the mystery of the town hauntings.

While the final showdown was a bit on the cheesy side, it was fine because I'm not sure how you can make a stand off with a ghost not super cheesy LOL I really enjoyed getting to know the characters and I felt like they did have a lot of growth. I can't WAIT for this to become a series because I've already paired up the other characters in my head and I hope I'm right!

Instead of Christmas in July I think I’m going to read a couple spooky season books?! And I started off pretty strong! The writing was fantastic, it was so easy to read. I love the ghost town that Jen created! There was so much world building, and it gave all the information for this book and left the door open for us to leave more! It was pretty low conflict and low angst! Just a nice cozy ghostie romcom that will be perfect in the fall! And I think there’s going to be more books in the series, and I can’t wait to come back!!

I loved Cassie and Nick SO MUCH. They were sweet and they were all googly eyed for each other SO quick! They didn’t really have a meet CUTE, but they slipped into cute territory pretty soon after!

I’m gonna be honest what got me in my FEELS the most was Nick and Elmer 🥹 and even Cassie and Sarah were sweet! I guess in Boneyard Keys there’s nothing quite like a human and their ghost!!

Thanks so much to Berkley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I’m a huge fan of Jen DeLuca’s Well Met series set at a Renaissance Faire… (highly recommend) she is back with a paranormal romance set at Boneyard Key a small coastal haunted town in Florida.

This book was COZY! The touristy small town feel with ghost tours… cinnamon banana bread… and ghostly chatter whether by text or word magnets. I really enjoyed the main characters and their storylines both past and present. This felt easily like a warm summer read but also had a bit of chill in the air which would make it excellent Fall reading.

Thank you Berkley!
Releases 8/13

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Cute stuff! Setting was adorable and I think the ghosty bits were really well handled. I never wondered about the rules of the magical realism world. Nick and Cassie themselves felt a little flimsy though.

I’m so excited for this new series. This first book is a great start. Cassie just moved to a small town in Florida that thrives on it being the most haunted. She thinks it’s just something they do to get tourists to visit. Shortly after moving in to her new home, however, she realizes it’s not a ploy. She starts going to the local coffeehouse because her laptop won’t stay charged, and meets the owner, Nick. He shows her around town and explains how the ghosts work. This has the small town vibes of friendships and a slow burn romance with a touch of the paranormal. I enjoyed meeting all the characters and watching Cassie come to terms with her ghostly roommate. This book just made me happy, which you can’t ask for anything more.

Big Thank you to Berkley and Jen DeLuca for an e-ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

I feel like I should mention as a Floridian I typically stay away from books that take place in my home state. However, I love Jen DeLuca. The woman knows how to write a great love story. Let me tell you folks, Haunted Ever After was no exception. Honestly it’s now my all time favorite book from her. Which is insane to me because i literally went in not having many expectations.

I think what made this a top book for me was the fact that Haunted Ever After isn’t just a romcom. No this book has a little bit of everything. We have a cozy mystery, slow burn romance, paranormal elements and laugh out loud characters. This book was so different than anything I’ve ever read before. I definitely cannot wait til my preorder of this book comes in, and if you hadn’t already caught on I recommend you pre-order as well ;)

I think the only thing about this book that may have people grumbling is the lack of spice. Sorry Booktok Smut girlies this may not be for you. I’m not saying it has zero spice, but I know how Booktok gets. This is a slow burn romance and the romance definitely comes second in the plot. Which I usually would have a problem with. However, Jen DeLuxa kept me captivated in solving the Hawkins mystery. Plus the characters Nick, Theo, Cassie, Sophie know how to steal your heart. Especially Elmer that man holds my whole heart 🥰😂

Romance in a nice little haunted town sounds like a good cozy bid for a summer beach read, right? Yes. Yes, it does. Cassie is working remote from her new house. It's a new start for her and for the house as well. Her friends are all having kids and moving on without her, and she's got to find a new route forward. Nick's running a coffee shop down the street, and because Cassie's laptop won't charge in her house, she meets up with him regularly. Sparks! The charming parts of modern romances these days are the trappings. A strong setting (everything in this town is haunted, and ghosts are a known quantity) and some charming side characters (the former coffee shop owner who won't stop texting Nick, in particular) are the standout elements here. This is an excellent beach read. Remember to hydrate, and take some water for a guest, too.

A cute book about Cassie, who moves to boneyard, Florida. I enjoyed the ghost element, perfect romance to read in October. However, I did find it a bit slow at times and felt the romance was lacking. Overall, a cute book!

A perfectly palatable book. Nothing to write home about, but fun in the moment! I loved the paranormal aspect of this, and it was definitely the most engaging part of the story. Unfortunately, the romance fell flat for me, which is why this is only 3 stars.

Thank you for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

A cute fast read! I found myself losing interest about halfway through, but each time I found myself back to the book it would reel me back in for a short time before I lost it again. I didn’t feel a big connection to the characters and was hoping I was going to like the book as a whole more. The story of it was super intriguing but I didn’t feel inclined to solve the mystery of anything going on.
2/5⭐️
2/5 🌶️

As soon as I saw that Jen DeLuca had a new book out, I knew I needed to read it as soon as possible and it did not disappoint. Stepping away from the Renaissance Fair environment that her other books. Have you get a bit of a paranormal twist! That was so much fun to read in a summer romance book.

Cassie through a course of events purchases and moves into what is considered The most haunted house in small town, Florida. She also needs Nick who is the owner of this house. The two grow closer and when Cassie is drawn into The haunting and mystery ghost aspects of this housr. Nick starts teaching Cassie the history of the town and the house.

This book gives you cozy Hallmark romance aspects mixed in with some Sabrina the Teenage Witch vibes but the original TV version, not the Netflix version. This was such a fun, comforting, warm book to read.

What a major departure from the Well Met series! Not a Ren Faire in sight. I feel like I've been reading a lot of contemporary romances that are completely realistic except for, like, one supernatural/paranormal element. This one is much heavier on the supernatural - our female main character Cassie literally lives in a haunted house, and her love interest Nick has a ghost for a roommate. I thought this was a pretty fun blending of pretty typical contemporary romance plot with a ghost story, and I really loved the way that Cassie was able to untangle the history of her cottage in Boneyard Key and change the locally accepted story of the woman who lived here. Little things I really enjoyed: the ghost in Cassie's house communicates with her through magnetic poetry and loves the Love Island-style reality show that Cassie watches; Nick's roommate and the former owner of the coffee shop he runs gives him lots of advice on what to bake; the whole town of Boneyard Key seems adorable and reads like a haunted Floridian version of Stars Hollow. I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this completely new direction from Jen DeLuca, and I'm hoping she might revisit Boneyard Key. Content warning for references to intimate partner violence and lots of sexism (from a ghost).

If you’ve ever wondered how a ghost story with an exorcism can be romantic then this book is the one for you. I absolutely loved it. First, I’m a Floridian and there are some very niche small towns in Florida which cater to the supernatural, I loved that. Two, the author wrote a legit love ode to a Publix chicken tender sub, which made me so happy.
On to the couple, Cassie and Nick which I absolutely adored. Cassie is the skeptical newcomer while Nick is the small town resident who owns the coffee shop. Think Luke from Gilmore Girls. Their first interaction was hilarious.
Then there’s a very important secondary character, Sarah Hawkins who becomes Cassie’s new best friend even though it’s a spirit with a lot of baggage. Cassie decides to help Sarah in the afterlife, realizing that no one helped her when she was alive. A legit 5 ⭐️

I loved the cozy mystery feel of this book. The romance was not the main plot which was surprising since it was the center of Jen’s Ren Faire themed books and I expected the same flow here. It was nice to see something a little different from Jen. This will be a great spooky season read. Loved it.