Jen Deluca delivers a strong start to what I think will be a great new series!

She brings her trademark wit and charm to a haunted seaside town in Florida filled with compelling characters. I loved both Cassie and Nick and how their slow burn romance unfolded. At times romance took a back seat to the ghostly goings on of the town, but I found there to be a refreshing mix of the two storylines. I'm looking forward to seeing which side characters the next book will focus on. My guess is on Sophie and Theo, which should be fun. I highly recommend this light-heartedly spooky story!

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC. The synopsis for this sounded right up my alley, but it was kind of a letdown. I felt absolutely zero chemistry between the FMC & MMC. When reading a romance novel, I'm usually on the edge of my seat waiting for the main characters to kiss for the first time, and when these two did I was like.. y'all haven't even bonded yet? There was no connection between them. The haunted house aspect + ghosts were the best parts of this book, but the romance was seriously lacking. This might be enjoyable to some, but it wasn't my cup of tea.

When Cassie bought her house in Boneyard Key on impulse, she had no idea that the small Florida town, dubbed the "most haunted town" in Florida, truly lived up to its name. Her problem? She bought the notorious Hawkins house, a home that had been empty since Mean Mrs. Hawkins died in the 40s. Nick, on the other hand, embraces the ghostliness of his hometown, including his spectral roommate, Elmer, who once owned the coffee shop Nick owns. I absolutely adore Jen DeLuca's writing and fell in love with her previous series. She is one of my top auto-buy authors for a reason and this book just confirmed it. I loved everything about it and wish I could visit this place! I can't wait for the next book in this series!

This was a fun fall rom-com and perfect for spooky season. I really enjoyed that the town of Boneyard Key is part kitschy tourist trap and part legitimately haunted. Also so cool that some descendants of the founding families have some kind of paranormal ability which helps with the actual haunted houses/ghosts. This had such a fun meet cute with a bad first impression that gets remedied pretty quickly and you can’t go wrong with a haunted house with a ghost that is just misunderstood. I loved all the fun ghosts and whole town was just really great and just had a great family feel to it. This was such a fast and cozy read.

Thanks to Berkley and Netgalley for the complimentary copy of this book. All opinions in this review are my own.

I am a huge fan of Jen DeLuca's Well Met series and Haunted Ever After explores a new setting and maintains what is her signature charm. The town of Boneyard Key is part kitschy tourist trap and part legitimately haunted town and completely delightful. Cassie is a strong independent woman who moves to this town to get a bit of a fresh start. Nick is the owner of the local coffee shop and who was born an raised in this quirky little town. The townsfolk, both the living and the not so living are a wonderful ensemble cast with a solid found family feel. She seems to be laying some groundwork to make this a series.

This book is set during the summer in a beachy town, and could totally satisfy a summer beach read craving. For me, it felt like a hunkering under blankets, drinking hot cider, and willing fall to come book. I read Well Met every year at the beginning of summer, and I feel like this will be the book I pick up when I'm ready to transition into the fall. I highly recommend it for whatever season it may be. It's a cozy read, yes there are ghosts, but they are friendly ghosts, mostly. Cannot wait for everyone to get a change to read this one.

Thank you to Jen DeLuca, Berkley Romance, and NetGalley for this ARC, I was overjoyed to be selected for this one and it was everything I hoped it would be.

In every small town, there's That One House. The one everyone avoids, the one even kids trick-or-treating won't stop at for candy, the one that can't seem to attract or keep an owner. Of course, that's the house newcomer Cassie moves into in seaside Boneyard Key, Florida. And, just her luck, she seems to get off on the wrong foot with the local coffee shop barista right from the start. It's an especially untenable situation for Cassie since her outlets don't seem to be working in her house, which means no power to her laptop or her coffee maker! For his part, Nick may not appreciate customers hogging a table, an outlet, and his wifi without ordering, but he can't deny that there is something very attractive about his new neighbor.

Boneyard Key leans in hard on its reputation as a haunted town. Cartoon ghosts decorate signs and shopfronts, and business names wink and nod in the direction of this reputation. When a local walking ghost tour pauses in front of Cassie's home one evening, she starts to wonder how much of the town's haunting stories are real and how much has been made up to attract and capture tourism dollars. Nick introduces Cassies to a few of the town's resident ghosts, and Cassie just might have a spooky roommate of her own. As she and Nick grow closer, Cassie needs to figure out if this small town is where she'll stay--and if the spirit of the home's first owner will allow it!

HAUNTED EVER AFTER is a fun read featuring sweet romance, humor, and just a touch of ghostly menace. The book felt a little long in some places, and the story dragged its feet at times. Overall, though, Jen DeLuca's latest contemporary romance was rather enjoyable.

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for the advanced reader's copy of this book in exchange for my honest thoughts.

I received a free copy of this book thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group; all opinions expressed are exclusively my own.

This is a cute, cozy read with some deep cuts to give it depth. If you like your supernatural with a side of cozy coffee shop vibes (or vice versa), this is a solid read. Easy recommend!

For sensitive readers, there are ghosts, references to death, references to unhealthy/abusive relationships, and some sexuality.

I wasn’t a fan of this one, unfortunately. I did not finish. Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for gifting me this arc.

I loved Jen DeLuca's renaissance series (shamefully haven't read the last book yet) and this new book didn't disappoint! I'm glad it had a soft ghostie vibe instead of something supremely haunted. I don't mind being scared, but that's not the vibe this gave off when I decided to read it, so I'm glad expectations were met. I do think some of ghostie moments were cheesy, but that's alright. I liked Cassie and Nick's chemistry and I loved Cassie's independence and rediscovery of herself in this book. I think she's at a similar point in life to me and it felt so relatable. Part of Nick's story also felt relatable, it was a good mix.

A cozy and spooky atmosphere, perfect for halloween season and fans of a seaside/beach town with a paranormal twist.

First, I am a huge Jen Deluca fan and when I discovered she was releasing a book that is set on the beach with a town that is apparently haunted I knew I had to read and request an arc as soon as possible. This book is different from Jen Deluca's Renfair season and I really appreciated how unique this book felt. I am rating this a low 4 star so let's get into what I liked and disliked.

For a lot of this book it felt like we were meandering during the story and that Jen wasn't sure what she wanted the story to focus on. We had a strong setting and atmosphere, the plot was okay but took way too long to get started, and the romance took a major backseat to everything. The plot overall was compelling and I liked how it was low angst with no high stakes however with this being the plot I expected more from the romance. The romance is by far the weakest part about this novel. I didn't really care about Nick and didn't see how the two love interests had any chemistry. There was no development in their relationship and things moved way too fast for my liking. I wish Jen had spent more time crafting their romance and story. It overall felt super lackluster.

Something else that bugged me was that in the beginning you get told how the heroine has started to feel like an outsider because all her friends have become mothers and leave her out; it doesn't help that the heroine can't have children either. However after the 30% mark there's no more discussion on that. There's no discussion of how her friends treat her, no discussion on how the heroine feels about not having kids, and I just expected it to be a bigger discussion in the book since it was talked about so much in the beginning. Yet we got nothing once the mystery element of the book picked up. The book just overall was not well paced and I feel like I was just wanting more.

What I did really enjoy and the reason the rating is a four stars is because of the setting and our heroine. I really loved the atmosphere of this book and how spooky it was. I loved how our heroine was looking for a new start only to end up in a haunted house lol but as she comes to understand and learn about her roommate ghost, you really see her start to come into her own and start feeling comfortable with this new start. I also saw a ton of potential for other books in the series and really hope the next couple is Theo and Sophie.

I also just found this book so charming and cozy. I really enjoyed how Cassie became friends with other people in the town and enjoyed that element. The ending was also super sweet and wholesome and part of the reason it bumped from a 3 to 5. I

I do see how a lot of people might not like this book because the romance is so lacking. I wouldn't even call it lit fic because it didn't really handle any heavy topics. I am excited for books in this world tho and will read anything Jen Deluca writes!

This was a delightfully haunted romcom in which a woman relocates to a small town that she doesn't realize is full of the supernatural, including ghostly characters in her own house that meddle with her work and her love life. It's a charming romp with just the right amount of romance and ghosts.

Haunted Ever After is a fun read that is a perfect, cozy mix of (mostly) friendly ghosts and romance. This story takes place in a haunted town in Florida, where it’s difficult to buy a piece of real estate that doesn’t have a phantom friend attached. The main character, Cassie, encounters this problem when she moves to town. The story follows her experiences with the town’s haunts while sparking a romance with the local coffee shop owner, Nick.
This book was a warm and cheerful little palate cleanser for me, and, as someone who thinks anything in life can be improved with a little spookiness added, I just loved the overall mood of the book! I wish I could book myself tickets to Boneyard Key asap!

I was literally thinking about Jen DeLuca the other day and then I remembered I had this to read and was all excited again.

Haunted Ever After is a pretty unique jump away from the Well Met series and I loved how different it was from what I've been reading. Cassie moves to Boneyard Key (what a name) in hopes to fill this void that she's felt for a while now. While all of her friends are off getting married and having kids, she feels like the boring, single friend who is losing relevancy because she's not where everyone else is. Alone and lonely, she hopes this new home will bring her the peace she needs but she's off to a rocky start when she can't even get her laptop charging. Resorting to the nearest source of free wifi, she finds herself in Nick's cafe.

Nick has lived here his whole life and is basically a legacy child. His family is one of the founding fifteen and he doesn't take that lightly. When Cassie walks in, assuming she's another passing through he isn't the most hospitable. When she tells him she's the newest resident of Hawkins House, he realizes he jumped the gun a little bit. The town's most mysterious haunted house has been left vacant for a while and Cassie's being there makes its way around town. Not one to believe ghost stories, Cassie thinks nothing of it until she is faced with undeniable evidence. Now she's worried the house isn't big enough for the two of them but is determined to set things right. Turns out, she's not the only one in town talking to dead people.

Now, there is ONE PART that had me literally walking away from the book. Then I remembered I was reading a ghost story and was like okay I'll give it a second and thankfully, I was right. But damn I was read to throw hands LOL. Cassie and Nick were actually really cute and I LOVED the paranormal element to this. This is a great October read for anyone who loves spooky season but doesn't really liked to be spooked (me). It just read really well and all of our characters were so enjoyable. NO THIRD ACT BREAKUP FOLKS!! I'M HAPPY TO REPORT!

Loved this. I can't wait for my next Jen book.

Jen DeLuca is one of my autobuy authors. And this book is just as good as her Renn faire titles - full of humor and sweetness. Whenever people ask me for a recommendation, I direct them to Jen's works.

This was my first time reading this author and I had a great time. The cover is what caught my eye, then when I read the blurb, I was hooked. I love a good paranormal/ghosty romance and this book did not disappoint.

Our FMC, Cassie, moves to Boneyard Key from Orlando, trying to find her spot in the world. All her friends and coworkers are entering into the next phase of life (kids, homes, spouses) but Cassie is still single and feeling a little left out. After putting in way too many offers on houses, she finally buys a house in Boneyard Key. Little does she know she's going to have a ghostly roommate. While trying to work from home, Cassie finds herself visiting the local coffee shop that's owned by Nick, a Boneyard Key lifer who knows all about the paranormal side of the town. What starts as a friendship blossoms into a romance, but someone in town doesn't want them together. Can Cassie, Nick, and their friends figure out the mystery before it's too late?

I loved this book. I loved the small town feel, the paranormal aspect, and the characters. The mystery was fantastic and kept me hooked. I seriously couldn't put this book down. There was just enough relationship drama to keep you on your toes but I was never frustrated. I felt like everything made sense and worked with the story. This was a slow burn and probably just a one on the pepper scale. I don't think they became intimate until the end of the book, but honestly I didn't even notice the lack of steam because I was that interested in the plot and mystery.

I can't wait to see where the rest of this series goes!

This was my first time reading Jen DeLuca, and it did not disappoint. I loved this story and this universe. A paranormal beach read. It reminds me of The Dead Romantics which I also loved. It's a bitter sweet story about the acceptance of the afterlife, and learning to live and love again after you've been hurt. It's a quick easy heartfelt read.

A fun supernatural romance slice of life fiction. I love the involvement of ghosts in a small Florida town. I love the dynamic between Cassie (a city girl that moved into the small haunted town) and Nick (the owner of the local cafe). At times, it felt like the plot drifted into Nick and Cassie being together but other than that, I enjoyed it!

Thank you to Netgalley and Jen DeLuca for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Haunted houses, small town, coffee shops - what's not to love? As a lover of this author's previous Ren faire romance novels, I was super stoked for this one, and it did not disappoint.

Boneyard Key, Florida - the most haunted city in Florida! - is a small town a few hours from Orlando. A bit of a tourist trap, known to lean into it's ghostly reputation. Enter Cassie, a copywriter from Orlando who just bought a newly flipped house in Boneyard Key. No way it's actually haunted though right?! The fact that her lap top won't keep a charge is easily explained by an old house and fault electrical, right? In search of an outlet and some coffee, Cassie walks down the street to Hallowed Grounds coffee shop where she meets the grumpy (but hot) cafe owner, Nick.

A little slow burn, a little grumpy sunshine, a whole host of likeable well developed characters - including the ghosts! - some truly great punny names for all the shops, and the best description of the best Publix Sub!

Definitely check this out if you're looking for a sweet and steamy summer romance that will make you laugh out loud and maybe shed a little tear too!

Another hit from Jen DeLuca, who brought us the wonderful world centering around a Renaissance Fair in Well Met and its sequels.

Haunted Ever After focuses around Boneyard Key, FL, and its well deserved reputation as the most haunted town in FL. New-to-towner Cassie Rutherford is sure it's a case of the town leaning into its ghostly notoriety to capitalize on the non-Disney / beach tourist dollars. But with the help of initially grumpy café owner Nick and <spoiler> a very special ghost who lives in her newly purchased ocean-front cottage</spoiler>, she discovers that there is truth to the underlying reputation. But will this discovery it be too much for her and drive her from Boneyard Key and a burgeoning attraction to the formerly grumpy café owner?

This book was a delight and, as has been DeLuca's hallmark, full of well-rounded and likeable characters. About my only "complaint" is that I wish it were longer - not because there was anything lacking from the story or build-up, but because I enjoyed inhabiting this world and would have liked to have done so for longer. (So...not really a complaint after all.)

There was a thread of cozy mystery to the story as Cassie first had to discover why her house was sabotaging her laptop (draining her battery any time she plugged it in), and then further look into the history of the house <spoiler>and its ghostly inhabitant </spoiler> and uncover that the stories that live on are often not the true story. (Cheers to the bit of "Eff the patriarchy!" that rings through the quest for the truth!!)

There were so many charming bits to this book, but my favorites were the café ghost, Elmer, and his "antagonistic" relationship with Nick, and Cassie continually professing her love for "Pub subs" - which, living near a Publix myself (though not in FL), I am a huge fan of.

I whole-heartedly recommend this book to pretty much anyone, especially folks who love their romances with a little bit of the after-life!

Thank you to Jen DeLuca, Berkley Publishing Group, and Netgalley for allowing me to read in advance of publication for a fair review. I will definitely be picking this one up after publication - it's too good not to revisit!

I've been a fan of Jen DeLuca since her first book, "Well Met", and her new series doesn't disappoint. I was happy to meet Cassie and the quirky cool residents of Boneyard Key, and eager to read more about what goes on in this haunted little tourist town. Jen is so great at description- the locale is so easy to picture, her characters are relatable, and I was quickly invested in the story and what would happen between Cassie and Nick. The theme of finding your place in the world is one everyone can relate to, and the struggles Cassie has leaving the city behind for a sleepy small town are the things a lot of dreams are made of. A solid initial offering, and I hope there will be more to come!