Holy Hannah I loved this book! What a great story. I fell in love with the quirky little Florida town and would to read more about other characters. The chemistry between Nick and Cassie was great! I loved ALL of the quirky side characters and the backstory they created about the town. Probably my favorite book I have read in a while, I can’t wait to see what else Jen DeLuca writes in the future!

Thanks to Netgalley and Jen DeLuca for an eARC in return for an honest review.

I loved this book so much. It was hilarious and sweet all at once. i absolutely loved the stories involving the ghosts. It made me want my own ghost! The plot was easy to read and the romance had me hooked. I never wanted this one to end.

This had the vibes of a cozy paranormal mystery and for the most part it delivered. The romance aspect fell a bit flat for me. It was just a little too insta lovey. The small coastal town setting is where the story thrived. I hate Florida's hot weather and even this had me craving a beach picnic with some publix subs. A certain romantic conflict came out of left field, and was really puzzling. It almost made me want to dnf. But I'm glad I gave the book the benefit of the doubt, since the conflict was well resolved. I just wish I was more invested in the romance.

Okay, I thought this was going to be entirely cheesey the whole way through (FL, romance, coffee shop, haunted house, haunted ghosts, haunted town), but this was actually pretty cute.

There was only one part that was pretty cheesey - the long list, cc, vote, etc. You will know it when you read it, but honestly, it was fitting for that portion of the book.

Pretty cute, short, easy read. Perfect for a summer beach read or book club.

Thank you NetGalley and Berkley (publisher) for my E-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I'm a big fan of Jen DeLuca's Ren Faire series and was excited to see she had something new. I loved getting to know Nick and Cassie amid the background of such a sweet, ghostly town. Their relationship felt related, even with Elmer giving lots of advice along the way.

Ahhh! I was so sad to leave the ren faire world behind but I love the ghosty Florida beach town too! Haunted sever After is giving me heather graham key west book vibes but make it cute and quirky instead of romantic suspensy. Which I loved, I love boneyard key and its various ghosts so much I hope we get to stay here a while.

Nick and Callie are def a bit insta love but also not? I loved Callie and found her very relatable as a fellow single gal in my thirties. Nick and Elmer’s relationship was fabulous, I love a sassy ghost. And oh Sarah, I not only loved her method of communication (magnetic word tiles!) but also her entire story.

As an avid mystery and pnr reader I def guessed a twist early on but that didn’t take any enjoyment out of this one for me.

Okay this book was great. The ghosts are absolutely hysterical, mostly Elmer lol.
Girl moves to a coastal town that's knows for its ghosts from Orlando. She meets the cute local cafe/ coffee shop owner and together they work to figure out the complex situation of her haunted new home.
I won't spoil anything, but this was a little bit of a mystery story! And when all the dots connected at the end I was like wowwwwww ok that makes so much sense & Ilove a good reveal!
As someone who lived in Orlando for 6 months when I was in college, I'm obsessed with all the Publix reference and now I'm DYING for a pub sub!!! (I live in NY) A
Also- I'm not going to lie, sometimes I don't read the acknowledgments. For whatever reason I did this time, and I am obsessed with her tribute to Jimmy Buffett. I was raised a parrot head even had a Jimmy Buffett themed bridal shower & I will definitely be reading more of this authors books now!

All opinions provided are my own. This blog post includes affiliate links.

The Night Watchman by Louise Erdrich. This book is titled after one character—a night watchman who leads the fight against the US government’s “termination” bill—but really it’s about so many more, including Patrice, an employee at a jewel bearing company who ventures to a big city to find her sister & comes back again. The story has the feel of an epic & it’s great to listen to on audio, read by the author. This was a time & place & cause I knew little about & I’m glad to learn more about Native American history through this historical fiction piece. 4.25 ⭐️. (Read for the BookRiot Read Harder challenge.)

Haunted Ever After by Jen DeLuca, out 08/13. I wanted to love this one but sadly, it didn’t really work for me. The hero & heroine have a cute dynamic that starts off on the wrong bad impression foot and the heroine’s thoughts on feeling left out & uncertain about where she is in her friend group and her life in general feel real. But aspects of the plot feel ludicrous to me & I couldn’t always understand the reasons underpinning some details. So in the end, I liked this one but didn’t love it. 3 ⭐️. (Thanks to the publisher & Netgalley for the complimentary ARC. All opinions provided are my own.)
​
Flora & Ulysses by Kate DiCamillo. This is the third KD book I’ve read & I’ve enjoyed them all so much. FaU has some really funny moments & of course some touching moments, too. Highly recommend this author if you’re looking for middle grade! 5 ⭐️.

Are any of these on your TBR?

Please read CW’s from a trusted reviewer before beginning.

I've been a fan of all of Jen DeLuca's books and I was so excited to see her dip her toes into some paranormal. There's nothing I love more than a fun ghost story. It has cute charming characters and a delightful setting. It made me want to go on vacation so badly.

Jen DeLuca has done it again! I admit that DeLuca caught my attention with her other series being set in a Renaissance Faire. I've spent so many hours at the Ren Faire that I had to pick those books up and they were phenomenal. I was so excited to see this title pop up. It's a completely different idea from the Well Met series and I couldn't wait to see what she would do with it.

This book ended up having a little of everything! Romance, humor, mystery. Ups and downs. And, truly, it was a mostly wholesome read. There was some innuendo happening throughout, but as is typical with DeLuca's books, it didn't get too spicy until near the very end. There were a few explicit scenes, all at the very end, which means that the majority of the book can be enjoyed by anyone, and those scenes could be very easily skipped over as there is obvious lead-in.

All in all, I really enjoyed the entire thing and sped through it. A delightful, feel-good romance that I won't be hesitating to recommend.

A haunting romance full of likeable characters, ghostly friends, and a sweet small town. When Cassie wants something different from the life she's been leading watching her friends move on without her, she moves to a touristy small town in Florida. Mistaken by everyone in town as a tourist herself, Cassie sets out to prove she might just have what it takes to make Boneyard Key her home.

Thank you to Berkley and Netgalley for the eARC in exchange for my honest review!

I really love this one! Such a fun departure for the author (who has done a bunch of cute Ren Faire books prior to this), but it still had that signature charm. This will do really well with the romance girlies!

This was such a great contemporary romance. Both the main characters are given a depth that we don't always see in this genre. Not every conflict is based on the relationship; I like how imposter syndrome is a reoccurring theme throughout the novel. I will definitely recommend my library to purchase.

Haunted Ever After is a cute, quirky paranormal romance about a woman moving to a small Florida town, not knowing that the town is has quite a few ghostly residents!

After moving into her cute new home, Cassie finds herself with her very own ghost living right there in her home.

This was such a fun take on paranormal hot spots and ghost tours. I loved the idea that this was just a town where was normal for people to talk to ghosts. Just imagine that being part of your everyday life!

The love story between Cassie and Nick was cute and wholesome, with a definite sense of growth as the story went on. But honestly, I was more invested in the stories of the ghosts… I loved learning the truth behind the ghosts in the house and the sort of mystery element that held. That was definitely my favorite part.

But I think this was a fun read that a large audience will enjoy!

"Haunted Ever After" by Jen DeLuca is a charming and spooky romance novel that will leave you feeling warm and fuzzy inside. The story takes place in the small coastal town of Boneyard Key, where the residents embrace their ghostliness to keep the local economy afloat. Nick Royer, owner of the Hallowed Grounds coffee shop, is no exception, and he even has a spectral roommate.

Cassie Rutherford, feeling overwhelmed by her friends getting married and having kids, buys a flipped historic cottage in Boneyard Key. Despite some unusual occurrences, like her laptop not charging, she's charmed by the colorful history surrounding her home. As Nick takes her on a ghost tour of the town and shares town gossip that tourists don't get to hear, Cassie finds herself drawn to him.

As they investigate the former owners of Cassie's haunted cottage, their connection deepens into something real and enticing. But Cassie is worried she's in too deep with the haunted home ownership, and Nick is afraid to get too close in case Cassie gets scared away for good.

Jen DeLuca has crafted a delightful and spooky story with well-developed characters and a plot that keeps you engaged until the end. The romance between Nick and Cassie is sweet and realistic, and readers will find themselves rooting for them as they navigate the challenges of their relationship.

Overall, "Haunted Ever After" is a must-read for fans of paranormal romance and cozy mysteries. Jen DeLuca has created a world that is both charming and spooky, and readers won't be able to put the book down until they've discovered whether Nick and Cassie can make it work.

I got this as an ARC! Absolutely loved it, even cried at one sweet spot.

Cassie, new to the area, buys a house and settles in. One day when her laptop is dead, she walks to the local coffee shop, for power and an iced hazelnut latte, and meets Nick, the owner.

Here's the thing, the town is haunted and ghosts are around during their daily activity.

Read Cassie and Nick's story as they navigate their job, life, ghosts, and romance, all the while, dealing with a threat to their blooming romance.

What an absolute delight! DeLuca's latest (the first in a new series that I hope brings us many more books!) is a perfect balance between fun-and-sometimes-spooky-ghost stuff with characters who are ultimately very soft and kind.

Cassie and Nick could be any of us, they just happen to live in a town full of ghosts! I really enjoyed the haunting plot, and was all-in along for the ride as Cassie tried to figure out what the heck was going on in her home. But what REALLY hooked me was the sweet, shy romance between Cassie and Nick, two people who'd become accustomed to loneliness.

I especially loved Cassie's take on adulthood as a woman without children, feeling a bit abandoned by her old friend group. My heart ached every time she tried to interact with the friend text thread -- that is SO real, and so relevant, and her experience deserve more space in romance novels.

DeLuca also manages to tackle some deeper topics like, oh, the PATRIARCHY. But she does it with her classic sass and good humor, so these themes never felt over-bearing.

I also loved how the location felt like another character in the story, and DeLuca's descriptions of the sunsets and breezes had me ready for a trip to the beach!

Haunted Ever After scratches all of my romance itches! DeLuca does an amazing job of building a haunted town and weaves the history in just so. The characters feel real and deal with real emotions. Everything I’ve wanted in a contemporary romance with a super fun paranormal twist!

I was so excited to see a new Jen DeLuca book and her diving into paranormal romance….i was excited. I loved nick’s brooding self so much. It felt like the romance was more sub plot but the story did not lack plot.

This book, Haunted Ever After, didn't quite resonate with me. I found that I was more interested in the ghost story than the romance between the characters. Despite the well-written plot and solid character development, I struggled to fully connect with the story. I did appreciate Cassie as a relatable character and enjoyed the feminist aspect woven into the ghost story. However, I didn't quite buy into the chemistry between Cassie and Nick, who came off as a bit of a jerk at times (even when he wasn’t possessed by a misogynistic ghost). Overall, while the book had its strengths, it just didn't quite click for me.