I found this to be a very cute and enjoyable read. I loved DeLuca's ren faire series and I was thrilled to find out she was writing a paranormal-y romance. Cassie and Nick had such great chemistry (despite the rough first impression) right from the start. I appreciated that there wasn't a slow burn between them really. They knew that the other person liked them right from the start. I also loved getting to know the rest of the quirky locals in Boneyard Key, both dead and alive. Sarah Hawkins in particular was special and I loved getting to know her story. I look forward to reading more books in this series!

I love cozy romances as much as I love the angsty, spicy ones, and Haunted Ever After hit the spot for me. There were some communication issues between the main couple that frustrated me more than usual, but overall, this is a great romance for when you want a little spooky and a little sweet. I made myself some hot cocoa and curled up to finish this book in a single night.

I am obsessed with everything about this book.

Cassie and Nick's relationship? Obsessed.
The town and its townspeople? Obsessed.
The ghosts and magical realism aspect? Obsessed.
The way Cassie communicates with the ghost through letters on her fridge? OBSESSED.

This book was quirky and cute in all of the best ways. This book was so unique and fresh. This is a perfect cozy book if you're wanting a light spook but also a romance to die for! This was very entertaining, and I'm spotting on Goodreads that this was book 1 which means there are going to be more which means SIGN ME UP I NEED IT!

I loved Haunted Ever After by Jen DeLuca! It was a fun fall read with characters that had clear character development. Cassie and Nick were adorable. Even though everything was haunted in this little town, the ghost twist at the end was well done and unexpected. The romance itself was grounded in reality and I really enjoyed it. I highly recommend it.

This is a fun, not too spooky ghostly romance. I've loved Jen DeLuca's Well Met, Ren Faire backdropped books, and this new setting, world, and characters are a fabulous new direction. You do have to buy into the ghost lore in this book, but the author makes it easy, and I came to really love the ghost characters as much as I enjoyed the main characters.

Such a fun read and though I felt like I got a little bogged down in the middle, the end really pulled me back in. I felt like it took a long time for some of the obvious plot points to sink for the characters, but they get there eventually. My favorite character was Elmer and that kind of broke my heart, but the way that wrapped up made the ending that much sweeter for me.

If you are looking for an easy fall spooky read, this has it all. Small town romance, ghosts of the scary and cozy variety, and a lot of coffee and baked goods.

3.5 out of 5 stars.

Haunted Ever After is a unique twist on a "holiday" romance. It features a small beach town that is haunted by ghosts. Our protagonist Cassie moves into the infamous Hawkins House, not knowing it is haunted. She must work with the local barista, Nick, to figure out what is wrong with her new home while navigating her feelings for him.

I enjoyed a lot of parts of this, but I could have done without misogyny as a plot device. It is a tough one to really speak on as it is the main reveal of the book- what I will say is that I appreciated that the conflict was external to the relationship, but I didn't really enjoy how the conflict was addressed. There were also a lot of humorous moments in this book, and the small town setting and characters were enjoyable. The haunted storyline was also quite refreshing as it's a change of pace for me in the romance genre. I would read the next in the series, but this doesn't rank quite as highly as Well Met for me. If you want a sweet but spooky romance to read this fall, definitely pick up Haunted Ever After!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an early copy to review. All thoughts are my own.

Haunted Ever After is a cute and unique (if predictable) story that’s perfect for spooky season. While it has a strong romantic subplot, I don’t think the romance is the meat of the story. I enjoyed the full cast of characters—living and otherwise—and thought they all had great chemistry. I did feel like I spent a fair portion of the book waiting for the storyline to catch up to what I’d already figured out, so the “mystery” of sorts wasn’t actually very mysterious. Overall, I enjoyed it and would recommend to anyone looking for a lighthearted, thematic read for October.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

This is perfect for romance lovers that want a ghosty story. This one has:
- a small town with a rich history
- a texting ghost
- a ghost tour
- a coffee shop with a good looking barista

Definitely recommend this one! It's cute and fun, perfect for spooky season when you don't really like the "spooky" part.

This one was cute. Nothing extraordinary, but cute none the less.

Haunted Ever After is about Cassie, who has moved from the city to a small town which is famous for its ghosts. After feeling lonely when she can't relate to her friend group of married women, she also has a lack of friends in her life. When she can't seemingly charge her laptop in her house, she starts frequenting the only cafe in town to work. Enter Nick, the cute cafe owner.

This book wasn't especially predictable - it did not have an obvious twist - which I liked. It was also the right amount of spooky for me which means almost no spookiness. But it incorporated ghosts into the story quite well. Also, the side characters were entertaining, and I also liked how Cassie handles the situation when she thinks that Nick has crossed a boundary. She was a good MC and Nick is a cute male love interest with his own issues that get addressed as well.

Give it a go if you want to read a cute romance with a bit of paranormal thrown in. Perfect for starting the Halloween month!

Paranormal can be a little hit or miss for me, but it worked perfectly in this rom com. I love that the ghost drove Cassie to Nick's shop and started their chemistry. Especially since Mrs. Hawkins, aka Cassie's ghost, has a bone to pick with Nick. Bone to pick. He he in Boneyard Key. Sorry, bad joke, but as I read this one, I liked all the small nods to Halloween and spooky in the names of just about everything.

I was on board for their romance and rooting for them from the start. I liked the uniqueness of the two working to solve the ghosts' problems and that left not a lot of space for their own struggles. It gave time for their relationship to grow. It seems most of the romances I have read lately has the couple engrossed in their own personal issues that the romance takes a backseat and I liked that this one allowed the couple to shine.

The ghosts are quirky and likable in addition to the other supporting characters. Cassie and Nick's chemistry jumps off the page and a ghost tour first date is definitely unique. And I loved the friendship between Cassie and Sophie.

This is a heartwarming rom com with great characters and so many fun puns.

This was such a fun read for fall! The characters really meshed and the banter was great. I enjoyed the plot and the supernatural elements as well. I am from Florida and greatly appreciated the Pub sub love!! I would definitely recommend this book.

Its that time...

Are y'all ready for spooky season with a little twist?

Let's throw in some romcom with a little October edge, don't ya think ?

Jen DeLuca, is an author that needs to be on everyone's radar. She's funny, she's spunky, and she is a true mastermind when it comes to putting an incredible story down on paper.

I was completely consumed from the first chapter and I devoured this book in one sitting. I will be singing DeLuca's praise for months to come.

This book needs to be on everyone's list and it was an honor to read and review early, in exchange for an honest review!

Thank you Jen DeLuca, Berkley, and the folks at Netgalley.

Haunted Ever After releases August 13 and is perfect for our romcom lovers who want a little edge this spooky season

Check out this teaser :


Small Florida coastal towns often find themselves scrambling for the tourism dollars that the Orlando theme parks leave behind. And within the town limits of Boneyard Key, the residents decided long ago to lean into its ghostliness. Nick Royer, owner of the Hallowed Grounds coffee shop, embraces the ghost tourism that keeps the local economy afloat, as well as his spectral roommate. At least he doesn’t have to run air-conditioning.

Cassie Rutherford possibly overreacted to all her friends getting married and having kids by leaving Orlando and buying a flipped historic cottage in Boneyard Key. Though there’s something unusual with her new home (her laptop won’t charge in any outlets, and the poetry magnets on her fridge definitely didn’t read “WRONG” and “MY HOUSE” when she put them up), she’s charmed by the colorful history surrounding her. And she's catching a certain vibe from the grumpy coffee shop owner whenever he slips her a free slice of banana bread along with her coffee order.

As Nick takes her on a ghost tour, sharing town gossip that tourists don't get to hear, and they spend nights side-by-side looking into the former owners of her haunted cottage, their connection solidifies into something very real and enticing. But Cassie's worried she’s in too deep with this whole (haunted) home ownership thing…and Nick's afraid to get too close in case Cassie gets scared away for good.

I have lived every book by this author and was so happy to see a spooky romance this year! It was cute snd atmospheric in this one. The romance was adorable just in time for Fall. Curl up we it’s a warm drink and enjoy this one!!!

Haunted Ever After by Jen DeLuca is a contemporary romance with paranormal elements and the first book in the new Boneyard Key series.

After all of her friends got married and started having kids, Cassie left Orlando and bought a flipped historic cottage in Boneyard Key, Florida. Something's weird about her home, though, she can't seem to get her laptop to keep a charge. Nick owns the local coffee shop, Hallowed Grounds, and suggests she check out one of the town ghost tours to learn more about her house and the whole town.

This was my first book by the author, and I'm not certain that I'll read more from her. I know she wrote another series that was based off people at a Renaissance faire, which sounded interesting to me! She seems to dip into my topics of interest (I love ghost stories and the Renn Faire) so I figured Haunted Ever After would be a good way for me to try her out.

Unfortunately, this book dragged a bit for me and I mostly pushed through to the end thanks to reading sprints for the Trick or Treatathon. I didn't really feel the chemistry between the MCs here; it felt like the author was telling me they were into each other instead of showing me. While it is kind of a slow burn, once it got going their relationship progression went much faster than I typically enjoy in romances.

However, I did really fall in love with the town of Boneyard Key! I also appreciated the lightheartedness of the whole read. And the two folks who seem to be hinted to be the MCs of the next book in the series sound cute (a bookstore owner and the person who runs the town ghost tour).

If you're looking for a paranormal romance set in a small town, you should try this one out!

Thank you to #partner @prhaudio for providing this audiobook in exchange for my honest review. Thank you to Berkley for the e-arc.

This was a super cute book. I finished the audiobook in about a day. Even though it’s only July, this was a fun read. I can see it will popular this spooky season.

I don’t necessarily like scary content, but this audiobook had more romance than horror. It was like a grown up “hocus pocus” in a sense.

I loved the chemistry between Cassie and Nick. I also loved the supporting characters. The beachy small town of Boneyard Key was super inviting and charming.

Jen DeLuca writes a great story. This book had a little bit of everything. Romance, small town charm, mystery, suspense and of course a little bit of spookiness. I thought the Romance was very well done. I think fans of the movie Practical Magic will especially love this book as well. 🩷

This audiobook is narrated by @jeannie_sheneman. I wasn’t familiar with her voice but I thought she had a very pleasant voice. It was very sweet and soothing. She also did a great job putting a unique voice to the different characters. I am definitely going to look out for more books narrated by Jeannie in the future!

The book is published by @berkleyromance @berkleypub
According to @goodreads there is supposed to be a second book set in Boneyard Key. I don’t know if this is accurate, but because I really loved this charming romance, I would be so excited if there is a sequel. With that being said, I think I might have a guess on who the two main characters will be for a potential sequel. Overall, this book was super cute and I really enjoyed it. Pick this up if you are looking for a charming romance this fall!

This audiobook will be released on August 13th!

Thank you again to #prhaudio for the ALC! #prhaudiopartner #prhaudioinfluencer

Thanks to the publisher for the gifted e-copy.

Cassie moved to a little coastal Florida town called Boneyard Key from Orlando. Boneyard Key is a cute little town that thrives on tourism due to their schtick of being haunted. It turns out that the house Cassie bought has a ghost (or two) and the town is home to a few more spooky friends. Cassie meets Nick, the owner of one of the local coffee shops, when Cassie can't get her laptop to charge in her house. They hit it off, but Cassie's ghost(s) aren't happy, so Cassie decides to figure out the story behind who lived in her house before her and why they're still around.

OK, so I think my favorite things about this book are:
1. The town of Boneyard Key. It sounds fantastic, and I want to go there, and I'm annoyed it's fictional.
2. All the loving on Pub Subs. They are the BEST and I miss them SO MUCH. Although, the chicken tender sub is not my favorite.
3. Nick, and also his ghost Elmer. Adorbs.
4. The magnetic poetry communication.

The rest of the book was okay. It was a cute story, kind of predictable, nothing fantastic. Definitely a cute read for spooky season, if you prefer a rom com over a thriller.

There was so much I loved about this (eARC from Berkley). I think this is great rep for childfree love interests as CW our main character has previously known assumed infertility and also is childfree by choice so when she moves to the small town of Boneyard Key it really makes her realize her so called friends she left behind may not be on the same life track nor (more importantly) considerate of what it would be like for her to constantly read and attend weddings/baby showers. So basically she's starting over in the creepy old house no one has lived in for years and she works from home so the world (town) is her oyster.

I loved the dip in to the paranormal in this book and the balance between that and contemporary. Plenty of tourists come through the town thinking it's all just a shtick until the FMC realizes her house truly is haunted. And it for some reason wants to keep her apart from her budding romance with the coffee shop owner. They go on a little investigative attempt together while he also subtly tries to sell her on the town so that bit of dates and exploration was really fun.

My two main issues with this book were the repetition and the MMC at times, let me explain. Yes, this is slow and I liked but the magic system got pretty tired by the end and I felt like the characters were being purposely obtuse with the meaning and blame behind the haunt going on in her house. Also, this is such a specific moment but I have to mention what an ick it gave me. At one point the MMC vehemently calls the ghost in her house a b*tch with his full chest and I'm just going to say that was out of character because this man is typically respectful of women and their relationship actually felt so realistic and I had been loving the ups and downs of a strangers to lovers. In this world the ghost is practically as real as a person so it really was a direct insult and just like dude chill.. but without that I loved him.

Overall I would recommend for a cozy slightly paranormal romance.

Cute romance with a paranormal twist.
Cassie Rutherford has fled Orlando to Boneyard Key, where she has unknowingly purchased a haunted house. When her laptop dies, she heads to Hallowed Grounds coffee shop, owned by Nick Royer. She is attracted to Nick and he takes her on a ghost tour. However, Cassie notices that her refrigerator magnets begin spelling out menacing messages.
Cassie decides to research the former owners of her home, and along with Nick and other residents, uncover a story to help the ghosts calm down.

This was my first book of Deluca’s. I loved the Florida setting and the ghost town meets rom-com vibes. Overall it was a good read. Thank you!