Nora had left her small-town home in Alabama and had no plans on returning, but when tragedy strikes, she has no option but to return. She has to take over her family's casket business and can't decide what to do with it or is ready to make any decisions. Cue the cute, well-dressed stranger who enters her shop looking for directions. Nora is smitten with Garrett. He is sweet and kind and everything she was looking for, but soon she starts to see that since people in her small town have begun dying, Garrett is seen at the scene of each death. Nora discovers that Garrett is a "logistics coordinator" for Death. Nora struggles to reconcile Garrett's loving nature with the reality of his profession.

The novel's writing is engaging and blends humor and romance with darker elements. Nora's romantic journey is anxiety-ridden, with the common concerns that we all feel at the beginning of a relationship, making Nora and the romance plot relatable for the readers. At the same time, Nora is reeling from the loss of her parents and creates somber and heartwarming moments as she recollects memories with them. The grieving process and the human response to death are vital in the storyline. Nora is complicated, but her strength does shine. I enjoyed the story's clever plot and endearing characters, making it a memorable read.

I received an Advanced Readers Copy of this ebook in exchange for an honest review. Thank you, NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group, Ballantine, and Dell.

Sadly, this book was not for me. I hate giving a low starred review for arcs, especially for debut novels but this one just didn’t click with me because I think it’s just not my kind of romance book. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys fast paced romance books and likes the idea of a little supernatural or even religious elements thrown in.

I think overall flow and lack of chemistry between the main characters is what did it. However, I will say that if the first line that was used for chapter 2 was used for chapter 1, or to open the book, it would have instantly drawn me in. I read it and went ooo, tell me more. What are we getting into?

Most of the dialogue and the overall book felt like someone was talking to me rather than telling me a story or me being immersed in one. I don’t think I explained that very well but thats the best way I can think of it.

I was about maybe 25% of the way through and I still wasn’t invested. I feel like we barely knew anything about Garrett, and I get it, he’s keeping secrets but I felt zero connection and I started to actually find him really annoying by halfway through. I wish we got to know him more and he had more of a story, a struggle we truly saw to see him grow as a person or truly support Nora in some way. He carries his grief with him, like Nora, but his seemed more unresolved and he should probably go to therapy. Also, the chapters where we went back in time to explain or give us an inkling into what Garrett does and a little backstory really disrupted the flow for me.

I think the flow of the story of them rushing into things but also saying let’s take this slow was confusing. I sat there thinking that they’ve only known each other for what seems like days we’re already to the “I love you” stage making it feel disingenuous. How did they get there so quickly when it seemed liked they also didn’t have chemistry with each other? I can understand having someone help you get out of a dark slump on the Nora side of things but it all felt too rushed. I was happy she felt like she could things again or had the drive to go out.

After Nora finds out about what Garrett does for a living, I can understand her freaking out and being confused. Hell, I would be too since love isn’t always enough. But, her going to Johnny to get over him seemed like an ok move even if he annoyed me too and seemed like a bad guy. I’m glad Nora discovered the truth and figured out what she wanted.

To me, the twist in the epilogue doesn’t make sense either and felt like it was something fun to throw in to try to trip up readers.


I received an eARC from Random House Publishing via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The story follows Nora, a casket store worker, and Garrett, who works for death. I found the premise intriguing, especially after reading books like The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy, and Rules for Ghosting, and I think this book does cover the grief (of Rules for Ghosting) and some of the romance of UoHaM in ways that are interesting but where I had trouble was in the writing style. I found the writing to be a bit stiff making it difficult to see the relationship forming between Nora and Garrett. The writing also left something to be desired as characters, locations, and events didn't feel fleshed out, making it difficult to parse the ways characters grew through the story. I do think there are some fun ideas here, but would really like to see some stronger writing to support those ideas.

Casket Case is such an interesting book. It's morbid but also has a cute love story. It has paranormal elements while also feeling very grounded and real. There is no sugarcoating in this. This book can be sad especially if you have lost a loved one recently so be warned.

I think I was intrigued most by the concept/plot. It sounded so different and I couldn't wait to read it. The author is very creative and I think she set up an intriguing small town.

I wish the romance was developed more. It seemed very rushed. I think the characters needed more instant chemistry in order to make the love at first sight believable.

Perhaps would be a good read for summerween.

Man I wish I had a better things to say about this book. I truly TRULY love the concept of this book. A girl owns a casket/funeral business and the man works for DEATH?!?! I mean c'mon that's incredible but man is this rough to get through.
First, they fall and they fall hard after like a date and a half???? Like thinking about saying 'I love you' by date 3??? I'm not even a slow burn girlie I'm like let's get tooooo it but there was not one single ounce, moment, second of pining or yearning... None at all. Also the weird like 60% of the way through triangle??? Felt so forced howevere the second man does have a brilliantly funny line, on their way to a conference they're talking about the talks and two of the talks are titled, "Embalming: Thriving Beyond Surviving" and "Cremation for Dummies" This made me actually laugh aloud.

The premise and concept of this was incredible and had SUCH potential but wow the writing was rough, the overall story was so slow it never takes me almost 10 days to get through a book but I just kept putting it down. Nora's anxious attachment was NOT it for me.

Rounding up to 2 stars mainly for Johnny's banter.

This is certainly not a rom-com as billed.

There's rom, but no com. Please don't think this is a lighthearted tale.

Let's do a pro and con list like Nora, the main character of this story, likes to do:

PROS
The premise of the book is interesting. It was a fascinating take on death, dying, and those left behind.

Nora grows as a character. I was really worried that she wouldn't. Finally, in approximately the last 15% of the book, it happened. I guess that's a pro.

I'm hard pressed to come up with another pro. I didn't hate the book. It's just not what I feel like it was marketed as so I feel a bit duped. This book, in my opinion, was more like literary fiction with a large helping of a romantic subplot.

CONS
What I assume should have been bantering seemed more like bickering between the main characters. Many times it made me cranky with both Garrett and Nora in their encounters. There was nearly always something about the way he replied to her. I can't put my finger on it. It felt like he was almost being condescending to her and when she'd check him on it, he'd backtrack with some compliment or declaration of love. I hated that and it made *me* want to fight Garrett. I doubt that's what the author was striving for. I much preferred Nora's interactions with Johnny. They felt less clipped and more natural. Garrett and Nora's dialogue felt Hemingway-esque in its sharp brevity.

For an insta-love premise, not much time was spent in describing how the characters looked. Garrett was tall and a snappy dresser, Nora was kind of a slob. I think they both had brown eyes, but I'd be hard pressed to tell you what color their hair was. Insta-love starts with insta-lust. While this book was not a romance I'd consider "spicy" (and that's fine) I do feel like more detail work in the beginning as to tge characters traits and what they found attractive about each other would have made the insta-love more believable.

Overall, it's not a bad book. Just not a rom-com.

Thank you to Net Galley for the ARC.

Death (inc) comes to Rabbittown, Alabama.

Following the sudden death of her parents, Nora moves back to her hometown to run the family casket business. She seems rather stuck in her new life and every day is the same. Until a handsome stranger stops by and asks for directions. Nora can’t help falling for Garrett and the feelings are mutual. Only Garrett has a bit of a secret - he may not be the grim reaper, but he works for Death.

I really wish I liked this one more than I did. The premise sounded so great! I didn’t really like either main character and while instalove doesn’t always bother me, it really did here. It was just SO fast and we didn’t really get to know either character, so I didn’t buy that they really knew one another either. Garrett was also a huge snob more than once and that really put me off.

I will say that I loved the small town setting and all of the side characters in Nora’s life. There’s also a “twist” involving another Death employee that I thought was fun. While this one didn’t work for me I’ll definitely give this author another chance in the future.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dell for a review copy.

This book has all the components of a typical romance novel but with a (refreshing) twist. The more I read, the more I related to Nora - there was something very comforting with seeing how her story / understanding progressed. The setting, characters, and plot combined to make this a very cozy read!

In Casket Case, Nora has recently returned to her hometown of Rabbitown, Alabama to run her parent's casket business after their passing. Coming back from booming Birmingham to Rabbitown has had its adjustments, but Nora is clouded by her grief, making her reserved and as quiet as the town she comes back to. She spends her day running the business and her nights in front of television, mostly consuming various sports games or old Cheers reruns, until one day, things change. As she meanders through another menial day, a stranger steps into her shop looking for directions. Garrett, the handsome and charming man captures her attention, waking her from her fugue state. In that moment, however, little does she know he works for one of the most legendary pillars of mythology: Death.

A whirlwind romance ensues, breaking Nora out of her shell and back into parts of her old self. As her relationship with Garrett deepens, so do the choices she makes to make strides towards a more meaningful and fulfilling life.

————————————————————————————————————————————————

I was very intrigued by the premise of this book when it was sent to me as an ARC. I read a fair amount of books in the romance genre, and I was really looking forward to get into Nora and Garrett's story. Original concept aside, I feel like there were a few things that made this book fall short of its mark.

First, they fall for each other faster than any other book I've read in recent memory. It goes from strangers to love in 60 seconds, with no initial regard towards Garrett's career, which she doesn't press him on until about halfway through the story. When we finally do get to the big reveal about Garrett's career, the aftermath is lukewarm at best. Cue a standard breakup, followed by a period of reflection leading up to an inevitable reconciliation we could see from a mile away.

Then, there's Garrett's career. We know he works for Death, essentially ferrying people from one life to the next, and that's really it. I was looking forward to more depth of plot in this, but it was sadly missing from the story. While I understand Nora's perspective was the main point-of-view, it was less exiciting than what I thought would be more gripping if we'd learned more about Garrett's day-to-day as a ferryman for Death.

Finally, I'm not one to get persnickety about syntax, but the whole of the writing felt clinical. I think that's what made it hard for me to digest as a whole. The writing was wooden and not altogether personal, which I've grown used to when reading a book of this genre. I think there's room for growth there, but this is also the author’s debut, and I am hopeful that in her next attempt that there will be more substance to the story.

Overall, it was far from the worst romance novels I've read, but I was hoping for more than what was there. I am rooting for this author though, because I think they had a great concept, but just needed more finesse in the execution.

I just wasn’t drawn into this books from the start. I enjoy more of a slow burn romance and the insta love just wasn’t doing it for me. I felt their relationship moved too fast and they didn’t really even know each other that well which usually aligns with a 3rd act breakup.
The whole Death industry thing just got more confusing the more they tried explaining it.
I also didn’t love how another love interest showed up at like 70%.

I was really excited by the concept of this book but I was unfortunately not super fulfilled by it. There were a few things that kind of took me out of this. The first being Nora and Garrett's relationship. It moved at such a fast pace and the intensity of it really took me out of the storyline. It just felt super rushed and unbelievable and made it lean more towards a YA book for me.

I really would have loved to have more of the story told from Garrett's perspective because the whole 'Death' thing fascinated me. He and Janine kept talking so intensely about following protocols and following a script so the fact that it never really went into the job more felt like a missed opportunity.

One thing I did really like was the 'plot twist' of Nora's grandpa being a 'Death' employee. But again I would've loved for that storyline to have been explored and elaborated on.

thank you NetGalley and Dell for the arc

I tried so hard to love this book but I couldn't get into it. The main characters didn't have any chemistry. Garrett worked for Death and Nora worked at a casket store. Match made in heaven? I wasn't feeling it. And the book was very morbid. I thought the idea was cool but I didn't enjoy the book

When I first read the description of this book it reminded me of a mixture between Belladonna and the tv show Tru Calling. And for me that was an immediate sold, since I loved both of them. After finishing the book I found it overall just ok. I think I would’ve rated in higher if we had gotten more on an extended epilogue. Like that ending come on my heart.

But in all seriousness I did enjoy this book and devoured it in less than 24 hours. The concept was creative. The pacing was at times slow, but it kept me interested. Most of my issues stem from the middle of the book. When our MFC acts like a whiny brat. She’s supposed to be 30 years old yet her behavior screamed that she was still a teenager. And that just rubbed me the wrong way. It got so bad at some points all I wanted to do was scream at Garrett our MMC, you deserve better. Thankfully by the end Nora did have some growth which just took her awhile to get there.

All in all Casket Case is easy, quick read that I would definitely recommend. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

this was not as fun as i wanted it to be :(
2.5 stars rounded down
thank you netgalley and the publisher for this arc
but like as a nora???? being with a garrett is an insane notion what kind of a name is garrett
also it was not as gothic romance as i wanted it to be
cutsey cover should’ve told me tho

Thanks Netgalley for allowing me to read this book. Nora can't believe she is working at her families casket store. When she sees a stranger, she does not realize that he will change her life in many ways. An enjoyable read.

3.5⭐️ rounding up. This book was such a fun read, and it really sucked me in from the jump. The voice is that unique dry humor that always reminds me of Gaiman, Pratchett, Adams, and 90s Hugh Grant romcoms. The romance was insta love, but honestly Nora and Garrett were so gosh darn cute I didn’t even mind. A super fun concept with a fleshed out world. I even read it with my eyeballs instead of listening to the audiobook, which is saying something about its ability to keep my attention tbh

I will say that I wouldn’t count this as a romance novel/romcom. It’s much more about grief and growing up. Family and hometowns and acceptance. The main couple break up around the halfway point and don’t get back together until the last chapter, with only a handful of short interactions in the meantime. This 60-80% kind of dragged, particularly as Garrett and Nora’s conversations/arguments started to feel repetitive. It felt sometimes like the breakup was the climax of a really tight novella and most of the second half of the book existed to make it long enough to be a novel. But that’s only if you’re going into this expecting the romance to be at the forefront. It took some mental readjusting, but I got there and still enjoyed it overall.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I adored this book! The synopsis grabbed my attention and the book made me want to take my time reading it. We follow Eleanora (Nora) navigating her life after her parent’s untimely death. Left with her parent’s home and business, in her sleepy small town, Nora is just making it through the days. That is until a handsome stranger comes into town and makes everything in her world spiral.

I loved Garrett and Nora’s storyline, but at times, I felt like Nora was incredibly immature for her age. I assume she was intentionally written in that way, but the communication and the back and forth hot then cold- it became an annoying character flaw.

The epilogue was incredible and not what I was expecting. It made me cry and have all the feelings.
Overall my rating is 4 stars, but for a debut romance with such a different premise, well done!

Thank you to the publisher for an early copy in exchange for my honest review.

"Casket Case" was a sweet and amusing story. Following her parents' unexpected deaths in a car accident, Nora returned to Rabbittown, Alabama, and took over the family business, Rabbittown Casket Company. That was not what she had planned for her life. She has basically been going through the motions. However, everything changes when a mysterious stranger (Garrett) appears in her store asking for directions and returns later asking about her. They quickly progress to a serious relationship, which is not without its tensions. Garrett works in logistics and has to travel a lot. He has been intentionally vague about what exactly he does, for good reason, as his employer is Death. Yes, Death is a corporation. Garrett's role is to be with a person when it is time to transition from life to death, to help answer questions and provide a bit of comfort. This role is of a very personal nature to Garrett, given his own childhood experience with the death of his brother. Nora, understandably, does not take it well when Garrett finally reveals the truth of his job. They might both be in the death business, but Nora does not find their work equivocal, and cannot come to terms with the fact that Garrett knows in advance that a person is going to die but does nothing to intervene.

This premise may make the book seem dismal or sad, but there is actually quite a bit of sweetness and humor in the story, especially as the author gets into the histories of the main characters and details the interactions between Nora and the other residents in Rabbittown, who have known her and her family for many years.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing for this ARC. There were so many things that I really enjoyed in this book and some I didn’t.. For example, I really enjoy the premise of the story. It was so unique and had such potential to be Amazing. I loved the representation of death and grief in this book.. Both concepts were well developed and gave me peace and comfort vibes. I loved Norris relationship with her grandfather, and how Garrett was always there for her. I didn’t enjoy the aspect of Nora’s constant overthinking and self sabotage. I was hoping toward the end of the book she would’ve gained the self-confidence that she was lacking, but unfortunately, she did not.. I didn’t think the low triangle gave anything special toward the book and I would’ve loved if the ending would’ve had a little bit more depth. I still think it was a decent book. I’ll continue to read more from this author..

This book had such a unique storyline that sucked me right in. Nora lives in a small town called rabbitown and runs her family’s casket business. She meets a handsome guy and she immediately crushes on him. What she doesn’t know is that his occupation involved death, much like her job. It’s cute and funny but also makes you think about how we deal with grief. Nora’s overthinking did drive me nuts and I thought some parts were too fast paced or rushed like the ending, I found it to be an easy read and a great debut novel from this author.