Caitlin Moss’s Mourner For Hire offers a fresh and witty take on romantic comedy, blending themes of grief, forgotten pasts, and unfinished business with sharp emotional depth. Vada Daughtry’s unusual profession as a professional mourner who cries on demand, invents memories, and spins tales sets a compelling stage for a story that explores both the weight of loss and the complexity of moving on.
When Vada crosses paths with Dominic Dunne, the resulting slow burn crackles with enemies to lovers tension. This is heightened by a ghostly presence that keeps the narrative intriguing and unpredictable. Moss deftly balances humor and heartache, crafting a seaside setting that feels both intimate and evocative. This novel will resonate with readers who appreciate nuanced romance layered with supernatural elements and richly developed characters.

Mourner for Hire was such a fun surprise! Vada makes a living mourning the dead (yes, really), but things get complicated when a new client brings her back to the hometown she left after a childhood tragedy—and introduces her to Dominic, her very grumpy, very hot new nemesis.
I love a good enemies-to-lovers, and this one delivered with sizzling tension, sharp banter, and two well-developed leads. Vada’s dark humor, emotional depth, and genuine care for her clients made her a standout. Dominic brought the brooding, the baggage, and just enough softness to balance the heat.

The town, the side characters (including a certain chatty ghost), and the touch of heartache made this a unique, satisfying read. Definitely worth picking up if you like your romance with bite, charm, and a little afterlife chaos.

Loved the plot of this book and Caitlin Moss executed in her usual fashion. Dominic was SO WHINY but I mean Understandably so and Annabelle was hilarious. I loved Vadas wittiness

When I saw the cover, and read the title for this book I was so intreagued. I knew I had to get my hands on a copy. It is a brilliant concept. I love the idea of a mourner for hire. Althought Vada Daughtry turns out to be so much more than this. It is a brillliantly funny dark humoured romance and was so much more than I expected.

Without giving too much of the story away, Vada Daughtry is a professional mourner. Hired by the recently deceased, before they die to tie up loose ends, She attends the funeral of Dominic Dunnes, mother Annabel, who hired her 9 months before she died to carry out some unusual requests. The pair already know each other as they shared a drunked night together a year before. The character development in this book is brilliant, the banter, the tension had me gripped from the first page. Will they, won't they senario kept me turning the pages.

Thank you to NetGalley and Caitlin Moss for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Just read it, you won't be disappointed! I

Expected publication date September 9, 2025

This lovely romance was so fun! My first Caitlin Moss book but definitely won’t be my last.

Read this if you love:
♥️ attraction to enemies to lovers
♥️ small town
♥️ a touch of magical realism

Vada Daughtry is a mourner for hire. People hire her when they are approaching death with funeral requests. She’s done everything from pretend to be a secret love child to attending simply so the funeral won’t be empty.

When Vada is hired for the biggest job of her life, not only attending the funeral but renovating a beach cottage after, she can’t pass up the $50,000paycheck. What she doesn’t realize is that the recently deceased is the mother to Dominic, a man that Vada shared one magical night with a year before.

Dominic is more than a little unhappy to find Vada in town taking advantage of his mother’s generosity. Unfortunately, he can’t get Vada out of his mind. Vada decides this isn’t the job for her, unfortunately, the ghost of Dominic’s mom isn’t going to let her go so easily.

This is an open door romance with 2-3 steamy scenes. I received this as an ARC via NetGalley. It releases on Sept 9, 2025.

I fricken loved this book. I read it in a day! A day that I had to work, and cook dinner, and deal with kids. I couldn’t put it down.

Vada is a mourner for hire. People contact her before they die to cry at their funeral, create rumors, pretend to be a mistress, etc. On the way to meeting a client in the town she is originally from (but has no recollection of), a detour at a bar introduces her to Dunner, bartender and owner. They spend a night together (literally sleeping) and then she leaves to meet her client. It isn’t until her client (Annabelle) dies a year later that Vada realizes Dunner is her son. Dunner (real name Dominic), who has been pining ever since (even naming a drink after her), now thinks she’s a scammer. Especially since one of the things Vada has been instructed to do is redo their summer cottage. And if that wasn’t enough, Annabelle has decided to haunt Vada so she doesn’t go back on her word.

Vada has disassociated amnesia, she she doesn’t remember the first 8 years she lives in this town. But Annabelle does, and so do many of the townsfolk. And they all are trying to make her remember.

This book has it all. It’s a romance turned enemies-to-lovers with a side of childhood trauma, amnesia, and a haunting.

I absolutely loved these quirky, funny, adorable, honest, and vulnerable characters! What a charming town- loved it so much.. The concept is original and the writing is superb. The story dabbles in lost dreams, unsaid things, final wishes, trauma, and grief. I plan to read this again when it is available to the public in September, 2025.

Thank you to NetGalley and author Caitlin Moss for this electronic arc of this book in exchange for my honest review.

MOURNER FOR HIRE is exactly what it sets out to be: A silly, swoon-worthy love story that goes easy on the realism but can be counted on for a lively, fast-paced plot.

I had such a good time with this book and found myself not wanting to put it down. Small town romance with an unusual job and a bit of haunting thrown in was always going to be a good time.

The book may have been slightly predictable and Dominic may have been waaaaaaay to grumpy/horrible at points (I'll let it slide as he was grieving and grief makes you do weird things), but I still absolutely loved it.

The dual POV worked perfectly and helped to make some of the strange or harsh choices make sense, as we see what both Vada and Dominic are going through. And boy did they have a lot to sort through!

The addition of Annabelle haunting Vada was the perfect comic relief. It really helped to lighten the mood, especially as a lot of the book was genuinely quite emotional. It was also a lovely juxtaposition between the joy of life and the grief of death.

I will happily read this book again and want more from this town as all the characters were fab.

I adored this book and this story line. I fell in love with all the characters and was hooked from the start. I thought it was a fairly predictable book but was still surprised at times. There were a few moments I feel were rushed or could have used a bit more of a transition. Overall it was very cute and satisfying.

Vada is a mourner for hire, she will pretend to be your long lost daughter, your secret lover, or help your child grieve your death. Dominic “Dunner” runs the local bar but had other dreams he was unable to follow. The two meet during a traffic jam when Vada’s bladder is about to explode and spend a meaningful night together. Months later Dominic finds out that his mother hired Vada but he doesn’t know the particulars and thinks Vada is a scammer who took advantage of his mother. Months go by and these two start to understand each other and Vada starts to get her childhood memories back. Lots of fighting, loving, sand, and a little bit of deaths spirit.

This book intrigued me because of Vada being a funeral mourner, I wanted to see how the author handled it, which they handled very well. I was laughing at some of the funeral scenes and overall it didn’t feel morbid or disrespectful. This book is not dark, it’s light and at times comedic. I didn’t like Dominic for most of the book, I realize he was mourning his mother but he didn’t need to lash out at Vada. Vada on the other hand handled him pretty well. The story wrapped up well and didn’t feel rushed. HEA

Mourner for Hire by Caitlin Moss
This was my first time reading this author’s work and although I enjoyed the premise of the story and Vada’s unique profession and perspective, I got about 50% of the way through before I put it down. Why? Let’s start at the beginning…. Vada and Dominic’s “meet cute” was captivating and full of chemistry. At the very beginning, he was aware of her profession but when his mother hires Vada for her own funeral ( as part of a long term plan to help Vada discover her past and Dominic to see Vada is his future), he loses his mind. Throughout the book his grief turns to an anger heat seeking missel . The way he treats her gets progressively worse. All of his friends and supporting characters even tell him Vada is a good person and undeserving of his ire, but he can’t seem to stop himself. To the point he goes to the cabin his mom stipulated that Vada renovate and gets into an argument with Vada which ends with him punching the wall. That was it for me. Skimming the following pages, she forgives him with very minimal grovel and signs that Dominic has learned to deal with grief.

3.5+ rounded up to a 4 - a quirky, funny read.

Vada has an unique job that leaves her in precarious situations, sometimes giving some 'lol' moments. When she is back in the small town of Shellport to fulfill a clients last wishes (part of her job) and being followed by her client's spirit. That spirit is a hoot, haha but also guiding Vada through some past trauma that Vada endured in the past.

MMC, Dominic was a twat-waffle through a good portion of this book, I am slightly mad about it. He is going through some stuff and while some of his attitude can maybe be justified (everyone deals with things differently), some things he did to Vada was just kind of like a "really?!" moment for me. Yes, this is an enemies to lovers book, I can't explain why I was not on board with some of his attitude, Vada is there just to do her job!? However, Vada - loved her. Stood her ground and faced the town despite what she knew they were all thinking about her. Tough cookie to say the least.

Thank you to Netgalley and Caitlin Moss for a e-copy of an ARC.

So I really didn't know what to expect from this book. A lot of novels follow the same patterns, which when you love a subject, it's still exciting even when you know a third-act breakup is up next. This book, however, was funny, thought-provoking, emotional and had trust the right amount of romance. It gave a new perspective on career that most people would never even think to highlight in a romance novel. Vada and Dominic are both strong lead characters, with so much depth, giving the book a great story line.

I will defiantly will be checking out Caitlin Moss' previous novels and I look forward to seeing this one be the topic of discussion for many in the coming months.

Grief, funerals, and being haunted by the ghost of someone who employed you are all difficult things to go through but those same things are what made this story so unique and interesting. I loved reading about someone who works as a professional mourner. I really liked Vada. She showed so much respect and actually grieved for the people who hired her to mourn her as a professional mourner. She was overall a great and lovable character.

Dominic and Vada’s feelings for each other alternated between attraction and hate towards each. His anger towards Vada became too much and he was too disrespectful towards her. He didn’t have good enough redeeming qualities for her to have forgiven him so easily. She was way too good for him.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book made me feel every emotion, from happiness to sadness and back again. I loved this cozy small town romance with a dash of mystery and paranormal bits mixed in! Vada was such a cool and relatable character. I felt her journey so deeply and watching her fall for Dominic was both hilarious and heartwarming. Now I’m crying, but only happy tears. 5 stars!!

I thought the synopsis of this book sounded really interesting, but I didn't expect to love it the way that I did and to read it in one sitting.

I've never read any books by the author previously, but I'll definitely be reading more.

Vada's job is definitely an unusual one, as a professional mourner, and so it could have easily became quite a morbid book but the author kept it surprisingly light, with some dark humour sprinkled through at times. I was not expecting to laugh and come close to crying as much as I did! There were definitely parts of the story that were just beautiful and emotionally sucker punched me in the best kind of way.

This was almost perfect and the only reason it didn't quite get the full marks was just for the way that Dunner spoke to Vada at times. I tried to put myself in his shoes and so I really do understand that grief can make us say things and act in a way that we wouldn't normally, coupled with the fact he thought Vada had scammed his mother. And I think I could have forgiven him for that, but then he also seems to question whether Vada is just too unconventional and weird for him and I just felt so protective of her🙈 it made me slightly question if he was good enough for her.

But this was still so enjoyable for me and I've already recommended it to others.
I loved the character of Annabelle especially and although she irritated Vada throughout, I think the reasons for everything she did became so clear and special and it was a great conclusion.

4.5⭐

Thank you to Netgalley and the author for the review copy, provided in exchange for an honest opinion.

I love books where the lead has an unusual job and what is more unusual than a Mourner for Hire. Whether you want to bring some extra drama and mystery to your funeral or just ensure you have at least one attendee, Vada is your girl. When she is hired by a woman with an extensive wishlist that will take months to complete, she cannot say no to the huge paycheck that will come with it. When she arrives at the funeral, she finds out that the son is no stranger, but the bartender once she shared a heated kiss and hasn't seen since. The situation seems tense, so let's throw in the ghost of the deceased to really put the pressure on Vada!

I loved every minute of this book! This is definitely a quirky romcom with a touch of mystery, but it also has so much depth. The various portrayals of grief and heartache and dealing with the tragedy of death are raw and honest, while simultaneously joyful and funny. I loved the main characters and their tension. I wouldn't necessarily classify it as enemies to lovers, but instead, "I can't stand you, but I want you".

Perfect read for spooky season and would recommend it to any romcom lover! Thank you Caitlin Moss for providing this arc via NetGalley.

Will be posting video review to Tiktok before the end of the month.

I was immediately drawn into this book because of the unusual nature of Vada's job. She is a "Mourner for Hire", which is more complex than you might think. She completes tasks for people after they've passed. It may be attending a funeral, pretending to be a long lost daughter, or sleeping at the cemetery.
Vada's mom died when she was 8 and she has repressed most memories of her childhood. When she's hired by a woman from her hometown, she begins to have snippets of her memory return.
This book has some great characters (here's looking at you, Anabelle), and a lot of emotional growth.
Overall, this was a quirky rom-com that wrecked me at the end.

Thanks to Netgalley and Caitlin Moss for an early copy for review.

Thanks so much to NetGalley and Caitlin Moss for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. I absolutely adored this read, and I’ll be reading more by the author and recommending it to friends.

* small coastal town
* fall vibes
* enemies to lovers
* deep emotional growth

Vada is the mourner for hire from the title. Due to emotional trauma stemming from losing her mother at a young age, she can’t remember her childhood at all. She channels her grief and confusion by providing comfort to people after their death, fulfilling their funereal wishes. This might be simply attending the funeral so that the dead are not alone, but it could also be much more humorous. She shares a moment with bar owner Dunner in Shellport, Oregon while meeting a new client. But almost a year later, when she returns to carry out the wishes of her client, she finds out Dunner is the son of the deceased. He knows what she does and he is angry, devastated and confused. Throw in a lengthy to-do list provided by the deceased and a ghost, and here we are.

There is so much emotional growth in this story. While working through her contractually obligated list of tasks, Vada recovers memories of her childhood and this emotional awakening guides the course of the story. At the same time, Dunner is navigating the crushing grief of losing his mother and blaming Vada for being there. She’s a scapegoat for his anger but no matter how angry he is, he can’t escape his physical attraction and emotional connection to her. There’s a strong cast of side characters and it creates a well-fleshed world. Both characters learn to heal as they learn to trust and love each other. The author does an amazing job showing the effects of grief and healing.