I really enjoyed Jen DeLuca's book Well Met, and I was disappointed to be denied review copies for the other books in the series. That being said, I saw Haunted Ever After, and I got excited about a new book by her. Unfortunately, I struggle a little with magical realism as a genre. So I firmly placed Haunted Ever After in the fantasy column in my mind, which I don't have any issues reading. This might not make sense to anyone else, but that's what works for me.

Cassie buys a house in Boneyard Key, Florida, because she works remotely. The price for a recently renovated beachside condo was too good to pass up, and she realized the cost was likely due to some unseen issues associated with the house. Likely a ghost. Boneyard Key is a town where ghosts stick around instead of passing on when they die. Cassie thought this was a tourist attraction, but she learned it was real.

Nick grew up in Boneyard Key. His family is one of the original families in the town. And well, he knows the ghosts are real because he lives with one. He owns the coffee shop Hallowed Grounds, which Cassie often comes to plug in her dead laptop. They get to know each other, and of course, there is attraction.

The drama comes when Cassie learns that her house is haunted. She didn't grow up with ghosts, and she's unsure if she wants to continue to share her home with a ghost. Nick has been hurt by others leaving him in the past, so he's worried about getting too close to Cassie only for her to leave. I have to say I didn't get why Cassie and Nick were "in love." Attraction, sure. But I didn't feel they shared enough to have reached the love stage.

One thing I wasn't expecting to like as much as I did was the subtle lesson about seasons in life. Cassie used to fit into her friend group before she moved. But now, most of her friends are in a different season of life. They're married and have kids now. Everyone can relate to friendships growing apart. People are often only in our lives for a season. We grieve when the season is over, but trying to force the season to stay usually does more damage than moving forward. It doesn't work any better than trying to hold onto summer as the weather transitions into fall and then winter.

Haunted Ever After was entertaining once I placed it in the fantasy genre in my mind. I wasn't surprised by the "twists." I did find Haunted Ever After a little predictable. But in this case, I didn't mind. Cassie and Nick had a quick relationship for me that went a little too fast, but I rooted for them all the same. I liked the history Jen DeLuca gave to the town and its residents and ghosts. Haunted Ever After gets 3.5 Stars. Have you read Haunted Ever After? What did you think? Let me know!

👻Book review 👻

Haunted Ever After
by Jen DeLuca



"Haunted Ever After" by Jen DeLuca is a delightful blend of romance and ghostly intrigue set in the charming, haunted town of Boneyard Key, Florida. Cassie Rutherford moves to this coastal town, buying a historic cottage only to discover it’s haunted. She forms a connection with Nick Royer, the local coffee shop owner, as they delve into the mysteries of her new home. The story is engaging, with heartwarming moments at times and spicy scenes later on , slow-burn romance, and a unique, spooky twist that kept me hooked.
The found family vibe of the town, including its ghostly residents, adds warmth and depth. What i enjoyed more was the fact that the author is not doing anything over the top in here, the ghostly storyline doesn’t take over and it gives so much more momentum and room for the romance to grow and bloom into a beautiful story.
DeLuca's writing brings Boneyard Key to life, making it a perfect read for fans of cozy, paranormal romances.

“That meeting could have been an e-mail.”
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I knew I was going to like Cassie from that very first line. This was a fun rom com with all the ghosty vibes and mystery I was craving! Full of endearing characters (we’re getting a book for Theo and Sophie right??), and opinionated ghosts, it was the perfect start to spooky season!
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I will say the story/mystery is predictable and the confrontation at the end fell flat for me, but overall it was a fun read!

Many thanks to @berkleyromance and @prhaudio for the #gifted digital and audio copies - below is my honest review.

Cassie Rutherford is leaving Orlando behind and looking to start fresh. She finds a fantastic deal on a historic cottage in Boneyard Key, a quaint coastal town that has embraced the lore of it being a haunted town - from haunted walking tours to all of the local shops embracing spooky names; ghostly tourism is the small town's economic engine. But when Cassie realizes that the townspeople believe they can communicate with ghosts, she questions her move. But then her refrigerator poetry magnets start rearranging into ominous phrases, her laptop refuses to charge, and she's wondering if there might be a haunted reason she got a deal on her house. All of this is how she finds herself spending mornings at the Hallowed Grounds coffee shop, owned by Nick Royer. In between working and laptop charging, they strike up a rapport. As her connection to Nick grows, so does her understanding of this unique community, where not all residents are visible. As Cassie, Nick, and their friends delve into the haunting of Cassie's cottage, they uncover new truths about their tiny town.

If you are looking for a sweet & spicy slow-burn romance with a fun ghost story for a spooky season, this is a lot of fun. I enjoyed DeLuca's imaginary town of Boneyard Key and all of the lore she built around it. Cassie and Nick's romance was fun to explore as they were tentative and had insecurities. My favorite part of the story is the found family vibe of the entire town - people and ghosts - and the lengths they will go to to take care of each other. I am already looking forward to the next book! (Please say it's Theo's book!)

The audiobook is narrated solo, and Jeannie Sheneman does a lovely job of narrating both Cassie's and Nick's POVs.

Jen DeLuca introduces us to the charming and haunted town of Boneyard Key in her new series. I fell in love with Cassie and Nick, as well as their ghost roommates. With great secondary characters (I can't wait to see which couple is in the next book), this is a warm, cozy romance, best read with a slice of banana bread!

This was a fun book, and I really appreciated the opportunity to read it! I will recommend this book.

This is everything I want in a romance novel - humor, grounded history, high romantic tension, and ghosts. There’s always room for ghosts in romance.

Cassie moves to Boneyard Key for a fresh start and a house she can actually afford; it’s supposedly the most haunted city. When her laptop refuses to charge she ends up at the local coffee shop run by Nick, local grump. They strike up banter as she returns over and over for perfect hazelnut lattes and his electricity and wifi. Cassie learns each day that Boneyard Key is actually haunted, and that includes her own house.

Boneyard Key is great and I love the history and all the possibilities of stories. Cassie and Nick are great and the build up between them is so sweet. I enjoyed every minute of this.

Haunted Ever After by Jen Deluca is the 1st book in her new Boneyard Key series. The story centers around Boneyard Key, a haunted small town in Florida, that is known for its ghostly tourism. We meet Cassie Rutherford, who has recently purchased a historic cottage, and learns more about the town vibes, with some of the haunted houses that help the tourism in the town. Cassie thinks that the haunted places are not real, just giving the tourists a chance to visit.

Soon after she moves in, Cassie senses unusual things happening in her house; such as her laptop won’t charge up, other electrical issues, and soon her refrigerator leaves magnet messages from a ghost, who used to own the house. Cassie ends up going each morning for very good coffee and banana bread, at Hallowed Grounds local café, meeting the café owner, Nick; she also is able to get her laptop to work in the café. Nick goes out of his way to teach Cassie about the history of Boneyard Key, as well as talking about the ghosts that are possibly residents in town, or the cemetery across the lake.

Nick has his own ghost, Elmer, who texts him or talks in his head; Elmer was the previous owner of the Café, and he is a fun ghost, who tries to advise Nick. Cassie slowly begins to understand how The Hawkins House does have their own ghosts, especially after Sarah (the previous owner) leaves her those magnet messages. It was fun to see when Cassie watches a romantic tv show, Sarah in the background (she is unseen) also watches. Every-time Nick comes to visit Cassie, he gets strange static vibes, and in time they all discover that there is a mean spirit who rules the house and Sarah.

I really liked Cassie and Nick together, and I loved her friends, Libby and Sophia, as well as Libby’s grandmother, Nan: Nick’s cook, and two nice ghosts (Elmer & Sarah). It is Nan who is able to use her witch powers to try and stop the evil ghost. I will say that this was a slow burn romance for more than half the book, with Nick befriending and helping Cassie with her ghostly issues.

Cassie, with help from Libby and Sophia, will get Nan to perform her abilities to find a way to get rid of the evil presence in the house; the key was getting Nick to agree, since the bad man took over his body, and it was Cassie who will stand up to protect Nick, and defeat evil.
Haunted Ever After was a wonderful and fun story, that had a paranormal element (ghosts), which was entertaining from start to finish. I like that Sarah would still be around, but sad that Elmer finally moved on. Cassie needed to decide if she was going to stay in Boneyard Key, but once Nick told her he loved her, and she responded the same; and embrace their life in the ghostly community. Haunted Ever After was very well written by Jen Deluca. I can’t wait to see what happens in the next book, with a few ladies having possible romances.

Huge thank you to @berkleypub @berittalksbooks @thephdivabooks @dg_reads @librofm and @netgalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

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After just returning from a week in Florida this was a perfect Florida book!
Cassie decides to leave Orlando behind and head to a small Florida town called Boneyard Key known more for their ghost tours than their theme parks.
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When she hides out at the local coffee shop she meets the grumpy barista/owner. Nick doesn’t stay grumpy long. After Cassie tells him about the issues in her house he fills her in on the ghost stories of the town and perhaps they are more than just stories. This was a sweet paranormal cozy mystery with some romance.
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This was such a cute romcom with a side of ghosts! Cassie moved to Boneyard Key after getting a deal on a house. When she arrived in town, she realized the locals took their haunted history to the next level and really leaned into the ghost thing. Except, why was her house so cheap and why didn’t her laptop ever seem to charge at home? But the cute barista owner down the street had coffee and WiFi, so it wasn’t a total loss.
I thought this was a fun story with a little bit of a ghost mystery and great small town characters. And having just moved to Florida, I appreciated the ode to Publix Subs!
Overall, this was cute with just a hint of spice at the end, and I enjoyed the ghost drama. I definitely recommend it if you’re looking for something light and fun and appreciate a little bit of paranormal in your contemporary romcoms.

This was such a lovely book. I loved the imagery and the setting. The Florida coast seemed dreamy and the town of Boneyard Key was charming. The romance was cozy and I was delighted at the ghostly chaos. I have loved Jen DeLuca’s other books and this new series did not disappoint. I’m eager to see the rest of the series unfold.

My ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This book gives super strong Luke and Lorelei vibes, Luke especially. And I am here for it. I loved all of the Well Met series and was excited yet apprehensive to move on to a new town and theme because what if the secret said was no longer there? I needn’t have worried. This book instantly hooked me and now I can’t wait for the next one and to find out who is next. Will it be Libby/ Ramon? Sophia/Theo? Maybe Nick’s sister Courtney will come back to town as a wildcard. So many options! This is going to be another one of those series where the town is a living breathing character and I’m going to stop in the middle of the day and wonder what’s happening in Boneyard Key today as if it’s a real place and this book wasn’t fiction. The Rumble and the Glory by JA Huss has been doing this to me too.

Such a good comfort read! I love spooky supernatural books that have more of a whimsical feel, and this one definitely does. The characters are so fun and real, and even the spirits stand out as their own quirky little parts of the cast. I could feel taste and smell the Floridian coastline, and it made me miss home in the best way.

3.7 ⭐️

I’m so in love with all of the supernatural romances coming out! This one was really fun and I absolutely love the set up for the series.

• small town
• grumpy / sunshine
• 🌶️/5

Okay, ngl. When Nick freaked out before the first 50% I got the major ick. And overall, I feel like the romance took a backseat in this story. There was a lot of plot and set up for the series so I get that, but damn. I really didn’t feel anything between Cassie and Nick at all. Their chemistry was non-existent and her forgiving him felt wrong at the time. Though I knew we were supposed to guess what was happening to him, it still felt forced between the main characters.

Small town rom com, fun ghosts, grumpy but hot MMC, and a little bit of a mystery! DeLuca gave us a bit of everything in this one book and I adored it!

Cassie leaves Orlando for a fresh start and moves to a small but very quirky coastal town (I've bet you have heard this plot before once or twice.... or a few hundred times if you are a big reader like me). But this tale has a TWIST... the entire town is haunted and has a spooky backstory and possibly evil ghosts! Turns out Cassie (skeptic) not only moved to a haunted town but her house is haunted by a ghost who claims its HER house (and she might of killed her husband...).

Then enters Nick... grumpy but handsome coffee shop owner who deals with his own ghost - but the good kind - that gives him endless business and relationship advice. Cassie and him grow closer as she's forced to use the coffee shop's wifi.

I absolutely ADORED this small, spooky town and it's (living & dead) inhabitants. But I will be honest - I was WAY more intrigued by the ghosts of the town and the mystery of what the ghost in Cassie's house wanted and her history in the town's past. For once, I wanted to skip the romantic scenes to get to the good stuff - THE GHOSTS.

This is a SLOOOOWWWW burn. Expect a whole lot of nothing except for a few brief scenes - but if you don't care about the lack of spice I will say it's worth it. I loved the way the relationship blossomed and how events from their past affected their relationship. The ending was done extremely well and I loved how the characters ended up.

The ending also WRECKED ME due to one thing (iykyk - but not related to MCs). I will never be okay after what DeLuca put me through with that plot twist.

4 STARS

I cannot wait to see what else Boneyard Key has to offer with this seemingly to become a series. I have a feeling who the next books will be about and I hope I am right!

I highly recommend this one for those who love a good ghostly rom com, small town romance and slow burn romance. This would make the perfect book for halloween romance readers!

Big thanks to Jen DeLuca, Berkley and NetGalley for a copy of this book in exhchange for my honest opinons!

When I saw that this story took place in Florida (where I’m from), I immediately knew I had to check it out. I’m so glad I did because this book is utter cuteness. The perfect palate cleanser after reading a few dark romantasies back to back.

A contemporary romance with a haunted twist, this story is full of likable characters (including ones that are no longer living…👻), mystery, heartache, and personal growth.

The romance was cute but honestly what I loved most about the story were the characters (including the side characters) and the setting (the tourist digs, the sunsets, the historic small town). It felt like Jen really captured what it feels like living in FL. I could relate which was really cool.

I didn’t like that the two MCs spent most of the book at odds and then said “I love you” at the end. I loved their banter, their dates, and their spicy moments but I guess I just didn’t feel that depth to their relationship/feelings by the time they declared their love for each other.

With that said, I still highly recommend this story if you’re in the mood for a cozy small town romance with mild spice (one scene) for spooky season. The ghosts are the best and the warm fuzzy feels you get from this story are worth it.

Read if you like:
👻small town romance
👻Florida
👻charming characters (including ghosts)
👻hauntings, historic towns, ghost tours
👻endometriosis rep
👻swoony kisses and mild spice (one scene)
👻banter

I received an advanced review copy in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions in this review are my own.

I normally love this author but I feel like this one was so boring. I just couldn’t get into this book at all, I thought a spooky rom com would just be so fun, but this was not really it.

I really enjoyed the small town + (mostly) friendly ghosts vibe of Haunted Ever After. However the romance never really got me and the pacing felt off. I’ll be interested to read the next in this series though - I want more of the town and side characters - maybe it will be Libby? Thank you to the publisher for the free book to review.

I really liked the book. It’s about Cassie, who has moved from Orlando to Boneyard Keys and has learned that her new house and her new town is haunted. Cassie meets the owner of the coffee shop, Hallowed Grounds, Nick and they have a spark. He shares information about the town with her and helps her research the original owners of her house.

I had a great time with it, I loved the haunted elements, the small town, the ghosts we meet, and the clear set up for what I hope is book two! Definitely would recommend to my fellow contemporary romance and paranormal romance fans

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for providing the ARC.

Oooh, this is the exact type of ghosty rom-com I needed for this year's spooky season.

I am a huge Jen DeLuca fan girl and she never fails to disappoint. This book was so much fun, from an awkward meet cute/ugly between the grumpy coffee shop owner and the woman who just purchased what amounts to be the most haunted house in the town labeled as the "Most Haunted Small Town in Florida." Sparks fly, until a heavy dose of skepticism sets in - is this place *really* haunted, or is everyone just playing it up for touristy gimmicks?

Nick and Cassie were too die for (no pun intended), and I absolutely loved their story, especially with all the spooky hijinks, somewhat perverted ghosts, and even a mystery of what actually happened all those years ago. I loved how Nick, despite his past, was more than willing to open up to Cassie and build something with her. And I loved that Cassie who felt like she was barely a blip on anyone's radar found home, friends, and a family with him and the rest of the folks in Boneyard Key. And if the ghosts had some hand in the matchmaking, well...

Overall, this book is not to be missed, especially if you like spooky romantic comedies, and double especially if you are already a fan of DeLuca's work. It will be a definite reread this fall!