Add this to your spooky season TBR! Small town romance with a haunted house! Even has a little bit of spice sprinkled in. Love this one and can’t wait for more in the series! Thank you Berkley Publishing / Romance for my digital ARC!

Cassie moves to a small town in Florida and buys , what she doesn't realize as, a haunted house. The whole town of Boneyard Key is haunted and she isn't sure if she believes it but she has some odd things happen and she starts to question things. When she goes into the coffee shop to get some work done, she meets Nick, who also has his own ghosts (real and metaphorical).
Nick doesn't do relationships, I know, I know... but he feels a connection to Cassie he can't explain and is at the point where he wants to at least try. As their friendship and eventual relationship blossoms, something is trying to keep them apart and they have to find out if it is the ghosts or themselves.
I thought the ghost/paranormal aspect of this book was great and it was so interesting and I loved the mystery. I didn't, however, feel the connection between Nick and Cassie. They seemed more like friends and I didn't get a strong romance vibe, but that didn't keep me from loving the story.
Thanks to Berkley, Netgalley and Jen DeLuca for an early copy.

This was delightful!!! I loved the small town vibe and the fun paranormal twist. The ghosts added so much personality to the story and served as really great side characters. I enjoyed the FMC and MMC as well: they were funny together and had nice chemistry. I only wish that there had been some other conflict. Yes, Cassie’s house was haunted and they were figuring that out, but the real weirdness with that felt like it took a while to pop up beyond the outlet/laptop. I had it figured out much before the reveal, which was okay. I'm not sure what an additional conflict might have been, but the stakes could have been higher for me. That said, I really enjoyed how everything wrapped up! The ending felt well-paced and was super sweet all around.

Step into the spooky world of Boneyard Key, Florida, where ghosts and history intertwine seamlessly. Meet Nick Royer, the charming owner of Hallowed Grounds coffee shop, who shares his space with a ghostly roommate and embraces the eerie tourism that keeps the town alive. And hey, at least he saves on AC bills, right?👻

Meanwhile, newcomer Cassie Rutherford finds herself in a pickle after moving to Boneyard Key to escape the monotony of city life. Her quaint historic home seems to have a mind of its own, with mysterious happenings like her laptop refusing to charge and eerie messages popping up on her fridge. With Nick as her guide on a ghost tour, Cassie delves deeper into the town’s past, uncovering secrets that may just shake her to the core.👻

Get ready for a paranormal romance that will keep you on the edge of your seat. Dive into this captivating tale of love, ghosts, and unexpected twists that will leave you wanting more.👻

3.5/5 - Cassie has bought a home in the small town of Boneyard Key, what she didn’t know, was that the town is haunted and ghosts are always around. Cassie has moved, unbeknownst to her, into a home occupied by its previous resident. Nick, the local coffee shop owner has lived in Boneyard Key his whole life. He soon becomes enamoured with Cassie. Nick helps Cassie uncover some of the ghost stories in the town, but are they perhaps working on their own love story?

I enjoyed this quaint seaside town romance. Jen Deluca did a great job transporting me to Boneyard Key, I felt like I was there, exploring the town with Cassie. Nick and Cassie’s romance was cute, but I thought that the romance aspect of the story took a backseat to the rest of the story. I wanted more of the romance since this is dubbed a romance.

There is a bit of mystery here, and I enjoyed that. I would have liked to get more mystery even! I thought it was great that even though it was a mystery, it didn’t veer into suspense territory, and kept itself in the rom-com genre.

I did not expect the paranormal aspect, and I think it didn’t work for me. That is not the author’s fault, but mine, for missing it in the description. If you like a little bit of spooky, but in a cute spooky way, this may be the book for you! Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for a copy of this book. All opinions are 100% mine.

This one took a minute to get going. I wasn’t fully invested until the 40% mark.

I really enjoyed the mystery aspect. It kept me interested and engaged.

I wish the main characters had more chemistry. The romance as a whole felt like a side plot.

Overall, it was just fine. Wasn’t wowed. It started charming but unfortunately wasn’t consistent throughout.

Read if you like:
🧡Florida
🪄Paranormal romance
👻Ghost stories
🍌Banana bread
🔥Slow burn
🌹Roses
📝History

I went into this one pretty blind other than the synopsis, which didn’t really give me a feel for the story. (It wasn’t like anything I’ve read before and it all worked).

One haunted town in coastal Florida? Check.
Series starter!? Check.
Ghosts? Check.
Excellent Autum reading that isn’t spooky? Check.
Banter? Check.
Chemistry? Check.
Nick’s eyes? Check.

I grew up in a small East coastal town that drew a lot of tourist traffic and this is set in a small Florida coastal town that draws tourists - I could practically feel the humidity and smell the brine. I loved that. I found Haunted Ever After to be an adorable and fun read.

It was my first time reading the author although; It definitely won’t be the last.



Thank you to Berkley and NetGalley for the DRC

3.5/5 stars.

Well, this was FUN!

I love a small town story, and a cozy, seaside small town that’s also haunted? Double FUN.

I really enjoy Jen’s stories, and she’s really good at combining humor and romance in a charming setting and what results in the case of HUANTED EVER AFTER is a fun, enjoyable book.

HAUNTED EVER AFTER is the story of Cassie Rutherford and Nick Royer, and takes place in the fictional and ghost-inhabited tourist Flordia town of Boneyard Key. Cassie has recently moved (unknowingly) into a house occupied by a ghost of the town’s former resident. Nick, the local coffee shop owner, is soon captivated by newcomer Cassie, and the two embark on their journey of love, and the journey to uncover the secrets of Cassie’s house and the town of Boneyard Key.

First of all, I really appreciated this book’s acknowledgement of the superiority of Publix subs. This is very important and CORRECT.

I also loved this book’s sense of place — I *felt* like I was in Boneyard Key, like I was getting to know its residents and local haunts (pun intended). I loved the way this book felt familiar and cozy, while still full of spooky elements and ghost humor. Cassie and Nick’s relationship wasn’t something I was ~totally~ invested in, but overall, a fun read and a great new release from Jen DeLuca!

Thank you to Berkley and Netgalley for the e-ARC in exchange for my honest, unbiased review. HAUNTED EVER AFTER is out 8/13/24!

Thank you PRHaudio, Berkley and Netgalley for my gifted copy in exchange for an honest review.


I really enjoyed listening to this on audiobook. The narrator was really easy to listen to. This was dual pov, but one 1 narrator.

This was a unique storyline that kept things interesting. This would be the perfect spooky season read! I wasn’t as invested in the relationship as I was with this ghost story and history of the town!

This is how I like my ghost stories - not too spooky and focused on the people. It was such a pleasure to read, smooth, well written, funny and serious all at the same time.

Cassie has moved to Boneyard Key and moved into a recently flipped house where her laptop never keeps a charge. Nick owns the local cafe where Cassie comes to charge up on electricity and caffeine. And there's a charge between them, too.

I really liked their chemistry - It seemed like it was going to be a contentious relationship, but they immediately reset and fell into friendship with uncertainty about somethings more. The book is not a steamy book though there's definitely desire woven through out and one big scene toward the end.

What makes this book special is the ghosts. They have their own personalities and goals, but they don't overshadow the living. Elmer, at the cafe, is a hoot. There's set up work being done for one or two sequels, and I will gladly return to Boneyard Key to see how the residents (living and dead) are getting along.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I was so excited when Berkley finally approved one of my requests, and let me tell you, it was a good one!

I love books with a paranormal story, and this one hit the mark! I thought Cassie and Nick were so cute. They definitely had their work cut out for them as they navigated through all of the ghostly interference's! I loved the little town of Boneyard Key and how all the business had some type of "haunted" name.

This is the first book in a series, and I'll be looking forward to reading the next one!

Thank you, @netgalley and @berkleypub, for the #gifted e-arc of this book!

JEN DELUCA DOES IT AGAIN.

Her books are always my favorite—she’s a strong auto buy author for me. Her MCs are fun, well-developed, and so so adorable. This book is full of chemistry and squeal-worthy moments. I truly loved it and will be recommending it to my audience!

Rating: ★★★☆☆

Synopsis: "Haunted Ever After" by Jen DeLuca is set in a charming and spooky small town in Florida where romance meets the supernatural. The story follows Cassie Rutherford, who, feeling unsatisfied with her life, moves to the ghostly small town of Boneyard Key.

Strange events start happening to Cassie in her new home, such as messages on her fridge and issues with her laptop charging. To resolve the laptop issue, she visits the Hallowed Grounds coffee shop, owned by the grumpy and handsome Nick Royer. As they spend time together, they uncover the history of Cassie's house and its previous owners. Despite not seeking love, Cassie and Nick are attracted to each other.

The novel starts strong with charming characters and a witty, engaging setup. Cassie and Nick's chemistry and the quirky small-town atmosphere are initially captivating. However, the middle of the book feels slow and repetitive, lacking significant plot development. The supernatural elements are underutilized, and the final intimate scene between Cassie and Nick feels rushed and disconnected from the narrative. While Jen DeLuca's writing is witty and the characters likable, the story ultimately loses momentum, leading to a somewhat lacklustre conclusion. "Haunted Ever After" is a light, entertaining read that starts well but struggles to maintain its initial charm, earning it a three-star rating.

It was my first novel by Jen DeLuca and it won't be my last.

A massive thank you to Berkley & Netgalley for providing the ARC.

Jen DeLuca has always been an auto-buy author for me and I was so excited for this first book in a new small town Florida series! An enemies to lovers, dual POV, low angst paranormal romance that had unexpected disability rep (endometriosis, ovarian cysts and infertility) and has new to town, Cassie buying a newly renovated haunted house.

While Cassie doesn't hit it off well with grumpy coffee shop owner Nick right away, his free banana bread and wifi slowly warm her over and she finds herself falling for the charms of all the residents of Boneyard Key, those both alive and dead.

With the help of Nick and some of her other new friends, Cassie is able to help her new ghost roommate and the malevolent spirit she's been stuck living with for all of her afterlife. This was a slow burn, steamy delight that was also great on audio read by new to me narrator, Jeannie Sheneman.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Romance for an early digital copy and @prhaudio for a complimentary ALC in exchange for my honest review! I am excited for the next book in this series that is perfect for fans of authors like Sarah Adler and Ashley Poston!

I really enjoyed this fun and light summer romance. I enjoyed getting to know all of the characters, adored the ghosts, and loved the small beach town setting. The romance was well done and I loved all of the humor laced throughout the book.

Cassie was a character I was able to easily relate to. She is feeling stuck and left behind by her friends, and just really wants to make a huge change to her life. Finding herself in a haunted house wasn’t exactly what she was looking for, but she takes the whole haunting thing in stride, after a bit of a melt down first, and works really hard to make her new life work.

Nick is also in a bit of a rut, a romantic rut, but he was a character I instantly fell for. I loved his soft grumpy side, but I totally fell in love with him because of how he related to his own resident ghost, Elmer. I also appreciated how much Nick wanted Cassie to love his hometown as much as he did and really worked hard to show her that ghosts weren’t that bad.

I liked the slow way their romance developed, it really worked in this story. The ghosts were a big part of how their romance developed, especially the ones that inhabited Cassie’s house. There are some nice spicy kissing scenes throughout the book, but the two do not fully get together until almost the end of the book, and that is when things really get steamy. I was totally rooting for these two to make their relationship work.

The small beach town of Boneyard Key was delightful. The author does a great job of conveying that small town feel throughout the book. I also really liked how the ghost theme was used to great effect by the townspeople to get those tourist dollars. I always love a good ghost pun and there were a lot of them. There is a great supporting cast of characters that support both Cassie and Nick in their budding romance, and I enjoyed them all. I can’t wait to see which of them get their happily ever after next.

If you are looking for a light and breezy romance to read this summer, than this is a book you want to take a look at. It has a great cast of characters, a nicely done romance, and some ghosts that you will fall for as well.

I absolutely adored this book from Jen DeLuca! It's set in Florida and features all the things we love (and love to hate) about Florida.

Cassie watched her friends in Orlando move on to new stages in life without her. So she decided to buy a beachside cottage in Boneyard Key and start over in a small town. The town has made its reputation on being the most haunted town in America, but Cassie isn't convinced it is anything more than a marketing scheme to sell more junk to tourists. Until the magnetic poetry on her refrigerator starts rearranging itself and none of the outlets in her house will work to charge her computer.

I was worried this would be too spooky for me, but I promise it is not (and I am the world's biggest scaredy cat!). I actually really loved seeing Cassie make friends with her ghost, Sarah Hawkins, and her quest to learn more about Sarah's life. The romance between Cassie and Nick was a sweet slow burn and I really enjoyed their banter. The town of Boneyard Key is such a great small town setting and I hope to see more from DeLuca in this universe!

I voluntarily read a gifted copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

‘Did you drink outside coffee?’

I became an instant fan of this author with this book and can’t wait to dive into her backlist! The world she created in this book, Boneyard Key, captured my imagination right from page one and didn’t let go even after the final page was read. I was so happy to see that it’s listed as book 1 because there are still so many tales waiting to be told in this haunted town! I can’t wait if they’re all as fun and entertaining as Cassie (And Rachel) and Nick (And the mean guy’s) story is. And I really need to head south to try one of those Publix subs!

Haunted Ever After - ARC Review
⭐⭐⭐/5
.
WHAT I LIKED:
-Sarah Hawkins’ story/the ghost mystery
-The relationships the leads had with the ghosts
-The ghost vibes and mystery without it being scary/spooky
-The town history and the efforts to correct it
-The twists about Mr. Hawkins
.
WHAT I DIDN’T LIKE:
-Insta-Love: Nick and Cassie did not have very many scenes in which the were actually getting to know each other and then suddenly they said “I love you”
-Cassie's character Development was lacking: Not much is shared about her job, hobbies, or even personality. Anything about her past is really brief. I don't feel like I really know who she is.
-Poor endometriosis rep: Cassie mentions having endo once as a reason for not being able to have kids. It is never mentioned again - no symptoms, no grief…nothing. This is honestly terrible rep of endo. Not being able to have kids is only one part of this nasty chronic illness. It was not represented well at all. Many people have loads of symptoms and go years without a diagnosis. It is not something only deserving of one sentence. It takes over people's lives and is not just about fertility issues.
-Inner monologue and dialogue: both very repetitive
.
Thank you @netgalley for my eARC copy. I was given this eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

GHOSTS AND GIRLBOSSES!!!
Picture a small Stars Hollow like beach town centered around the tourism of their beloved ghosts. Everyone in town knows the history until a city girl buys an old haunted house and finds out the real truth of Boneyard Key.
We got ghosts, cozy beach town vibes, rich history, a paranormal mystery, and last but not least- a super single super hot coffee shop owner who takes after Luke Danes himself!!

Language: R (254+ swears, 22+ "f"); Mature Content: R; Violence: PG+
I quit reading at the sex scene, which happens near the end of the book after the big battle with the ghost.
The mature content rating is for alcohol use, some intense kissing scenes, groping, nudity, and sex. The violence rating is for mild scary ghost elements (hauntings, possession, exorcism, et cetera) and mentions of corpses, murder, and domestic violence.