Cute stuff! Setting was adorable and I think the ghosty bits were really well handled. I never wondered about the rules of the magical realism world. Nick and Cassie themselves felt a little flimsy though.

I’m so excited for this new series. This first book is a great start. Cassie just moved to a small town in Florida that thrives on it being the most haunted. She thinks it’s just something they do to get tourists to visit. Shortly after moving in to her new home, however, she realizes it’s not a ploy. She starts going to the local coffeehouse because her laptop won’t stay charged, and meets the owner, Nick. He shows her around town and explains how the ghosts work. This has the small town vibes of friendships and a slow burn romance with a touch of the paranormal. I enjoyed meeting all the characters and watching Cassie come to terms with her ghostly roommate. This book just made me happy, which you can’t ask for anything more.

Big Thank you to Berkley and Jen DeLuca for an e-ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

I feel like I should mention as a Floridian I typically stay away from books that take place in my home state. However, I love Jen DeLuca. The woman knows how to write a great love story. Let me tell you folks, Haunted Ever After was no exception. Honestly it’s now my all time favorite book from her. Which is insane to me because i literally went in not having many expectations.

I think what made this a top book for me was the fact that Haunted Ever After isn’t just a romcom. No this book has a little bit of everything. We have a cozy mystery, slow burn romance, paranormal elements and laugh out loud characters. This book was so different than anything I’ve ever read before. I definitely cannot wait til my preorder of this book comes in, and if you hadn’t already caught on I recommend you pre-order as well ;)

I think the only thing about this book that may have people grumbling is the lack of spice. Sorry Booktok Smut girlies this may not be for you. I’m not saying it has zero spice, but I know how Booktok gets. This is a slow burn romance and the romance definitely comes second in the plot. Which I usually would have a problem with. However, Jen DeLuxa kept me captivated in solving the Hawkins mystery. Plus the characters Nick, Theo, Cassie, Sophie know how to steal your heart. Especially Elmer that man holds my whole heart 🥰😂

Romance in a nice little haunted town sounds like a good cozy bid for a summer beach read, right? Yes. Yes, it does. Cassie is working remote from her new house. It's a new start for her and for the house as well. Her friends are all having kids and moving on without her, and she's got to find a new route forward. Nick's running a coffee shop down the street, and because Cassie's laptop won't charge in her house, she meets up with him regularly. Sparks! The charming parts of modern romances these days are the trappings. A strong setting (everything in this town is haunted, and ghosts are a known quantity) and some charming side characters (the former coffee shop owner who won't stop texting Nick, in particular) are the standout elements here. This is an excellent beach read. Remember to hydrate, and take some water for a guest, too.

A cute book about Cassie, who moves to boneyard, Florida. I enjoyed the ghost element, perfect romance to read in October. However, I did find it a bit slow at times and felt the romance was lacking. Overall, a cute book!

A perfectly palatable book. Nothing to write home about, but fun in the moment! I loved the paranormal aspect of this, and it was definitely the most engaging part of the story. Unfortunately, the romance fell flat for me, which is why this is only 3 stars.

Thank you for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

A cute fast read! I found myself losing interest about halfway through, but each time I found myself back to the book it would reel me back in for a short time before I lost it again. I didn’t feel a big connection to the characters and was hoping I was going to like the book as a whole more. The story of it was super intriguing but I didn’t feel inclined to solve the mystery of anything going on.
2/5⭐️
2/5 🌶️

As soon as I saw that Jen DeLuca had a new book out, I knew I needed to read it as soon as possible and it did not disappoint. Stepping away from the Renaissance Fair environment that her other books. Have you get a bit of a paranormal twist! That was so much fun to read in a summer romance book.

Cassie through a course of events purchases and moves into what is considered The most haunted house in small town, Florida. She also needs Nick who is the owner of this house. The two grow closer and when Cassie is drawn into The haunting and mystery ghost aspects of this housr. Nick starts teaching Cassie the history of the town and the house.

This book gives you cozy Hallmark romance aspects mixed in with some Sabrina the Teenage Witch vibes but the original TV version, not the Netflix version. This was such a fun, comforting, warm book to read.

What a major departure from the Well Met series! Not a Ren Faire in sight. I feel like I've been reading a lot of contemporary romances that are completely realistic except for, like, one supernatural/paranormal element. This one is much heavier on the supernatural - our female main character Cassie literally lives in a haunted house, and her love interest Nick has a ghost for a roommate. I thought this was a pretty fun blending of pretty typical contemporary romance plot with a ghost story, and I really loved the way that Cassie was able to untangle the history of her cottage in Boneyard Key and change the locally accepted story of the woman who lived here. Little things I really enjoyed: the ghost in Cassie's house communicates with her through magnetic poetry and loves the Love Island-style reality show that Cassie watches; Nick's roommate and the former owner of the coffee shop he runs gives him lots of advice on what to bake; the whole town of Boneyard Key seems adorable and reads like a haunted Floridian version of Stars Hollow. I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this completely new direction from Jen DeLuca, and I'm hoping she might revisit Boneyard Key. Content warning for references to intimate partner violence and lots of sexism (from a ghost).

If you’ve ever wondered how a ghost story with an exorcism can be romantic then this book is the one for you. I absolutely loved it. First, I’m a Floridian and there are some very niche small towns in Florida which cater to the supernatural, I loved that. Two, the author wrote a legit love ode to a Publix chicken tender sub, which made me so happy.
On to the couple, Cassie and Nick which I absolutely adored. Cassie is the skeptical newcomer while Nick is the small town resident who owns the coffee shop. Think Luke from Gilmore Girls. Their first interaction was hilarious.
Then there’s a very important secondary character, Sarah Hawkins who becomes Cassie’s new best friend even though it’s a spirit with a lot of baggage. Cassie decides to help Sarah in the afterlife, realizing that no one helped her when she was alive. A legit 5 ⭐️

I loved the cozy mystery feel of this book. The romance was not the main plot which was surprising since it was the center of Jen’s Ren Faire themed books and I expected the same flow here. It was nice to see something a little different from Jen. This will be a great spooky season read. Loved it.

Haunted beach read???? What more could I ask for. I absolutely adored this read and enjoyed every second. The main characters were lovable and the setting was the bomb. I need more!!

ARC Review: Haunted Ever After by Jen DeLuca
Pub Date: August 13, 2024
Thank you to @berkleyromance for the eARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I have been absolutely loving paranormal romances and was super excited to see this take from Jen DeLuca - I read her renaissance faire series and really enjoyed those books.

Cassie has just bought a house and moved to a coastal Florida town known for being haunted. Cassie's not exactly a believer until she bonds with the locals and starts learning more and more...oh yeah, and her house is totally haunted by a previous inhabitant. Local Nick Royer is drawn to Cassie immediately but is worried that she won't stick around for long once she hears the truth about Boneyard Key. But yet he continues to show her around town and wants her to feel welcome.

I fear this may be a bit of a polarizing book to be honest! I REALLY enjoyed it and got very into the mystery of it but I do think traditional romance readers are going to struggle that the romance sometimes takes a back burner to the rest of the plot. I thought the balance worked for me in this context and worked well with the plot in general. It's a slowwww burn and they do get cock-blocked by ghosts multiple times - so just a word of warning when you pick this up to expect a bit more of a mix of romance and mystery/town history.

Haunted Ever After was a super cute book! I loved that the FMC Cassie was relatable, and I really felt like I would react like she did when spooky things occurred. The MMC Nick is funny, and the paranormal aspect made me want to read this during the fall. I will definitely be handselling this book this fall season!

After loving Jen DeLuca’s Well Met series, I have been eagerly waiting to pick up her next read. The synopsis of this had me excited to dive back into another small town romance, but overall it missed the mark for me. I did not feel the chemistry between the FMC and MMC, and I struggled with the pacing overall. I did enjoy the development of the side characters throughout.

Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin Random House for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book was cozy. That's the best way I could describe it. It's refreshing and a quick easy read. The perfect amount of spooky vibes for the fall.

Jen DeLuca is an autoread author for me. I've read every book she's published and I really enjoyed this one. The writing was great, the plot interesting and the characters lovable. I love the idea of a haunted town with people so used to the Ghosts it barely phases them.

I will say that the pacing was a bit weird. I felt like some parts were rushed, and others dragged. Apart from that, another great read from Jen DeLuca.

Cozy haunted beach read with a haunted coffee shop setting?! Love it. Loved everything about it. Elmer the baking guru. Nan the ghost whisperer. Nick the controversial cinnamon adder.
The perfect fall read.

Thanks to NetGalley and Berkley for this eARC!

This was fun! If you're a non-horror, gentle spooky season enthusiast, you might like this one! Boneyard Key was a fun little town to visit, but even though I ultimately enjoyed it, this one didn't quite qrab me the same way as Jen Deluca's renaissance faire titles. I do think she was writing this for the <i>Practical Magic</i> girlies (gender neutral) and I always appreciate non-scary Halloween titles.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher , and Jen DeLuca for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I jumped at applying for this one when I saw who the author was! Well Met was one of my favorite reads last year. So to be honest, I did not really bother reading the blurb for this before I dived in. Took me a minute to realize this was actually a paranormal romance! So much fun.

I will say, the romance takes a bit of a backseat to the ghost story plot. That’s not negative for me, I was enjoying both parts of the book. It took a little bit for me to get into this book, but once it got rolling, I was having a good time reading it. I would’ve enjoyed a little more definition in the side characters. And I definitely ended up feeling some things about a certain ghost that I did not expect to feel.

Definitely worth a read this spooky season!

I was very excited to read the start of a new series by Jen Deluca. This one was cute and had some funny moments. The ghost aspect was a bit stranger than I’d hoped for. I also felt like the story was a bit longer than needed. About the last 50 pages, I was ready for the end. I will probably pick up the next book because I did enjoy the characters and we have likely met the main character(s) for the next book.