A cozy and spooky atmosphere, perfect for halloween season and fans of a seaside/beach town with a paranormal twist.

First, I am a huge Jen Deluca fan and when I discovered she was releasing a book that is set on the beach with a town that is apparently haunted I knew I had to read and request an arc as soon as possible. This book is different from Jen Deluca's Renfair season and I really appreciated how unique this book felt. I am rating this a low 4 star so let's get into what I liked and disliked.

For a lot of this book it felt like we were meandering during the story and that Jen wasn't sure what she wanted the story to focus on. We had a strong setting and atmosphere, the plot was okay but took way too long to get started, and the romance took a major backseat to everything. The plot overall was compelling and I liked how it was low angst with no high stakes however with this being the plot I expected more from the romance. The romance is by far the weakest part about this novel. I didn't really care about Nick and didn't see how the two love interests had any chemistry. There was no development in their relationship and things moved way too fast for my liking. I wish Jen had spent more time crafting their romance and story. It overall felt super lackluster.

Something else that bugged me was that in the beginning you get told how the heroine has started to feel like an outsider because all her friends have become mothers and leave her out; it doesn't help that the heroine can't have children either. However after the 30% mark there's no more discussion on that. There's no discussion of how her friends treat her, no discussion on how the heroine feels about not having kids, and I just expected it to be a bigger discussion in the book since it was talked about so much in the beginning. Yet we got nothing once the mystery element of the book picked up. The book just overall was not well paced and I feel like I was just wanting more.

What I did really enjoy and the reason the rating is a four stars is because of the setting and our heroine. I really loved the atmosphere of this book and how spooky it was. I loved how our heroine was looking for a new start only to end up in a haunted house lol but as she comes to understand and learn about her roommate ghost, you really see her start to come into her own and start feeling comfortable with this new start. I also saw a ton of potential for other books in the series and really hope the next couple is Theo and Sophie.

I also just found this book so charming and cozy. I really enjoyed how Cassie became friends with other people in the town and enjoyed that element. The ending was also super sweet and wholesome and part of the reason it bumped from a 3 to 5. I

I do see how a lot of people might not like this book because the romance is so lacking. I wouldn't even call it lit fic because it didn't really handle any heavy topics. I am excited for books in this world tho and will read anything Jen Deluca writes!

This was a delightfully haunted romcom in which a woman relocates to a small town that she doesn't realize is full of the supernatural, including ghostly characters in her own house that meddle with her work and her love life. It's a charming romp with just the right amount of romance and ghosts.

Haunted Ever After is a fun read that is a perfect, cozy mix of (mostly) friendly ghosts and romance. This story takes place in a haunted town in Florida, where it’s difficult to buy a piece of real estate that doesn’t have a phantom friend attached. The main character, Cassie, encounters this problem when she moves to town. The story follows her experiences with the town’s haunts while sparking a romance with the local coffee shop owner, Nick.
This book was a warm and cheerful little palate cleanser for me, and, as someone who thinks anything in life can be improved with a little spookiness added, I just loved the overall mood of the book! I wish I could book myself tickets to Boneyard Key asap!

I was literally thinking about Jen DeLuca the other day and then I remembered I had this to read and was all excited again.

Haunted Ever After is a pretty unique jump away from the Well Met series and I loved how different it was from what I've been reading. Cassie moves to Boneyard Key (what a name) in hopes to fill this void that she's felt for a while now. While all of her friends are off getting married and having kids, she feels like the boring, single friend who is losing relevancy because she's not where everyone else is. Alone and lonely, she hopes this new home will bring her the peace she needs but she's off to a rocky start when she can't even get her laptop charging. Resorting to the nearest source of free wifi, she finds herself in Nick's cafe.

Nick has lived here his whole life and is basically a legacy child. His family is one of the founding fifteen and he doesn't take that lightly. When Cassie walks in, assuming she's another passing through he isn't the most hospitable. When she tells him she's the newest resident of Hawkins House, he realizes he jumped the gun a little bit. The town's most mysterious haunted house has been left vacant for a while and Cassie's being there makes its way around town. Not one to believe ghost stories, Cassie thinks nothing of it until she is faced with undeniable evidence. Now she's worried the house isn't big enough for the two of them but is determined to set things right. Turns out, she's not the only one in town talking to dead people.

Now, there is ONE PART that had me literally walking away from the book. Then I remembered I was reading a ghost story and was like okay I'll give it a second and thankfully, I was right. But damn I was read to throw hands LOL. Cassie and Nick were actually really cute and I LOVED the paranormal element to this. This is a great October read for anyone who loves spooky season but doesn't really liked to be spooked (me). It just read really well and all of our characters were so enjoyable. NO THIRD ACT BREAKUP FOLKS!! I'M HAPPY TO REPORT!

Loved this. I can't wait for my next Jen book.

If I was to describe this book in one word, it would be surprising. I was reading along about a small town built with a ghostly tourist shtick and then learned the truth about Elmer. To say I was mystified would not be an understatement. I absolutely did not see his truth coming. That surprise I felt there set the tone for many similar shocks as I kept reading. The truth out the town with the living and the dead “living” alongside one another was another town. Cassie, our FMC, was of a similar belief that she was living in a tourist town that had built their rep on “haunting.” Like her, I did not expect actual ghosts even though the book was listed as a paranormal and a ghost with Elmer’s unique skill set even funnier. That common thought process made relating to Cassie simple. I could only imagine how I would feel if I was learning ghosts lived in my town. I felt like I was learning along with her about a whole new world within our world.
Nick and Cassie’s relationship was cute from the tiff at the start to the first kiss, we were along for the ride as their relationship blossomed. Their relationship felt more natural than these stories with instalove. While a presence, real or ghostly, tried to keep them apart, their relationship developed with him seeming to fall first. Another surprise for me and this was on the relationship side was Nick asking why he could not be enough for his previous relationship. As a woman, I know woman ask that question, so it was enlightening to have a man share that perspective.
Cassie has moved to Boneyard Key to build a new life after feeling displaced in her previous one. It was fun to watch her make friends with the living and the dead. Those friends helped her and Nick find a truth and maybe free a ghost from a story that was not hers. With a town full of quirky residents, will the author bring us back to Boneyard Key? If she does, I am ready for more surprises so I will come back to. The book was a bit of a departure for me and I did consider not finishing I at first but I kept reading and am glad I did. If you read as many books as I do, it is hard to be truly surprised by a turn in the book but I was so I say to the author, “Nicely Done.”
Thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for the opportunity to read this ARC.

We all know how much I love Jen DeLuca. This was everything I needed and then some! Funny, charming, cute and cozy. Loved it!

Jen DeLuca is one of my autobuy authors. And this book is just as good as her Renn faire titles - full of humor and sweetness. Whenever people ask me for a recommendation, I direct them to Jen's works.

This was my first time reading this author and I had a great time. The cover is what caught my eye, then when I read the blurb, I was hooked. I love a good paranormal/ghosty romance and this book did not disappoint.

Our FMC, Cassie, moves to Boneyard Key from Orlando, trying to find her spot in the world. All her friends and coworkers are entering into the next phase of life (kids, homes, spouses) but Cassie is still single and feeling a little left out. After putting in way too many offers on houses, she finally buys a house in Boneyard Key. Little does she know she's going to have a ghostly roommate. While trying to work from home, Cassie finds herself visiting the local coffee shop that's owned by Nick, a Boneyard Key lifer who knows all about the paranormal side of the town. What starts as a friendship blossoms into a romance, but someone in town doesn't want them together. Can Cassie, Nick, and their friends figure out the mystery before it's too late?

I loved this book. I loved the small town feel, the paranormal aspect, and the characters. The mystery was fantastic and kept me hooked. I seriously couldn't put this book down. There was just enough relationship drama to keep you on your toes but I was never frustrated. I felt like everything made sense and worked with the story. This was a slow burn and probably just a one on the pepper scale. I don't think they became intimate until the end of the book, but honestly I didn't even notice the lack of steam because I was that interested in the plot and mystery.

I can't wait to see where the rest of this series goes!

This was my first time reading Jen DeLuca, and it did not disappoint. I loved this story and this universe. A paranormal beach read. It reminds me of The Dead Romantics which I also loved. It's a bitter sweet story about the acceptance of the afterlife, and learning to live and love again after you've been hurt. It's a quick easy heartfelt read.

A fun supernatural romance slice of life fiction. I love the involvement of ghosts in a small Florida town. I love the dynamic between Cassie (a city girl that moved into the small haunted town) and Nick (the owner of the local cafe). At times, it felt like the plot drifted into Nick and Cassie being together but other than that, I enjoyed it!

Thank you to Netgalley and Jen DeLuca for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Haunted houses, small town, coffee shops - what's not to love? As a lover of this author's previous Ren faire romance novels, I was super stoked for this one, and it did not disappoint.

Boneyard Key, Florida - the most haunted city in Florida! - is a small town a few hours from Orlando. A bit of a tourist trap, known to lean into it's ghostly reputation. Enter Cassie, a copywriter from Orlando who just bought a newly flipped house in Boneyard Key. No way it's actually haunted though right?! The fact that her lap top won't keep a charge is easily explained by an old house and fault electrical, right? In search of an outlet and some coffee, Cassie walks down the street to Hallowed Grounds coffee shop where she meets the grumpy (but hot) cafe owner, Nick.

A little slow burn, a little grumpy sunshine, a whole host of likeable well developed characters - including the ghosts! - some truly great punny names for all the shops, and the best description of the best Publix Sub!

Definitely check this out if you're looking for a sweet and steamy summer romance that will make you laugh out loud and maybe shed a little tear too!

Another hit from Jen DeLuca, who brought us the wonderful world centering around a Renaissance Fair in Well Met and its sequels.

Haunted Ever After focuses around Boneyard Key, FL, and its well deserved reputation as the most haunted town in FL. New-to-towner Cassie Rutherford is sure it's a case of the town leaning into its ghostly notoriety to capitalize on the non-Disney / beach tourist dollars. But with the help of initially grumpy café owner Nick and <spoiler> a very special ghost who lives in her newly purchased ocean-front cottage</spoiler>, she discovers that there is truth to the underlying reputation. But will this discovery it be too much for her and drive her from Boneyard Key and a burgeoning attraction to the formerly grumpy café owner?

This book was a delight and, as has been DeLuca's hallmark, full of well-rounded and likeable characters. About my only "complaint" is that I wish it were longer - not because there was anything lacking from the story or build-up, but because I enjoyed inhabiting this world and would have liked to have done so for longer. (So...not really a complaint after all.)

There was a thread of cozy mystery to the story as Cassie first had to discover why her house was sabotaging her laptop (draining her battery any time she plugged it in), and then further look into the history of the house <spoiler>and its ghostly inhabitant </spoiler> and uncover that the stories that live on are often not the true story. (Cheers to the bit of "Eff the patriarchy!" that rings through the quest for the truth!!)

There were so many charming bits to this book, but my favorites were the café ghost, Elmer, and his "antagonistic" relationship with Nick, and Cassie continually professing her love for "Pub subs" - which, living near a Publix myself (though not in FL), I am a huge fan of.

I whole-heartedly recommend this book to pretty much anyone, especially folks who love their romances with a little bit of the after-life!

Thank you to Jen DeLuca, Berkley Publishing Group, and Netgalley for allowing me to read in advance of publication for a fair review. I will definitely be picking this one up after publication - it's too good not to revisit!

I've been a fan of Jen DeLuca since her first book, "Well Met", and her new series doesn't disappoint. I was happy to meet Cassie and the quirky cool residents of Boneyard Key, and eager to read more about what goes on in this haunted little tourist town. Jen is so great at description- the locale is so easy to picture, her characters are relatable, and I was quickly invested in the story and what would happen between Cassie and Nick. The theme of finding your place in the world is one everyone can relate to, and the struggles Cassie has leaving the city behind for a sleepy small town are the things a lot of dreams are made of. A solid initial offering, and I hope there will be more to come!

After four terrific romances that centered around a Renaissance Fair in Maryland, Jen DeLuca has packed her bags and headed down to Florida for the start of a new series.

Life in Orlando hasn’t been kind to Cassie. Her friends are all getting married and having kids, and her landlord just decided to put her house up for sale. Not being able to afford anything in Orlando, she winds up buying a place in Boneyard Key, the Most Haunted Small Town in Florida.

Cassie figures that the whole haunted town thing is just a tourist gimmick. But it’s not long before she realizes that the fact her laptop won’t charge in her house and the magnetic poetry words on her fridge keep forming sentences means that the former owner, “Mean Mrs. Hawkins,” is haunting her.

In order to get any work done, she has to bring her laptop to the Hallowed Grounds coffee shop. The owner, Nick, is grumpy but very handsome, and the attraction between them is very intense. But Nick can sense that Cassie isn’t sure about staying in town, so do they have any chance at a future?

This was such a fun book. It’s definitely slow-burn where the romance is concerned, but once it gets going it’s pretty steamy. The ghost angle is really fascinating (and there’s an interesting twist to it), and boy, did I love Elmer!! (IYKYK) I definitely look forward to visiting Boneyard Key again!

Thanks so much to NetGalley and Berkley for the advance copy! The book publishes 8/13.

What's better than a cozy, small town romance? One with GHOSTS, of course! 

Cassie buys a house on the gulf, moving from Orlando to tiny Boneyard Key, wondering why she could find a gorgeous house for such a reasonable price. There's a catch, of course. Mrs. Hawkins never left after she died in the early 20th century. To navigate this new haunted terrain, Cassie has enlisted the swoon-worthy coffee shop owner, Nick, who may have a few ghosts of his own. 

Little does Cassie know that every inch of this small town has a story, some good, some bad, but she has new pals to help her each step of the way!

You'll fall in love with Cassie and Nick, the plethora of ghosts, and the simple beauty of Boneyard Key in Jen DeLuca's newest! Each plays an integral part in this quiet, cozy romance that digs into issues of belonging and reminds us that we are never truly alone.

This was a cute, fun romance with interesting paranormal additions. I loved the town and the characters, but found myself much more interested in that aspect of the story instead of the MCs and their romance which should be the ultimate draw in for a romance book. For their ages, their relationship felt juvenile and way more complicated than it needed to be. Also, not much really happened throughout the book which made it difficult for me to get through it. Overall, I'm happy with the conclusion, I just wish there was a little more to the actual romance.

Loved this small town, seaside romance! It definitely had me laughing while I read it and the ghosts/haunted vibes were the perfect addition! Plus the chemistry between Nick and Cassie so high that I could feel it through the pages! I am excited to see where the series goes from here! Would definitely recommend this after it releases on August 13th!

Thank you to NetGalley, Berkley Publishing, an dJen DeLuca for the chance to read and review an ARC in exchange for an honest opinion!

A small town story with friendly ghosts!!

Haunted Ever After is a unique take on the small town romance. From ghost roommates to a rugged coffee shop owner (who's love language is physical touch), I was entertained and laughing out loud throughout the story!

I love the side characters and how they made the Boneyard Key very homey, even though it is known for being haunted. The said haunted characters, one who texts and the other who finds a voice after a long time.

I very much enjoyed this story!

When I first heard that we'd be getting a new series from Jen DeLuca instead of the fifth Willow Creek book I was disappointed but boy do I take it back! I loved this!

Nick and Cassie are just peak Jen DeLuca characters. I was rooting for them instantly. The chemistry is obvious and the tension between them is palpable. I, like the rest of Boneyard Key, was waiting on tenterhooks for the two of them to figure things out!

I wasn't sure how the paranormal aspect would work but I think it was perfect. It's the pefect blend of contemprary romance and paranormal and would be a good way to dip your toe if you're not sure about either genre!

Boneyard Key is an adorable town full of captivating characters- living and dead!- and I can't wait to come back!

Cassie is a copywriter who has just moved to Boneyard Key, happy to get away from the big city, yet not so sure now that she realizes she just bought a haunted house! Nick owns a coffee shop a few blocks down from Cassie, and is smitten from the day she walks in, orders a coffee and plugs her computer in so she can use his WiFi.
Cassie is not sure if she should stay in the very small town when she finds out that the vast majority of homes and businesses in her new town are haunted. She's never been one to believe in spirits and she's not sure she should start now. However, if Nick believes, maybe she should change her mind.
This is a magically charming story about love that you will thoroughly enjoy reading!