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The Night Watchman by Louise Erdrich. This book is titled after one character—a night watchman who leads the fight against the US government’s “termination” bill—but really it’s about so many more, including Patrice, an employee at a jewel bearing company who ventures to a big city to find her sister & comes back again. The story has the feel of an epic & it’s great to listen to on audio, read by the author. This was a time & place & cause I knew little about & I’m glad to learn more about Native American history through this historical fiction piece. 4.25 ⭐️. (Read for the BookRiot Read Harder challenge.)

Haunted Ever After by Jen DeLuca, out 08/13. I wanted to love this one but sadly, it didn’t really work for me. The hero & heroine have a cute dynamic that starts off on the wrong bad impression foot and the heroine’s thoughts on feeling left out & uncertain about where she is in her friend group and her life in general feel real. But aspects of the plot feel ludicrous to me & I couldn’t always understand the reasons underpinning some details. So in the end, I liked this one but didn’t love it. 3 ⭐️. (Thanks to the publisher & Netgalley for the complimentary ARC. All opinions provided are my own.)
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Flora & Ulysses by Kate DiCamillo. This is the third KD book I’ve read & I’ve enjoyed them all so much. FaU has some really funny moments & of course some touching moments, too. Highly recommend this author if you’re looking for middle grade! 5 ⭐️.

Are any of these on your TBR?

Please read CW’s from a trusted reviewer before beginning.

I've been a fan of all of Jen DeLuca's books and I was so excited to see her dip her toes into some paranormal. There's nothing I love more than a fun ghost story. It has cute charming characters and a delightful setting. It made me want to go on vacation so badly.

Jen DeLuca has done it again! I admit that DeLuca caught my attention with her other series being set in a Renaissance Faire. I've spent so many hours at the Ren Faire that I had to pick those books up and they were phenomenal. I was so excited to see this title pop up. It's a completely different idea from the Well Met series and I couldn't wait to see what she would do with it.

This book ended up having a little of everything! Romance, humor, mystery. Ups and downs. And, truly, it was a mostly wholesome read. There was some innuendo happening throughout, but as is typical with DeLuca's books, it didn't get too spicy until near the very end. There were a few explicit scenes, all at the very end, which means that the majority of the book can be enjoyed by anyone, and those scenes could be very easily skipped over as there is obvious lead-in.

All in all, I really enjoyed the entire thing and sped through it. A delightful, feel-good romance that I won't be hesitating to recommend.

A haunting romance full of likeable characters, ghostly friends, and a sweet small town. When Cassie wants something different from the life she's been leading watching her friends move on without her, she moves to a touristy small town in Florida. Mistaken by everyone in town as a tourist herself, Cassie sets out to prove she might just have what it takes to make Boneyard Key her home.

Thank you to Berkley and Netgalley for the eARC in exchange for my honest review!

I really love this one! Such a fun departure for the author (who has done a bunch of cute Ren Faire books prior to this), but it still had that signature charm. This will do really well with the romance girlies!

This was such a great contemporary romance. Both the main characters are given a depth that we don't always see in this genre. Not every conflict is based on the relationship; I like how imposter syndrome is a reoccurring theme throughout the novel. I will definitely recommend my library to purchase.

Haunted Ever After is a cute, quirky paranormal romance about a woman moving to a small Florida town, not knowing that the town is has quite a few ghostly residents!

After moving into her cute new home, Cassie finds herself with her very own ghost living right there in her home.

This was such a fun take on paranormal hot spots and ghost tours. I loved the idea that this was just a town where was normal for people to talk to ghosts. Just imagine that being part of your everyday life!

The love story between Cassie and Nick was cute and wholesome, with a definite sense of growth as the story went on. But honestly, I was more invested in the stories of the ghosts… I loved learning the truth behind the ghosts in the house and the sort of mystery element that held. That was definitely my favorite part.

But I think this was a fun read that a large audience will enjoy!

"Haunted Ever After" by Jen DeLuca is a charming and spooky romance novel that will leave you feeling warm and fuzzy inside. The story takes place in the small coastal town of Boneyard Key, where the residents embrace their ghostliness to keep the local economy afloat. Nick Royer, owner of the Hallowed Grounds coffee shop, is no exception, and he even has a spectral roommate.

Cassie Rutherford, feeling overwhelmed by her friends getting married and having kids, buys a flipped historic cottage in Boneyard Key. Despite some unusual occurrences, like her laptop not charging, she's charmed by the colorful history surrounding her home. As Nick takes her on a ghost tour of the town and shares town gossip that tourists don't get to hear, Cassie finds herself drawn to him.

As they investigate the former owners of Cassie's haunted cottage, their connection deepens into something real and enticing. But Cassie is worried she's in too deep with the haunted home ownership, and Nick is afraid to get too close in case Cassie gets scared away for good.

Jen DeLuca has crafted a delightful and spooky story with well-developed characters and a plot that keeps you engaged until the end. The romance between Nick and Cassie is sweet and realistic, and readers will find themselves rooting for them as they navigate the challenges of their relationship.

Overall, "Haunted Ever After" is a must-read for fans of paranormal romance and cozy mysteries. Jen DeLuca has created a world that is both charming and spooky, and readers won't be able to put the book down until they've discovered whether Nick and Cassie can make it work.

I got this as an ARC! Absolutely loved it, even cried at one sweet spot.

Cassie, new to the area, buys a house and settles in. One day when her laptop is dead, she walks to the local coffee shop, for power and an iced hazelnut latte, and meets Nick, the owner.

Here's the thing, the town is haunted and ghosts are around during their daily activity.

Read Cassie and Nick's story as they navigate their job, life, ghosts, and romance, all the while, dealing with a threat to their blooming romance.

What an absolute delight! DeLuca's latest (the first in a new series that I hope brings us many more books!) is a perfect balance between fun-and-sometimes-spooky-ghost stuff with characters who are ultimately very soft and kind.

Cassie and Nick could be any of us, they just happen to live in a town full of ghosts! I really enjoyed the haunting plot, and was all-in along for the ride as Cassie tried to figure out what the heck was going on in her home. But what REALLY hooked me was the sweet, shy romance between Cassie and Nick, two people who'd become accustomed to loneliness.

I especially loved Cassie's take on adulthood as a woman without children, feeling a bit abandoned by her old friend group. My heart ached every time she tried to interact with the friend text thread -- that is SO real, and so relevant, and her experience deserve more space in romance novels.

DeLuca also manages to tackle some deeper topics like, oh, the PATRIARCHY. But she does it with her classic sass and good humor, so these themes never felt over-bearing.

I also loved how the location felt like another character in the story, and DeLuca's descriptions of the sunsets and breezes had me ready for a trip to the beach!

Haunted Ever After scratches all of my romance itches! DeLuca does an amazing job of building a haunted town and weaves the history in just so. The characters feel real and deal with real emotions. Everything I’ve wanted in a contemporary romance with a super fun paranormal twist!

I was so excited to see a new Jen DeLuca book and her diving into paranormal romance….i was excited. I loved nick’s brooding self so much. It felt like the romance was more sub plot but the story did not lack plot.

This book, Haunted Ever After, didn't quite resonate with me. I found that I was more interested in the ghost story than the romance between the characters. Despite the well-written plot and solid character development, I struggled to fully connect with the story. I did appreciate Cassie as a relatable character and enjoyed the feminist aspect woven into the ghost story. However, I didn't quite buy into the chemistry between Cassie and Nick, who came off as a bit of a jerk at times (even when he wasn’t possessed by a misogynistic ghost). Overall, while the book had its strengths, it just didn't quite click for me.

*Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.*

Cassie may have overreacted when all of her friends started getting married and having children while she was still single and about to lose her apartment. This overreaction results in Cassie buying a house in a small Florida town known for being haunted. Cassie doesn’t believe in ghosts but is alarmed when her house, or more accurately something in it, tries to change her mind. Nick is the grumpy owner of a coffee shop who, like all natives of Boneyard Key, knows that ghosts are real. He especially knows this since his roommate is a ghost. As Cassie and Nick investigate the previous owner of Cassie’s house, they get closer to answers about why it’s haunted and closer to each other.

I definitely didn’t intend to read two books about ghosts in a row, but that’s just how it goes sometimes. Between the time that I requested this book and actually being approved, I completely forgot that this was Jen DeLuca’s new book. I adored her Well Met series and was excited to see what she did next. This book does not disappoint. I really appreciated that this book was almost completely different from her first series and yet I still felt like it was her writing. Unlike in the Well Met series, this one has dual narrative and is written in the third person instead of first. The shift really helped me see this book as different. It also made it slightly more mysterious, which helped with the paranormal vibe.

I had a lot of fun with this book. It walked the fine line of being realistic while also including fantastical elements. Cassie doesn’t believe in the ghosts right away, but changing her mind isn’t too drawn out. I also thought it was fun to see the male character as the believer and the female character as the skeptic, since I feel like it’s often the reverse in fiction.

This book does something very cool in that it shows actual sympathy towards the ghosts. It acknowledges that they were once people who had feelings and that those should be taken into account after their death. Often in books, ghosts are just a device to make a character complete an objective. This ironically felt more fleshed out (get it? A ghost is the opposite of fleshed out).

I liked that there was a bit of a mystery in this book with enough clues that you can anticipate where it’s going if you try. In many romance novels, the rest of the plot often feels like an after thought or just in the way, but I actually enjoyed going on the journey with this one.

All around this was an enjoyable book and I’m excited to see what Jen DeLuca does next.

This was the perfect read for spring - I love a haunted/ghost story in the fall. I didn't know I was missing comfy romance ghost stories to get me through the lighter months until reading this book! The characters are so likable and the small town vibe is perfect!

Jen DeLuca's books are always such a delight to read. She creates a world within a small-town setting that I just want to experience for myself.
I love the concept of a haunted house mystery coupled with a sweet rom-com with loveable side characters. I especially liked how the paranormal suspense and the romance was built up and kept me hooked throughout the whole novel. The spirits really stand out to me as characters who propel the story even from behind the shadowy realms. The concept is very unique and Deluca manages to blend two genres that appear to be opposite to make it sweet, funny and heartbreaking all at once.

Thank you Berkley and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This book was one of my favorite reads of the year so far! It is a very fun concept of a woman in her 30's starting over by moving to a new town that turns out to be haunted, and the romance that blossoms from that haunting. What's nice about this book is it isn't just about Cassie falling in love with someone else - it's also about her falling in love with herself and her life again, and finding a partner that deserves her.

I'm a big history fan, so I love that the author delved into the history of this town of Boneyard Key in detail. I vividly could imagine this seaside town with its novelty shops, ghost tours and surprise visitors. Cassie's relationship with the town and learning to love her new location was gradual and felt meaningful.

I also really enjoyed the pace of the romance. It felt right for two people in their early 30's beginning to know each other amidst intense feelings and extenuating (ghostly) circumstances. Both Cassie and Nick had their own personal flaws and hang-ups but end up being the perfect fit for each other.

This was my first book from Jen DeLuca, and I'm definitely going to check out her other works. This was a solid 5 star read for me.

Ahhhhh!! First, thanks Berkley and NetGalley for this eARC!

Okay this book has been one of my most anticipated 2024 reads and it DID NOT DISAPPOINT.

I *loved* this. A perfect blend of contemporary and paranormal!

I loved how this really truly was just, boy and girl meet and like each other. I loved that their problems were mostly external, and the way this plot fueled their narrative together.

I loved the way DeLuca built toward the big reveal and allowed it to take root in the story.

I can’t wait for this book to come out now even more!!!!

5 stars. 10 out of 10. No notes. Just happiness.

Jen DeLuca has stepped away from the ren faire to give us a fresh, new setting with a bunch of interesting characters. Haunted Ever After was a slow burn romance with a cozy mystery theme running through it. I loved Boneyard Key and all its inhabitants. It was easy to imagine all of the shops, houses, and landmarks in Boneyard Key. They had a life of their own with their ghostly inhabitants. I loved how everything was centered around the acceptance of the ghosts in town. It made the mystery of the story a lot of fun. I also loved how both the ghosts and the mystery brought Nick and Cassie together. Their romance was the slowest of slow burns and sometimes felt more like a subplot than the main part of the book. These two took their time getting to know each other, falling in love, and solving the mystery. That is probably the biggest complaint I have about this book. The pace was slower than I normally like. The third person narration didn't do the pace any favors either. All in all, it was a fun read.

3.25 stars★

“Good to keep your eyes open for the right one. You never know when it’s going to come into your life.”

So Cassie wanted a change and ended up in Boneyard Key. Turns out, nobody mentioned that Boneyard Key is actually quite unique. Boneyard Key is famous for its ghostly residents, but nobody bothered to mention that Cassie's house is haunted by a grumpy old spirit. At first, Cassie didn't buy it. Her laptop acting up? Must be faulty wiring, right? But the more time she spent in town, the more she started to think that maybe, just maybe, the locals weren't as crazy as she thought. Nick has been living in Boneyard Key his whole life. He owns the coffee shop and he's not even fazed by the ghost of the original owner who sends him text messages. When Cassie arrives, he transforms into her personal ghost tour guide, sharing all the chilling stories and secretly wishing she'll believe him. But deep down, he also hopes that she might decide to stay because he hasn't felt this way about someone in ages. Cassie maybe has the power to break down the walls he's carefully constructed. The more they hang out, the more they uncover the secrets of Cassie's new home and the resident ghost. And there's an unexpected twist that catches everyone off guard. The romance kinda took a backseat in the story, you know? Like, I didn't really care much about what was happening with Nick and Cassie. But man, Elmer and Nan, the ghosts, they were awesome characters! Their personalities just shined through the pages and made the whole thing so much more interesting. Cassie and Sarah's friendship, with their trash Tv marathons, was absolutely hilarious. The whole haunted town thing in the book, with the actual ghosts and everything, was seriously one-of-a-kind. It brought such a unique and captivating element to the story.