Paranormal can be a little hit or miss for me, but it worked perfectly in this rom com. I love that the ghost drove Cassie to Nick's shop and started their chemistry. Especially since Mrs. Hawkins, aka Cassie's ghost, has a bone to pick with Nick. Bone to pick. He he in Boneyard Key. Sorry, bad joke, but as I read this one, I liked all the small nods to Halloween and spooky in the names of just about everything.

I was on board for their romance and rooting for them from the start. I liked the uniqueness of the two working to solve the ghosts' problems and that left not a lot of space for their own struggles. It gave time for their relationship to grow. It seems most of the romances I have read lately has the couple engrossed in their own personal issues that the romance takes a backseat and I liked that this one allowed the couple to shine.

The ghosts are quirky and likable in addition to the other supporting characters. Cassie and Nick's chemistry jumps off the page and a ghost tour first date is definitely unique. And I loved the friendship between Cassie and Sophie.

This is a heartwarming rom com with great characters and so many fun puns.

This was such a fun read for fall! The characters really meshed and the banter was great. I enjoyed the plot and the supernatural elements as well. I am from Florida and greatly appreciated the Pub sub love!! I would definitely recommend this book.

Its that time...

Are y'all ready for spooky season with a little twist?

Let's throw in some romcom with a little October edge, don't ya think ?

Jen DeLuca, is an author that needs to be on everyone's radar. She's funny, she's spunky, and she is a true mastermind when it comes to putting an incredible story down on paper.

I was completely consumed from the first chapter and I devoured this book in one sitting. I will be singing DeLuca's praise for months to come.

This book needs to be on everyone's list and it was an honor to read and review early, in exchange for an honest review!

Thank you Jen DeLuca, Berkley, and the folks at Netgalley.

Haunted Ever After releases August 13 and is perfect for our romcom lovers who want a little edge this spooky season

Check out this teaser :


Small Florida coastal towns often find themselves scrambling for the tourism dollars that the Orlando theme parks leave behind. And within the town limits of Boneyard Key, the residents decided long ago to lean into its ghostliness. Nick Royer, owner of the Hallowed Grounds coffee shop, embraces the ghost tourism that keeps the local economy afloat, as well as his spectral roommate. At least he doesn’t have to run air-conditioning.

Cassie Rutherford possibly overreacted to all her friends getting married and having kids by leaving Orlando and buying a flipped historic cottage in Boneyard Key. Though there’s something unusual with her new home (her laptop won’t charge in any outlets, and the poetry magnets on her fridge definitely didn’t read “WRONG” and “MY HOUSE” when she put them up), she’s charmed by the colorful history surrounding her. And she's catching a certain vibe from the grumpy coffee shop owner whenever he slips her a free slice of banana bread along with her coffee order.

As Nick takes her on a ghost tour, sharing town gossip that tourists don't get to hear, and they spend nights side-by-side looking into the former owners of her haunted cottage, their connection solidifies into something very real and enticing. But Cassie's worried she’s in too deep with this whole (haunted) home ownership thing…and Nick's afraid to get too close in case Cassie gets scared away for good.

I have lived every book by this author and was so happy to see a spooky romance this year! It was cute snd atmospheric in this one. The romance was adorable just in time for Fall. Curl up we it’s a warm drink and enjoy this one!!!

Haunted Ever After by Jen DeLuca is a contemporary romance with paranormal elements and the first book in the new Boneyard Key series.

After all of her friends got married and started having kids, Cassie left Orlando and bought a flipped historic cottage in Boneyard Key, Florida. Something's weird about her home, though, she can't seem to get her laptop to keep a charge. Nick owns the local coffee shop, Hallowed Grounds, and suggests she check out one of the town ghost tours to learn more about her house and the whole town.

This was my first book by the author, and I'm not certain that I'll read more from her. I know she wrote another series that was based off people at a Renaissance faire, which sounded interesting to me! She seems to dip into my topics of interest (I love ghost stories and the Renn Faire) so I figured Haunted Ever After would be a good way for me to try her out.

Unfortunately, this book dragged a bit for me and I mostly pushed through to the end thanks to reading sprints for the Trick or Treatathon. I didn't really feel the chemistry between the MCs here; it felt like the author was telling me they were into each other instead of showing me. While it is kind of a slow burn, once it got going their relationship progression went much faster than I typically enjoy in romances.

However, I did really fall in love with the town of Boneyard Key! I also appreciated the lightheartedness of the whole read. And the two folks who seem to be hinted to be the MCs of the next book in the series sound cute (a bookstore owner and the person who runs the town ghost tour).

If you're looking for a paranormal romance set in a small town, you should try this one out!

Thank you to #partner @prhaudio for providing this audiobook in exchange for my honest review. Thank you to Berkley for the e-arc.

This was a super cute book. I finished the audiobook in about a day. Even though it’s only July, this was a fun read. I can see it will popular this spooky season.

I don’t necessarily like scary content, but this audiobook had more romance than horror. It was like a grown up “hocus pocus” in a sense.

I loved the chemistry between Cassie and Nick. I also loved the supporting characters. The beachy small town of Boneyard Key was super inviting and charming.

Jen DeLuca writes a great story. This book had a little bit of everything. Romance, small town charm, mystery, suspense and of course a little bit of spookiness. I thought the Romance was very well done. I think fans of the movie Practical Magic will especially love this book as well. 🩷

This audiobook is narrated by @jeannie_sheneman. I wasn’t familiar with her voice but I thought she had a very pleasant voice. It was very sweet and soothing. She also did a great job putting a unique voice to the different characters. I am definitely going to look out for more books narrated by Jeannie in the future!

The book is published by @berkleyromance @berkleypub
According to @goodreads there is supposed to be a second book set in Boneyard Key. I don’t know if this is accurate, but because I really loved this charming romance, I would be so excited if there is a sequel. With that being said, I think I might have a guess on who the two main characters will be for a potential sequel. Overall, this book was super cute and I really enjoyed it. Pick this up if you are looking for a charming romance this fall!

This audiobook will be released on August 13th!

Thank you again to #prhaudio for the ALC! #prhaudiopartner #prhaudioinfluencer

Thanks to the publisher for the gifted e-copy.

Cassie moved to a little coastal Florida town called Boneyard Key from Orlando. Boneyard Key is a cute little town that thrives on tourism due to their schtick of being haunted. It turns out that the house Cassie bought has a ghost (or two) and the town is home to a few more spooky friends. Cassie meets Nick, the owner of one of the local coffee shops, when Cassie can't get her laptop to charge in her house. They hit it off, but Cassie's ghost(s) aren't happy, so Cassie decides to figure out the story behind who lived in her house before her and why they're still around.

OK, so I think my favorite things about this book are:
1. The town of Boneyard Key. It sounds fantastic, and I want to go there, and I'm annoyed it's fictional.
2. All the loving on Pub Subs. They are the BEST and I miss them SO MUCH. Although, the chicken tender sub is not my favorite.
3. Nick, and also his ghost Elmer. Adorbs.
4. The magnetic poetry communication.

The rest of the book was okay. It was a cute story, kind of predictable, nothing fantastic. Definitely a cute read for spooky season, if you prefer a rom com over a thriller.

There was so much I loved about this (eARC from Berkley). I think this is great rep for childfree love interests as CW our main character has previously known assumed infertility and also is childfree by choice so when she moves to the small town of Boneyard Key it really makes her realize her so called friends she left behind may not be on the same life track nor (more importantly) considerate of what it would be like for her to constantly read and attend weddings/baby showers. So basically she's starting over in the creepy old house no one has lived in for years and she works from home so the world (town) is her oyster.

I loved the dip in to the paranormal in this book and the balance between that and contemporary. Plenty of tourists come through the town thinking it's all just a shtick until the FMC realizes her house truly is haunted. And it for some reason wants to keep her apart from her budding romance with the coffee shop owner. They go on a little investigative attempt together while he also subtly tries to sell her on the town so that bit of dates and exploration was really fun.

My two main issues with this book were the repetition and the MMC at times, let me explain. Yes, this is slow and I liked but the magic system got pretty tired by the end and I felt like the characters were being purposely obtuse with the meaning and blame behind the haunt going on in her house. Also, this is such a specific moment but I have to mention what an ick it gave me. At one point the MMC vehemently calls the ghost in her house a b*tch with his full chest and I'm just going to say that was out of character because this man is typically respectful of women and their relationship actually felt so realistic and I had been loving the ups and downs of a strangers to lovers. In this world the ghost is practically as real as a person so it really was a direct insult and just like dude chill.. but without that I loved him.

Overall I would recommend for a cozy slightly paranormal romance.

Cute romance with a paranormal twist.
Cassie Rutherford has fled Orlando to Boneyard Key, where she has unknowingly purchased a haunted house. When her laptop dies, she heads to Hallowed Grounds coffee shop, owned by Nick Royer. She is attracted to Nick and he takes her on a ghost tour. However, Cassie notices that her refrigerator magnets begin spelling out menacing messages.
Cassie decides to research the former owners of her home, and along with Nick and other residents, uncover a story to help the ghosts calm down.

This was my first book of Deluca’s. I loved the Florida setting and the ghost town meets rom-com vibes. Overall it was a good read. Thank you!

Hype Book Club

I enjoyed a lot of this, but for me, it lacked the magic of the Ren Faire series. However, it's a great spooky season read (I'm a day early) if you're a wimp and don't like true horror.

Cassie leaves Orlando, partly because she can't afford to buy a home there, and partly because her friend group have all become moms and the group chat continuously leaves her behind. I'm not blaming people for being mothers, but a good majority of them, pre-babies, make promises they don't keep. I had one friend shift views entirely, and tell me, "Now that I'm a mom..."

Anyway, this isn't about me. This is about Cassie. She moves to Boneyard Key, the most haunted town in Florida. She buys a cute bungalow for a shockingly low price. Turns out, the house already has an owner. She never left.

Of course, this is a Jen DeLuca book, so we have romance. Nick is a local. He took over Hallowed Grounds coffee shop after several out of towners couldn't handle the original owner, who never left the establishment. A grumpy, micromanaging ghost that texts? Get out.

There were some things that made me cringe, especially from Nick's end. I know this was due to something else, but I wasn't a fan. And everything gets wrapped up pretty neatly, but that's the beauty of contemporary romance. You know the ending. You don't always know the beginning or middle.

📱 Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley

This one was a lot of fun. It's got mystery, romance, wisecracking ghosts and the slowest of slow burns. It also has the banter and heart I've come to expect from Jen after her Renn Faire series. One of my favorite aspects of the story was the interactions with the ghostly residents of Boneyard Key and the lore associated with them.

I also now want to experience the joy that is a pub sub.

A fun spooky season book!

This has a lot of different elements going on but for the most part, I was pretty entertained the whole time!

✔️Haunted small town
✔️Coffee shop owner
✔️Nice Ghosts
✔️Mean Ghosts
✔️Communication with the dead
✔️Insta Love
✔️An exorcism lol
✔️A random spicy scene

It’s a lot but it’s pretty fun. The spicy scene kinda threw me for a loop because it felt a little out of place but it was actually really well written 😅

I love spooky season and ghosty vibes without nightmares plus lots of coffee so if you like that too, check this one out!

This is a perfect read for spooky season! Cassie bought a house in a coastal town, but finds herself working from the coffee shop every day since her outlets won’t work. She hits it off with the owner Nick, and learns there may be ghostly guests lingering at her house.

This is a fun paranormal adventure set in a small town where the locals coexist with spirits. The story blends romance with mystery as Cassie uncovers the history of her house. I enjoyed the slow build up of Cassie and Nick’s connection and the small town community.

Overall recommend picking it up!

OMG! I absolutely adore Jen DeLuca’s Well Met series so I was really excited for this book and let me tell you there was no disappointment! I was pulled in so quickly by mean old Mrs. Hawkins and Elmer along with Cassie and Nick. Elmer had me laughing throughout the book especially in his text exchanges with Nick. Cassie trying to help Mrs. Hawkins especially when she didn’t believe in ghosts before moving to Boneyard Key and then finding out why things happened the way they did was just…wow. I am looking forward to more stories with some of the other mentioned characters that showed up throughout the book!

Ghosts, coffee, and small beach town hijinks aren’t the typical backdrop to romance, but… She needs a new start and he needs to get out of his rut. After seeing rave reviews about Jen DeLuca’s earlier series and loving a good haunting and romance, I was excited to start a new series set in Boneyard Key, Florida.

Grumpy meets cautious when Cassie enters Nick’s coffee shop after second guessing her sudden move from the bright lights of Orlando to tourist schtick town, Boneyard Key. Nick thinks she’s a typical tourist just there to use his wifi and not even buy a cup of coffee so the meet cute starts out rough. But instead of holding a grudge, Cassie laughs and they start over.

I enjoyed getting to know the unique little town of Boneyard Key with Cassie as she realizes the beach cottage she bought resides in the most haunted town. There’s even a ghost tour with her house along the route. At first, she thinks its all for the tourist dollar, but then realizes she’s got a ghostly roomie who isn’t happy she’s taken up residence and then she learns that everyone else is rather laissez faire about ghosts and ghostly roommates. Nick’s got the former owner of his cafe causing cold spots, sending him text messages, and giving advice about the bake goods and his love life. Her own resident ghost has figured out how to use the magnetic words on the fridge to clue Cassie in about things.

Nick’s been burned in the past about transient women who love him and leave him, and Cassie has one foot out the door as she decides whether to stay or head back to Orlando. She came on a snap decision after realizing she was the odd gal out when her friends all got into relationships and started having babies. They are hesitant to act on their attraction and interest. This was a slow burn romance with a lot of sweetness. There is some ghostly interference that was sometimes funny and sometimes mysterious.

I enjoyed the historical research part Cassie did to learn about her ghost and what was wrong. She made friends along the way and slowly fell in love with Boneyard Key and her home as she found purpose and routine and acceptance. Nick slowly opened up and started taking a chance. Occasionally, he’d do an abrupt turn toward the ugly, but then there was that aha moment to explain this.

An exciting spooky climax and then a lovely finish for Nick and Cassie. I was left well-satisfied with this light paranormal romance with a hint of sexy spice and look forward to more spooky romancing in Boneyard Key. Fun and flirty storytelling style and just the right amount of drama for my taste. Definitely recommend to other cozy Paranormal Romance fans.

3.5 stars

This was a fun read that's perfect going into spooky season. It was a little bit of a slow start, but then I found myself enjoying the story more as I read. I would call it a cozy paranormal because the ghosts played a big part in the story, but nothing about it was scary or gory. I did quickly pick up on how future parts of the story would play out, but it didn't make the reading experience less enjoyable.

Overall a solid read and I hope there's more books set in this town!

As someone who always checks out the local Haunted Walking Tours and Candlelight Graveyard Walks when I am planning a vacation, this book just called out to me as soon as I read the summary. And what better time to read this than just at the beginning of Spooky Season because this book will give you all the best of those vibes no matter the temputure around you. This was a great blend of all the little chills and thrills that come from hearing about historical ghosts and hauntings mixed the with best romantic aspects of strangers thrown together for an enemies to lovers romance with the most delightful dusting of comedy to perfectly balance the sweet with the spice. But, what I enjoyed even more was the mystery that was at the heart of this story and that joined all the parts together. Jen De Luca has a great eye for a good a story and with a little more development of this mystery she could have easily marketed this book as a delightful Romantic Comedy Mystery. I can't wait to see what else this author has in store for me, because I will be looking for her blend of comedy and romance in the future.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/5

• cozy mystery/rom-com
• paranormal vibes + misogynistic ghosts
• fun characters

I read this entire book while sitting on a Florida beach, which made it so much more fun for me! This is a light read. I really enjoyed the characters, their relationship, and the small town setting! Super cute and definitely recommend 😍

🗣 Thank you to netgalley and Berkley for the opportunity to read and review this book via gifted eARC! All opinions are honest and my own.

As a big Jen DeLuca fan and lover of her Ren Faire series, I was excited to learn she had a new book coming out that mixed in some mystery, ghosts, and small-town vibes with her typical romcom style, and Haunted Ever After didn’t disappoint! I appreciated the romantic plot centered around Cassie and Nick, but more than that, I loved the ghosts and their shenanigans even more! They definitely had some stories to tell, and I enjoyed being along for the ride!

An appreciator of small, quaint towns, Boneyard Key appealed to me too. I visited Salem, Mass., for the first time a few years ago, and details from that town often entered my mind as I pictured Boneyard Key. Cassie’s iced hazelnut latte and banana bread habit also rubbed off on me!

If you’re looking for a read to ring in the fall season and get you in the mood for all things Halloween and ghost, look no further!