✨ REVIEW: Haunted Ever After

🎃 In honor of PSLs making their return to Starbucks today, I’m sharing a review for Haunted Ever After, a spooky cozy romcom that just released last week! 🍁

SUMMARY: Feeling left behind by her recently married and new mom friends, Cassie Rutherford buys a charming house in the coastal town of Boneyard Key on a whim. The town is famous for its ghostly residents, but Cassie soon discovers it’s not just a marketing gimmick. When an unfriendly spirit pushes her out of her own home, Cassie starts working from the local coffee shop, where she meets the handsome (but grumpy) owner. 👻☕️

This was the perfect cozy romcom to kick off fall! 🍂 Ideal for this ‘back to school’ shoulder season, especially since fall in Florida still feels like a hot bath of heat and humidity. ☀️💦

If you loved Jen DeLuca’s Well Met series, you’ll definitely want to check this out! It’s packed with her signature small-town charm, just set in a new, spookier location. 🏡 Even if you’re new to her books, no worries—they’re always relationship-focused and refreshingly low drama.

Even with the ghostly antics, this story felt pretty low stakes—a perfect read after a stressful day. 📚 It also teases a second book with some enemies-to-lovers vibes that I’m absolutely here for! 😍💕

⭐⭐⭐.5

Haunted Ever After might seem like your typical grumpy x sunshine small-town romance, but it comes with a delightful paranormal twist! Cassie and Nick, both in their late 20s/early 30s, are millennials searching for the elusive meaning of life. Cassie escapes her life in Orlando, fleeing to a quiet little ghost town where the hauntings are more than just a tourist attraction. Nick, who’s spent his entire life in Boneyard Key, is nursing the wounds of a past relationship gone sour.

While I found this romance enjoyable, it didn't quite captivate me as much as DeLuca's previous series, Well Met. However, I absolutely adored the setting. As a native Floridian, I appreciated how DeLuca captured the charm of local favorites (like chicken tenders pub subs) and the frustrations of clueless tourists. My biggest issue with the book was Nick himself—I just didn’t find him particularly compelling. He felt a bit bland and lacked depth beyond his connection to Elmer. He did grow on me as the story progressed, especially when the plot took a spookier turn, but overall, I wasn’t entirely sold.

That said, Haunted Ever After left me feeling content. It served its purpose as a light, enjoyable romance—a nice palette cleanser between other reads—but it’s not a story that will stick with me for long. And that's okay!

🏝️ 𝔽𝕚𝕧𝕖 𝕊𝕥𝕒𝕣 ℝ𝕖𝕒𝕕! 🌊

Are y’all tired of me talking about this book yet? 🤪

Many thanks to Berkley Romance for sending this one my way!

Read if you 🩷:
• 👻 Paranormal Romances
• ☕️ Grumpy Café Owners
• 🌴 Small Tourism Towns
• 👙 Ghosts with a Love for Trashy Television

When Cassie escapes to the quirky town of Boneyard Key and buys a haunted cottage, she’s charmed by the local ghostly history—and the grumpy but sweet coffee shop owner, Nick. As they unravel the spooky secrets of her new home, sparks fly between them. But can their budding romance survive the supernatural surprises that keep cropping up? 👻

🧡 I loved everything about this paranormal romance! As someone who is more than ready for fall, Cassie and Nick’s adventures in the Floridian town of Boneyard Key are the perfect transition into the cozier season. While their chemistry is off the charts, the numerous obstacles in their way add some extra tension. This makes the story a very slow burn, so be prepared if you’re looking for spice. 🌶️

This means those who enjoy a hearty plot in their romance novels will be plenty satisfied! 🙌 The underlying themes of feminism and the importance of preserving history are strong. I found myself piecing together the clues quickly when it came to the ghost in Cassie’s home, but it was so fun to see how it played out. And I can’t forget to mention how funny the banter and comedic bits are in this book! I have a soft spot for ghosts who love pop culture (*cough cough* “Happy Medium”), so Mrs. Hawkins and her growing addiction to reality shows had me in stitches. 📺

If you love ghost towns, snarky love interests, and Summerween vibes, be sure to pick up “Haunted Ever After” from your favorite local bookstore! 🌴

P.S. While this is a rom-com, please take care, as this novel references DV and Infertility due to Endometriosis

Haunted Ever After- Jen DeLuca I loved this book!!! This put me in the mood for Halloween and made me want to live in the town! I was surprised by how sweet this could be while simultaneously being creepy! If you’re a fall girlie, this one is for you.

Haunted Ever After
⭐️⭐️⭐️

“She smiled, and it was like the sun coming out. He wanted to bend toward that smile like a sunflower. It was that smile that made him bold.”

Thanks so much to @berkleyromance for the free book! #BerkleyPartner #Berkley

It’s time for Halloween!!! This book was so much fun, and if you love ghost books then you need to pick this up! Don’t worry, it’s not scary.
This book was a little absurd, but not in a bad way. This story takes place in a haunted town with a truly haunted house.
This story has great small-town vibes, it’s set on the Florida coast. It’s not necessarily a “fall book” but since there are ghosts involved I am going to count it.
I think my favorite part of this book was the way that the ghosts communicate! The texts with the one ghost Elmer were some of my favorite parts. The ghosts in the book are *mostly* friendly and make the book so funny!
The haunted house part brings the book some intrigue. They have to solve a mini-mystery! Lots of friendships bloom during this part as Cassie is brand new to town.
As for the romance, it was sweet but perhaps a bit too fast for me. I’m a bigger fan of a slow burn, and these two were head over heels for each other quite quickly.
Still a fun book and a great choice as we transition from summer to fall!
Do you like books with ghosts?

Read If You Like:
👻small towns
👻ghosts
👻insta-lust
👻haunted houses
👻strangers to lovers

Thank you Berkley for my copy! All thoughts are my own.

I have been a fan of Jen DeLuca’s work since her debut, Well Met, came out in 2019. That was the Summer I really got into contemporary romance and I credit that book for being a part of it! When I saw this cover and title, and then read the synopsis, I knew it was going to be a must read for me! And I really enjoyed it. Thanks to Libro.fm I also got to sample the audio and I think it was such a fun way to read this book!

Synopsis:

“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.” —NetGalley

What I Liked:

The Setting—I am not ready to let go of Summer this year at all, so this was the perfect book to read in August while everyone starts getting excited for Fall. It has Fall vibes with a ghost mystery and small town setting, but keeps things summery with the romance and location.

The Mystery—I LOVED Meg Cabot’s Mediator series so much and I’m always chasing the high of binging that series. I thought this book was a balanced with being contemporary and having those paranormal elements.

The Pacing—I listened to the audiobook and kept wanting to continue, which is always a great feeling!

What Didn’t Work for Me:

Wanted a Little More Development of the Romance—The romance fell to the B plot and I just wanted things to have a bit more groundedness so I was invested in the couple!

Character Authenticity: 4/5 Spice Rating: 1/5 Overall Rating: 4/5

Content Warnings:

mentions of domestic abuse, mentions of infertility, death, misogyny, toxic relationship

Cute! A slightly mysterious romance with ghosts — set on the Florida gulf coast.

The "instant chemistry" romances are never my favorite, but this was fun. The best part was the ghost-roommates 😂

I am obsessed with the cover and the title. It's sooo gorgeous and I love that the title is HEA but "haunted" instead of "happily" even though there is of course a happily ever after because romance.

This is the first book I've read by Jen DeLuca and I'm so glad I picked it up! It's a cozy, small-town, ghost story with some romance. I really liked the town history and spooky ghost shenanigans and would have been happy reading it even without the romance plot line. It was very quirky and fun but with a lot of depth and emotion. The dual POV always gives more information to make the setting and characters more well defined in my opinion so I really like that we get that with this book, especially since both Cassie and Nick have ghost roomies and communicate with them in different ways. Readers will fall in love with the ghosts just as much as the living characters! They're given plenty of personality and their own histories. Both Cassie and Nick have a lot to go through emotionally and helping the ghost whose house Cassie just moved into not only helps them through their own issues but rights what the town history got wrong, giving closure to some ghostly residents. It's a real feel good story with lots of humor that also covers a lot of the hard parts of being an adult like outgrowing friendships, being at a different stage in your life than others your age, feeling lost and like you don't quite fit anywhere, and learning to trust again after being hurt by someone you loved. This is all done in a way that validates those experiences and I really like the relationship between Cassie and Nick -- they communicate really well and he just makes so many sweet gestures, it's hard not to love him. Haunted Ever After is a great start to a series set in the spooky yet charming town of Boneyard Key and I can't wait to read the next one! I have a good idea which couple it'll be about(:

Fall is right around the corner and this is the perfect cozy read for the season so if you're looking for a fun, spooky but not at all scary, romantic read check this one out!


Thank you Berkley and NetGalley for the digital ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Like many, Jen Deluca's Well Met series made me a big fan. I was eager to see what would be next for her. Haunted Ever After keeps the feel good humorous vibes of her Renaissance Fair settings while taking us to a very different space — a haunted florida beach town.

This was a delightful mix of small town romance meets cozy mystery, as our two main characters find themselves able to communicate with ghosts from the early 1900's and begin to learn the truth of the history around them. The couple will have no peace until the record is set straight.

The romance is cute but be prepared for the ghosts to often be center stage. I enjoyed it a lot!

Thanks to @berkleyromance for an advanced E- book through NetGalley for an honest review.

3.5⭐ rounded up

I love Jen Deluca's writing and her books, so I really wanted to read this one! And it's a new series! This was a really cute, paranormal romance. I loved the small town with a ghostly feel. I listened to the audiobook while following along in the e-galley. I really wish they had two narrators; one for Cassie and one for Nick. It would have made it so much better!! Overall, this was a cute read just in time for the spooky season!!

*Thank you partner @berkleypub @berkleyromance and @prhaudio for the #gifted audiobook and e-galley in exchange for an honest review.*

I was so excited to get an advanced copy of Jen DeLuca’s latest book. Her Well Met series is one of my favorites and I actually went to a Renaissance faire last year after being inspired by the series. I didn’t meet a handsome man in a kilt but my husband was probably happy about that 🤣. DeLuca’s latest book takes us away from Maryland and the Ren Faire and places us in Florida in the spookiest small town.

Cassie moves to a small town from Orlando and is immediately mistaken for a tourist from the hot barista. She soon realizes she moved into the famous Hawkins house, rumored to be haunted by a mean old lady.

I thought this was such a fun book! It reminded me a bit of the TV show Ghosts. I admit at first it was a little but of a slow burn for me but the second half picked up and was so good! I loved the mystery. I loved the romance and I loved the ghosts!! This has a paranormal aspect that I am not usually a fan of but it worked here well. Overall, a great book to read for spooky season.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for an advanced copy. Opinions are my own.

This was such a fun romance book! I really liked the characters and I loved the dash of paranormal imbedded into the story and how the town embraces all the spooky things.

4.5 Stars - An amazing way to kick off spooky season

When Cassie moves to Boneyard key she has no idea that theres a reason she scored such an amazing house in a tourist city that thrives off paranormal tourism! All is going well except for the temperamental outlets in her house are interrupting her work-from-home lifestyle. She re-locates to the local coffee shop where she meets Nick and the love of her life, cinnamon banana bread.
Nick and Cassie get off to a bit of a rocky start but Nick soon helps her find her way around town and leads her to Buster, the town handyman to help her fix up her house. Nick also informs her she lives in the "infamous Hawkins House", which is supposedly haunted by the ghost of :mean old Mrs Hawkins". Cassie is far from a believer of the paranormal, but as more strange things happen around her house and town, Nick soon convinces her to change her mind, and also to go on a date with him. Ensues the journey of identifying the ghost in Cassies house, and her ultimate mission: to be able to charge her laptop in her own home!

I really really enjoyed this book, I connected a lot to Cassie and loved how independant and strong willed she is! it was really intriguing how well the multiple plot lines all came together, and co-existed all on their own, from the discovery of Mrs. Hawkins and her history to the love story between Nick and Cassie, and even the friendship we saw between Nick and Elmer. I loved that Cassie found her home in the small town, got new friends and really started a life she loved.

This was the perfect read for a segue between summer and fall. I hope Jen DeLuca expands on this series, I would love to see stories from more of the characters in the town - especially a story between Sophie and Theo??

This was a very charming start to a new series from Jen DeLuca. I went in blind and was pleasantly surprised by the paranormal aspects and found that to be the most fun part of the story. The main romance was sweet but also fairly simple and slightly boring. But the ghosts, they made the story and I can’t wait to meet more and return to Boneyard Key.

A perfect spooky season read! I really enjoyed this. Small town, grumpy sunshine, magical realism. So fun! Can’t wait to read
More
From this series!

After the initial pages, I found myself not connecting with the story or characters, so I decided to pass on this book. Did not finish

Haunted Ever After is a cute, small-town romance featuring a slow-burn romance, haunted houses, and meddling ghosts. I wasn't sure what I expected going into this, but I was definitely entertained and thoroughly enjoyed reading every second of it. The supernatural aspect was really well done - this book had me convinced that living in a haunted house might not actually be that bad! Haunted Ever After will be the perfect book this fall for readers who love a cozy, spooky vibe!

4 stars!

"Haunted Ever After" by Jen DeLuca is a wonderful paranormal/supernatural romance book! It's slightly spooky without verging into horror territory. I have a hunch that some romance readers will be upset that the love aspect takes a backseat to the ghostly tale, but I didn't mind. In fact, I found myself yearning to finish this one, excited to see what happened next. This is mostly because I enjoyed being with these characters. I liked their effortless chemistry with one another, and I don't just mean the main characters, Cassie and Nick. I even liked all of the secondary characters who live in Boneyard Creek (I am so happy this town will become an ongoing series!). I related to Cassie so much. I often feel like I have been left behind in some friend circles because I do not have kids. While everyone is busy talking about strollers and daycare, I'm sitting here thinking about the ghosts that inhabit my town and home (figuratively, of course). She embodies every 30-something who feels like an outsider (literally, in her case, in Boneyard Key). When she buys a recently renovated house in the mysterious town, she quickly realizes that there is more than meets the eye with her new abode...and that she may not be alone there. Nick is *definitely* meant to be a modern-day Luke Danes from Gilmore Girls. He's grumpy, but sweet, deep down. And he really, *really* believes in ghosts. You sort of have to, being raised in Boneyard Key. I loved the banter between Cassie and Nick. This is a really great story full of interesting commentary about how women have been treated throughout history. The romance is a bit light, but again, I didn't mind. I thoroughly enjoyed this. I will say, I think the ending happens a little quickly compared to the rest of the novel, which is drawn out to give readers a sense of the characters and their lives in this tight-knit community. Please check this book out. I cannot wait to go back to Boneyard Key!

Thank you to NetGalley, Jen DeLuca, and Berkley Publishing Group for the complimentary ARC of this book. All opinions are my own. I was not compensated for this review.

the premise of this story had soooo much potential but it fell a little short for me and i never felt fully invested in the plot. it felt a little repetitive— like every day in the book was the same. it felt like i read the same scene written a slightly different way 20 times. i was also thrown for a loop with the ending— i felt it was unnecessary to take it to such extremes. it made the story feel gimmicky.
i would have loved to see more intimate and romantic moments between cassie and nick. i wanted that intense chemistry and monumental meant to be love story but it just never got there for me.
i did love the setting, the side characters/friendships, the texts from elmer, all the puns, and the spice scene!
overall, i think this book is fun, lighthearted, and cozy but a little too slow paced! i definitely think i’ll continue the series because it feels like one that gets better with each book.

thank you so much to berkley and netgalley for this eArc in exchange for my honest thoughts!

4⭐️
2🔥

Quick Breakdown

Supernatural Romance
Strangers to Lovers
Fish Out of Water
Slow Burn
Small Town
Dual POV
Open Door - Mild Detail

Thank you to @berkleyromance for the eARC & gifted finished copy & @prhaudio for the gifted ALC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Looking to leave the Orlando area, Cassie moves to the small coastal town of Boneyard Key FL, known for its ghost tourism. But unbeknownst to her, it’s not a gimmick & she’s bought a known to be haunted, once deserted, newly flipped house. Outlets that refuse to work send her to the local coffee shop in search of electricity, where she meets Nick. Once he learns that she is a new “local” and not a tourist, Nick shares some of the town’s history & what he believes / knows to be true while Cassie adjusts to her new roommate.

I was pleasantly surprised how adorable this was. This is a start of a new series for Jen & she laid the groundwork on this unique little town beautifully. I loved the strangers to lover aspect between these two okay by themselves, but lonely MC’s & their slow path to each other, especially how everyone seemed to root for them. While they grew towards together, we learn more about this haunted little town & all the real ghosts that inhabit it. I geeked out over the history & watching Cassie slowly come to terms with the fact that ghosts are indeed real & she is cohabitating with one.

I primarily listened to the audio & definitely recommend. It’s narrated by Jeannie Sheneman & proved to be a quick & bingeable read.