This was honestly very cute and perfect to transition into fall/spooky season reads! I have read Jen DeLuca in the past and was excited to see she was writing a paranormal-ish romance! This one was slow burn and I really enjoyed the small town, Florida coast setting, and the little ghost-mystery too!

Basically she’s moves to a small Florida coastal town and is wanting to fix up a cottage. He owns a local coffee shop and they go from strangers to friends. Both have ghostly visitors and have to work together to try and uncover some history. The romance does move slowly but I was invested enough in the mystery elements of the story that I didn’t mind. The audiobook in particular was a lot of fun and had me pulled in from the start! Very glad I gave this one a go! The cutesy small town, grumpy coffee shop owner, haunted house, and ghost tours! I definitely see why people compare it to similar vibes as Ashley Poston romances.

I received an ARC/ALC from the publisher, all thoughts in this review are my own!

This small town paranormal romance is set in Boneyard Key, a Florida coastal town. Cassie Rutherford is looking for love and a life for herself. She thinks she found the perfect place, until the ghost of Mean Mrs Hawkins, the previous owner (deceased) shows up!

There's a slow burn between main characters; Cassie and Nick Royer, the grumpy cafe owner in the town of Boneyard Key who also has an interesting roommate.

I loved the bits of humor, the new "ghost" characters operating in the modern world, and there's a bit of a mystery around the Mrs. Hawkins that needs to be solved.

If you are looking for an easy-going, cute, light-hearted, paranormal romance with a bit of a mystery, you might like Haunted Ever After.

Oh my god, you guys!!! This is now my fave Fall romance book!!!

I loved everything about this one!! Big city girl moving to a small town in Florida - a town that lives and breathes Halloween!!

So our female lead, Cassie moves in to the famous Hawkins House - famous for being the town’s haunted house. She shortly experiences being haunted by the previous homeowner and that’s pretty much how the story starts!

This is the book that will give you the ultimate Fall vibes!!! And I am sooo happy that this is going to be a series because it would be a treat to read about this town and its characters every year!

It’s so hard for me to compile my thoughts with how much I loved it 😂 but here are a few things that makes this book one of my favorite Fall romance books!!!
🍂 the Halloween small town vibe
🍂 cozy coffee shop
🍂 ghosts roommates
🍂 haunted houses
🍂 ghost tour
🍂 loved learning about the “Founding Fifteen”
🍂 exorcisms
🍂 cute store names!

For people who loved the Well Met series, this is by that same author and I’m 💯 sure that you would fall in love with this one too!!

It comes out tomorrow!! Grab a copy, friends!!! Highly recommend for my Fall girlies out there!!!

Thank you to Jen DeLuca, Berkley, and NetGalley for allowing me to read a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Finally, a book that knows its genre! Primarily romance with a ghost story subplot. Someone did their job right. *thumbs up* Another marketing team would have called it gothic or horror simply because there's a ghost story, and readers would have been disappointed.

I enjoyed this novel but wasn't blown away by it. I tried reading it months ago, but the opening scene was so boring I kept falling asleep, so I waited for the audiobook. There <i>had</i> to have been a more interesting way to start, either a hint of the haunting or Buster checking Cassie's electricity or something. NOT ordering a fucking coffee and getting attitude from the barista. *eye roll* Cassie could have gone to Hallowed Grounds on Buster's recommendation and she and Nick could have met through a mutual friend and not an argument that makes them both look like presumptive jackasses.

The only other thing that bothered me was how long it took Cassie to consider the husband's ghost might have lingered. Otherwise this was a good, average romance with lots of ghost lore. I was just as appalled and frustrated as the characters to learn that the book about Boneyard Key's history was inaccurate (though I'm sure many history texts are the world over) and I loved that Sophie and Theo are working on a better one. War on the patriarchy seemed a bit shoehorned in, as if DeLuca just used it where she needed it: "Hmm, how do I get rid of C.S.'s ghost? Well, he hates women's rights, so let's have a woman mock the crap out of him." That was a pretty lame climax.

Cassie and Nick were both likeable and relatable. More could have been done with Cassie's inability to get pregnant---that was snuck into the story so subtly I almost forgot about it. Nick's conflict about leaving town seemed a bit blown out of proportion to make it more dramatic and emotional, but I forgive it. More could have been done with their families, but I didn't feel the lack. The secondaries were scene-stealers---Ramon, Libby and Nan, Elmer and Sarah, Sophie and Theo, who will obviously be getting their own book, I assume the next one, which I want very much.

I'd challenge DeLuca to swap her genre and try her hand at a ghost story mystery with romantic elements. I think she'd knock it out of the park.

I always enjoy a good ghost story, and this book has them in spades. In a haunted Florida village called Boneyard Key, founded after The Great Storm of 1897, many members of the original families decided to stick around, and until Cassie came to town, there were only a select few who could sense their presence. I find it interesting how DeLuca imbues her spectral guests with different characteristics, no one-size-fits-all. Although none of them can be seen, they make their presence known in other ways. Cassie’s resident ghost, Sarah, communicates using magnetic poetry on the refrigerator and Nick’s ghost, Elmer, through text messages and, for lack of a better description, brainwaves. There is also the beach bum who accepts the open beer bottles and follows on silent footsteps. For the most part, they’re all benevolent, but there’s a bit of a mystery whenever Nick tries to enter Cassie’s house.

The romance between Cassie and Nick is a very slow burn, mostly thanks to nosy ghosts. Eventually, there’s a bit of spice, but I found the chemistry between them a little tepid. Thankfully, there’s very little baggage and angst, and it’s a refreshing change to have two MCs who don’t really fight the attraction. If you’re looking for a lighthearted, low stakes, small town romance with a heavy helping of the paranormal, you’ll enjoy Haunted Ever After. Recommended.

Cassie Rutherford has found herself in the Most Haunted Small Town in Florida. She had wanted to buy a house in her native Florida, and this was what she found that she could afford. However, she didn’t know about that nickname until after she showed up and signed her mortgage papers. And she didn’t hear the whole story about her new place, “the Hawkins house,” until she was home during a ghost tour and heard the tour guide talk about the woman who had once lived in the house.

Boneyard Key is such a small town that there aren’t many restaurants. There is a coffee shop near Cassie’s house though, which is good because for some reason her laptop won’t charge at her house. That’s how she finds herself in a back booth at Hallowed Grounds, plugging her laptop in just in time to join the online work meeting she had to be in. She didn’t have a chance to order coffee before the meeting and was going to afterwards, when she goes up to the counter and finds the barista on his phone. She threatens to tell the owner, Nick Royer, he tells her to go ahead. And when she asks his name, he is happy to tell her: Nick Royer.

Nick returns the favor though when Cassie asks if he knows an electrician. He tells her to ask the owner of the house to take care of whatever is wrong. She informs him that she is the owner, and it’s his turn to look sheepish at thinking she was a tourist. But Nick gives her the name of a local handyman. But when Cassie goes back home and finds that the magnetic words she left on her refrigerator were rearranged to say “My house,” she realizes she may not need an electrician. Cassie may need a ghost hunter instead.

Cassie realizes that the ghost story she’d heard about her house might be real after all. Sarah had lived in the house with her husband from when they married in 1904 until he died in 1911. After his death, she had stayed in the house but refused to let anyone get near it. She had planted roses by the front fence to discourage kids to get too close. She had come to be known as “Mean Mrs. Hawkins.” Sarah had lived there alone until her death in the 1940s, and the house sat untouched for decades. Finally a house flipper bought it and refurbished it, which is how Cassie came to own it. But Cassie starts to doubt the accuracy of the story when she looks at her refrigerator and sees the word. “Wrong.”

As Cassie is coming to the believe that not only is she living with a ghost but also that the ghost is talking to her, she worries about sounding crazy. But when she tells Nick, Cassie finds out that not only does he believe in ghosts, he has one of his own. Elmer had owned the coffee shop before him, and he has been texting Nick all his advice ever since Nick took it over, starting with not putting cinnamon in the banana bread.

Cassie can’t deny that she is feeling some electricity with Nick, even though the electricity in her home is still sketchy. But living with a ghost comes with challenges, and she can’t but think she might be better off selling the house and finding another place to live. But she also wants to find out what Sarah’s real story was. Can Cassie get used to the idea of living with a ghost, if it means she gets to be with Nick? Or is Boneyard Key just not the home Cassie dreamed of?

Haunted Ever After is the first novel of Jen DeLuca’s that is not set in a Renaissance Faire. That popular series, which started with Well Met, is filled with smart characters, a strong sense of place, and sweet romances. And this Boneyard Key book is the same. It’s filled with charming characters who steal your heart, even from beyond, and a strong sense of place. And the romance is sweet and spicy, with lots of fun surprises.

I am a big fan of the Well Met books, and I loved Haunted Ever After almost as much. I loved how DeLuca used the ghosts in this story, adding fun and intrigue as they figured out ways to communicate with the living. This book brings romance and comedy, past and present, coffee and pastries, and blends it all into one big sloppy happy book about small-town Florida. It’s so much fun, and I can’t help but hope this will turn out to be the first in a series, so I can hang out some more with the humans and ghosts of Boneyard Key. And for me, DeLuca gets bonus points for knowing the pain of losing the Oxford comma while using AP style.

Egalleys for Haunted Ever After were provided by Berkley through NetGalley, with many thanks.

If you’re looking for a book with spooky vibes and a bit of romance this one was fun! The small town setting is cozy and all of the haunted aspects make this book a great October read.
I really enjoyed all the ghost stories this book had and all the ghost characters were definitely fun but it honestly felt like the romance plot took a backseat to the solving a mystery plot. Because of this I was slightly more invested in the ghost mystery they were trying to solve rather than the romance between our main characters. It was also slightly frustrating how quickly I solved the mystery only to then watch Cassie struggle to put the pieces together when “she was so close but it felt slightly out of reach from her mind”.
The romance was cute, however nothing that stood out to me, the pacing of things between the characters was awkward sometimes but again I didn’t totally care or minded because I was more invested in the ghosts. Very low spice (one scene at the end) but it made sense for this book.

🌟: 4.5

If there’s one thing to know about me, it’s that if Jen DeLuca writes it, I’m gonna read it (and love it).

The setting of Boneyard Key was so unique, and yet the town and its quirks are described so well that I just want to visit each and every place with the characters.

My favorite part of this book was the mystery of Cassie’s house. The history of the house is unknown to the characters, and I was invested alongside them in their quest to uncover the truth (and I put it together before they did😆).

I enjoyed the way the love story in this one developed. Cassie and Nick feel a connection pretty quickly, but they each have their own reservations about pursuing a relationship. Nick also completely stole my heart. Yes, he’s grumpy. But he’s also such a sweetheart I just love him so much.

Finally, I ADORED the supporting characters (especially Elmer🥺). Each one of them is so distinct in their own way, and I’m dying to get more of their stories.

In Boneyard Key, Florida, residents lean into its ghostliness for tourism. Nick Royer owns the Hallowed Grounds coffee shop and doesn't mind his spectral roommate. Cassie Rutherford left Orlando to buy a flipped historic cottage and is charmed by the town despite the weirdness in her home. When the two meet and hit it off, both are worried about the connection. She might be in too deep, and Nick doesn't want to risk it all if Cassie gets scared away for good.

We start off nice and slow from Cassie's POV as we're introduced to Boneyard Key. Her laptop doesn't retain its charge, sometimes things don't work in her house, and everyone around talks about ghosts all the time. The high school history teacher had even written a book about them that all the kids had to buy, and it's often quoted. Nick is the last of his family to remain in the area, and he doesn't want to start any relationship if it might mean leaving town. Ghosts are real here, and they weigh in on local events. They even are getting involved with Cassie and Nick, offering their opinions on what's going on. Understanding what they want helps the living with their lives, and being able to move forward. It was such a cute addition to the story, with a great ending for all of the characters, even the invisible ones.

This year is all about haunted house romances for me! As a fan of love stories and of supernatural horror, this combination is the perfect marriage for me. Jen DeLuca’s latest book, Haunted Ever After, is the start of a new series set in the haunted Florida town of Boneyard Key. Cassie has just bought a newly renovated cottage, not realizing it’s famously haunted by Mean Mrs. Hawkins. Faulty wiring has her spending a lot of time in the best local café, Hallowed Grounds, where she befriends the owner, Nick. They might have a romance blooming between them, but Cassie’s about ready to flee town because of these ghosts, and Nick will never leave his hometown. Will ghosts be what prevents a relationship between them?

Tropes & Narrative Devices:
- New friends to lovers
- Haunted houses (and a whole haunted town)
- Third-person narrative; dual perspective (both Cassie and Nick)

What I Liked:
- So many haunted places! This isn’t just one haunted house; it’s basically every place in all of Boneyard Key! The beach, the bar, the ice cream shop… everything has a ghost or some other kind of paranormal activity. It’s a lot of fun and filled with excellent spooky puns.
- Interacting with ghosts (via text or magnetic poetry on the fridge). Talking to ghosts isn’t just for mediums here; you can use modern technology to make contact, at least in some cases.
- A bit of mystery surrounding the Hawkins House, Sarah Hawkins, and her life. With any good haunting comes a tragic past and more than a hint of mystery surrounding it. Was Mean Mrs. Hawkins really that mean? Why has she been haunting the house she vacated decades ago? What else is happening in Cassie’s new home, and why?
- Tear-down of misogyny and the patriarchy. There’s a certain point in the book when our co-lead Nick says something really out-of-character and alarmingly misogynistic. Don’t fret; this is a paranormal romance and there are really good reasons for this unexpected outburst. It all plays into great commentary on the problems of the patriarchy and misogyny. This book is ultimately feminist and empowering.
- Discussion of motherhood, working, and whether an old friend group is still the right one for you. Not everyone wants or can have kids. Not everyone wants a “traditional” life path, and that’s okay. And sometimes, the group of friends you had is no longer in line with where you’re at in life. Sometimes, it’s best to find your new people.
- Ghost tours. You can’t have a haunted town without a walking ghost tour. Such fun!
- Baked goods! Banana bread, lemon pound cake… yum.
- Possession! Exorcism! I love that this paranormal romance doesn’t shy away from the more exciting parts of hauntings and horror. Some ghosts are friendly, but some need to be vanquished.

What Didn’t Work for Me:
- Nothing, this was great!

Final Thoughts
Haunted Ever After is a delightful romance filled with ghosts, Floridian heat, and a nice relationship arc between Cassie and Nick. I loved the paranormal aspects, the full cast of characters, and the gentle pace at which it unfolds. It allows readers to savor the book… and all the references to hazelnut lattes and baked goods. This is the first in a series, and I already have ideas on who one or two of the other couples could be. I can’t wait to read their stories next!

I must have a thing for books that are set in small towns on the Gulf Coast of Florida because this is the third one I can think of, and I’ve loved them all. Boneyard Key is a fictional place but it felt quite real, so kudos to Jen DeLuca. Nick owns a coffee shop in town and has grown up in Boneyard Key, known for having quite a few haunted spots (and tourists). Cassie is a newcomer who has bought a haunted house without knowing it was haunted. Cassie has picked up and moved to Boneyard Key from Orlando after the landlord she was renting from decided to sell. Once she realized she couldn’t find anything affordable nearby, she broadened her search, figuring that if she could work remotely during the pandemic, she could continue to do so, and that means she could live anywhere. The house she chose overlooks the Gulf and is super-charming, having been repaired and updated by a house flipper - before that it had been empty for a very long time.

Nick and Cassie have wonderful chemistry, but they both have personal issues that make them cautious about having a serious relationship.

The ghosts in this book are wonderful! Elmer is the former owner of the coffee shop that Nick owns, while Sarah is the former resident of Cassie’s house, who was known around town as Mean Mrs. Hawkins. How Elmer and Sarah communicate is so creative.

The story is a lovely combination of romance and mystery. And it works. We get chapters from either Cassie’s or Nick’s point of view. I loved the references to the Florida weather and the quirky history of towns along the Gulf Coast. I had to laugh out loud at the descriptions of the sub sandwiches from Publix, a widespread Florida supermarket chain which Cassie sorely misses since there’s no Publix in or near Boneyard Key.

This looks to be the start of a series and I will be happy to read those books once they are available.

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for the opportunity to read a review copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

(Note: If you’re wondering about the other books/series I mentioned above, check out the Haunted Haven Mysteries by Carol J. Perry and the Coffee Lover’s Mysteries by Tara Lush.)

The cover had me, and the story kept me. This was everything I wanted and more. I loved that haunted house ghost stories are becoming more mainstream. This is perfect for the spooky season; it's part romance, part mystery, everything spooky. PLU S NO THIRD ACT BREAKUPPPP. Which honestly is my new favorite trope. If you loved the Well met Series, you will love this.

Tropes:
Slow Burn
Friends to lovers
Small Town
Found Family
Grumpy x Sunshine

Thanks to Berkley Romance for inviting me to participate in the Blog Tour!

This is an unexpectedly fun paranormal romance that I thoroughly enjoyed.

When Cassie buys a house in the small town of Boneyard Key, she notices that there are references to ghosts everywhere. When she hears the ghost tour stop in front of her house, she wants to find out why. Her housekeeper haan
She has inexplicable power issues so she’s been working at the coffee shop, owned by a handsome guy named Nick. He explains that the ghosts are real, and he’s got one as a roommate who communicates through text messages!
Cassie’s ghostly roommate communicates through magnetic words on her refrigerator, and Cassie senses something is off. As she and Nick research the history of her house, they develop a relationship, but something in her house doesn’t like him. They need to solve her mystery with help from her friendly ghost.

I really enjoyed this book, 4.5 stars.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley, I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I was really looking forward to this one because I loved her Well Met series. It’s actually one of my favorites of all time!

This book is told from two point-of-views and they come from Cassie and Nick. Cassie moves into the tiny town of Boneyard Key after needing something new in her life. She meets Nick not too long into her move because of her laptop not changing at her home and heads to the local coffee shop. They get off on the wrong foot, but quickly turn it around and she finds herself coming there more often than not.

I did like the setting for this story because we learn about the start of the town and the founding members. Some of those members are still lingering and although the blurb talked about ghosts I thought it would be fake or something haha. I was pleasantly surprised! It was actually my favorite part of the story, learning more about the ghosts. Cassie took this all very well. I would have freaked out a whole lot more!

The romance is really what was lackluster. I felt that there wasn’t enough sustenance and I didn’t feel the connection between them. They were cute together but I don’t know. I just needed more.

I also felt like the ending was kind of abrupt when it came to the climatic part. It felt rushed and I wish that there would have been more from the “villainous” character. I am assuming there wasn’t because the book is still meant to be light.

Overall, this was decent but I was just expecting more.

👻 Book Review 👻

Haunted Ever After by Jen DeLuca
👻
This book was totally unique. It felt like a mix of Ghostbusters, a cozy mystery, and a Hallmark movie featuring a small beach town. In the best possible way. It was fun, lighthearted, quirky, romantic, and absolutely delightful. It’s a super quick read and would be perfect for spooky season. I love the concept of a small town that’s haunted and leans into that for tourism. How do I visit? I had a blast reading it and I hope she turns it into a series, because I would devour each book. It was a little creepy and a lot cute, and I’ve never read anything like it. Give me more!!
👻
My rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice level: 🌶️🌶️
👻
Read if you like:
▫️ghosts
▫️small town
▫️slow burn
▫️he falls first and harder
▫️dual POV
👻
Thank you to Berkley, NetGalley, and Jen DeLuca for the ARC. I received an advanced copy for free, and am leaving this review voluntarily.

I loved the premises of this book and I loved the little town. But I just didn’t love it like I thought it would. But it is such a great transition book from summer to fall. When it came to the romance, for me I didn’t really pick up on the chemistry between the main characters. I actually found myself more interested in the side characters a little more than the main couple.

Haunted Ever After is a delightful blend of romance and paranormal mystery. It’s cute, fun and full of small-town charm! I loved the tight-knit community and the way they look out for each other.

Nick and Cassie were adorable together and had amazing chemistry. Despite the initial attraction, they start out as friends but the romance that develops between them is sweet and a little steamy.

While I enjoyed the romance, my favorite parts were centered around the ghosts and Cassie’s house. I loved following along as she was discovering the truth about her houses previous owner.

If you’re looking for a paranormal rom-com, this should definitely be on your radar! Cassie’s haunted house, the ghosts in the town and nighttime tours all make this a wonderful addition to your spooky season TBR.

I keep telling myself that I am not much of a romance fan, but here I am, the second time in as many months, singing the praises of a romance. I have not read anything by Jen DeLuca prior to HAUNTED EVER AFTER, but I think I am now a fan. I love the premise featuring ghosts and the small beachside town setting. In a place labeled the most haunted town in Florida by a travel magazine, the residents of Boneyard Key lean into everything kitschy related to being a haunted tourist destination. But, here’s the rub…there are plenty of real ghosts still residing in town.

Our protagonists Cassie and Nick get off to a rough start when Cassie comes into Nick’s coffee café to charge her laptop and use the free WIFI, but it is obvious from their first meeting that they are destined to be a couple. They are likable and realistically portrayed. I would enjoy being friends with both of them. The supporting cast is also well drawn, and I especially enjoyed Nan, who can talk to ghosts, and ghosts Sarah and Elmer. I might have shed a tear for Elmer.

This is very much a romance, but a slow burn. I love the paranormal aspect even more than the lovey dovey parts. The whole book is delightfully quirky. And, I’m now hungry for banana bread. Highly recommended to DeLuca’s fans, readers of Southern fiction, contemporary romance, and those who like a dose of well-meaning ghosts.

Thank you to Berkley and NetGalley for an ARC of this title.

I have enjoyed Jen DeLuca's work in the past, but not all her titles have worked for me. I was excited to see that she was moving on from the Ren Faire series and starting something new and I do want to see more entries in Boneyard Key if she's got stories to tell with other characters in this small Florida tourist haunted town.

Key words: representation of a heroine with endometriosis and cysts who can't/won't have children, a hero and heroine who are hurting and lonely coming together to find family and belonging, ghosts, paranormal activity, slow burn (I MEAN IT), no 3rd act breakup (but a misunderstanding earlier), small town romance

Nick is the cafe owner who is haunted by the former ghostly owner, Elmer, via text message who gives him all the commentary and opinions regarding Nick's life from his banana bread recipe to how he should approach Cassie. Cassie has moved from Orlando into one of the more haunted houses in this haunted ghostly town to start fresh and work from home and is adjusting to her new life in Boneyard Key. She finds that Mrs. Sarah Hawkins ghost still resides in her house via the magnetic poetry on her fridge and is determined to get to the bottom of what has Sarah so active and restless and shed light on the true history of what happened at the "Hawkins House."

This is a slow burn romance, and what I mean is these two don't have spicy times until the 90% mark which is late in the story even for traditionally published romance. There's the one scene and while it is certainly earned, if you like things to be a bit more spicy, you might be disappointed. Nick and Cassie are a couple to root for, and the characters (ghostly and human) in Boneyard Key we get to know are fully realized. I would say that the romantic plot sometimes takes a backseat to the ghost/paranormal storyline, but I do think that the paranormal storyline was engaging and interesting! I would just go into this story knowing that so you can manage your expectations.

Cassie who was struggling to find affordable real estate near her big city job moves to a small coastal Florida town. The aptly named Boneyard Key really plays up the haunted town vibe which she assumes is just a ploy for tourist dollars. That is until Nick, the grumpy coffee shop owner, and the incredibly welcoming townies clue her in on the truth of their ghostly inhabitants.

It isn’t long before Cassie discovers she’s got a ghost roommate of her own. With the help of the surprisingly helpful (and handsome) Nick, she now she has to figure out if she can handle living in a literal haunted house and what her ghostly roomie is trying to tell her.

This book is just further proof to me that Jen can’t write a bad book. As a supernatural skeptic, I would have never thought I’d be so invested in a ghost story and yet I couldn’t get enough of this.

I was instantly captivated by this small town and its occupants. The mystery of Cassie’s house and her ghost got me invested but the found family vibes is what really stole the show.

Nick outwardly is this grumpy small business owner and yet he’s a little bit of a town gossip and he’s surprisingly tolerant of his own specter. His past romantic trauma makes him a little awkward and hesitant with Cassie which fits with her own personality quite well.

This is a super slow burn but it does pay off with one steamy scene that felt well worth the build up. The chemistry between Cassie and Nick was unmatched. It was so satisfying seeing Cassie fit in seamlessly as a local as acceptance was what she really craved all along.

If you’re ready to explore this haunted town and unlock its secrets while falling in love with its quirky residents and benevolent ghosts then you need to make this your next read.