I thought the premise of this was fascinating - but unfortunately, this book was just not for me. I struggled to get into it, and wanted some deeper character development. It also felt like the story fell into some stereotypes that I don't enjoy - everyone asking why the female protagonist isn't yet married, a need for purity, etc. It also felt a bit juvenile at times.

After a tragedy, Nora Clanton moved back to Rabbittown, Alabama, and took over the family casket business. There are few potential romantic partners there until she meets Garrett Bishop, a logistics coordinator, whose job has long hours, lots of travel, and urgent calls in the middle of the night. Garrett is present when some of Rabbittown’s residents suddenly pass away. It turns out that he's the logistics coordinator for Death. How can she reconcile his job with the potential for love?

Nora's settled into tiny town life, filling her many empty hours with TV. Garrett is just as awkward socially as she is, so the two begin spending time together. It's kinda cute, with them behaving like gawky teens. She's very anxious, though. She second-guessed everything, has other people make decisions for her and is sure there's something wrong with her and Garrett would change his mind about loving her. They were really good together as long as Nora's anxiety didn't have her question all the positive things she had.

I wished I could reach through the pages and tell Nora to see a therapist, not just rely on therapy memes on Instagram. She moves through town like a ghost in her own life, and it's amazing that she even responds to the older people in town urging her to choose a direction in life. It takes being pressured into doing what others want and would benefit them for Nora to take a stand. She's the one to make the grand gesture here and realize that Death is everywhere and part of life. No one can stop the inevitable, and there's comfort in knowing no one dies alone.

I tried to get into this one because I really liked the synopsis. The writing style isn't for me and I didn't make it but a few chapters into the book. It felt like I was being shown the events but wasn't really given the opportunity to have an emotional connection with the characters... more like i was told what to feel without the feelings blooming.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own. Thank you to the publisher, Netgalley, and the author for the opportunity to read this novel.

Casket Case is bound to receive mixed reviews, and I believe that’s not entirely the author’s fault. The cover, title, and color scheme suggest a lighthearted rom-com centered around a young woman who inherits a family business selling caskets. However, this is not how I see the book at all, and I think the marketing team may have missed the mark.

Yes, Casket Case is a story about love, but not in the quirky rom-com way its presentation implies. The female lead, Nora, inherits her family’s casket-selling business in a small Alabama town after the tragic loss of her parents. She meets Garrett, a strikingly handsome and mysterious stranger who arrives in town on “business.” They fall in love quickly—something I personally believe in (I’m living proof that love can happen fast)—but there’s a twist: Garrett is no ordinary man. He’s a messenger of death, helping people cross over in their final moments.

While this premise might sound odd, I found it fascinating. It offers a different, even refreshing, perspective on love—one that feels both strange and beautiful. However, I suspect this won't appeal to everyone. The decision to market this as a rom-com is problematic, especially when both main characters are entrenched in the business of death.

The writing is generally solid, though there are some moments of repetition that could’ve been trimmed. Nora’s quirks are endearing, likely shaped by her sheltered upbringing and unusual occupation. Her relationship with her grandfather is heartwarming, and her ability to keep an open mind is a redeeming trait.

Casket Case may not be the conventional love story that readers expect based on its packaging, but it’s still a unique exploration of love and life’s inevitable end. While not for everyone, those open to its darker themes will find an unexpectedly touching romance beneath the surface.

Cute book!

Nora has had a bad year. Her parents died in a car accident and she had to come back home to Rabbittown, Alabama to run the family business, selling funeral caskets. Nora was in the financial industry living in the city before her parents died. Coming back to her small town was the last thing she'd ever expected to do. Her Grandpa is her only blood relative alive, the rest of her "family" are the people she's known her whole life.

When a good looking man, Garrett, gets lost, he walks into her store for directions. The chemistry between them is instantaneous. Garrett just transferred to the area for his job. He tells her he works in logistics. Nora doesn't probe, Garrett travels a lot and has unexpected emergencies. They fall in love fast, but when Nora starts getting curious about his job, he can't keep the truth from her anymore.

He works for Death. He helps dying people cross over. Nora feels like she's been betrayed by him. She doesn't understand how he can love his job so much. But she works with death as well.

Will this adorable couple be able to work out their differences and be happy together? Or will they be miserable apart?

*I received a complimentary copy of this book via NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I really really really wanted to love this one. The premise was so intriguing!

I ended up being bored a lot of the way through, between the choppy, almost robotic conversations, Nora's tendency to push people away at the slightest inconvenience, and the pacing, this one just was not for me.

Let me start by saying that the premise of this was so fun! Love the idea of everyone's career and how they all connect, but that is about all of the kind things I can say.
Nora was the most annoying main character I have read in a while. Garrett is the biggest pushover and so insufferable. And why the heck was Johnny there?
Alabama was the cutest setting and I loved the Death conference idea. But overall, no thank you on the characters.

This book felt like a fresh, fun take for the Halloween season. Definitely something different when it comes to the plot which I appreciated. Even with the Halloween and spooky romance reads, there's a lot of repetition and this was new. Nora could be a little frustrating but relatable. Overall a fun and good read.

This was WEIRD. Like such a strange concept, which is why I immediately wanted to read it. I think the storyline could’ve been there, but the execution of it did not do it for me. Our FMC and MMC escalate really, really quickly. And they just seemed so.. *boring*
We get a strange 3rd person POV that i wasn’t necessarily a fan of… but like.. by then end of it I kind of enjoyed it?? I will definitely be thinking of death for sometime after this read….

This is one of those that’s hard to put into words. I didn’t love it, but I didn’t hate it. The storyline was weird, but good.. but the writing wasn’t for me?

I thought this book had a lot of potential but the romance was a little stifled. It might have been from the third person POV but it just felt too insta-lovey. I did like the book in relationship to Garrett’s job and the reveal in the epilogue. I just felt like I didn’t connect with the characters like I wanted too. It felt like Nora was your typical “millennial woman” who escapes into TV shows and drinks a lot of wine while crying on the couch. I wish we got a little more growth in her character throughout the book. I also wish the small town aspect was played up more. I just felt like it could’ve been a bigger setting. Overall the story was fine, there was a few things that kept it from being a bigger hit in my opinion.

The concept of this book really intrigued me. It fell flat in some spot but I will definitely be recommending it to people! The story ran slow and the romance burned fast. A charming read that delves into the intricacies of all things life, love and death.

Casket Case by Lauren Evans 3⭐️

Nora Clanton has moved back to Rabbittown,Alabama to take over her parents’ casket store after they unexpectedly passed away. There she meets the love of her life but he just so happens to be a middle man for Death.

This book’s blurb immediately caught my attention and I was super excited to read it. I truly loved how funny Nora could be and she made me laugh out loud multiple times. The chemistry between her and Garrett honestly fell flat for me though. It was difficult for me to understand the pacing of their relationship. I was actually rooting for Johnny more than Garrett because they seemed to have better on page chemistry. I understand why she ends up with Garrett but I’m not overly thrilled by it.

What I absolutely loved about this book was its portrayal of how paralyzing grief can be and how it can turn your entire life upside down. Nora’s depression and anxiety is perfectly described as she goes through her personal journey with grief. I cried real tears during the epilogue and that’s in part why I rated this book three stars.


Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

Unfortunately, this was a miss for me. I found the story slow and the romance unbelievable. There wasn’t enough chemistry between the FMC and MC to make me convinced that they hit it off immediately and started dating. I liked the idea for this story, the idea of someone working for death, but I wish that had been explained more.

After the unexpected loss of her loved ones, Nora finds herself running the family’s local casket business. Finding herself surrounded by death was not exactly the life she imagined. Nora’s hopes for the future seemed bleak until she met Garret. He’s a catch but when she learns of his career as a logistician for death, she’s feeling like she just can’t escape death’s grasp. This sweet small town rom-com shares frequent reflections on death and grief. Despite the heavy themes, the story was light and humorous at times. I really appreciated the uniqueness of the premise and easily gave it 5 stars.

Be sure to check out Casket Case if you are looking for an out-of-the-box rom-com!

Thank you Dell Romance for this arc.

Wasn’t for, it started out interesting but than it fell flat unfortunate had to dnf. I had a hard time connecting with the story. But I definitely think if you love fall check this book out

📔: Casket Case-a standalone

✍️ By: Lauren Evans-debut author

📃 Page Count: 396

🗓️ Publication Date: 9-10-24 | Read: 9-9-24

🙏🏾Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group/Ballantine/Dell for this ARC💜! I voluntarily give my honest review, and all opinions expressed are my own.

Genre: Contemporary/Paranormal Romance, Adult Fic, Fantasy, Magical Realism

🌏Setting: Rabbittown, AL

Tropes:
❤️ small town
❤️ grim reaper/Death
❤️ love triangle
❤️ 2nd chance
❤️insta-connection


⚠️ TW: death of parents, grief, cheating (h cheated on by ex)

POV: dual 3rd person, nonlinear timeline

💭 Summary 💭 Nora moved back to her small town in Alabama to run her family's casket selling business after her parents' death. Garrett is a mysterious stranger who takes an interest in Nora while keeping his true identity a secret. As they get to know each other, strange accidental deaths occur with Garrett at the scene of the crimes. Nora becomes suspicious and makes Garrett tell the truth about his job causing them to break up. It takes a death conference, a quick hook up, and some backstabbing to bring Nora back to Garrett.


Heroine: Eleanora "Nora" Clanton 30, sells caskets, watches a lot of TV.

Hero: Garrett Bishop-logistics director, travels a lot for work

Side cast: Grandpa-William, Charlie-Nora's ex bf, Johnny Chandler-family owns a funeral home, Billy and Anita-Nora's parents, both deceased.


My Thoughts: I didn't feel a connection with Nora as she seemed a little cold. Garrett was a sweetheart and didn't play games with Nora. He wanted her, they went on dates, and he fell for her. I didn't understand her problem with his profession considering hers. I hated the whole Johnny Chandler thing, wasn't necessary. It was an okay PNR for the fall season.

Range of emotions: 😬🤔🙄
🌶️: Spice 2/5
😭: Emotion 3/5
❤️: Couple 3/5
⭐️: Rating 3/5

This book is a mix of contemporary romance with a little bit of magic. Nora has had a ROUGH year and finally catches a break when she meets what seems to be the perfect guy…only problem? He works for Death… Garrett is the perfect gentleman and honestly is an absolute gem of a guy. He’s understanding and kind and respectful. I loved this book even when it made me sob ugly tears. There were parts that I didn’t see coming but it gave so much insight into the rest of the story after the fact. This book has so much depth and is like a warm hug at times with some whimsey added in.

Lauren did so well with the characters and storyline. I thoroughly enjoyed how she handled the storyline, character growth, and heavier topics. She understands grief so well, it felt like my own feelings were being portrayed on page. The writing was consistent and great throughout. I really enjoyed this book!!

Nora just lost her parents. She feels like she should be able to bear it because her family has always owned a casket store in her small town of Rabbittown, Alabama, but she's stalled in her sadness and unable to move forward. Enter handsome and mysterious Garret who seems too good to be true, but makes her feel alive like she thought she'd never would again. Garret does have a secret though, his boring title of logistics coordinator is to hide the fact that he works for Death, which would make Nora's ties to it even closer. Will they be able to find happiness in the midst of so much death?

I'm not entirely sure if the book is as sad and depressing as it seemed to me or I just read it at a time when losing both your parents pretty much at the same time hits way, way too close, but it felt depressing overall. Even the moments when Nora and Garret were supposedly having a great time and being all lovey-dovey were still anxiety-filled and just plain sad. Nora is in desperate need of therapy and refusing to acknowledge her depression and instead filling it with comfort TV and denial. It was just too many down moments for it to be a truly enjoyable romance.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dell for the read!

Unfortunately, this was a DNF for me. I had a hard time with the connection between the characters feeling flat, and I was let down by the hype I had felt for this book. This may work for others, however, as it was cute and simple!

I really, really enjoyed this small town paranormal romance debut that has Southern girl Nora returning home to Rabbittown to take over her recently deceased parents' casket business and while there finds herself falling for Garrett, a complete stranger who just happens to work for Death. Good on audio and perfect for fans of authors like Ashley Poston or Ivy Fairbanks. I'm excited to read more by this new author in the future! Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy and @prhaudio for a complimentary ALC in exchange for my honest review!