The concept behind this story has so much potential to be funny, which is what I expected. But the central challenge between Nora and Garrett was more emotional than funny. Nora is in a deeply emotional place and falls hard and fast when she meets Garrett. He does the same, whirlwind romance in a small town ensues.
Personally I wanted to know more about the side characters that surround Nora. We learn only the basics about them, and only as much as they give Nora advice while she emotionally spirals, which happens often. The revelation of Nora's grandpa is the most surprising part of the book and while I loved the choice, it still felt like more could have been done with it.
The dialogue reads very rapid fire so every conversation seemed like an argument, even when it wasn't. Overall I struggled to connect to the book and the characters

This is a case of this book just wasn't for me.

I am going to have to DNF this book at 30%. I was not a fan of the writing style, but I was really intrigued by the premise so I was going to just power through. Unfortunately the characters were flat for me and I had a hard time caring about them. There is a lot of insta-love which I'm also not a fan of. I am sure there are people out there that will love this book, but it just wasn't for me.

After trying to read this book multiple time.. I have officially decided to dnf at the the 34% mark. I really just can't get the dialogue or reasonably believe any of type of chemistry between Nora and Garrett. Unfortunately, it completely missed the mark for me.

Thought the concept was very really intriguing, I feel like the execution was severely lacking. It felt very underdeveloped and rushed. I also didn't realize that there was a paranormal aspect to the book and think that needs to be marketed.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine | Dell for this ARC!

3/5 ⭐️

This was a strange one. There were aspects I kind of liked about it but the structure/execution of the book was a mess. All of the characters in this were just so flat, devoid of any personality. I neither liked nor disliked them because everyone was just so boring. The romance was too instalove and there wasn't any kind of chemistry built up between Nora and Garrett. Then 3/4's of the way through there was a random love triangle started (where Nora honestly had more chemistry with the guy than Garrett) that never mattered since it wasn't ever really set-up. There was also the sort of magical/paranormal element of Garrett working for Death - but this was never really fleshed out or made interesting.

The concept for this one really intrigued me but the book was just not that great. This was Evans's debut so I'll keep my eye on any future books she comes out with.

Thank you to NetGalley, Lauren Evans, and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for my early access to this.

A woman inherits a casket store and home from her parents, who died about a year ago, and she's trying to make it work for her. She meets a man whom she likes, but is not sure how she feels about what he does for a living.

This is a WEIRD romance without being bonkers, y'all. I'm not saying I didn't enjoy it. I am saying "what the heck did I just read?"

Nora's parents died unexpectedly last year. Ever since then she's been living in a deep depression. She left her job as an accountant in the big city (Birmingham) and moved back into her childhood home to take over her parents' casket store. Her boyfriend dumped her and she ghosted her friends. One day a hot guy in an expensive suit asks her for directions to a nearby house. The next day he comes back and asks her out. And then Garrett and Nora are in a fast-moving relationship that is everything Nora's ever wanted. The catch? He's a regional manager for Death. As in, he helps guide dying souls to the Other Side. One could be forgiven for thinking that Nora would be cool with his job, given her own. But that would assume one hasn't read many romance novels.

First, the good stuff: this book is written straightforwardly and is really, really easy to read. Once I picked it up, I didn't feel like putting it down to scroll social media or pick up a different book. (I read it straight through in one evening.) I also really liked that neither character played games with the other: they were both up front about their wants and needs and respectful of each other's boundaries when it came to intimacy or topics of conversation.

Speaking of physical intimacy: the relationship gets physical pretty early on. Like I said, this is the opposite of a slow burn and neither Nora nor Garrett is trying to play it cool. That said, the intimacy is very euphemistically described. My partner in reading crime, Laine, always wants to know "where are the hands?" when reading intimate scenes. I'll simply say that we don't exactly know what the hands are doing here. My own preference would have been for a little more description in the spicy scenes, but it's not closed door.

For me the biggest issue with the book is that not much happens. I have always thought of myself as a character-focused reader, but I've learned that I need something for those characters to do together.

I would recommend this book to anyone who likes the slightly morbid (but never gory); for people who like small town contemporary romance; and for people who like low conflict romance between compatible characters. And especially if you're a seasonal reader who likes those things, this would be a great read for spooky season.

This objective review is based on a complimentary copy of the novel.

This book really threw me off and it was not what I expected. From the description I thought it would be a cute paranormal rom-com. And the fact that the MMC works for death was so intriguing for me, but it kind of disappointed me. The concept was so strange yet creative, it really made me crave a deeper look into the author’s mind and the morbid eeriness that I thought the plot would be,

The town and the side characters were fell flat and didn’t bring anything to the story other than to move things along. They had no personality. They didn’t help in making me connect with the MCs or with making them change throughout the book. It all felt repetitive.

The pacing of the book was also weird. The pacing was unusually slow, yet the characters had an insta-love relationship that moved so fast that it was underdeveloped. I felt nothing. No butterflies. No kicking my feet. Just an okay they are together and now I am stuck in a weird pacing loop.

The dialogue also didn’t do it for me. It was so awkward. And I was no com to this rom-com. Or at least the humor was not my type of humor.

Another thing I didn’t like about the book was how the FMC kept calling herself crazy for reacting somewhat normally in a situation. She was going through grief, which was not really explored. I think exploring grief and the mental illnesses that may string from it and affect our lives and relationships is so important to be represented in all media when it is done the right way and not blamed on being crazy or overreacting. I wanted the author to dig deeper on this and the paranormal aspects of working for death and the toll that brings to a person.

I was a bit generous giving it 3 stars, but it is because I liked the idea and I think it did have the potential to be a good book. I’m sure it can be someone’s favorite, especially during spooky season.

Thank you Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group/Ballantine/Dell for the chance to review this book and give my honest thoughts on it.

I don't usually read romcoms but I am a huge mystery/thriller fan so I thought I'd give this one a shot since it dealt with some aspects I like from my genre. I was pleasantly surprised that I loved it! Finished it in one sitting. Living in a small southern town myself, I thought it was great at depicting that small town charm and pitfalls (like everyone knowing your business and congregating after church for all the gossip!). I felt Nora's dilemma (at not understanding or knowing if she could handle Garrett's job). A great twist that I really got behind. Funny and heartwarming, I loved it all.

Casket Case by Lauren Evans

This one wasn’t for me, so I’ll keep the review short. I struggled with the following:
⚰️Unbelievable romance. The complete lack of tension between the main characters. Like we just jumped right in there and never looked back. It was fast and jarring and not in a good way.
⚰️The stereotypes of a small, southern town. I felt they were overdone, and it cheapened the story.
⚰️Telling and not showing. Clunky dialogue. Descriptions and characters that didn’t add to the narrative.

I think someone who likes the following would enjoy it:
⚰️instalove
⚰️stereotypical small town setting
⚰️lots of characters
⚰️flawed characters with tragic backstories

This was one was darker than I anticipated and just fell way short of a reading experience I had hoped for.

Casket Case by Lauren Evans was a fun debut rom-com.
A cute, fun and heartfelt story.
I really enjoyed reading it.
I liked the writing and thought the characters were so much fun to be with.

Ignore the star rating. I dnfed. This was terrible.

I adore when death is personified so I was excited to read this one but I couldn’t get past the clunky writing and annoying characters. The dialogue is so cringey and awkward. I stopped at 21%

Unfortunately not for me.

Thanks to netgalley and random house for an eARC

I have not enjoyed books in the past, which is fair, but very few books have actually managed to annoy me. And this was one such.

As much as I wanted to dnf it, I wanted to know where exactly this story is going. Result- nowhere.
Sorry to say but I didn't understand the purpose of the plot or anything else here.
The romance was insta-love and cringy. The main characters came across as cringy especially the FMC.

Sorry to say but this book wasn't for me.

Thank you Netgalley and publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoy a unique paranormal romance so this one seemed right up my alley! I also liked the idea of death being a large corporation. It seemed like a concept with a lot of comedic potential. Unfortunately, the concept was not well executed.

Nora struck me as a bit stuck and depressed. She didn't know what she wanted and she was barely getting by. Usually, I like seeing a character struggle and come out of it but Nora never really did. She was able to become a bit more open-minded but her unhappiness and bad coping patterns were not addressed.

This book also mainly revolves around Nora and Garret. Their relationship seemed to mostly exist in a bubble and neither of them seemed to have many friends. They had lots of fights that I think would have been better as conversations with friends.

This is a really interesting concept but I think it could have used some more development and editing. A book being marketed as a romcom needs more of the comedy.

I was drawn to Casket Case by its unique concept and intriguing blurb, and I was eager to dive in. The book handles themes of grief, loss, and the aftermath of a loved one’s death with care and sensitivity. It’s not just about coping with the loss itself but about the difficult journey of rebuilding life afterward. Nora, the protagonist, has been navigating this reality for a year, and I appreciated the authenticity with which her emotional journey was portrayed.

However, the reading experience was not entirely smooth for me. The banter between Nora and Garrett, while enjoyable at first, started to feel repetitive, and their romantic relationship felt rushed and underdeveloped. The abruptness of their romance made it difficult for me to fully connect with their dynamic.

That said, this book may resonate with readers looking for a lighter romance read, especially those who enjoy stories that incorporate heavier themes like grief. Perhaps I wasn’t in the right frame of mind for this story, but I believe it could work for others.

Thank you to Random House Publishing - Ballantine and Dell for providing me with a copy of this book.

CW: Grief, loss, death, depression

Nora couldn’t wait to get out of Rabbittown,Alabama and have her own life and career. Unfortunately, her parents passed away unexpectedly and she had to come home and take care of the Casket company that her grandparents started then her parents owned it now her. The problem was she was depressed and wasn’t sure she wanted to do this for a living. Rabbittown didn’t have a lot to offer for a young woman. When all of a sudden this very handsome man named Garrett Bishop stopped and asked Nora where an elderly man lived. Then the elderly man had died. It seems like a few other deaths had occurred after Garrett had been with them. This will keep you wondering.

I received this ARC from Netgalley for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

There was a lot of death in this book, which I guess I didn't expect? But also, makes a lot of sense, so that is probably on me. One thing about this book that I really liked was the concept, about Garret working for death and how he is there to make sure no one is alone when they pass. This book has a little too much 'insta-love' for me, especially since there is a lot of time the characters are fighting or don't understand each other. Even by the end of the story I'm not sure if they even like each other, which is something. Adding in the random other male interest for a few chapters was almost more believable to me? Either way I think this book had a really good idea, I'm just not sure how it was presented was for me.

Thank you to Dell Romance for this ARC.

I think I may have a problem (seriously). This is the second book that I have gone into, thinking it would be a fluffy, feel-good romance book, only to be let down by the entire execution of the novel. Fair warning: I didn’t like much about this book.

The concept of this book is super intriguing: Garrett, the MMC, is a logistics coordinator for Death, and Nora runs a casket company in the country town of Rabbitttown (I don’t know why this made me constantly think of Zootopia 🤦🏻‍♀️). The entire description of Garrett's job with Death was explained very well and made me interested in learning more, but unfortunately, the author doesn't spend much time on this plot point.

Regrettably, the pros of this book stop there. I felt that all of the conversations were awkward and never flowed together. There is forced drama, and the characters are incredibly bad at communicating everything. Also, for some reason, it felt like I was reading the monotone conversations of two very boring people.

The romance/relationship is where I had the biggest issue. At about 25% into the book, the characters fall madly in love with each other with absolutely no reason why or no chemistry. I was actually rooting for the evil MMC to somehow become the love interest 🤣 While the story is a dual POV, both MCs sound exactly the same; there is no discernable difference.

Overall, I think this book could have greatly benefited from some editing. The writing was too descriptive in parts where it didn’t need to be (e.g., they put on their shoes, opened the door, looked outside, and thought it was a nice day) and completely boring and choppy in parts that needed to be fleshed out (e.g., the MCs' dialogue with one another).

I know it seems like I am completely dumping on this book, but I think the author had an incredible premise. Unfortunately, the execution was lacking.

This was a painful slog. In concept the book sounded great. Good idea and could have been great. But in execution not so much. It was clear this is a first novel. The writing did not flow smoothly and the story was jumpy and odd at times. The romance wasn’t believable and the two main characters start off in some kind of obsessive relationship right after meeting. Nora wasn’t very bright and Garrett was way pushy. The small town vibe wasn’t cozy it was just nosy and not a good backdrop for the story. Just didn’t work for me.

She's running her family's casket business but falling for a guy who is working for Death. Nora has unexpectedly found herself back home in her little town of Rabbittown... and working at her amily's casket business. Garrett Bishop seems like the perfect guy, he's sweet and has a good job... only he's hiding a secret and it's odd that his odd job behavior and the strange uptick in residents of the town passing away, has Nora's red flags up. What does he actually do and can she trust him with her heart? This was a small town romance that explores loss and dealing with death Unfortunately this one did not hit the mark for me, I really didn't care for the characters or the romance, despite how hard I wanted to like it. The premise made it seem like a book I would absolutely love but while reading it I just felt bored overall. Nora just didn't make all that much of an impression on me and I did not feel any chemistry at all between the two characters. The romance just didn't feel all that romantic and the story just felt "meh" for me unfortunately. If you do like small town romances that deal with grief and death, I'd say give this a go, maybe you'll have a better time with it than I did.

Release Date: September 10,2024

Publication/Blog: Ash and Books (ash-and-books.tumblr.com)

*Thanks Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine | Dell for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

This book has such a fun premise but the connection between Nora and Garrett had no real time to build before they were declaring their undying love for each other. Then as soon as Nora learned Garrett's secret, she dumped him and was getting romantically entangled with someone else she previously swore she couldn't stand. The second romance felt like this was two books being smushed into one rather than a single book that focused on what Nora and Garret's relationship. It wasn't entirely clear what Nora learned during her time at the funeral conference that made her go running back to Garret, so their reunion didn't really feel earned. The prose is well-written, and there's good stuff in here, but the plotting could have been tightened up.