Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and author for this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

The premise of this book was very intriguing! The FMC works for a casket business, her love interest works for Death. It seems like the beginnings of an amazing story!

However, the book just did not hit home for me. The characters felt very surface level, I didn’t feel like I knew any of them by the end of the book. The ending had a bit of a sad occurrence but I found that I didn’t really feel one way or another about what was happening.

I also felt like Alabama football was brought up quite a bit. I live in Alabama, my family and I are Crimson Tide fans, but I wasn’t a fan of how often they were referenced. Alabama football game on several times, Alabama hat mentioned a few times, etc.

Overall, the story felt a bit stagnant for most of the book. Not much was happening, and the relationship didn’t feel particularly interesting. I felt a spark of intrigue when another male character was brought in, but that quickly died (no pun intended).

The ending felt rushed and unfinished. None of the concerns she had about the relationship felt like they had been fully addressed. I guess she just decided they didn’t matter anymore?

The “twist” ending was something that I did like, thought I wish there had been a deeper dive into that subject. I did guess it early on, but I was hoping to get a longer explanation of that.

Ultimately, the story had a huge amount of potential, but I just don’t think it was executed well.

As a first time published piece for this author, I did enjoy her voice, and I think her ideas were there! I look forward to seeing her growth in the future!

Lauren Evans’ Casket Case is an intriguing rom-com that blends humor, grief, and a touch of the supernatural. Set in the small town of Rabbittown, Alabama, this debut novel follows Nora Clanton, a woman reluctantly returning home to take over her family’s casket business. While the premise is unique, with some truly charming moments, Casket Case falls just short of delivering a fully satisfying romantic comedy, making it an enjoyable but uneven read.

Nora is a likable protagonist, navigating the challenges of both grief and running an unconventional business. The small-town setting is vivid, and Evans does a great job bringing out the quirks and warmth of Rabbittown. From the beginning, Nora’s life feels marked by death—not only because of her job but also due to the unexpected loss of her family member that pulls her back home. The author balances the somber themes of loss with Nora’s dry wit and relatable, often humorous struggles.

The central romance of the book, between Nora and the mysterious Garrett Bishop, starts off promisingly. Garrett is introduced as the quintessential rom-com love interest: handsome, kind, and seemingly perfect. Their chemistry is easygoing, and the early parts of their relationship are heartwarming and fun to follow. However, things take a strange turn when it becomes clear that Garrett is not just an ordinary "logistics coordinator," but someone who works for Death itself.

This reveal injects an unexpected twist into the story, but it also introduces a significant tonal shift. What starts as a charming rom-com veers into something more fantastical and darker, creating a bit of a disconnect between the initial lightheartedness and the serious questions about life and death. While the concept of dating someone who works for Death has potential, it feels underexplored, leaving readers with more questions than answers about how the supernatural element fits into the broader narrative.

One of the novel’s strengths is its exploration of grief and loss. Evans handles these themes with sensitivity, and Nora’s struggle to reconcile her feelings about death, both personally and professionally, is compelling. Yet, while Casket Case tries to strike a balance between heartache and romance, the emotional impact of the romance gets somewhat overshadowed by the weightier subject matter.

Additionally, the pacing can feel uneven. The middle portion of the book, where Nora becomes suspicious of Garrett’s vague job description, drags at times, and the eventual resolution to Garrett’s mysterious profession feels rushed. The novel builds up a lot of tension about how Nora will react to Garrett’s true job, but the fallout and eventual reconciliation happen too quickly to feel fully earned.

That said, the small-town charm and quirky supporting characters add a lot of warmth to the story, helping to lighten the heavier themes. Nora’s interactions with the residents of Rabbittown—particularly the funeral-related scenes—are some of the novel’s highlights, offering both humor and insight into how people cope with death.

Final Thoughts:
Casket Case is a fun and clever rom-com with a unique premise, but it doesn’t quite manage to fully blend its romantic and supernatural elements. Lauren Evans has a strong voice, and the book’s exploration of love, loss, and death is thoughtful, but the romance between Nora and Garrett feels somewhat rushed and underdeveloped. Fans of quirky, small-town romances with a twist will find it an enjoyable read, but those looking for a deeper dive into the fantasy elements or a more fleshed-out romantic arc may be left wanting more. A solid debut, but with room for growth.

I was drawn in by the concept of this book but unfortunately it came up short me. I’m not a fan of insta-love so the fact that by 35% they were exchanging “i love yous” really irritated me. They didn’t really know each other on lacked chemistry in my opinion. The fact that Garrett works for Death I thought was a really fun and interesting premise, but we barely got any insight into that. I would’ve liked to have seen more on how his job works and him actually interacting with the people.

The main characters were very surface level and I found myself not really caring about either of them. Nora was pretty annoying and Garrett was forgettable. Not to mention the small town charm were supposed to get was pretty lackluster as well. The pacing just felt off to me. I couldn’t make it past 60% of this because I just stopped caring.I’m sorry, I hate DNF’ing books but I couldn’t continue. The blurb about the book was great and could’ve been really fun but the execution didn’t hold up.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing for the ARC in return for an honest review

With all due respect, this book was weird.

The premise was very creative and promising. The prose were also fine. I was genuinely excited to read this. The implementation of the premise was, however, very poorly executed. Instead of doing some magic realism, we really went very corporate/capitalist America. In general, the magic and charisma of this book was totally lacking. I also felt that this book played heavily on southern stereotypes: football (gag). religion (fully go there, if we are going to talk about Heaven and God), and slang (Grandpa was practically shouting “what in tarnation” every in every scene).

The beginning part of the book was the best part. I really liked the budding relationship between Nora and Garrett. Once they were together, things got really boring. And then I did not enjoy the conflict with the love triangle. I also did like Nora’s relationship with her community members. I found that very endearing and sweet.

I do not think I would recommend this book. However, this is a debut, and I would not write off this author entirely. I still think she had a money idea here, I just wish it had been written differently. I will still be interested to see what her next title.

Thank you netgalley for the chance to read this. 2.5 / 5 stars rounded to 3.
This was a cute and fun read. I thought it was a really novel concept: Nora, the inherited owner of a casket company meets Garrett in her small Alabama town. Its insta-love (one of my least favorite tropes but done here in a really cute way) but Garrett has a secret: he's actually a logistics coordinator for death. Its really unique because there isn't any sort of magical realism in play beyond his employer: its a normal everyday job that just happens to be sitting with people when they die. This story also touches a bit on grief and the impact of death on your psyche.
This was cute and relatively closed door romance but overall, just ok for me. I think Nora's indecision over Garrett in almost every capacity and therefore it drags on for waaaay longer than it should have. I didn't care about the 'love triangle' moment and I needed more all over: more tension, more movement, more decision making...just more. Garrett, I will say, is adorable through and through.

This was... just fine, but I felt like the premise of a romance between a casket maker and a man who works for death was a lot more exciting than what was delivered. I didn't hate anything about it, but it was just fine. I'll definitely give other books by Lauren Evans a try in the future!

I was looking forward to reading this book, but it just didn't deliver. It was slow and the romance was lacking.

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine | Dell for providing an eARC of this book. All opinions are my own.

This was a good book and I wasn’t expecting the outcome! It’s definitely a page turner and a slow burn but I recommend it!

I really liked the premise of the book. But I feel like the pacing was a bit slow in some parts. I’m not a big fan of Insta love and wasn’t expecting it and it ended up seeming too quick - if that makes sense. They were in love before the conversation of Garrett’s job became the focal point. I really felt for Nora and what all she had been through. But then I felt like she continuously second-guessed herself and what she wanted and was hot and cold throughout the book. Hearing Garrett’s story was sad. I didn’t understand how Johnny came to play so quickly. That also felt a bit rushed. The grandpa was my favorite character. He was pretty funny, witty and honest. All in all, it was a good debut. I will definitely read.more from the author in the future. Thank you Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine and NetGalley for this advanced reader copy.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the early copy.

This book is a beautiful commentary on life and death and what matters, with a love story kind of sprinkled in throughout so it feels less heavy. The characters flow well together and have a cute little love story outside of their main problem.

Based on the description online, I didn’t think it would be THIS heavy of a book. There are a lot of deep, emotional thoughts related to death, dying, and grief. I’d highly recommend looking at trigger warnings and making sure you are in a good head space before reading this book, especially towards the last third of the book.

I was really intrigued by the premise of *Casket Case*—it had so much potential to be a unique and engaging story. Unfortunately, the execution didn’t live up to expectations. The characters felt more like strangers who were pushed together rather than two people building a genuine connection. The romance lacked chemistry and depth, and the instant attraction between them came across as rushed and unconvincing. Without any real spark or development, it was hard to become invested in the relationship, which ultimately made the story fall flat for me.

I loved this beautifully written story, unusual as it is, it captured me on the very first page! I love the wonderful complex characters and this unpredictable story will keep you turning the pages and wanting more. Nora owns a casket shop and meets Garret who has the unusual job as logistics coordinator of death. Will she understand his job? A really clever story and a must read!

I was intrigued by the concept of this book--a romance between a woman who sells caskets and a man who works for the corporation of Death. However, I had several issues that prevented me from enjoying Casket Case as much as I hoped I would.

First, the romance happened way too fast, without any of the buildup I look forward to in romance novels. I was looking for deeper emotions throughout (where was the pining?? the yearning?!) and never got them. Plus, I never really knew what Nora was thinking or feeling as most of the dialogue suffers from "talking heads syndrome."

Like many other reviews say, the characters got together too soon and broke up shortly thereafter, meaning the love interest was missing for like half the book. The pacing was also fairly slow and I struggled to stay invested, even when the characters were developing their relationship, as nothing much happened.

What I did enjoy was the portrayal of grief in Nora's life and how she had to come to terms with the death of her parents in her own time. It felt very true to reality, for the most part.

Ultimately, I think this book suffers the most from an error in marketing--Casket Case is not a rom com. Nor is it paranormal romance or fantasy romance. There's very little comedy and the romance is lukewarm at best and outright missing for most of the narrative. Casket Case feels more like a book club novel, meant to be discussed (hence the discussion questions in the back). Whatever my personal feelings about the book, I think readers--and the author--will be let down by the mismatch between the genre as listed and reader expectations.

TL:DR Anyone looking for a typical rom com feel is going to be left disappointed.

**Thank you to Random House for this free digital review copy.**

I had such a good time reading this rom-com about two people intimately acquainted with Death. The concept behind this felt very unique to me while still being a cute and cozy small town romance. The dialogue was sometimes awkward but to be honest, I was so grateful that there was legit communication happening, I looked past it. The taste of fantasy in this novel was interesting and as more of the truth was revealed I was very sucked into the plot and the relationships. Especially the last 30% or so I didn't want to put this down!

This one was an interesting read. The concept was quite odd, in that the MMC works for Death and the FMC runs her families casket business. I wasn't really pulling for them to be together, but for Nora to find herself outside of the family business and to see her growth. The side characters were great and there were a couple twists I wasn't expecting.

Thank you, NetGalley, for the eARC of this book for my honest review.

Casket Case by Lauren Evans has an intriguing concept, with a casket seller dating someone who works for Death—a unique twist! As a debut novel, I think Lauren did a solid job, though at times the story veered off on tangents that felt a bit unrelated. Despite that, I kept reading to see how it would all resolve, and Nora's journey wrapped up with a satisfying conclusion.

This book is probably about a 3.5⭐️ to me. The idea was really great, but I found the execution to fall a little flat. As individuals, I liked Nora and Garrett. I even liked moments of their love story.

But, I found most of it to feel a little boring. The dialogue often felt forced - like why are arguing over this? Or that? I liked the setup of the love triangle moment but found even that to be slightly transparent.

By the end, when we switched to grandpa's POV briefly, I wasn't all that shocked and I wish I had been.

Not the worst book I've ever read. Not the best. I hope future books will feel a little more lively. But a good first go.

Thanks to NetGalley and the author for early access to this!

I loved this story. It was a cute fall read, more like a romcom, but it was so good. I would definitely recommend it.

Such an interesting topic for a book! I like reading things like this that are unusual and still fun. I enjoyed this one!

Thank you NetGalley and Lauren Evans!

I won't lie, I loved the concept. Girl who has dealt extensively with death meets boy who secretly works for death. Small town vibes. There is good stuff here. Still, I didn't quite like it. It was slow and there were too many times when both characters were jerks. There were too many times I felt like it was very telly. It was slow to start and mostly just neurotic. Not my favorite.