This book unfortunately fell flat for me. The characters were very boring. The random love triangle was thrown in. It was and interesting concept about working for Death but this just wasn’t for me

I was graciously #gifted by Dell: Casket Case by Lauren Evans, a quirky romance set in Rabbittown, Alabama. After losing her parents, Nora Clanton gives up her life and career in the city to return home to run the family casket business. Enter Garrett Bishop, a mysterious and attractive newcomer who asks her out. His arrival in town corresponds with the death of family friend. Unfortunately other visits seem to line up with more deaths. Turns out, he’s perfect—except he works for Death itself. While I thought they might bond over death since it’s technically Nora’s business as well, it ultimately blows up their relationship.

My favorite part of this book- by far- was the perspective on end of life and the concept of death. Clearly, I’m on a roll with funeral home romances! Unfortunately you have to wait a bit longer to read this one as it’s not out until September 10.

✨Casket Case by Lauren Evans✨

Genre: Romance
Pages: 416
Pub Date: Sept 10th

📚Nora thought she was finished with Rabbittown, Alabama, for good. But an unexpected tragedy turned her life upside down, and she’s found herself back in her tiny hometown running the family casket business.

There aren’t exactly a lot of prospects for a single woman in her thirties in a place like Rabbittown. Until Nora Clanton’s ordinary, casket-selling day is interrupted by a handsome stranger wandering into her shop and asking for directions—as well as a date.

Garrett Bishop seems like the ideal guy. He’s thoughtful, he’s kind, and he has a lucrative job as a logistics coordinator, for which he seems to have a passion. She’s not totally sure what “logistics” entails, but she knows it means long hours, lots of travel, and urgent calls in the middle of the night.

When a few of Rabbittown’s residents suddenly pass away—a heart attack here, a car crash there—and Garrett is spotted at the scenes of, well, all of the deaths, his frustratingly vague job description starts to become increasingly . . . suspicious. What is it that Garrett actually does for a living?

📝This was such a unique concept for a romance book! I would say the trope is instalove, Garrett and Nora fall for each other fairly quickly. Although it isn’t my favorite, it didn’t bother me in this story.

What I really enjoyed about the story is that although it was fun and filled with flirty banter, the characters had to actually sort through their differences (mainly Garrett’s job) and find a compromise.

✨Thanks to @dellromance @netgalley for my egalley✨

Book Review

Thank you Netgalley and publisher for an arc in exchange for my honest opinions.

Publication: September 10, 2024

Rating: Not for me

I was hoping for more comedic moments and chemistry. Unfortunately one of my least favorite tropes is instalove. As for the comedy part, this book was dry in that part.

For fans of:
Third person
FMC over 30
MMC works for Death
Dual timeline
Small town
Insta-love

I wish Goodreads had half stars, because it's a 3.5 for me. The extra half was the truly original storyline for a rom com. I would legit watch this on Hallmark. Other than that it's your run of the mill rom com.

Nora is having a existential crisis from losing her parents, trash panda boyfriend & inheriting the family business. In walks Garrett & he is sucked into the vortex of her hot mess grief. Which honestly we all struggle with, even someone doesn't actually die. We go through the same pains in figurative deaths too.

The story unfolds to watch Nora battle the incongruity that has developed in her life due to her actions or lack there of to be more precise. She has a tentative grasp of hanging on to the shambles she has constructed to look like a life. Taking over the family business, wallowing in grief & an unwillingness to be honest about her discontent of it all.

Then Garrett walks in with his mysterious job, secrets & healthy relationship habits to add his matchstick to her shoddy construction existence. LoL The emotional rollercoaster takes off like a rocket. We watch Nora fall in like, love & hate as she battles herself. Garrett got the lady in waiting role, because that man was just in his emotional dingy waiting out the storm.

Even when his competition shows up ready to win. I do like that this didn't turn into a bash fest of the men. However, I did want her grandpa to have a stronger role/presence/depth. Especially, after his secret comes out.

I did feel like the story felt underdeveloped, but also it was trying to do the most with some big topics in a rom com appropriate way. Again, it's a Hallmark movie in print for sure (my favorite kind) & I thought it was a light fun read. I also enjoyed the surprises & recipes at the end. For a book whose premise is the business of death, I only cried once!

This has all of my favorite themes: funeral industry, death, romance, but it unfortunately wasn’t what I thought it would be! I found the dialogue to be lacking chemistry and had no interest in the characters.

This was an interesting book concept - girl works for casket company meets boy who works for Death itself (apparently it’s not the Grim Reaper we all know and love but it’s actually an organization with an org chart bigger than a table). I really enjoyed the beginning of this, but by the end the storyline felt fairly repetitive. Still would be worth checking out if you are comfortable with the themes. Also, all closed-door romance scenes so if the open-door thing is too much, you don’t need to worry about that here.

Thanks to NetGalley and Ballentine for the advanced reader copy!

First, thank NetGalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read Casket Case. 2.5 stars (rounded up)

I will say this book is cute! I had high hopes for it with the plot line but it just fell short. Everything felt rushed. The story line was sometimes choppy and just spewed onto the page. All in all, a cute read if you love a fast paced rom com.

Fall is around the corner which means there’s no better time for a paranormal romance! I was excited about the concept of this story but unfortunately it fell flat. The MMC works for death, which is a unique concept that wasn’t examined in much depth. The story itself moved more slowly than I would have liked but the ending somehow felt rushed. The chemistry between the characters was lacking and their romance moved too quickly to feel believable. On a positive note, I do think that this book handled the complexity of grief and making peace with the concept of death well.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for the ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.

Morbidly adorable! I loved this book so much that I read it in one sitting! The plot was very original, and the characters were super cute. As someone from a small town in the South, the dialogue felt so homey too. And then the epilogue wrecked me (in a good way). Would absolutely recommend!

I'm going to be honest, this book took me way too long to finish (personal problems aside). I loved the premise, I loved most of the characters, with the exception of one. Garrett.
The main love interest. He was so boring! And he works for death! How can you be the most bland man on earth and have probably one of the most interesting jobs?
Nora, our main character has lost her parents and inherited their casket store. I really liked Nora. Her grief felt real and I found myself relating to her a lot. But I just couldn't see her with Garrett.
Now Johnny, the guy who works for the rival big company? I actually really liked him. Their jabs back and forth were adorable, and they had way more chemistry than Nora and Garrett.
Overall this was a cute, interesting read. Not too spooky, not too much of an autumn read. I'd definitely be interested in reading more about this Death business. Thanks to NetGalley for letting me read!

Casket Case is the perfect book to read as we go into Halloween season. This is a unexpected romance story with a bit of a morbid twist. But do not let that scare you. This book has plenty of laughs and fun along with the fantasy twist that will keep you on your toes. Casket Case is a great book especially for those who love the episode of Supernatural where Dean has to shadow Death for a day. Maybe that is an odd comparison, but I think that is fitting for this book and if you think so too...well then you'll wanna pick this up.

3.5 stars

Let me start off by saying that a lot of other reviewers said they didn’t like this book because it was too morbid and the death aspect was depressing. While everyone’s entitled to their opinion I personally didn’t get this vibe. I actually thought it was handled while and seemed pretty realistic (grim reaper aside).
I did however think this book was just kind of boring. There wasn’t a lot of depth from the characters and for most of the book not a whole lot happened. It wasn’t the worst book I’ve ever read but I had a hard time getting invested because every chapter felt kind of the same. The two main characters also definitely needed some better communication skills, even at the end once they worked everything out.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dell for the ARC!

I was really interested in the premise of this book because it feels reminiscent of the TV show Dead Like Me, which is one of my favorites. However, the execution left something to be desired.

The short development time of the relationship between Nora and Garrett feels very juvenile and superficial. The relationship lacks emotional intimacy and maturity. Nora feels very apathetic, like she's just going through the motions and isn't really motivated by anything - which while being indicative of depression, it doesn't make an interesting read. Her apathy is at odds with the author trying to convince us that Garrett being away for work causes her great anxiety.

I would not consider this to be a romantic comedy, so the blurb feels misleading. Having a couple characters making jokes doesn't make something a comedy.

I DNF'd at 25%.

I thought the premise of this book sounded fun and cute and perfect for this time of year, I was excited for it! But I lost count of how many times I cringed by the 12% mark. My biggest issue was how Nora seemed to accept the things she should be outraged about, and then she freaked out over something that wasn't warranted. And this probably should have been labeled as a religious romance.

Things to be outraged about:
■the misogynistic ways of her town (re: lady church classes for submitting?? and "menfolk will let her know when they want her opinion")
I can't believe that her internal dialogue just reflects on that, but offers nothing to indicate that these ways were a bother to her. Other than saying she just doesn't attend that church class. A church that views women that way is one I would want nothing to do with, and the church was mentioned quite a lot considering I didn't make it far into this book.

■Nora insinuates that she caught her boyfriend possibly cheating on her, and she essentially thinks it made sense because she was a killjoy just hanging out at the cemetery. She was grieving the loss of her parents and likely depressed! I can't believe how this was brushed off.

What not to be outraged about:
■your boyfriend of one single week going on a two week work trip. The way she spiraled sounded like a teenager, and the way each day he was gone was being counted (Day 2 no text, Day 8 I crawled into bed with a bottle of wine) was so dramatic and ridiculous for someone she hasn't known long, that this was ultimately my breaking point. Maybe this relates to depression and trust issues from her ex, but there was nothing happening to indicate that character growth would happen.

More reason why this should have been labeled as a religious romance:
■the STRONG purity culture vibes. It seems Nora was battling with what she wanted and her upbringing but again, SO many church references and very much preaching. This alone makes me not the target audience for this book and I wouldn't have requested it had I known that church was going to be such a major theme.

I recently had the pleasure of reading an ARC for this charming and heartfelt debut novel that left me feeling warm and fuzzy inside. The story follows a young woman who is navigating the complexities of grief and loss while also searching for true love. Despite the heavy themes of death and mourning, the book managed to strike a perfect balance between humor and poignancy.

What I loved most about this novel was its quirky and honest portrayal of love and loss. Nora’s journey felt so real and relatable, and I found myself rooting for her every step of the way. The author's writing style is engaging and immersive, making it difficult to put the book down once I started reading.

Overall, this book was a delightful and heartwarming read that left me feeling uplifted and hopeful. I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a feel-good story with a touch of depth and emotion. I can't wait to see what this talented author has in store for us next!

CASKET CASE by Lauren Evans is the latest in my Summer of Death Books (still workshopping that name).

Nora has inherited her parents' casket sales company, and is kind of spinning her wheels in life, until the day a handsome stranger comes in to the store to ask for directions. A stranger...who works for Death.

It is such an interesting concept, and really all about grief and our relationships with death. Garrett is a "logistics coordinator" who "moves thing from one place to another." He's not the Grim Reaper, but he's there for people's final moments.

I don't usually pay too much attention to a book's rating on Goodreads, NetGalley, etc., but I was a little surprised how low it was for this one. You can't argue with people's feelings, of course, but I don't think it's very fair! There is a little head hopping, which I'm not a fan of, but I was never confused whose POV we were in. I also think people were put off by the language, which is very unadorned. I personally sometimes find romance books a little overwrought, so I thought it was a unique voice, and not wholly unwelcome.

I also find it interesting, because Nora is incredibly socially anxious, and reads to me as possibly on the spectrum, given her near-constant worrying about interpreting social situations, about behaving "correctly." The lack of flowery metaphor seemed very in character for Nora, who is the main POV. It's also interesting to me to see the reviewers who said they disliked Nora's character. Does a character have to be likeable? Are they unlikeable simply because they are flawed? Are we just expecting stories and characters to be easy? Questions worth considering, especially when "unlikeable" characters are often the neurodivergent ones.

Anyway, in conclusion, I thought it was really interesting and good, if not quite as lighthearted as a punny title might lead you to believe.

I'm downgrading this because she got me terribly excited that there's a National Gravestone Museum. I googled to plan a trip. Spoiler alert, there isn't one.

Just kidding. Not totally, cause I am sad about that. But I promised NetGalley I would give this book a fair and unbiased review in exchange for an ARC. Even if she taunted me with the most perfect museum.

An ARC is very much not a final version and hopefully this isn't. There are typos that confuse but overall, it's a bit too long for what is is. This is a cute fun, romance. No need to be over 400 pages and it does drag in the middle part. The writing was still v addicting and it kept drawing me on, I even went to bed early to start reading.

My other complaints: As always with these books, the heroine is a mess who attracts a beautiful and perfect man. Although I really liked him, but that just seemed a stretch, esp being where she lived., I know this is a book about a relationship, not the logistics of Death, but I have so many questions about his job! It's a very straightforward romance, no paranormal or mystical stuff.

There are so many characters, I never really got many of them straight. But everyone was a really great character you got to know well (maybe that is how the book could be made shorter), I feel like I could go to this town and feel right at home knowing who to talk to and where to go.

It's a sold romance and less formulaic than most. If you're thinking "I don't want to read about someone who works for Death"- for the most part, his job is mostly ignored. There are lots of scenes in the casket store, but hey. someone has to sell caskets and they deserve love and sex too!

I'm reading this for my 52 book challenge and using it for "a book connected to something you read last year." I'm connecting it with Molly Molloy and the Angel of Death, another time someone fell in love with a bringer of death. But he was really death whereas here. he's a normal dude who works for him.

I give it 3 stars because it is really a solid and creative romance, but too long. And I would have preferred more details on working for death. Other people might grade it up for that instead!

Casket Case by Lauren Evans is a captivating and unique love story that delves into the complexities of grief. I thoroughly enjoyed this novel.

Casket Case by Lauren Evans

Rating: 3.5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
Spice: 1/5 🌶️

Thank you to Penguin Random House, Dell, Netgalley, and Lauren Evans for access to this arc in exchange for an honest review.

First, I want to applaud Lauren Evans on a good debut novel and for navigating heavier topics in a thoughtful manner. While this book had some parts that I loved (small town and a new beginning), I didn’t really enjoy the insta-love between Nora and Garrett. It felt like they lacked chemistry and like their relationship was a bit forced at times. Lovers of paranormal romance and small town romances are likely to enjoy this read.