The premise of this book was great but fell flat for me. The pacing of this novel was wild and I had issues with the instalove romance of the main characters.

This one was unique and wildly creative, however the pacing of this was kind of slow. It had a lot of potential but it almost needed to slow down the romance. P

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

This one, just work for me, unfortunately. I thought the premise was really interesting. However, the pacing was truly wild. It was somehow both an insta-love (with both sleeping together and declarations of love by about 1/3 in) and so long apart that I basically forgot the male lead’s name. When the love triangle started happening, I was kind of hoping she’d go with the other guy because she seemed to actually have some chemistry with him and he had a personality. Both our main characters were pretty bland and the dialogue felt fairly unnatural. I did really like the relationship she had with her grandpa.

This book was a decent read, but I will say that the pacing felt off for me. I’m glad I continued on because I liked the characters (for the most part) but did have a hard time finding myself rooting for Nora at times. Overall, the book was good, but not my favorite of the year.

Nora’s journey of self-discovery in Casket Case is both heartwarming and relatable. Her struggles with anxiety and self-doubt are portrayed with authenticity, making her a character readers can easily connect with. The supporting cast and the charming small-town setting provide a delightful backdrop for her growth. While the relationship with Garrett is a pleasant addition, Nora’s internal journey and personal development truly steal the show. The unique concept of Death as a corporation adds an intriguing layer to the story, but it’s Nora’s relatable experiences that make this book a standout.

1.5 🌟

nora thought that she got away from the small town she grew up in, finally living in a big city with a real job. her life is fantastic until her parents die unexpectedly in a car accident. after the funeral, nora ends up taking over the family casket business. her days start to blur together, spending every day surrounded by death only to come home to a bottle of wine and tv reruns. nora thinks her life is stagnant until one day, a handsome man comes in asking for directions. the only problem? the man works for death.

the premise of this book was so promising, but the execution was honestly terrible. this is what i imagine would be the product of two monotone voiced people being forced into a relationship together. i truly didn’t know that it was possible for there to be instalove between two people who literally have zero chemistry whatsoever.

i literally do not have anything else but complaints left to share and i don’t want to put anyone else through the torture of this book. 🥲

Thank you to NetGalley, the author Lauren Evans and Random House Publishing for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. 🫶🏻

Ultimately, Casket Case is a story about grief. The story focuses on Nora Clanton, a woman for whom Death is a part of her everyday life - from helping others deal with loss while running her family’s casket store, to her daily reminders of the parents that she lost in a car accident the year before. She is stuck, in every way that you can be - her whole life was put on hold when she moved back to her tiny hometown in Alabama following her parents death, and she has allowed all of her connections to the world to slowly ebb out of her life. Like many that have experienced personal loss, Nora simply cannot figure out how to exist in a world without her parents in it.

And then, Garrett Bishop walks into her store, and it’s like someone has pressed PLAY on her life once again. What Nora does not know is that Garrett is also well acquainted with Death - in fact, he works for it.

In reading other reviews, I can understand why some would not connect with Nora very easily. She is depressed, apathetic, prickly, and impulsive. Her attraction to Garrett may feel rushed. I think this speaks to the experience each reader will bring to the story. Anyone that has dealt with severe depression, I think, will relate to the depth of joy and gratitude that comes with the first thing to make you laugh or cry or feel normal again. The expression of that is well written into Nora and Garrett’s journey - the intense and fast rush of emotion, and even (as Nora starts to pull out of her grief) the rejection of the feelings down the line, as they both struggle with the fear that the relationship is simply too good to be true. When Nora learns what Garrett does for a living, she distances herself from him - and in so doing, is trying to distance herself from the presence of Death in her life.

When they do come back together (because it is a romance story, after all), it is because Nora has hit the final stage of grief - acceptance. She realizes that Death is not the enemy, and is just a part of living. She embraces her role in other people’s grieving process as well, choosing to stay and run her family’s business so that she can be there for others in a way that she needed support during her own loss. In choosing to be with Garrett, Nora is also choosing to stop being afraid, to stop focusing on what her life is missing, and to take an active role in her own life again. Ultimately, this is what prepares her for a final goodbye at the end of the story.

The novel was well written, authentic, and quite fearless in its portrayal of the realities of grief and loss. I found it very relatable, and loved the overarching message that happiness is both imperfect and also a daily choice. I will be definitely watching for more to come from this author in the future!

Thanks to Netgalley, Penguin Random House publishing, and the author for an advanced copy of this novel. It was a pleasure to read and review.

2.5 rounded down to 2

Nora is stuck. After a car accident claimed the lives of both her parents and she finds herself back in her hometown, living in their house and keeping the doors open on their business. But she had no friends her age, and no boyfriend. But when Garrett walks in looking for directions only to return to ask her out, Nora is ready to live again. Only she doesn't know that the man she's falling for work for Death.

Read if you like:
-Small Towns
-Family

Casket Case just wasn't for me. It slow, which I'm not sure was the result of the pacing, or the absence of a clear plot until more than a third of the way into the book. Nora went from blissfully in love with Garrett to suspecting him in one page. And the subplot somehow became the main plot in the third act. And the ending wasn't enjoyable. I think it was supposed to be empowering, but it didn't quite achieve its goals.

While running her family casket company, Nora meets the mysterious Garrett who might just breathe some life into her.

This was an interesting one. There were some highlights for me for sure. I liked Garrett and found his job and the concept behind the book to be super cool and unique. I also felt the book dealt with the idea of grief in a really interesting way. The town was also a draw for me. I love small towns and this one had its own little quirks which was fun. But, I did want more out of Nora and felt the pacing was off a big at the beginning.

All in all, this was a unique and interesting romance.

Thank you to the author and publisher for the gifted copy!

Casket Case delivers a quirky and original rom-com with a twist that’s equal parts charming and eerie. Nora’s return to small-town life and her family’s casket business sets the stage for a love story like no other—especially when her seemingly perfect suitor, Garrett, turns out to work for Death itself.
The concept is unique and the romance is sweet, but the plot can feel a bit stiff at times, much like the clientele at Nora’s shop. Garrett’s mysterious job and the growing suspicion surrounding him keep things interesting, but the blend of romance and the morbid can occasionally feel a bit uneven.
Still, if you’re in the mood for a romance that dares to dance with the grim reaper, Casket Case offers a humorous, if slightly unconventional, take on love and loss in a small town where death is always just around the corner.
Thank you to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Nora is the only person who doesn’t seem to mind selling caskets for a living. The old companies are selling out to the conglomerate but Nora’s sure she can keep her business afloat until she meets a grim reaper. Comforting and honest about the ultimate end result for everyone, the story tells the reader why you should believe, even if it’s temporary because things aren’t always as they seem…

I….what did I just read? 😅

The unique premise of this book really caught my attention and I had hopes for it. However the writing was so choppy to find much enjoyment from it. The pacing of everything gave me whiplash too.

The main character Nora was so unlikeable too. She had only known Garrett for a few weeks and she turned into a stage 5 clinger QUICK. The way she was so insecure and constantly questioning every single thing was annoying. I feel she should have worked on herself before ever getting into a relationship. Plus her trying to move on so quickly was an odd choice.

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

Dnf at about 20%.

I really wanted to like this one, I think the premise is so creative. However, I didn't feel connected to either of the characters or the story, and the writing felt a bit clunky to me. This was very very insta-lovey, which was a little difficult for me to get onboard with. Especially knowing so little about the characters to begin with. It didn't really seem like either of them had much of a discernible personality when they were already romantically involved. I think this one just wasn't for me.

Thank you NetGalley and Dell for the eARC. All opinions are my own.

Honestly not the best but it was an interesting premise for sure. Nora has recently inherited her family’s casket business and basically immediately after meeting him, falls for Garrett, an employee of Death itself who has just come to town. Again, super interesting premise and I love the paranormal aspect and the tackling of grief head-on, but it fell kind of flat overall. Just not enough going on, the insta love was too much, the love triangle was weird, and the pacing was a little slow.

This a cute, small-town romance novel. I thought it was clever. It seemed a tad stuck for a while, but had a nice ending.

This could have absolutely been an interesting, fun, and cute read. I loved the concept. But why did we get a weird love triangle? Why did these two start dating within the second time meeting and declare their undying love like a few chapters later? Not a fan of that. The pacing could have been done better for the relationship, which would have made it more interesting and engaging to read.

I enjoyed certain aspects of this book. I am from AL, so I am a bit biased, but I hate the AL football team so that was a turn off for me. The romance was good but the book was lacking in every other aspect.

A strangely awkward book. Both MCs are awkward in the beginning then gradually get to know each other. The pacing was slow while the romance was fast. A little paranormal with Garrett working for death. It was an odd pacing, the MCs kept getting into the same argument before asking for space and repeat. It is a close door romance, when the first fade to black happened I thought the characters went all the way, the writing suggested it happened. But they didn’t, until later. It was a little confusing. The dialogue between MCs seemed very robotic, felt like when you’re on a call with an automated phone operator and you mess up a number and it repeats all the options again. Little to no emotional depth. I liked the story concept but the execution was a little off.

Nora a shy, awkward, anxious women who works for her family casket business in small town Alabama. She is also struggling with the loss of her parents and only has her Grandpa.

She falls in love with a man named Garrett who works in death ( I don’t know want to give the rest away)

The story had a lot of potential but it didn’t pull me in like other books.

The paranormal aspect was what drew me into this book. Their story is an instalove connection, which made me feel unsure and question whether the characters were genuine with each other to begin with. There are some jokes here and there, but there’s not much comedy, so don’t mistake this for a “rom com”. I think that’s where a lot of readers were expecting this story to fall, but a lot of death talk does make depressing content – especially with a somewhat depressed MC. What I liked about the book is that it gives off small town vibes, and the portrayal of grief felt relatable, without shying away from the difficult emotions. The premise of working for “Death” was very interesting, but I think the back-and-forth was a bit much.