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.

A charming read that delves into the intricacies of all things life, love and death.

Nora Clanton’s return to her small Alabama hometown is supposed to be all business, running her family’s casket shop. But instead she finds herself unexpectedly falling for Garrett, who works for Death itself. This chance meeting sparks an undying connection, but Nora keeps digging her love life into a bigger grave. Will she take a chance on this? Or leave it six feet under?

Lauren Evans has urned her place in the rom-com space!

✨ARC Review✨ Man, what a great concept! I went in expecting to LOVE this book and it was okay. Like, it was fine. The pacing was a little slow, the insta love was a lot fast, and the whole thing took me way longer to read than usual.

I’ll tell you one BIG thing that bugged me: Johnny. The banter and chemistry with Johnny was off the charts compared to what Nora had with Garrett. And then the author trumped up that reasoning for why Johnny would be a bad choice. Whatever. Johnny makes me wanna. If he gets his own book, I’mma read it.

Ok, back to the actual storyline. We have Nora who owns a casket company and Garrett who works for Death. Loving this idea. Garrett pops in to Nora’s storefront to ask for directions because Rabbittown, Alabama is not GPS-friendly. They’re both knocked for a loop as if an actual Cupid shot his little arrow into their hearts.

They start dating with Nora having no idea what he does for a living. Pun intended. Anyway, Nora is still grieving the loss of her parents and is in no way of sound mind to deal with anyone who works for Death.

Like I said, it’s a great concept, a little bland between the two MCs, but I will say I think the author pulled it together in a satisfactory way by the end.

I was given an ARC via #netgalley and @randomhouse. All thoughts are mine alone.

#romance #romancebooks #contemporaryromance #bookrecs #bookreview #bookstagram #arc #casketcase #laurenevans

After reading others reviews I have to ask where on earth did you get the idea this book was scary or paranormal? Yes, death is a major character in the lives of the main characters. Nora was working in business in the city when she gets the call about her parents being killed in an auto accident, she then returns to her small home town in Alabama to run the family casket store, or to sell it and the house she grew up in. It's been less than a year since the deaths of her parents, she is still grieving them, her loss of her previous life and fiance, she is majorly depressed of such a huge change and loss in her life. She doesn't know what she wants ultimately, her family and friends from home try to help, but not dictate to her what she needs to do. Then in walks a handsome man for directions to an address he can't find, she helps him and he comes back to ask her for a date, thus begins the romance.
It's a slow quiet story that builds with dialog intense periods. The romance isn't fireworks and sparks it builds slowly from instant attraction. His job starts her to think about what does logistics actually mean. Nora has to work through what Garretts job really means and how close she works with death everyday as does he. She has a small look at someone else while she is broken up with Garrett, but he just makes her see things differently and how much she misses Garrett and time has now moved along to help her depression and grief.
This is a quiet slow romance that does have grieving, depression and death all in the mix, but ultimately prevails. Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for a thoughtful, lovely read for an honest opinion.

I was excited to read this arc for a paranormal macabre romance. But sadly, it did not deliver. It was too insta-lovey, emotionally shallow, and under developed.

I could not find anything likable with the FMC. And their numerous conflicts left me feeling like both characters were immature.

First, I want to applaud Lauren Evans on writing a book with a very unique premise and taking on the task of writing about a difficult topic in a very direct and thoughtful way. That said, this book wasn’t necessarily for me.

I felt genuine empathy for Nora. She was only within a year of her world being turned upside and still understandably grieving. It was quite obvious in the way her moods were describing and her often up and down emotions, particularly with Garrett.

All that to say, the romance didn’t work for me at all. It was far too insta-love for my tastes and without any real connection to explain it other than the ‘industry’ Nora and Garrett both worked in. They lacked genuine chemistry to me. Then there was an out-of-nowhere love triangle development that also didn’t work for me.

I have my own anxieties around death and loss that probably impacted my ability to connect to this book and something I probably should have considered. I admired the way it was approached but was often distancing myself from the story in those moments.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dell for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

A cute debut novel good for fans of cozy small town romances 💐💘🌹Death seems to follow Nora who recently moved back to her small hometown to take over her parents casket selling business after they died in a freak car accident. Nora thinks things may start looking up for her after she meets Garrett Bishop, a logistics specialist who’s new in town. The only catch, Garrett works for death, literally 💀🪦⚰️

I had a fun time reading about Rabbittown, Nora’s small southern hometown, but I struggled to connect to the main love story. Personally, Nora and Garrett’s relationship lacked the depth I wanted it to have and I was often left wondering why they were so smitten with each other. Overall, Casket Case is a fun read with an interesting concept that could definitely be explored further in follow up books!

Thank you to NetGalley, Lauren Evans, Random House Publishing Group - Ballentine, and Dell Romance for providing me with an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review! ☺️😘

Rating: 🌟🌟🌟

I loved the smalltown setting and the premise was unique but I struggled with the pacing and to connect with the female lead. Those who prefer a more dialogue driven book may enjoy this one better than I did but all the way through the ending I found this story to be abrupt and prescriptive. I received this ARC from NetGalley and Dell in exchange for my honest review.

I had high hopes for Casket Case, and they didn't quite reach it. I wondered sometimes if the leads even liked each other - but maybe that was part of the point? The pacing was a little off in this one for me, and it was difficult to immerse myself in the story. I was really hopeful considering the premise, and was hoping for a little bit of a morbid or hints otherworldliness love story. I still found the story creative and appreciated the view of death and dying (and calling us to actually think about it).

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an e-arc of Casket Case!

"Casket Case" is an interesting book with an interesting take on how we view death and dying. There will always be a need for funeral directors and their services. Caskets are a necessity for burial. Losing those we love is not pleasant. Would we try to prevent the loss of a loved one? Can we place blame on someone for not preventing death? Should Death's assistants aid those who are passing or prevent their passing?
I was expecting more of an otherworldly vibe from this book, but I did enjoy this overall. I liked the fact that the characters were human and flawed. No mind control or other tricks. to sway anyone. Just like in real life, we make plans and then our lives happen. Death isn't an easy subject to place in a romance novel. I was surprised with the ending and I enjoyed the book overall.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an e-arc in exchange for an unbiased review.

She inherited her family's casket business. He is a logistics coordinator for "Death." Could I make it any more obvious? This premise had the potential to be a five-stars for me, but I very quickly realized it was not going to cater to my specifically morbid and spooky tastes. Normally I am not opposed to a well-executed insta-love trope...except I'm not actually sure these people really liked each other at all. Something about the plot and pace just wasn't...plotting or pacing for me enough to fully enjoy this one. It was a little bit awkward. That being said, it really is a great idea but I just don't think this was the right fit for me.

I really tried to like this book but struggled a lot with the pacing and the characters. It felt so slow and I just couldn’t connect to the characters at all. Not a DNF because I did like the concept it was creative but unfortunately this just wasn’t for me.