Casket Case has a pretty wild concept, and I must admit I was drawn in by the blurb and thought it might be something interesting/different. In this story, our FMC Nora works at a family-inherited casket store. She has a run in with a seemingly perfect stranger, Garrett, and they quickly develop feelings. From there, she finds that he works for Death himself, and has to come to terms with this seemingly perfect man not being quite so perfect after all, and figure out how she will handle that. It definitely did deliver on the "different" aspect I was hoping for, but sadly it just wasn't for me.

The pacing of this story was very odd and didn't really mesh well with my personal taste. It was extremely insta-love, and I did not even kind of understand why they were so into each other so quickly, besides the fact that Nora was lonely and he was the only one there, and that's not exactly a great foundation for a relationship that I'm meant to root for. Once the couple is together, the entire rest of the story until the resolution is pretty much just a back and forth of our MMC being like "should I tell her I work for Death?" and then our FMC being like "Am I okay with the fact that he works for Death?" Back and forth, back and forth, on and on, for 400 pages. The indecisiveness was so frustrating to read from both of their POVs, and went on for entirely too long. To be honest, this could've been a novella and I would've liked it way more because it wouldn't have been so repetitive for so long.

The characters were really surface level in my personal opinion. I can tell that there was depth attempted to be given to the characters, especially Nora regarding her parents' passing, but unfortunately that was never really gone into that much, and her having dead parents and being lonely doesn't really give me enough and isn't just a fast-pass to character development. None of the side characters were discernable from one another at all--I truly couldn't tell you the first thing about any of them, they may as well have not been there for the most part. This story was dual POV, but there was not really a difference in tone in the way Nora and Garrett's chapters were told, and at that point I didn't really feel like it needed to be dual POV at all.

This was also written in third-person, and I feel like it made far more sense for this to be first-person POV (although this one may just be personal preference, as I almost always prefer first-person romances) so that we could've gotten more of the characters' inner monologue and it not felt like a weird, over-sharing narrator that we don't know. It just felt out of place.

The writing in general was very choppy and didn't flow to me. It was repeatedly extremely short sentences, with no to minor details, and quickly moving on. It felt like the book equivalent of when you ask people questions and they give you a short yes or no answer with no elaboration and you're like ... okay and?? The dialogue felt very stiff/unrealistic as well, and I think largely for this reason, Garrett gave me the ick right from the start.

Overall, sad to say I didn't love this one. 1.75 stars rounded up.

Thanks so much to Random House Publishing | Ballentine | Dell and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I was so interested in the plot prior to reading. I thoroughly enjoyed The Dead Romantics by Ashley Poston & was hoping this would be similar. This went in a different direction, nothing wrong with that. The romance would have been better & more believable if there would have been a somewhat, slow buildup. I felt as if Nora & Garrett did not know each other at all and were already saying their "i love you" bits. I totally get being from Alabama (I'm from Mississippi) & wanting to highlight it in the book, BUT... the Alabama football team merchandise/ clothing items were mentioned so many times. The repetitiveness of this + the parts of "I'm going to kiss you now", were both just exhausting. The epilogue felt sufficient and a good way to end.

This was a cute read and I would recommend it for any romance reader. I loved the journey we went on with our MC but I didn't particularly enjoy the forced love triangle. I wish our MC just had more time to reflect and that her grandfather gave her some actual closure in the middle and end of the book. I don't think Johnny's character really needed to be a love interest, that whole part felt very forced. The ending was very abrupt as well and I felt it was a bit rushed into a HAE. All in all it was a great read.

I really liked this book it was different, interesting, two people in love one works for death and one is death, she didn't believe him at first she thought he was murdering people because so many people she knew had died the minute he was there and then went 'somewhere'. It took him a while to explain to her because she thought he was crazy when she told him. It was definitely different and a really nice love story. I liked it.

I had high hopes for this book, but unfortunately it just didn't live up to my expectations. A big part of that is due to the book having two of my least favorite tropes: insta-love and a love triangle. I was also hoping for more of a woo-woo Death vibe and was disappointed to get a corporate Death vibe instead.

If those tropes don't bother you, then this is a super cute story about death and love and how grief shapes our lives. It is also a closed-door romance, for those who look for less spice in their romances, with strong "grew up in the church" vibes from the author (some funny quips about purity culture that hit home as someone who also grew up in the church 😂).

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an e-ARC of this book.

Soooooo I didn’t love this one. I found the FMC to be intolerably annoying and the MMC to be manipulatively toxic. But besides that it was interesting to read a romance set in the death industry. I just wish I would’ve liked the characters.

Thank you to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest rating and review.

I was over the moon for the premise of a romance between a woman who sells caskets and a man who works for death, but the delivery unfortunately fell flat. The paranormal aspect had the potential to go so many ways but never really arrived. The romance was an instalove that left me feeling hollow. They kept telling us they loved each other, but we never got to see those feelings really develop in any meaningful way.

For a character in her 30s, the main female lead was incredibly immature. She read as if she was 20 instead of 30. She was codependent and refused to communicate, which made it hard to root for her. Her constant mistrust of the main male lead made sense because they didn't really know each other at all, which again called into question how real their love was. For a woman who works in the death industry, it was absolutely baffling how naive she was about the realities of death and the potential benefit of a job such as his.

The love triangle was simply not necessary. It only reinforced the feeling she doesn't really love him and it didn't add to the story when introduced so late in the game.

To the book's credit, it does not shy away from death or frank discussions of the same. Those were the moments when the book shined.

I loved the concept and feel that this could have been developed into something very interesting, but didn't get there.

Thank you for the ARC and the chance to review this novel.

Before I begin, I would like to thank Lauren Evans for allowing me to read a Net Galley ARC of her upcoming book, Casket Case, which will be available on September 10, 2024.

Nora planned on leaving Rabbittown, Alabama forever but then loss forced her to return to her hometown to run her family’s casket store. One day a handsome young man walks into her store and asks for directions and a date. Garrett is charming, kind, successful, and evasive about where he actually works except that it’s on call and has a lot of traveling involved. But soon people start dying, and others see him at the scenes, and then he tells her the truth. He works for Death. Can Nora accept the man she’s dating with the job he has or will she force herself to let him go?

This book was really good. You have Nora who is sassy, protective, hard working and has gone through a lot of loss in the past couple years. You have Garrett who is kind, ambitious, and passionate about his work. Both of the main characters are drawn to each other and it was lovely to see Nora interact with her family throughout the book. This book gave a thoughtful discussion about death and how it not only affects family members, but those that knew the people that passed as well, and that death doesn’t have to be solely negative. Overall, if you like books with complex characters, great family dynamics, humor, discussions about death, grief, self-discovery, and quite a bit of spice, then I would highly recommend this book. Here’s the link for more information: Amazon.com: Casket Case: A Novel eBook : Evans, Lauren: Kindle Store

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Casket Case by Lauren Evan’s was an ARC I was given. It follows Nora, a young woman who inherited her parent’s casket store after they passed in a car accident. She is drawn back to her hometown and becomes complacent and depressed, just making it by day to day. That all changes the day Garrett walks into the store to ask for directions. They fall madly in love, but are shortly pulled apart by Garrett’s odd job and Nora’s inability to cope with that and the deaths that seem to always surround her. This book is a cute paranormal romance. The reason I gave it five stars is because of the way Evans delves into and really expresses Nora’s anxiety. I’ve never read it described so accurately with the doubts and self sabotage talk. It is a real thing that affects her everyday life and her relationship, and it’s something many of us deal with everyday. I really loved this book, and I think you will too! Make sure to grab a copy on its release day, 9/10!
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This story makes an effort to blend a romance with the experience of grieving. Nora is grieving the death of her parents as well as what she had hoped her life would look like. Garrett works for death and his insight into death and grieving made their connection feel valid. I found their romance to be unearned at the beginning of the story and I wanted more open conversations between the two of them sharing emotions and feelings. The story felt like a slow read at times because it had a lot to offer which was not capitalized on. Nora is not particularly likable and I would have enjoyed the story more it the author had gotten me more on her side.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for the opportunity to review this ARC ebook.This story makes an effort to blend a romance with the experience of grieving. Nora is grieving the death of her parents as well as what she had hoped her life would look like. Garrett works for death and his insight into death and grieving made their connection feel valid. I found their romance to be unearned at the beginning of the story and I wanted more open conversations between the two of them sharing emotions and feelings. The story felt like a slow read at times because it had a lot to offer which was not capitalized on. Nora is not particularly likable and I would have enjoyed the story more it the author had gotten me more on her side.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for the opportunity to review this ARC ebook.

"Casket Case" is probably named with the phrase "basket case" in mind. I mention this because I kept expecting a mystery of some kind to arise. There are mysterious elements, but no case of any kind.

Instead, this is a charming, classic romance novel set largely in a casket showroom. Nora has come home after her parents' sudden death and taken over the operation of the family business. She spends her time in the casket showroom, at funerals, enjoying low-key small town life with friends and family, and drinking wine while watching old TV shows at home. It's not an exciting life, but she's not sure where she wants to go next. Her family thinks she's in a rut, and they may be right.

Then a handsome stranger shows up. It seems like love at first sight on both sides, but Nora soon discovers that the stranger's connections with death are more complicated than her own.

There are some twists and turns in the plot, memorable characters, and you might laugh and cry while you're reading. I look forward to reading more from Evans.

This story wasn't what I was expecting but it's message was delivered in a fantastic way. I enjoyed getting to know Nora and Garrett.

I had the pleasure of reading an ARC copy of Casket Case by Lauren Evans. Overall this story was a sweet, fun romance, with some interesting ideas on death. I was initially drawn to it because of the supernatural aspect, but it almost seemed like Garrett could have been any type of salesman. I like how Lauren, the FMC, came to terms with the inevitability of death and how she wanted to move forward in her life. The story went into detail showing how she interacted with the people in her town and how her parent's death affected her.

I think some of the chapters were odd because they cut off abruptly and then switched to a different scene. I think some of that could be reworked so that it flows a little better. I was confused a few times because I wasn't sure what had happened between her and Garrett because it stopped with them making out and then went to a different topic. It's not a huge issue, but I was left wondering a few times if they consummated their relationship.

I also think Garrett's character could be fleshed out more because even though he had such an odd job, it didn't seem to affect him other than having to be out of town a lot so it made Lauren's rejection of him seem a little over the top (especially since she ran a casket store). The story jumped back and forth a few times to provide some background information on the two main characters, which was interesting.

Even with some of the changes, I thought could be made, I still enjoyed the story and wanted to know what happened to them. Lauren was quirky but her insecurities seemed real - although she did seem to drink a lot. Their relationship seemed to go at a quick pace, but I guess that could happen. The twist towards the end of the story made sense if you were paying attention and made it more touching (I don't want to spoil it).

Thank you to #NetGalley, #RandomHouse, and #LaurenEvans for an ARC of this book.

Pretty good after you get into it!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this arc in exchange for an honest review!

I want to start by thanking the author and publisher for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book. Very interesting spin on the romance genre. A pretty unique take on romance.

Casket Case by Lauren Evans is an engaging and charming Rom-Com. The comedic angle is fun in a gentle way. Anyone who is a fan of old sitcoms or dramas will appreciate this part of the novel. (I am a huge fan of Bones reruns.)
Nora came to understand herself and grow up. I came to care for her quite a bit. She's a great heroine.
Garrett was an endearing hero. I hope there really is such a job as Garrett's. There's comfort in that thought.
Grandpa and all the folks in Rabbittown are likeable - even good old boy, Johnny!
I would recommend this book.
Thank you to #NetGalley and #LaurenEvans for an ARC of this book.
#CasketCase#NetGalley#LaurenEvans#RandomHouse

A delightful rom-com and the perfect read for a summer holiday. It brings wit and freshness to the reader. Interesting plot but one that get you sucked into quickly.

I really enjoyed Casket Case - it was heartfelt and I thought the storyline was unique. I appreciated the gentle and realistic approach to grief (and I wish Nora had more help for her depression.) The depiction of small town life felt a little too close to home.

While it's a dual perspective story, I really feel like this is NORA's story more than Garret's. I wish the author dove a little deeper into Garret's work and the world he lived in. I do think the conflict with Garret and Nora ALSO could have been developed and worked with a bit more, and I also would have liked to see a little more development of the relationship. The author did a great job of showing the caring relationship between Nora and her Grandfather.

I was glad for Nora's flirtation with Johnny and I actually would love to see HIS story (as smarmy and annoying as he was - there is some depth in there that could be plumbed. No spoilers, but I thought the twist with Garret's job and who it employs was a great surprise.

All in all, I really enjoyed the paranormal twist to the book, the author's presentation of grief, and her use of setting. I'd love to see the main characters and their relationship fleshed out a little bit more, but I will definitely be looking for the author's next book!

Three-and-a-half stars, rounding UP to four (because I appreciate the clever twist on the storyline.)

I enjoyed this one after I got into it. It did take me a little bit, but I finally got there. I would recommend this one to others!

I received a free e-arc of this book through Netgalley in exchange for my honest review. I am not a big romance fan, but I do like paranormal-related books so I was hoping this book would have some. Here we see that working for Death isn't much different than any other travel-heavy job which makes it a bit of a downer. Nora has pretty much just given up on life since her parents died in a car accident a year ago. She lives in their house and keeps running the casket store, but seems too young to have given up all her own dreams. I see a lot of reviewers saying that Garrett and Nora's fast romance wasn't real, but if you think of it as lust instead of love, then it seems normal. A good book for romance aficionados.