I was excited for Casket Case by Lauren Evans because I was hoping for a weird, dark-humored comedy, but it fell a bit flat for me. I did like the idea, but it was just a bit tropey/cliché for my taste.

Nora takes over her family's business, selling caskets after her parents pass away. Garrett works for Death, comforting people as they pass. He is driven by compassion as his brother died young.
Having a personal life is pretty tough when you work in the death industry, so maybe they're a perfect match?... but Nora has a hard time accepting that Garrett works for death. She loves him, but can she handle dating death?
Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group Ballantine for access to read Casket Case in exchange for an honest review

This was a really interesting concept and unlike anything I’ve read before. I enjoyed the story and characters, but I can’t put my finger on it, I think I just wanted a bit more? Garrett and Nora fell hard and fast but their chemistry didn’t jump off the page to me. I also feel like at times things were a bit surface level, like Garrett’s brother, or even how/why he was recruited for his job. Was the woman who came for his brother his recruiter? Things like that. I think a bit more depth and detail would have helped. The ending and epilogue also felt a bit rushed. Overall I did like the book and writing style though.

Casket Case by Lauren Evans feels unlike anything I’ve read before. Who knew I wanted a protagonist who runs a casket shop? It was fun look at a job I’ve never thought twice about!

As a whole I did really enjoy this book. The concept was creative and well done. The pacing was ok, maybe a bit slow at times, but it kept me interested. Most of the slower parts were Nora acting like a whiney teenager instead of someone that is 30 years old. She was the only one in the entire book not acting their age. It got to be a bit much. I don't know what Garrett saw in her or continued to see in her. Their relationship felt a bit forced at times because of this. They didn't seem to be on the same maturity level. By the end she did have some growth which was nice. Took her long enough. There is a small twist, if you will, that I enjoyed in the book. I found that the final chapter ended kind of abruptly. I felt like there should have been more to wrap it up. The epilogue was well done and finished the book off nicely but I feel like there was more that could have been said prior to it. All in all the book is good, concept is solid, and it was a cute and cozy read.

I'm always down for a bit of magical realism in romance, an element that's not always easy to find. I was so excited to learn of a romance novel about a woman who sells caskets for a living, falling in love with a man who literally works for Death.

This story fell apart for me in the execution. First, internal monologue makes up a significant portion of the narrative. You are in Nora's thoughts and memories for I'd say more than half the book. Because of this, the book itself feels slow and drawn-out, with little happening on the page. However, the romance itself is almost too fast paced. I appreciate the insta-love trope--but in this case, I felt like Nora and Garrett coming together felt rushed and too easy. By 30% they were declaring they loved each other. By 55%, they had their "third act" breakup that typically happens at 80%. I didn't really believe in how Nora and Garrett said they felt about each other. Then you have this odd interlude where Nora starts up a flirtation with Johnny. When Nora and Garrett get back together, I'm not convinced they'll go the distance--it doesn't really feel like they've overcome anything.

Things I did like about the book: Garrett was a solid MMC who was mature, patient, and romantic. I liked the relationship Nora had with her grandfather, and appreciated the plot twist that he had also worked for Death. I was fascinated by the concept of Death as a boring as hell corporate logistics operation. I loved the references to "classic" pop culture that won't date the book in two years, like General Hospital and Cheers. I think many people will love and appreciate this book a lot more than I did--especially if they're looking for an internal, women's fiction-esque story more than a classic romance.

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House - Ballantine for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I kind of tuned out of this book at 70% and skimmed the rest of it, but I do feel that I read enough to leave a review.

I couldn't get into this book from the beginning, and I just could not finish it. I didn't like the main characters, and there was absolutely no chemistry between them; their relationship was very unbelievable, and their dialogue was extremely stiff, which is my main issue with the book. I didn't like how quickly the relationship between the two main characters moved either; they were together after knowing each other for like half a week? The premise is really interesting, but it just wasn't executed very well, in my opinion (honestly, the idea for the book drew me in so quickly; it's such a cool and weird idea for a book). I did like the small-town setting, but it just wasn't enough to make me want to finish the book, unfortunately.

Casket Case is the third book I have read in this last year that features people in the funeral industry. I guess it’s a new trope? Not sure what it says about me that I really liked all of them. This piece has a nice twist. Our heroine, Nora, is running the casket sales company that she inherited after her parents died in a car crash about a year ago. She has been deep in mourning and has cut herself off from her old life. And then Garrett comes along. He stops into her store looking for directions and is immediately smitten. So they go on a date. And honestly at this point I thought, well that’s nice, but it’s two people dating, so what? The so what is he works for DEATH. I love a bit of magic realism and oh boy does Lauren Evans give us some. Obviously someone that is still mourning the loss of her family is not going to want to date an agent of death, or maybe he is the best thing to happen to her in a long while. Nora and Garrett’s story charmed the socks off me. It is pretty closed door, but the characters are so awesome, I didn’t miss it so much. Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House for the ARC.

Wow, I was not expecting this book to hit like it did.

Casket Case is a whimsical, cozy romance about Nora, who's taken over her family's casket store in a small town in Alabama after her parents unexpectedly passed away in a car accident. Garrett is this new hot stranger in town, working a mysterious "logistics" coordinator job.

I really loved the style of the book - I felt like the third-person and the writing was suited for a book about death and dying, and to be honest, really lent itself to the themes of the story. We were still able to get a great understanding of our characters and their inner workings. The flashbacks to Garrett's past were a little disjointed at first, but ultimately lent themselves to a little charm about Garrett, giving us a better sense of who is, and why he's such a little sweetheart - he was truly a star of this book.

I read this whole thing in one sitting and teared up a little towards the end - I loved the way the writer decided to wrap it all up. Was I a little frustrated with Nora at first for not understanding Garrett's point about death being inevitable? Yes, but also I was willing to forgive and understand in the context of her very recent and fresh loss. I loved that they gave Johnny a fair shot, which I'm sure a lot of readers don't like. I just appreciated that dose of reality in a romance book, because truly, that is what life is like - there are always other options.

Overall, giving this a 4.5 rounded up to 5. There was no spice in the book (I think categorized as closed door), but there was discussion about intimacy.

For a debut, it's okay. I felt as if the romance was made a forefront and that it moved a bit too fast for the plot being about a man who works for death, and a woman who owns a casket business. It just seemed like I was waiting too long for the plot to further develop, and I had the thought that maybe there would be more about Garrett's job and what he does than their dates that were the basis of most of the chapters after they first met. It wasn't a horrible book, just not my style.

2/5 ⭐️
Spiciness: 1/5

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

This book follows Nora, a woman who started working in her family’s casket store, falling in love with Garrett, who works for death. One of my favorite elements of this book is how death and grief is handled, as well as how comforting having someone with you to explain what is happening when dying is. I think that it also well describes what grieving can look like.

My favorite character in this book was Johnny, and I found him to be hilarious. I actually laughed a couple times during his scenes.

I think that my biggest piece of feedback would be that I struggled to see the chemistry between Garrett and Nora. The dialog felt stiff, and I don’t think I really was able to fully appreciate their romance. I also do not think I liked Garrett as much as I hoped I would. I would also say that I tend to opt for books with a clearer plot, and more thorough character development. Overall, I do not think that this book is for me, but I do hope that those interested do enjoy it!

I was really excited for this book and thought this had a lot of potential. The plot sounded so interesting and unique with an otherworldly aspect to it. A logistical coordinator for Death? Definitely intriguing. Combined with how Nora's life has been altered forever by Death? Another great layer to the plot.

I wish there was more about Garrett's work and more details about how he does what he does. Even though the book was in third person, his chapters were definitely shorter, but I found his story to be more compelling than Nora's. The beginning of Garrett and Nora's relationship was kind of volatile in that there were a lot of insecurities, especially on Nora's end. It seemed like she was ready to bolt from this relationship at the first sign of trouble. I wasn't really into Nora's character - I felt like she got really defensive when Garrett tried to talk about sensitive topics and her level of communication wasn't as great as Garrett's, which was kind of frustrating to me. The dialogue was overall a little stunted/choppy - what was probably supposed to be banter came off as them being short with each other. But their relationship got better as the book went on. I think it's cute how their careers involve and connect with Death in different ways. I really liked Garrett's character and I just wanted the best for him.

I was teetering between a 3 and a 4/5 rating, but decided to go with the 4 stars due to the little twist near the end and the epilogue. It was beautiful and I felt like it wrapped up the book perfectly.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

this romance was so unique and quite heartfelt! I loved the portrayal of grief and the emotions present. I loved her writing.

Casket Case, set in seemingly charming Rabbittown, a small town in Alabama, follows casket shop owner, Nora, and the Regional Director of Logistics for Death, Garrett, on their journey of falling in love and navigating life with their careers.

What drew me to Casket Case was the professions of both the main characters. I mean, a casket shop owner and the Regional Director of Logistics for DEATH? Falling in love? How fun, right? However, as I read Casket Case I found myself not overly drawn to or connected to Nora or Garrett emotionally. Casket Case fell flat for me due to feeling as though we were going through the motions without in depth emotions, particularly referring to Nora and Garrett’s relationship. Where Casket Case shined was its portrayal of a small southern town as well as its portrayal of grief.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Bellantine | Dell for this advanced copy of Casket Case in exchange for my honest review.

Review added to Goodreads account on 4/11/24.

Cute, fresh rake on a rom com with fun characters and typical hiking. BUT I don't go into rom coms wanting to have my mind blown

Okay, I have to admit, this is one of the strangest concepts I've come across lately. The author's creative mind intrigued me, and the morbid eeriness of this plotline—a strange love story between a woman who inherits a casket business from her late family and a charming man who works for Death in logistics services—piqued my interest. However, there were two things that didn't sit quite right with me: the pacing of the book and the instant, underdeveloped romance between the main characters.

The pacing was unusually slow, while the intimacy between Nora and Garrett escalated too quickly. They started dating after their second encounter, and just a few chapters later, they were declaring their love. Then, out of nowhere, we find ourselves in a love triangle, which made me question whether Nora fell for the first potential guy nearby simply because she lived in a small town with limited dating options. I also had doubts about Garrett's attraction to Nora. Did he think, 'Okay, I work for Death and she sells caskets for dead people, so we're a match made in heaven'? Because I didn't understand what intrigued him enough to ask her out on a date after only a brief encounter where he asked for directions. There weren't enough indications that it was love at first sight, so I didn't buy into the rushed romance storyline.

What I enjoyed most about this book was how it handled grief without sugarcoating it, taking a realistic approach instead. I found it difficult to connect with Nora, even though I understood her reluctance to let go of the memories of her family while trying to function amidst her grief. However, her dialogue came across as a little hostile and temperamental, and she seemed overly depressed. When reading her parts, I couldn't decide whether to give her a hug and reassure her that everything would eventually be okay, or shake her shoulders to snap some sense into her.

Overall, I appreciated the paranormal concept of the book and its unique, realistic approach to death, as well as the portrayal of close-knit small-town life. However, I didn't enjoy the romantic aspects, and I didn't particularly like the heroine. Therefore, I've decided to give it a solid three stars. Nevertheless, I'm still curious to read the author's upcoming works.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group/Ballantine/Dell for providing me with this digital review copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.

What would you do if you found out that the guy you fell in love with worked for Death? This is the conundrum Nora faces when she finds out that the handsome logistics guy she has been dating has an unbelievable job. Will Nora accept Garrett's job or will she move on?

I liked Nora but liked Garrett even more. I loved Nora's grandpa and I think his character was a wonderful offset to Nora's character. I did find myself getting annoyed with Nora after a bit as I wanted her to make up her dang mind (even if ultimately I knew who she would end up with). Garrett was so patient and understanding and he gave Nora all the space she needed to come to terms with his profession. I also got a bit annoyed with Garrett that he let his job be a secret for a bit too long but I forgive him :)

I will admit I was hoping for a bit more banter/comedy but I really enjoyed it overall and I might have shed a little tear during the epilogue.

Thank you NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine | Dell and Lauren Evans for access to the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A charming and unusual premise! Nora sells caskets for a living and Garrett is a middleman for Death. Opposites attract but can they withstand questionable career choices?!

This was a cute, light, and uneven read. Nora and Garrett fall for each other instantly so I’m not sure there was much relationship growth and development and the pacing felt a bit off. There were a lot of religious references and churchgoing which I was not expecting (and am not personally a fan of). Though the book deals with death and grief, it doesn’t delve too deeply and remains lighthearted.

Thank you to Random House Ballantine and NetGalley for the opportunity to read a copy.

Okay five stars for the ~~VIIIIBES~~ alone.

Is this a perfect book? No. And I'll get into that but first...thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of Casket Case, and shout out Lauren Evans for a delightful debut novel.

Let's get into the good. This could easily be a bummer of a book or it could easily be really hokey...but it's neither? Nora owns a casket business, Garrett works for Death. FUN FUN FUN. I expected a bit more comedy, a bit more of exasperated ghosts watching this couple and shaking their heads. But that's not what you get. What you get is...Nora works in caskets, and Garrett works for Death which is basically a logistics company. It's really not anything deeper than that.

This is also written in present tense third person omniscient which is so fun to read (to me) and I enjoyed reading this story with this perspective. More books should use this POV, though it's hard. And I know because I'm trying to write something in it, and it's HARD. Sometimes things sound weird and don't flow as well as they would if you were using a first person POV. Which is one of my minor gripes with this story. Sometimes things don't feel like they flow from one thing to the next. It feels a bit stunted in certain areas. Not in big plot ways, but in one sentence to the next. Sometimes it's the dialogue, sometimes it's the switch between scenes. It feels like it just needs a little more finessing in a handful of areas.

Nora is a bit of a disaster at the start and as much as I really like her and how she feels her feelings, I do think she was a little dramatic at the beginning for the sake of plot and it felt unnecessary. It's also insta-love. And that's usually wildly annoying to me, but it was kind of fun in this story. There wasn't pining. There wasn't some enemies to lovers or second chance or anything like that. Garrett shows up one day and is like, hey I like you. And boom. That's it.

For some reason there are pieces of this story that I normally don't like but they all just WORK when it's put in this context. I do think this book will end up with something like an overall 3.6 rating on Goodreads as the book stands right now, and that feels like a bummer. I think if this went through another editor (not that this one did anything wrong, just for a new set of eyes) and really tightened it up a bit more, it would really soar. Either way, I thoroughly enjoyed it and would happily read anything else Laruen Evans publishes.

Five stars for a contemporary romance that revolves around death and funerals but not in a trauma way.

In the beginning i found it very hard to immerse myself into the story. Nora wasn’t the most enjoyable character at first but who is after her parents are dead? Let’s be real. She’s kinda just going through the motions clinging to what she has left of them: a casket shop. Now the first date? I was getting butterflies from Garrett. You have to love a direct man. The small town banter and gossip is exactly what you’d expect and provides some comic relief with some charm. Once you get over the little beginning hump it’s actually good. I recommend sticking it through to the end it really is cute.