💭 MY THOUGHTS: I wasn’t sure what to expect from this one but it was so cute! I really liked the unique premise and the sweet romance.

There are also some heavy topics as Nora is grieving the loss of her parents. And the fact that Nora and Garrett are in the business of death. The epilogue had me crying.

Read for:
🔺Love Triangle
💫 Second Chance Romance
🔮 Paranormal
🛤️ Small Town

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / 5
Spice level: 🌶️/ 5

I think perhaps I am the wrong audience for this book so it was hard for me to give a rating to.

I couldn’t get behind the romance, I found it kind of tedious. I found Nora, herself, pretty tedious and Garret did nothing for me. The most interested I was in romance was when I thought things were going somewhere with Johnny, who felt more interesting and charming, and who made Nora more likable.

I thought the story had a twist where THAT was the romance to root for and it made sense to me then why things felt so forced with Nora and Garret. It was a bit of a letdown how things played out.

So like I said, I think I was the wrong audience for the book bc whatever what between Nora and Garrett didn’t really appeal to my romantic sensibilities. But people like different things and have different tastes in partners and romance and all that so I don’t think it would be fair to judge the story for that.

I really wanted to like this book! I was so excited when I read the blurb for this book, but it just ended up falling flat for me. I feel like the main characters fell in love really quickly. It felt odd when they broke up about half through the book, then she started talking to another guy for like 20% of the book. On top of that, she just decides she doesn't care about any of the stuff she and the main guy broke up over and they get back together anyways.

This book also feels like it had a lot of extra or unnecessary information in it. When they were getting ice cream, I don't feel like I needed to know every ice cream that the ice cream parlor had. I don't know this book may have just needed a little bit more editing. I really love the idea of having a casket sales person fall in love with someone who works for death. This book just felt a little off the mark.

This book was a little bit of a letdown for me, but don't let that stop you from picking it up if it sounds interesting to you!

Thank you so much to Netgalley and Random House for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is such a sweet story. Learning to live with grief is hard for everyone and caring for others going through loss is beautifully written within this southern small town romcom.

# Casket Case
# 10/8/2024 ~ 10/9/2024
# 4.0 / 5.0

A young woman returns home after not great circumstances. She meets a man that may change that. But what she doesn’t know is there more to him then meets the eye.

A refreshing story. Good characters and a relationship to root for.

Thank you Random House Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for this ARC. Unfortunately, I found this book was very difficult to get into and had a slow beginning. I did not find the writing or plot compelling.

I'm a huge fan of stories surrounding the humanity of funeral homes - A Love Song for Ricki Wilde, Six Feet Under, etc. - so I was super excited for this rom-com. Unfortunately, it was just okay? The concept was creative and different, but the dialogue fell flat and I don't think I'm a huge fan of this romance trope? But still perfect for this spooky season!

Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy of "Casket Case" by Lauren Evans. All opinions are my own.

I LOVED the premise of the book. Nora works at her familys business, a casket store, when she meets Garrett. Quickly they hit it off. Only problem, he works for Death. Nora already has a enough death in her life from the business, to losing her parents recently. Is she willing to look past Garrett's job to be with him?

Again, great premise. Very unique and perfect for the fall, spooky season. But wow did this disappoint. There was so much potential for this to be a hilarious book, but it was not funny at all!! The romance was fine but I couldn't handle Nora's whining when Garrett left for his business trips (and this includes before she even knew his job). Then that random fling with Johnny? What was that? And don't even get me started on the ending. Ugh.

Casket Case is a debut small town romance novel about Nora, a woman unexpectedly leaves her big city aspirations behind to run her family’s casket business. As she adjust to being back in her hometown and processing grief, Nora finds herself single and lonely. When an unexpected stranger wanders into her shop, Nora thinks she may have met the answer to her problems… until she learns that he works for Death.

I admit that I was drawn to Casket Case purely based upon its pretty cover, hoping that it was a “spooky season” romance. When I read the first few sentences of the synopsis, I was intrigued and knew I needed to read it. I love the idea of a macabre love story with death as an industrial complex. Unfortunately, this romance novel lacks any Halloween or fall themes other than death and does not explore the world in which it occurs.

Casket Case ended up feeling more like a book about grief with a side of love story than a book driven by romantic feelings. Even the third act breakup (which was completely unnecessary and felt contrived) revolves around Nora’s grief. While the novel is told in third person narration focusing on both protagonists, I felt the emphasis was truly on Nora and her life.

The romance plot further suffered from a lack of chemistry and connection between protagonists. It ended up feeling like instalove, where everything was told rather than shown. This was no doubt exacerbated by not having first-person narration. In addition, I was not fond of the dispensable love triangle or the contrived third act breakup. My favorite part of the novel was actually Nora’s relationship with her grandfather.

Casket Case‘s strong points are its realistic approach to grief, exploration of the death industrial complex, and intriguing concept. However, there was much room for improvement as all of these lacked detail and development. I wanted more world building, emotion, and editorializing. When you consider the book’s page number and its under development, it is really quite long.

Casket Case is Lauren Evan’s first novel, and I think its writing is reflective of this. I found her writing to be clunky and the dialogue stiff. I wanted more witty banter and flirting. As I previously mentioned, I also think the book would have benefited from being written from the first person perspective with dual points-of-view. This seems to enable authors to better capture characters’ feelings and emphasize their actions less.

Overall, Casket Case has a strong underlying concept but lacked in execution. I was hoping for more of a flirty, fun romcom that explored the death industry but found little of that. If you are interested in novels about grief, I think you may like this.

Casket case approaches the concept a relationship involving a partner with a difficult job with a sort of spooky twist. Eleanora owns a casket store passed down from her family and Garrett works for death. Seeing as how Garrett working for death was mentioned on the back of the book, I feel like the reader should have found out exactly what that meant before halfway through the book. Overall, I think this book tries to approach too many plot points and would have been a lot better if several of them had been cut out to allow for the others to be built out better. I love Nora and my heart goes out to her and all she faces and I wish she had a story written in a way that I could get behind more.

'Casket Case' is one part exploration of grief, two parts romantic comedy, a dash of self-discovery, and a heavy helping of magical realism. Its unique and intriguing premise captures your attention, but its execution falls short, preventing it from being a higher rated read. Despite its flaws, it has a certain charm that keeps you invested in the story and curious about what comes next.

After her parents' death, Nora reluctantly returns to her teeny tiny hometown of Rabbittown, Alabama, to run Rabbittown Casket Company, her family’s casket business. It's not an easy or glamorous job, but somebody’s got to do it. Being a single 30-something constantly surrounded by death is rough, but Nora's not the type to wallow in her grief. Instead, she tackles it head-on with a mix of humor and vulnerability. Nora's inner monologue is often laugh-out-loud funny, even as she struggles to reconcile her feelings and beliefs about life and death. Her sarcastic wit and relatable struggles make Nora a character you can't help but root for as she navigates the weird—and strangely cutthroat—world of funeral directing.

Things start to look up for Nora when a handsome stranger walks into Rabbittown Casket Company to ask for directions. Enter Garrett, an incredibly charming guy who works in Logistics—for Death. Garrett is both swoony and frustrating. On one hand, he's handsome, mysterious, and brooding, and his chemistry with Nora is undeniable. On the other hand, he's keeping some major secrets and has a job that causes him to travel frequently, work long hours, and late nights. Nora and Garrett’s relationship is sweet and endearing, but at the same time, it sometimes feels rushed and a bit too perfect. 

'Casket Case' had the potential to be phenomenal, but unfortunately, it missed the mark in several areas. The book's uneven pacing often disrupts the flow of the story. Just as one plot line gains traction, it's abandoned for something new, and this constant shifting makes it difficult to become fully invested in the story. It's like trying to watch a TV show while someone keeps changing the channels. Also, the supporting characters lack depth and feel more like sketches than fully realized people. The lack of secondary character development makes it difficult to connect with anyone other than Nora, and the story ultimately feels a bit hollow because of it.

Would I recommend it?
Maybe. The unique premise and thoughtful exploration of life, death, and grief set it apart from the typical rom-com. Evans has a knack for finding humor and heart in heavy subjects, and if she improves her pacing and character development, her next novel will be a huge hit. As it stands, 'Casket Case' is a solid three-star read that will appeal to readers who enjoy quirky, offbeat stories or want a rom-com with a bit of a macabre side. Overall, 'Casket Case' was an enjoyable debut novel, and I'm excited to see what Evans does next.

This book made me sad. There were some shining moments of romance, the typical “I’m over him” time, small town friends and family, but I finished the book just very sad.

I guess I should have known this was coming from the description but maybe I thought there would be more quirky goodness or lightheartedness to break up the truly dark depression scenes. Nora lost her parents and has given up her career to run her family’s local casket business. She is still firmly entrenched in her depression when she meets Garrett, who just so happens to work for Death. It was very much like that show Dead Like Me, where he gets dispatched to help people not die alone. He hides this from Nora, but pursues her pretty intently.

The truth ends up coming out, because, hello, it’s a very small town where everyone knows everything about each other, but when it does, Nora goes back into a tailspin of depression. If you’re following along, that means you will need to trudge through two separate phases where we are in this with her. It was tough. Eventually we trudge to a happy ending, but then we cap it off with a truly heartbreaking ending. The writing was good, but you need to be mentally prepared to go through all this with Nora.

The premise of this book is super unique, and I was really excited to read it! I truly wish I had enjoyed it more. I think it's possible I'm just not a fan of instalove, so I'm still giving this 3 stars to be fair.

The MMC fell for the FMC and then they were dating pretty much right away. After that, it felt like there wasn't anywhere to go with the story and so unnecessary elements were added for drama (love triangle, etc.). I wish this would have been a slower burn!

This was a cute read with a clever concept! My 4-star rating is a combination of the book reaching me after a slump of dull 3-star reads + the beginnings of spooky season. The dark, heavy themes are perfect for fall!

Yes, it's morbid, but if you've got a dark sense of humor this will be a delight.

Nora sometimes made questionable choices and I hated the miscommunication trope but was willing to look past it given the unique premise.

Ready to get morbid? Yeah? OK cool, let’s dive into Casket Case, a paranormal rom-com that takes a Meet Joe Black-style approach to death. Lauren Evans’ book is a sweet, sentimental read with a touch of spookiness that perfectly aligns with the Halloween season. But to cut to the chase . . . well, ultimately it just wasn’t for me.

As far as story, the basics are: grief-plagued casket seller Nora ends up unknowingly dating a version of the Grim Reaper in small town Alabama, causing her to rethink everything she knows about life and love. What kills me about this one is that I genuinely really liked Nora as a character and Lauren Evans’ writing has so much heart & charm. Unfortunately the specifics and pacing of the story, as well as its male lead, maaaaajorly dragged things down.

You can read my full review for this one on the blog, where I go into these issues in more detail, but the main flaw is just how bad of a Book Boyfriend™️ Garrett is. Hoo, boy. Like, truly atrocious. The walking, talking embodiment of a man not sorry he lied, but sorry he got caught. A human red flag. That, in addition to some odd creative choices in terms of storytelling and pacing, was the proverbial nail in the coffin. (Har, har.)

Shout out to NetGalley and Dell for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Casket Case by Lauren Evans is a captivating and darkly humorous exploration of life, death, and the unconventional relationships that shape our experiences. From my perspective, Evans’ writing is engaging and witty, expertly balancing elements of comedy and poignancy throughout the narrative. The protagonist's unique journey through the world of funeral homes and the eccentric characters she encounters make for an entertaining and thought-provoking read.

I appreciated how the story delves into themes of grief, acceptance, and the complexities of human connection in unexpected places. Evans’ ability to infuse humor into darker subject matter keeps the pacing lively and adds a refreshing twist to traditional narratives about death. However, there were moments when the tone felt inconsistent, which occasionally took me out of the story.

Overall, Casket Case is a unique and enjoyable read that left me chuckling while reflecting on the fragility of life. It’s a fantastic choice for readers who appreciate dark humor and unconventional storytelling, and Evans’ talent for weaving together comedy and heartfelt moments makes this book a memorable experience.

This book had me crying and laughing out loud. It hurt my soul, in the best way, and I read it in less than a day. I'm sorry this book is getting so many low ratings because the author really nails the numbness of grief and how sadness can put a damper on your personality for a while. Nora's relationship with her grandpa was adorable and reminded me of a Frederik Backman novel. If you like rom-coms, love at first sight, and don't mind a bit of morbidity, this book is for you.

I received a complimentary copy of this book.

How can Whimsy and whimsical can be in the same category as something that is entertaining and yet, unpredictable? this novel is exactly one of those times. I thought the cover was adorable, and the cover was definitely fitting of a romcom. The only problem is I don’t consider this novel enough of a romcom to label it as such. yes it has romance, but I would almost clarify this is more of a paranormal romance, and I believe the cover should be much darker to portray that genre better. Those that are thinking they’re getting a cute sea romcom for the whole length of the novel based on the cover are going to be very upset. And by not having a cover that depicts the dark, morbid ins and outs of death that are disgusted inside the book, the author is missing out on those readers.

Oh man. This book...tragically let me down so much. I was so excited about the premise—a romance between Nora, a funeral home owner, and Garrett, who does logistics for Death, set in a Southern small town. It felt like the perfect step into autumn season.

However great a premise Lauren Evans had, it just didn't deliver across the board. I found the plot severely underdeveloped and the interesting aspects of the novel brushed aside/given very little attention. It took long to get to understanding what Garrett's job was (not even just Nora, but the readers themselves) and then when we did, we barely scratched the surface of possibilities.

I also felt the romance was too fast and almost forced. I didn't feel the chemistry between them and I felt like they were saying 'I love you' without barely knowing each other.

And then there's just the random complaints—various chapters in POVs that we never saw again, plot lines that were too briefly mentioned, a weird third act romance that felt like it came out of nowhere.

I do think there's a fun story in here. But, I feel like Casket Case needed several more rounds of editing before it was published.

This was a trip. A young woman returns home to run a casket business but falls in love with someone who works for death. I couldn't believe this was a debut. It was charming and very original. It was morbid and funny, and it will be great for those who love this type of niche writing. This is a spooky Halloween with a touch of screaming death romance.

Tropes:
-He Falls First
-Second Chance
-Small Town
-Spicey

Arc received from the publisher; all thoughts and opinions are my own. I have purchased my own copy.