A love story about a casket business new owner and deaths right hand man…just didn’t do it for me. I had hoped for a bit more of a not so fast but super slow burn and not whiplash instead

thanks to netgalley for providing me an e-arc in exchange for a review!

this was a really interesting concept at face value and i thought that it had a lot of potential. nora returns to her hometown to run her family's funeral home and garrett rolls into town literally working for death. i thought there were so many interesting plotlines that could be done with this, and then none of that really panned out. so much of this fell relatively flat for me, which was a bummer. it was still cute and i enjoyed it, but i felt at most points that it could have been so much more.

I first want to say that I really loved this cover, the purple is so pretty. lol
This was a good book, written well and kept my interest.


Nora and Garret. Main characters in this rom-com.
Nora was a tough character to deal with she was up, down and all around. I mean I did feel bad for her, she went through a lot and lost a lot of people in her life. Then she has to run the family casket business where all she sees is loss and sadness.
Garret works for death, and this is such a strange job to wrap your dead around. No one is allowed to know his job.
There are a few extra unnecessary conflicts in this book (in my opinion). It really didn't need the extra drama.
Nora starts really falling for him and then notices some weird things with him.
Will she find out his line of work, will they work out, will she be ok with his job????
So many questions and you will find it all out throughout this book and the ending is definitely not what you are expecting at all.

A smart, fun romance with a paranormal twist. Great characters and a unique story. This book provided a well written enjoyable escape for me. Thank you NetGalley for providing the ARC.

A unique paranormal story that delves into love, loss, and the afterlife. I loved the premise of the story but I never engaged with Nora. She was a little annoying and I thought that her relationship with Garrett escalated a little quickly. Even so, it was a charming read.
Many thanks to Random House and to Netgalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

this was a cute read i want to be honest in my review and say i could not read this all the way thru maybe it just was not for me at the time i wil give this another try at a later time

the characters are unique so is this storyline/concept but the romance felt flat to me and i had issues with the pacing (slow and fast the same time) the romance came too quickly then out no where we are having a jealously/love triangle thing going on the side characters got to much page space. i could not keep up nor wait to see it pan out bc again the pacing was slowwwwww the romance felt to drawn out for me

also this is a great spooky read bc of all the death haha esp with Nora being a casket selling of all things (and also to insecure imo)

I honestly don't have not much to say about this book. It was just okay.

I thought it would be a cute little spooky rom com, but I found the insta-love odd and unbelievable.

I appreciated Nora's representation of anxiety and what it's like to live in someone's head like that. As someone who suffers from anxiety it was relatable but also depressing because I already know what that's like in my own head, so that was a mistake on my own part and I don't fault the book for that. Nora did feel fairly fleshed out, but Garrett felt one dimensional. The only thing you learned about him was his brother passed away and that's what prompted his choice in a career. I appreciate a sweet cinnamon roll boy but I need more dimension from the love interest.

The one thing I found the most unbelievable though, was the fact that she was so mad at Garrett because he worked for death. I couldn't understand why she would be so mad when she literally does the same thing. Also, the ending felt so rushed that when the story finished I said out loud "THAT'S IT?!" Nothing felt concluded.

While the premise sounded promising, the execution was a little mediocre for me.

I was quite surprised by this one, to be honest. I was expecting something spooky, a little cringe (but the good kind) and an easy shove into the halloween spirit!

Little did I know that the magical realism included in this read would be something so different, it took me completely off guard!

Nora has taken over her family's business, running the Casket shop in a small town. She's working a regular day in the shop, when a handsome stranger wanders in looking for directions.

Garrett was a fun addition, he truly made a realistic MMC that you might run into at the local supermarket. I loved his outlook on Nora's life, his job and what was right vs wrong.

Though I enjoyed Nora's story in the end, I struggled to like her character throughout. I found her to be very selfish, whiny and "woe is me" and while she did have a tragedy happen to her that had her stuck in her home town running the business and not doing much else.... she could have just as easily sold the shop and moved. In her selflessness of taking over her parents shop, she complained entirely too much.

I found the FMC and MMC's relationship and communication (or sometimes lack there of) to be very realistic. It was refreshing to read a couple that I could see handling their disagreements in ways someone in real life might. I guess I was just surprised that their arguments and make ups reminded me so much of a true relationship!

My only wish was that the details about Garretts job to have been more of a mystery, vs it being announced on the back cover. I would have LOVED to have experienced the "Ah-Ha!" of a reveal, instead of going into the story knowing something was a little off.

Their romance was cute, the relationship was realistic and the whole "I sell caskets and you work around Death everyday" matching was ironically perfect. I would recommend.

I started reading this one but it was a bit cookie cutter for me. Maybe it’s because too many paranormal romances came out at once, but I found myself not wanting to go back to it due to boredom. I even thought the audiobook would help but as enthusiastic as narrators were, the plot just wasn’t there for me. DNF at 48%

It’s frustrating when a book has a great premise but falls flat in execution. The idea of a casket seller falling for someone who works for Death hooked me immediately—I was excited to dive in. But honestly, the romance between Nora and Garrett felt forced and completely unearned. They go from meeting to being head-over-heels without any believable development, which made it hard to invest in their relationship. And then there’s Johnny, thrown in as a love triangle for no good reason, which just complicated things unnecessarily. The dialogue and plot felt underdeveloped, like they were just going through the motions. The only saving grace was the blunt, realistic discussion about death and how we process it, but even that wasn’t enough to salvage the book for me. It just didn't live up to the potential of its concept.

✨ I received this book as an ARC for my honest review✨

Rate: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This was such a fun and unique read! It blended romance, humor, and a bit of the morbid in a way that’s totally captivating. The story follows Nora, who unexpectedly inherits her late parents’ casket business in a small town. She’s still grieving and just trying to get by when a handsome, mysterious guy named Garrett comes into her life. But of course, there’s a twist—Garrett works for Death (yep, you read that right!).

I really enjoyed Nora and Garrett’s chemistry. Garrett is sweet and patient with her, which I loved. But Nora, while relatable, could be really immature for her age, and her constant back-and-forth with Garrett—hot one minute, cold the next—got old fast. I’m sure this was done on purpose to show her emotional journey, but it got annoying. At times, it felt like she was just spinning in circles, and I kind of wished she’d made up her mind sooner. The romance escalates pretty quickly too, and while I was here for it, it did feel a little rushed given how little time they’d actually spent together, and then a random love triangle popped up, which felt a little forced.

The book handles grief really well. Nora’s emotional journey feels genuine, and though she can be tough at times, it’s clear she’s just trying to cope with her parents’ death. Her grandpa adds a nice touch of lightness to balance out the heavier moments. Garrett's acceptance of death is understandable and filled with compassion. Working for Death itself, he seems at peace with its inevitability due to having a death in his family. His calm demeanor and patience with Nora show his understanding that life and death are just parts of the same cycle, something he’s learned to embrace without fear.

The pacing can be a little slow at times, and I was expecting more comedy or banter, but the emotional moments hit harder than I anticipated—especially the ending, which totally took me by surprise and had me in tears, both happy and sad. Despite Nora’s indecision and Garrett’s secretive side, I really enjoyed the story. It’s a sweet, touching rom-com with a unique twist, and definitely a great book that will make you laugh, cry, or maybe even both!

I really enjoyed Casket Case. It is a fun idea for a story and would make for a great series. I am looking forward to reading more books by Lauren Evans.

DNF @ 40%

I got so bored with this book I wished Death would visit me instead. The romance started immediately and went absolutely nowhere?? I am uninterested in the detailed daily diary entries of the needy casket selling girl who keeps getting drunk on boxed wine and crying about her boyfriend. And very uninterested in the vague crap about the Death guy who is obsessed with his job but refuses to actually talk about it with his girlfriend. And the other reviews for this book are not encouraging, so, this will be a no even if I continue and who has time to waste on boring books when they could be getting drunk on their own boxed wine and doing literally anything else

This was such a fun concept and this would be a great seasonal read. I think it was just light enough that death and caskets don't give it a sad sort of feeling. If you're a fan of MORBIDLY YOURS, you might enjoy this one.

Casket Case has a cute concept, but wasn't for me. Nora owns a casket store but runs into Death. It had so much promise but just fell a little short. Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for my review copy of this book.

I'm a sucker for a good seasonal read, so I read this book during the Halloween/fall time of year, which I think improved my opinion of this book. With that being said, I left wanting more. I don't understand the third person point of view on a romance book. It left the writing more disjointed and surface level, and the reader doesn't get a chance to connect to the characters. I think it took away from story in the long run. While I don't mind the insta-love troupe that much, it felt almost too fast for this book, especially when the characters couldn't quit repeating that it was too fast to love somebody. The love triangle in the back half also confused me. Overall, I felt that this book lacked a bit of editing and wish that we got a more first person point of view. 2.5/5 stars.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for an advanced readers copy of this book. All opinions within this review are my own.

Nora runs her family casket business in small-town Alabama, Garrett works for Death (literally). It's a match made in... heaven? Hell?

The concept of this book was adorable and so intriguing - I really wanted this one to work for me, but it didn't quite make it. I ended up DNFing this around 60%. 5 star concept, but the writing just fell a little flat for me. There was a lot of dialogue, but it didn't necessarily feel like it was advancing the plot or like it was illuminating the characters further. The pacing was just too slow. I also didn't buy the chemistry between Nora and Garrett, which is one of the things I most enjoy in a romance novel.

Not for me, but that doesn't necessarily mean it's not for you - I would try another book from this author.

After reading the unique plot of this book, I was so excited! The concept was all there. Handsome man works for death, meets the lonely and sad owner of a casket store who is surrounded by death. Enter, love story. I loved the authors creativity behind the plot, but unfortunately the execution wasn’t my favorite. Instant falling in love, a random love triangle, and the protagonist wasn’t easy to like. I wish there was more from Garrett’s POV revolving around his job, but overall although I didn’t love the book, it was still cute! With this being a debut novel, I am still interested in what Evans will come out with next :)

I was really excited for this release as a fall cozy read, but the execution fell flat for me. The overall plot of the story felt very basic and there could have been so much more depth to the characters, their relationship, and overall growth. I thought there was so much more to dive into, especially with Garrett’s job. So many unanswered questions!

Thank you to Lauren Evans, Ballantine, and NetGalley for providing me with a copy in exchange for my honest review!

Casket Case had so much potential, and I was genuinely excited about it. A romcom about a woman running her family’s casket business in her small town and a man who works for Death?? I expected quirky lovable characters, funny situations, and a charming small town. Sadly, it didn’t deliver on any of that.

Ever been on a boring date where there’s just no chemistry and every joke lands flat? That’s what reading this book felt like. It’s also exactly how Nora and Garrets dates went. Their dialogue felt stiff and awkward, and I couldn’t get invested in their connection.

Take this (barely) paraphrased conversation for example:
“What did you do today?”
“I waited around for someone to buy something. No one ever did.”
“What’s good here?”
“I heard the lasagna is good.”
“I was thinking about the lasagna.”
“I’m probably not the best person to ask because I don’t like tomato sauce.”
“So, you don’t like lasagna?”
“It’s better than spaghetti.”

I mean… 😬 How am I supposed to believe these two have any chemistry after this? Where’s the humor? The playful banter? The tension? Anything?

Sadly, the book didn’t improve much after that. I found myself bored and eventually skimming through parts, just hoping for something to grab my attention. By the end, I was left disappointed and unsure how to feel about the whole experience. Anyways, I appreciate Ballantine for the ARC.