Review: Haunted Ever After by Jen DeLuca

Haunted Ever After by Jen DeLuca
Series: Boneyard Key #1
Published by Berkley on 2024-08-13
Length: 352 pages
Reviewing Kindle from Amazon
Rating:
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Cassie thought Boneyard Key’s ghosts were tourist schtick, until her new home came with one—but can the attentions of the sexy coffee shop owner convince her to stay, instead of ghosting the town?

Small Florida coastal towns often find themselves scrambling for the tourism dollars that the Orlando theme parks leave behind. And within the town limits of Boneyard Key, the residents decided long ago to lean into its ghostliness. Nick Royer, owner of the Hallowed Grounds coffee shop, embraces the ghost tourism that keeps the local economy afloat, as well as his spectral roommate. At least he doesn’t have to run air-conditioning.

Cassie Rutherford possibly overreacted to all her friends getting married and having kids by leaving Orlando and buying a flipped historic cottage in Boneyard Key. Though there’s something unusual with her new home (her laptop won’t charge in any outlets, and the poetry magnets on her fridge definitely didn’t read “WRONG” and “MY HOUSE” when she put them up), she’s charmed by the colorful history surrounding her. And she's catching a certain vibe from the grumpy coffee shop owner whenever he slips her a free slice of banana bread along with her coffee order.

As Nick takes her on a ghost tour, sharing town gossip that tourists don't get to hear, and they spend nights side-by-side looking into the former owners of her haunted cottage, their connection solidifies into something very real and enticing. But Cassie's worried she’s in too deep with this whole (haunted) home ownership thing…and Nick's afraid to get too close in case Cassie gets scared away for good.

This was a fun, quirky read. Haunted Ever After by Jen DeLuca is the first book in a new series set in Boneyard Key, a small coastal Florida town with ghostly residents. Cassie Rutherford is looking for a fresh start after her friend group has all moved on to getting married and having babies, so she buys a recently flipped historic cottage in Boneyard Key. However, her house already has a resident who is not happy she is there.

Cassie is pushing thirty, single, and having a bit of self-identity crisis when she arrives in town. Her friends have all moved on to the next phase of their lives and left her behind. She’s convinced (or trying to convince) herself that she is content with her life as it is. With a remote job, she can go anywhere as long as she stays in state. The move is a spur of the moment decision that she refuese to regret. But she didn’t count on the ghost haunting her house telling her it’s her house, not Cassie’s.

With the ghost interfering with her electricity, specifically draining her laptop battery, Cassie finds Hallowed Grounds, a quaint coffee shop in walking distance from her new home. It doesn’t hurt that the owner is a little cute too. Nick Royer grew up in Boneyard Key with no intention of leaving. He bought the coffee shop after the owner passed away and the new owners couldn’t deal with his ghost hanging around. Nick isn’t bothered by him though, chats with him on the regular, and would never admit that he actually likes his ghostly roommate.

I loved the concept of this book. Adding the ghosts as characters made for a cozy read. The ghosts have full conversations with Nick as well as a few other characters. While I would not stay in a haunted town, I do love that Cassie just rolls with it…after she realizes that it isn’t a touristy gimmick. Nick and Cassie’s relationship is sweet to watch unfold, though fair warning, it involves a heavy dose of lust followed by insta-love.

Overall, I really enjoyed Haunted Ever After. The cozy haunted town, the grumpy-sunshine trope, and the laugh out loud moments made for a quick and fun read. If you are a fan of DeLuca’s writing or looking for a fall read, I highly recommend this one.

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