NetGalley Review: Haunted Ever After by Jen DeLuca
Hey all, Sam here.
Gosh, it feels weird to be finishing this post up and prepping it to go live when there is snow on the ground, especially since I would definitely classify this as a fall/spooky season read. Although, having said that, I will also say that you absolutely can read it at any time; it’s just that the vibes match fall.
Anyway, this is another one of those books where I could have had the review up around release day because I loved it and flew through it rather quickly…but then I didn’t get the review post drafted up, and then when I started prepping it, I ignored it and left it in the draft folder for too long. I’m really going to try and do better about that in 2025. I’ve really slowed down on my NetGalley requests, because I want to try and catch up on my backlog a bit first.
I was going to post my November PaWriCo Check-In today (or tomorrow) but decided that I definitely wanted to talk about a book today, so here we go. The writing check-in will be coming tomorrow (it is about 40% drafted at the moment). So…let’s go ahead and dive into the review…
My Thoughts
It’s love at first haunting in a seaside town that raises everyone’s spirits from USA Today bestselling author Jen DeLuca.
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.
Rating: 5 stars
This was such a lovely, cute, slightly spooky read, and I thought it was just a really fun time. I have been a fan of Jen DeLuca since I picked up Well Met for the first time. I grabbed that because it was a Ren Faire romance and I thought that was a fun concept. Now, after four of those books, I’m willing to pick up anything DeLuca wants to release. And come on, a spooky tourist town that is ACTUALLY haunted and what sounds like a cute romance that also involves delving into local history? Yeah, I was so excited to dive into this. I even pre-ordered it.
So of course I was thrilled when I was approved for a copy through NetGalley. I think I was actually approved for it in the summer, but then I waited so I could read it when the weather started to shift a bit. Sometimes you just need to have the right atmosphere and vibes to read something.
I absolutely loved Nick (and his ghostly roommate), and having Cassie move to town and shake things up for him was really fun…as was watching his roommate pester him about asking the new girl out. I loved all the side characters too, and definitely felt the potential for more books set in the town following a couple other possible couples (and yes, I already know that we’re getting more Boneyard Key books, which I am also extremely happy and excited for).
I felt Cassie’s frustration when it came to the woes around her new home. It does come with a few quirks, and trying to figure out the best way to operate in the home did make for a fun challenge for a bit. This is especially true as Cassie starts learning more about the history of Boneyard Key and specifically her house.
As romances go, the story was pretty much as expected (with a couple fun little ghost twists to the typical character A meets character B, they catch feelings/go on dates, something happens that makes them doubt/rethink/separate, characters work past those issues and end up together, happy for now/ever basic plot). I wouldn’t say that it was predictable in a way that would be dull; it was that easy predictability that comforts you. It’s one of the nice things about romance books, because it is part of the genre expectation that even if the relationship goes through a bumpy road, in the end there will be a HEA/HFN guarantee.
Anyway, I loved this book. I will probably end up reading it again next year in anticipation of book two, and I continue to be quite happy with everything I’ve read from Jen DeLuca. I’m looking forward to seeing what other books she writes—especially since I’m hearing we might be getting another Ren Faire romance, which is amazing.
All right, that is all from me for today. Thank you so much for stopping by, and I’ll be back soon with more geeky content.
