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thenaptimewriter's review
3.0
Haunted Ever After by Jen DeLuca, out 08/13. I wanted to love this one but sadly, it didn’t really work for me. The hero & heroine have a cute dynamic that starts off on the wrong bad impression foot and the heroine’s thoughts on feeling left out & uncertain about where she is in her friend group and her life in general feel real. But aspects of the plot feel ludicrous to me & I couldn’t always understand the reasons underpinning some details. So in the end, I liked this one but didn’t love it. 3 ⭐️. (Thanks to the publisher & Netgalley for the complimentary ARC. All opinions provided are my own.)
booksjenrecs's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.25
thephxnestjess's review
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
mistresstaserblade's review
emotional
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
wendahh324's review
emotional
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
anovelglimpse's review
hopeful
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Note: This review is for an ARC and is my unbiased opinion.
Jen DeLuca has stepped away from the ren faire to give us a fresh, new setting with a bunch of interesting characters. Haunted Ever After was a slow burn romance with a cozy mystery theme running through it. I loved Boneyard Key and all its inhabitants. It was easy to imagine all of the shops, houses, and landmarks in Boneyard Key. They had a life of their own with their ghostly inhabitants. I loved how everything was centered around the acceptance of the ghosts in town. It made the mystery of the story a lot of fun. I also loved how both the ghosts and the mystery brought Nick and Cassie together. Their romance was the slowest of slow burns and sometimes felt more like a subplot than the main part of the book. These two took their time getting to know each other, falling in love, and solving the mystery. That is probably the biggest complaint I have about this book. The pace was slower than I normally like. The third person narration didn't do the pace any favors either. All in all, it was a fun read.
You can find this review and others like it at A Novel Glimpse .
Jen DeLuca has stepped away from the ren faire to give us a fresh, new setting with a bunch of interesting characters. Haunted Ever After was a slow burn romance with a cozy mystery theme running through it. I loved Boneyard Key and all its inhabitants. It was easy to imagine all of the shops, houses, and landmarks in Boneyard Key. They had a life of their own with their ghostly inhabitants. I loved how everything was centered around the acceptance of the ghosts in town. It made the mystery of the story a lot of fun. I also loved how both the ghosts and the mystery brought Nick and Cassie together. Their romance was the slowest of slow burns and sometimes felt more like a subplot than the main part of the book. These two took their time getting to know each other, falling in love, and solving the mystery. That is probably the biggest complaint I have about this book. The pace was slower than I normally like. The third person narration didn't do the pace any favors either. All in all, it was a fun read.
You can find this review and others like it at A Novel Glimpse .
danielle_isreading's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Ahhhhh!! First, thanks Berkley and NetGalley for this eARC!
Okay this book has been one of my most anticipated 2024 reads and it DID NOT DISAPPOINT.
I *loved* this. A perfect blend of contemporary and paranormal!
I loved how this really truly was just, boy and girl meet and like each other. I loved that their problems were mostly external, and the way this plot fueled their narrative together.
I loved the way DeLuca built toward the big reveal and allowed it to take root in the story.
I can’t wait for this book to come out now even more!!!!
5 stars. 10 out of 10. No notes. Just happiness.
Okay this book has been one of my most anticipated 2024 reads and it DID NOT DISAPPOINT.
I *loved* this. A perfect blend of contemporary and paranormal!
I loved how this really truly was just, boy and girl meet and like each other. I loved that their problems were mostly external, and the way this plot fueled their narrative together.
I loved the way DeLuca built toward the big reveal and allowed it to take root in the story.
I can’t wait for this book to come out now even more!!!!
5 stars. 10 out of 10. No notes. Just happiness.
mwanless's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
This book was adorable. I've never wanted to live in a haunted house before, but I'm seriously considering it now... Nick and Cassie have such a fun chemistry. Definitely recommend this book and I'm so grateful to Berkley Romance and NetGalley for allowing me this ARC.
ecalkins's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
One of my favorite elements about Jen DeLuca’s stories is that she writes the locations and backgrounds of her novels in a way that they become like another character. Haunted Ever After is set in the charming gulf coast town of Boneyard Key, and it’s a beautiful backdrop for this story with its hundred year old homes, quaint downtown charm, cozy coffee shop, and a full cast of former residents offering their opinions and insights on present day life.
Nick and Cassie both have some relationship skeletons in their closets, but their chemistry is something special as you slowly learn about their backstories as they get to know one another after some paranormal hijinks cause their paths to cross. There’s also a great set of living residents in Boneyard Key that help unravel the mystery at the heart of the story, and seem to have their own stories to tell, maybe in future books :)
A big thanks to NetGalley for this advanced reading copy! Overall, I loved the story and can’t wait for this fall to recommend it to friends as the perfect spooky autumn rom com.
Nick and Cassie both have some relationship skeletons in their closets, but their chemistry is something special as you slowly learn about their backstories as they get to know one another after some paranormal hijinks cause their paths to cross. There’s also a great set of living residents in Boneyard Key that help unravel the mystery at the heart of the story, and seem to have their own stories to tell, maybe in future books :)
A big thanks to NetGalley for this advanced reading copy! Overall, I loved the story and can’t wait for this fall to recommend it to friends as the perfect spooky autumn rom com.
thebookknut's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
'Haunted Ever After' is a perfect palette cleansing read! It's cute and light with a dash of ghostly fun. The banter between Nick and Cassie is engaging! Elmer is hilarious and the perfect wingman and friend to Nick!
It's nice to see representation of a modern woman going through very realistic struggles of being a 30-something adult navigating her friend group, career, and romantic relationship. Cassie has the right balance of skeptical and openness to accepting new possibilities.
The resolution of the ghost conflict is a bit anticlimactic, however, considering Nick and Cassie's relationship gains traction quickly, that is a minor blip.
It's nice to see representation of a modern woman going through very realistic struggles of being a 30-something adult navigating her friend group, career, and romantic relationship. Cassie has the right balance of skeptical and openness to accepting new possibilities.
The resolution of the ghost conflict is a bit anticlimactic, however, considering Nick and Cassie's relationship gains traction quickly, that is a minor blip.