In every small town, there’s That One House. The one everyone avoids, the one even kids trick-or-treating won’t stop at for candy, the one that can’t seem to attract or keep an owner. Of course, that’s the house newcomer Cassie moves into in seaside Boneyard Key, Florida. And, just her luck, she seems to get off on the wrong foot with the local coffee shop barista right from the start. It’s an especially untenable situation for Cassie since her outlets don’t seem to be working in her house, which means no power to her laptop or her coffee maker! For his part, Nick may not appreciate customers hogging a table, an outlet, and his wifi without ordering, but he can’t deny that there is something very attractive about his new neighbor.

Boneyard Key leans in hard on its reputation as a haunted town. Cartoon ghosts decorate signs and shopfronts, and business names wink and nod in the direction of this reputation. When a local walking ghost tour pauses in front of Cassie’s home one evening, she starts to wonder how much of the town’s haunting stories are real and how much has been made up to attract and capture tourism dollars. Nick introduces Cassies to a few of the town’s resident ghosts, and Cassie just might have a spooky roommate of her own. As she and Nick grow closer, Cassie needs to figure out if this small town is where she’ll stay–and if the spirit of the home’s first owner will allow it!

HAUNTED EVER AFTER is a fun read featuring sweet romance, humor, and just a touch of ghostly menace. The book felt a little long in some places, and the story dragged its feet at times. Overall, though, Jen DeLuca‘s latest contemporary romance was rather enjoyable.

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for the advanced reader’s copy of this book in exchange for my honest thoughts. HAUNTED EVER AFTER will be published on August 13, 2024.