Haunted Ever After by Jen DeLuca offers a small-town tourist town romance with sprinkles of paranormal elements perfect for the spooky seasons. Welcome to Boneyard Keys where the locals know all the ghostly happenings.
by Jen DeLuca
Series: Boneyard Key #1
Narrator: Jeannie Sheneman
Length: 10 hours and 51 minutes
Genres: Contemporary Romance
Source: Publisher
Purchase*: Amazon | Audible *affiliate
Heat Level:
Narration: 4.5 cups Speed: 1.5x
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.
Are you looking for a cute small-town romance with paranormal elements this fall? Haunted Ever After delivers, as author Jen DeLuca takes readers to Boneyard Keys, Florida and introduces us to the locals. You’ll find ghosts, small-town charm and romance.
Nick Royer, is the owner of the Hallowed Grounds coffee shop and lives above the shop with his spectral roommate, the previous shop owner. Nick’s shop is a hub for the locals and is where he meets newcomer, Cassie Rutherford.
Cassie is looking for a fresh start, and bought a flipped historic cottage. She works from home, but the house is having some electrical issues. Her laptop won’t charge, which is how she ends up at Hallowed Grounds. Their first meet and greet doesn’t exactly go as planned, but hooked me.
The tale that unfolds didn’t bring any fresh surprises to the genre, but delivered a cute ghostly tale that made me smile. I liked the small coastal town, and the ghostly encounters. The romance was sweet as we learned about their pasts and handled a few bumps, including miscommunication. I wasn’t completely sold on the reasons and solution; I enjoyed the tale and look forward to visiting Boneyard Keys again.
Jeannie Sheneman narrates and enhanced the overall tale. She captured both Cassie’s and Nick’s personalities and point of view.
Haunted Ever After is perfect for fans of sweet romances, haunted houses and friendly spirits.
About Jen DeLuca
Jen DeLuca was born and raised near Richmond, Virginia, but now lives in Arizona with her husband and a houseful of rescue pets. She loves latte-flavored lattes, Hokies football, and the Oxford comma. Well Met is her first novel, inspired by her time volunteering as a pub wench with her local Renaissance Faire.
About Jeannie Sheneman
Jeannie Sheneman is a classically trained actor who has been acting in some form for over twenty years. She is a graduate of the University of Michigan's theater program with a minor in English literature, so what better career for her than audiobook narrator? Jeannie has launched into the industry with the down-to-earth-velvety sparkle she brings to narration. She has the uncanny ability to relay an author's story with truth and rawness, opportune wit, thoughtful introspection, and, if requested, some sass (or a lot). One high schooler, a middle schooler, and a couple of silver Labrador pups covers her time not spent in the booth. If she gets a free moment you may find her picking hornworms off of her tomato plants, dancing in her kitchen with knives (just making dinner, no worries), knitting a fine hat, baking like she's the next contestant-to-be on The Great British Baking Show, watching classic movies, or sitting on the porch with coffee, French wine, or a bourbon. And she always has a book in print nearby, and a book playing in her ears.
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About Kimberly
Kimberly is a coffee loving book addict who reads and listens to fictional stories in all genres. Whovian, Ravenclaw, Howler and proud Nonna. She owns and manages Caffeinated PR. The coffee is always on and she is ready to chat. BlueSky | Facebook | Instagram
Lisa Mandina (Lisa Loves Literature)
I enjoyed this one too! Glad to hear the audio was done well also. Great review!
hena
Sounds cute. I already have it on my TBR.
Katherine
I agree that this didn’t bring anything to the genre but was a lot of fun! I really enjoyed it and hope the author takes us back to Boneyard Key soon.
Laurel-Rain Snow
UPDATES
Rachel @Waves of Fiction
I loved the cute small Florida town setting! Hope they’re hurricane free, yikes! I’m happy to see you enjoyed this one. I’m looking forward to the next!
Ethan
Ummm, yes, I am, hahaha. I love anything with a touch of the supernatural, and this sounds like a good combination of that and sweet romance.
Nadene
The miscommunication trope seems to be one of the main points of the genre these days.
Mary Kirkland
Miscommunication is always the problem that causes drama. This does sound like a nice story though.
Lorna
This was one I wanted to read. I’m glad it was a cute story as I know I’ve read others by her. I’m going to check on Libby. Thanks!
Anne - Books of My Heart
A nice choice for the season.
Sophia Rose
An apt description, Kimberly! Nothing new, but still cute and fun to read.
Jessica @ a GREAT read
OOh nice! I was eyeing this one for a light paranormal read! I enjoy a good cozy paranormal every now and then and I especially love a good ghost story! Glad to hear it delivered on some levels. Nice review!