Title: Casket Case
Author: Lauren Evans
Publication: September 10, 2024
Publisher: Dell
Genre: Romantic Comedy
Pages: 416

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SYNOPSIS: (From Goodreads)

In this warm-hearted debut rom-com, a young woman returns home to run her family’s casket business and falls in love with a seemingly perfect stranger. But there’s just one problem . . . he works for Death.

Nora thought she was finished with Rabbittown, Alabama, for good. But an unexpected tragedy turned her life upside down, and she’s found herself back in her tiny hometown running the family casket business.

There aren’t exactly a lot of prospects for a single woman in her thirties in a place like Rabbittown. Until Nora Clanton’s ordinary, casket-selling day is interrupted by a handsome stranger wandering into her shop and asking for directions–as well as a date.

Garrett Bishop seems like the ideal guy. He’s thoughtful, he’s kind, and he has a lucrative job as a logistics coordinator, for which he seems to have a passion. She’s not totally sure what “logistics” entails, but she knows it means long hours, lots of travel, and urgent calls in the middle of the night.

When a few of Rabbittown’s residents suddenly pass away–a heart attack here, a car crash there–and Garrett is spotted at the scenes of, well, all of the deaths, his frustratingly vague job description starts to become increasingly . . . suspicious. What is it that Garrett actually does for a living?

He’s a logistics coordinator for Death.

When Nora discovers the truth, she is unable to reconcile the wonderful man she knows with the unthinkably cruel job he loves. Will she ever be able to understand how he can do what he does, or will she have to lay her best chance at love to rest?

REVIEW:

**A copy of this book was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.**

I have to admit, the premise of Casket Case by Lauren Evans is definitely an interesting one! The story follows Nora, a woman who returns to her small hometown after the death of her parents and finds herself running the family casket business. As if that isn’t enough death to deal with, she meets Garrett, a handsome stranger who seems like the perfect guy. The only problem? He works for Death. Literally. I thought this was such a unique concept for a romantic comedy, and I appreciated that Evans took something as difficult as death and grief and tried to incorporate a little romance and humor into it. The small-town setting was charming, and there were some sweet moments throughout the story.

Unfortunately, this one just didn’t leave much of an impression on me. And I think that says a lot about my three-star rating. It wasn’t terrible, but it wasn’t particularly memorable either. I think my biggest issue was that the story had such an interesting premise, but the execution didn’t quite live up to its potential. The pacing felt a little off, with some parts moving slowly while the romance seemed to develop rather quickly. I also didn’t feel particularly invested in the relationship between Nora and Garrett. For a book marketed as a romantic comedy, I wanted a little more chemistry, a little more humor, and a little more of that feeling that makes you excited to pick a book back up. Instead, it was just… fine. And sometimes that’s the hardest kind of book to review because there isn’t necessarily one glaring issue. It just never really hooked me.

With that being said, I do think Lauren Evans came up with a creative story, and I appreciate that the book explores some deeper topics surrounding grief, loss, and learning to move forward. I also think readers who enjoy quirky romances with a little bit of a supernatural twist might really enjoy this one. It has a unique concept, some heartfelt moments, and a different take on the traditional romantic comedy. While it wasn’t a book that completely blew me away, I certainly wouldn’t discourage anyone from picking it up. Sometimes a book just doesn’t connect with you the way you hoped it would, and that’s okay! If you’re looking for something a little different in the romance department, I would still recommend giving Casket Case a try and seeing what you think!