Book Smart Kate

Book: 🌟🌟🌟🌟 Audiobook: 🌟🌟🌟🌟 Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️

by Jen DeLuca (August 13, 2024) – Many thanks to @berkleyromance and @prhaudio for the #gifted digital and audio copies – below is my honest review.

Cassie Rutherford is leaving Orlando behind and looking to start fresh. She finds a fantastic deal on a historic cottage in Boneyard Key, a quaint coastal town that has embraced the lore of it being a haunted town – from haunted walking tours to all of the local shops embracing spooky names; ghostly tourism is the small town’s economic engine. But when Cassie realizes that the townspeople believe they can communicate with ghosts, she questions her move. But then her refrigerator poetry magnets start rearranging into ominous phrases, her laptop refuses to charge, and she’s wondering if there might be a haunted reason she got a deal on her house. All of this is how she finds herself spending mornings at the Hallowed Grounds coffee shop, owned by Nick Royer. In between working and laptop charging, they strike up a rapport. As her connection to Nick grows, so does her understanding of this unique community, where not all residents are visible. As Cassie, Nick, and their friends delve into the haunting of Cassie’s cottage, they uncover new truths about their tiny town.

If you are looking for a sweet & spicy slow-burn romance with a fun ghost story for a spooky season, this is a lot of fun. I enjoyed DeLuca’s imaginary town of Boneyard Key and all of the lore she built around it. Cassie and Nick’s romance was fun to explore as they were tentative and had insecurities. My favorite part of the story is the found family vibe of the entire town – people and ghosts – and the lengths they will go to to take care of each other. I am already looking forward to the next book! (Please say it’s Theo’s book!)

The audiobook is narrated solo, and Jeannie Sheneman does a lovely job of narrating both Cassie’s and Nick’s POVs.

What kinds of books do you like to read during the spooky season, and do you have any recommendations?