DeLuca, Jen. Haunted Ever After. Berkley. (Boneyard Key, Bk. 1). Aug. 2024. 352p. ISBN 9780593641217. pap. $19. PARANORMAL ROMANCE

DeLuca (Well Traveled) brings a paranormal twist to the romantic comedy staple of big-city-girl-meets-small-town-boy in this refreshing series opener. Cassie Rutherford feels increasingly lonely in her Orlando life as her friends get married and have kids, leaving her the sole single girl. With the flexibility of a work-from-home job, she decides to purchase a beachside home in the small community of Boneyard Key. The tourist town has embraced a reputation for hauntings, from local hotel Eternal Rest to the Hallowed Grounds coffee shop. What Cassie wasn’t expecting was for the rumors to be true, or for her new ghostly roommate to have a vendetta against her laptop. Luckily, Hallowed Grounds has a great hazelnut latte, banana bread, working outlets, and a cute owner. Nick Royer is equally interested in Cassie and hopes that a local’s eye will help her acclimate to her new haunted home instead of heading back to Orlando. Hopefully Cassie’s ghost, mean Mrs. Hawkins, doesn’t have other ideas. VERDICT Boneyard Key has all the small-town charm a contemporary romance reader could want, with a slightly scary addition that adds a thrill without courting nightmares. A must-buy where romantic comedies are popular.—Meagan Day

★Wilkens, Colby. If I Stopped Haunting You. St. Martin’s Griffin. Oct. 2024. 320p. ISBN 9781250292902. pap. $18. PARANORMAL ROMANCE

DEBUT Penelope Skinner and Neil Storm, both Indigenous American authors, had an argument at a very public, crowded event. In the months since, both have had writers block, and Penelope’s reputation is heavily tarnished. When a mutual friend invites them both to a writing retreat at a haunted Scottish castle, they each accept, unaware the other is attending. They’re both horror writers, but neither Penelope nor Neil believes in ghosts. When strange noises start, they look for logical reasons, and when the odor of decay and rot permeates the air, they assume it’s coming from outside. When terrifying visions appear, however, they decide to stick together to watch each other’s backs. As the eeriness increases, their chemistry becomes unbearable. Trapped in a haunted castle while afraid for their safety is not the time to fall in love, but as they work together to solve their ghostly mystery, that’s exactly what happens. The ghost encounters are spooky and, along with the worldbuilding, create a perfectly gloomy, creepy atmosphere. VERDICT This forced-proximity, enemies-to-lovers romantic comedy has plenty of chills and thrills. Readers will stay up late, with all the lights on, to finish Wilkens’s satisfying debut.—Heather Miller Cover