4.5⭐️ — Unexpectedly Heartfelt and Addictive

I don’t normally read paranormal romance, but the cover and description gave me a feeling about this one—and I was right. I got sucked in from the beginning and read it in one sitting.

Vada is a loner with a complicated past and a unique job: she helps people plan exactly what happens at their funerals. When a detailed request pulls her back to the coastal town she left as a child, she’s forced to confront old memories and a new complication—Dunner, the son of her latest client, and someone she had an unexpected connection with a year ago.

Things get even stranger when Vada starts seeing the ghost of Dunner’s mother, who insists she follow the funeral plans to the letter. The town thinks she’s a fraud, Dunner doesn’t know what to believe, and Vada’s just trying to do right by everyone while piecing together the past she forgot.

Atmospheric, emotional, and just the right touch of eerie. Highly recommend—even if paranormal romance isn’t usually your thing.

Thank you to NetGalley and Caitlin Moss for this free advanced copy. I am reviewing voluntarily.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! It started out a tad morbid with a hint of dark comedy before easing into romcom coziness. It’s not a typical story of haunting or forced proximity. The MMC made me swoon at the beginning and then he lost me somewhere in the middle. There’s mild bullying but the MMC is too nice to be committed to it. The side characters saved the day here. There are two brief open door scenes. The reveal at the end isn’t surprising but sweet and heartwarming nonetheless.

Thank you so much to Caitlin Moss and NetGalley for this ARC!

At first glance this is a charming small town romance set in a cozy beachfront community. However, the deeper you get into the story you realize it contains so much more. While I wouldn’t go as far as to label it a dark romantic comedy it doesn’t completely fit in the cozy realm either.

We follow Vada, a professional mourner for hire, who first meets Dominic at his bar and later takes on his mother, Annabelle, as a client. After some hesitation, Vada agrees to Annabelle’s bizarre final wishes, attend her funeral, renovate her beach house, throw a celebration of life party, and track down a mysterious “it.”

Fast forward nine months, Annabelle has passed away, and Vada returns to town to fulfill their agreement. What she doesn't expect is Dominic’s reaction. Not only is he unhappy to see her again, he despises her. He’s determined to make her life miserable and run her out of town. Unfortunately for Vada, leaving isn’t an option, because Annabelle’s ghost is now haunting her and she’s not letting Vada out of their deal.

This book has all the cozy tropes you’d expect from a heartwarming Hallmark, but with slightly higher emotional stakes. It touches on themes like childhood trauma, memory loss, death, and grief, yet still manages to maintain that comforting, feel good tone in the end.

Overall this is a fun, cozy fall read with an atmospheric setting, solid tension, and just a touch of spookiness. Perfect for fans of the Dream Harbor series or anyone who wants a little grit with their fluff. Don’t go in expecting literary perfection but if you’re here for the vibes, you’ll get them. 🍂 🪦 👻 (

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

What I Liked:
🍂 The Vibes!
This book oozes small town charm. I’m talking farmers markets, close knit community, fall festivals, and vivid food descriptions. The author paints such a delicious picture of the dishes that I was practically drooling. I need an apple cider donut and a “Vada” cocktail stat!
🍂 The Darker Undertones
While it’s not a true “cozy,” the book flirts with that genre while introducing heavier themes like memory loss, trauma, and death. Moss handles these topics delicately, adding just enough emotional depth without sacrificing the overall feel good tone. I appreciated that balance.
🍂 The Romance
Classic enemies to lovers tension! While it didn’t break any new ground, the chemistry between Vada and Dominic sizzled. That electric push and pull made for an enjoyable ride.

What I Didn’t Like:
🍂 Inconsistencies
There were noticeable errors, clothing mysteriously changing that didn’t make sense, timeline issues, etc. They didn’t ruin the book, but they did pull me out of the story a few times and affected my rating.
🍂 Trigger Warnings
I think this book should include a content warning for disordered eating. The main character clearly has some unhealthy eating behaviors that are never acknowledged or addressed. It felt like an oversight on the author’s part.

I thoroughly enjoyed this emotional and poignant romance. We follow Vada, a professional mourner-for-hire, as she travels to her childhood hometown to meet a client. Vada has a type of amnesia that affects her childhood memories since the age of 8 after the tragic death of her mother so although Shellport is her hometown, she doesn’t have any real memories of it. On her way to meet the client she takes refuge from a traffic jam at the local bar and meets Dunner (a nickname for the MMC, Dominic) and they get on really well. These scenes were really lovely and I liked getting to know them better. After this there’s some plot twists and reveals so I spoil any of that but I will say that I loved how it all turned out and it was a bit of an emotional rollercoaster. I did question some of the attitude of both Vada and Dominic but it was understandable for the most part. I loved the side characters and the feel of Shellport as a whole.

A great standalone romance that examines grief and death in a sensitive manner, coupled with humorous moments and a larger than life side character ghost that I could’ve read more about.

On a sunny Saturday afternoon, I scrawled through NetGalley, looking for a funny, lighthearted romantic read...and i got exactly what i wanted!

The novel follows Vada, a girl who experiences dissociative amnesia due to a car crash in her childhood. With her mother taken from her in that tragic accident, Vada’s mind is a muddy mess of forgetfulness. Now, she attends funerals, bringing the last wishes of the dead to life, no matter how dramatic or scandalous.

Vada’s job brings her back to the hometown she would rather forget. However, a large amount of money awaits her as she is asked to complete a list of wishes from a woman she barely knows. Now, Vada must face the scrutiny of the hot bartender, Dominic, who despises her from the moment she sets foot in his town.

With time ticking away, Vada walks the path of harsh judgement and a world of memories her mind is not ready to embrace…

I finished this book in less than 24hrs 😭 Mourner for Hire was an enemies to lovers that left me obsessed 😫

I couldn’t put this book down; Caitlin Moss’s writing flowed naturally, and it made the reading experience 10x more entertaining. I adored the interactions between Vada and Dominic, the banter was top tier, if not the best 😭

What stood out to me was the intensity the author managed to cultivate between the two main characters. It didn’t feel like it was dragging, nor was it a ticking time bomb of disappointment-the sexual tension led into a “fuck this” moment that made me kick my feet and screech non-stop. We all love a ‘fuck this’ moment 🤐🔥

However, there is a part of me that wishes there were more romantic scenes that dive deeper into Vada and Dominic’s relationship-although, that’s just me being selfish because I want more of them 😭

In summary, Caitlin Moss kept the plot an intriguing mix between the sorrows of death and the giddiness that life has to offer. I’d recommend Mourner for Hire to those who love a small-town enemies to lovers read with hilarious moments that highlight the good and the bad sides of love…🧡

Rating: 4/5

From the first page of the book starting with the newspaper ad, I knew this book would be a fresh and fun read! Loved the dual POV chapters and the magical realism - kept me engaged and couldn’t put it down. 5 star read for me!

Thank you to NetGalley and the author, Caitlin Moss, for the eARC!

4.5🌟 Oh, I’m obsessed. This was funny, whimsical, emotional, and sexy. I had so much fun, I just couldn’t put it down!

The premise of a “mourner for hire” immediately caught my attention, and it did not disappoint. The story follows Vada, who works as a mourner for hire; someone you contact, months or even years before your death, to task with specific things to do at your funeral. Vada finds herself hired by the MMC’s mother, and the story unfolds from there.

I loved Vada’s character, her whimsy, her odd job, and the reason she does it. I loved Annabelle, with her eccentricity and cunning ways of getting everyone to do her bidding. And I loved Dominic, with his grief, his emotions, his overprotectiveness, and his amber eyes.

I also appreciated the fact that there wasn’t a designated cartoonish small-town villain; just your everyday run-of-the-mill chisme. Not even Connor with his Nice Guy persona.

This book made me laugh a lot and got me emotional too, my perfect kind of read, if I’m being honest. The only reason I’m not rounding this up to five stars is because sometimes Dominic’s personality gave me a bit of whiplash with how quickly he went from cold to hot. Other than that? Amazing, spectacular, never been done before.

What a fantastic introduction to Caitlin Moss’s work. I’ll definitely be looking into her other books, and she just became an instant-buy author for me.

I read this book in one sitting. It was such a touching romantic read. I loved the premise of the novel and felt it gave us something original. I was charmed by the MMC and felt the the FMC had a good amount of growth. I found parts of the story sad and also found myself smiling at other parts. I enjoyed the story's pacing and felt we got a satisfying ending. Well done!

Mourner For Hire is such a unique little book, and that’s what I respect most about it. In a world full of the same, Caitlin Moss has created something entirely her own. While not everything worked in my personal tastes, I still commend this book for doing something different and introducing me to new elements I wouldn’t usually seek out.

Moss managed to capture the essence of a small town romance that readers adore. A charming cottage, a vibrant cast of side characters, and main characters with compelling backstories and room to grow. I walked away feeling like she nailed the elements that make this genre so comforting. The added touch of paranormal behavior made it all the more entertaining. I was hesitant at first (this isn’t usually my thing!), but I’m really glad I gave it a chance, Anabelle especially grew on me.

Something else I really appreciated was how Vada’s quirky job remained central to the story. It’s a huge part of her character and the book’s charm, and I’m glad Moss didn’t abandon it in favour of just focusing on the romance or cottage renovation plotlines.

That said, as much as I admired this book, I struggled with the pacing. Despite its shorter length, it dragged for me in places. Things didn’t really pick up until around the 70% mark, and then suddenly felt rushed toward the end. I don’t know if this is a “right book, wrong time” situation, but I wish I’d enjoyed it more.

Still, I’m really glad I took a chance on this story. It pleasantly surprised me and definitely piqued my interest in reading more of Caitlin Moss’ work. I never would have thought I’d enjoy a paranormal twist in a cozy small town romance, but this book opened that door to me!

Thank you to NetGalley and Caitlin Moss for an ARC in exchange for my honest review

I started reading this book as soon as I downloaded it. The premise was excellent, and I was in the mood for a different read.

Let me tell you, I wasn't disappointed: Vada and Dominic's story was incredible, full of nuance and heart, hopefulness and nostalgia, anger and so much longing.
I loved Vada's job, and I was so happy that I got to see her in action, and the unique, sometimes deeply moving tasks her clients left for her after their deaths were not as predictable as I expected. I loved how original and thoughtful this aspect of the book was — it kept me hooked from start to finish.

The romance with Dominic was sweet, but definitely not the center of the story. This was Vada’s journey: finding herself again, reclaiming her memories, and discovering a place she could finally call home. Their relationship added warmth and stability to her story rather than overshadowing it, and I appreciated that balance. The chemistry between them was there, but the focus remained on Vada's personal growth.

Overall, this was a fantastic read. Beautifully written, and unexpectedly emotional.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Vada Daughtry no tiene un trabajo común. Mientras otros planean bodas o eventos corporativos, ella es contratada para funerales. Es, literalmente, una llorona profesional, una figura enigmática que cumple los deseos póstumos de sus clientes: desde sembrar rumores entre los asistentes hasta provocar el caos justo antes de que el ataúd toque tierra. Su trabajo se trata de consuelo emocional.

Cuando un funeral la lleva de vuelta a su pueblo natal, Shellport, Vada se ve forzada a enfrentar recuerdos fragmentados de una infancia perdida tras la muerte de su madre. Pero no sólo su pasado la espera en Shellport. Dunner, el carismático y algo gruñón bartender local, irrumpe inesperadamente en su vida con una química tan explosiva como los secretos que ambos guardan. Lo que comienza como una parada para ir al baño en medio del tráfico, se transforma en una noche de conexión emocional (y física), y luego en algo que ni Vada ni Dunner pueden dejar atrás fácilmente.


Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for the ARC in exchange for an honest.

Whimsical with a dollop of sweet melancholy. That's how I would describe this read.

Vada and Dominic's story is an atypical romance given her profession. I liked that the author did not have Vada apologize for not only doing what she did but getting paid for it. As the plot develops, the reader sees Vada in her element. Her work does not take a back seat to her relationship with Dominic.

It's also not confined to a love story between a man and woman. It's also a love story of a mother to her son and a town for one of it's favorite 'sons'.
This book is also rife with humor which enhanced this already good read.

This ARC was provided by the publisher, Caitlin Moss via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Looking for something fresh and funny? This one’s for you. The premise alone is wildly original, and both the plot and characters deliver. What starts out feeling like the setup for a dark comedy quickly unfolds into something much deeper and more heartfelt. In true Caitlin Moss fashion, I found myself quietly sobbing on a plane while reading it. Equal parts hilarious and heartbreaking— Mourner For Hire is a five star read.

I received this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Such s fun and different plot! I really enjoyed this one and look forward to rereading it.

This was too funny. At least it was to me. It’s the first book I’ve read written by this author but certainly won’t be the last. There’s nothing like a well written rom com. I highly recommend it and give it 4.75 stars. I promise you’ll love it.

“Death is a bitch, but it pays the bills.”

Mourner for hire grabbed me with a fun concept. I read this in one sitting and had a fun time.