“my name is vada daughtry, and i am a mourner for hire…”
if that opening line doesn’t reel you in, i honestly don’t know what will. massive kudos to caitlin moss for delivering a plot point i didn’t know i needed: a professional funeral crasher dressed in black, stirring up chaos and catharsis 🖤⚰️🕯️.

this book had me hooked with its blend of quirky chaos, grief-fuelled introspection, and egregious feelings. vada crashes funerals with style, turning unhinged empathy into an art form. and then there’s dominic dunne (bartender, brooder, sad boy deluxe) who complicates everything in the most inconvenient way 🌀😵‍💫

things i loved:
🖤 the wildly creative premise
🖤 the perfect blend of humour, grief, and growth
🖤 the renovations (give me a beach shack and $50k and i will absolutely process my trauma via home improvement)

what didn’t quite hit (for me):
👻 the ghosty/magical realism bits weren’t my thing (just a personal taste thing, not a book flaw!)
💔 dominic’s grief was raw and real, but i couldn’t quite get behind the romance. he was emotionally complex, a walking talking red flag who seemed to experience a factory reset(?). a bit ick at times and i’m not sure he earned my bookish heart in the end 🚩😬 


overall: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ — a unique, slightly spooky, grief-soaked rom-com that reads like a quirky indie film. definitely worth the read, just not a forever shelf favourite for me 📚

This book was exactly what I wanted and didn’t even know it. It was witty and charming all the while a gut punch.. you couldn’t help but fall in love with Vada and Dominic and their dynamic. Annabelle is hilarious and I can’t imagine what the interactions would be between her and Vada’s mother. This was a quick read and a nice pallet cleanser in between romantasy sagas. I absolutely will recommend when it comes out.

4.5⭐️

Weird in the BEST way possible. So fun, entertaining and original. I genuinely found myself giggling and laughing out loud.

I loved the characters. How creative the whole book was. And I LOVED the magical realism aspect.

I need to buy this when it comes out because I need it on my bookshelf!!!

It was unexpectedly amazing, the tension and the chemistry between the main characters just blown my mind. I loved the humour and the dialogues.
The story follows Veda, who is a mourner for hire, but when she attends one of the funerals, everything changes. The plot is amazing and original. I didn't really know what to expect, but I was into the story from the first page and couldn't put this book away.
The author gave the characters depth and make my feel for both of them.

Synopsis - Vada Daughtry (main character) is a mourner for hire. Dominic Duane is a local bartender. After a chance interaction with Dominic, Vada encounters him one year later as a hired mourner for his mother’s funeral. Driven by grief Dominic grapples with the fact that Vada has been hired and left a large portion of his mother’s estate; it all feels like a con to him. Despite Dominic’s newfound despise of Vada, Vada is determined to see the job to the end.

This felt like a book that was made specifically for me and all of my side interests: romance, death, ghosts, and witty humor. It was a very fast read for me as I was enjoying it immensely. The characters were witty, I particularly like the main character. I enjoyed the banter, absurdity, and cutting clarity in which this book is written. I think it was done extraordinarily well. Not many people can write a romance with such a heavy topic as death and make it sharp, funny, and also heartwrenching. I cried no less than like 10 times. I was giggling, this made me think of death in new ways, and all in all I devoured the book. I highly recommend this if you’re into quirky romances. I will be purchasing this once it comes out!

I cannot believe I finished this book early than the timeframe I had planned.
I want her to find "it" too.

The whole motherly love thing really cry me out, I wish theres more people in the town hinting her about her mother.

I was angry at dominic for few chapters but I understand why hes that way, also I wish she explained or tell him more about the why and how her job works then to let him misunderstand her.

Anyway this is a good story if you want to relax and enjoy your reading pace.

One of my favorite reads of 2024 was Goodbye Again by Caitlin Moss, so lemme tell you I was soooo excited to get an advanced copy of this one. I'm really into morbid humor reads, so this one was right up my alley. The premise was so incredibly unique and fun, and I could not put this book down. Caitlin's books are perfect mixes of heavy emotion and lightness, so I think the ghost was the perfect balance for this book. If I had to pick one gripe, Vada and Dominic were a little too immature with each other, but grief is a weird emotion to process, so I'll give it a pass. It's going to haunt my thoughts (in the best way) for a long time to come.

Many thanks to Caitlin Moss, the publisher, and Netgalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

I started Mourner for Hire with curiosity, drawn in by its unique premise and voice. I don't know that it was a favorite book for me but it offered a glimpse into a story that felt both unusual and heartfelt. The idea of someone making a living through mourning is intriguing and opens the door to a lot of emotional exploration. Readers who enjoy books with quirky, thought-provoking angles may find a lot to appreciate here.

4.5/5 rounded to 5/5
Very touching read with comedy sprinkled throughout. A unique premise and story. Thank you to NetGally for the arc!

Thank you NetGalley for giving me this ARC to review!

Oh my god??? So right up front this book was everything it was advertised as, yet it still managed to shock me. 
I was immediately entertained with Vada's job, I really do love that her whole goal is to carry out a final wish for the deceased, no matter how weird or silly it sounds. I think the wish that got me the most was of Gregory later in the book, how he just wanted her to camp out with him his first night in the grave so he wouldn't be alone. Truly made me tear up.
What I was not expecting was Annabelle to haunt Vada??? Did not think there would be ghosts in this story!! But honestly it worked so well, and I loved that Annabelle's final wish was for Vada to find herself and her memories again.
I will say, Dominic did get on my nerves at first when he was just ridiculously mean to Vada. But as the story progressed, I understood where he was coming from. He was grieving, and grieving can be messy. I feel like all of their interactions were really well planned and a nice balance of “i like this person but also fuck im mad at the situation we are in”.
TLDR I loved this book!!

I’m an avid reader of magical realism romcoms, so I jumped at the occasion when I saw Mourner For Hire’s premise.

Vada has an unconventional job: she attends funerals and makes sure the deceased’s last wishes are seen through – from just being there and crying, to disrupting the whole funeral by tricking unworthy heirs.

Dominic took over his hometown bar to be closer to his mom after her diagnosis, leaving behind his lifelong dreams to be able to enjoy their last moments together.

When Annabelle, Dominic’s mom, hires Vada for a long job, their paths cross again.

This book had everything I like, including a fun enemies-to-lovers banter, a very thoughtful approach to death and grief, and a small town that feels like home. I laughed, I cried, a rollercoaster of emotions I was glad to be riding! Some inconsistencies in the plot made me take off a star, but it was an overall amazing read.

👀 𝙳𝚞𝚊𝚕 𝙿𝙾𝚅
🔥 𝚂𝚕𝚘𝚠 𝚋𝚞𝚛𝚗
⚡️ 𝙴𝚗𝚎𝚖𝚒𝚎𝚜 𝚝𝚘 𝚕𝚘𝚟𝚎𝚛𝚜
🏡 𝚂𝚖𝚊𝚕𝚕 (𝚋𝚎𝚊𝚌𝚑) 𝚝𝚘𝚠𝚗
👻 𝙶𝚑𝚘𝚜𝚝𝚜
🪦 𝙳𝚎𝚊𝚝𝚑 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚐𝚛𝚒𝚎𝚏
💭 𝙼𝚎𝚖𝚘𝚛𝚢 𝚕𝚘𝚜𝚜

Thank you Caitlin Moss and NetGalley for the advanced copy. All opinions are my own.

Loved the couple at the end but the build up wasn't my favorite! I did love Vada's unique job and her as a character overall. At times, Dominic was a little too grumpy for me.

I loved this book! Read it all in one sitting. I was totally captivated by Vada and Dominic’s first meeting, and the way they were brought back together a year later. The underlying theme of grief was tender and sweet, but not overpowering. I’ll be honest that at first Annabelle’s ghostly appearance threw me off, but after I realized “oh okay, this is THAT kind of book” it had my buy-in. I’m a lover of slow burn, so this book was paced perfectly for me! I enjoyed Connor being around to give us some jealousy from Dominic, while keeping it on the light side. The connection between Vada and Dominic’s mothers was unexpected and super sweet! I loved watching Vada uncover more of her memories, and how Dominic supported her through that.

Thank you to NetGalley and Caitlin Moss for the ARC!

Caitlin Moss has done it again! This book hit all of the feelings. I laughed and I cried. The spice is *chefs kiss*. You’ll want to move to Shellport, buy a beach cabin to renovate, you’ll want to eat apple cider donuts (that are described so well in the book your mouth will water) and if you read this in the summer you’ll be dreaming of pumpkin spice latte season. You’ll wish you were friends with Dunner and Vada (and honestly the rest of the good folks in Shellport). Looking for a modern rom com, with dreamy spice, a touch of dark humor and something that will make you appreciate the highs and lows of life (and death)? MFH is your book.

Things I liked:
- Annabelle
- This whole premise - it was “strange and unusual” and also honestly worked
- the journey Vada took regarding her memories
- any MMC with “slutty little glasses” is gonna get me every time

Things I didn’t:
- felt like the Connor story was unnecessary
- while I understand it, Dominic was a super jerk for what felt like forever and I started to lose patience with it

Overall:
This one snuck up on me.

I was fine and then suddenly: watery eyes.

Vada’s journey was funny and emotional, this cast of character felt true to small town life, and the ending was perfect.

What a great read. Thanks to NetGalley and the author for allowed me an eArc.

This story perfectly executes a Hallmark/Lifetime beach romance, with a beautifully grim twist. Dominic is kind of a jerk, but I understand his grief and finding out that some woman was paid to deal with his mother's affairs after she passed would through me into a fit of rage as well. I did hate though he how tried to pin the whole town against her, and made her out to be some evil mastermind; luckily, 99% of the town didn't believe it. The only thing I did not really like is that whole stint with Conner. I get it was supposed to help him realize he did actually have feelings for her through jealousy, but it really just felt unnecessary. The ending through me for a loop. I never would have guessed that the house actually belonged to Vada's mother. I think it was the perfect ending (prior to the Epilogue of course) to help Vada heal and remember her past. Usually with "enemies to lovers," I feel like the relationship throughout the story is so rushed, but not with this one. This was my first Caitlin Moss book, and it definitely won't be my last.

This rom-com took me by surprise in the best way. The premise is delightfully bizarre: a woman makes a living by being hired by the dying to attend their funerals and carry out their final wishes. It sounds like the start of a ghost story—and it is—but not the spooky kind.

As the title says the MFC is a mourner for hire. A unique and interesting job all on its own.

Now throw in a one-night stand, a meddling ghost-mom, and a main character with amnesia from a childhood accident, and you’ve got one weirdly wonderful rom-com.

The heroine is equal parts awkward and endearing, and her emotional journey really hit me. She’s trying to move forward with her life while coming to terms with a past she can’t remember—and now she’s got a ghost whispering in her ear (literally). The romance is sweet and slow-burn, with just enough bumps to keep it interesting.

There’s humor, there’s heartache, there’s ghostly meddling… what more do you want?

So this was weird, wonderful surprise 😍 I wasn’t expecting to connect so deeply with a story about a professional mourner (like wtf?) but the FMC completely won me over. Her job sounds bizarre, but there’s so much heart behind it, and her character made me feel everything .. grief, laughter, even a bit of secondhand embarrassment at times 😂

The romance was messy in all the best ways. The MMC frustrated me a little with how hot and cold he was, but the chemistry between him and the FMC was undeniable. Their banter felt real, and their emotional moments hit hard.

There’s a ghost involved (yep! another wtf 😂), which added a quirky twist without making the story feel silly. If anything, it made the emotions land harder.

This book made me laugh, made me think about grief differently, and gave me all the warm fuzzy feelings by the end. Not quite a full 5 stars, only as some parts dragged a little bit too much for my liking, but I genuinely enjoyed this book and what it had to give!

Mourner For Hire - what a unique morbid comedy romance!
This book was so much more than I was expecting.
I loved the variety in the reasons why people hired Veda, and Annabelle absolutely stole the show.
I was invested in the relationships so much that at times I was so angry at Dominic's actions and found I could not excuse them all due to grief.

First of all, the idea is a solid 5/5, thank you, it’s so unique and interesting!

Second, I said no more books with losing a loved one… and yet here I am, crying again.

This book was, at different times, funny, sad, cozy, and engaging, fast-paced yet still had that lovely slow burn.

Every time I finish something emotionally heavy, I never know what to say. I really liked the light writing style and the humor, so I’ll definitely check out more of the author’s books.

I also loved the small-town atmosphere, all the characters were so sweet and lovable.

It’s a romance with a touch of the paranormal, which I really enjoy.

Read it if you liked the k-drama "May I Help You?"(I love it!)

⭐️4,5/5

• loathe to love
• dark humor
• grumpy cinnamon roll
• quirky FMC
• slow burn
• tensionnnn
• small beach town