I found a lot of aspects of this book really exciting but the romance was just not for me. Vada is a mourner for hire. People hire her while they are alive to perform certain tasks when they die – exposing a cheating spouse at a funeral, showing up to their funeral in case no one else does, whatever it might be (within reason). It’s a weird job but Vada loves helping people get closure and have some control of their passing. As she heads back to the town that she grew up in to meet a new client, Annabelle, she stops at a bar and has an instant but fleeting connection with a bartender named Dominic. When she comes back to town a year later to complete Annabelle’s wishes, she learns that Dominic is Annabelle’s son and he is not happy to have Vada back in town. Annabelle asked Vada to renovate her cottage and left her a pretty penny to do so and Dominic is convinced that Vada swindled his mom. And he makes his feelings known to everyone who will listen. Vada wants out of her contract but Annabelle’s ghost shows up and won’t let her go until she completes the task. Dominic’s hate plus a meddling ghost plus some unresolved feelings between Dominic and Vade make her time in town complicated, to say the least.

You will probably like this book if you like:
👻 Hate to love
👻 Meddling ghost
👻 Grumpy MMC x Quirky FMC
👻 Discussions of grief and mourning
👻 Small Pacific Northwest town

I could have read a full fiction book about being a mourner for hire. It’s a fascinating career choice and there are interesting ethical questions that come up that this book delves into. I even want to know more about the logistics and would have loved more on each passing person’s backstory. The career made complete sense for Vada and why she would be interested in helping people in this last part of their lives, so give me more please!

I also felt like there was some really great writing about grief and death. There were a lot of different interesting perspectives with Vada’s mother passing away when she was eight, Dominic’s dad passing away when he was away in the army, and Dominic’s mother passing and leaving this convoluted plan. There were some really poignant pieces.

This book did slightly feel like a grab bag of ideas: mourning for hire, a ghost that only Vada can see, Vada’s memory lose (I didn’t even know how to get that into the synopsis but she has dissociative amnesia after her mother’s passing and being in town starts to bring some memories back), interior design, figuring out life’s purpose. To me, it felt disjointed at times.

And I just didn’t connect with the romance at all. Dominic is convinced that Vada conned his mom even though everyone around him reminds him that 1) his mom would never allow herself to be conned, 2) loved meddling and stirring the pot, and 3) Vada is a good person. But nope, Dominic really leans into the hate. And yes, he is grieving and confused about his mom’s intentions, but he is mean, rude, and cruel to Vada. Vada gives him a lot of grace but I have less of it. HIs hate felt repetitive and lasted way too long for my taste (until like 75% into the book).

That being said, there are friends who really liked this book so I highly recommend reading BookiskKB’s thoughts for an alternative opinion: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7771168736

Thank you Caitlin Moss and NetGalley for providing the eARC! All opinions are my own.
Publication Date: September 9, 2025

5⭐️ Wow this book was such a pleasant delight and the perfect intro into fall!! The FMC attends funerals for a living & then finds herself haunted by one of her clients - what more could you ask for!

I loved the dark humor in this book. It definitely felt a little insta-attraction but definitely ended up being a slow burn!!

If there is one thing Caitlin does well is she paints the reality and messiness that comes with relationships. You could feel the grief the MMC was going through and I loved the DUAL POV.

This was an advanced read copy I received through Netgalley so it’s not going to be officially published until September, 2025! But this is my honest review!

Add this book to your to read list, I promise you won’t regret it! & then let me know what you thought! & of course a big thank you to @netgalley & Caitlin for the ARC!

#books #bookstagram #booktok #bookrating #library #bookreview #bookrecommendations #bookrecs#bookcommunity #booklovers #booksofinstagram #bookish #fivestarbooks #romancebook #kindlebooks
#kindleunlimited

This was so fun!

This was such a unique take on a fall romance - we have one ghost who “haunts”, a professional funeral-goer, and a true enemies to lovers situation where there’s a lot of hate and a lot of attraction bubbling up.

The small town setting is so idyllic, there’s so many fun side characters, and it was such a quick moving plot.

I hope we return to Shellport to see some spinoffs!

MOURNER FOR HIRE had such a unique and cute storyline that I really enjoyed!

Read if you like:
-fun banter
-enemies to lovers
-DoorDashing
-ghosts
-a little steam

I always look forward to reading Moss’s books and next up for me is A SUMMER WITHOUT YOU ☺️

Thank you Netgalley and Caitlin Moss for the arc!

This s a rom-com with a ghost problem and it’s glorious. Vada cries at strangers’ funerals for cash, spins fake memories, and keeps her own past locked tight.

Mourner For Hire by Caitlin Moss is an enemies-to-lovers book about grief, forgiveness, and healing. Vada is a mourner for hire, helping ensure that her clients final wishes in regards to their funeral are fulfilled. Everything from just attending to ensure someone is there to causing drama and exciting chaos. She meets Dominic prior to a client meeting in the small town she grew up in and they have immense chemistry. She never would have thought that a year later she would be attending his mother's funeral with a list of final requests to fulfill. This book was absolutely wonderful! I loved the characters and personalities. We really got to know Vada and Dominic and understand how their pasts shape the people that they have become. I just love the journey they embark on from enemies-to-lovers. The author was able to use such a unique story and point of view to turn what could be a very sad tale into a hysterical novel! I can't wait to read more from the author

Thank you Netgalley and Caitlin Moss for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

✨ARC Review✨
Mourner for Hire by @caitlinmossauthor
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.75
🌶
Vada has a unique profession, where she attends people's funerals to carry out their final wishes. When she has a meeting in the town she grew up in, she meets Dominic, and they have one amazing night together. Flash forward to her clients funeral and Dominic is her son. Now Annabelle is a ghost, who is still trying to meddle in her son's love life, even from beyond the grave.
~~
This book had so many amazing parts. For starters, Vada and Dominic have such a great relationships. There are so many highs and lows, and watching them work out their confusing feelings was perfect. I also loved Annabelle. Her as a ghost brought some humor into the book, which a characters who goes to funerals for a living definitely needed. This book also did such a nice job talking about grief, and how people view their own death. Although Vada has an unconventional job, she thinks it is so important to follow out people's final wishes, even if they are a little crazy.
~~
Thank you Caitlin Moss and NetGalley for allowing me to read this book in exchange for my honest review. Mourner for Hire comes out on September 9th, and you should run to get a copy!

« I inhale before speaking. “I hate you,” I whisper. He moves even closer until we’re heartbeat to heartbeat. We aren’t quite touching, but I can feel the heat of his skin radiating against mine. “You don’t,” he says. » The way I fell for Vada & Dominic. 🥹♥️

I don’t know how a book about grief and loss manage to make me smile quite so much but I truly enjoyed myself. There is something about being haunted by your charming meddling potential future mother in law that was just so fun. Plus the banter between Dominic and Vada was exquisite.👌🏼

It’s the slowest of burn and the sweetest of book. I was rooting for them for hard.

Thank you to NetGalley and the author Caitlin Moss for the advanced reading copy, all my opinions are my own.

I absolutely loved this story! I'm a big fan of unique, morbid sounding plots in a romance.

The fmc, Vada; gets hired by the deceased before they die, to attend their funerals and complete a list of wishes they request her to complete. One day, she is contacted by a woman, Annabelle; to complete way more wishes than she has ever done for anyone else. The pay is hard to pass up, so she takes a chance. After her passing, she is being haunted and tormented by her ghost. And Vada soon finds out there is a past connection between her and her son. This does not sit well at all with Dominic, but Vada is being forced to complete Annabelle's contract no matter how mad he is.

Dominic is taking his grief out on Vada and thinks the worst based on her career choice. He thought better of her, but this is all too much for him and he wants her gone. Vada is forced to stay in town, but she is determined to get far away from Dominic as soon as possible. She doesn't need to prove herself to him and she has nothing but respect for his mother, even while being haunted by her. Annabelle has other motives for Vada to find out on her own, something deeper than she ever expected. Some kind of connection to her mother who passed away when she was young.

I loved how this romance included not only dark humor, but also made me tear up multiple times throughout. As someone who lost my own mother, it brought up feelings of grief. But it wasn't depressing, the author did a great job at making you reflect without it feeling corny. It added more depth to the typical, fluffy romance. Even though Dominic was harsh and cruel to Vada for most of the book, I could feel his grief. And Vada handled it all so well. She knew she was hurting and even though at times it hurt, she was understanding. The chemistry was so good and I could feel the conflicting romantic feelings. The ending really packed a bunch in the best way.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for granting me an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. It is due to be published on September 9, 2025.

3 stars. The premise of this book is Vada is a mourner for hire. Prior to your death, you can hire Vada to attend your funeral and request she do anything you'd like. That could be just standing in the back looking mysterious, making sure you have the last word on something, or wreaking a last little bit of havoc. But things for Vada get complicated when she attends the funeral of Dominic's mother. Vada and Dominic shared an amazing evening together a year ago and then went their separate ways. She had no idea that the funeral she would be attending would be that of Dominic's beloved mother, Annabelle. But Vada still has to complete the tasks that Annabelle requested, with or without Dominic.

I'm really bummed to give this book such a low rating. I really think it might work for some but I just had a lot of issues with it. The premise is super interesting. I had never come across anything like this before and as a person who is super interested in the industry of death, this sounded perfect for me. I think Vada is a super interesting and complex character. She has a lot of issues but it was so satisfying to watch her try to work through them while completing Annabelle's tasks. I honestly think this book would have worked better as like literary fiction instead of a romance. Dominic was easily my least favorite part of this book. I loved him at first, when Vada and him first meet. But after he finds out that the woman he met a year ago is trying to fulfill is mother's final wishes, he becomes furious. Like he is straight up awful to Vada. Directly to her face and in his POV. To the point that, had I been reading this for fun, I would have DNF'd it. And he is pretty steadily awful until he flips in the span of a page and realizes he was maybe overreacting. Even though literally every person around him tells him he needs to stop acting like a jerk to her. His behavior was irredeemable to me. I think I would have honestly loved this book if there was no romance and we just got to see Vada work through her trauma and uncover things about her past.

I do think there are some folks this would work for. And it really wasn't bad overall, but the romance just didn't do it for me.

I adored this book.
Of course, the topic is a bit weird, but I still really enjoyed it. It was hilarious.
The characters are very likable and I simply loved the chemistry.

Thank you Caitlin Moss for the ARC.

I have seen a couple of “who is this stranger who was given a chunk of my inheritance? I can’t stand them but I think I’m falling in love with them!” stories before but this was unique and handled death, loss and grief in a sensitive way.
But it was also charming and hilarious! The ghost is the true MVP 😂
I loved it, it was well written, well paced and
I would reread again when it comes to audiobook.

This was not at all what i was expecting! But in the best possible way.

It was unlike anything i have ever read and i loved it! The flow was good, the pace was also really great and the story was so orgianal. I came away from the book pleasantly suprised.

The writting style was great. I cant wait to read more from the author!

I really wanted to love Mourner for Hire- the synopsis had me so excited and it sounded like the perfect read to start off autumn. I also enjoyed Caitlin Moss’ book Goodbye Again, which gave me high hopes for her newest book.

Mourner for Hire easily could have been a three or four star read if Dunner had been a different character. I understand he was grieving, but he was so MEAN and disrespectful to Vada for about 75% of the book that it really soured the romance and the story in general for me.

There wasn’t much a progression, either, with Dunner’s change in attitude and treatment of Vada. He went from completely hating her to deciding he was in love with her. And even in loving her, he still didn’t treat her all that great. Vada deserved better. I couldn’t believe how easily she forgave and forgot, and I’m confused by how easily she fell in love with him after so much mistreatment.

And even though I really liked Vada, I lost some respect for her by the end with how easily she let Dunner get away with how horribly he treated her. I needed more groveling from him, more apologies, more softness. I needed more kindness. There was no realistic growth in their relationship- the change from enemies to lovers was like a light switch and this story really called for a dimmer.

Vada’s relationship with Annabelle’s ghost made the story better. I really enjoyed the silliness that Annabelle’s character brought into the story. It helped off-set the seriousness of the grief woven throughout both Vada and Dunner’s lives. And it gave me a break from how icky Dunner made me feel.

2 out of 5 ⭐️⭐️

Thank you to the author for a NetGalley of Mourner for Hire. This story comes out September 9, 2025. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

𝐀𝐑𝐂 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰
📖-Mourner for Hire
✍🏼- Caitlin Moss
📆- 9/9/25
★ ★ ★ ★ ★

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐢𝐧 𝐟𝐨𝐫:
🖤Enemies to lovers
🪦A ghost 👻 who’s your guide
🖤Small town romance
🪦Beach setting
🖤Dark humor
🪦Magical realism

𝕊𝕪𝕟𝕠𝕡𝕤𝕚𝕤
Vada has attended many funerals but not the way you think someone “normal” would attend. She’s hired to attend your funeral to cause a mystery? Sure. To stir the pot? Sure. Even in death some may wish to cause a dramatic effect. After attending the funeral she’s headed on a two hour drive to her next destination except she’s stuck in traffic. She decides to stop at a bar, only to meet a handsome bartender. Right away the conversation flows and next thing you know they hit it off and kiss unexpectedly. However, the night didn’t end like you’d expect it to. She cuddled with the bartender while she wept on his shoulder. The next day she meets with her next client to go over her wishes for her funeral arrangements. Except they’re very strange requests and 50k price tag for her to finish these requests. Nearly a year later the Annabelle has passed away and it’s time for Vada to attend her funeral. Only to find out it’s the bartender’s mom! Instead of him being happy to see her, he’s furious. Furious because he thinks Vada used him and conned his mother. Will Vada be able to complete the job?

𝕄𝕪 𝕥𝕙𝕠𝕦𝕘𝕙𝕥𝕤 💭
This book had it all, with a touch of humor, grief, and a remarkable love story. It makes you really think about how life is really short and death has no age. Same as lists, not everything goes as planned and not everything is completed. As for grief, it comes in many forms and some days may be difficult. I could definitely see how Dominic struggled to find a way to express his grief. Character development was so good and relatable. I will not stop yapping about this book, it deserves so much more recognition. Please add this book to your TBR 🖤

What a cute, cute story! Mourner for Hire is described as a romantic comedy, but I would argue that it is so much more. The FMC, Vada, who makes a living carrying out her clients final wishes in sometimes unconventional ways, finds herself in a surprisingly hostile situation after one of her clients, Annabelle, ends up being the mother of her nearly one night stand. And boy, if Annabelle's doesn't leave Vada an unconventional to-do list! Determined not to let Annabelle down, Vada embarks on a journey that begins to uncover pieces of Vada's own past while continuously crossing paths with Dominic, Annabelle's son and Vada's nearly one night stand and...childhood best friend?

I loved the unfolding mystery aspect of this story as Vada makes connections and uncovers memories as she completes Annabelle's checklist. Both Vada and Dominic are forced to confront their individual grief and realize that maybe the key to healing is opening up your heart to others. Vada was probably more patient with Dominic than I would have been and I would have loved to see her tease him a little more, but I don't know if Annabelle would've approved, haha.

I sincerely enjoyed reading this book and would recommend it for fans of Abby Jimenez and Ashley Poston.

Add to your TBR if you love:

🧡 Enemies to lovers
👻 Slow burn
🧡 Grumpy/Sunshine
👻 Small town
🧡 Found family
👻 Friendly ghosts

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Thank you to @netgalley and @caitlinmossauthor for the eARC! All thoughts and opinions are strictly my own.

#mournerforhire #netgalley

A beautiful book about love and grief. I loved Annabelle and Vada as well as all the characters in this small town. It took me a minute to like Dominic, though his actions were understandable given his grief. I cried and I laughed. I really enjoyed this book.

📖 Title: Mourner For Hire-a standalone

✍🏾 Author: Caitlin Moss-new to me author

📅Publication date:9/9/25 | Read: 9/5/25

📃 Format: e-Book 370 pgs.

Genre:
*Contemporary Romance
*Paranormal

Tropes:
*enemies to lovers
*Halloween vibes
*slow burn
*magical realism
*small town
*ghosts
*cottage renovations

👆🏾POV: 1st person dual

⚠️TW: death of parents, dissociative amnesia, SA mentioned, attempted drugging, cancer, ALS, car accident

🌎 Setting: Shellport,OR

Summary: Vada returns to her hometown after twenty years for a work assignment as a professional mourner. She stops at a roadside bar and meets Dunner, a handsome bartender. Instead of a one-night stand, Dunner comforts Vada as she cries in his arms. Fast forward a year later, Vada comes back to Shellport to carry out Annabelle's last wishes. She is reunited with Dunner when they discover his mother is Annabelle.

👩🏾 Heroine: Vada Daughtry-29, a professional mourner paid to cry at funerals, invent memories, and spin tales about the deceased

👨🏾 Hero: Dominic "Dunner" Dunne-bar owner-Daylight, was in the air force, came home to care for parent. Now, he's trying to get into medical school to become a Dr.

🎭 Other Characters:

* Annabelle-Dunner's mother, recently deceased haunts Vada
*Morgan-Vada's BFF
*Claire-Vada's mother, deceased
*Eli +Joelle+ Lucy-Dunner's BFF, BFF's wife, and their 12-year-old daughter
*Sully-Annabelle's lawyer

🤔 My Thoughts: I didn't understand all the hate Dunner had for Vada in the beginning. Annabelle clearly hired Vada, but grief presents itself in weird ways. I felt connected to Vada's emotional journey and the void she felt after her mother's death. She was raised by her father who didn't want her and spent years with lost childhood memories. Little Lucy was a beam of light for Vada and my book MVP!

Rating: 4/5 ✨
Spice level: 2/5🌶️closed door, nothing explicit

🙏🏾Thanks to NetGalley and Caitlin Moss for this ARC! I voluntarily give my honest review, and all opinions are my own.

Set in fictional Shellport along the Oregon Coast, mourner for hire Vada stumbles into Dunner's roadside bar. After a magical meet cute, they don't see each other until nearly a year later at a funeral. But he's stunned to see her, hurt and grieving. He thinks she is a fraud. She knows she has a job to do for the late Annabelle, including renovating a crumbling seaside cottage. As Vada works through the tasks, she has to confront what Annabelle wanted (wants?), his grief, as well as her own past.

I loved this one! The push and pull between these two main characters was delicious. There was emotional depth, while the humor kept it light enough. When their relationship flipped, I liked how they processed through the changes.

Read this romance for:
🍂 loathe to love
👻 dark humor
🍂 grief and loss
👻 but a rom-com
🍂 slow burn
👻 with a paranormal element / magical realism
🍂 fall in a PNW small town next to the Pacific Ocean (think Newport, OR)

Open door / spicy

5 / 5 stars

Thanks to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for this eARC!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me a copy to review.

Vada is a professional mourner whose job is to turn up at people's funerals and carry out their last wishes. She gets a request from a lady who lives in her hometown and she agrees to carry out her wishes after she has died. This leads her on a journey of self-discovery while being haunted by the ghost of the lady.

I loved Vada as a character but I found Dominic very frustrating and quite nasty for a large part of the story. He didn't try to understand what Vada did for a living and just chucked around accusations of scamming and thievery, while blowing hot and cold. Then he suddenly decided she wasn't a scam artist, after all.

The concept was great though and I would have liked to have had a few more funerals included in the story.