When Vada returns to her hometown as a professional mourner for hire, she never expects her latest job to entangle her in a past she can’t remember. With no memories of her life before the age of eight, Vada is searching for answers—about her childhood, her mother’s death, and the people she left behind. One of them is Dominic, who doesn't remember her either — but he isn’t exactly thrilled to see her again once he finds out she's in his mother's will. As the two clash, sparks fly, secrets surface, and long-buried tensions rise between them.

I really enjoyed Mourner for Hire! The standout for me was definitely the characters—Vada and Dominic were both engaging, and their dynamic kept me hooked from beginning to end. I’m a big fan of the enemies-to-lovers trope, and this book delivered some great angst and emotional tension that made their eventual connection feel well-earned.

The mystery surrounding Vada’s childhood added another layer to the story that I really appreciated. Her search for the truth about her mother and her fragmented memories created an emotional undercurrent that balanced well with the romance. However, I was a little disappointed that the story didn’t address what happened with her father—this felt like an important question that was left unanswered, and I would’ve loved just a bit more closure there.

I also found it a bit hard to believe that Dominic wouldn’t have mentioned or remembered her name more clearly when they met. “Vada” is so distinctive—it feels like a name that would stick with you, especially given their shared history.

Still, this was a compelling and heartfelt read with strong characters, a fresh premise, and a nice blend of mystery and romance. I’m definitely looking forward to reading more from Caitlin Moss.

Thank you to NetGalley and the Caitlin Moss for the opportunity to read this ARC!

Mourner for Hire by Caitlin Moss completely surprised me with its originality. Vada’s unusual job as a professional mourner isn’t just a quirky hook, it adds real emotional depth and gives the story a fresh, layered perspective on grief. I loved how those heavier themes were handled with such care, while still leaving plenty of space for humour, awkward mishaps, and witty one-liners that kept me smiling.

The tension and banter between the characters was an absolute highlight, making every interaction feel alive and full of spark. From the very first chapters, the dynamic between the MCs pulled me straight in and didn’t let go.

Yes, there are a few cheesy moments, but that’s part of the charm, and honestly, by the end I was fully convinced I need a Dominic in my life. The fact that he calls her Hot Pocket? Too cute. This one balances heartfelt emotion with rom-com fun in the best way.

Vada Daughtry, Mourner for Hire. Yes, you read that correctly - for a fee Vada will go to your funeral and cry, make jokes or weave a little mystery in to your final goodbye.

A year after a drunken night spent with a small town bartender, Vada shows up at a funeral for one of her clients only to learn that the funeral she was hired for is the bartender's late mother, Annabelle. Vada is brought back to Shellport with a list of tasks to complete from Annabelle that includes restoring a dilapidated seaside home. Dominic is absolutely fuming over Vada being included in his mother's will and entitled to a large portion of her estate. He believes that Vada is a con artist and preys on people during vulnerable points in her life. As much as he wants to hate her and wants her out of town there is still a part of him that remembers that one night they spent together a year ago.

Vada is forced to confront the hazy memories of her past. As she digs through the forgotten memories in the cottage all the memories that her brain forced her to forget come back piece by piece all while she is haunted by the late Annabelle Dunne from the afterlife. Vada and Dominic are forced to face their feelings and find their way back to each other.

This book was the best version of a dark Rom-Com with great banter and humor with elements of confronting trauma and painful memories of the past.

This was such an incredibly unique and refreshing concept! Being able to hire someone to come to your funeral and carry out various wishes post death? Plus traumatic amnesia? Set in the cutest fall town you could imagine? I’m obsessed.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This book was an absolute delight—beautiful, heartfelt, and completely captivating. I’m so grateful I stumbled upon it on NetGalley, because the thought of missing out on this story makes me truly sad. From start to finish, it felt like perfection. I laughed, I cried, and I thoroughly enjoyed every moment spent with these characters.

Vada’s job especially stood out to me—it’s the kind of role I’d love to have myself, im not sure id have the grace and overall tenacity that she had to pull it off though! This book had everything I was hoping for and more, and I can honestly say I don’t have a single complaint.

If you’re looking for your next read, I can’t recommend this enough. It officially hits shelves 9/9/25, and it’s one you won’t want to miss!

What a fresh, witty, and unexpectedly moving romcom! Mourner for Hire hooked me from the very first page with its unusual premise and turned into so much more than I expected.

Vada is such a fascinating character: sharp, guarded, and running from a past she can’t quite shake. Dominic, with his grief, fury, and stubborn charm, makes for the perfect foil. Their chemistry is deliciously slow-burn, with just the right amount of snark and tension to keep the pages flying. And then there’s Annabelle, Dominic’s ghostly mother, who absolutely steals the show with her meddling, haunting, and heartfelt “to-do” list.

This book balances laugh-out-loud absurdity with tender reflections on love, grief, and second chances. It’s quirky, heartfelt, and unlike anything I’ve read before—a romcom with bite, banter, and a touch of the supernatural.

If you love enemies-to-lovers sparks, coastal small-town charm, and romance that's perfect for a light-hearted October read, Mourner for Hire deserves a spot on your TBR.

This book is a slow burn romance story between professional mourner Vada Daughtry and bar owner Dominic 'Dunner' Dunn.
Dunner felt a spark with Vada when she literally ran into him entering his bar. Almost a year later, Vada's back, this time at his Mothers funeral.
After the will is read, Dunner is shocked and angry at the peculiar demands on Vada and becomes determined to make her leave town. However, Vada is being 'haunted' by the ghost of Annabelle Dunn, who is unable to pass over without seeing her demands carried out.
As tbe tasks are ticked off, both are forced to confront their past, unlocking memories are learning more of themselves.

I really liked Annabelle, the fun and loving ghost, meddling her way into not only Vada but the readers' hearts, too.
The tension between Vada and Dunner is long drawn out. Id actually started to lose patience and start disliking Dunner and felt relieved when it finally came to a head. The town and others in it were opening and welcome of Vada, and from the descriptions, I could just picture myself enjoying a morning stroll around the market, sampling some of the delicious sounding treats!
Although the book has some heartbreaking scenes, it does have humerus points, with the final task bringing about a lovely happy ending.
Perfect for fans of slow burn romance, enemies to lovers, and cosy hauntings.

5⭐️ and 1.5 🌶️ for “Mourner for Hire”. This is my first Caitlin Moss read. Let me tell ya’ll, if her others are anything like “Mourner for Hire” I know I will continue to be obsessed.

I will be sold on a dual POV anytime, add in a small town with opposites attract enemies to lovers (with a splash of second chance romance) and it’s a winning recipe for me.

Caitlin writes some of the BEST banter I have read in a very long time. Her sensitivity as well to the nuances of grieving the loss of a loved one was portrayed beautifully. But also that slow burn to when the enemies becomes lovers was PERFECT!

What you will find:

👻Loathe to love
👻Small town
👻Dual POV
👻🔥 Banter
👻Magical Realism with a pesky ghost

I cannot wait to explore more of Moss’ books on the future. Thank you Caitlin and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for my honest review. “Mourner for Hire” is out on September 9th.

When I started this book, I expected a fun and cute read, I knew that there would be some hard topics, as discussed in the author's note, but it was way deeper than I expected. I liked how the main characters were written and it was fun getting to know them. The plot is really original and I loved that. It feels like a good summer to fall book and I enjoyed it a lot. Can't wait to read more from the author!

I loved this book! This book is the perfect cosy autumn romance. It had the perfect mixture of laugh out loud moments & sad moments and was really easy to read
This follows the story of vada & Dominic. Vada had her own business where people who know they are dying hire her with requests for their funeral & these are not requests like i want a certain song,flowers etc. These are requests like been the mystery woman behind a tree or pretending she is related to the deceased & causing a stir at the funeral. After a funeral vada gets caught up in a traffic jam & needs to use the toilet so she practically throws herself at the bar man which is Dominic to use the toilet & they end up spending the evening together & the next day vada goes to meet a dying lady called annabelle,in her old home town who wants to hire vada to fulfil some strange requests once she dies vada is reluctant but the money is good so she takes the job & shes knows she won't see Dominic again. A year later annabelle dies & its time for vada to complete the requests but unbeknown to vada Dominic is annabelles son & he's not happy that vada is here working for his deceased mum & vada decides she doesn't want the job or the money but the ghost of annabelle appears in front of vada & will not leave her alone until she agrees which she reluctantly does. Dominic is fuming that vada is back in his mums old cottage & will do anything in his power to get rid of vada but there is more than meets the eye to these requests & they are linked to both Dominic & vada & vadas childhood but vada & Dominic need to figure out how to get along & solve this mystery with the help of a busy body ghost! Will they be able to put their differences aside & fulfil annabelles last wishes & what will it mean for both of them?
I definitely recommend this book you won't be disappointed

✨ Initial Vibes

Vada Daughtry is a professional mourner—a woman who shows up at strangers’ funerals pretending to be a secret daughter, ex-lover, or long-lost friend. Her job sounds theatrical, but it’s rooted in something sacred: she cares for the dead and the grieving with a reverence most people can’t bear to carry. That’s what drew me in. That—and her name. (Vada Daughtry? ICONIC.) Also, how cute is that cover??

📖 What It’s About

When Vada pulls off the highway on the way to a new client, she meets Dominic Dunne—a tattooed bartender, ex-Air Force medic, never-matched MD, woodworker, animal rescue volunteer… (do you think the author wanted us to like him? lol) They have a tender, emotionally intense night together—and then she’s gone.

Almost a year later, Vada learns that her client from that night was Dominic’s mother, Annabelle, who hired her to renovate a neglected cottage and complete a series of tasks after Annabelle's death. Dominic is reeling from the loss—and not thrilled to find the mystery woman from his past in his mother’s will. Grief ensues. So does conflict. So does a reunion.

❤️ What I Loved

Vada’s sacred work. Her calling is unusual and keeps the book from being too heavy. She treats death as holy and grief as something that deserves company. I loved that.

The atmosphere. Quiet roads, overgrown cottages, and a ghost—it all felt gently haunted in the best way.

The themes. Death, memory, repair, and the ways we mourn people while still trying to live.

Sweet Connor. IYKYK.

💔 What Gave Me Pause

Dominic’s grief turns mean.
And not in a “wounded and avoidant” way—in a lash out, spread rumors, treat Vada like shit way. Is it realistic? Sure. Do people weaponize grief? Absolutely. But it made it really hard for me to root for him.

Vada deserves tenderness. She navigates his cruelty with grace, but it was hard to watch someone so devoted to the dead and dying be treated like an easy target. I wanted to love their reunion. But by the time they got together, I was still holding a grudge.

(And listen… sweet Connor was right there. Just saying.)

💭 Final Thoughts

This is a beautifully written, emotionally complex novel about mourning, connection, and the stories we tell at the end of a life. It poses profound questions about grief and the blurred boundaries between intimacy and performance. I just wish the romance had given Vada the kind of love she gives to everyone else—patient, openhearted, and kind. Still, this one will stay with me.

🧠 Rating

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
(3.5 rounded up for Vada, the atmosphere, and the reverence for grief. Deducted half a star for Dominic’s unkindness—I believe he’s grieving, but I still wanted better for her.)

4.5 stars rounded up

I flew through this quick, hard to put down story and finished it in a day. The main character has such a unique premise for a business and I loved the tasks she completes for her clients. Add in a meddling mother, a forgotten past, and lots of tension and banter and I really enjoyed the story. There are some funny moments and some spice. I will have to dive into the authors backlog and see what else to read.

Thank you to the author, Caitlin Moss, for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley.

This book had me holding back tears one moment and laughing the next. Vada (FMC) is a mourner for hire and she will do just about anything her clients ask her to (once they pass), whether it be simply attending a funeral or acting as a long lost (fake) family member. Her unconventional job brings her to a small town to fulfill her contractual obligations of a will. There she has a second chance meeting with a broody man who is grieving his mom. Soon you find the story is so much bigger than Vada’s job but the very heart of who she is and where she grew up. I really enjoyed the unique plot of this romance book and found it a breath of fresh air from the typical style of romances I’ve read lately.

Thank you to netgalley for an e-ARC!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Mourner For Hire was such a fun surprise! I loved how different it was—fresh, unique, and totally kept me hooked. Caitlin Moss really delivered something special here.

I swear, Caitlin Moss doesn’t write a bad book. Every single one of her books just makes me feel. They make me laugh, they make me care, and they usually make me cry. I just loved Vana and Dominic, and her weirdness, and his hesitant love of it.

This book is perfect for anyone looking for a Halloween/fall rom com that doesn’t have creepy or scary vibes, but still includes some fun spooky themes. I’m not usually one for ghosts but I really enjoyed the character in this one and felt like she added a lot of levity to the story. I enjoyed the enemies to lovers banter but felt like they jumped from one to the other without much of a catalyst and would have liked there to be more of a reason for their reconciliation. Overall though this was a fun, different read that blended humor with more serious themes of grief and loss.

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Mourner for Hire is a beautiful blend of cozy charm and heartfelt emotion. This story is both sweet and deeply moving, carrying strong themes of grief, healing, and second chances.

Vada is such a unique and compelling character—quirky, compassionate, and quietly carrying a grief of her own. Her unusual job of fulfilling people’s final wishes was so touching, and I admired her strength in honoring others’ lives even when it took an emotional toll. Dominic, on the other hand, is a man whose life was thrown off course by tragedy, and watching him slowly find his way again was heartwarming. Together, their connection was everything I hoped for—tender, healing, and full of chemistry.

I especially loved how Vada’s past was revealed piece by piece, adding depth and emotion to her story. Annabelle’s role in setting everything in motion was so well done; her presence made the story feel even more layered and thoughtful. The side characters were also perfectly written, adding warmth and richness to the book.

This is a cozy, cute, and emotional fall romance that will pull on your heartstrings in the best way. While it has plenty of sweet moments, it also explores grief and loss with care and respect, making it a deeply meaningful read. I would highly recommend this to anyone who enjoys romance with heart, depth, and a touch of autumn coziness.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

I really enjoyed reading this story. It's hard to think about losing a parent but it makes you feel better that someone is helping them with their last wishes. This book had me crying like a baby and wanting to give my mom and my children big hugs. We forget how short life is and how precious those memories are until we can't make anymore. I loved watching Vada grow and learn about herself. I enjoyed watching these two fall in love and heal together.

Mourner For Hire was my first book by Caitlin Moss and it will certainly not be my last. I love her humor and the addition of Dominic's mom as a ghost go guide Vada in the right direction. This book took so many fun twists and turns and it all came together so perfectly by the end. I will definitely be following Caitlin and enjoying her other works because this was such an amazing book. I also am so excited to find another wonderful PNW author!

Hi team,
I didn’t fully connect with “Mourner for hire” unfortunately, but I appreciated the premise and the writing style. Also, love the graphics. Thank you for the opportunity to read.