Casket Case, by Lauren Evans, is about a romantic comedy about finding yourself after unexpected tragedy. Nora Clinton moves back to Rabbittown, Alabama after the deaths of her parents to run the family casket shop. There’s not much for Nora in Rabbittown except the casket shop and her grandfather. Until a handsome stranger walks into her store asking for directions and a date. Garrett Bishop seems like the perfect guy. He has a good job, he’s thoughtful, he’s kind, and her grandfather seems to like him. That is until Nora finds out that Garrett actually works for Death. Nora finds herself surrounded by Death, and is unable to reconcile the Garrett she knows with the Garrett that works for Death. Will Nora be able to understand how Garrett does his job, or will she have to give up on love?

This book is ultimately a heartwarming story about getting over the grief of losing loved ones and finding a new normal. Nora’s parents died tragically in a car crash. All that Nora has left is the casket shop and her grandfather, which are both, unfortunately, located in Rabbittown, Alabama. Nora had thought that she had escaped Rabbittown and had no plans to ever return. With her parents gone, Nora returns to run the casket shop. Nora loses her sense of self when she moves back home. Her friends and her boyfriend have abandoned her to her new life. Nora feels like her life has become completely stagnant. Nora starts to find some purpose when she starts to date Garrett. However, she has to find her sense of self outside of her relationship. She reconnects with friends, the town, and is able to process the loss of her parents. This book is not really a romance novel in the traditional sense. It’s really a self discovery book with a side of romance.

Nora is not the traditional main character of a romance book. She has quirks that some people will find relatable. Most notably, she is very anxious about her relationship. Garrett is good about giving Nora reassurance about the relationship. This doesn’t stop Nora from being anxious. When she hasn’t heard from Garrett in a while she starts to imagine worse case scenarios. Going as far as ripping up weeds in her garden to take her mind off of it. This sense of anxiety within a relationship will most likely be relatable to a lot of people.

The main conflict in the book doesn’t make a lot of sense. It all centers around Nora disliking what Garrett does for work. It relies on Nora being very hard headed and not listening to Garrett. Nora believes that she has every answer to everything, and if Garrett doesn’t agree with her then he isn’t worth her time. The conflict takes up far too much of the book. Garrett is too willingly to let Nora off the hook, when she treated him pretty horribly. Nora’s point of view is not very logical and it makes her kind of unlikable.

Overall, this is a very enjoyable read. The book is quirky and it has a lovable cast of characters. This book is great for people who love a cozy, heartwarming romance read. It’s also a great novel about finding yourself when things have gone astray. It’s a great introduction to the romance genre since the romance isn’t the central point of the novel.