[ARC Review] Romancing the Gravestone by Gena Showalter and Jill Monroe

Release date: 9/27/21

Format: eARC

eARC provided by: Author Talk Media/Gena Showalter

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Romancing the Gravestone, the first book in the new Jane Ladling Mystery series by authors Gena Showalter and Jill Monroe, is an absolutely perfect cozy mystery and I could not get enough. 

Passed down in the family for generations, Jane Ladling is now the sole proprietor and caretaker of the Garden of Memories cemetery in Aurelian Hills, Georgia. Jane doesn’t mind the work; she might not get many gentlemen callers being “The Cemetery Girl,” but she has her routines, her cemetery tours, and her watch cat, Rolex. But then she finds a dead body in the cemetery where it shouldn’t be, and Jane’s life as she knew it is upended. Enter Special Agent Conrad Ryan, the stoic detective from the state homicide department. He’s tall, quiet, and just trying to do his job. Jane gets more involved with the murder case, much to Special Agent Ryan’s dismay, but the crime brings Jane closer to both Conrad and the townspeople. As the clues start adding up, Jane realizes she might not know her neighbors quite like she thought she did…

I adore this new cozy mystery from Showalter and Monroe. This was such an easy read, while also keeping me on my toes via misdirects and shady characters. Although there are spooky elements surrounding the murder, full moons, and graveyards, there are zero paranormal elements in Romancing the Gravestone which might not be what fans of Gena Showalter are expecting. Both Showalter and Monroe bring their characteristic humor and sassy ladies to this new mystery series, and I was absolutely here for it. As a mystery, I thought Romancing the Gravestone worked really well. I loved how involved Jane became, to the chagrin of everyone around her. But the character was very well developed, and, even in this first Jane Ladling book, I felt like I’d been with Jane for books; Jane is easy to understand and easy to love. I loved the nuances of Jane’s friends, from her sexagenarian best friend who lives for gossip to her surly friend Beau who does security and re-entered Jane’s life at just the right time. But truly, the star of Romancing the Gravestone is Conrad Ryan and his relationship with Jane. Conrad come into Jane’s life just trying to do his job and solve a murder. However, like any sane person, his walls quickly started falling as he fell for Jane’s quirky charms. Jane and Conrad will make such a fun couple as the series progresses (notice I say they will make a fun couple; while there is some minor flirting, there is no other romance in this mystery). 

Romancing the Gravestone was fun, quirky, and well-done. I loved Jane Ladling, and I can’t wait to see what adventures she gets up to next as the Jane Ladling Mystery series continues. From fun characters, who-dun-it plots, and punny titles, this is a series to keep your eyes on from two bestselling authors.

A huge thank you to Gena Showalter/Author Talk Media for providing an advanced copy of Romancing the Gravestone. I received no compensation in exchange for this review, and all opinions are my own.