Grave Humor

A Magical Romantic Comedy (With A Body Count)

Fiction - Paranormal
388 Pages
Reviewed on 05/08/2020
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    Book Review

Reviewed by Liz Konkel for Readers' Favorite

Grave Humor by RJ Blain is the fourteenth book in the Magical Romantic Comedy (with a body count) series. Anwen finds her hands full of undead clients at the funeral home that don’t always want to pass on following their deaths and often lure Anwen into chatting with them. Not to mention that she has to live under strict rules to keep her boss happy, which forces her to sneak a cigarette behind his back. When one of the recently deceased decides he’d rather not check out the afterlife, Anwen is quickly drawn in over her head when she makes two shocking discoveries in the funeral home basement.

RJ Blain delivers once more with a humorous and campy adventure that blends fantasy, romance, and insane humor for an unforgettable comedy. This world continues to shine through its voice, creativity, and originality which Blain delivers through the inclusion of zany and unique characters, humorous and insane plots, and never-ending surprises. The funeral home is a delightful setting as it reflects the jobs of a normal funeral home only with lively dead and a series of strict rules. Blain has a strong voice that captures this zany world and breathes new life into the romantic comedy genre by blending it with supernatural elements. Several characters are seen from the other books in the series with one those being Lucy (aka Lucifer) making an appearance as his over-the-top demonic self, which adds to the humorous moments as he takes over every scene featuring him.

Every good romantic comedy excels when the couple has chemistry, heart, and flirtatious drama, and once again, Blain hits the story with high notes. A lot of the humor is based in dead puns and jokes with characters related to death, such as a vampire, or having a specific place within the afterlife profession such as Anwen herself with the funeral home, Azrael (the archangel of death), Lucifer, and a surprising character whose ties to death you won’t see coming. Grave Humor is another must-read from Blain that is humorous, containing supernatural hijinks, and a fun romance that is unique and original in ways that you won’t find in any other books.

K.C. Finn

Grave Humor: A Magical Romantic Comedy (With A Body Count) is a work of fiction in the Paranormal Romance genre, penned by author R. J. Blain. It is aimed at young adult and older audiences due to its moderate language and violent content warnings. The book follows the life of Anwen, who works in a funeral home where the dead like to get up and wander around. Anwen enforces strict rules on the undead, but when the peace is disturbed by Old Man McGregor going to stretch his legs, Anwen learns some valuable lessons about the world inside the mortuary.

As a fan of humor-horror combos, I was absolutely delighted to delve into the pseudo-spooky and super fun world which author R. J. Blain has crafted for this particular romantic adventure. Despite the wide variety of subject matters which the author offers, the solid writing and construction of the plot always mean that you’ll receive great value for the time invested in reading. Anwen is a delightful heroine whom readers will easily root for in her unique situation, and the surrounding cast of characters who populate her world are treated to inventive and entertaining developments in their description and dialogue. What results is a highly engaging tale that will take a lot of traditional romance readers by surprise, and envelop those who love a part-creepy, part-feel-good tale into a love affair like no other. Overall, I would definitely recommend Grave Humor to romance fans looking for an accomplished novel with a fresh perspective.

Susan Sewell

A walkabout dead man, a resurrected vampire, and an ancient John Doe turn a mortuary receptionist's life upside down in the entertaining supernatural novel, Grave Humor (A Magical Romantic Comedy With A Body Count) by R. J. Blain. Due to her parents squandering her college fund, Anwen drops out of high school and goes to work at a mortuary. Her primary job is to keep the dearly departed in their coffins and ensure there is no screaming during the viewings. If Anwen can do that, she receives a bonus. This extra incentive is how she affords her groceries and her favorite vice, Honey Rocks. However, right now, Old Man McGregor is not cooperating. Anwen's day gets even better when her boss sends her down to clean the preparation room where a vampire rests, and a body of indiscriminate age is stored. The moment she enters the basement, her boss locks the door behind her. Trapped with an undead, Anwen has become a sacrifice. Can Anwen escape with her life? Or will she meet Death?

Grave Humor (A Magical Romantic Comedy With A Body Count) by R. J. Blain is a delightful supernatural novel with engaging and original characters. I especially enjoyed Lucy. His character is amusingly paradoxical and ironic. He may be the devil, but he is an excellent anti-hero; I felt like he made the story. The other characters have a place too, including a shapeshifter, vampire, a dragon, archangels, and Death himself. The story flows smoothly, moving from point to point without any hiccups. I recommend Grave Humor to everyone who doesn't mind a little violence, a little colorful language, and a lot of fun.