Boneyard Key, Book 2

From the publisher:

Clashing ghost tours lead to a sizzling romantic rivalry in the second romance in the new series from USA Today bestselling author Jen DeLuca.

Boneyard Key, Florida, is the only home Sophie has ever known. Her love for its supernatural history has flourished into a career, as she guides the one and only ghost tour through the town’s can’t-miss haunted spots. And while her bank account isn’t full by any means, her heart is. Or at least, it was.

But there’s a newcomer in town. The son of a Fortune 500 businessman, former theater kid Tristan has grown his tours from a fraternity fundraiser to a multicity ghost tour conglomerate. It’s doing well, but not well enough—if he can’t prove that he’s solidly in the black by the fall, Dad’s going to pull his funding, spelling the end of his career. Boneyard Key, with its haunted reputation, seems like the perfect place to boost his bottom line.

When the two ghost tours clash, Sophie’s expletive-filled rant goes viral, and the rivals strike up a deal. Whoever has the most successful business by summer’s end stays, while the loser must ghost. But the more Tristan comes to appreciate Boneyard Key, the more Sophie comes to appreciate Tristan, and what starts as begrudging respect becomes something spicier. Can they put their feuding businesses aside to make room for a chance at love, or is Boneyard Key too small for two ghost tours?

“Fans of the first book in DeLuca’s series will be happy to return to Boneyard Key in this lighthearted and funny small-town paranormal romance. The beachside setting and steamy summer relationship make for great vacation reading, with a smattering of supernatural elements that offer the perfect chill to offset the heat.”—Library Journal

https://amzn.to/46yGLpD

While paranormal romance isn’t typically my genre, Jen DeLuca is an exception I gladly make. I adore her writing style, and after enjoying the first book in this series, Haunted Ever After, I was eager to dive into book two—and it did not disappoint!

Sophie has spent her entire life on Boneyard Key, living with her beloved aunt until the older woman’s recent passing. Still reeling from this devastating loss, Sophie struggles to find her footing while supplementing her income by leading tourists on historically accurate ghost tours around the island. It’s not a booming business, but on most Friday and Saturday nights, she draws enough of a crowd to keep going.

One evening at the local bar, Sophie meets the attractive Tristan Martin, and sparks immediately fly. However, when she mentions her ghost tours, he grows visibly uncomfortable. It’s been ages since anyone has caught her attention, so his sudden disappearance leaves her disappointed and confused—he completely ghosts her (pun intended!).

Unbeknownst to Sophie, Tristan has come to town to expand his own ghost tour business, Ghouls Night Out. Dressed in period costume complete with a top hat, he spins fabricated tales to entertain his customers, recycling the same tired ghost stories we’ve all heard since childhood. Unfortunately, his theatrical performances are infuriating the actual ghosts inhabiting the town. Fortunately for Tristan, he doesn’t believe in the supernatural—until he witnesses some unmistakably spectral activity himself.

The entire town rallies around Sophie, giving Tristan the cold shoulder. But his natural charm gradually wins people over, including Sophie herself. They eventually strike a deal: they’ll compare weekly sales figures throughout the summer, and whoever runs the more successful ghost tour operation will take over completely while the other bows out of the business.

For Tristan, the stakes couldn’t be higher. While he operates tours in multiple cities, his father serves as his primary investor, and if he doesn’t turn a profit soon, the funding will be pulled. That would mean layoffs—and Tristan being forced into a soul-crushing finance job under his father’s thumb. Complicating matters further, he’s falling hard for Sophie, who resists their attraction until their chemistry becomes impossible to ignore. In the end, they scrap the bet and embrace their happily ever after.

This was a lighthearted, delightful read without a single scary moment. The local ghosts are more mischievous than menacing, providing comic relief rather than genuine frights. The enemies-to-lovers romance unfolds at a perfect slow burn, creating a beautifully satisfying arc. I’m officially hooked—and excited to see what DeLuca writes next.

9/2025 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

GHOST BUSINESS by Jen DeLuca. Berkley (September 9, 2025). ISBN: 978-0593641231. 368p.

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