Sexting with a Ghost

Haunted Love #2

by Ashlynn Mills

Darcy

Starting over isn't easy. My boyfriend was abusive, my family controlling, and I lost my studio where I kept most of my work. The new room I'm renting isn't much to look at but the owner said I could use the basement as a new working space.

Weird things start to happen the more I go down there and even though I'm the only person in the room, I can't help but get a feeling I'm not alone.

Caleb

One minute I'm having the time of my life at a party and the next I'm waking up lost and alone. I don't know where I am or how I got here. All I know is I'm dead and for some reason I'm attached to an old basement. It makes no sense why I keep ending up in a place I don't have any memory of ever being in.

After spending most of my time in the unfinished room watching a cute stranger create beautiful pieces with his hands, being here no longer feels like a burden. If only he could see me back. Maybe if he did, he could help me find out what really happened to me. What if I'm better off not knowing?

Sexting with a Ghost is an M/M paranormal romance.

Genres: Paranormal, M M Romance, Romance, Ghosts, Mystery, Contemporary, Fantasy

159 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 20, 2022

About the author

Ashlynn Mills is a Latina from Texas who currently resides in Missouri with her family running a farm. She enjoys reading and writing all genres about people falling in love.

Reviews

[Brooke · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️ 4 stars ⭐️

We drift away to a place where only we exist.

The cover and title don’t do much justice to this surprisingly delightful book.
I went in not expecting much, but Caleb and Darcy’s story was filled with mystery, intrigue and a heart-wrenching romance.

The twists and turns kept me on my toes, and the sweet ghostly moments had me gushing.
I would’ve liked some more of Darcy’s backstory and the ending was a little roughly pieced together, but other than that Sexting with a Ghost was the perfect read for spooky season.

[the kevin (vaguely alive) · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a cute 4 star ghosty romance...until the end. >:(

4 stars: I liked seeing the cute sexting and dating and connection between Darcy and Caleb. It was very sweet seeing them establish a connection and then deepen it despite ghostyness. Though the "communicating while sleeping" was comically silly, since it read exactly like Darcy was still awake, but whatevs.

There was a great balance of the romance and mystery too, throughout the book. It felt naturally connected, no choppiness found. The reveal !! wat (positive)

why it's now 3 stars:

spoilers for the ending!!!

The ending felt super incredibly rushed to me, and left so many strands hanging I was very frustrated. Was there a length limit for these books in this series? That's the only reason I can come up with for it wrapping up at light speed like that. I had other questions such as:

What was the plan here? Caleb's father wants him dead for the inheritance - but Caleb was never actually dead. Why was he still alive? What was the music box? Why did he become a ghost? How did Tiny even keep him alive for a week anyway?? What was the whole fading-pain-room thing?

But mainly - why was Caleb kept alive at all!! the job was to have him dead, not like some energy sucking black magic! At least the way the story is set up it wasn't. Was there another plan for the story that got abruptly changed??

These threads left hanging - especially since ghostliness features so prominently - left this book on a flat note for me. Maybe the story got too complex for the length to develop some whole energy-sucking plot (which is what I thought was happening??) or other paranormal plottiness... but then it lost so many pieces it felt like I was left with part of a story.

Did I miss something?? Is my file not up to date??? if this is explained somewhere I would love to read it if i missed it!

Anyway. Lots of thoughts on the ending. It's still a cute story, I recommend it for the romance and ghosty parts, and while the end was frustrating to me, I'm sure many people can just ignore it.



Read more reviews on my blog: 
https://horsetalkreviews.blogspot.com/

[Misty · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love this one.
I needed something that wasn't serious or angsty. This one hit the spot.

[Natalie H · Rating 3 out of 5]

Feb 2025
Kindle edition

Read for a group challenge week 4. Another one off the TBR that fit the challenge. It was alright. I liked the first part with the ghost chats. Tiny was a painfully obvious bad guy, I'm surprised the aunt didn't clock on until she was tied up. Third act breakup/ ghost amnesia was gutting, then it was pining vibes from Darcy and Caleb dealing with the betrayal around him. The reunion reveal was sweet, I liked that they kept some of the ghost habits.

[The Word Nerd Reviews Blog · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sexting with a Ghost is a light Halloween read. It captures the mood of Halloween without the thrills and chills. Instead, it's a bit of a paranormal mystery, a whodunit if you will. It's sweet and romantic, with a few laughs thrown in. This is the perfect refresher read between some of the more serious horror-based stories recommended in this post.

This book is featured on the Word Nerd Reviews blog – Halloween 2022 Top Picks. See what else is in the list here


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[Janet Hunt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sexting with a Ghost is the second book in the Haunted Loved multi author series. Darcy has moved to get away from his parents and an abusive boyfriend. Starting over isn't easy, he lost everything when he left. He is using the basement as his studio to create his art. Caleb wakes up as a ghost, he doesn't remember what happened. Loved Caleb and Darcy! Loved their communication! Overall, a fantastic story! Well written with great pacing that sucked into the story!

[Jamie Lee Zonneveld · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sexting with a Ghost by Ashlynn Mills is about Caleb and Darcy. Caleb can't remember what happened before he ended up in the basement of a house he doesn’t know. Where he can't leave said basement and nobody can see or hear him. Darcy left his home to get away from his parents and boyfriend, a boyfriend who doesn’t know what breaking up means. He rents a room and the owner lets him use the basement for his work. But down in the basement he can't help but feel that he's not alone.....

I loved Caleb and Darcy's story. It was sweet, sexy, full of feels, fun, with a little bit of tension and very well written.

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quick read, misleading blurb

The blurb states:
“Caleb

Starting over isn't easy. My boyfriend left me, my home burned down, and I lost my studio where I kept most of my work. The new room I'm renting..”

However, Caleb is the ghost in this book. Not the one who moved. Also, the book doesn’t ever state Darcy’s house burned down or that he lost his studio/work.

Not the worst book I’ve ever read but there are minimal details on “big shocking moments” and way too many details about shopping for Halloween costumes in comparison.

[Anne Harris · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a beautiful book
Darcy had never been accepted by his family. So he decided to leave home and make it on time. He came across a small town and found lodgings in a weird house. But the rent was cheap and they offered a basement where he could do his candle work. The basement was extremely creepy and not only was the bathroom that Darcy had to use down there there but there was also a very eerie feeling down there. He felt a draft, a cold draft but couldn’t find where the source was coming from. Then one day when he was down having a shower he saw handprints on the outside of the shower. And then a message appeared making Darcy disappear right upstairs.

Caleb was working in the family business but if honest it wasn’t working out for him. His brother wanted the position with his father off suffering with pneumonia he was working above his station. He was going to a party that night and that night changed his life. He met his boyfriend there who was the life and soul of any party. When you went upstairs to use the bathroom he got distracted by a music box and then the room went dark . The next time he opened his eyes he was in a concrete room with a red door. When he is in the basement we are a guy was looking around. He practised moving things. Caleb it already worked out that he was dead and in between worlds. But if you could just get this guys attention maybe he could help him. He went in to the shower and left a message hoping he would communicate with him. But it was the wrong message, all it did was scare him away.
Darcy nearly had to go back to the basement. So he decided he would try to communicate with what was leaving him messages. And they started speaking every day. Using pen and notes and then finally Caleb could use Darcy’s iPod to send him text messages.
And that is all your getting Because this book is an adventure there is so much going on you have a got murder plot you’ve got Betrayal but you’ve also got a beautiful love story. There is something extremely magical about this book. You cannot help but adore Darcy and Caleb. They are soulmates perfect for each other in every way. But how can this continue?? I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[... · Rating 3 out of 5]

To say I was disappointed in this book and the new-to-me author after how much I enjoyed the first book in the series (by K.L. Hiers) is a massive understatement. This was maaaaybbeeee a 2.5 star at best, so I'm rounding up because, after all, I didn't DNF it, but just... no. The worst part is that it truly could have been an engaging story. It had a lot of great elements, but the author didn't pull them together. Some of my biggest almost-DNF moments (here come the spoilers): NONE of the issues with Caleb's father, or even his relationship with his brother, were even remotely touched on (in the first case) or at all fleshed out (in the second) so that the climactic moments those two played in the plot were totally out of left field and had more of a reverse-Deus Ex Machina feel than any actual emotional engagement. And also, speaking of just springing shit into the plot without developing it AT ALL: at 88% into the story, Caleb suddenly remembers his time as a ghost... and it's completely summarized for the readers in just a few short paragraphs of tell-not-show, with absolutely no emotional component? I'm sorry, that's just... unskilled craft of writing. And finally, Darcy's troubled past is hinted at, but then it goes nowhere. It's not fleshed out enough to give him emotional depth, but nor is it resolved in any way to make the VERY brief hints of it worth having in there. UGH. Just... maybe my hopes were too high, even though I completely understand how these multi-author series work. Each book is its own thing, but damn. The first one was so good (and I'm definitely looking forward to some of the upcoming ones. Particularly 😍 Amanda Meuwissen's!!! 😍)

Sigh. But what I will say is that if I hadn't been hoping for a lot, this would have just been a case of "meh, three stars, I might check this author out again once she has a little more experience under her belt"... so maybe I'll do that. (And kudos to ALL authors who take the time and put in the energy to take an imaginative idea and bring it to life for us.)

[Emily Pennington · Rating 5 out of 5]

Darcy and Caleb . . .

Caleb shows up at a crowded party. With a line at the downstairs bathroom, he goes upstairs and down the dark hallway. Heading back, he hears something and walks into a dark room where a ballerina is dancing on a music box. The light switch isn’t working and someone comes up behind him. Something heavy slams his head. He is pinned to the floor and his air is cut off as he loses consciousness.

Darcy is starting out at a small town where an abusive boyfriend can’t find him. The room is tiny but he is allowed to use the cold, musty, unfinished basement to do his artwork. Then strange things start to happen. The lights flicker, hanging fixtures on the ceiling sway, the basement door rattles, boards creak. It feels like someone else is down there too. When the lights go out, Darcy goes up the stairs to leave, but the door won’t open. Heavy steps come up the stairs behind him in the dark. Cold breath on his back makes the hairs rise, then the door flies open and his landlady asks why he is shouting out in the dark! He remembers he will have use the basement bathroom since the one on his floor is out of order. Maybe he should sleep in his car?

Caleb woke in someone’s basement. He is pretty sure he is dead but doesn’t know where he is. He tried to get the stranger’s attention, but he obviously could not see or hear him. Will they figure out how to communicate? Why did this happen to him? He would love to know what this was all about. Or maybe it’s better not to know?

I loved the romance and ghostly story, and the mystery about it all. Darcy and Caleb are terrific characters. There are other things going on, so grab your copy and see how the author works out these details.

[Dawn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Soulmates, Loved it!

I am loving this series! Whoever would have thought you could get so much pleasure from a ghost 😊

I fell in love with the characters from the off. Darcy is adorable with a smile for everyone. He has fled his cold domineering family and abusive boyfriend and driven into a little town called Middleton in Missouri where he thinks no one will track him down. He rents a sad little room from a woman called Betty but with his optimism and a fresh coat of paint soon settles in. Betty tells him he can use the basement, if he cleans it up, for his candle carving business, a passion which he is very good and successful at but which his family and boyfriend sneered at.

The very first time he goes down to the basement he is scared witless and flees but talks himself into going back and there begins a beautiful love story between soulmates.

I could have cried for poor Caleb. One minute he was enjoying his friends birthday party and the next trapped in some basement as a ghost, frightened, disoriented and invisible but even through his pain he is captivated by the gorgeous Darcy.

The author throws in a twist half way through the story which I loved. Could she have gone into more detail around the circumstances of who wanted Caleb dead and why, yes, but this story was all about the connection, feelings and love between Darcy and Caleb not a murder mystery and it didn’t spoil my enjoyment of the book.

I’m looking forward to reading more books in this Haunted Love series.

[Dee · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is part of the Haunted Love series each book can be read as a standalone with a ghost that you may thing is very real and the girl who captures his attention so if you are looking for something a little fun this would be it. Darcy intelligent so sweet but his family leaves as lot to be question considering how they treat or mistreat should I and an abusive boyfriend who caused him to run leaving everything behind. He ran to a Middleton in Missouri a small town renting a small room, but the owner allows him to use the basement as a studio and with his sunshine attitude everything brightens around him. Since he has permission to use the basement going down there is a little scary the first time but heading down again after a talk with himself to find that it isn’t that bad. Caleb the ghost that lives in the basement, afraid, not sure as to what happened because all the he remembers is going to his friends birthday party and now he is trapped in a basement has been there for a while so when he see Darcy the beautiful gentle man who has started to come down communicating started out a little rough but over time they fall for one another but how is it possible they are soulmates considering their situation, but who wanted Caleb dead, why did they kill him, will Darcy family, abuser leave him be to live peacefully, and can there be some type of happiness in their situation?.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[DMCechak · Rating 5 out of 5]

Darling Darcy

"Just don't leave, okay? Try to stay. For me."
“I'll always come back,"

Two souls find the perfect way to communicate in Ashlynn Mills’ Sexting With a Ghost. The second release in the multi-author Haunted Love series.

When Darcy finds himself in a small town, hidden and faraway from family and an ex who just can’t understand the word no, he unexpectedly finds himself in the middle of a deadly mystery.

Caleb only remembers attending a friend’s party, but now finds himself cold and unearthly. His only solace is the beautiful young man making candles in the basement of a house he doesn’t recognize.

Together, these two find an unusual attraction forming, and the chance to sext brings them closer than ever, in this hauntingly romantic love story.

[Tracey Johns · Rating 5 out of 5]

LOVED this short story, the only thing I didn't like so much - that there wasn't more of it! It has everything, sweet, spicy, sassy, suspenseful, and it constantly had my mind playing scenes from a movie that also stuck with me, and Ashlynn even included the name in a song featured in the book. It had me hooked from the first page to the last, didn't want to put it down. Caleb & Darcy are magic & the sweet, surreal manner they find their way to each other - sappy & beautiful, and I adored it! Didn't see all the twists coming at the end, but I did pick up on some of it before the reveal. Can't wait for more in this series, and more from this author.

[Brianne McCallum · Rating 5 out of 5]

OMG this is absolutely my favorite book by this author. I have never read a ghost book before but I'm so glad I read this one. This book has everything. Lots of sweet swoony moments, a friendly ghost who enjoys reading poetry, a fantastic murder mystery with plenty of surprises and suspense and some very steamy scenes. Just read it and you will love it.

This was a fairly quick read, the characters are so very loveable and the chemistry is off the charts. There's no relationship angst, lots of steam and a plot that made me keep reading from start to finish in one read cause I had to know what happened to poor sweet Caleb. I highly recommend.

[Kathy Seabrease · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just loved this book. It's something a little different than Ashlynn usually writes, but being it's Ashlynn, I wouldn't expect anything less than the best. What a great story! Caleb and Darcy were such great guys and both deserved better men in their lives and happier lives too. Who would have thought it would take the extremes they went through to meet their soulmates? My heart bled for Caleb being trapped as he was. Darcy was so determined to find him before it was too late. Christian, Greg and Tiny we're horrible people and deserve far worse than they got. The story was so good and I was hoping for an HEA and I was not disappointed.

[Manfred · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story of Darcy, who moves to a new place and Caleb who finds himself trapped in a basement as a ghost, after supposedly being killed at a party had me invested from start to finish.
Obviously the suspense part is not overwhelming, but it was okay, as was the way, the solution of the paranormal part of the story was handled.
But the way those two feel in love, lost their love and then found it again was great fun to read and very sweet.
The epilog was rather weak, not really surprising or very romantic,
but overall this was a solid love (and ghost) story. 3.5 stars

[S.G. · Rating 2 out of 5]

It’s cute but has issues

So it’s cute but there are a lot of plot and writing issues. The writing is pretty stilted and the dialogue is often very fake, with a lot of random info dumping in conversation. The plot twists literally came out of nowhere, as in they don’t really make sense at all. There are lots of little grammar mistakes too, but it was mostly the plot issues that made me give this a two star.

Also, the romance is cute but it’s mostly lust based, so just doesn’t really do it for me.

[Shannon Janssen · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Sexting With A Ghost" is an absolutely fabulous story. It has everything you would expect from Ashlyn Mills, a great plot, wonderful characters, mystery, suspense and even some laugh out loud moments. It is fast paced and the pages practically turn themselves. I could not help but finish it once I started.

I received an advance copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Kassandra Knight · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sexting With A Ghost

I was super excited to read this one but also kinda scared because this wasn’t like, fluffy ghost romance, you know on account of the murder… but I persevered and enjoyed it. Totally called a couple of things but I’m glad there’s a happily ever after at the end of the tunnel.

Highly recommend.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review. I also read it on KU.

[Guardian.angel54 · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Sexting with a Ghost" is a quick read but I thoroughly enjoyed it! It's sweet and tender and there was just enough of a mystery to hold my attention. I loved the interactions between Darcy and Caleb as a ghost. Their connection was really endearing and I was really rooting for them to find their HEA. The ending was a bit overly sugary but it sort of fit the story. The storyline was unique enough that I wished it had been fleshed out a bit more but overall I did enjoy reading this!

[Syd Springer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was sweet book. I loved Caleb and Darcy. My heart broke for them and how much they longed for each and how they grew closer and closer together. I really enjoyed the mystery and the drama in this book. While there were some things that were missing in the story, I still believed that this was a five star read.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[L H · Rating 4 out of 5]

Darcy is in the midst of starting over, including needing to create new work. He moves into a house where he is allowed to use the basement as his studio. Caleb is drawn to the basement where Darcy is working and he happens to be dead. This is an interesting meet cute that came out in times for Halloween season. This was rather cute, with a little mystery and not really scary. Which I appreciated.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Jenn · Rating 5 out of 5]

More Sweet and Spicy than Spooky
Caleb was attending a party with friends, was attacked, and then, darkness. Darcy hand-makes candles in the basement of the house where he rents a room. Turns out, that same basement is haunted by Caleb. Out of fright comes conversation, from conversation comes a sort of intimacy. This story is a unique spin on ghost stories - just when you think you know what’s going on, surprises pop up. A sweet and steamy spooky story.

[Emma · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this! Started reading and before I knew it, I'd finished. Thought it was very clever how Ashlynn made sure there was a HEA. This is not Ashlynn's normal genre of writing, but you'd never know it. Just enough angst to give it a bit of grit. Caleb and Darcy were awesome characters. Definitely a recommended read.

I received an ARC for an honest and voluntary review.

[Marie Devlin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow this book was definitely a good read I wasn't sure how the whole Ghost relationship thing would work but it did.Kind of gave me a Ghost movie vibe only Darcy used his hands to make Candles. Did not see the whole twist at the end coming that was kinda cruel and all for the almighty dollar.Loved that there was a sweet HEA.

[Sarah Mitcham · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hauntingly Unexpected Attraction.

MM, Paranormal, Contemporary, Romance. Part of a multi author series but a stand-alone read. Easy to read page-turner with great characters, twists and turns, a fast paced intriguing plot. A great read which at times was quite emotional and I was rooting for the Main characters. HEA.

[Nina Diab · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. It was such a sweet romance! Good world building. I loved Darcy and ghost Caleb and the relationship that begins between them. Caleb doesn't remember how he died and doesn't know why he's trapped in a basement he doesn't recognize. Darcy, who was afraid at first, befriends him and tries to figure out what happened to him. A fun compelling read. 5 stars.

[Mandy Tunstill · Rating 5 out of 5]

Simply Amazing ❤

Absolutely loving haunted love series so amazing and Darcy and Caleb are simply made for each other true soul mates who are meant to be together it's so beautiful and emotional the way they connect unable to stay away from each other a human and a ghost but is he. ❤