Wednesday, October 29, 2025

Book Review: I'LL CALL YOU HOME (Enderlin Calling #2) by Sharon L. Clark

About the Book 

When her father is injured on the family horse ranch, Charlotte Trevino rushes home to Zearing, Texas, the small town she put in her rearview mirror years ago. Her brother and father insist that everything is under control, but the recent odd - and costly - run of bad luck on the ranch tells a different story. The books haven’t been in the black for months, they’re plagued by equipment troubles and supply chain failures, and their neighbors are selling their property to a shady businessman who won’t take ‘no’ for an answer. But Charlotte refuses to give up and sets out to save the ranch, however she can. Despite being confronted by the painful past she tried to leave behind: her high school sweetheart, Jason Archer. 

Jason has a calm and comfortable life in Zearing. He works for his uncle as a respected financial analyst, takes care of his Alzheimer’s-ridden mother, and spends downtime with friends. But then one day the whirlwind known as Charlotte blows back into town and everything is turned upside down. He’s never forgiven himself for breaking her heart, but he’s never gotten over her, either. Determined to earn her trust once more, he offers to help save the ranch, and the lingering heat between them bursts into flame whenever they’re together. 

It soon becomes clear that her family’s trouble is far more than simple bad luck. When Charlotte starts to inch the ranch back toward financial stability, the bad luck turns to threats and near-misses, and the trouble draws closer to home. Jason is right by her side, lending a hand as they grow closer and closer. But secrets come to light and Jason is torn between the woman he never stopped loving and the family that has given him everything. As the danger intensifies, the question is no longer if Charlotte can save the ranch…but will she survive if she does.

Review

Charlotte has rarely returned home since leaving for college. Her return, her father in the hospital, and her first love affect her emotionally. Still, she's determined to save the ranch and the horses she loved. Then there's Jason. It's awkward and tense as more "accidents" occur immediately followed by pressure to sell.  

Charlotte is a great main character, a determined young woman who intends to save the ranch no matter what. She's dealing with conflicts, threats, and understanding what went wrong after high school graduation. Jason is also key to the story and not sure he can let her get away again. The story is well written and the pacing kept me reading. It's the second in the series, and it didn't matter that I hadn't read the first one. I'd recommend this book to those who enjoy a good romantic suspense with second chances and a HEA for all.

FTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book. This has not affected the content of my review in any way. 


About the Author 

Sharon L. Clark is a romantic suspense author hailing from Des Moines, Iowa, where she never outgrew her enormous imagination and continues to feed both her hopeless-romantic heart and her villain-wannabe brain. 

An avid reader from a very young age, Sharon still enjoys living vicariously through the heroines in adventure novels, falling in love again and again through romances, and getting the tar scared out of her now and again. After attending the University of Northern Iowa Sharon met her husband, Andrew, and together they have raised three pretty cool humans and a handful of dogs. It wasn’t until she was nearly an empty nester that she decided to focus on writing, and let other people see what goes on inside her head: the good, the bad, and the bizarre.

I’ll Call You Mine is her debut novel, but you can check out her short stories and other musings on her website or her social channels. She also has a collection of short stories and serials at Channillo. She is represented by Amy Brewer through Metamorphosis Literary Agency.

Sunday, October 19, 2025

Book Review: DEADLY SECRETS AT BALLYFORD CASTLE (The Ariadne Winter Mystery Series Book 2) by Ellen Butler


About the Book 

From Paris runways to country manors, danger is always in fashion. When intrepid journalist Ariadne Winter leaves behind the glittering cafés and haute couture of 1958 Paris for the misty hills of rural Ireland, she expects champagne toasts and countryside charm at her cousin's engagement celebration. But amidst party prep excitement the festive mood at Ballyford Manor is shattered when a body is discovered among the ruins of the ancient castle grounds.  

The local inspector suspects an accident—but Ariadne knows better. 

Armed with her sharp wit and a reporter’s determination, Ariadne peels back the polished façade of the O’Connell family, uncovering simmering tensions and long-held grudges that refuse to stay buried. As she navigates a world of crumbling aristocracy, whispered scandals, and dark family legacies, Ariadne realizes someone will do anything to keep the past hidden — even if it means making her the next victim. 

Perfect for fans of Agatha Christie and Jacqueline Winspear, this stylish, atmospheric mystery captures the glamour and shadows of 1950s Ireland, blending intrigue, secrets, and a sleuth you won’t forget. 

Review

Ariadne's visit to Ballyford Castle for her cousin's engagement celebration in Ireland is marred first by tension within the fiancé's family, their insistence the wedding take place in the castle instead of America, and by the discovery of the caretaker's dead body. Ariadne, Julia, and Cormac are caught in the middle, with Julia's parents trying to keep the peace. 

The police initially call the caretaker's death an accident, only Ariadne's not so sure. She and Julia discover hidden passages that lead to the window ledge the caretaker "fell" from, only it's clear he was pushed. As they explore passages, someone scares them and they pick up clues to the killer. 

Butler's tale is well-written with unexpected twists and turns, well-developed characters with distinct personalities, and a well-paced plot. The point of view shifts from Ariadne (first person) to third person at times, providing a different perspective and furthering the story along. The resolution makes sense and is not a surprise, though I considered a few characters as the killer.  This is the second in the series and easily read as a stand-alone. Still, I think it's best to start at the beginning of a series to watch characters grow. 

FTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book in the hopes that I would post an honest review. This has not affected the content of my review in any way. 

Purchase Links


About the Author 

Ellen Butler is the international bestselling author of the Karina Cardinal mystery series. Her experiences working on Capitol Hill and at a medical association in Washington, D.C. inspired the mystery-action series. Multiple books in the series have hit #1 on Amazon bestseller lists in the US and abroad. Book critics call the Karina Cardinal mysteries, “intelligent escapism." 

Butler is also the author of the award-winning historical suspense novel, The Brass Compass. The Brass Compass has won multiple awards for historical fiction including: 2022 Speak Up Talk Radio Firebird Book Award, 2018 Indie Reader Discovery Award, 2019 Readers’ Favorite Silver Medal Winner. Butler started writing in the romance genre and won the The Romance Reviews Readers’ Choice Award 2015 with her novel Planning for Love. Her 12th book Operation Blackbird, a Cold War Spy novel, was published in October 2022 and won a Next Generation Indie Book Award gold medal for historical fiction.

Author Links 



 

Saturday, October 4, 2025

Book Spotlight: GRAVE WORDS (A Deadly Deadlines Mystery Book 2) by Gerri Lewis

 

Grave Words: A Deadly Deadlines Mystery 
Cozy Mystery 2nd in Series 
Setting – Connecticut 
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Crooked Lane Books 

About the Book

In the second installment of the Deadly Deadlines mysteries, obituary writer Winter Snow faces her biggest challenge yet when the body of a homeless man is found in a burning building and her best friend is the main suspect, perfect for fans of Eva Gates and Kate Carlisle. 

Winter Snow has had it! With her business in a death drought, her best friend Scoop implicated in a string of arsons, and an obituary listing Winter herself as deceased, her life is heating up. But just as she’s trying to cool things down, she receives her newest assignment: an obituary for Chester, a homeless man found in a burning building. 

Promising the local funeral home manager that she will have the obituary by the deadline, Winter is stonewalled at every turn, failing to discover Chester’s last name, or where he came from. When it is discovered that Chester was murdered and that the fire was set to cover it up, all fingers immediately point to Scoop. Not only is Scoop a person of interest in the arsons, he was also the last person to see Chester alive. 

As more nails are pounded into Scoop’s coffin, Winter’s uncle Richard hopes to help by inviting the notorious town gossips, The Nosy Parkers, to a neighborhood food fest. Unfortunately, the breadcrumbs they toss set murder in motion. 

More determined than ever, Winter must figure out the twists and turns of the case to clear Scoop’s name, putting her on a deadly deadline to solve the murder and avoid meeting the same grave consequences. 


Purchase Links 

About the Author

Gerri Lewis started her writing career as a newspaper columnist, feature writer, reporter and obituary writer for seven syndicated newspapers. If she were to write her own obit, it would go something like this with a little wishful thinking thrown in: Author of the popular Obituary Writer Series, The Last Word, A Deadly Deadlines Mystery, Gerri Lewis died at the age of 100, at the Ridgefield home she loved and the setting for many of her books. Gerri's accolades include numerous awards from the Society of Professional Journalists, the New England Press Association and Writer’s Digest. THE LAST WORD was a 2024 finalist in the Best Book Awards sponsored by American Bookfest and an honorable mention at the Los Angeles Book Awards sponsored by the LA Times. 

Throughout her career she has remained a go-to person in the community for obituaries, especially sensitive ones, because she said, “Capturing a loved one’s personality in an obituary is one of the greatest gifts you can give to the grieving.”  

Author Links 




Giveaway: Grave Words: A Deadly Deadlines Mystery by Gerri Lewis