Narrator: Jim Frangione

Sunday Spotlight: Ghostly Game by Christine Feehan

Posted May 14, 2023 by Casee in Features, Giveaways | 3 Comments

Sunday Spotlight is a feature we began in 2016. This year we’re spotlighting our favorite books, old and new. We’ll be raving about the books we love and being total fangirls. You’ve been warned. 🙂

I read this book back in March. It was one of the better books in the series!

Sunday Spotlight: Ghostly Game by Christine FeehanGhostly Game by Christine Feehan
Narrator: Jim Frangione
Series: GhostWalkers #19
Also in this series: Predatory Game, Street Game, Ruthless Game, Shadow Game, Power Game, Murder Game, Covert Game, Toxic Game, Phantom Game, Ghostly Game
Publisher: Berkley
Publication Date: May 2, 2023
Point-of-View: Alternating Third
Genres: Paranormal Romance
Pages: 400
Length: 11 hours and 15 minutes
Add It: Goodreads
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Ripped Bodice | Google Play Books
Series Rating: four-stars

It's fight or flight in this sultry, suspenseful GhostWalker novel from #1 New York Times bestselling author Christine Feehan.

Gideon "Eagle" Carpenter is used to rolling with the punches life has thrown at him. It's the only thing that's kept him alive. He and his team of GhostWalkers have seen and experienced it all. He does his best to live with all the sins written on his soul. Then he hears the laughter of a woman with the ability to erase--even for a few previous moments--the darkness of his past.

Laurel "Rory" Chappel has always been a nomad. She's accustomed to taking care of herself, despite the physical challenges she lives with. She thinks she's too weak to find real love, but that doesn't stop her interest in Gideon from turning into a full-on addiction. He's all rough edges and danger contrasted with a tenderness that makes her feel safe. Still, after a life spent in motion, she's not sure she knows how to stay in one place.
Gideon hopes he can persuade Rory to take a chance on him with every electric touch. But soon, life conspires against him, forcing the GhostWalker to risk everything to protect the woman he loves....

Excerpt

The waitress approached the table and set a beer in front of Gideon. “Ice-cold. Compliments of our bartender.” She picked up his warm bottle. “She doesn’t like anyone drinking warm beer.”

Gideon’s gaze jumped to Rory’s. Those emerald eyes met his. He felt a jolt through his entire body like a white-hot bolt of lightning. His vision focused completely, using the piercing gaze of the eagle, and it was easy enough to see the sweep of her long dark lashes and the smattering of freckles spread across the bridge of her nose. He gave her a smile and lifted the bottle, mouthing, “Thank you.”

She inclined her head, which caused the overhead light to shine on the mass of curly dark cherry–colored haired pulled up into that messy knot. Instantly his body reacted with an unfamiliar tightening that was far more than an ache. Then another customer claimed her attention. She’d noticed him in a roomful of people. That gave him some satisfaction. It also sent his warning system going off big-time.

“She doesn’t go home with anyone, and she doesn’t allow anyone to go home with her,” Gideon mused aloud. “I have to do something different, something to intrigue her enough that she might take a chance on me.”

“She’ll take a chance on you,” Javier said. “You’re the only person in the bar she sent an ice-cold beer to. Notice mine is still warm. I don’t think she knows I’m alive.”

Gideon appreciated the cold beer even more because Rory had sent it to him. “Women fall all over you, Javier. It’s just as well she didn’t notice you, and I don’t have to shoot you when we leave.”

Javier laughed. “You’ve got it bad.”

“Look at her.” It wasn’t just about her looks. If that was all it was, Gideon could have passed on her, even with the incredible chemistry. The draw was the woman. Her laughter. The way she treated others. Everything Javier had reported about her. What his little sparrow spy had shared.

“I’m looking at you, Gideon. I don’t need to look at her.”

“Help me figure out how to hook her. She’s leery.”

“Half the battle is getting her attention. You’ve managed to do that,” Javier pointed out. “She won’t let you go to her apartment. She won’t want to go to your place. Not at first. That will freak her out if you ask her. She’s going to want to feel like she’s safe.” Javier looked Gideon over. “You don’t look safe, bro. In fact, if I was a woman, I wouldn’t ever be alone in the dark with you.”

Gideon gave him the finger, making sure to keep it along the neck of the beer bottle away from the bartender. Javier was having way too much fun at his expense.

“Maybe we should have the women befriend her. They could come to bar and talk about what a great guy you are.”

“Fuck you, Javier. You know they’d be worse and more invasive than your investigations.” Which was true. Jaimie, Rose and Rhianna were fiercely protective of the men in GhostWalker Team Three. Jaimie and Rhianna had grown up on the streets with them, and Rose had married into the team. Gideon wasn’t about to unleash those women on Rory.

“I’ll figure it out.” If he was going to win his lady, he was going to have to do it on his own.

He heard a soft sound emerge, the perfect replica of a field sparrow, the little female singing her song. Looking up, Rory was singing the notes as she made several drinks at once.

Gideon looked down at the ice-cold beer she’d sent to his table and responded by sending back the notes of the male field sparrow. The song was short and to the point, asking the little female if she wanted to meet him later.

She sang the notes again as she worked, and he answered her a second time. Startled, Rory looked up, her eyes meeting his. A small smile lit her face. Her nod was nearly imperceptible. But he didn’t miss it.

Excerpted from Ghostly Game by Christine Feehan Copyright © 2023 by Christine Feehan. Excerpted by permission of Berkley. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.

GhostWalkers

Giveaway Alert

We’re giving one lucky winner their choice of one of our Sunday Spotlight books. Use the widget below to enter for one of this month’s features.

Sunday Spotlight: May 2023

Are you as excited for this release as we are? Let us know how excited you are and what other books you’re looking forward to this year!

About Christine Feehan

Christine Feehan Author

I live on the beautiful Northern California coast and draw much inspiration from the beauty around me. I've always been a writer, for as long as I remember. My sisters were forced to read all of my books from the time I could write a story on paper.

I love family. I love my brothers and sisters, my children, my grandchildren and my great grandchildren. My home was always full of kids and children give me so much joy.

I also love my "sisters of the heart", those friends who have supported me through my life, laughed with me, cried with me and loved me regardless of how crazy my life got. I am a strong supporter of women helping each other which is why I became a third degree black belt and taught self-defense to women who'd been abused.

I love people and dogs, good books and great coffee and I'm lucky to know just how blessed I am.


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Review: Lassiter by JR Ward

Posted April 19, 2023 by Casee in Reviews | 2 Comments

Review: Lassiter by JR WardReviewer: Casee
Lassiter by J.R. Ward
Narrator: Jim Frangione
Series: Black Dagger Brotherhood #21
Also in this series: Lover Unbound, Lover Avenged, Lover at Last, Lover at Last, The King, The Shadows, The Beast, Lover Enshrined, The Chosen, Lover Mine, The Thief, The Savior, Where Winter Finds You, The Sinner, Lover Unleashed
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Publication Date: April 11, 2023
Format: eARC
Source: NetGalley
Point-of-View: Alternating Third
Genres: Paranormal Romance
Pages: 480
Length: 15 hours and 17 minutes
Add It: Goodreads
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Ripped Bodice | Google Play Books
two-half-stars
Series Rating: three-stars

The next book in the Black Dagger Brotherhood series!
In the next installment in J.R. Ward’s Black Dagger Brotherhood series, a fallen angel finds love with a mysterious female—who could be his destiny... or the embodiment of his utter destruction.

I don’t even know where to start with this review. My emotions were very conflicted when I finished this book. On one hand, I really liked being immersed back in the Black Dagger Brotherhood. It always hits me with a sort of nostalgia because I remember exactly where I was when I first read Dark Lover. That book hit me hard & has continued to stay with me through the last 18 years. I remember buying it from a used book store thinking that it was interesting that a man was writing romance novels (little did I know). I loved that book from the first page to the last. On the other hand, I didn’t love this book. I thought I would. I’ve been waiting for Lassiter’s story for quite some time. More than Tohr’s actually (and I really wanted that book). Lassiter has been such an interesting character from the first moment he appeared on the page. I think that JRW’s writing has changed & it’s not necessarily for the better. Unfortunately.

Lassiter & Rahvyn were supposed to be the main characters in this book, but I didn’t really feel like that was the case. I liked reading their story, but the Lash & Devina thing was absolutely ridiculous. I don’t care about Lash or Devina’s POV. As a matter of fact, it almost ruined the book entirely. When I would get to another chapter about those two, I felt like throwing my Kindle. It was really boring & I just didn’t give a fuck about those two. I understand that they were integral to the story and all that, but ffs, lay off a little. Devina’s character needs to be put out to pasture. She is so over-the-top bad that it’s just absurd. Lash isn’t much better.

The best part of the book was Lassiter & Rahvyn’s mating ceremony. I really felt that the ceremony & the love between all the characters was embodied very well. Still, that didn’t excuse the rest of the book. Even the (usually amusing, although sometimes annoying) anecdotes were eyeroll inducing. I would have DNFed it, but I really wanted to see what happened with Lassiter & Rahvyn. Unfortunately, I think that I’m going to call a halt on this series, even after the (kind of) cliffhanger. I also didn’t appreciate how she fast forwarded the series. I thought it was really poorly done.

Rating: 2.5 out of 5.

Black Dagger Brotherhood

two-half-stars


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Review: Ghostly Game by Christine Feehan

Posted March 20, 2023 by Casee in Reviews | 2 Comments

Review: Ghostly Game by Christine FeehanReviewer: Casee
Ghostly Game by Christine Feehan
Narrator: Jim Frangione
Series: GhostWalkers #19
Also in this series: Predatory Game, Street Game, Ruthless Game, Shadow Game, Power Game, Murder Game, Covert Game, Toxic Game, Phantom Game
Publisher: Berkley
Publication Date: May 2, 2023
Format: eARC
Source: NetGalley
Point-of-View: Alternating Third
Genres: Paranormal Romance
Pages: 400
Length: 11 hours and 15 minutes
Add It: Goodreads
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Ripped Bodice | Google Play Books
four-stars
Series Rating: four-stars

It's fight or flight in this sultry, suspenseful GhostWalker novel from #1 New York Times bestselling author Christine Feehan.
Gideon "Eagle" Carpenter is used to rolling with the punches life has thrown at him. It's the only thing that's kept him alive. He and his team of GhostWalkers have seen and experienced it all. He does his best to live with all the sins written on his soul. Then he hears the laughter of a woman with the ability to erase--even for a few previous moments--the darkness of his past.
Laurel "Rory" Chappel has always been a nomad. She's accustomed to taking care of herself, despite the physical challenges she lives with. She thinks she's too weak to find real love, but that doesn't stop her interest in Gideon from turning into a full-on addiction. He's all rough edges and danger contrasted with a tenderness that makes her feel safe. Still, after a life spent in motion, she's not sure she knows how to stay in one place.
Gideon hopes he can persuade Rory to take a chance on him with every electric touch. But soon, life conspires against him, forcing the GhostWalker to risk everything to protect the woman he loves....

Rory Chappel is a nomad. She moves from city to city, working as a bartender, but not making any real connections with anyone. That changes when she lands in San Francisco. Not only does she meet a great group of women at her apartment complex, but that’s where she meets Gideon Carpenter. To Rory, Gideon seems too good to be true. He’s attentive & attractive among other things. Rory is used to being on her own, so having so many people care about what happens to her in such a short amount of time throws her off her game. She usually only stays in a city for a few months, then she moves on. She’s not exactly running from anything, she just moves when the urge strikes. It’s not going to be so easy to leave San Francisco. So she starts wondering if she should plant some roots.

Gideon Carpenter is a GhostWalker. Before that, he was an abused child that grew up in a violent household. There are decisions that Gideon made in his life that he regrets to this day. When he first hears Rory’s laughter, he knows he has to find her. When he does find her, she takes his breath away. Rory doesn’t put off the vibe that most GhostWalkers do, but he’s certain that she is a GhostWalker. That would be the only thing that would explain the instant & irresistible attraction he has to her. Then he goes and fucks everything up by telling his team her secrets. It wasn’t that he wanted to tell them, but above all, Gideon is a protector.

This book was unlike any Christine Feehan book that I’ve read in the past. This book was based more on emotion than sex. I don’t think the sex actually happened until about 90% into the book. I was okay with that because at times, Christine Feehan overdoes it with the physical. Honestly, I’m still a little confused about the plot. There was a whole suspense aspect that was weird. Like it didn’t fit into what I’m used to in a GhostWalker novel. Although, that might have ended up being a good thing. This is one of the few series that I still read by Christine Feehan & I plan on continuing with it. It’s interesting & hot. This world that she has created is pretty amazing.

Rating: 4 out of 5.

GhostWalkers

four-stars


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Review: The Jackal by J.R. Ward

Posted September 7, 2022 by Casee in Reviews | 0 Comments

Review: The Jackal by J.R. WardReviewer: Casee
The Jackal by J.R. Ward
Narrator: Jim Frangione
Series: Black Dagger Brotherhood: Prison Camp #1
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Publication Date: August 18, 2020
Format: eARC
Source: NetGalley
Point-of-View: Alternating Third
Genres: Paranormal Romance
Pages: 416
Length: 11 hours and 8 minutes
Add It: Goodreads
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Ripped Bodice | Google Play Books
three-half-stars
Series Rating: four-stars

The #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Sinner brings another hot adventure of true love and ultimate sacrifice in the Black Dagger Brotherhood world.
The location of the glymera’s notorious prison camp was lost after the raids. When a freak accident provides Nyx clues to where her sister may still be doing time, she becomes determined to find the secret subterranean labyrinth. Embarking on a journey under the earth, she learns a terrible truth—and meets a male who changes everything forever.
The Jackal has been in the camp for so long he cannot recall anything of the freedom he once knew. Trapped by circumstances out of his control, he helps Nyx because he cannot help himself. After she discovers what happened to her sister, getting her back out becomes a deadly mission for them both.
United by a passion they can’t deny, they work together on an escape plan for Nyx—even though their destiny is to be forever apart. And as the Black Dagger Brotherhood is called upon for help, and Rhage discovers he has a half-brother who’s falsely imprisoned, a devious warden plots the deaths of them all…even the Brothers.

I have a love/hate relationship with the Black Dagger Brotherhood series. I hate to love it and I love to hate it. And I just love it period. The world has always engrossed me and continues to do so even after all these years. I picked this one up when I couldn’t decide what to read. As always, I was pulled into this amazing world that JRW has created.

Nyx is looking for her sister whom she believes was wrongly convicted of murder. When a chance encounter with a vampire leads Nyx to the infamous glymera’s prison camp, she knows that she has to find her sister. She doesn’t know what to expect or even what her plan is, but she knows that she has to try to save her. She realizes at once that it’s a far deadlier that she thought it would be. After accidentally killing one of the prison camps guards, she finds herself face-to-face with the vampire they call The Jackal.

The Jackal has been in the prison camp for hundreds of years for a crime that he did not commit. While he is a prisoner, he’s not like other prisoners. “Command” as he calls it is the warden of the prison. Nothing happens or goes on that Command doesn’t know about. This book had a lot of action and seemed to never stop. Which makes sense considering that it’s a freaking prison.

To be honest, Nyx was stupid af. A true TSTL heroine. She had no plan when she went in. Like, none. Not one glimmer of what she would do when she arrived, let alone how she would find her sister. The Jackal was a great character though I really wondered what he saw in Nyx. I had a hard time seeing past her stupidity. She did get better toward the end, but it was too little, too late for me. I only finished reading it because I really liked The Jackal. Rhage was also prominent in this book & I enjoyed reading his memories of the past.

As per usual, the “secret” in the book smacked me right in the face at the time it was revealed. I had no idea that it was coming, but it really worked out in the end. Additionally, I will be reading the rest of the series because it’s very compelling.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5.

Black Dagger Brotherhood: Prison Camp

three-half-stars


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Review: Phantom Game by Christine Feehan

Posted March 28, 2022 by Casee in Reviews | 3 Comments

Review: Phantom Game by Christine FeehanReviewer: Casee
Phantom Game by Christine Feehan
Narrator: Jim Frangione
Series: GhostWalkers #18
Also in this series: Predatory Game, Street Game, Ruthless Game, Shadow Game, Power Game, Murder Game, Covert Game, Toxic Game, Ghostly Game
Publisher: Berkley
Publication Date: March 1, 2022
Format: eARC
Source: NetGalley
Point-of-View: Alternating Third
Genres: Paranormal Romance
Pages: 400
Length: 13 hours and 35 minutes
Add It: Goodreads
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Ripped Bodice | Google Play Books
four-stars
Series Rating: four-stars

Jonas "Smoke" Harper has watched his brothers find their perfect mates, never imagining he'd actually meet someone who complements every part of him — even the monster that lurks within. But his instant connection with Camellia goes far beyond wanting the intelligent, beautiful, and lethal woman in his bed. They are two parts of a whole, linked to each other and to a larger network that exists everywhere around them.
Camellia has lived on her own for a long time, relying on her unique psychic abilities to keep her safe. She knows that Jonas was literally made for her, and that makes their addictive connection more dangerous than a thousand enhanced super soldiers. Once the larger threat looming over them is dealt with she's going to get far away as fast as she can. Life has taught her that the only one she can truly trust is herself.
Jonas can sense Camellia is going to run — and the hunter inside doesn't want to let go. Not when he knows how good they'll be together. So he'll just have to use all of his considerable skills to convince her to stay...

Phantom Game is a wonderful addition to Feehan’s GhostWalker series. I haven’t been a huge fan of Feehan in the last few years. This book seemed to be like her earlier books, which was a nice change. After reading Annihilation Road, I thought about throwing in the towel. I was going to force myself to come to terms with the fact that Feehan just doesn’t write how she used to. Then this book came out. I’m more certain now than ever that she has a ghostwriter. Holly is too and she’s always right.

Camellia Mist lives for her plants and flowers. Since she was a small child under Whitney’s care, she knew she had an affinity for anything growing from the ground. She’s able to disappear into the mist (hence the last name) with the help of the Middlemist Red Camellia. Red helps Camellia stay hidden in the forest in Montana. When Jonas Harper is able to get around her traps, she knows instantly that he’s been paired with her. They have similar abilities and an instant and electric attraction.

Jonas has fought his aggression for years. When he was being enhanced by Whitney, he was injected with DNA of various animals. All of them aggressive (think tiger, leopard, etc). Camellia sooths the best and he knows he can’t let her go. She is very obviously independent and can take care of herself, yet his urge to protect her is fierce.

I really enjoyed this installment. I liked going back to Team One and seeing old favorites. Lily and Ryland had a cameo and it was heartbreaking. Camellia was such a wonderful heroine, strong yet kind. Jonas was a badass with a gentle side. The camaraderie between the GhostWalker teams added an element that made it hard to put this book down.

Rating: 4 out of 5.

GhostWalkers

four-stars


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