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eesh25's review against another edition
4.0
4.5 Stars
Rough Trade is probably the last book in this series; we haven't been introduced to any other boys from Woodbury and it ties up all the loose ends. And though it can be read as a standalone, I recommend reading the other two first; not only because they're both great books, but also because they'll increase your enjoyment of this one by slowly building up to Ghost's story.
Ghost was a prostitute. And if he hadn't been in the amount of danger that he is, he still would be a prostitute. But being wanted by a corrupt cop and a Russian crime family's gotta put a damper on your freedom.
Duncan Rook is a good cop who's on medical leave. Ghost comes into contact with Duncan via a man who claims that Duncan can always be trusted to do the right thing. So the plan is that they work together, in hiding, to expose the cop and then try to figure what to do with the crime family. Of course, plans tend to get disrupted in the best of cases. And with Ghost's trust issues and penchant for lying and most things illegal, and with Duncan's aversion to lying and all things illegal... working together is easier said than done.
If they want to get anywhere, they need to build trust. And that's a very large part of what this book is about. The romance between Ghost and Duncan is very slow going. Ghost has a history of sexual abuse and he and Duncan are very different people. I don't think Duncan would download a song illegally, while Ghost doesn't pay for anything unless he absolutely has to. Reaching a point of compromise is difficult and sex has nothing to do with it.
Yeah, this isn't a "steamy" novel. There are a couple of brief, intimate scenes but that's about it. It's focused on Ghost and Duncan getting to know each other, on Ghost trying to be a better person, and on finding a way to get out of their fucked up, a-lot-of-people-want-to-kill-us situation. And all of that is done really well. Yes, the relationship develops quite slowly but honestly, if it had been faster, it might not have felt as natural as it did. I loved the way things transpired between them, I loved how Ghost's character development was handled, and I enjoyed the suspense aspect of the book, which merged seamlessly with the romance.
Overall, this is a great book and a great way to end what's become one of my favourite series (I just checked, this is the last book). If you haven't read anything by the author, and if romantic suspense is a genre that you like, then you should definitely give her books a try.
Thank you to the publisher for providing me with an early copy in exchange for an honest review.
Rough Trade is probably the last book in this series; we haven't been introduced to any other boys from Woodbury and it ties up all the loose ends. And though it can be read as a standalone, I recommend reading the other two first; not only because they're both great books, but also because they'll increase your enjoyment of this one by slowly building up to Ghost's story.
Ghost was a prostitute. And if he hadn't been in the amount of danger that he is, he still would be a prostitute. But being wanted by a corrupt cop and a Russian crime family's gotta put a damper on your freedom.
Duncan Rook is a good cop who's on medical leave. Ghost comes into contact with Duncan via a man who claims that Duncan can always be trusted to do the right thing. So the plan is that they work together, in hiding, to expose the cop and then try to figure what to do with the crime family. Of course, plans tend to get disrupted in the best of cases. And with Ghost's trust issues and penchant for lying and most things illegal, and with Duncan's aversion to lying and all things illegal... working together is easier said than done.
If they want to get anywhere, they need to build trust. And that's a very large part of what this book is about. The romance between Ghost and Duncan is very slow going. Ghost has a history of sexual abuse and he and Duncan are very different people. I don't think Duncan would download a song illegally, while Ghost doesn't pay for anything unless he absolutely has to. Reaching a point of compromise is difficult and sex has nothing to do with it.
Yeah, this isn't a "steamy" novel. There are a couple of brief, intimate scenes but that's about it. It's focused on Ghost and Duncan getting to know each other, on Ghost trying to be a better person, and on finding a way to get out of their fucked up, a-lot-of-people-want-to-kill-us situation. And all of that is done really well. Yes, the relationship develops quite slowly but honestly, if it had been faster, it might not have felt as natural as it did. I loved the way things transpired between them, I loved how Ghost's character development was handled, and I enjoyed the suspense aspect of the book, which merged seamlessly with the romance.
Overall, this is a great book and a great way to end what's become one of my favourite series (I just checked, this is the last book). If you haven't read anything by the author, and if romantic suspense is a genre that you like, then you should definitely give her books a try.
Thank you to the publisher for providing me with an early copy in exchange for an honest review.
mousie's review
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
michellemoon's review against another edition
5.0
An excellent end to an excellent series. Ghost is so complicated and a wonderful character. So glad I read this.
tinkcourtney's review against another edition
5.0
A fabulous conclusion to the trilogy
While I guess you could read this as a stand-alone, it really builds off the first two. I loved them all, but this was my favorite of the three. I have a soft spot for angry twinks, and Ghost is angry to the point of being feral. I adored him at the same time as my heart broke for him. You get his past in bits and pieces, but it makes it so understandable how he became the way he was.
Duncan is a gentle giant and is PERFECT for Ghost. I liked that things didn’t come easy for them, honestly. I don’t think that would have been realistic under the circumstances. However, it made it that much more special when they did finally get to a good place.
I’ve read all four books by this author in the past few days, and she’s definitely got a place in my favorites. I’ll be anxious to see what she does next.
While I guess you could read this as a stand-alone, it really builds off the first two. I loved them all, but this was my favorite of the three. I have a soft spot for angry twinks, and Ghost is angry to the point of being feral. I adored him at the same time as my heart broke for him. You get his past in bits and pieces, but it makes it so understandable how he became the way he was.
Duncan is a gentle giant and is PERFECT for Ghost. I liked that things didn’t come easy for them, honestly. I don’t think that would have been realistic under the circumstances. However, it made it that much more special when they did finally get to a good place.
I’ve read all four books by this author in the past few days, and she’s definitely got a place in my favorites. I’ll be anxious to see what she does next.
inmyhumbleopinion's review against another edition
5.0
m/m
Ghost hasn’t had it easy and is used to fending for himself but he is in it deep this time and could use a bit of help even if it comes in the form of a cop. Ghost tore me up and spit me out. I fell for Duncan right away and was right there with him wishing that Ghost would want to want more for himself.
I loved this story. It took me a bit to get into it because I hadn’t read the first two books (a situation I plan to remedy quickly) but I was able to follow and make some assumptions as the story progressed. This story will make your heart go pitter pat. You will laugh, cry and sigh.
Ghost hasn’t had it easy and is used to fending for himself but he is in it deep this time and could use a bit of help even if it comes in the form of a cop. Ghost tore me up and spit me out. I fell for Duncan right away and was right there with him wishing that Ghost would want to want more for himself.
I loved this story. It took me a bit to get into it because I hadn’t read the first two books (a situation I plan to remedy quickly) but I was able to follow and make some assumptions as the story progressed. This story will make your heart go pitter pat. You will laugh, cry and sigh.
lucyp21's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.5
This is an ARC I've had for ages and didn't get around to because it was third in the series and so I thought I had to read the first two in the series before reading this. But thankfully it is one of those books which is better if you read it in order but every book is a standalone. I found this a definite surprise, mostly because the focus was definitely on the thriller/suspense plot and the romance was more of a subplot.
This book is around a cop on medical leave (after something went drastically wrong at work) who is called in to help a friend with a favour. A sex worker is escaping from the dirty cop and the criminal gang leader he was stuck between and needs somewhere to hide out and plan his next move. Ghost and Duncan meet each other.
This was a far more suspenseful/thriller book than I thought it was going to be and there was a lot more focus on that plot than I thought there was going to be. There was no perfect ending for everyone and there was a lot of conflict between Duncan and Ghost as they want to handle it in different ways, both of them coming at it from different POVs. I loved the conflict as well as the growing romance between the two, as they have to deal with their different pasts but also how they came to be in the situation in the first place. I appreciated the dedication given to Ghost's trauma and the betrayal Duncan experienced and how it impacted them going forward.
This book was just a complete surprise to me and I found I loved it more than I thought I would. This is third in the series but can be read as a standalone, though now I want to read the others in the series and more by this author.
4.5 stars!
shemi's review against another edition
4.0
Very well written and the plot was done exquisitely in terms of the complicated and sensitive subject matter and characters. The age gap seemed a little crazy, I had a little bit of a hard time reconciling that, but otherwise very enjoyable read.
haletostilinski1's review against another edition
5.0
5 MASSIVE stars!
Wow.
I've been waiting for for Ghost's story since the first book of this series and it didn't disappoint at all. What an amazing ride this book takes you on.
This book starts off with a few flashbacks with Ghost, including how he met what's-his-face, the dirty cop, Benjamin something - SPRATT! Right, him. But back in present day it starts off basically where the second book left off.
Ghost is on the run with the old retired cop, and he's taking Ghost to stay with Duncan Rook, a good man if not a good cop, to help protect him from Spratt and Mama.
But when things go awry, Ghost is left injured and dependent on Duncan to help protect him. Not that Ghost can't take care of himself, but not even Ghost can take on all of Spratt's men himself.
What follows is these two on the run, and a pretty awesome slow burn.
See, Ghost has had a pretty shitty life, and he was and anything to do with romance or sex is all an act for Ghost, because he doesn't actually like it or want it. But it does give him control he got taken away from him as a kid - control in that HE got to choose what he did with his body.
And Duncan, he really is a good man, and when Ghost tries to pull his hooker moves on him - all an act, but a way of control - Duncan isn't having it, especially when Ghost goes into a fugue state, basically a doll, protecting himself from what is happening. Duncan isn't a rapist, and he won't do anything with Ghost unless Ghost actually wants something too.
So in the weeks they're on the run from Spratt - and Mama too, really - they get to know each other, and there's just something about Duncan that gets to Ghost. Maybe how he's probably the first one to treat Ghost with respect and decency when it comes to sex. There's Tobias and Church, but they're his friends, and there's nothing sexual or romantic there. But Duncan is attracted to Ghost, and yet he still refuses to do anything Ghost doesn't want to do. It surprise Ghost and makes him off balance.
And maybe as well, it's just how damn truthful Duncan is. He's an honest, good man at his core and he doesn't take Ghost's bullshit - he sees it for the bullshit it is and calls him out on it - and he admits to being attracted to Ghost when most probably would have lied. It's obvious he wants Ghost, but he doesn't take advantage of Ghost's apparent willingness, because he can see it for what it is. He tells Ghost he's not a good person, when most would lie and say he is. But then he also says Ghost CAN be a good person. He doesn't say it's hopeless either, that Ghost can't make different choices.
He's also good at keeping emotion out of his voice, which makes him hard for Ghost to read, and that only frustrates him more.
But they also make each other laugh, and smile when they both so rarely do.
They watch old movies together and end up eventually cuddling, kind of, in bed. It's a thing they start to do, and it brings them both comfort, but especially Ghost.
I will say that, once Spratt and Mama are dealt with, it almost felt too easy - or well, over with quickly. But it felt authentic and real and not drawn out for drama's sake, or shortened because the author didn't know what to do. More that they were ended in the most realistic way possible, and sometimes that isn't in a long, drawn out way.
There is some smut, but not a lot. Don't expect much - and no penetrative sex - but there is still some, mostly at the end. But given Ghost's past and how he never even really wanted sex until Duncan, it makes sense that it took him time to get to a place that he'd be comfortable doing sexual things and wanting them, and being ready for them. I like to think that Ghost and Duncan got to penetrative sex eventually and it was awesome and beautiful, just like when they do get to smutty things, it's not just about the sex. It's about their feelings for each other, and how safe Duncan makes Ghost feel, and how much Ghost actually wants it when he's with Duncan.
I love where Ghost ends up by the end of this. Not only was getting his perspective awesome and amazing, but seeing where he ends up versus where he started out? Simply beautiful. Ghost actually chooses, at one point, to start going to therapy, and it helps him SO much. I was so proud of Ghost when he decided to go, because he so desperately needed it.
Also where Ghost and Duncan start out and where they end? Just as beautiful. Let's just say they start out with Ghost threatening to stab Duncan or somewhere along those lines if he got close to him, and by the end there is love - real, raw, honest love.
This is 350 pages of awesomeness, of getting to go on a journey with Ghost, who starts out this book - this series - so broken by what life has thrown at him, and getting to a happier, healthier place by the end of it. Never "fixed" or "cured" but better. Healing.
The ending made me so freaking happy, and the epilogue was just perfect for these two. I would have liked a little more with them in the epilogue, but in a way it was perfect for Ghost, who got closure in the best way, and had Duncan at his side in the end. And really, in the end Duncan, Tobias, and Church (and maybe their boyfriends...on occasion) is all Ghost needs and wants in life. They're his family.
All I can really say without given everything away is...yeah, read this. A lot of us were waiting for Ghost's story, and it was everything and more than I could have asked for. And maybe...maybe I'm just greedy, but a little short with just tad more of Ghost and Duncan wouldn't be asking for too much, would it? No? Darn ;)
Also, P.S. at the very end we find out what I assume is Ghost's real, legal name. :O I'll always think of him as Ghost, but it's super cool to know his real name, too.
Two massive, MASSIVE thumbs up - this is the best in the series, in my opinion. And my second favorite Sidney Bell story. Such a beautiful, amazing story, I loved it to pieces. I can't sing it's praises enough.
Highly, HIGHLY recommend!
***ARC generously provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review***
Wow.
I've been waiting for for Ghost's story since the first book of this series and it didn't disappoint at all. What an amazing ride this book takes you on.
This book starts off with a few flashbacks with Ghost, including how he met what's-his-face, the dirty cop, Benjamin something - SPRATT! Right, him. But back in present day it starts off basically where the second book left off.
Ghost is on the run with the old retired cop, and he's taking Ghost to stay with Duncan Rook, a good man if not a good cop, to help protect him from Spratt and Mama.
But when things go awry, Ghost is left injured and dependent on Duncan to help protect him. Not that Ghost can't take care of himself, but not even Ghost can take on all of Spratt's men himself.
What follows is these two on the run, and a pretty awesome slow burn.
See, Ghost has had a pretty shitty life, and he was
Spoiler
sexually abused (although I don't know if this is much of a spoiler, but just in case) when he was youngAnd Duncan, he really is a good man, and when Ghost tries to pull his hooker moves on him - all an act, but a way of control - Duncan isn't having it, especially when Ghost goes into a fugue state, basically a doll, protecting himself from what is happening. Duncan isn't a rapist, and he won't do anything with Ghost unless Ghost actually wants something too.
So in the weeks they're on the run from Spratt - and Mama too, really - they get to know each other, and there's just something about Duncan that gets to Ghost. Maybe how he's probably the first one to treat Ghost with respect and decency when it comes to sex. There's Tobias and Church, but they're his friends, and there's nothing sexual or romantic there. But Duncan is attracted to Ghost, and yet he still refuses to do anything Ghost doesn't want to do. It surprise Ghost and makes him off balance.
And maybe as well, it's just how damn truthful Duncan is. He's an honest, good man at his core and he doesn't take Ghost's bullshit - he sees it for the bullshit it is and calls him out on it - and he admits to being attracted to Ghost when most probably would have lied. It's obvious he wants Ghost, but he doesn't take advantage of Ghost's apparent willingness, because he can see it for what it is. He tells Ghost he's not a good person, when most would lie and say he is. But then he also says Ghost CAN be a good person. He doesn't say it's hopeless either, that Ghost can't make different choices.
He's also good at keeping emotion out of his voice, which makes him hard for Ghost to read, and that only frustrates him more.
But they also make each other laugh, and smile when they both so rarely do.
They watch old movies together and end up eventually cuddling, kind of, in bed. It's a thing they start to do, and it brings them both comfort, but especially Ghost.
I will say that, once Spratt and Mama are dealt with, it almost felt too easy - or well, over with quickly. But it felt authentic and real and not drawn out for drama's sake, or shortened because the author didn't know what to do. More that they were ended in the most realistic way possible, and sometimes that isn't in a long, drawn out way.
There is some smut, but not a lot. Don't expect much - and no penetrative sex - but there is still some, mostly at the end. But given Ghost's past and how he never even really wanted sex until Duncan, it makes sense that it took him time to get to a place that he'd be comfortable doing sexual things and wanting them, and being ready for them. I like to think that Ghost and Duncan got to penetrative sex eventually and it was awesome and beautiful, just like when they do get to smutty things, it's not just about the sex. It's about their feelings for each other, and how safe Duncan makes Ghost feel, and how much Ghost actually wants it when he's with Duncan.
I love where Ghost ends up by the end of this. Not only was getting his perspective awesome and amazing, but seeing where he ends up versus where he started out? Simply beautiful. Ghost actually chooses, at one point, to start going to therapy, and it helps him SO much. I was so proud of Ghost when he decided to go, because he so desperately needed it.
Also where Ghost and Duncan start out and where they end? Just as beautiful. Let's just say they start out with Ghost threatening to stab Duncan or somewhere along those lines if he got close to him, and by the end there is love - real, raw, honest love.
This is 350 pages of awesomeness, of getting to go on a journey with Ghost, who starts out this book - this series - so broken by what life has thrown at him, and getting to a happier, healthier place by the end of it. Never "fixed" or "cured" but better. Healing.
The ending made me so freaking happy, and the epilogue was just perfect for these two. I would have liked a little more with them in the epilogue, but in a way it was perfect for Ghost, who got closure in the best way, and had Duncan at his side in the end. And really, in the end Duncan, Tobias, and Church (and maybe their boyfriends...on occasion) is all Ghost needs and wants in life. They're his family.
All I can really say without given everything away is...yeah, read this. A lot of us were waiting for Ghost's story, and it was everything and more than I could have asked for. And maybe...maybe I'm just greedy, but a little short with just tad more of Ghost and Duncan wouldn't be asking for too much, would it? No? Darn ;)
Also, P.S. at the very end we find out what I assume is Ghost's real, legal name. :O I'll always think of him as Ghost, but it's super cool to know his real name, too.
Two massive, MASSIVE thumbs up - this is the best in the series, in my opinion. And my second favorite Sidney Bell story. Such a beautiful, amazing story, I loved it to pieces. I can't sing it's praises enough.
Highly, HIGHLY recommend!
***ARC generously provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review***
loishojmark's review against another edition
4.0
4.5 stars
This was definitely the best book in the series. It was both lovely and heartbreaking to read Ghost's story.
This was definitely the best book in the series. It was both lovely and heartbreaking to read Ghost's story.