Book Reviews

Book Blurb

Family. Christmas. Old ghosts. Or comfort, joy and new beginnings? 

 

When it comes to the holidays, Jack and Gareth are poles apart.

 

Just the prospect of a big celebration brings Jack sleepless nights and painful memories. Add two rescued teenagers, an upcoming trial, and an unexpected discovery, and Jack is convinced he’ll screw up his second chance with Gareth.

 

Because Gareth loves the holidays. For him, they’re all about new beginnings and family he's chosen for himself, while Jack’s past has only taught him to fight and protect.

 

Jack wants Gareth, the boys, a new life. He just never guessed that the fight for what he always wanted would rage in the most dangerous of battlefields: his own mind.

 

 

First edition published by Dreamspinner Press, February 2016.

 

Book Review

‘Ghosts’ continues the story of Jack’s journey from an uncertain and brutal past to a more or less settled life with Gareth, who is not just his new boss at Nancarrow Mining, but also his lover. It is set right after the breathtakingly intense and suspenseful events of ‘Job Hunt’, the first book in this series and one you have to read before this one. So much so, that I have to issue a spoiler alert for this review for anyone who has not yet read ‘Job Hunt’. The focus in this installment is on some of the loose ends from book one, specifically teenagers Nico and Daniel, the two boys Jack rescued from the pimp who made their lives hell. Gareth’s mother may be their foster mother, but their attachment to Jack is significant. And just as good is the fact that this novella gave me another glimpse at the ever-developing relationship between Jack and Gareth. I enjoyed seeing them handle stress, the winter holiday season, and even Valentine’s Day in a much more secure way now that they are more of a couple.

Jack has not had a nice Christmas since he was a small kid, in fact a lot of bad changes - like his mother selling him to her pimp when he was eleven, or almost losing Gareth when they served in the Army seven years before they met again - took place around Christmas. So it is not surprising that Jack doesn’t look forward to Christmas – despite Gareth’s epic cooking and baking skills, and despite an opportunity to spend more time with Daniel and Nico. Jack is still not confident about what he and Gareth mean to each other and if their relationship is meant to last. Added to the demons and ghosts from the past, Jack has his hands full dealing with everything. Finding Daniel’s parents, who sold him into slavery, is not something Jack expects to help him. But, as difficult as it is to deal with, it also provides him and both boys with an opportunity for some real healing.
 
Gareth is all about the nurturing, and Christmas is a favorite time of year for him. He gets along well with his biological family, but he has also added quite a few people over the years. For him, it is “the more the merrier”, and he firmly believes seeing them happy together will help Jack heal as well. Gareth also has some other ideas up his sleeve, and he has his hands full between making love to Jack and ensuring Jack finally begins to trust that his place at Gareth’s side is exactly where he is supposed to be. Not that Gareth would want it any other way.

If you want to see how Jack and Gareth are doing now that they are a couple, if you are wondering what becomes of Daniel and Nico, and if you’re looking for a read that shows a loving family in the making, then you will probably like this novella as much as I did. It may not be as suspenseful or cloak-and-dagger-y as the first volume in the series, but the intensity of emotions and character growth were just as satisfying for me.

 

 

 

 

DISCLAIMER: Books reviewed on this site were usually provided at no cost by the publisher or author. This book has been provided by the publisher for the purpose of a review.

Additional Information

Format	ebook
Length	Novella, 124 pages
Heat Level
Publication Date	29-January-2020
Price	$3.99 ebook
Buy Link	https://www.amazon.com/Ghosts-Power-Zero-Book-2-ebook/dp/B083KJYN1X