Review: Ghost

Riveting, kinky and seductive, Ghost will whisk a reader into a world of sexy supernaturals @CandaceBlevins
Ghost by Candace Blevins
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Ghost is known for his stealthy silent ways. What his brothers do not know is how he slid so quietly and quickly from a beloved step-sister and step-mother at his father's command. Darius aka Ghost is now in Chattanooga RTMC chapter. He has a good life. He owns a nice home, works a great job and is surrounded by his brothers. There are the sweet-butts used when he needs a warm and willing hole, but other than that, life is just on cruise control. This is until he makes a stop at the RTMC's whore house to check up on things. The last thing he expects is to see his step-sister Hailey looking anorexic, trashy dyed red hair, cheap clothing and heavy whore make up. He immediately pulls her out of the whore house and to the safety of his home.

The hypocrisy the males in a motorcycle club use upon females in this world is just frustrating. Their double standards are annoying and I just want to smack them all upside the heads on this one. They may be "noble" and "loyal" but only in their specific rules to their specific male members. Screw the females... literally and figuratively. As a good friend reminded me, these males are supposed to be pigs. They are anti-heroes for a reason. It is always a nice surprise when an author can turn it around and I do not see red and want to throttle these MC thugs. Oh, sorry, MC anti-heroes. *snerk* As thugs anti-heroes go, Ghost is actually better than most. He isn't a horn dog nor is he one to treat whores poorly. I liked this about him. I also liked how logical he can be. He is protective without being overbearing. He is supportive and loving without a whole bunch of baggage. Sure his mother is incarcerated and his father is a career military man, but his experiences did not make him crazy like some of this other brothers... like Gonzo.

The conflicts in this story come in many fronts. I am a bit surprised where this story ended up going. It feels like a departure from the RTMC focus which is fine. The first half of the book takes a look into the territory wars between four different criminal factions. There are two gangs which report into a "head" guy for the cartel and then there are the RTMC. Of the lessor evils, it is clear the RTMC are the ones who come out ahead, only because they don't peddle drugs and they don't kill children. The story works well as it sets up how Ghost and Hailey become more intimate and their step-sibling relationship morphs into sexy times with spankings and anal sex! WOOHOO! ANAL ANAL ANAL!

The sex in here is actually rather tame. No deviant behaviours. No nasty dirty depraved orgies in detail. I'm a little put out with the lack of sexy time. The hints of what could happen for payment, now that is what has my body revving and jonesing for a hit - literally and figuratively. There is a possibility that one character must pay in blood to a vampire and not through the usual "I vant to suck your blood... mowhahahahha" way. Instead it is by being tied up and whipped to the blood and having the dripping blood licked off by said vampire. Woah, is it hot in here? Or is it just me? Because that immediately sent my heart racing and my pussy a quivering. There is no lasting damage or scarring from this. It is only twenty to thirty minutes of exquisite restraint whilst suffering through an ecstasy of sharp lines of pain. Then to be licked, nibbled and sucked clean ... can we possibly thrown in a little bit of sex here too? That would send me over the moon. Unfortunately, for those panting for this scene... it does NOT EXIST. Not sure what Ms. Blevins is trying to pull here, but she is seriously going for first place as champion cock tease. The possible kinky erotic scenes are all hints with a wink wink, nudge nudge and no follow through. Did I mention I neared got blue balls reading this story? The BDSM in here is very light with spankings and some erotic power exchange. The D/s between Ghost and Hailey is almost close to what I consider domestic discipline. Since that is one of my kinks, my voracious appetite for kink was mildly appeased.

Sex aside, this book felt more like a set up for the major show down in the other series that ties this universe together. This big show down of the supernaturals better be huge because it is being built it way high at this point. Why? Because the second half of the book really focuses on Hailey and what she becomes. It is a turn in the journey that I did not expect and I'm not sure if I like it. I mean, I like what Hailey becomes and the whole control thing doesn't go down to the level of details for Brianna in Careful what you ask for. I understand why Hailey had to go through what she did and all the threads are nicely tied back together. The focus off of Ghost to Hailey left me mixed because it felt as if Ghost became a bit marginalized. And perhaps that is what Ms. Blevins meant to do because Ghost certainly acted upon it in this manner. The past reveals and the conclusion left me a bit bereft. The planning for what happens after because of a change to one's abilities makes me a bit sad. I like this about Ms. Blevins' stories because it is rare that her characters will get their cake and eat it too. This is not to say there is not a happily ever after in this story. There is, because it is where she ended the story. This erotic paranormal romance is recommended to readers who enjoy a rich story with admirable characters even when you want to hate them. This story can be read as a standalone but it is not recommended in this manner. Read all the books in order to fully understand all the different characters and enjoy the nuances of their sometimes dysfunctional interactions.

*I received an advanced copy