Ghostly Game is a truly fantastic and wildly wicked tale. The author masterfully weaves together a hauntingly captivating plot that will keep me on the edge of my seat. I was drawn into a world of supernatural intrigue and suspense.

A new emotionally intense entry from veteran author Ms. Feehan in her Ghost Walker series.
Gideon Eagle Carpenter is healing from injuries sustained in a recent engagement. His rooftop is his only escape and relief when he hears laughter that seems to lighten his darkness and finds her the other half of his life working in a nearby bar. 
Laurel Rory Chappel is a nomad, she doesn't remember much of her childhood, makes not friends and continues to move from place to place like a rolling stone. But at her most recent stop in San Francisco where she's tending bar she seems to have made friends and is reluctant to move on. 
When Gideon begins a slow courtship, she finds a kindred spirit and is pulled still closer to putting down roots for the first time.  Then it seems like all hell breaks loose and a murder in the safe apartment complex where she lives sets a chain of events that can bring no good. Confronted with the truths that Gideon shares with her about her possible past as one of the orphans that Whitney experimented on, she wants to cut and run. 
This is a nice slow burn romance that is more traditional than some of Ms. Feehan's fast paced, highly erotic books and is quite enjoyable.

Rory and Gideon meet while she's working as a bartender in a pub. She keeps to herself, doesn't go out with anyone and has a few close friends she hangs out with. Gideon is a GhostWalker, these people have psychic abilities and have been enhanced with other abilities so they can go on special assignments, but he's also a really nice guy. When they first meet, Gideon is still recovering from some gunshot wounds he got while on a mission and Rory can tell he's in pain but she figures he's been in a car accident or something. These two start talking after Gideon comes to the pub she works at and he asks her out and surprisingly she says yes.

Rory hasn't been getting close to a lot of people and doesn't lay down ties for too long. Once she gets bored in a place or feels the need to move on, she does. She's been moving from place to place for years. But the place she's in now almost feels like home to her. She likes her job, her friends and feels good where she's at.

When Rory realizes that she feels safe with Gideon and they seem to like some of the same things, she agrees to go on another date but Gideon's teammates show up and let him know she might be in danger, which puts him on edge. Gideon is a GhostWalker and so is his team mates. He had a rough childhood but now he and his team help people. Rory doesn't seem like a GhostWalker but because he's so instantly attracted to her and they seem to click together so fast, he's wary that she either is a spy or doesn't know she's a GhostWalker.

When it looks like someone is after Rory, Gideon and his team investigate it and find out who is putting her in danger. Secrets start to unravel and come to light. I didn't guess who the bad guys were until it was revealed so it was a surprise to me which was great. I felt bad for Rory as things started to make more sense and the secrets were revealed. But Gideon and his team were right there with her to help which was great. I've loved this series but I think this book is actually one of my favorites so far. Gideon and Rory's romance was a slow burn even though they felt an instant attraction, they took things slow because neither one of them trusted that the other was as good as they seemed. This was great fun.

Disclosure: I was sent an e-ARC of this book via NetGalley but all thoughts and opinions are my own.

This review may contain spoilers, so fair warning, upon reading the review.

Introduction
Ghostly Game is book 19 in the Ghostwalker series. And in this book we get taken back to the streets of San Francisco in California but we also get something a bit different than I was expected. This is more moderate paced in comparison to the other books in the series I feel like. It felt closer to solving a mystery than lots of action packed scenes that we are used to with this series. I found it to be a fascinating story, even if I had a few issues, but it was still a solid Christine Feehan book that delivered in aspects that we are used to from this author. I really loved the build up of the romance and character development was on point.

Summary
Gideon "Eagle" is slowly recovering from an injury protecting one of his closest friends. But he is drawn to a woman's laughter that intrigues him, a voice that speaks of song and passion. And he is determined to find her and why she intrigues him so much. Laurel "Rory" has always been a bit of a lone wolf, on the run, struggling with her Asthma, and having trust issues. But now she is settled in California, and has made some strong female friends. And when she meets Gideon, she knows that there is something that she can trust about him. But there are secrets in her past, and their instincts may cause some hurt in the relationship and their love will be tested in ways neither expect...

My Outlook
Ghostly Game is a solid installment of the series. I personally have really enjoyed the series but it can be a hit or miss sometimes. Don't get me wrong, Christine Feehan, is QUEEN!! But I ocassionally have a hard time connecting to the books in this series especially. But from the very beginning of this one I was completely fascinated by this one here. And I just loved the instant connection between Gideon and Rory. It was so on point. I also loved seeing them connect in such a trusting way. We also get to see the friendships on both sides. I loved returning to the Ghostwalkers in San Francisco, they are such a fun group to see together.

I really enjoyed the romance as a whole, the way in which Gideon and Rory connect was so charming and achingly sweet. Rarely are they this sweet in this series, but it was so beautifully captured in only the ways that Feehan can do it. But I think my issue was the conflict that rises in the relationship. I just didn't care for how long it was dragged out to be honest. I also felt like the heroine was making a mountain out of a molehill. I did enjoy seeing her background come to the light though and the realization of who she really is and how she connects to the original girls captured by Dr. Whitney so fascinating. The ending was satisfying though and left me content and happy. Definitely eager to see what she delivers for the next installment.

Overall View
I found Ghostly Game to be an poignant and full of charm romance that keeps you on the edge but also captures the sweetness of the heart!

Rating Evaluation:
Plot: 4
World Building: 4
Cover: 5
Hero: 5
Heroine: 3.5
Steam: 3
Heart & Feels: 3.5
Ending: 4
Overall View: 4

Will be posted to my blog in a few days!

How many female orphans were experimented on? I thought there were about a dozen or so but we are now on book 19 so, maybe more like twenty something? This latest one is a sad one. Well, all of them are sad, are they not? This one is interesting how Ms. Feehan approaches it because our main character, Laurel is completely clueless about her background. She doesn't know she is a GhostWalker. This book can be read as a standalone.

On the surface, Laurel aka Rory is a typical female in the States. The States is becoming less focused on family, unity and community and more on the individual. To be single and away from a family was unusual even 30 years ago. Now, families are spreading out, losing contact, or breaking away at the slightest hint of offense. For Rory, it is difficult for her to explain it because she does not have much memory of her life. When it is revealed why her memory is missing and how it was locked away, I'm blinking in disbelief. Not so much that I find it incredulous. More that I cannot fathom the type of willpower and survival instinct Rory possesses. She is incredible. In a world filled with victims and whining, Rory is a breath of fresh air. She is a survivor and she fixes the issues at hand.

Coming across Gideon is not only fortuitous, but an anchor point that Rory didn't even know she wanted or needed. It is almost like a sleeping beauty story in the sense that Rory's been asleep at the wheel, moving every few months. She goes through the motions of living yet never fully participates. Gideon pulls her into the present and things she never thought about or wanted suddenly become important. Their interactions are unique and I thoroughly enjoyed their idiosyncrasies. The little birds singing to each other thrilled me.

This is a lovely romance with heartache tempered with hope. Recommended to hopeless romantics who love fated mate themes.

GhostWalker Gideon Carpenter has been off duty healing from a near fatal injury. While meditating on his rooftop San Francisco four story bay dwelling, he hears a voice that is music to his battered soul. Gideon is very close to being overwhelmed by in his inner darkness and perceived sins until that voice of an angel sounds in the night. Gideon’s super soldier enhancements come from the raptor family so he uses them to find that elusive resonance of laughter knowing it is not too far away.

Laurel Chappel, known as Rory, has only recently come to San Francisco after spending most of her life traveling from place to place never staying long or making real commitments to any kind of relationship with other people. Rory has a debilitating asthma condition that makes her feel undeserving to find someone to commit to or even look for love and companionship. Once Rory meets Gideon, she is strongly compelled to give this rough and possibly dangerous man a chance despite her misgivings. She cannot seem to stay away from nor can Gideon do the same.

Gideon is convinced Rory is his paired mate although she does not remember anything about the program where the evil Dr. Whitney experimented on children and soldiers in a very cruel way. Gideon wants a relationship with Rory; however, he has always protected his street and GhostWalker family, and doing so puts his chances to be with Rory at risk.

Rory seems to have finally found a place worth staying not only because of Gideon, but women in her apartment building with whom she had made close friends for the first time in her life. Unfortunately, some bad actors live in their building drawing the women into a deadly game. Gideon and Rory hit several bumps in the efforts to be a couple especially when she feels he had made others a priority.

At number nineteen in the GhostWalker series, readers will know what to expect from the men and women of that program as well the results of Whitney’s often heinous experimenting. In this story, Rory and Gideon have a particularly difficult time staying in a relationship because of circumstance and his mistakes causing Rory a lot of pain. Gideon is determined to rectify his mistakes no matter the cost.

This book was unlike most of Feehan's books. It focused on the emotional instead of the physical, and honestly, I can appreciate that. There is a suspense aspect that brings some interest to me, but otherwise, this book develops well and brings us along for the ride. I liked the development, the spice when it was there and the steadily built tension between the two characters. Great job Feehan!

Ghostly Game left me gasping for breath and dying for another hit of the passion and fierceness that Feehan's characters are known for. Nothing could have prepared me for the truly fantastic and wildly wicked story that I found myself diving into. There was no shortage of danger, longing, and growth within the pages of this incredible story. It was everything that I have come to expect from a book written by Feehan and and then so much more. It is the heart of the Universe wrapped in hope and tied with boundless love.

Rory has come to accept her life over the years. She has one path set before her, and she is grateful for each kind person she finds and each place that welcomes her. She couldn't ask for more without being utterly selfish. When Fate beckons her to San Francisco, she finds unexpected treasures beyond measure along with something dark and sinister hidden in the shadows. Gideon has just received nothing short of a miracle. He has been given another day to draw breath, and he will not take that for granted. In fact, this amazing day has lead to another miracle that would truly save his life for good. What he doesn't expect is that he will be forced to fight tooth and nail in order to keep his unexpected miracle. Can these two beautiful and beaten down souls find a way to each other, or will danger and mistakes keep them apart forever?

No one would have ever matched Rory to Gideon. They are so very different, and yet at their core they are mirror images. Gideon just hides his protective heart of gold under layers of gruff and silent stoicism. He is truly the heart of his team, and Rory refuses to let another day go by without him being taken care of and watched over. She awakens his heart and understands him like no one else ever could, and he he will move Heaven and Earth to keep her safe and by his side. While Rory may be new to relationships, she is old hat at doing what she can to help and protect those around her. It is that helpful spirit that draws people to her and makes the sun shine just a little longer in the otherwise bleak and cold world.

Christine Feehan has once again obliterated my heart and then methodically and meticulously recreated it into something that I don't recognize but truly love. She is a wonderfully fascinating author, and a spectacular woman of deep feelings and overflowing love. I will always treasure the words and the heart that she leaves within each of her incredible works of love. Nothing lifts my heart more then indulging in one of her wild and imaginative stories!

Yes! Absolutely loved this one! Pulled me in yanked on my heart strings, gave me suspense, romance and limited (to the end actually) the complete intimacy scene. There is intimacy woven throughout the book in a more romantic aspect - which if you have read my reviews, know that is my preference. In Ghostly game, besides our Ghost Walker Gideon and Laurel (aka Rory) you meet friends, friends who are not Ghost Walkers and this just opened the world. You are not just enveloped in a Ghost Walker world and evil. This expanded it and IMHO made it even more enjoyable. I want to know more of them all. We also connected with Mack , Kane and Rose and more. This book just had it all for me. Caught me in the first page and did not let go. I read it in one sitting and completed at 2:30 on a Sunday morning. Gideon was one of my favorite Ghost Walkers so far and as he was recovering from near death his strength and care for all encompassed me. Rory was empathetic to all, never wanted harm and did her best to help. She was strength, compassion and had an awesome Ghost Walker skill, This book just knocked it out of the park for me. Thank you for the arc! I freely volunteer my thoughts and opinions. #ghostlygame #ghostwalkers #Christinafeehan #berkley #netgalley

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.

Ghostly Games the next book for the Ghostwalker series is not to be missed. I swear each book gets better and better! Christine packs so much emotionally charged scenes that have you holding on for the ride. Mystery, action, romance and family. Loved every page!