Code Name: Ghost (Jameson Force Security, Book #5)
Sawyer Bennett
Release Date: June 30, 2020
Synopsis:
I knew the risks of this job when I signed on with Jameson Force Security. Knew my time as a marine would prepare me for the danger I would face. But no amount of training could have ever prepared me for the helplessness of watching my teammates die, the agonizing mental and physical pain of torture, or the despair of captivity.
Returning home to Pittsburgh following a mission gone wrong, I am riddled with guilt and haunted by nightmares. I spend my days trying to regain the parts of myself I lost in that desert, the pieces that made me the Malik Fournier I once was. While the physical effects of my torture are fading, the emotional ones are proving much more stubborn and I find solace from the last person I should ever seek such comfort.
Anna Tate lost even more than I did in that mission. Now a widow and a single mom to the daughter she gave birth to shortly after her husband’s death, Anna offers me comfort I don’t deserve. As my feelings for Anna grow, I worry that once she learns the truth about what happened, she’ll turn her back on me.
I pull her to me just as tightly as I push her away. Hoping this forbidden love will save me from the ghost I’ve become.
4 stars
Review by Trinette Dungee
Code Name: Ghost, or should I say Malik’s story has to be one of my most anticipated reads. Not of 2020, but in general. From the moment Malik Fournier was mentioned I was curious about him I can remember if it was Max or Lucas’ story. It may have even been during Van which is the story with their sister Simone. If I remember correctly one of them mentioned him while describing their family and because he was the brother who wasn’t a hockey player like the other brothers and was a military man, I wanted to know more about him but didn’t think it would happen because, well he didn’t play hockey. I couldn’t imagine how he’d have a story. Then Sawyer worked her magic and gave Malik his own story by making him a part of Jameson Security.
I hardly ever read details about a book when I’m reading a series. I like to know who the book will be about, but I don’t really want details. I went into Malik very blind, all I knew was he was Max and Lucas’ brother, he was ex-military, and he has been captured and he is now a prisoner. That’s all I needed. To be completely honest, I wasn’t even sure who the female heroine was going to be. I had no idea what to expect from Malik, so I definitely had no expectation of his love interest. I initially thought, he’d have to end up in therapy so maybe it would be his therapist, but that would be too much like Tacker. When I realized it was his fallen comrade, Jimmy’s wife, I was a little leery. A recently rescued prisoner and an emotional widow, yeah this was going to be messy.
I was completely shocked at both Malik’s and Anna’s characters. Malik was not the broken, torn down, angry man I thought he might be. He was adjusted, he was pleasant, he was personable, he was funny, he was likable so likable. Anna, she was just a surprising to me. She wasn’t a grieving, non-functioning widow who also happens to be a single mom. She was feisty, she was strong, she was determined. She handled her business and she was also very likable.
Although Malik was well adjusted, there were still issues he needed to resolve. His unexpected attraction to Anna is something he needs to work his way through and he’s also dealing with the fact that he blames himself for Jimmy’s death. While Anna has moved on with her life there is the part of her that will always love Jimmy, but Malik has awakened feelings in her that she didn’t expect to feel again so soon and feelings that she’d never experienced before Malik. This was a fast-moving story for Malik and Anna. In a matter of weeks of his return Malik finds himself knee deep in a relationship with the person he believes is the last person he should have feelings for.
I loved both characters, but I was surprised how much I really enjoyed Anna. What I really like about her was her relationship with Cage. It was an easy relationship that was very much like the brother she never had. Speaking of Cage, this book included quite of bit of Cage but nothing that took away from Malik and Anna. Cage’s story is coming up and it’s shaping up to be quite interesting.
I’m kind of sad at Malik’s story because I’ve wanted it for so long and now it’s over. Often when you wait so long for something you tend to be a little disappoint. It’s like you build up the possibilities so much that the actual product doesn’t live up to the expectation. That was not the case with Ghost. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I would like to see more scenes with Malik and his siblings and see him have more interaction with Avery, Anna’s daughter; but other than that, this was perfect.
Oh, what I found most interesting:
The file in my hands reads, “Code Name: Hacker,” on the tab. Frowning I say aloud, “Code Name: Hacker?” Anna grins, “I sort of named all the cases to keep them straight in my name.
So that’s where those titles come from…I’ve always wondered.
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Print | Audible (narrated by Aaron Shedlock and Virginia Rose)
About the Author:
New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal Bestselling author Sawyer Bennett uses real life experience to create relatable stories that appeal to a wide array of readers. From contemporary romance, fantasy romance, and both women’s and general fiction, Sawyer writes something for just about everyone.
A former trial lawyer from North Carolina, when she is not bringing fiction to life, Sawyer is a chauffeur, stylist, chef, maid, and personal assistant to her very adorable daughter, as well as full-time servant to her wonderfully naughty dogs.
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