Title: Somebody to Die For

Series: Dreamspun Beyond 27 / Requiem Inc. 03

Author: Kris Bethke

Genre: Paranormal

Length: Novel (218 pages)

Publisher: Dreamspinner Press (4th September 2018)

Heat Level: Moderate

Heart Rating: 💖💖💖💖 4 Hearts

Blurb: Dying is easy. New love is terrifying.

Avery Wagner quit ghostwalking when he lost his beloved anchor to cancer. Now teaching others who have the ability, he’s beginning to live again—but he’s not looking for another lover, not now, maybe not ever.

But then he meets Jameson… younger, talented, dedicated, almost perfect, even though his mouth sometimes opens ahead of his brain. And Jameson wants Avery desperately, though he’ll settle for friendship if he can’t have more.

When an emergency demands they work together in the field, Avery discovers just how perfect Jameson is. But he had a perfect love once before, and he’s scared to even consider that he might have a chance at another. Can he trust Jameson with his newly healing heart?

ISBN: 978-1-64080-537-8

Product Link: Dreamspinner | Amazon US | Amazon UK

Reviewer: Prime

Review: Somebody to Die For is the third book in Kris Bethke’s Requiem series. I think it’s fair to say that Kris Bethke is a new author that I’d love to read again after going reading three of her novel’s one after the other. I loved the first book and adored the second book. While I would have to say that the second book in the series, Lost Souls Found, was my favorite book, I also loved Somebody to Die For.

The concept of the series is different to what I’ve read in the past. There is a special group of people that work for a company called Requiem Inc. It’s not an ordinary company in that the people are charged solely to ensure that spirits are at peace and do not become malicious entities. There are people, Ghostwalkers, with a special gene which means they can die and come back to life, their body heals with some Wolverine type accelerated healing and as a result they can live up to a couple centuries. Then there are another group of people which have a gene which makes them, essentially, the perfect care giver, called anchors. Each ghostwalker needs to be paired with an anchor so that they can go through the trauma of being killed, helping dead spirits who are usually traumatized, coming back to life, living and doing it all over again.

We met Avery and Jameson in book two, through the eyes of Michael King, the boss of this branch of Requim. Avery Wagner is a broken man. He lost his anchor, and the love of his life, to cancer and ever since Avery has refused to ghostwalk. His anchor went into the light when he died, and no doubt wanted Avery to be happy, no matter what direction his life took. However, Avery is caught in the past and with his baggage. So much so that he fights the prospect of new love and new life.

Between training and a desperate situation requiring all ghostwalkers on deck, Avery has to start the process of facing his demons, so to speak. After being convinced to help with a new ghostwalker and anchor training program, Avery finds himself drawn to a young ghostwalker, Jameson. Jameson is young and idealistic, but he is also strong in every sense of the word. He knows that in order to get his happily ever after, he has to get Avery to realize that he is allowed to open his heart to love again. And somehow, in between all that, they have to contend with a potentially dangerous situation in the spirit realm.

Fans of the previous books will like this one, although I don’t think it’s absolutely essential to understand the background of the world Bethke has created. This is great for anyone who loves paranormal but open to something a little different. At the heart of it all this is a wonderful second chance romance that has a healthy dose of paranormal happenings in the background.

Title: Lost Souls Found

Series: Dreamspun Beyond 18 / Requiem Inc. 02

Author: Kris Bethke

Genre: Paranormal

Length: Novel (212 pages)

Publisher: Dreamspinner Press (17th April 2018)

Heat Level: Moderate

Heart Rating: 💖💖💖💖💖 5 Hearts

Blurb: Dying is all in a day’s work. Love is more dangerous.

Ghostwalker Sam Jones has been half in love with Michael King since he started working at Requiem Inc. But Michael is his boss and a Guardian, to boot. Sam thinks they could make it work anyway, but Michael uses his position and his age to keep Sam at arm’s length.

When Sam continues to volunteer for the most dangerous cases, Michael has to intervene. He tells himself he’s just doing his job, but he’s always seen Sam as more than another operative, and he can’t bear the thought of not taking his chance. The connection between them has been strong from the beginning, and Michael’s telepathy adds unexpected depth and an edge to their new romance, but working together while they try to build their relationship might be the hardest part of their job if they don’t make some sacrifices.

ISBN: 978-1-64080-453-1

Product Link: Dreamspinner | Amazon US | Amazon UK

Reviewer: Prime

Review: Lost Souls Found is the second book in Kris Bethke’s Requiem Inc. series. After reading the first book in the series, not knowing what to expect and totally satisfied and amazed with what I had got I was really looking forward to more in this series. However, after getting a glimpse into the characters, Sam Jones and his boss Michael King in the first book, which was the romance of Sam’s big brother, I was desperate to get to this one.

The concept of the series is different to what I’ve read in the past. There is a special group of people that work for a company called Requiem Inc. It’s not an ordinary company in that the people are charged solely to ensure that spirits are at peace and do not become malicious entities. There are people, Ghostwalkers, with a special gene which means they can die and come back to life, their body heals with some Wolverine type accelerated healing and as a result they can live up to a couple centuries. Then there are another group of people which have a gene which makes them, essentially, the perfect care giver, called anchors. Each ghostwalker needs to be paired with an anchor so that they can go through the trauma of being killed, helping dead spirits who are usually traumatized, coming back to life, living and doing it all over again.

As I said earlier, I was really excited to read this story because I felt that as secondary characters both Sam and Michael had a lot to say. They had been wonderful compliments to the story, one as the little brother and the other as the boss. Together I knew they were going to be wonderful and I was not disappointed. Sam Jones is a ghostwalker, when it was discovered that his older brother had the ability to be a ghostwalker, he got tested and found out he too could be a ghostwalker. The brothers lost their parents but they still had each other as they became valued members of the largest Requiem team in the country.

Sam has always had a crush on his boss, Michael King. However, Michael forces himself not to give in to any desire that he felt for the younger ghostwalker. He’s a natural anchor, but being the boss for their branch of Requiem, means that Michael oversees killing ghostwalkers before pulling them out of the spirit plane and back to life. He’s also a telepath. Really, all in all, Michael is a complicated man and uses his job to keep Sam away from him romantically because he’s too scared. The usual type of story.

Sam doesn’t want to let go of his feelings for Michael. It’s hard not to feel sorry for the younger man when he starts to take more dangerous missions, with spirit that require more of his attention and potentially dangerous, leaving his body dead for almost too long, because there are dangers associated ghostwalking.

I really loved this story. It is one of those classic unrequited love stories, filled with danger and spirits. It’s a wonderful balance between romance and angst, because lets face, Michael has a lot of baggage to get through. I really enjoyed this novel and I can’t wait to get to the next one!

Title: Ghost of A Chance

Series: Dreamspun Beyond 12 / Requiem Inc. 01

Author: Kris Bethke

Genre: Paranormal

Length: Novel (216 pages)

Publisher: Dreamspinner Press (16th Januasry 2018)

Heat Level: Moderate

Heart Rating: 💖💖💖💖 4 Hearts

Blurb: Only love makes life worth living—over and over again.

Ghostwalker Blake Jones dies every day. It’s his job and how he helps trapped souls cross over. But to return to life, he needs an anchor. His new partner, Derek Scott, is a surprise. Not only is he male, but his appearance belies a caring and gentle heart. Despite attraction and a strengthening relationship, they know they shouldn’t take things further.

But there’s a big difference between knowing and doing.

Their growing love presents a problem, though not the one they expect. Blake and Derek have to decide if they should take their relationship to the most permanent level—an unbreakable metaphysical bond. Doing so offers both risk and unimaginable reward. Can Blake let go of his fears and put his complete trust in Derek in order to have the happily ever after he’s always craved?

ISBN: 978-1-64080-034-2

Product Link: Dreamspinner | Amazon US | Amazon UK

Reviewer: Prime

Review: I wasn’t sure what to expect when I picked up Kris Bethke’s book, part of Dreamspun Desire imprint, Ghost of a Chance. Firstly, I’ve never read anything by the author before. Secondly, reading the blurb I was a little concerned because I had been burned by books that featured “dream walkers” before, but luckily this is nothing like that I just wasn’t understanding the blurb properly when I was reading it. My bad.

Turns out I really loved this book and I was keen to get onto the next two installments in the series.

The concept is different to what I’ve read in the past. There is a special group of people that work for a company called Requiem Inc. It’s not an ordinary company in that the people are charged solely to ensure that spirits are at peace and do not become malicious entities. There are people, Ghostwalkers, with a special gene which means they can die and come back to life, their body heals with some Wolverine type accelerated healing and as a result they can live up to a couple centuries. Then there are another group of people which have a gene which makes them, essentially, the perfect care giver, called anchors. Each ghostwalker needs to be paired with an anchor so that they can go through the trauma of being killed, helping dead spirits who are usually traumatized, coming back to life, living and doing it all over again.

We are introduced into this complicated world by Blake Jones, a ghostwalker who is without an anchor. Despite being gay, or because of being gay, Blake prefers females anchors so that he can’t form a romantic attachment to his anchor. However, his new anchor is a good looking, kind and very male who happens to be a bit of a rarity. Derek Scott possesses the gene to be a natural anchor, which by all accounts is a unique experience for ghostwalkers when under the care of an anchor.

Derek dives into his job as the new anchor for Blake with enough cheer to melt the most bitter, or the most reluctant, of hearts. Which is pretty much Blake. He doesn’t want to get close to Derek, but their chemistry and attraction is off the charts, and Derek is just what Blake needs in his life. Of course, there is always complications when it comes to office romances, but being a paranormal romance this means that there is also the possibility of the guys getting together on a more intimate, literally soul binding level. While Derek is happy to take the plunge, Blake needs a lot more persuasion.

This was a fun and cute story with a good sprinkling of paranormal. I loved the uniqueness of the whole ghostwalker concept. I loved the romance between Derek and Blake, it was a relatively simple love story, the main guts of the story was how the world of Requiem Inc. works. Yes, there is a little angst from Blake’s part but it was definitely vital to making the story a fantastic read.