Ghost of You

What a terrific conclusion to this trilogy though I hope it won't be the end of the Phantoms, a TV ghost hunting team. This can be read as a standalone. Sammy is a feisty, independent woman who clashes with Cain who wants to be liked by everyone and the chemistry sizzles between them while facing the demons of a small town in Nebraska. It is darker than the previous book in the series but full of action making it a must read if you enjoy paranormal romances.

So. Many. Feels. This has definitely been my favorite of the series. Sam and Cain are such complex characters with so many layers. They are written in a way that you feel what they're feeling, the grief, the unworthiness, the love. Of course, the other part of the book, the ghost hunting/solving the mystery was great as well, though it does deal with some dark themes. This was my first series to read by Kelly Moran and I look forward to more of her work. I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Why do I even try to read these books at night? Every book in this series has totally given me the spooky chills and left me needing to sleep with the lights on.

Sammy is now the lead investigator for the Phantoms show. She lost her mother when she was 16 and then experienced a sexual assault in the aftermath of that loss. She's been a fearless, take-no-prisoners leader on the team - and when the former lead investigator didn't renew his contract and a former psychologist is hired as a replacement - Sammy is anything but happy about it. She doesn't trust psychologists and feels like Cain is just a thorn in her side. Cain also lost his entire family when he was very young - and hasn't had a true loving family or found family since that time. He was immediately attracted to Sammy - but hasn't tried to push past her walls until they are sent to Sammy's hometown for an investigation.

These books strike a great balance between romance and some seriously spookiness. The case in this story is particularly creepy - and the way things unfold keeps you on the edge of your seat. The book does contain discussions of child sexual abuse and a lot of material on parental loss and childhood trauma. So if that is a sensitive area for you - I would skip this one - but know that the book is really good!

This is the third book in the series - but you do not need to have read the other books to understand this one. It can totally work as a standalone.

I received this via NetGalley as an ARC but these opinions are all my own.

Do not open this book unless you have the time because you won’t want to put it down. I started reading it before bed (like an amateur, I should have known better) and didn’t get a wink of sleep. I also had the urge to turn on the lights a quarter way through, because the haunting investigation got dark, real quick. (Keep in mind I’m someone who, while a fan of ghost hunting shows, does not mess with the ones with demonic energy, so that might just be me.)

Ghost of You is the last book in the Phantoms series and, in my opinion, the best and most intense book of the trilogy. The series follows the cast of the hit paranormal investigation show Phantoms as they hunt ghosts and fight their own inner demons to open themselves up to love.

Lead investigator Sammy is being pushed to get along with and channel some of her obvious dislike for the new guy on the team, Cain, into some onscreen chemistry to boost ratings.

There’s nothing fake about the chemistry between Sammy and Cain, but he’s a psychologist and she doesn’t know if she can get over the distrust she has of shrinks. Cain is tall, tattooed, into open communication, and looking for a deeper connection. Sammy is a fearless pixie-sized badass who doesn’t let anyone get too close. Cain wants to worship at her feet. It makes for an amazing dynamic.

A new investigation takes the crew to Sammy’s hometown and a location with a very dark history, one interlinked with Sammy’s own unhappy backstory. (spoiler/trigger warning: there are mentions of past sexual abuses of minors in this book. it’s nothing explicit, but it’s something to keep in mind.)

Shortly after arriving, a menacing entity attaches itself to Sammy and things gets very dark and emotional. Cain is a strong, determined presence at Sammy’s side the whole way, even when she tries to push him away, and trust and intimacy grows between the stubborn pair. Cain has his own scarred past and while he’s all alpha male when the occasion calls for it, he’s also so patient with Sammy as she struggles with allowing herself to be vulnerable (get yourself a man that can do both).

Ghost of You is a strong ending to the Phantoms series. If you’re only going to read one book of the series, I recommend this one, but definitely think you should read all three, especially if you’re a fan of paranormal investigation tv shows (see my reviews for Ghost of a Promise and Give Up the Ghost). I’m sad this is the end of the series and would love see the characters reunited for more paranormal investigations (maybe a Phantoms Christmas Special novella? I would snatch that up so quick).

I have enjoyed this series. It is about a team of paranormal investigators. Each book is about a different couple so you probably do not have to read them in order. This book is about Cain and Sammy. Sammy lost her mom as a girl and Cain lost his parents and sibling as a child so they both have a sad past. Sammy has major trust issues so she does not do relationships or let people in. Cain is trying to break down some of her walls. This investigation takes the team to Sammy's home town so her past comes back to haunt her. Pun intended. There is demonic activity at a school and church site. Many children died at the school after a fire years ago so the team needs to get to the bottom of it.

Always a big fan of Kelly's books. These books are different than the romances I usually read by the author but it really shows that she can do a lot of different types of stories well.

I did not read the others in the series...yet. I did feel like I wish that I had read them first but the book really can stand alone. This story was strong and I felt like the characters had a lot of depth. It has all the elements of a past trauma like the author is known for (and loved for). However, it also has a nice suspense portion to it. If you like ghost hunter type stuff then I feel like you would like this book a lot. It also has a crime element to it which I personally enjoyed a lot. For these reasons, you can see that there are a lot of layers to the story. Definitely a good read and you will want to read the rest of the series as well.

A first for me, reading a paranormal story.
I enjoyed the writing and characters who were all really interesting and definitely wish I had read the previous two books.
The romance element worked really well and the development of the relationship felt deeper than a standard surface level love at first sight romance genre.
However, I’m not sure the paranormal is for me. It was creepy and intimidating the situation these ghost hunters found themselves in but I personally was a little too dismissive of the idea.
I really rate the author and want to read more, even the first two in this series!