Title: Haunted Souls
Author: Kathryn Knight
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Fantasy, Paranormal
Book Blurb:
Four years ago, Emily Shea and Staff Sergeant Brett Leeds agreed to part with no strings attached. Sparks flew during their brief affair, but fate intervened, sending Brett overseas. When an unexpected pregnancy derailed Emily's own plans, her attempts to locate Brett were soon overwhelmed by the challenges of single motherhood. Now, Brett has returned home, and Emily is forced to share her secret.
Despite feeling betrayed, Brett is determined to forge a relationship with their son, Tyler. As the former lovers battle both their inner demons and their mutual desire, another presence enters their lives—Tyler's imaginary friend. Soon, however, the chilling evidence points to a different conclusion: a ghost has formed a dangerous connection with their son. Emily's attempts to help both a lost soul and a friend in need spiral toward a deadly confrontation, and Brett must race to save Emily before he loses her again—forever.
My Review:
Emily and Brett fall in love and have a whirlwind romance but when Brett, a bomb specialist in the Army, gets his deployment orders, they agree to break up. While Brett is overseas, Emily discovers she’s pregnant. She wants to tell Brett the news but is conflicted. Being a single mom is more challenging than she ever thought possible, but she takes on the responsibility. When Brett returns home a few years later and discovers he’s a father, will he turn his back on his son and mother to his child?
Brett, now home from his deployment and suffering from PTSD, doesn’t know if he can trust Emily fully. She kept her pregnancy from him and while he still loves her, he keeps her at an emotional distance. He loves his son, Tyler, and would do anything to protect him. When Tyler’s imaginary friend turns out to be an actual ghost, Brett will have to slay his own internal demons or risk losing Emily forever.
While this is a good second-chance romance, it’s a fantastic ghost story. I found Emily and Brett’s relationship an emotional roller coaster and at times a little over the top. Brett’s got trust issues and I get that, but he loves Emily and their child, doesn’t he? Then he needs to trust in his love and stop punishing Emily.
My favorite sub-plot in Haunted Souls is the ghost story. Who is this imaginary friend of Tyler’s and what does he want? Is he malevolent or is he just looking for his family? Beautifully-written suspense by Kathryn Knight had me clinging to my tablet, wondering what would happen next.
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed Haunted Souls. Knight is a brilliant storyteller with a gift for creating realistic characters and events. I look forward to reading more from her. Highly recommend!
My Rating: 4.5 stars
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Author Biography:
Kathryn Knight spends a great deal of time in her fictional world, where mundane chores don’t exist and daily life involves steamy romance, dangerous secrets, and spooky suspense. Kathryn writes contemporary romance spiked with mysterious hauntings as well as YA paranormal romance filled with forbidden love. Her novels are award-winning #1 Amazon and B&N Bestsellers and RomCon Reader Rated picks. When she’s not reading or writing, Kathryn spends her time catching up on those mundane chores, driving kids around, and teaching writing classes. Two of her ghost story/romance titles, Gull Harbor and Haunted Souls, are set on beautiful Cape Cod, where she lives with her husband, their two sons, and a number of rescued pets. Please visit her at www.kathrynknightbooks.blogspot.com.
Social Media Links:
Website - www.kathrynknightbooks.com
Twitter - @k_knightbooks Facebook - Kathryn Knight books Goodreads - Kathryn Knight
Reviewed by: Mrs. N