I gave some thought to giving this 3 stars but only because there is a lot of history and pages devoted to it that if the reader is not a follower of this series then you are pretty much lost on those pages BUT that does not affect the enjoyment of the reader in the main story here.

There is obviously some bit of past betrayal between Gabriel and Olivia but we are not really told exactly what it was, we do know he is sorry for it BUT again when the book ended I was not sure what their relationship is since it was not clear to me if either wanted a romantic relationship or just good friends but again, still did not keep me from enjoying the basic ghost story which is quite a mystery.

Bottom Line: A well written story, a opening that grabs your attention, sadly a lot of history I had no clue about that had a bearing on the relationship but not really on the main story here. So when I consider everything and my enjoyment of the story and almost immediate liking of the characters (although Gabriel needs some hard core lessons in how to deal with women since he seems clueless) I had to give it 4 Stars but even though I seldom consider it for a rating, I feel compelled to mention that the $6 cost is about double what this story should have cost.

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I was a bit of a fish out of water in this story, at least for a bit, since I've not read any of the novels in this series (though that's about to change, I now have books one and two). Probably not the best place to start the series. This apparently occurs between books three and four, so you might want to read 1-3 before this novella.

The characters are interesting, though Gabriel is a little tough to like at times. I did like it enough that I want to know more, especially about Patrick.

*Edited to add: I have now read books 1-3, although read is an understatement, I pretty much devoured them in the last few days. I like Gabriel a lot more now, and Patrick a lot less, haha. But I strongly suggest reading the whole series before reading this novella. You won't be sorry you did!*

Loved this novella, it was great to get a little more of Liv & Gabriel as well as Patrick trying to get to know his son (a fact Gabriel is still unaware of in this novella) but going about it all wrong. It was interesting getting more childhood memories of Gabriel's as well, he really is one of my favourite characters!

In this new short story set in the Cainsville world by Kelley Armstrong we follow Gabriel Walsh. Patrick brings him a new and interesting case and he hopes it will help to bring Olivia back to him and repair their relationship. Unfortunately it doesn't quite work out that way for Gabriel and nothing really moves forward for them. Olivia is still walking on eggshells by the end of the story and Gabriel is still making an ass of himself.

I love Kelley Armstrong's books and characters and normally I'm rooting for both characters if there is a love triangle because each one will usually have their good sides and bad sides. I just don't feel the same about Gabriel. I don't think he is a terrible person or a bad character but I don't think he is right for Olivia. I'm team Ricky all the way! [ I will never understand why she's okay with Ricky calling it quits in Betrayals so she can see where things will lead with Gabriel. Ricky is amazing and Gabriel is an emotionally stuck up dick most of the time. I wouldn't be able to deal with all of the drama that comes with trying to make things work with him. He has too much baggage. (hide spoiler)]

This story was short and sweet and it was interesting to get inside Gabriel's head instead of following Olivia around all of the time. I don't think it warmed me to his side in any way though. The mystery was good and it was great to see Patrick trying to bond more with Gabriel. It's going to be fun to see where their relationship goes over the course of the series and of course [ see the fallout when Gabriel finds out that Patrick is his dad *cackles*. (hide spoiler)] Overall a nice addition to the Cainsville series.

Arc Provided by Subterranean Press through Netgalley

Release Date: March 31st

The greatest compliment I can give to this novella, is that after being thoroughly annoyed with the way things ended in the third Cainsville novel, I am now _once again _ determined in finishing the series! So, well done! Objective achieved, lol
As to what happens in this novella, obviously I'm not going to spoil it for you guys, but I'll say that the basic plot was extremely interesting... okay, there's ghosts...and other supernatural beings involved.
Patrick, aka Gabriel's... now what have you read?
Have you read the first four books and the anthology "Led Astray" who has some pretty good shorts on Gabriel and his childhood? Because in the case that you haven't, let's just keep things...secret. Okay?
So, I was talking about Patrick who is a writer amongst other things... Olivia would probably use a much more colourful language about the guy!*snort*
Patrick decides to get more involved in Gabriel's life, and of course things don't go as they probably should. A big mess ensues. Gabriel and Olivia's relationship is still on the mend, and people are getting lost. In more ways than one...
Now if you're wondering, after all my blabbering, if you can read this novella without reading the previous stories, the answer is yes.
Of course by doing so, you'll be losing more than half of the "fun" :)

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher through netgalley and voluntarily reviewed it.

I love Kelley Armstrong her Cainsville series and this novella is an awesome addition to that series. I would definitely recommend it to fans of the series and even more for those who like Gabriel. This novella is told from Gabriel his point of view with a few short chapters from Patrick in between. I really like Gabriel, he's one of my favorite characters in this series and getting to spend a whole novella in his head was awesome.

I feel like we get an even better understanding of him in this book. How he feels over what happened in book 3 and how it effects him and also why he keeps doing those things, we even see him do one of those push away actions in this book and get to see what goes through his mind while he does it. And through it all it's so obvious how much he cares about Olivia.

There's a bit of a mystery, Patrick brings the case to Gabriel hoping to get his attention. It works and Gabriel takes the case. There's a lot of figuring out what's going on and what the disappearing hitchhiker is. But besides that there is also a lot of character focus, we see how Gabriel interacts with Liv and even how Patrick interacts with Liv. And we get to spend more time in Gabriel's head seeing how he thinks. It was interesting to have this whole story without even getting Olivia her point of view as that's whose point of view we mostly get in the main books.

It was great to spend time reading from Gabriel and Patrick's their point of views and this novella does add some character depth and understanding even if it doesn't advance the main plot line. It almost could be read as standalone as the events here don't impact the main story, but at the same time it would contain spoilers for those who haven't read the series, so I would recommend to read it in order if possible. It's set between book 3 and 4 and also makes some references to another novella that was written in between these books. It was nice to get those other hints of the ongoing story and it was easy to imagine when this would take place. So it felt firmly set in the timeline of this series with mentions of what happened in earlier books. The mystery itself is contained to this novella, it has a beginning and an end. It made for a great read.

To summarize: This was a great novella and I really enjoyed it! I would recommend it to fans of the series who want more Gabriel. The whole novella is told from Gabriel his point of view, with a few Patrick chapters in between. It really helped give even more understand and more depth to his character. Gabriel is one of my favorite characters in this series, so I loved spending time in his point of view. It was obvious how much he cares about Liv and it was heartbreaking to see how he keeps messing things up and can't help himself. He's fully aware what he's doing and how it sounds, yet he can't stop pushing her away in certain situations. There's a small mystery that gets resolved before the end of the book, but mostly I would recommend it for the additional time spent with the characters. All in all a great read.

I have been loving this series since the beginning so I just couldn't wait on getting my hands on this story.

I love Lost Souls. The story is so very well written and I was hooked from the very beginning of this short book.

I do highly recommend this book.

Kelley Armstrong is an author that doesn't limit her stories to just the occurrences covered in her novels, but fills in that liminal space between novels with novellas and short stories that offer depth and glimpses into events that might otherwise slip into the cracks.

In Lost Souls we build on existing relationships and knowledge with a take on the classic Vanishing Hitchhiker legend, but with its own Cainesville spin.

Excellently executed and feels right at home within the series.

I have been a fan of Kelley Armstrong for years and the Cainesville series is one that slowly pulled me into its mystery. When I first started reading it I wasn’t quite sure where the paranormal angle was, but it’s slowly (quite slowly) been coming out. I didn’t jump on reading book 4 when it came out because I’m holding out for the audiobook, and lucky that because this novella takes place between books 3 and 4. So perfect timing for me to read it without having experienced book 4 yet.

LOST SOULS has us investigating another case that mixes what is believed to be a touch of paranormal and in this case an urban legend more so than an omen. The case was interesting in and of itself, but the way the author pulled so many personal strings around this case to draw the reader in made it all the more appealing. And all those strings in this case revolve around Gabriel. He’s the focal point for me in this story. His relationship with Olivia has suffered a bit after Deceptions and he can’t find it in himself to open up to her to fix it. Patrick is also looking to connect with him. The case gives the perfect backdrop to try and work through some of those issues.

Gabriel is quite complex as a character. There are many walls he’s erected to protect himself. Feelings are not something he’s used to or deals with well. But I think I’m finally seeing an internal struggle that he can hopefully overcome before the series ends.

Overall, this short novella delivered on the edge of intrigue I have come to love about this series while giving us some crumbs to mull over on the personal side. Perfectly done and I can’t wait to read more.

Even though only a novella, this captures everything about the Cainsville series that I love... Gabriel and Olivia working together and a creepy suspenseful story. Five stars for crafting a Cainsville short story without losing any of the special qualities that makes the series so great.

LOVE GABRIEL!!! I can't get enough of the Cainsville saga and am so sad to know it's coming to an end. It's a series I've reread a number of times already and am so glad to add Lost Souls to the rereads!

The Cainsville series is very well written, but partly due to bad reading habits, I always feel like I spend the majority of the novel wracking my brain to remember what happened last time. Again, mostly this is just my bad habit of not reading the books close together and not rereading before starting the next book.

That being said, I thought this novella served as a remedy to this situation. I was quickly able to remember he central conflicts as well as the interesting subplots that Armstrong is so talented with.

Also, practical Gabriel investigating an urban myth? Priceless. Even more so when you add in Olivia and Patrick. Additionally, I really appreciated the chance to read from Gabriel's perspective. Intriguing to say the least.

I would recommend reading the first three novels before this novella. A good stand alone this is not.

Kelley Armstrong returns to the world of Cainsville in this novella told from the perspective of our favorite misunderstood lawyer, Gabriel. When Patrick brings Gabriel an intriguing case about hitchhiking ghosts, he hopes the case will be an opportunity to build bridges with his son. In true fashion, Gabriel in turn will try to use the case repair his own strained relationship with Olivia. Although it might seem that everyone in this novella is working at cross-purposes, the story flows back together into a cohesive whole with a tidy ending.

For readers of Cainsville, this novella will offer a unique perspective into Gabriel's character - much more in-depth than previous novels (which we know is not for a lack of curiosity on Olivia's part but due to Gabriel's inability to connect and share with others). The plot is well-paced and draws on modern ghost lore - the traditional woman in white for example - which blends seamlessly with other lore already established in the series. I very much enjoyed this story and getting to know Gabriel a little better - though I did miss the gargoyles.

I have been hooked on the Cainsville series since the first book and any chance I have to read anything set in that world, with the characters I've come to absolutely love, is a chance I don't even think twice about.

And a novella set almost entirely in Gabriel's point of view, I am so in. I love Gabriel and while he can be bristly and rough and tough we've seen over the course of the series that there is a lot more to him than meets the eye. That in fact, the man has a heart of gold, even if it sometimes has to be melted a bit to get to it.

I adored this novella. With Patrick and Gabriel and Liv, it really was such a treat and makes me even more excited for the last novel to be here. I can not wait for more and to see how it will all come together. This series has grown so much and with it my love for it as well. It really will be so hard to say goodbye to it.

This was a difficult story to get into if you haven't read the previous books in the series and therefore only warranted 3.5 stars from me.

That being said I enjoyed the complexities of the characters and the 'ghost' story line .

Gabriel is approached by Patrick , a Cainsville Fae elder and also his unknown father ,to look into a case of a hitch-hiking ghost leading people astray .
Gabriel is at first unwilling to take the case but soon decides that it might be just the thing to tempt Olivia , his assistant, back into his life .( This is where you need previous knowledge - Olivia has gone on a trip after a disagreement with Gabriel on a previous case....)

The story is told as alternative narrative , jumping from Patrick to Gabriel to Olivia and back .

Whilst the backstory is about the 'ghost' the real story is about the relationship between the three main characters . How Gabriel is led by his childhood and fear of rejection , thus pushing Olivia away before he can be hurt . How Patrick wants to feature in his son's life and to get to know him but fearing Gabriel's reaction on discovering who he really is . How Olivia fears losing her job , not for the money , but for the friendship and her anger at Patrick for not telling Gabriel he is his father .

I found the characters engaging and the story a peek into the Fae world - leaving me wanting to read more of this Author's works .

I was given an arc of this book by the Publisher and Netgalley in return for an honest review .

Ok this author enjoys surprising her readers and her Cainsville series is one that always keeps reader on their toes. You get a little bit of paranormal and a whole lot of mystery and this novella that connects Deceptions and Betrayals is no different. Revolving around Gabriel whose journey has been a hard one we catch up with him when he is at a low ebb. There's a connection between him and Olivia who works for him that is magical but not in the way you expect but as this story begins their friendship is under a lot of pressure. So what better than a new case to blow away the cobwebs and the one that Patrick is dangling fits the bill but is it real and just why is Patrick so keen?
I empathise so much with Gabriel and yet freely admit he's not the most warm and fuzzy character and yet he just works ! There is a sort of triangle running through this book involving Ricky but it's very much on the back burner as the author takes the ghost story of urban myth and tarts it up in her own inimitable fashion. Olivia has experienced so much and yet she will bravely go forward without losing that spark that makes her shine. As for Patrick instigating things well he never quite gets it right but hey ho at least Gabriel and Olivia somehow forge ahead or is that just maintain the status quo?
Happily even with Gabriel in turmoil he's not allowed to wallow and indeed he actually , shock horror seems to be facing reality! Although the reality here is that yes we now know the fae are real but perhaps ghosts are too? Plus there's a clock ticking away with a life at stake so time to pull on those big girl panties and solve the case!
I really do think this is something that should be read after the first three books in the series as it gives away a huge plot line that still needs to be resolved but as a way of catching up with characters it works very well . The twist in the tale as we discover just what is really happening whilst a little quick for my taste was a surprise but that's why I keep coming back to this author as her imagination just knows no bounds!
A copy of this was provided for me which I have voluntarily read and these comments are my own honest opinion

"I bring you the gift of murder and mayhem, a puzzle to be solved, a mystery to be cracked."

I will forever be here for Gabriel POV. For. ever.

I hate to say this but I think I liked LOST SOULS more than BETRAYALS.. not that it should come as a surprise, really. The main factor being that there was hardly any Ricky to suffer through for this read. I know, I'm awful, poor guy, what did he ever do to me. He's such a nice dude. And that's mainly the problem. Gabriel might be frustrating as all get-out but he has legitimate reasons for being so. His character growth is slow as molasses but it's still there. We are seeing that evolution. And while LOST SOULS, a transitory story between books three and four of the Cainsville series, didn't offer much more of that, and gave us familiar bits of Gabriel's history, I still found it really relevant and worth reading. Patrick's involvement was a nice bonus, too, as he played a large role in this novella.

"On the stoop, he found the usual suspects : a cat and a boggart, actively ignoring one another. The boggart was Grace, the building owner, wearing her cranky old lady glamour. Well, the 'old lady' part was a glamour. The 'cranky' part was just Grace."

I'd also like to mention how much I love the mystery in this one. Over the course of this series the 'murder mystery' of the week/book hasn't always drawn me in. I've definitely been more caught up with the interpersonal drama and developments. But Armstrong really crafted a perfectly executed plot in this short story. Urban legends, fae, mystery, mistaken identity, thrills and chills and plays on words.. and, oh, banter. Little bit of that, too.

"..the folklore for ghosts is very clear that if you summon them at their graveside--"
"The folklore is also clear that to stop a ghost you have to dig it up and burn the bones."
"Uh, no. You've been watching Supernatural haven't you?"
".. my point is that the lore is full of crap."

As much as there is a lot to recommend this series, can I just say how happy I'll be to get the final book? I need my ending, people. I need it. I've earned it. We have earned it.

4 "again with the sarcasm" stars

Armstrong characters come to life on the pages of her books. Lost Souls is a short read in the Cainsville series. Gabriel Walsh is a successful lawyer with a past full of demons that makes him unable to project his inner feelings. This issue makes his life full of pot holes when dealing with Olivia his research assistant. Ghosts, Fae, and cemetery paths make for a page turning race. A copy of this book was provided to me by Subterranean Press via Netgalley with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book and my comments here are my honest opinion.

4.5/5 stars

Lost Souls is a novella in the Cainsville series. It is set between Deceptions (book 3) & Betrayals (book 4). It is really meant to be read as a companion to the Cainsville series. I would not recommend reading this book if you have not read the series as there are spoilers from the previous books.

Kelley Armstrong is one of my favorite authors. I absolutely love the Cainsville series. So I was very excited to read this novella.

I would describe this series as part mystery and part paranormal.

The story alternates narrators between Gabriel (30 year old lawyer) and Patrick (a Cainsville elder). Olivia is also featured prominently.

Patrick is trying to get closer to Gabriel. So while Liv is out of town he brings him a case to solve. The case has to do with a hitchhiking woman in white who vanishes on a country road after accepting a ride from a man. Is she real? Is she fae? Is she a ghost?

Gabriel and Olivia work together (and apart) to try to solve this case. I love Gabriel and Olivia together. I love their working dynamic. And I love their peculiar friendship.

I love Gabriel. He is such an intriguing and unique character. He has such strong feelings for Olivia. But he is so insecure that he can end up being cruel to protect himself.

Kelley Armstrong manages to make this story just as interesting and entertaining as her full length novels. She fills the reader in on key details from the previous Cainsville books. However this series is extremely complex. There are definitely some spoilers from the first 3 books. And if you read this novella without knowing this series you would not understand Cainsville. Or Gabriel. Or Olivia. Or Patrick. IMO, this novella is meant to be read by people who have read the series.

My only small complaint is that by reading the novella it is not completely obvious when this story is set. At first I really was not sure if it was set after Deceptions or after Betrayals. I think that should have been made more clear in the story, in the book blurb, and I think the story should be labelled #3.6.

Lost Souls was an interesting story. We got to see more of Gabriel, Patrick and Olivia. It was nice to get a new story. Overall this novella was very enjoyable. And it made me even more excited to read the final book of the series, Rituals.