The Ghostwalkers have to move quickly to see if they can save one of their own from a deadly virus in the wilds of Indonesia. ARC from NetGalley.

I was so excited to see a new book by this author, they never disappoint me. Just what I needed to transport me from my ‘boring life’ into some escapism. I loved everything about this book from the cover to the contents. I cant wait to read more.

Title: Toxic Game
Series: Ghostwalkers Book #15
Stand Alone Title: yes, recommended in order
Author: Christine Feehan
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Blurb: On a rescue mission in the heart of the Indonesian jungle, Dr. Draden Freeman and his GhostWalker team need to extract the wounded as quickly as possible—or risk spreading a deadly virus unleashed by a terrorist cell. When Draden gets infected, he forces his team to leave him behind. He won’t risk exposing anyone else. He intends to find the ones responsible and go out in a blaze of glory....

Shylah Cosmos’s mission is to track the virus and remain unseen. Her enhanced senses tell her that the gorgeous man eradicating the terrorists one by one is a GhostWalker—and his lethal precision takes her breath away. When he’s hit by a lucky shot, she can’t stop herself from stepping in, not knowing that by saving his life she’s exposed herself to the virus.

There’s no telling how much time Draden and Shylah have left. Racing to find a cure, they quickly realize that they’ve found their perfect partner just in time to lose everything. But even as the virus threatens to consume their bodies, they’ve never felt more alive.
Thoughts: The Ghostwalker series is one of my favorites by Feehan, and I enjoyed this addition to it. However, it was also a bit of a surprise…for some reason it just felt a little different than previous Ghostwalker books. I can’t pinpoint exactly why I feel that way about it, but for me it honestly felt like a different series to me.
I liked the characters a lot, and the potential death they both face adds a poignant sadness to it that really added something to the book overall and made it stand out a little more.
A good read for sure, but I definitely recommend reading the whole series in order….the first books are awesome and the whole series is amazing! And personally? I never want to pass up a good series!
Rating: A-/B+

While I felt this book was good, it was lacking a bit in depth. I felt many things were skipped around and some very unrealistic feelings and very repetitive conversations kept happening. While I normally love Christine Feehan I felt this book to be average when comparing to her normal writing.

Christine Feehan involves the ghostwalkers in a Toxic Game in the Indonesian jungle where an entire village and the international doctors trying to help them die of a deadly virus. Dr. Draden Freeman,ghostwalker, and Shylah, enhanced by Whitney to be an assassin who had an almost perfect immunity to infection, are deliberately infeced and have to both stay isolated and eliminate the terrorists who infected the village. Three researchers who weaponized the virus and their American backers have to be tracked down if our hero and heroine survive the virus. Great paranormal story with romantic edge.

I remember when Ms. Feehan first released this series and I like many of her readers was enthralled by the power of her imagination. Now fifteen books later clearly there have been lots of ups and downs as she has stretched her imagination to create different types of Ghost walkers and the women who are fated to be the one for them. The one thing that seems to have stayed constant is the flower names for the girls taken out of orphanages who lead a hard life, chemically modified until they meet the one warrior who is their perfect complement. I know there is an end game here some where but my imagination has failed me to what it is but in the meantime settle in and get ready for a new ride.

Draden and his ghostwalker team are parachuted into the Indonesian jungles to rescue fellow team mates from a deadly situation. As they leave the site, Draden is hit with a dart that is infected with a deadly virus. He remains behind and begins hunting for the teams in the jungle who are testing this deadly virus. Soon he finds he's not alone and stumbles upon Shylah who is in the jungle on a complementary mission. It also turns out that Shylah is his perfectly engineered genetic mate.
As the deadly secrets of the lab in the jungle unfold, Shylah shares her dreams and hopes with Draden. With the backup from their team they race to find the antidote and keep themselves alive not only from the human predators but also from the enemy that is battling their immune systems.
There is a beautiful scene when Draden recreates Shylah's perfect wedding in the jungle with the help of his team mates. Of course they are Ghostwalker's and this is a romance novel from the pen of Ms. Feehan so clearly our protagonists are going to survive to live a long happy life in the jungles of Louisiana where the team currently resides. Along the way however the author ratchets up the suspense and serves up a lot of bad guys to give the story a nice edge that makes it worth reading.

This book contained less sadomasochism than previous titles which I appreciated. It was a self contained story where we mostly got to know and see our main couple interact on a daily basis. I enjoyed seeing a new part of the world. There was a disease our hero's were trying to contain. It was the source of most of the tension. I liked the characters. I liked seeing the country through their eyes.

Christine Feehan is one of my all-time favorite authors. Her recent books have been some of my favorites, but TOXIC GAME didn’t work for me. This is the 15th book in the GhostWalkers series, but the third book in what has been a mini series arc following one of the GhostWalker teams. GhostWalkers are men and women with enhanced genes to make them better, stronger, faster, smarter than regular people.

Shylah and Draden meet tracking a deadly hemorrhaging virus along the same lines as Ebola. While following the virus, they both become infected and only have days to live while they’re kept in isolation in the jungle. Now, if you’ve read CF’s books before, you know that she can make almost anything sexy. Unfortunately, she couldn’t make two characters dying from an awful disease in a swampy jungle sexy. Nothing about rashes and illness speaks of romance to me, and since this was the slowest burn Feehan novel I’ve ever read, I have to think it wasn’t sexy for Shylah or Draden either.

Ms. Feehan was quoted saying this was her most romantic novel ever, and I would have to agree in some ways. The connection and laughter between the main characters kept me from giving this book a lower rating. Shylah was fun and funny which matched Draden’s personality. He was actually pretty darn chill for a Feehan alpha hero.

The worst part about this book, besides the gross disease, was that I was bored! I can honestly say a Christine Feehan novel has never bored me before TOXIC GAME. Not much happens in the middle of this book. Shylah and Draden basically sat around sick and they talked a lot. It helped their connection but not the plot. I just think the whole premise was missing something. You don’t even really need to read this for the overarching plot GhostWalker plot. Nothing happens in that regard either.

Overall, I am still one of Ms. Feehan’s biggest fans, and I will absolutely continue reading every book she releases. TOXIC GAME just missed the mark.

**I received an ARC of this book in order to provide an honest review**

Review featured at www.books-n-kisses.com

Feehan is certainly one that is at the top of my go to authors list. I have always found her books tantalizing and intriguing. The relationship between Shylah and Draden is almost perfect. There is not a lot of misunderstanding or games (no pun intended). They have angst but it is based on a true relationship.

This is the 15th in the series and should not really be read as a stand alone. Well I guess it can be but you will lose a lot of background without reading the entire series. But I can guarantee that once you read the first you will want to catch up on until current!

Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

This new novel in the GhostWalkers series was high-octane danger and heart-melting romance! Once again this group of extraordinary men and women – smart, strong and incredibly gifted - banded together to protect their own…

Draden and Shylah met under the most intense, stressful, dangerous circumstances. How they handled themselves with such composure and grit is a testament to their harsh upbringing and life history. Instead of folding under the pressure of an uncertain future, they just kept doing what needed to be done. And found love along the way…

I kept wondering how that could be possible. How could they think about anything but the death knell they were under. Physically weakening, mentally tested, they were still able to laugh and think about what could be. How they accomplished that was as unique as they were themselves. Living under a death notice was nothing new to Shylah and Draden also never expected a lot out of life for himself. I loved how they were with each other, their discussions and dialogue had me smiling through my own worry about how things would play out.

If I had one negative about this author’s recent work is how explanations and detailed were repeated unnecessarily. I did not find that here at all. Instead, the story flowed at a steady and heart-pounding pace with the perfect balance of action and romance, with a healthy jolt of paranormal as always…

While Draden and Shylah’s story came to a satisfying ending there is more to come and I can’t wait for the whole team to get together again!

Code Status:
Star rating DOA—EMS: Dead On Arrival: 0, Last Breath: 1, Grab the Paddles!: 2, Surgery Needed: 3, Stable: 4, Emergency Must See: 5
3

Allergies/Sensitivities:
Content that some readers may find triggering or objectionable, not exhaustive
There are descriptions of violence, child abandonment, and gruesome deaths
One of the side characters is described as having Asperger's, which you may know is a person who is on the less severe end of the autism spectrum. Some of the hero's thoughts about him were meant to be warm and caring but rubbed me the wrong way. The idea that he is smart enough to learn emotional cues but chooses not to or needs to learn that those he cares about are worth the effort just didn't come off the right way. I don't think it was meant to be any kind of unkind but I could absolutely see it causing upset.
The protagonists are both pretty frank about not suffering the very last stages of the disease (which would be very ugly) and using a bullet before they are too sick to. This may be problematic for some readers.

History:
Is this part of a series, a spin off, a debut, or a stand alone?
This is book 17 of the Ghostwalker series. It was obvious that there were quiet a few of the characters who have their own story but I didn't feel lost. The story stood on it's own while clearly being part of the larger story. That's not easy to balance, but Feehan pulls it off.

Temperature:
Heat level- 1 to 5 thermometers noting the amount of explicit content
The book actually has very little sex until pretty close to the end. The characters spend almost every second together and make no secret of their feelings for each other and are brutally honest because they believe they have only a few days left to live. It actually makes the fast timeline more believable. People reveal their real selves under duress, the looming death and intense intimacy of that shared experience and intimate proximity mean that the two of them really get to know each other. The sex isn't very explicit when it does come. (haha unintentional pun that I'm leaving)

Pain Level:
How much angst, drama, or emotional pain is contained, 1-10?
The whole book is a little angsty since they are both believing they are infected with a virulent hemorrhagic virus that will end in an ugly death. There is a lot of reliving past trauma and a belief of decisions concerning that death. It was nice to know there was an HEA coming but I still teared up at certain moments.

Heart Rate:
How much Action, Horror, Thriller, Mystery, and Excitement etc 0-5
Well, an elite special ops solider/doctor and a badass assassin heroine are infected with a engineered hemorrhagic virus (think ebola) thanks to a terrorist organization. They have a few days to live and are going to take as many terrorists down before their deaths.

Blood Pressure:
Did something get my blood pressure up? Something infuriating or upsetting?
There were little things. The hero is supposed to be a doctor and he uses belly when reporting signs and symptoms of the infection. I have been in the medical field a long time and I've never heard a medical profession use belly instead of abdomen except when speaking to a patient for whom that is preferred terminology. Not a big deal just enough to catch my attention.
Another thing is there is some involvement of food item in sex. I just want to put a warning everywhere for every reader that food on genitalia is a big risk, particularly for people with vaginas!! I have seen terrible infections and even maggots! Please don't take that risk. People with penis' can get a serious UTI from it too. Just fyi, my own PSA regarding safe sex ;-)

Breathing:
How long is the novel and how was the pacing? 1-3
The pacing is a bit odd. The first two thirds of the book has a lot of action and a lot of getting to know each other but its over just a few days. Then the last third is moves a lot differently. There was nothing wrong with the pacing but it was slightly odd to me, that said, it made sense and the pacing matched the feel of the events.

Examination:
Overall review; may contain minor spoilers
I wasn't especially interested in the first couple of chapters. There wasn't anything wrong, there was action and the exposition was done through a side character, however, it just didn't grip me. Enter the heroine. Once they interacted I became more involved and I enjoyed the book quite a bit. I am really glad that I read this and I'm going to take a look at the preceding books. This was an interesting take on the idea of shifters but not shifters; humans that have had gene editing done to give them traits of multiple animals. Predators, of course.
There were some very sweet, tender, and romantic moments. I love when the main couple are unabashed about their feelings

Prescription/Rx:
Other books/authors you might like
I think readers who enjoyed this book would certainly enjoy Lora Leigh's Breed series.
I always recommend Nalini Singh's Psy-Changeling and Guild Hunter series'

TOXIC GAME is the best of the Ghost Walkers in a number of offerings. Draden and Shylah make an amazing team. With the virus they must face the fact that they have found their perfect match and don't have any idea how long they will live. You will feel a mixture of emotions as you read this, fear, hope, of course, love. There is also some humor interspersed in this especially when Shylah was teasing Draden about his good looks. I loved the byplay with her name, she hates the name Peony (the one crazy Dr. Whitney had given the orphaned child), but Draden had memories of that particular flower that made her like it after all.

There is a sweetness that has been missing from this series, and it proves even macho, overprotective, arrogant jerks ... hmmm ... men can do loving and sweet things for their women.

Annetta Sweetko, reviewer for Fresh Fiction

Complete review may be found at: http://freshfiction.com/review.php?id=68060

My first book by Christine Feehan and definitely not my last! The race against trying to cure the virus keeps you on the edge of your seat. The communication between Draden and Shylah is so refreshingly honest, that I was swept into their budding relationship and laughing along with them as they try to beat the clock. This was an exhilarating ride and I'm definitely hooked on the GhostWalker series!

3.5/4 stars
This book has a different feel to it due to the subject matter and location. Draden Freeman finds himself infected with a toxic virus during a mission and is forced to be left behind in an Indonesian Jungle.

Shylah Cosmo is one of Whitney's "flowers" and she has been on her own mission to track down the rogue scientists responsible for the killer virus. She is just as tough and lethal as any GhostWalker and an asset as they fight off militia. But despite the fact they are both now exposed to a deadly virus and could be living out their last days, they find an unexpected connection.

Draden has always been the one with the handsome face, but stoic and serious personality. But Shylah brings laughter, passion, and makes him feel alive. She is smart, confident, resourceful, and as stubborn as he is.

With them holding onto each other, the GhostWalker teams are working to try to come up with an antidote. Will they find it in time or are they destined to only share a few days of true love and happiness amidst extreme circumstances and life or death situations?

I liked both Draden and Shylah and they were perfect together. Although he was protective and worried about her, he also knew she was tough and strong willed and appreciate it. Underneath that hard exterior lied a softer, caring heart that he did not even know still existed. She was equally as worried about him, but tried to be positive and have faith. This one was not as overtly suspenseful as some of the others. The plot line being biological warfare made it different. But there are still threads that tie the story lines between the books as well as relationships with ongoing enemies.

This brings back the new team, their significant others, and their adopted grandmother Nonny. I love spending time in this GhostWalker world and visiting with this newer group. I really enjoyed the relationships between Draden, Trapp, and Wyatt. They are tough alphas who show little outward emotion, but it is obvious how important they are to each other. Bellisia and Zara are Shylah's "sisters" so she also has ties to this team.

I will admit that this one really seemed long and at times repetitious. It took me much longer to read and for the percentage on my kindle to move. I am not sure if it was because of the explanations regarding the virus (that it was obvious the author did research on), the story line itself, or if it was just me. But I truly did love Draden and Shyla together and the diligence of their team and family to try to save them. I am still so attached to the characters and these GhostWalker stories that despite being book 15, I cannot stop reading them. I am still interested in more with Joe, Malichi, and Mordichai. It will be intriguing to see what she comes up with next.

I received this book for free from netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

The next installment in the Ghostwalker series is a well-researched book. The fast paced start to it grabs your interest and doesn’t let it go.

4.25 stars--TOXIC GAME is the fifteenth instalment in Christine Feehan’s contemporary, adult GHOSTWALKERS erotic, paranormal, romance series focusing an elite group of ‘genetically enhanced’ men and women known as the GhostWalkers (GW). These ‘super soldiers’ were once part of an unauthorized government experiment performed by Dr. Peter Whitney. This is former model, GhostWalker and doctor Draden Freeman, and tracker Shylah ‘Peony’ Cosmos’ story line. TOXIC GAME can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story lines is revealed where necessary but I recommend reading the series in order for backstory and cohesion.

WARNING: COVERT GAME contains scenes of graphic violence that may not be suitable for all readers.

Told from dual third person perspectives (Shylah and Draden) TOXIC GAME follows the building relationship between GhostWalker Dr. Draden Freeman, and GW tracker Shylah ‘Peony’ Cosmos. Dr.Draden Freeman is a member of the GhostWalkers Team Four Pararescue Unit, and their latest assignment finds the team in Indonesia to investigate the mass deaths possibly related to a man-made virus, a biological weapon, that if not contained could destroy the world. Infected and on his own, Draden will meet female GhostWalker Shylah Cosmos, who exposes herself to the virus in order to save our hero’s life. Shylah has been sent to Indonesia to track down and kill the men responsible for releasing the virus, a position ordered by the man in charge. What ensues is the building relationship between Draden and Shylah, as Team Four works overtime to find a cure in order to save their friend and fellow warrior.

The relationship between Draden and Shylah is one of immediate attraction. Draden recognizes, early on, that Shylah is the female ‘developed’ especially for him, something Dr. Whitney has purposely formulated in an effort to produce powerful offspring and heirs. Unlike many of the previous story lines, the relationship and power distribution between our leading couple is based on romance, attraction, and equality, without the male lead going all alpha and forcing the female to bend to his will. The $ex scenes, although limited due to the nature of the story line premise, are intimate and passionate, without the use of over the top sexually graphic language and text.

The world building continues to focus on the camaraderie, friendship and bond between the GhostWalkers, and the women they love. Dr. Peter Whitney, although ultimately responsible for the GhostWalker’s enhanced powers, and the torture of so many psychic females, his role in the series may be changing direction.

Most of GhostWalker Team Four (and their significant others) play secondary and supporting characters: Diego Campo, Ezekiel Fortunes, Gino Mazza, Team leader Joe Spagnola, Malichai and Mordichai Fortunes, Trap Dawkins, Rubin Campo and Wyatt Fontenot, along with a cameo appearance by Wyatt’s Nonny Grace Fontenont. Most of the female characters have been segregated from potential infection.

TOXIC GAME is a story of betrayal, power, revenge and control. The suspense is limited as the conflict focuses on the fight to find a cure for the man-made virus. The premise is intriguing and engaging as the author includes plenty of medical and biological references; the romance is seductive and captivating; the characters are colorful, charismatic and sassy. There are some issues of redundancy especially as it pertains to Draden’s appearance (mentioned numerous times), and saying that, I am a bit of a cover snob, and thusly, the cover doesn’t remotely give credit to the character’s beauty quoted as ‘jaw-droppingly handsome without being so beautiful he bordered on feminine’.

Copy supplied by Netgalley

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Toxic Game
Ghostwalkers series book #15
Release Date: March 12, 2019
Review Copy Provided by the Publisher

I broke one of my book rules. I NEVER start a series in the middle. I have to start at the very beginning. Well, the synopsis of this book really intrigued me, and after much consideration, and a few night sweats, I started this series at book 15. Book 15! But in all honesty, the author did a great job not making the reader feel they’re missing bits and pieces of the series and past characters. That doesn’t mean I’ll ever do this again. I’m just too set in my ways. But I do feel like I deserve a cookie for stepping out of my comfort zone!

I have this morbid fascination with killer viruses. I mean, I don’t want ever want to be in the middle of a Hot Zone, but the way it attacks the body just leaves me gobsmacked and amazed. I’m weird that way. So, I figured this would be a great book...a killer virus and a sexy romance story! See, I told you I was kinda morbid.

Anyways, this book was totally doing it for me. It was fascinating, thrilling, and the characters were really likeable. While this book has a huge romantic suspense storyline going, it’s also paranormal. The hero and heroine have DNA traits of animals. They both possess some of the strengths and the agility of cats. The heroine also shares some DNA with spiders. Shudders. However, it was kinda cool that she could shoot spiderwebs like Spider-Man!

I liked these two together. They were both strong and smart. They had great ideas, and knew what needed to be done to survive. Oh! I forgot to mention...they’re both infected with a hemorrhagic virus. But somehow in between feeling like complete crap, and the very real possibility of dying, they fall head over ass in love. I’m still on board at this point. Even when they profess their undying love within 24 hours of meeting, I’m still holding on. But here’s where my eye to started to twitch. The hero wants to give the heroine this beautiful exotic wedding since they’re both going to start bleeding from every opening of their bodies any day now. Did I mention that they’re in the middle of an Indonesian rainforest? But that doesn’t stop them. Their team flies in all the supplies needed for a Hollywood wedding. And a meal prepared fresh by Gordon Ramsey. Well, maybe not Gordon Ramsey, but some superstar chef. So let’s recap a bit. Both are dying of a horrendous virus, they’re in the middle of a rainforest, they fall in love, they plan and have a wedding straight out of Modern Bride magazine. All in about 48 hours.

It’s funny how they both have animal DNA, and fall for each other in the same amount of time it would take me to paint my kitchen, and that doesn’t bother me! I’m all like, cool, I can see that. I don’t read romance for the realism. But that crazy ass wedding? That was what threw me over the edge. Even I couldn’t believe that, and I’ve read hundreds of unbelievable romance tropes.

All in all, I enjoyed this book. The writing was great, and I was certainly interested, but the wedding could have waited until the rashes from the virus disappeared. I’m not sure I’ll read anymore of this series. Maybe it’s just a little too out there for me. I’m certainly a Christine Feehan fan! I really like her Torpedo Ink series.

✦Spotlight, Review & Giveaway: TOXIC GAME (A GhostWalker Novel) by Christine Feehan https://wp.me/p3d0RZ-b3J
Publication Date: March 12, 2019
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Reviewed by: Reading in Pajamas/ Donna
Rated 5 Stars

Wow! I loved this Ghostwalker installment. I do believe it is my favorite so far. There was no reluctant lover, long belaboring destined-mate, no secrets….just a romance that bloomed in hellish circumstances. They are both soldiers not only hardened by life, but infected with a horrific disease – despite that, or because of it, they bared their souls, stayed honest and left all games behind. I loved how Ms. Feehan blended the tender romance with the dangerous action….flawless. Draden and Shylah spent most of their time alone, yet the Ghostwalkers were with them enough to show the camaraderie and friendship that I have grown to love. Keep the tissues handy and sit back for a lovely ride. I truly hated to see it end.

*Review copy provided by Penguin in exchange for an honest review.

~*~*~*~

Kindle https://amzn.to/2NXuDXK

Dr. Draden Freeman is on a mission to stop a terrorist group when he is infected with a deadly weaponized virus. Knowing there is little chance of survival, Draden decides to take out the terrorist camp. While he is taking out the terrorist camp he gains the notice of someone else on a mission, Shylah (Peonies).

Shylah was sent to take out the doctors that are creating biological weapons when she discovers what has to be one of Whitney’s Ghostwalkers. She is drawn by him and his beauty as he slaughters his way undetected through the terrorist camp. Well, mostly undetected, until an alarm is raised and Draden is injured. Shylah has to decide whether to keep to her mission or rescue Draden. She choice is rescue and inadvertently exposing herself to the biological weapon.

I enjoyed Draden and Shylah story. I loved how Draden went out of his way to do everything he could to make Shylah happy. I did wish there was more of reunion between Shylah and her “sisters” and less repetition on certain plot points. Great urban fantasy read and even though I've enjoy all of Feehan's series, .Ghost Walkers has become my favorite in her works.

Toxic Game is a great love story. In a time is the essence scenario, there is little relationship development but the commitment comes across as real and genuine.

I received this ARC copy of TOXIC GAME from Berkley Publishing Group. This is my honest and voluntary review. TOXIC GAME is set for publication March 12, 2019.

My Rating: 4 stars
Written by: Christine Feehan
Series: A GhostWalker Novel (Book 15)
Hardcover: 416 pages
Publisher: Berkley
Publication Date: March 12, 2019
ISBN-10: 1984803492
ISBN-13: 978-1984803498

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Toxic-GhostWal...
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Toxic Game by Christine Feehan is the 15th book in the GhostWalker series. I enjoyed this one. Draden and Shylah are two of Whitney's experiments who are fighting to stop a virus from taking killing people all over the world. Their love story was quick of course but still a slow burn love story in a way. Fast paced.

I like Feehan but she can be hit or miss for me. She makes some writing and love stories seem really unhealthy. This one was not the most dysfunctional and was fully consensual.