Lost Souls Found by Kris T. Bethke | Cat's Release day Review, Excerpt & #giveaway @Dreamspinners @KrisTBethke ~ '

A Requiem Inc. Story

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.

Buy links: Dreamspinner | Amazon

Cat gives this one 4 Meows with a 3 Purr heat index...

Lost souls Found is book two in the series. I do think you should read the other book first so you understand who each character is and the job of Ghostwalker and the dynamics.

Sam is a ghostwalker and dies every day to help lost spirits crossover. he likes to take the difficult cases and it worried the guardian Michael.

Michael and Sam have been skirting around their attraction for ten years. Michael worries that his being a guardian would get in the way and there is an age difference. Sam finally decides to relocate but can Michale let him go?

I love this world Kris T. Bethke has created. It is very interesting and the characters are all intriguing. I loved seeing Michael and Sam's story. My only issue was in this book we didn't get as much of the action in the spirit world and I would have loved seeing more of what Sam was doing there that upset Michael so much.

I cannot wait for the next book.

Excerpt...

THE SPIRIT plane was generally one of the most peaceful places Samuel Jones had ever been. The first time he crossed from the mortal plane, he immediately felt it. And that hadn’t changed in the hundreds of cases he’d taken over the past twelve years. Every time he died and became aware on the spirit plane, he took a few moments to just soak it in. It was a shadow of the mortal world, so it was comfortable and familiar, but also inherently other. Sam loved it, and he loved his job as a ghostwalker.

Sam also had a penchant for going after the hard cases—not spirits who were in immediate danger of turning malevolent. Those spirits were handled by a team of ghostwalkers who worked together. And not the children his brother Blake had an affinity for. No, Sam’s focus usually fell on reluctant spirits who liked being in limbo just fine. Those souls needed coaxing and time, and Sam often spent days or weeks meeting with them again and again until he could convince them it was better to rest than to wander. Those spirits would eventually go dark if they didn’t cross, as resentment at the living always wormed its way in. But the ones Sam chose had plenty of time before they got to that point. He could revisit them as often as needed until they moved on.

“Back again?”

Sam smiled. He didn’t need to turn to know the voice. Thomas Picciano was one such spirit. He’d been lingering for more than a year, occasionally popping up on a medium’s radar. His file held a long line of comments from mediums throughout the country, whenever his aura caught their attention.

“Well, you haven’t crossed yet. I’ll come back until you do.” Sam kept his gaze fixed on the forest they were standing in. He always found Tom there, as the man had been an avid hiker and bird-watcher in life. Actually Sam was surprised it had taken him so long to find Tom on this trip. While time moved differently on the spirit plane, Sam was certain he’d been there for hours.

“Pshaw. Ain’t nothing or nobody waitin’ on the other side for me.”

Tom had said that before, but Sam couldn’t believe it. There was always someone waiting on the other side.

“You really think that, Tom?” The question was out of Sam’s mouth before he could stop it. He knew Tom didn’t like being confronted, and the first time Sam encountered Tom’s spirit, he’d made that mistake. It ended their meeting before Sam could blink—not that he needed to on the spirit plane. He’d been careful ever since to keep the dialogue open and to be subtle while he pushed Tom to go on.

“I know it.” Tom made a sound like a sigh, even though he didn’t actually have any breath. “How’s things going with your guy?”

Sam’s frown was immediate. He’d regretted mentioning that tidbit to Tom ever since it tumbled from his mouth in an unguarded moment. He’d been trying to make a connection with Tom, who was relentless and liked to put the focus on Sam rather than himself.

“I told you, he isn’t mine. It’s not going to work between us.”

Tom moved into Sam’s field of vision. “But you keep hoping.”

Sam shrugged and made a concerted effort not to drop his gaze. “Maybe a sliver. An itty-bitty, tiny sliver.” Sam made the habitual motion of expelling breath. “But he’ll never allow it.”

“Because he’s older’n you?”

“That’s one of his reasons, yes.”

Tom made a thoughtful sound. “Or is it really because he’s your boss?”

“That’s what he says.” He fought the urge to kick at the ground like a petulant child.

“So you’re giving up.”

Sam shrugged and shook his head. “It’s not giving up. It’s… accepting the inevitable. Nothing I do or say will change Michael’s mind. I should move on.”

Tom’s eyes lightened. “Aha. See, you keep telling me to move on, but you don’t do it yourself.”

The laugh was involuntary, but Sam didn’t check it. Though their situations were very different, Tom had a point.

Always listening to the voices in my head.

Kris T. Bethke has been a voracious reader for pretty much her entire life and has been writing stories for nearly as long. An avid and prolific daydreamer, she always has a story in her head. She spends most of her free time reading, writing, or knitting/crocheting her latest project. Her biggest desire is to find a way to accomplish all three tasks at one time. A classic muscle car will always turn her head, and naps on the weekend are one of her greatest guilty pleasures. She lives in a converted attic with a very fluffy cat and the voices in her head. She’ll tell you she thinks that’s a pretty good deal. Kris believes that love is love, no matter the gender of people involved, and that all love deserves to be celebrated. And she loves to hear from readers, so feel free to drop her a line.