Ghosts in the Wind

by Marguerite Labbe

Andrei Cuza and Dean Marshall celebrated their tenth anniversary only to have their happiness shattered by a random, insane event: On his way home from closing a business deal, Dean stops on the parkway to help a young mother with her flat tire, and her ex arrives, murders them, and takes off with his two kids. Ghosts have haunted Andrei all his life. He bears the guilt for his sister being stuck in limbo, because ghosts are frozen at the moment they died, unable to adapt to the changes in their living loved ones. When Dean returns to Andrei as a ghost, the double punch of losing him and having to watch him founder if he doesn’t move on is almost more than Andrei can bear. Despite dangers in limbo―Jackal Wraiths that devour souls are hunting him―Dean isn’t going anywhere until he helps Andrei track down the missing children. Andrei is in danger as well when he pays dearly to feel Dean’s touch one last time. Time is slowly running out as Dean and Andrei try to say good-bye while they track a killer who’s more than happy to kill again.

Genres: Paranormal, M M Romance, Romance, Ghosts, Contemporary, LGBT, Crime

310 pages, Paperback

First published October 30, 2012

About the author

Marguerite has been accused of being eccentric and a shade neurotic, both of which she freely admits to, but her muse has OCD tendencies, so who can blame her? Her husband and son do an excellent job keeping her toeing the line, though. Together with her co-author Fae Sutherland, Marguerite has found a shared passion for beautiful men with smart mouths.

When she's not working hard on writing new material and editing completed work, she spends her time reading novels of all genres, enjoying role-playing games with her equally nutty friends, and trying to plot practical jokes against her son and husband. Her son is learning the tricks too quickly and likes to retaliate. You'd think she'd learn.

Reviews

[Icedave · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating:
somewhere between 3.75 and
4.25 stars
EDIT: looking back 8 days later I'm more certain about the rating.

Genre:
paranormal m-m-romance thriller with horror elements.

Infos
main characters:
Andrei, a private investigator interested into helping kids and coming from a gipsy family, but they are estranged from each other.

Dean, his husband and gym owner with a loving family, who doesn't move on after being murdered.

impressions:
Andrei is heartbroken by Dean's death and wavers between wanting to keep Andrei longer as a ghost and urging him to move on. Dean struggles to adapt being a ghost and to survive in this new state. Together they try to find and rescue the kidnapped children, as they are the main reason Dean "stays behind". Also there are moments for their own farewell to each other.

comment to the bittersweet classification:
Primarly this is related to the atmosphere of a missed possibility of a long fulfilled life together, as one of the couple is still living and the other one is a ghost, who has to move on. As for an happy ever after together in the afterlive, that is something they get in the epilogue.

Content & Reading: Pros/Neutral/Cons
+ main characters: I really liked them, where I could connect better with Dean than Andrei.
+ secondary characters: Ileana, Andrei's little sister "stuck" as a ghost the last 20 something years. Depending on the situation I wanted either to hug her or give her some slaps.
+ the story/plot is captivating
+ the scenes, where the doorway to the afterlife opens and Dean is gently urged to move on by another version of himself
+ I really liked the epilogue, where Dean comes several years later to come for Andrei, when he dies of old age.
+ POV: 3rd person, chapterwise switching between Andrei and Dean's POV.
- I'm not really a fan of horror (elements), and the Jackal Wraiths were not for me: Looking for strong (negative) emotions of ghosts to locate them, hunt them down until they are completely exhaustet, and finally rip them apart and devour them while they scream horribly... *shudder* It was a bit moderated for me by some stuff told in the epilogue, at least in the way I interpreted it.

Sex-/Love Scenes:
Quantity: occasional
Quality: more explicit as necessary by the story. For me that felt strange in the second half of the book as one partner was a ghost.

[Kade Boehme · Rating 5 out of 5]

Holy shit. IDK why I do these to myself and ME? PARANORMAL? But... wow. Glad I did, other than I'm a bit of a wreck. That epilogue. *contented sigh*

[Kaje Harper · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an interesting take on ghosts and the paranormal world of the dead who fail to move on. Dean and Andrei open the book as a happy and committed couple. Dean owns a gym and hopes to open another. Andrei is a private detective with a special interest in finding missing kids. He has a bit of a hot-headed streak and is inclined to take risks in pursuance of his job, and Dean worries about him. But it's Dean who stops to help a young mother change a flat tire, and ends up murdered by her ex-husband, who kills her as well and takes off with the two small children.

This was an action-packed paranormal thriller. Andrei was a great character, a man who has always been able to see ghosts, but who also knows that ghosts who don't pass on when they should are in danger. When he realizes his dead partner has stayed as a ghost, Andrei is torn in very emotional ways. Touching Dean, being with him, carries risks for them both, and yet Andrei is far from ready to let Dean go. And most importantly, there are two missing kids who may not be safe in their violent father's hands.

Dean is also worried about those two kids, and is the sole witness to the crime and yet unable to testify. He has his own challenges, as he must first accept that he in fact is dead, and then decide what he needs to accomplish, and how long he dares stay. And whether he can bear to say goodbye to Andrei and leave him to go on alone.

There were some nice moments between the two men; the action plot was wild and suspenseful. The paranormal elements were interesting and vividly described, although there were times when the rules of the paranormal world seemed to change in support of the plot. Maybe I'm an optimist too, but I felt that the police investigation was a bit short-changed. Some failures by the police, like not watching the victim's funeral, or the idea that the missing kids could be swept aside so easily, even by their police officer friend Justin, didn't quite work for me. But Andrei's tendency to be the lone cowboy was well established, and covered his actions during the times he should have called for back-up. He and Dean were lovely together, and the secondary characters were good. And the author didn't take the easiest way out of the ending. Worth reading if you like action/mystery and paranormal elements.

[Moniqee · Rating 5 out of 5]

OK, it is one of Dreamspinner bittersweet stories ( hey even the blurb say so but i am a sucker to paranormal action ) and I am glad it didnt deter my purchase because it is one of the best stories I read so far.

At first, I thought it was going to be a hot mess with so much things going on in one story ie paranormal horror, action-packed and romance but somehow the plot mesh up pretty well with this intriguing story buildup.

Unlike some Dreamspinner bittersweet stories, the ghosts still have their happily ever after ending, so do give it a try.

honestly, i would love to watch "GITW" in cinema. It would be awesome.

[Morgana]

I'm going to pass on this. I tend to avoid Bittersweet Dreams titles, and for a reason. Sometimes, though, my curiosity gets the better of me and I end up in tears. Don't wont it to happen again, and this book definitely seems like too much for me. The blurb only made me awfully sad! Still, I look forward to reading reviews.

[Melanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Don't let the label Bittersweet Dreams scare you away from this excellent book. That is the last word I would use to describe Ghosts in the Wind.

Read my review at http://scatteredthoughtsandroguewords... and find out why love is never bittersweet!

[Widya Vello · Rating 4 out of 5]

I entered this book for August 2017 Indonesian reading's challenge. I like this book, it's a ghost story, although it's bit scary but there's also lot of love element inside. It's pretty sad too. Who knows how or when your life will be ended? When it seems like everything's been going so fine and smooth.
Dean is just a decent guy who helped a woman with a flat tire and suddenly her ex-husband arrived and killed him. Andrei, Dean's partner is should be the one with high chance of being in danger, since he worked as private detective. Andrei also got the talent to see dead people. He could see his long dead sister since he was a kid. And it's really torn him when he saw Dean as a ghost too.
It's my first time reading book by this author and I really like her writing style. I really like ghost story but it's hard to find a good one moreover in MM books. It's terrifying when the Jackal Wraith is coming chasing Dean, giving me goosebump. And the epilogue is perfect.
You who want a nice ghost story should grab this book.

[The Novel Approach · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved the fact that Dean and Andrei got the chance to say all the things you would always want to say to your partner if you knew they were going to die. They didn’t part with what-ifs or should haves or could haves; they both got true closure. This book was packed with ghosts, action and romance. The three concepts blended so well together the story just flowed, and I didn’t stop until the story was over. This will definitely not be the last book I read by Marguerite Labbe. I am looking forward to exploring her worlds again and again, and I highly recommend you come along with me.

You can read the rest of Jackie's review at The Novel Approach

[Paul · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! Thank you, Ms. Labbe, for a touching story that's different and wonderful.

[Curtis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Andrei Cuza and Dean Marshall expected a happily ever after life. But when Dean is murdered after pulling over to help a motorist with a flat tire, Andrei's world comes crashing down. And that world keeps spinning when Andrei learns that Dean's spirit is staying behind to send him a message and help him track down the murderer. None of this is how they expected to be spending their days, and it's certainly not how they expected to say goodbye. This is a bit of a whirlwind story--things move very quickly and I found myself having to slow down my reading and points to make sure I was really picking up all of the plot points and backstory pieces--there's a lot of backstory that drops as you go. But it was a rather unique story overall, and I found myself engrossed in it from start to finish.

[Sammy Goode · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well, my hands are still clenching my kindle and my eyes are still misty eyed as I begin this review of Ghosts in the Wind by Marguerite Labbe. There were times in this fast-paced, action packed thriller that I was sure I was reading a Dean Koontz or a Stephen King throwback. The bad guys were indeed scary and had me glancing around my darkened bedroom more than once.

But then, Ms. Labbe would write a poignant and emotionally searing love scene between our two heroes and I would be transported right into the heart of a romance novel once again–despite one of the main characters actually being a corporeal form of a very real and very dead ghost.

Ghosts in the Wind picks up on the story of two men who could not be more polar opposite. Andrei, a rough and tumble gypsy of sorts, angry and driven to reclaim lost, abducted or simply thrown away children had met his redeemer shortly after being kicked out of his home–not just for being gay but for his ability to see and communicate with his sister, his dead sister.

He is bounced from one foster home to another until he meets Dean’s father, a DC cop, who helps him into a good foster home and introduces him into his family, and to his son, Dean. As young men, Andrei and Dean become inseparable and eventually fall in love. When we pick up their story they have been partnered for over 10 years and are deeply committed to one another.

Dean, a personal trainer and gym owner is a genuinely kindhearted man, wanting one day to adopt children and loving Andrei more than life itself. These two are so good together. Their banter is witty and humorous, their lovemaking sexy and fierce, and their regard for each other genuine and warm.

So , it is with profound horror as we watch Dean be shot and killed by a man intent on kidnapping his children from his runaway wife, whom he also lets dying by the side of the road. But Dean has unfinished business and he returns, only to be accompanied by Andrei’s little sister Ileana, who becomes his guide of sorts through the ofttimes twisted and terrifying realm of the spiritual world.

So begins the race to track down Dean’s killer while Dean;s own anger sparks a creature that is the stuff nightmares are mad of–the jackal wraiths who threaten to eat Dean’s soul unless he is able to control his anger and thirst for revenge. He and Andrei run against and ever slowing clock as the other side beckons for Dean to cross over and the killer escapes time after time.

I was thrilled beyond belief. Here was a smart, thought-provoking paranormal story the likes of which I had not seen in a long time. Each moment that these men held their breath and plunged headlong into danger I too plummeted right with them, white knuckled and breathless with anticipation for the next twist and turn in this stunning plot line that kept me on the edge of my seat.

Frankly, how author Marguerite Labbe managed to resolve this story and wring from it a happy ever after amazed me! Thankfully, there was no eleventh hour miracle pass–no, that which was dead remained so and for a moment my heart lurched as I realized that rather than give me a contrived happy ending, the author would remain true to herself and this amazing story and keep me guessing until the very end.

Five stars…five stars for Ghosts in the Wind and it deserved every one of them.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book can be summed up in one word in my opinion: beautiful. The emotion practically shines off the pages/screen, and the story intensely flows from chapter to chapter, taking the reader along on a roller coaster of a tale. A very definitive five star book.

The author has a real gift in blending story elements that wouldn't always work together in a way that one doesn't outshine the other. There's romance, action, police procedural bits, supernatural chills, and exploration of human emotions like grief, love, and sacrifice. Now usually all these elements wouldn't go together without one falling to the wayside for the sake of others. Not so with Ms. Labbe's writing. Everything is fantastically balanced and highlighted.

My favorite part of this book was the sheer emotion we got and the relationship between our two main guys. More than once I had tears in my eyes and a lump in my throat at the love they felt for each other and the pain at the tragic circumstances they found themselves in. These guys just seemed to balance each other out and bring the good out in each other. The emotion present in other areas of the story like with Illeana, Inez, Dean's family, and Old Mother moved my heart and brought tears to my eyes as well.

The supernatural part was very intriguing. The Wraith Jackals brought chills to my spine and to read about some of the encounters with them might definitely give me some bad dreams. It was interesting to read about some of the rules of how ghosts and the supernatural worked, too. I was intrigued with the jumping, how the Jackals hunted, the effects the physical world had on spirits (like the wind), and how sometimes even mundane people can see the spirits.

Overall, this book was an emotional journey that had me in tears with joy, sorrow, and just the sheer beauty of the story. I'll admit there was some definite shirt-chewing going on. LOL I highly recommend this story for anyone who enjoys a M/M romance that is able to balance so many different elements into a cohesive book that will entertain for hours and just make you feel for the characters.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 STRONG stars--This is not a romance; it’s a love story—an absolutely beautiful, heart breaking love story. It starts where most romances end—in the midst of their HEA. Dean and Andrei have been together for years now—completely devoted to one another, still deeply in love. Andrei has the high risk job. If anything were to happen to one of them, you’d think it would be Andrei, but in trying to help a young mother in need, Dean gets caught up in a situation beyond his control, and things do not end well. His last thoughts are of Andrei, begging for Andrei’s forgiveness.

In two short chapters, I was completely swept up in the lives and love of these two men—in awe of their connection, and then suddenly I was in tears—BIG. FAT. UGLY. TEARS. All in chapters one and two. Wow, but the tears had only just begun. This is one intensely emotionally charged read!

I felt like I was grieving for a friend. I think it was particularly difficult because I saw not only how Andrei and Dean’s family mourned Dean’s loss but also how Dean himself suffered through his own loss, Perhaps even more devastating how Dean had to witness his family’s and Andrei’s feelings of loss.

Dean refused to move on until things were settled. The journey was long, sad, heart breaking and at times terrifying but always grounded in love. The story ended the way I knew it should. The epilogue was also anticipated and finally provided Dean and Andrei with their HEA.

This read eloquently brings home how precarious and precious life and love are. It is not an easy read—far from it. I have never cried, and even sobbed, as much over a book as I did over this one, but it is a read that should not be missed.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, this book was nothing like I expected, and so much better! One MC is killed off at the beginning of the book -- and no, that is not a spoiler, though trying to say more without giving spoilers is almost impossible! Probably because of the violence of his death, and his need to protect innocent victims, he remains on earth as a ghost. He reconnects with his husband because he needs to help him save those victims, and his husband has a gift -- the ability to see ghosts.

What follows is a mixture of earthly and unearthly adventure as the ghost and his living partner try to bring the murderer to justice and save the children, while they also try to navigate the unpredictable dangers of the afterlife. Through it all, they have to learn to say goodbye. They know that the time they have now is an unexpected blessing, and that it will end soon. It was very poignant. And the emotions were so powerful! Grief, rage, guilt, passion, despair, tenderness, love, and hate. It was amazing!

The narrative dragged a bit at times, but never enough that I had to stop reading. There were a few unanswered questions at the end like how was Robin able to avoid the jackal wraiths when she was clearly as full of hate as Dean and Andrei had ever been, but again, I can forgive that because I enjoyed the rest of the story so much.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

While this is not a usual choice (paranormal, ghost) for me, I don't think I could have loved this book more. Definitely in my top reads of this year. So well done, a story of a love so beautiful. I cried big, ugly tears. ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

[Marbea Logan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! This beautifully written with all the right elements of paranormal suspense and romanticism. The main characters bond was so spiritual I felt the closeness in the authors words. I cried in the beginning sad tears, and cried in the ending happy tears. Well done Marguarite!!

[Janice · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an intense paranormal thriller with a nail-bitting climax and a smile-worthy ending. No tears or angst like the blurb suggested, although there were a few sniffles I couldn't quite muffle.

[Annie Nicholas · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a beautiful and sad tale about two men's love. Ms. Labbe captures her character's emotions and pulls the reader in with heart wrenching clarity. A true romance.

[Ayanna]

It sounds really good, but I don't think my heart could handle it. I can really do with some happiness in my life right now, so this one maybe later...

[Shelley · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 stars

[Penny · Rating 4 out of 5]

WOW!!! One of the best Ghost/love stories I've read. Great character. 4.5 stars. Highly recommend.

[Feliz]

dnf at 32%. Perhaps later.

[Elisa Rolle · Rating 5 out of 5]

2013 Rainbow Awards Honorable Mention (5* from at least 1 judge)

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great book. packed full of angst, love and drama.

[Dee · Rating 4 out of 5]

emotional roller-coaster...review to follow

[Cheryl · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a very enjoyable series about Alison and her daughter who run a guest house and have 2 ghosts living with them. In this book a music idol from Alison's youth, who is now a ghost, comes to her to find our who killed his daughter. Alison has a hard time getting past her enjoyment of is music from her teen years and set out to help him against her resident ghost's objections.