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Ghostly Guardians #4
Gateway Catastrophe
It only took seconds for my world to change…
I live a simple, small-town life. Helping with the family restaurant, my side gig as a ride-share driver, hanging with my best friend, making the most of the extra time with my ghost grandma. The only exciting thing to happen to me in the past year was when Gabe moved to town—too bad Nonna scared him off. It’s hard to impress a guy when your dead grandmother calls him the devil.
The last thing I expect when I pick up a ride-share client and take him to Mannix Estate is that he’s a demon. An actual, breathing, can-kill-me-with-a-thought demon. That night blows my simple life apart and changes everything. Turns out, ghosts aren’t the weirdest things out there, my best friend and Gabe are both part of this alternate world, and there’s a big bad demon who wants to end us all. What’s a small-town boy to do but roll up his sleeves and join the fight to save the world?
Working side by side with Gabe reminds me just how much I liked him when we first met… and the feeling’s mutual. As the clock counts down and we both struggle with personal issues, it’s good to know there’s someone to lean on. But I don’t know if our tenuous connection can survive the hell that’s coming and see us through to the other side.
I live a simple, small-town life. Helping with the family restaurant, my side gig as a ride-share driver, hanging with my best friend, making the most of the extra time with my ghost grandma. The only exciting thing to happen to me in the past year was when Gabe moved to town—too bad Nonna scared him off. It’s hard to impress a guy when your dead grandmother calls him the devil.
The last thing I expect when I pick up a ride-share client and take him to Mannix Estate is that he’s a demon. An actual, breathing, can-kill-me-with-a-thought demon. That night blows my simple life apart and changes everything. Turns out, ghosts aren’t the weirdest things out there, my best friend and Gabe are both part of this alternate world, and there’s a big bad demon who wants to end us all. What’s a small-town boy to do but roll up his sleeves and join the fight to save the world?
Working side by side with Gabe reminds me just how much I liked him when we first met… and the feeling’s mutual. As the clock counts down and we both struggle with personal issues, it’s good to know there’s someone to lean on. But I don’t know if our tenuous connection can survive the hell that’s coming and see us through to the other side.
8 pages, Audiobook
First published June 21, 2023
230 people are currently reading
318 people want to read
About the author
Louisa Masters
75 books1,584 followersLOUISA MASTERS started reading romance much earlier than her mother thought she should. While other teenagers were sneaking out of the house, Louisa was sneaking romance novels in and working out how to read them without being discovered. She’s spent most of her life feeling sorry for people who don’t read, convinced that books are the solution to every problem. As an adult, she feeds her addiction in every spare second, only occasionally tearing herself away to do things like answer the phone and pay bills. She spent years trying to build a “sensible” career, working in bookstores, recruitment, resource management, administration, and as a travel agent, before finally conceding defeat and devoting herself to the world of romance novels. Louisa has a long list of places first discovered in books that she wants to visit, and every so often she overcomes her loathing of jet lag and takes a trip that charges her imagination. She lives in Melbourne, Australia, where she whines about the weather for most of the year while secretly admitting she’ll probably never move.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 208 reviews
March 20, 2025
I found this underwhelming on all fronts.
As much as I like Tom and Gabe as characters, their relationship is based on close proximity only and it feels rushed, as is the case with the relationships in previous books. It felt very generic and simplistic.
The demon plotline, that started with book 2, bored me. For most of the book there's nothing happening besides overexplaining how things work and trying to come up with a solution to the problem. Marc's character was pretty dull. What kind of demon chats with humans about mundane things? A couple other characters annoyed me more than before – Tom's nana and Connor's uncle. Still not a fan of Connor, either.
I only finished this because I was listening to the audiobook. Maybe it's me, since I'm not that into stories with demons. I usually find them ridiculous and this book proved it. I very much prefer book 1 over the other ones, because I found the storyline way more interesting and fun.
As much as I like Tom and Gabe as characters, their relationship is based on close proximity only and it feels rushed, as is the case with the relationships in previous books. It felt very generic and simplistic.
The demon plotline, that started with book 2, bored me. For most of the book there's nothing happening besides overexplaining how things work and trying to come up with a solution to the problem. Marc's character was pretty dull. What kind of demon chats with humans about mundane things? A couple other characters annoyed me more than before – Tom's nana and Connor's uncle. Still not a fan of Connor, either.
I only finished this because I was listening to the audiobook. Maybe it's me, since I'm not that into stories with demons. I usually find them ridiculous and this book proved it. I very much prefer book 1 over the other ones, because I found the storyline way more interesting and fun.
March 15, 2024
Thoroughly enjoyed this entire series!
I do think the end battle was a little vague and rushed, but overall the plot was really engaging and fun to read across every book. The characters were all really likeable too, but I do wish there was a little more focus on the relationships that isn't just predominantly sex scenes, or solving the current ghost related issues.
I'm very excited to read Ian and Marc's book - I liked Ian (and Matt) straight away in Mr Romance, and I immediately liked Marc when he appeared, so hopefully their book is as entertaining!
I do think the end battle was a little vague and rushed, but overall the plot was really engaging and fun to read across every book. The characters were all really likeable too, but I do wish there was a little more focus on the relationships that isn't just predominantly sex scenes, or solving the current ghost related issues.
I'm very excited to read Ian and Marc's book - I liked Ian (and Matt) straight away in Mr Romance, and I immediately liked Marc when he appeared, so hopefully their book is as entertaining!
April 7, 2024
reread review:
Still four days for the new one, why did I read this fast? 🙄 I hope they get the same narrator to do the new series, he’s my favorite!
Here’s a quote that basically sums up this book😂😂: “I want a world where young gay guys can come to Mannix to perv on the staff. Respectfully, of course.”
original review:
EDIT: OHMYGOD YESSS THERE WILL BE AN IAN/MARC BOOK!!!!!!!!!!!!!
What a wonderful series. I’m both sad and happy with the finale, what’s the word I’m looking for? Ambivalent?
I can’t believe it’s done!
I enjoyed this book a lot, I kept shouting Yes! and No! like a maniac. How sure are we it’s the last one guys? Because I need a Marc book!!!!
Still four days for the new one, why did I read this fast? 🙄 I hope they get the same narrator to do the new series, he’s my favorite!
Here’s a quote that basically sums up this book😂😂: “I want a world where young gay guys can come to Mannix to perv on the staff. Respectfully, of course.”
original review:
EDIT: OHMYGOD YESSS THERE WILL BE AN IAN/MARC BOOK!!!!!!!!!!!!!
What a wonderful series. I’m both sad and happy with the finale, what’s the word I’m looking for? Ambivalent?
I can’t believe it’s done!
I enjoyed this book a lot, I kept shouting Yes! and No! like a maniac. How sure are we it’s the last one guys? Because I need a Marc book!!!!
June 2, 2023
Oh my lordy lord, that's how you wrap up a series!
I was on tenterhooks from start to finish as Louisa built up the pressure as our gang of merry ghosts, hunters and all points in between tried to find a solution to the demon problem which landed on their shoulders in book three.
You're not getting any plot spoilers here, I'll just say that it's ingenious, it's a perfect solution and it totally fits within the parameters of the world building that has been created in this excellent series.
With some sparky dialogue, a lot of snark from higher demon Marc, who's just popped over to warn the Mannix Estate gang of the end of world scenario one of his fellow demons is planning, there's a great mix between action and romance.
And speaking of, the romance between Tom and Gabe is so sweet! Once they get over the fact that Tom's ghost Nonna spent an hour or so haranguing Gabe in Tom's car when he first picked him up from the airport that is!
I had so much fun reading this book, switching between heart-pounding and shock raising revelations, to the kindness and support Tom gives to Gabe once they begin to explore their attraction.
The sex is smoking, the emotions are heart-felt, the action is non-stop and the conclusion is brilliant! This book delivered on all fronts for me and provides a really great conclusion to the series long story arc that has seen all kinds of paranormal pranks take place.
There will be more in this universe, Louisa still has a planned book for Ian (hopefully with demon Marc please!) but that's going to be a bit delayed. I'm 100% sure that it will be worth every bit of the wait though!
This series has been a fabulous romp through demons, ghosts, an historic home and a small town with attitude and I've loved every bit of it. I can't even pick a favourite couple really because each one has had something special about them.
#ARC kindly received from the author in return for an honest and unbiased review
I was on tenterhooks from start to finish as Louisa built up the pressure as our gang of merry ghosts, hunters and all points in between tried to find a solution to the demon problem which landed on their shoulders in book three.
You're not getting any plot spoilers here, I'll just say that it's ingenious, it's a perfect solution and it totally fits within the parameters of the world building that has been created in this excellent series.
With some sparky dialogue, a lot of snark from higher demon Marc, who's just popped over to warn the Mannix Estate gang of the end of world scenario one of his fellow demons is planning, there's a great mix between action and romance.
And speaking of, the romance between Tom and Gabe is so sweet! Once they get over the fact that Tom's ghost Nonna spent an hour or so haranguing Gabe in Tom's car when he first picked him up from the airport that is!
I had so much fun reading this book, switching between heart-pounding and shock raising revelations, to the kindness and support Tom gives to Gabe once they begin to explore their attraction.
The sex is smoking, the emotions are heart-felt, the action is non-stop and the conclusion is brilliant! This book delivered on all fronts for me and provides a really great conclusion to the series long story arc that has seen all kinds of paranormal pranks take place.
There will be more in this universe, Louisa still has a planned book for Ian (hopefully with demon Marc please!) but that's going to be a bit delayed. I'm 100% sure that it will be worth every bit of the wait though!
This series has been a fabulous romp through demons, ghosts, an historic home and a small town with attitude and I've loved every bit of it. I can't even pick a favourite couple really because each one has had something special about them.
#ARC kindly received from the author in return for an honest and unbiased review
June 7, 2023
It's always sad when you get to the last book in a series. That being said, I was definitely ready for the big climax of this series to hit its peak so my beloved Mannix Estate family could finally have some time off from stressing about the end of the world. There's always something crazy going on at that hotel and I think they've earned a break, especially the couples. Speaking of couples, I honestly had not a single inkling that Gabe and Tom were going to end up together. I figured Gabe would have his own book, but Tom was a bit of a surprise as his love interest.
We'd only seen little bits of Tom in this series and I enjoyed getting to know him better. He certainly turned out to be quite different from my initial impression of him. Tom may not be a trained hunter, but he's also kind of a badass in his own right. This definitely comes in handy once the major plot twists have been revealed. Kudos to Masters because I did NOT see that coming and I really enjoyed who ended up being part of the "heroes" of the day. And about time too because Gabe and Tom truly deserved some alone time after everything.
Honorary mention must go to Marc because I just loved that grumpy, self centered demon. And if the next book in a spin off series is what I think it is? Hoo weee baby I need it to come to momma! I can't wait to see how Masters turns these enemies into lovers. It's sure to be a hell of a ride!
We'd only seen little bits of Tom in this series and I enjoyed getting to know him better. He certainly turned out to be quite different from my initial impression of him. Tom may not be a trained hunter, but he's also kind of a badass in his own right. This definitely comes in handy once the major plot twists have been revealed. Kudos to Masters because I did NOT see that coming and I really enjoyed who ended up being part of the "heroes" of the day. And about time too because Gabe and Tom truly deserved some alone time after everything.
Honorary mention must go to Marc because I just loved that grumpy, self centered demon. And if the next book in a spin off series is what I think it is? Hoo weee baby I need it to come to momma! I can't wait to see how Masters turns these enemies into lovers. It's sure to be a hell of a ride!
November 9, 2025
Good conclusion to this series. Excited for the spin off. Like the other books in this series, I loved the supernatural plot line but wish the book had more romance.
March 5, 2024
Parents, what can ya do. Can't wait for the spin off. Demon Ambassador, who would have thunk it. I wonder if that kiss ment anything. Was it just to show the stupidity of letting a demon ride ones soul.
August 7, 2023
4.5 ⭐️
October 14, 2024
3.5 stars
May 10, 2024
the whole demons and end of the world ordeal could have been developed further.
but again, this series is all about simplicity and lacks depth and character development or developed characters overall.
which, honestly, i'm not complaining about !!
but again, this series is all about simplicity and lacks depth and character development or developed characters overall.
which, honestly, i'm not complaining about !!
June 22, 2023
a series finale that’s jammed packed but loses focus at the end
Gateway Catastrophe is the almost finale for Louisa Masters Ghostly Guardians series and it had a lot of ground to cover for a book about the end of the world. Masters has brought in all the couples, including the young brothers of Connor and Gabe, Ian and Matt, who’re studying at Franklin U (Mr Romance). We have the great ghosts, now including Tom’s Italian grandmother added into the mix, a few new disposable hunter characters, the odd townspeople, and the cast is about at overflow levels.
Sometimes that’s great here but occasionally it’s a bit too much for the storylines to handle for clarity sake. The main pov’s here are Gabe the demon hunter, and Tom, the part-time cab driver with the ghostly Italian grandmother who rides with him . Tom (a childhood friend of Skye) has been unaware until recently of the existence of the paranormal world that now threatens theirs. Tom had a terrific backstory that we don’t get enough of, a homophobic Italian family, a childhood deep friendship with Skye that includes Skye’s father’s basically “adopting” him into their family. A closeted adolescence for Tom that almost destroyed him. That’s a lot of emotional baggage to unpack.
That it’s a end of the world quickly dealt with conversation is understandable but, hmmmm, it’s an example of the types of narrative choices Masters had to make here when looking at the huge amounts of information, storylines she’d created (sabotage, mysteries, betrayal, paranormal universes, chemistry problems, wars, good vs bad vs grey, portals etc) , the need to complete college degrees if the world might be ending, and romance!
Sometimes it’s successful and other times it’s too many people, too many voices , and situations that are overpowering the very huge theme . The baddies are coming, the world is ending. What are we doing?
The suspense and anxiety should be over the top here towards the end, the reader on the edge of their proverbial seats. But, for me , at least, it starts to head the other direction.
By the time Cato, the high demon who’s the bigger bad, it’s almost anticlimactic. When the battle is engaged, we see what’s happening from Gabe’s perspective , which deals with the portals. The actual battle and fighting? The stuff that makes the adrenaline rush and the heart rate spike? Nope, that a “as told to” afterwards. That’s my biggest issue with this story. The element of anticipation that is never going to happen.
When we get back to the scene it’s over. And the characters fill other characters (and the readers) in on what happened. From an author’s standpoint, I can see where writing about this part of the story might have meant that the book went on for several more chapters. But wouldn’t that have been worth the payoff? Emotionally?Or less portal, more the actual physical fighting?
I don’t know. The climatic scenario and the revelations felt unbalanced. And unsatisfactory. After all that hefty exposition, all that tons of information and huge cast of characters, that’s the way it ends? With a battle off the page? There is a sweet payoff for everyone involved but it’s still not grounded enough in the narrative to be an emotional element. To have that kind of reaction you need to have the reader be involved in the actual situations that require a resolution. We weren’t.
A plus here is the romantic relationship between Gabe and Tom, with the “end of the world “ supplying the necessary energy for them to get themselves together and go for the chance of a life together. And Tom, he was a great surprise and success as a character. I wish we could have seen more of him. Supplying Tom with being a Tendo master and then not utilizing this fully in the climax seems like a waste.
That’s this story. Sometimes too much, and sometimes not enough. Often at the wrong times.
And there’s another book coming because Masters isn’t finished yet with these characters and universe. It’s with Ian and Marc. So overall, it’s a jammed packed paranormal end of the world story, with a lovely romance. Tons of interesting elements, some great characters (as always adore the ghosts and the insufferable higher demon Marc), but I felt that some of the immense complexity of that theme (nothing bigger than ending the world) got lost in the shuffle.
Perhaps it was who got chosen as the final narrator (Gabe versus Tom) or which field of action the author chose to concentrate on, either way, it’s my personal opinion it was the less interesting path to go down.
I’m still recommending it for those fans of this series and the author. If you haven’t read the series, then this book will probably not make any sense to you. This series must be read in the order that they were written for the events, relationships, and situations to make sense.
Gateway Catastrophe is the almost finale for Louisa Masters Ghostly Guardians series and it had a lot of ground to cover for a book about the end of the world. Masters has brought in all the couples, including the young brothers of Connor and Gabe, Ian and Matt, who’re studying at Franklin U (Mr Romance). We have the great ghosts, now including Tom’s Italian grandmother added into the mix, a few new disposable hunter characters, the odd townspeople, and the cast is about at overflow levels.
Sometimes that’s great here but occasionally it’s a bit too much for the storylines to handle for clarity sake. The main pov’s here are Gabe the demon hunter, and Tom, the part-time cab driver with the ghostly Italian grandmother who rides with him . Tom (a childhood friend of Skye) has been unaware until recently of the existence of the paranormal world that now threatens theirs. Tom had a terrific backstory that we don’t get enough of, a homophobic Italian family, a childhood deep friendship with Skye that includes Skye’s father’s basically “adopting” him into their family. A closeted adolescence for Tom that almost destroyed him. That’s a lot of emotional baggage to unpack.
That it’s a end of the world quickly dealt with conversation is understandable but, hmmmm, it’s an example of the types of narrative choices Masters had to make here when looking at the huge amounts of information, storylines she’d created (sabotage, mysteries, betrayal, paranormal universes, chemistry problems, wars, good vs bad vs grey, portals etc) , the need to complete college degrees if the world might be ending, and romance!
Sometimes it’s successful and other times it’s too many people, too many voices , and situations that are overpowering the very huge theme . The baddies are coming, the world is ending. What are we doing?
The suspense and anxiety should be over the top here towards the end, the reader on the edge of their proverbial seats. But, for me , at least, it starts to head the other direction.
By the time Cato, the high demon who’s the bigger bad, it’s almost anticlimactic. When the battle is engaged, we see what’s happening from Gabe’s perspective , which deals with the portals. The actual battle and fighting? The stuff that makes the adrenaline rush and the heart rate spike? Nope, that a “as told to” afterwards. That’s my biggest issue with this story. The element of anticipation that is never going to happen.
When we get back to the scene it’s over. And the characters fill other characters (and the readers) in on what happened. From an author’s standpoint, I can see where writing about this part of the story might have meant that the book went on for several more chapters. But wouldn’t that have been worth the payoff? Emotionally?Or less portal, more the actual physical fighting?
I don’t know. The climatic scenario and the revelations felt unbalanced. And unsatisfactory. After all that hefty exposition, all that tons of information and huge cast of characters, that’s the way it ends? With a battle off the page? There is a sweet payoff for everyone involved but it’s still not grounded enough in the narrative to be an emotional element. To have that kind of reaction you need to have the reader be involved in the actual situations that require a resolution. We weren’t.
A plus here is the romantic relationship between Gabe and Tom, with the “end of the world “ supplying the necessary energy for them to get themselves together and go for the chance of a life together. And Tom, he was a great surprise and success as a character. I wish we could have seen more of him. Supplying Tom with being a Tendo master and then not utilizing this fully in the climax seems like a waste.
That’s this story. Sometimes too much, and sometimes not enough. Often at the wrong times.
And there’s another book coming because Masters isn’t finished yet with these characters and universe. It’s with Ian and Marc. So overall, it’s a jammed packed paranormal end of the world story, with a lovely romance. Tons of interesting elements, some great characters (as always adore the ghosts and the insufferable higher demon Marc), but I felt that some of the immense complexity of that theme (nothing bigger than ending the world) got lost in the shuffle.
Perhaps it was who got chosen as the final narrator (Gabe versus Tom) or which field of action the author chose to concentrate on, either way, it’s my personal opinion it was the less interesting path to go down.
I’m still recommending it for those fans of this series and the author. If you haven’t read the series, then this book will probably not make any sense to you. This series must be read in the order that they were written for the events, relationships, and situations to make sense.
June 23, 2023
It was okay.
January 11, 2024
I love every single book of this series and this was no exception. It was in a way less action packed than the others but it gave us more time to get to know the characters, to see them give in to their desires and to see them start a sweet relationship. Everything while a demon is being sassy and the world is ending. I loved seeing them planning and coming up with ideas and I loved seeing known characters appeared and maybe have more on page time in future projects!
I definitely would join the gang!!
I definitely would join the gang!!
June 22, 2023
I am going with 4 stars for this book as the build up to the event was the majority of the book and then the 'event' was a very small part of the book, over in the blink of an eye.
This book does pick up right after the ending of the previous one.
I love Marc and I am so pleased he is getting his own book next. Shame not enough of the ghosts in this one.
This book does pick up right after the ending of the previous one.
I love Marc and I am so pleased he is getting his own book next. Shame not enough of the ghosts in this one.
October 16, 2023
The final book in the series. Maybe. It certainly feels like a series ender with a big climactic battle at the end. But the epilogue hints there are more books to come.
Tom is the industrious local boy whose family runs an Italian restaurant. He always seems to be cash strapped, so does extra jobs on the side in addition to his restaurant management via ride share. One day he transports a seemingly regular guy to the Mannix Estate, only to be introduced to all things paranormal when the guy turns out to be a demon. He had limited knowledge before. Tom knew his grandmother was a ghost and he could talk to her while at the Mannix estate.
His romantic interest is Gabe, Connor’s close friend/practically a brother.
The story revolves around trying to avert world disaster by means of a plague of demons and Tom’s budding romance with Gabe.
I liked that Tom’s background was explored. From his homophobic family to his bout with depression, and the support he receives from Skye and Skye’s family.
Gabe is a bit bland. But nice overall. No major character flaws there.
What the romance lacked, the story line make up for.
Tom is the industrious local boy whose family runs an Italian restaurant. He always seems to be cash strapped, so does extra jobs on the side in addition to his restaurant management via ride share. One day he transports a seemingly regular guy to the Mannix Estate, only to be introduced to all things paranormal when the guy turns out to be a demon. He had limited knowledge before. Tom knew his grandmother was a ghost and he could talk to her while at the Mannix estate.
His romantic interest is Gabe, Connor’s close friend/practically a brother.
The story revolves around trying to avert world disaster by means of a plague of demons and Tom’s budding romance with Gabe.
I liked that Tom’s background was explored. From his homophobic family to his bout with depression, and the support he receives from Skye and Skye’s family.
Gabe is a bit bland. But nice overall. No major character flaws there.
What the romance lacked, the story line make up for.
June 2, 2023
What a fantastic finale.
The way that the author combined the sweetest romance between two wonderful characters and the end of world scenario is absolutely fantastic. It kept me on tenterhooks from start to finish with some truly unexpected surprises thrown into the mix. The world ending plot was superbly thwarted in a totally believable way. At times it all felt helpless but ingenuity and absolute support from all concerned won the day. It certainly left me happy dancing!
As for Tom and Gabe, they are just so beautiful together and so supportive of each other. Even though ghost Nonna made their first meeting somewhat awkward the spark of attraction between them didn’t go out and when it catches there’s plenty of steam.
With the perfect blend of action and romance, the snarkiest demon ever to exist and the sweetest and most deserving saving the world HEA, I loved every moment and what a way to end this fantastic journey through the lives of those at Mannix Estate.
The way that the author combined the sweetest romance between two wonderful characters and the end of world scenario is absolutely fantastic. It kept me on tenterhooks from start to finish with some truly unexpected surprises thrown into the mix. The world ending plot was superbly thwarted in a totally believable way. At times it all felt helpless but ingenuity and absolute support from all concerned won the day. It certainly left me happy dancing!
As for Tom and Gabe, they are just so beautiful together and so supportive of each other. Even though ghost Nonna made their first meeting somewhat awkward the spark of attraction between them didn’t go out and when it catches there’s plenty of steam.
With the perfect blend of action and romance, the snarkiest demon ever to exist and the sweetest and most deserving saving the world HEA, I loved every moment and what a way to end this fantastic journey through the lives of those at Mannix Estate.
August 17, 2024
End of an Era, On to New Beginnings
Honestly, a pretty low angst ending to the series which was NICE.
I liked how they had to cohabitate a bit and work with Marc, and noticed how they got less snarky with each other as the book got along.
There’s definitely some unexpected revelations in this that rock the group. I think it also brings them together more.
I really liked seeing Ian and Matt. I wondered so much about them in Mr. romance (which is from where I ventured to Mannix Estate). I’m excited to head to Higher Demon shortly after this.
Gabe and Tom are so cute together. Tom fits in so well and can read situations perfectly, he’s a great complement to Gabe.
Honestly, a pretty low angst ending to the series which was NICE.
I liked how they had to cohabitate a bit and work with Marc, and noticed how they got less snarky with each other as the book got along.
There’s definitely some unexpected revelations in this that rock the group. I think it also brings them together more.
I really liked seeing Ian and Matt. I wondered so much about them in Mr. romance (which is from where I ventured to Mannix Estate). I’m excited to head to Higher Demon shortly after this.
Gabe and Tom are so cute together. Tom fits in so well and can read situations perfectly, he’s a great complement to Gabe.
July 15, 2023
The plot for this one was definitely more gripping than the last. Glad things have finally come to a head as there really is a limit to how far you can drag out things before readers get fed up. Tom was an interesting character and I liked him and Gabe well enough but I wasn't overly committed to their relationship. In a way, it was nice how easy everything was for them. I'll be honest, Matt and Ian crack me up and I absolutely cannot wait for the next book, though.
August 14, 2023
While I'm sad to see this series finish, I'm glad that it was left partially open for the spin off, because I really need more of Mark! I wondered how he was going to foster some goodwill and build trust, but his actions proved he's not all bad.
The romance is fairly secondary but I was okay with that because of the way Gabe and Tom worked together
The romance is fairly secondary but I was okay with that because of the way Gabe and Tom worked together
April 30, 2024
While the big plot line was kind of what I expected from the way the last book ended, there were twists I didn't expect. I like the way it ended and how Tom and Gabe's relationship went. I wish we had a bit more with Tom's family as that part of the story was kind of set aside, but overall I liked it
June 22, 2023
Good Ending
I have enjoyed this series from the start and I enjoyed this finale story also. While the conclusion to the series issues was a bit tamer that I thought that they would be, it still wrapped up the series very well.
I received an ARC and this is my unbiased opinion
I have enjoyed this series from the start and I enjoyed this finale story also. While the conclusion to the series issues was a bit tamer that I thought that they would be, it still wrapped up the series very well.
I received an ARC and this is my unbiased opinion
June 30, 2023
The last action scene was very lackluster imo. It felt very vague to me as to what was happening. I would love to see Mark get his own book with Ian? ❤️🙏 Overall, the series was fascinating but the romances we're usually lacking.
October 3, 2024
I really loved this series and am looking forward to the spin off....but I was disappointed by how rushed the whole Cato situation wrapped up? The final showdown AND epilogue, so to speak, happened in twenty pages. Felt really anticlimactic.
June 19, 2024
Parents suck, but your bros make up for it
July 6, 2023
Love this book. Love this series and love this author
Just the right amount of everything in this story. Romance and two wonderful men who find each other and with the help of friends, a demon and ghosts, they save the world. Can’t wait for the next book. My one-click author, Louisa Masters does it again.
Just the right amount of everything in this story. Romance and two wonderful men who find each other and with the help of friends, a demon and ghosts, they save the world. Can’t wait for the next book. My one-click author, Louisa Masters does it again.
February 16, 2024
A great end to this series! I didn't think I would like Tom and Gabe together, but they ended up working out. The final confrontation could have been built up a little more, (I had envisioned more of an epic battle with hordes of people and demons, etc), but overall it was fine. Prior to the end I felt like there was a lot of frustration and dawdling over information so by the time we get to the end they still barely know what they're doing despite working on this for months. I honestly can't wait for Ian and Marc's book now and I'm even more interested in what other pairings this new series comes up with.
November 8, 2023
Final season GOT Disappointing and Infuriating
Louisa Masters has a great talent for plots, world building and story pacing.
She falls short on relationship development and that's normally not too big a deal, some people don't do or like slow burn, but even though this story probably had the most foreshadowing it had zero pacing and her penchant for character death is infuriating.
The rest of this review has spoilers:
Tom and Gabe get no time at all, zero.
From the fact that they're INSTANTLY put into a forced space scenario to the way they have time to stop mid conversation about impending doom to think about how hot they think one another is.
It's downright uncomfortable. It ruined the weight of the situation and every bit of the interpersonal workings of the story was about as solid as the ghosts before they knew they could manifest.
But the thing that really makes me upset- that I actually predicted in a previous review- is that female characters in Louisa Masters stories are cannon fodder for emotionally driven scenes.
It's disgusting that female characters are added and given nothing but a target on their backs and it was even worse in this story, because it's one of the newer books, which means it's a habit, it's not the first time it's happened and with the rushed, dismissive pace of everything else it's just the nail in the coffin.
The book reads like the author is just ready to move on and slammed some lipstick on a pig and shoved it out for mass consumption but it's Jill's useless, three paragraph death at the hands of spontaneous demons that really makes it seem like the author just does not give two thoughts to their readers.
I think it's appalling and as much as I enjoy this author's stories it really makes me want to stop reading them completely.
Louisa Masters has a great talent for plots, world building and story pacing.
She falls short on relationship development and that's normally not too big a deal, some people don't do or like slow burn, but even though this story probably had the most foreshadowing it had zero pacing and her penchant for character death is infuriating.
The rest of this review has spoilers:
Tom and Gabe get no time at all, zero.
From the fact that they're INSTANTLY put into a forced space scenario to the way they have time to stop mid conversation about impending doom to think about how hot they think one another is.
It's downright uncomfortable. It ruined the weight of the situation and every bit of the interpersonal workings of the story was about as solid as the ghosts before they knew they could manifest.
But the thing that really makes me upset- that I actually predicted in a previous review- is that female characters in Louisa Masters stories are cannon fodder for emotionally driven scenes.
It's disgusting that female characters are added and given nothing but a target on their backs and it was even worse in this story, because it's one of the newer books, which means it's a habit, it's not the first time it's happened and with the rushed, dismissive pace of everything else it's just the nail in the coffin.
The book reads like the author is just ready to move on and slammed some lipstick on a pig and shoved it out for mass consumption but it's Jill's useless, three paragraph death at the hands of spontaneous demons that really makes it seem like the author just does not give two thoughts to their readers.
I think it's appalling and as much as I enjoy this author's stories it really makes me want to stop reading them completely.
August 6, 2023
3.75 ⭐️
I liked the story of how Gabe and Tom got together despite Tom’s grandma scaring Gabe off the first time they met. The plot itself - big bad demon on world domination - dragged over in an inconsistent manner. We spend the 50-60% on “the world is ending. We don’t know what to do. Let’s run around like headless chicken”. Then suddenly they find a solution that feels like kids trying on a new skill instead of trained people doing this for their whole life. That, Marc was a fantastic addition with his emotionless faces and nonsense comments all while finding out about Game of Thrones.
The battle itself was downplayed as we don’t really it happening because - again - the author chose the wrong POV to go with it. As many people pointed over the 4 books, there’s an annoying tendency of retelling instead of happening. So we are told about the battle by Tom who is relaying it to Gabe. We don’t see it happening, we don’t know what the other characters were feeling or thinking, we missed the part where the ghosts joined Marc in the fight, we don’t get the moment the parents died, nothing. Instead, we get told of this as if it was a report. I felt cheated and let down on this. The author could have used the dual POV format so Tom could take over once Gabe gets focused on the barrier and show us what is going on through his eyes in real time.
Now, I know there will be another book with Ian and Marc as she mentioned at the end but when we click on the link provided, it goes to her website with a list of published books, not future ones. So, I can’t find anything on the story.
I liked the story of how Gabe and Tom got together despite Tom’s grandma scaring Gabe off the first time they met. The plot itself - big bad demon on world domination - dragged over in an inconsistent manner. We spend the 50-60% on “the world is ending. We don’t know what to do. Let’s run around like headless chicken”. Then suddenly they find a solution that feels like kids trying on a new skill instead of trained people doing this for their whole life. That, Marc was a fantastic addition with his emotionless faces and nonsense comments all while finding out about Game of Thrones.
The battle itself was downplayed as we don’t really it happening because - again - the author chose the wrong POV to go with it. As many people pointed over the 4 books, there’s an annoying tendency of retelling instead of happening. So we are told about the battle by Tom who is relaying it to Gabe. We don’t see it happening, we don’t know what the other characters were feeling or thinking, we missed the part where the ghosts joined Marc in the fight, we don’t get the moment the parents died, nothing. Instead, we get told of this as if it was a report. I felt cheated and let down on this. The author could have used the dual POV format so Tom could take over once Gabe gets focused on the barrier and show us what is going on through his eyes in real time.
Now, I know there will be another book with Ian and Marc as she mentioned at the end but when we click on the link provided, it goes to her website with a list of published books, not future ones. So, I can’t find anything on the story.
February 20, 2025
Funny, sweet, and exciting
Louisa Masters threw some excellent plot twists into ‘Gateway Catastrophe.’ This book is a delightful mix of humor and heart, but it also has exciting tension and action.
Gabe and Tom are so sweet together. I loved the gentleness of their relationship. I’m all about rivals falling in love, but this was a pleasant change of pace for the series. All the other books have some element of head-butting between the main love interests, and here they’re soft with each other from beginning to end. I don’t always go for that, but against the backdrop of the end of the world, it really works.
‘Gateway Catastrophe’ is such a good read. I’ve been enjoying this series since it started, and while book 3 is my favorite in the series so far, this book is a close second. I’ve read it once and listened to it once already. Nick J. Russo narrates the series, and I think he does a great job.
I don’t want to spoil anything, so all I can say is that I loved the ending and I can’t wait for the next book.
Louisa Masters threw some excellent plot twists into ‘Gateway Catastrophe.’ This book is a delightful mix of humor and heart, but it also has exciting tension and action.
Gabe and Tom are so sweet together. I loved the gentleness of their relationship. I’m all about rivals falling in love, but this was a pleasant change of pace for the series. All the other books have some element of head-butting between the main love interests, and here they’re soft with each other from beginning to end. I don’t always go for that, but against the backdrop of the end of the world, it really works.
‘Gateway Catastrophe’ is such a good read. I’ve been enjoying this series since it started, and while book 3 is my favorite in the series so far, this book is a close second. I’ve read it once and listened to it once already. Nick J. Russo narrates the series, and I think he does a great job.
I don’t want to spoil anything, so all I can say is that I loved the ending and I can’t wait for the next book.
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