The Geek and the Ghost

The Protectors #2

by Cambria Hebert

I’m about thirty seconds from a toe tag and my own freezer at the mortuary when he materializes from the shadows and fights like hell to keep me breathing.

I had no idea homeless disasters like me got guardian angels—or that guardian angels punch people and smoke—but suddenly, there he is: a hero dressed all in black who ghosts me so hard I consider calling a medium.

But that would be a waste of money I don’t have.

I thought I’d never see him again, but just as I’m about to eat a bullet, he appears, using his body to protect mine. I might have swooned—okay, fine, I do but only on the inside—if it weren’t for the fact he thinks bleeding is an adequate apology for implying I’m a prostitute and running off with my heart.

Spoiler alert: It’s not.

Now the man with a PhD in vanishing, a tattoo that totally offends me, and eyes with their own force of gravity is suddenly stuck to me like glue and being wildly inconvenient about it.

And he won’t stop calling me a pipgeek. What even is that?
He insists I trust him, but I can’t trust anyone, not even my own body. Unfortunately, when the resident drug lord calls in that favor I foolishly owe, things go from bad to catastrophic with alarming enthusiasm.

On the upside, having a hero with a villain complex for a stalker means staying alive will be easy.

But not getting hurt again is a whole other story.

Genres: M M Romance, Second Chance, Romance, Found Family, Dark Romance, Dark, Contemporary

13 pages, Audiobook

First published July 10, 2026

About the author

Cambria Hebert is a bestselling novelist of more than fifty titles. She went to college for a bachelor’s degree, couldn’t pick a major, and ended up with a degree in cosmetology. So rest assured her characters will always have good hair.
Besides writing, Cambria loves a pumpkin spice latte, staying up late, sleeping in, and watching K drama until her eyes won’t stay open. She considers math human torture and has an irrational fear of chickens (yes, chickens). You can often find her running on the treadmill (she’d rather be eating a donut), painting her toenails (because she bites her fingernails), or walking her chihuahuas (the real bosses of the house).
Cambria has written in many genres, including new adult, sports romance, male/male romance, sci-fi, thriller, suspense, contemporary romance, and young adult. Many of her titles have been translated into foreign languages and have been the recipients of multiple awards.

Awards Cambria has received include:

Author of the Year 2016 (UtopiaCon2016)
The Hashtag Series: Best Contemporary Series of 2015 (UtopiaCon 2015)
#Nerd: Best Contemporary Book Cover of 2015 (UtopiaCon 2015)
Romeo from the Hashtag Series: Best Contemporary Lead (UtopiaCon 2015)
#Nerd: Top 50 Summer Reads (Buzzfeed.com 2015)
The Hashtag Series: Best Contemporary Series of 2016 (UtopiaCon 2016)
#NERD Book Trailer: Best Book Trailer of 2016 (UtopiaCon 2016)
#Nerd Book Trailer: Top 50 Most Cinematic Book Trailers of All Time (film-14.com)
#Nerd: Book Most Wanted to be Adapted to Screen: (2018)
Amnesia: Mystery Book of the Year (2018)

Cambria Hebert owns and operates Cambria Hebert Books, LLC.
You can find out more about Cambria and her titles by visiting her website:
http://www.cambriahebert.com

Email: cambriahebert@rocketmail.com
Facebook: http://smarturl.co/CambriaHebertFanpage
Twitter: https://twitter.com/cambriahebert
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Reviews

[Meags · Rating 4.5 out of 5]

4.5 Stars

For a 500-page contemporary M/M romance, I practically soared through this story and was legitimately sad when it was over.

The Geek and the Ghost is an opposites-attract, romantic suspense standalone sequel (but don’t be that person who reads out of order, for the love of Connor Storrie), featuring dude-in-distress, touch-him-and-die, hurt-comfort vibes for days, that had me in my absolutely feral romance reader element!

Plus, it had (personally relatable) chronic illness rep and the kind of consistently funny banter/group dynamics that had me regularly laughing out loud and highlighting like a fiend.

Like most of Hebert’s couples, these two are possessive and obsessive, and all-in with forever pretty darn quickly. But, miraculously, she (always?!) makes this kind of OTT, fast-paced, insta-love romance work an absolute treat for me.

I knew I would love Ghost and Rett when they were introduced in book one (The Hazard and the Hitman), but I still wasn’t prepared for just how much I loved their sweet, heartwarming—and a little bit murdery—love story.

I can’t wait for book three, as this series is proving to be one of my absolute highlights of my 2026 reading year. More, more, more, please and thank you!!


The Protectors series

Book 1 - The Hazard & the Hitman (4 Stars)
Book 2 - The Geek & the Ghost (4.5 Stars)
Book 3 - pending...

[Dani · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely hilarious!! I laughed the whole way through this book which was so unexpected.

Ghost is so bloody snarky and sassy, but Rett absolutely matches him and they just have the funniest conversations and inner thoughts.

I loved Ghost saying he'd be married with kids by dinner and then it happens 😂😂😂

The plot was really engaging and I loved that we got so much of Kieran and Haz too. This series has been amazing so far and I hope there's more to come!

[Whitney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ghost + Rett 🖤
Hurt comfort | Size difference | Insta love | Breeding

My favorite of the series so far.

I need Enzo and Wyatt to get together for the next book. I feel like it's going to happen. Pretty please.



⚠️ potential spoilers below in detailed tropes, content and warning lists






Tropes/content:
Starts 2 years prior (first 11 chapters) - Rett is homeless and starving and gets mugged. Ghost saves him. They spend a sweet couple nights together before Ghost has to leave on a job with an undetermined timeline and the implication that they'll never see each other again. He left Rett with cash to get an apartment amongst other things.
"Pip"
"Pipgeek"
Replaces the food he lost in the mugging, plus got his money back and gave him extra
"Baby"
Hurt comfort
Nurses him back to health from a fever
Rett calls Ghost "hero" for saving him repeatedly and Ghost thinks he's sent by someone because he "knows his name" which is Hiro.
Insta love
Rett's first time being cuddled
Forehead kisses
Banter
Look at me while I claim you baby
Ghost plushie gift to remember him by before he leaves
Takes a bullet for him
Stopped smoking for him even without knowing that they would ever see each other again.
First time going bare for Rett (unclear if it's the same for ghost)
Chronic illness rep - Rheumatoid arthritis
Breeding kink, womb and baby talk
Belly button kisses
Plugs his release inside
Butt plug with a tracker
Found family
Plant daddies
Rimming
Strict roles
Epilogue 3 weeks later - they're all moved in across the hall from Keiran and Haz and Ghost built Rett a library
There's a note at the end that Ghost ends Rett's abusive parents but no details



Warnings/icks:
Homelessness
Hunger
Mugging of an MC
No room at homeless shelters
Sleeping in cardboard box
Fever
2 year separation but only lasts like 2 pages in the book and is at the beginning - neither of them were with anyone else during that time
Rett is attacked in his apartment by a dealer he got 2 pills from once - no serious injuries - ghost saves him of course
Rett was abused as a child for his RA and for being gay. He was told he was dramatic and a baby by his mom for his pain despite a doctor officially diagnosing him. His mom went so far to claim the doctor was a liar. He got beat by both his brother and his dad. That's how he became homeless because be figured it was better than getting beat by his parents and his brother.
Bullying as a child for crying a lot due to his pain - from other kids
Kidnapping of MC
Torture and death of bad guys including lighting a guy on fire while he's alive

[Renae Reads · Rating 4.5 out of 5]

This was one heck of a wild ride. The initial meeting between Ghost and Rett is intense, emotional, and full of intrigue as they instantly connect, but for a variety of reasons, they are separated for years and cannot escape how easily and quickly they both fell for one another.

Ghost and Rett's initial meeting does a great job of setting up their dynamic and showing how their affection and care for one another is so natural and instinctual. This dynamic is still present years later, and watching them fall back into their routine and habits was hilarious and heartwarming.

I really enjoyed how this story clearly fits so well with the first entry. Rett is Haz's best friend, and Ghost is Kieran's best friend, so together they make quite the intense little family with their bantering and highly possessive significant others. Overall, this was another great entry that perfectly complements the first story while offering more depth and history, which made me so happy to return to these characters and the world. I am really excited for Enzo's story; he is an enigma that kept me very enthralled.

*** I reviewed a complimentary copy of this story.***

[haletostilinski · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful, amazing, unputdownable, show stopping, brilliant - I loved every single second of this!

Ghost aka Hiro and his Pipgeek...or Rett as is his actual name, but he'll always be Pipgeek (Pip for short) to Ghost - were wonderful together, I ate them up from page one.

Rett is as sweet and adorable as he seemed in book one, but is also adorably willing to stand up for himself, in the cutest ways.

Just about as small as Haz, and with a chronic condition - rheumatoid arthritis - his whole life, and then living on the streets since he was 16, he's managed to maintain his innocence and sweet, kind personality despite it all. Even if other people in the world want to take advantage of that.

At 20, he's homeless and having a really hard time of it, and his chronic condition does nOT help matters in the least. When these thugs corner him for any money he has in a dark alley, Ghost is there and there's something about Rett that makes him come to the rescue for him and beat the men bloody, rescuing Rett and taking him to a motel for the night - although since Rett does get knocked around by the men a bit, he's a bit out of it and Ghost leaves before he sees him, but leaves food for him and keeps the room paid for the night for him.

Then for weeks he follows Rett around and stops anyone from hurting him, and Rett himself eventually deliberately goes to these bad parts of town, down dark alleyways, to get Ghost to come out of hiding from him and show him his face and so they can talk as well.

Ghost is a highly trained assassin, and while he clearly increasingly becomes obsessed with his Pip, he also feels he's no good for him, and he'll only bring harm into his life, and so he tries to stay away at the same time he really can't stay away.

Eventually it all culminates when Rett seemingly gets sick and lets another homeless person have his last bed in a shelter, and so is in boxes left in an alleyway, and Ghost steps in to bring him to a motel room again and take care of him while he gets better. They eventually end up sleeping together, but Ghost is called on a job by the government and has to leave - and he tells himself he'll be leaving for good, because it's better for Rett if he's out of his life.

Fast forward 2 years to present day, and Rett and Ghost are back in each other's lives. Present day picks up with the last book left off with the main story, where the fish place Haz works at was attacked and Pip was there and Ghost got shot protecting him.

Just like the first book, the main action in this takes place within a few days - I think even less than the almost week that happened between Haz and Kieran tbh - but it doesn't matter because not only do these two have an established connection from the past, but even if not the writing is so well done that you feel the connection between these two so much and it is done SO well.

Just like the first book, the pull between them is intense and passionate and all consuming and I LOVED it! I couldn't get enough of these two. I don't care if it had a bit of similar dynamics with Ghost the big, bad assassin and his sweet, small love in his Pip like with Kieran and Haz, I'll eat this type of dynamic up every time. Plus, they were different from them anyway, especially Ghost, he's got his dark side and his angst, of course, but he was a bit more lighthearted and silly at times than Kieran. Where he's always serious, Ghost is a little less so. Not when it comes to his little Pipgeek, but he is more open to humor and sassy one liners.

My saying "my guyyy" throughout this was hilarious. This big, bad, tough assassin saying that in a silly tone is just a hilarious image.

The main plot in this ties into what is totally going to be the next book's plot. Last book, Rett slept through those men trashing Haz's apartment, and that was because he took two pretty strong pills from the local neighborhood drug dealer - I think they were pain killers - to try to get some relief from his chronic pain with this condition.

So now that guy wants "payment" from Rett in the form of him working for him, but Ghost is not having it. He, of course, will burn down the world for his Pip.

The guy also happens to work for Enzo, now the head of the Salvatore crime family and Haz's uncle. It's suspected the guy, Tommy, is stealing from Enzo, and it seems Enzo will he left to deal with all that, but then the guy takes a friend of Rett's that he's only known a few months, Wyatt, and Rett refuses to sit this one out.

Ghost wants to refuse him, but who else will bend these dangerous men to their will but their loves, right?

Of course things don't go perfectly and Ghost has to get savage to save the man he loves.

It was absolutely great seeing him lose his shit over his Pip being hurt or worse. Will burn down the world for his love, indeed.

Every second of this was as amazing as the first book and I absolutely recommend it. Gimme more dangerous men who go soft for only one, their sweet and adorable pint-sized men with hearts of gold, who are just so good that they melt these hard men's exteriors. I LIVE for this trope.

I can't wait for Enzo and Wyatt next, as they are the clear next couple in this series, for sure. How they know each other, I'm eager to find out as well, as Enzo clearly is already emotionally attached to Wyatt. But who is Wyatt and why was he on the streets for the last few months, skittish and running at any opportunity?

Ohhh I can't wait to find out these answers! Until then!

These series is *chefs kiss*

P.S. Nice shoutout to Fletcher and Ethan from the book Prince in this, nice to have that connection to this world and this great couple. I also recommend that book if you haven't read it yet!

My Ratings for The Protectors Series:

🔆 The Hazard and the Hitman: 5 stars (my review)
🔆 The Geek and the Ghost: 5 stars

[theshadyivy · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 🫦🫦🫦

I have been waiting for this one, and the moment it was available, I devoured it whole. Zero regrets. 🖤

Everything I loved about this series is back and turned up several notches — deep, complex characters, raw emotion, suspense, crime, and banter so sharp it could cut glass. 😏 And the cameo of Kieran and Haz? Absolutely loved it. 👀

Cambria has this extraordinary gift of making you genuinely emotional one moment and laughing out loud the next, and she does it so effortlessly that it almost feels unfair. 😂🖤 Rett's sassiness had me completely obsessed, and watching Hiro finally allow himself to feel, to truly accept his place in this relationship, was everything.

And the little details? The plant dads. The liquid hugs. The over-the-top possessiveness that made my heart simultaneously melt and race. 🥺🔥 It's those touches that elevate a story from great to unforgettable.

The perfect continuation of a series that just keeps getting better. And Enzo & Wyatt? I am already not okay about it, and their book isn't even out yet. 👀🖤

Go read this if you love morally grey men who are absolutely feral for one specific person, emotional complexity wrapped in razor-sharp humour, and found family dynamics that sneak up on you before you even notice. 🖤🔥

🥛 Liquid Hugs
📋 House Rules
🪴 Plant Dads
👑 OTT Possessive
🔁 Obsessive
🛡️ Protective
💀 Touch Him & Die
🩺 Chronic Illness
📏 Size Difference
😏 Banter
☠️ Serial Unaliver

118/26

[Showarst · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Geek and the Ghost by Cambria Hebert is book 2 in The Protectors series. I absolutely adored book 1, so I was very excited to receive an arc to read this one. We met both characters in book 1. Ghost, aka Hiro, is best friends and brothers with Kieran. Rett is friends with Haz. They knew each other in the past and never expected to see each other again.

This book is kinda divided into two parts: the past when they first meet and get to know each other and the present. I loved the beginning. I know the author was concerned it was too long, but it was perfect. It made me care about Rett and Hiro. I felt their chemistry and believed that they had thought about each other for the two years apart.

When they came back into contact, I was glad to see Hiro put Rett first. He had seen how Kieran and Haz made things work, so I think he was hopeful. I loved both of these characters so much. The addition of Rett’s condition and how Hiro stepped it up to be something positive and supportive in Rett’s life was so real. I cannot talk enough about how much I loved these two.

The ending was well done and I have to say that I am looking forward to Uncle Enzo and Wyatt’s story. This series has just been so enjoyable to me. I highly recommend it!

I received an ARC from the author for my honest review.

[Grace · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rhett and Ghost
Stalker/Hitman and his guyyyyy
Mafia Vibes
Government Agent (but not really, but you know)
Touch Him and Die
Second Chance Romance
Dark Romance with Humour
More of the Plant Daddy

Spice - 2/5 (a lot lower than the first book in the series)
Story - 4/5 (this book didn't pull me in like the first one, but still good)

[Bri · Rating 3 out of 5]

Get it here:
Amazon US * Amazon UK

[❀ Jess · Rating 3 out of 5]

I absolutely loved the previous book in this series but for this one it felt like the comedy was turned up all the way. This one felt like a comedy book with small pockets of seriousness and I prefer my reads the other way around so this wasn't my cup of tea. Still, I really liked Ghost and Pip. I'm not a fan of second chance so it's no surprise that part wasn't working for me either tho I was so happy to see that BOTH of them have not been with anyone else in all their time apart.

I am an insta-love enthusiast so I was eating up whenever they were being lovey dovey. 🥰 but other than that I was annoyed at the constant joking especially when I just wanted to see them have a conversation 😒

All in all, this one didn't work for me but i'm sure fans of comedy will love it.

[Courtney Williams · Rating 2 out of 5]

what even is this…

I stopped half way through because I literally didn’t even know what I was reading. This felt like it was written by a 13 year old who has severe ADD and whose diet consists exclusively of energy drinks and pixie sticks. I don’t remember the first one being this bad but maybe I’ve blocked it out of my memory?

Like what is the plot? What’s with all the weird disjointed dialogue? All of it is nonsensical. And the diction is just weird and wrong. It reminds me of when I was in middle school and I would try to use big words I didn’t quite know the meaning of to sound more sophisticated and smart. For example, eyeballs of human beings can’t be “luminant.” I guess anyone can write a book these days, but just because you can doesn’t mean you should.

[Daje1968 · Rating 3 out of 5]

An easy palate cleanser. Cambria Hebert is never going to become a favorite author, but her books tend to keep me interested even when I’m annoyed, and I like this series more than the other I read. The biggest reason? There’s actually some wit. Ghost, in particular, has a wonderfully dry delivery that sometimes made me smile. I may even have to steal this line:

“I’d rather watch grass attend a staff meeting than read this shit again. Could it be any more boring?”

Unfortunately, I had the same issue here that I had with The Hazard and the Hitman. I don’t mind a size difference, but when you combine the constant emphasis on how tiny one character is with behavior that often feels childlike, I have to keep reminding myself these are supposed to be grown men. During the breakfast scene with Haz and Rett at Kieran’s, for example, their conversation felt less like two grown men talking and more like the boys in Big before Tom Hanks wakes up in an adult body. Which meant the sex scenes give me the same squicky feeling I got when Tom Hanks had sex with Elizabeth Perkins.

It doesn’t help that Rett’s entire physical description seems to boil down to: blond, gray eyes, tiny, slight, slender, tiny hands. That’s basically all I know about him. At some point I started wondering, “Sir, are you fucking the Little Prince right now?”

She also continues to have her characters perform feats of physical endurance that border on superhero fiction. You were shot in the shoulder a few hours ago, you are not picking another grown man up, giving him a handjob while holding him, then carrying him piggyback through the middle of the city. Barefoot.

In this week’s installment of Get a Fucking Beta Reader:

* Ghost first says he met Rett during the mugging, but later says he first saw him at the diner.
* Rett says he couldn’t afford a bus ticket farther south than Buffalo because he wished he could’ve made it somewhere warm… except he was traveling from New York City. Buffalo is about as far in the wrong direction as you can go. I suspect NYC was only mentioned so characters from Prince could make a random cameo, because the two MCs were name-dropped for absolutely no reason before disappearing forever. (I haven’t even read that book but the random mention was so distracting I did a little research.)
* I’m no optometrist, but based on the symptoms described, Rett sounded farsighted, not nearsighted.

Like the first book, this is very much instalove, even allowing for the fact that they technically met two years earlier. Most of the romance unfolds over just a few days, and once again we get a sweet, wispy little cinnamon roll who doesn’t seem to bring much to the relationship beyond existing and being vulnerable, while the handsome, wealthy, hypercompetent badass instantly decides he’d burn the world down for him.

Then again, the series is called The Protectors. That’s really what these books are: protector porn. New trope unlocked.

[Sammy! · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was already intrigued by Hiro/Ghost after meeting him in The Hazard and the Hitman, so I was really excited to finally get his story. Hiro was Kieran’s best friend, while Rett was Haz’s, and although this book focuses on a new couple, I definitely recommend reading these in order. It’s not strictly necessary, but The Geek and the Ghost picks up after the events of Hazard, and Kieran and Haz have pretty significant roles here.

The dynamic between these two books is also very similar. We have a sweet, vulnerable but strong-willed younger man paired with a wealthy, dangerous, ridiculously possessive killer. Basically, give me all the “touch him and die” energy, protective obsession, caretaking, and men who would happily burn the world down for their person. 😂 It’s definitely over the top at times, but honestly? I was having a great time. The book starts with an extended prologue showing how Rett and Hiro first met. Rett is living on the streets during a brutal Buffalo winter, and Hiro ends up crossing paths with him. This section takes up a surprisingly large portion of the book, but I actually liked it. It gave us a chance to understand both men, establish their connection, and show why neither of them could completely forget the other despite only spending a short time together.

Then we jump forward two years, when they unexpectedly reconnect after the shootout at the end of The Hazard and the Hitman. From there, things move FAST. Neither man is willing to let the other slip away again, and most of the story is about them falling harder for each other and deciding that this time, they're in it for good.
There’s also a suspense plot involving trouble Rett has gotten himself into, which gives us plenty of Hiro going full “I will destroy anyone who touches you” mode. 😂 Rett, thankfully, isn't just going to sit around and let Hiro make every decision for him. I really liked that about him. He has a backbone, calls Hiro out when necessary, and doesn't automatically fold just because Hiro is dangerous, bossy, and ridiculously protective.

My biggest issue was definitely the timeline. This book is around 450 pages, and somehow the majority of the story takes place within one day. 😭 I genuinely had to pause when they mentioned that the events of Hazard had happened the day before because I could have sworn weeks had passed. There is SO much happening that it becomes difficult to believe all of it happened in 24 hours, especially considering how quickly these two go from reconnecting to falling completely in love. That said, somehow it still worked for me. Despite the ridiculous timeline and the sheer amount of things packed into the story, I stayed invested the entire time. I really liked both Hiro and Rett, and I especially enjoyed watching the supposedly grumpy, dangerous man turn into an absolute marshmallow for his person.

This series definitely has a very specific vibe, so you have to be in the mood for possessive protectors, intense instalove, danger, caretaking, and romance that occasionally goes completely over the top. Luckily, I was very much in the mood. 😂 I'm really enjoying this series so far, and by the end we get a glimpse of who's next. I genuinely wasn't expecting that pairing, but now I'm very curious to see where Hebert takes it. Definitely continuing the series because apparently I've decided that dangerous men being completely insane about their man is my entertainment for the week. 😂

[Madam Ra · Rating 5 out of 5]

He built him a library! 🎉 For his books and their plant children 🫠🫠🫠 This book was so so good! Ghost was so funny, damn that inner monologues 🫢but also he was what you want in unhinged ex military, going soft for his sweetheart. And Rhett oh my goodness he was so adorable it’s crazy! This is a little over 500 pages and I would gladly read +200 more, it was that engaging! Not spoiling anything, but give me Wyatt and Enzo story right about now!

[Rae · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had SUCH a good time with this book! I think I liked it even more than the first one, but we do get plenty of time with Haz and Kieran in this one too! Ghost is hilarious! His snarky inner monologue had me laughing the whole time. I fucking LOVE an unhinged, possessive MC, and even more so when both MCs are possessive. Rett isn’t as unhinged as Ghost, but he’s definitely possessive too. LOVE the hurt/comfort, mercenary/civilian, rich/poor vibes. I liked the addition of the mafia ties in this one.

Now I can’t wait for Enzo and Wyatt’s story!!

[Betty · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was chaos. 😂 And I loved it.

There was a duality to these characters, especially Ghost, that I appreciated. There was so much humor and chaotic energy, but also a lot of heart and sweetness. I mean what hitman has rules for cuddling? Lol

Ghost (Hiro) 🔫 Rett (Pip)

These two meet while Rett is homeless and living on the street. Ghost protects him one night from a mugging and the again another night when he is cold, sick and huddled in a cardboard box. I love that the author spent the first part of the story on this initial time together; it gives the rest of the story its proper weight.

Each time after they meet, Ghost puts Rett in a hotel, gives him food, and something warm to wear. After the second life saving situation, they spend a night together in a hotel room, as Ghost takes care of Rett during his illness and they grow closer. Ghost tells him he’s leaving for a job and when Rett wakes up he’s gone, having left him with $5000, a hoodie, and food.

The story picks up 2 years later immediately following Book 1, after Ghost is shot at the fish store. We see Rett struggle to trust Hiro and his intentions and we see Hiro not let him go - literally following him around the city in nothing but a pair of sweatpants.

It’s a bit bonkers, sometimes a bit schmoopy, but I really loved these two.

I mean, where else would you find:
- a hitman who considers plants to be his children
- a hitman who makes ridiculously endearing rules for everything
- a sweet, gentle man who’s homeless, but also relentlessly kind and resilient. Ghost calls him PipGeek because the only ID on him was a library card

Summary:
❤️No third act breakup
🗣️All the communication
👻Ghost/Hiro - Hitman w a heart who genuinely thinks he was ‘born to die’ until he meets Rett
📕 Rett - man who was so unloved by his parents that they thought he was faking his autoimmune disorder and tried to beat the gay out of him. He doesn’t let Ghost walk all over him, even when he kind of tries
❤️Both celibate during their two years apart; neither can stop thinking about the other
💊Some action w a drug dealer and the mafia - Rett takes two pain pills from the local dealer, who later shows up for payment
🫣No OM. Never mentioned.
😥Chronic pain/illness rep
🔫Possessive/ touch him and die vibes - Ghost can’t let Rett out of his sight.
🌶️Spice - early and often, but not excessive. Open door. Ghost wishes that Rett could have his babies.
👥Dual POV; HEA. Living together. Builds him a library in their new home where they live across from Haz/Kieran.

Overall, a hitman with a secret marshmallow center who meets his match. Fun, chaotic story that matches the main character’s energy. Enjoy!

[Britney · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was fantastic.

Hiro is exactly the kind of character I gravitate toward—a full-blown chaos goblin with absolutely no interest in behaving himself. Naturally, I adored him.

The real surprise, though, was Rett.

Instead of trying to tame Hiro's chaos, he met it head-on. Their banter was effortless, their chemistry undeniable, and watching them bounce off each other was easily one of my favorite parts of the book.

What impressed me most, however, was Cambria Hebert's writing.

Some of the prose in this book is genuinely stunning. It isn't flowery for the sake of being flowery, nor does it ever slow the story down. Every beautiful line felt intentional, woven seamlessly into the dialogue and narrative. There was an almost musical rhythm to the conversations—an ebb and flow that, at times, made me feel like I was watching a play unfold rather than simply reading a novel.

It's a difficult balance to strike, and Cambria Hebert made it look effortless.

Between the humor, the heart, the heat, and the gorgeous writing, this ended up being one of my favorite reads of the year.

Verdict:
Witty, heartfelt, beautifully written, and ridiculously entertaining. This wasn't my first Cambria Hebert novel, and it definitely won't be my last. By the time you hear from me again, she may have earned herself a permanent spot on my favorites shelf.


ARC Disclosure: I received a complimentary e-book copy of this title as an Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) in exchange for an honest review. As always, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Monikat · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rtc

I laughed. A lot

[Sarah☀️ Somerville]

DNF @ 35% - I didn't mind the scenes from the past, but once the book switched to the present it was just ridiculous and I lost interest.

[Sindu · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sweet and entertaining, opposites attract romance!

"I wanted to tell you that, above all the things you’ve been able to buy, what I am grateful for most are the things you’ve given me for free. Love. Safety. A place to belong. Thank you for living for me. For us.”

Book one was so fun, but this one really takes it up a notch! I love a good second chance story, and this one had me invested even before we got to the second chance portion.

“You aren’t an illness, Pip,” I swore, hoping he saw the absolute obsession in my stare. “You’re my cure.”

This book is told in two parts. The first quarter is the before, when Rett and his Ghost met for the first time. Rett's been living on the street for a few years. But no matter what happens, he doesn't lose his light or his capacity to spread love. When he's mugged one night, the last thing he expects is to be rescued by a stranger. After that, his mystery hero keeps showing up to rescue him from bad situations. One night, when Rett falls really sick, Ghost finds him and takes care of him. What was a casual appreciation, turns into so much more after that night. They fall hard and fast, but Ghost has a life that has no space for someone as precious as Rett, so he leaves and doesn't look back.

“Even if the world goes back to blurry, I will never forget your details because now I know them by heart.”

Fast forward two years, and Ghost and Rett find their way back to each other when their besties fall in love. There's no denying that their love for each other hasn't faded one bit, though I am glad that they didn't just fall back into each other and Rett made Ghost grovel a bit for actually ghosting him. Rett has such a sweet soul, and he definitely deserves someone who's willing to fight for him, and Ghost is the perfect person for that.

“No one’s ever loved me before.” He lowered my feet to the floor to wrap his arms around me. “I’m sorry I was late.”

These two fill up all those empty spaces in their lives and really complete each other. Ghost showers Rett with all the love and gives him that safe space he's been missing all his life. The way he accepts Rett unconditionally is so special. He's always finding new ways to make sure Rett feels seen and knows that he's loved exactly as he is. And Rett shows Ghost there's still light and joy left in this world that's let him down over and over again. He gives him a home and a reason to truly live.

“Survival isn’t good enough for you, little mouse. I want you to thrive.”

I fell for these two during the before times and I adored the HEA they got in the present. The suspense portion of this book is pretty minimal, but it does introduce us to a potential new couple! I'm intrigued by them and excited to read their story. I love the way this found family keeps growing. This book really fleshed out those bonds from book one, with Kieran and Ghost's brotherly love and Haz and Rett's bestie love. They're just so sweet and they kept me so entertained. If you enjoyed book one, then be sure to pick this one up!

[Fee_Reads_Fiction · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hilarious and Heartbreaking

This one fried my brain a bit!
Whilst we have all the snark and banter between Ghost and Rett, they both have such sad back stories. I didn't know whether to laugh or cry sometimes. The story was completely chaotic, as were the characters but this is exactly what made both this and The Hazard and the Hitman as good as they are. I absolutely cannot wait to read the next book in the series after working out who it's going to be!

[Kate · Rating 4.25 out of 5]

4.25 stars!

A protective hitman and his Pip. Seriously such a cute MM romance. I don’t always love such a stark difference in size and personality with the MM romances I read but I couldn’t not love these two.

This was so so cute with plenty of spice and adventure.

[Caroline Forrester · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️

[Flora.reads.books · Rating 4 out of 5]

That was cute 🥰

[m✨ · Rating 3 out of 5]

this was kind of funny

[Fay MMBookworm · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another fantastic story, now I’m wanting to read Uncle Enzo’s story. My full Blog Review Link

[-`♡´- · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Kieran might have kept me from dying. But you? You, my love, you brought me back to life."

"Ride or die," I whispered. "You walked into this life for Kieran. But I'm walking into it for you."

"I learned that safety wasn't the absence of fear. It was his presence."

3.5 ⭐ rounded up cause I enjoy Cambria's writing.

-1.5 as it took me awhile to get into it and I cannot get behind the pet name "pipgeek."

I am intrigued enough to go back and read The Hazard and the Hitman.

Received an ARC in an exchange for an honest review.

[ashlee ❤ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rhett + Ghost

-mm second chance romance
-dude in distress
-romantic suspense
-homeless mc
-rescue fantasy
-hero with a villain complex
-touch him & d!e
-plant daddies

i loved these two so much! the fact they had a past we had no idea about was everything! gahhh i loved ghost so much in book 1 but this just solidified it so much & rhett needed him so much, they were perfect!!

[Lola · Rating 3.75 out of 5]

3.75 stars

[Cindi · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Hazard and the Hitman is one of my new favorite comfort reads, so I was so happy to see the second book was out. I found out by accident when I saw it as a recommendation from Amazon. I’m really glad I wasn’t in the middle of another book because I would’ve walked away from that one so quick.

I laughed, I got teary-eyed a few times, and I absolutely loved these guys together. I love that Kieran and Haz were in it a lot because they’re one of my favorite fictional couples.

We already know there will be a third book, and we know who the love interests will be. I will read it as soon as it comes out. I just hope the author gives us more of Kieran and Haz and Ghost and Rett.

Great book.

Full review can be found at -