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Project Phoenix #1

Reactivated: Oz

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“Project Phoenix…Find Oz…”

Those were the last words her brother Jonah said when he died in her arms. Convinced that he was murdered, Navy Intel Officer Allegra Steele learns that “Oz” is her brother’s former Navy SEAL teammate, Jack “Oz” Cullen.

When Allegra asks for Jack’s help, she doesn’t expect the undeniable electricity that sparks between them. And, Jack, still trying to adjust to civilian life, knows he should stay away from the intelligent beauty.

Swept up in adventure and each other, they uncover a sinister evil called Project Phoenix, an experiment that gave each SEAL on Jack's team a super power. When Jack’s ability suddenly resurfaces, he can hear other people’s thoughts—and, Allegra’s steamy internal dialogue makes this super sexy soldier sweat.

235 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 15, 2021

173 people are currently reading
184 people want to read

About the author

Charissa Gracyk

38 books149 followers
If you enjoy a steamy protector romance with lots of action and adventure, let’s connect!
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5 stars
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 54 reviews
Profile Image for Ꮗ€♫◗☿ ❤️ ilikebooksbest.com ❤️.
2,942 reviews2,675 followers
February 4, 2024
Super Soldier SEALs!



The following ratings are out of 5:
Romance: 💙🖤💚
Heat/Steam: 🔥🔥🔥
Story/Plot: 📕📗📙
World building: 🌏🌍🌎🌍
Character development: 😔😃😤🥰

The heroine: Allegra Steele - she works for the office of Naval Intelligence in Washington, DC. She is upset when she is passed over for a job she really wanted, so she goes to her brother’s apartment to see if he can give her any advice. He used to be a Navy SEAL, but now is an EMT and they have always been very close. When she finds her brother having been shot in chest and abdomen, she tries to save him but can’t. He blurts out “Project Phoenix” and tells her to find Oz, before dying in her arms.

The Hero: Jack “Oz” Cullen - he is a former Navy SEAL and now, along with his friend Dominic “Capo” Rossi, he buys old homes, fixes them up and flips them for profit. The two of them had been together since BUD/S Basic Underwater Demolition/Sea, Air and Land training and were both in the DEVGRU (Naval Special Warfare DEVelopment GRoUp). DEVGRU, a Tier 1 special ops team, and the top ranked group in the Navy. Oz was the commander of the team, but after Capo was injured by a bomb blast and lost an eye, they decided to retire and open a business together in San Diego.

The Story: One day while at work on a house, Oz is about to pack it in for the day when he gets a blinding pain in his head. The pain quickly goes away, but afterwards he finds that he can actually hear people's thoughts. After Oz and Allegra get together, they start looking into project phoenix and what it was all about. They find out disturbing things that were done to Oz’s team without their knowledge, and even more disturbing was the fact that once fully reactivated, he might be under complete control of whomever is behind his re-activation.

The story was good, though the process behind making the guys super soldiers and their activation and the fact that their powers were somehow turned off, then re-activated, was obvious science fiction and not even remotely believable. Also, something else really bothered me. Whomever it was, apparently re-activated or tried to re-activate Allegra’s brother Jonah and were trying to re-activate Oz. So, when another of their brothers was behaving strangely, it was unthinkable that these intelligent people didn’t even think that Adrian wasn’t reactivated.

There were some pretty steamy intimate scenes though I loved the fact that every time the two main characters were intimate with each other weren’t detailed to the fullest. I like it when sometimes, it just says something like the fact that they hooked up three times during the night instead of having pages about each time. I like a little steam with my action, not the other way around. Lastly, the book ended abruptly without any real resolution. It continues on in the next book, which is about Capo, but really there was no ending at all.

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Profile Image for Alex (HEABookNerd).
2,440 reviews
April 24, 2025
I was feeling like some romantic suspense and ended up really enjoying REACTIVATED: OZ -- it was fast paced, highly entertaining, and very sexy. Jack (Oz) and Allegra fall fast and hard and it was quite the adventure as they worked together, along with Jack's ex-SEAL team, to find out who's behind the mysterious Project Phoenix.

Between all the action packed moments, was a great romance between Allegra and Jack and their chemistry jumped off the page. As much as I loved these two together I also enjoyed them individually. Allegra was smart and tough and I loved how she could go toe-to-toe with Jack; even after meeting Jack, Allegra never lost her fire and still continued to kick butt. Jack was a badass ex-Navy SEAL with a protective streak and just enough alpha attitude to be sexy but not overbearing.

While the romance ended in a satisfying HEA, the plot around Project Phoenix wasn't resolved by the end of REACTIVATED: OZ so I can't wait to see what happens next.

Content Warning: brief on page death and funeral of a sibling; medical experimentation without consent
Profile Image for Rellim.
1,676 reviews44 followers
May 14, 2022
5/13/2022 - Ooh! Rubs hands together gleefully. I love these kinds of series. Where there’s an interconnected arc with a mystery that runs through all the books.

This book launches the world, the mystery, introduces the paranormal/sci-fi, and covers the first couple. Jack “Oz” Cullen is the former LT of a SEAL team, all of whom are retired. When his teammate, Jonah “Fish” Steele, is murdered - Jonah’s sister Allegra seeks out Jack’s help. Learning about Project Phoenix and following all the leads brings these two closer than just the same mission objective. This is best when you’re in the mood for instalove and heavier on the romance than suspense.

I love that Gracyk made Jonah’s sister Allegra a strong, capable, intelligent part of the group. She participates as much as Jack and all the guys. There’s a lot of fun banter, several action/thriller elements, and some super sexy scenes. Easy to read and I’m looking forward to more.

4/13/2022 - rec from hertlionessbooks IG
Profile Image for Brayzen Bookwyrm.
378 reviews51 followers
October 18, 2021
Military Suspense with a Touch of Sci-Fi: 4.5 Stars!
When a new romance author sticks their toe into the military suspense waters I am instantly intrigued. When they add an unexpected element of sci-fi, consider me fascinated. Charissa Gracyk is new to the romantic suspense genre, but her first novel, Reactivated: Oz is an impactful introduction to her “Project Phoenix” series. Gracyk sets a solid tone of strength and passion for her hero and heroine, and does a great job of introducing supporting characters who will receive their own books in the future as well. The plot is well-developed and builds a sense of suspense from the beginning with solid pacing, authentic dialogue, and intense character interactions. That sci-fi twist, yeah it was unexpected- in the best kind of way- setting Project Phoenix and Gracyk apart from typical romantic military suspense novels. I would love to have had a more in-depth look into the backstory on the characters’ time before they left the military, and for that reason this is a 4.5 star book for me. I have a feeling that history will be forthcoming in the next installment as the details of Project Phoenix continue to come to light. I am definitely looking forward to reading the rest of the books in the series, and getting to know all of Project Phoenix’s heroes down the line.
Profile Image for Sally.
416 reviews4 followers
April 16, 2022
I found this book via an Instagram post, as if my TBR isn’t long enough lol I’ve not read anything by the author but the blurb sounded like my type of story!

I really enjoyed the story, especially Jack and the awesome Allegra 😍 the supporting cast of characters were all likeable and I can’t wait for their stories too, in fact I’ve just downloaded book 2!

Jack “Oz” Cullen and his Navy SEAL brothers are adjusting to a civilian life, when they get news of a fallen brother, they all attend the funeral where they are approached by their fallen brother’s sister, Allegra, she is convinced her brother was murdered and has information for Oz.

This is where I got so engrossed into the story, that I read wayyyy past my bedtime 🥱 Allegra and the team of Navy SEAL’s begin their investigation into Project Phoenix, we find that the team underwent an experiment the previous year which has given them superpowers, in this book Jack gets reactivated without any knowledge, this causes him to have severe headaches…and also, hear what people are thinking….yes, I’ll be honest I didn’t think I would like this aspect, but the way it’s written, and the fact I was so absorbed by the story and characters made me curious and eager to know more.

As we move through the book, Jack starts to become more controlled by the evilness at Project Phoenix, so, now it’s a race against time to find the people responsible and to stop them before they lose another “brother”.

What I can say is the relationship which forms between Jack & Allegra is sweet & sensual, but…My Word! When Jack hears Allegra’s inner thoughts *pheww* 🥵 pass me a fan! My kindle overheated! As well as adding heat to their passion it also brought humour to the story.

This is a military themed romance with suspense, humour, and intriguing “super powers”.
Although the story ends with a HFN/HEA for Jack & Allegra, the Project Phoenix story is still ongoing, Jack can still be controlled so there’s plenty of unanswered questions, who is Project Phoenix? What are the remaining Navy SEAL’s super powers? Can they stop the reactivation process? I’m jumping straight into book 2 to find out more ❤️

I know my review hasn’t done the book justice, so if this sounds like a book you’ll enjoy, I highly recommend reading the book blurb, gives a little more detail, and probably makes more sense then my little review
Profile Image for Jessica Lynne.
266 reviews10 followers
September 11, 2022
As seen on my blog (Jessie's Reading Corner):
I’m not sure why I was hesitant on reading this book/series, but at the urging of some of my reader friends, I moved this book to the forefront of my TBR and read it. I was immediately hooked from the beginning!

This book reminded me of the movie/series Jason Bourne, but with more steaminess. Jack Cullen was the lieutenant of a retired Navy SEAL team. After learning of the death of a former comrade and teammate, Jonah, he attends his funeral where he meets Jonah’s sister Allegra. Allegra tells him that Jonah asked her to find him and give him the name, “Project Phoenix”. It is around this time that Jack starts experiencing sudden headaches and the ability to hear people’s thoughts. When Allegra reveals that Jonah was experiencing symptoms like that before he died, it sets Jack, Allegra, and the remaining members of Jack’s team on an action-packed adventure to find answers.

Jack and Allegra’s chemistry jumped out at me from the very first page, and I loved watching their relationship develop throughout the book. I loved the team’s dynamic between Jack and his comrades, especially Dom and Mark. I loved that when they weren’t working to figure out who was behind Project Phoenix, they were busting each other’s balls! It was a nice break from the intensity of their investigation. I can’t wait to read more of this series and not only find out more about the team and who they’re paired up with, but also about Project Phoenix.

I find it interesting and funny that I work with (though I’ve never me them) someone who shares the name of one of the characters, and one of my niece’s shares the same first name (including the spelling) of another character in the book!
32 reviews
February 5, 2022
Charissa Gracyk knows how to write an adventurous, steamy, suspenseful book! This book had me hooked from page one! I couldn’t put it down! I can not wait to read the next book in the series!
Profile Image for Ashlie Dempsey.
15 reviews1 follower
October 24, 2021
I received an ARC of this novel and am voluntarily leaving a review. :)

This is the second series I've read by this author. I liked her books because they are quick reads that take me away from the (non-romantic work) demands of my (totally normal but busy) life. Science fiction and romance are my two favorite combinations and Oz's story was super fun to read. I like his super power (reading minds) because it was amusing and sexy for him to hear what the female lead Allegra was thinking about him. (Not a spoiler--you can read about this in the novel's blurb.) I enjoyed the SEALs aspect of the novel and liked the action and suspense combined with the romance. This was a fun introduction to the men of Project Phoenix and an original setting. I am hoping to find out more information about Oz in the next book, even though I know it will be about another one of the Project Phoenix men.

I recommend this for anyone who needs a little spicy fun in their lives!
Profile Image for Sandi.
691 reviews46 followers
October 19, 2021
Book one of a series that going to build the plot out for a much more complete story - this is Allegra and Jack’s (Oz) story. Allegra’s brother is killed, and his final words are to find Oz, and Project Phoenix. She’s in naval intelligence, he’s former Navy SEAL, as was her brother, so their worlds do already overlap in a sense. This story moves very fast. We go from the funeral, where all of Jack’s SEAL brothers are reunited about a year after leaving active duty. Allegra approaches him with the little info she has, and the race is on. Very fast paced, there is not a lot of fluff in this story at all, anywhere. Their relationship is pretty quick to ignite, fast chemistry and it doesn’t take long for them to stop fighting their feelings. But the overarching story of Project Phoenix also picks up speed very quickly. As they learn more about the project, it’s clear that Jack poses a potential threat to everyone around him, through no fault of his own, and the forces behind the scenes pulling the strings are very dangerous, and will seemingly stop at nothing to project their project.

One of the things that keeps this story propelling forward at breakneck speeds is that Jack keeps getting the ability to read the minds of those around him for brief periods, following piercing, but brief headaches. Not only does this help bring others into the fold, as he is able to demonstrate what is happening to him, it ramps up the steam with Allegra much faster, because he keeps hearing all her dirty, spicy thoughts about him, and it gets him to make a move with her faster as well. You just need to keep in mind that while this story moves very fast, it’s just the beginning, and the overarching plot with this team of SEALs is far from over - so, which Jack and Allegra get an HEA (or HFN, I guess), the story is ongoing, and you’re gonna want to keep going!
2,673 reviews32 followers
October 18, 2021
Wow! Brilliant book. Full of drama,  suspense,  intrigue and mystery. Not to mention romance and steam.  Wow!!
Jack was a former Navy Seal and attended the funeral of one of his team.  Meeting Allegra the sister of his fallen team member changed his life.
The chemistry between Jack and Allegra was just sublime to read. Their dynamic with each other, along with Jack's team was also feel good with fun and sass. I really respect this type of genre. 
Extremely well written and with a unique storyline even though there are some similarities with other books,  it was definitely presented in a unique and original way.  I certainly enjoyed reading this book and seriously couldn't put it down.  I read it in one sitting as I was so captivated with the story.
I love when a book drags you in,  involves you and entertains.  This book certainly did all of those things. I can't wait for the next in the series. 
This was an ARC and this is my honest review of this great book!
Profile Image for Melissa May.
331 reviews5 followers
October 18, 2021
Reactivated Oz is the first book in a new series by Charissa Gracyk.
I was pleasantly surprised by the plot and the psychic/ paranormal elements.
I won’t give away spoilers but believe me when I say you will want to keep on reading to see how the plot develops.
It’s a fast paced book, action packed and suspenseful moments. Hot romance and wonderful characters.
Jack “ Oz” Cullen is a former seal who now renovates houses with his best friend and teammate Dom “ Capo” Rossi.
They still have close contact with the rest of their former team mates and they all appear in the book.
When one of them, Jonah is killed they want to know what happened and they meet Allegra, Jonah’s sister. When Allegra is in danger Oz stays close to her to protect her and that’s when the action and the romance starts. The plot goes on to the next book so I’m anxiously waiting to read Dom’s story 😅 I received this arc from the author and this review is my honest opinion.
Profile Image for Phyllis Farmer .
605 reviews8 followers
October 20, 2021
Commanding Love

Charissa Grayck’s first book in her new series ‘Project Phoenix’ is certainly activating the ratings. There’s adventure, mystery, suspense and steamy romance. Jack and Allegra, the main characters, meet at her brother Jonah’s funeral. Jonah was an ex-navy SEAL and Jack’s commander. When Jonah died, his last words to Allegra was “find Oz”. Oz is Jack’s SEAL nickname. Allegra seeks out Jack because the police said Jonah died by a burglar but Allegra believes he was murdered. Allegra found a piece of paper in Jonah’s pocket with the words ‘Project Phoenix’. As Jack and Allegra stumble across more clues and start piecing things together, Jack calls in his SEAL buddies for help since it involves all of them. Jack and Allegra also get closer romantically which blossoms into a strong relationship. This is a non-stop exciting action packed book that is so riveting you can’t put it down. Highly recommended and definitely a MUST read!
Profile Image for Nikki.
734 reviews7 followers
October 17, 2021
Reactivated Oz (Project Phoenix book 1) by Charissa Gracyk is a 4 ⭐️ read.
Jack “Oz” Cullen is an ex-Navy Seal, he’s gone into business with a teammate fixing up houses to sell, he’s started getting bad headaches that leave him able to hear people’s thoughts so he’s trying to figure that out when he gets a phone call telling him that another teammate has been murdered, after the funeral he’s approached by the sister of the murdered man.
Allegra Steele is a Navy Intelligence officer, she goes to visit her brother only to find him dying, he tells her to find Oz and tell him about Project Phoenix before he dies. After talking to her brothers former team someone tries to kill her so she runs to Oz for help, together they have to find out what Project Phoenix is.
This is a new author for me and I really enjoyed her style of writing, the story kept me interested from the first page, I now look forward to the rest of the series.
I voluntarily reviewed an advanced copy of this book.
Profile Image for Amanda Glaeser.
232 reviews10 followers
October 19, 2021
A secret project, the murder of a fellow SEAL, all wrapped up in a love story.

Reactivated: Oz follows the lives of Jack Cullen,  A former SEAL and Allegra Steele,  the sister of Jack's former brother-in-arms, who is mysteriously murdered in his apartment. They set out, along with Jack's former squad to solve the murder of Jonah and find out if it's connected to project Phoenix.

The book was able to catch and keep my attention and the storyline was well written, however, the only problem I have is that it seemed like the POV's changed changed mid paragraph.  Now I could be wrong about that, but that's what it seemed like to me.

I liked the book, the characters and all the spicy bits and I can't wait to read Dom's story, which is the next book in the series.
Profile Image for Blye Donovan.
Author 11 books76 followers
October 20, 2021
This isn't your typical military romance. It carries all the action/adventure Charissa Gracyk is known for as well as the steam which is off-the-charts hot! Can you imagine if the man you were crushing on could read your thoughts? Well, in this book, he can! And he's not just some average Joe.

Our kick-butt heroine can't help but be attracted to former Navy SEAL, Oz and when they end up working together to get to the bottom of what's going on, the fact that Oz can hear her thoughts leads to instant ignition! This book will keep you turning the pages (I read it in a single setting!) to find out what's going on. Though the over-arching plot continues over the course of the series, the couple gets their HEA/HFN ending.
Profile Image for Chey.
1,494 reviews50 followers
November 18, 2021
Jack was a part of the SEALs, but has since retired with the rest of his crew. But now someone is after them, and the things that were done to them previously are being reactivated, and they don't even know where to begin figuring out how to undo it.

3.5 stars
I enjoyed Jack and Allegra together, and the connection they had. It was almost instalove, but a little bit slower. Their scenes together were pretty good, and the chemistry they share felt real.

The plot line is so cheesy, but I loved it. Reactivated super soldiers is a cliché, but the author made a great story from it, and it is so worth the read. I can't wait to see where the story goes next with Dom!
Profile Image for Marie Evans.
571 reviews28 followers
October 19, 2021
My absolute favorite trope, navy seals! Jack “Oz” stole my heart in this action packed and swoon-worthy story! Charissa has given us such an amazing world to look forward to with the beginning of this series. From the first chapter I literally fell into Allegra and Jack’s world, only coming up for a breather when I’d reached the end! I laughed, I melted, I fell in love…. An absolute pleasure to read Charissa’s words and look forward to Dom’s story next!!! Highly recommended
Profile Image for Amanda M.
2,794 reviews16 followers
October 26, 2021
First off the title is very fitting for this book. Then the content of this story is amazing. It's got an excellent and interesting storyline that reels you in. A page turner with suspense, action, twists and turns. You'll love this read that starts off a brand new series. Allegra and Jack will surprise you plus they're perfect for each other. I'm looking forward to more of this series. Definitely recommend this book.
Profile Image for Scarlett Walters.
Author 2 books13 followers
October 29, 2021
Thank you Charissa for this ARC of Reactivated: Oz.

I absolutely LOVED the story. I'm a sucker for fast-paced, action-packed romantic suspense, and this one delivered on all fronts. Before I started reading this book, I'd watched a couple of movies, both roughly on the same topic and I was beginning to think the whole 'enhanced soldier' trope was a bit overdone.

But, despite all that, I enjoyed this story. That is thanks, in a large part, to the strong, very realistic, and really well developed lead characters. The rest of the 'gang' is totally awesome and I can't wait to read about the rest of them.


7 reviews
October 18, 2021
This book has it all - action, adventure and lots of romance! I loved going on this adventure with Oz & Allegra and didn’t want it to end! I seriously couldn’t put this book down and can’t wait for the rest of the series!
Profile Image for Leigh.
Author 5 books108 followers
October 19, 2021
Amazing!! Accurate depiction of Navy SEALS, action-packed plot & sizzling romance between Allegra & Oz. Highly recommend this action/adventure romance!!
Profile Image for Susy.
41 reviews
December 11, 2021
This book was such a great read. I was so into it that i stayed up all night determined to finish. Definitely recommended
212 reviews1 follower
January 31, 2022
What a start to a series, love the premise, the pirates and the strong female lead. Highly recommend the series.
419 reviews
February 7, 2022
great book

New author for me and I finished this in 1 day. Well half day. Great book and love the storyline can’t wait to start book 2
Profile Image for Spiffie Tiffie.
Author 1 book6 followers
October 13, 2022
Great plot. Sexy scenes. Badass characters.

I was itching to find out what the heck was up with Jack when he started having "episodes" don't want to give anything away. The line-up of sexy men is insane. I'm excited to keep reading the rest of the series.
106 reviews5 followers
February 6, 2022
Love the beginning of this series. Grabs you from the start. Love the mix of sci-fi without going out of the romance suspense
Profile Image for Cheryl.
69 reviews1 follower
November 12, 2022
Addiction warning

The plot is unpredictable, compelling and suspenseful. Add to that the terrific characters and 🔥chemistry… I’m now addicted to this series. One read was all it took.
Profile Image for Natalie Murphy.
Author 11 books9 followers
February 28, 2023
Not sure how I ended up starting with book #5, or a military story, but bay-bee, I was hooked right away. I couldn't turn the pages fast enough! Then I found out the last book of the series was being released in 2 wks. I down loaded the other 5 and finished reading them the day before book 7, the final one in the series released.
Deacon and Adri won my heart. I love their rekindled love. Combined with the brotherly comraderie and the powers given to them team through Project Phoenix, this sit a on the edge of your seat, action packed, hot & sexy, HEA must read!
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