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GhostWalker #8
Street Game
For Mack McKinley and his team of GhostWalker killing machines, urban warfare is an art. But despite a hard-won knowledge of the San Francisco streets, Mack knows from experience that too many things can still go wrong. Danger is just another part of the game—and now he’s come face-to-face with a woman who can play just as tough. Jaimie is a woman with a sapphire stare so potent it can destroy a man. Years ago she and Mack had a history—volatile, erotic, and electric. Then she vanished. Now she’s walked back into Mack’s life as a spy with too many secrets for her own good. Against all odds, she’s hooking up with Mack one more time to take on an enemy that could destroy them both, or bring them back together in one hot, no-holds-barred adrenaline rush.
465 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 28, 2009
585 people are currently reading
3935 people want to read
About the author
Christine Feehan
156 books52.9k followersChristine Feehan is a #1 New York Times bestselling author multiple times over with her portfolio including over 100 published novels, including five series; Dark Series, GhostWalker Series, Leopard Series, Drake Sisters Series, the Sisters of the Heart Series, Shadow Riders, Torpedo Ink and her Romantic Suspense novels. All of her series have hit the #1 spot on the New York Times bestselling list as well. Her debut novel Dark Prince received 3 of the 9 Paranormal Excellence Awards in Romantic Literature (PEARL) in 1999. Since then she has been published by various publishing houses including Leisure Books, Pocket Books, and currently is writing for Berkley/Jove. She also has earned 7 more PEARL awards since Dark Prince.
Her series include:
The Dark Series - https://www.christinefeehan.com/darkb...
The GhostWalker series- https://www.christinefeehan.com/ghost...
The Leopard Series - https://www.christinefeehan.com/leopa...
The Shadow Series- https://www.christinefeehan.com/shado...
Torpedo Ink series- https://www.christinefeehan.com/torpe...
IN HER WORDS:
I've been a writer all of my life -- it is who I am. I write for myself and always have. The ability to create pictures and emotions with words is such a miracle to me. I read everything; I mean everything! All kinds of books, even encyclopedias. I am fascinated by the written word and I love storytellers. It is a great privilege to be counted one myself. (www.christinefeehan.com)
Her series include:
The Dark Series - https://www.christinefeehan.com/darkb...
The GhostWalker series- https://www.christinefeehan.com/ghost...
The Leopard Series - https://www.christinefeehan.com/leopa...
The Shadow Series- https://www.christinefeehan.com/shado...
Torpedo Ink series- https://www.christinefeehan.com/torpe...
IN HER WORDS:
I've been a writer all of my life -- it is who I am. I write for myself and always have. The ability to create pictures and emotions with words is such a miracle to me. I read everything; I mean everything! All kinds of books, even encyclopedias. I am fascinated by the written word and I love storytellers. It is a great privilege to be counted one myself. (www.christinefeehan.com)
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May 25, 2017
4 A whole new team Stars
*Spoilers*
“As I recall, you said in no uncertain terms you weren’t ready for any kind of commitment. I took you at your word. What did you think I’d do?”
Street Game is the 8th book in the Ghostwalker series, and in it we meet a whole new team. A 3rd team filled with a bunch of new people that we have never heard of, and a few that we have like Kane, and Brian. I didn't know how I would feel about a book with a bunch of new people, but I loved them! Street Game was a great read, and I connected easily with this new team. Christine Feehan is doing a awesome job at keeping this series fresh, and intriguing.
“I know. If I told you I missed you every hour of every day, what would you say to that?” “I’d say you couldn’t possibly have missed me more than I missed you. You tore out my heart, Jaimie. Don’t do it again. I’m not going to be perfect at this. I’d rather you snap me out of it some way. Kick me in the shins. Punch me. Get my attention. But don’t walk out on me when I’m being dense.”
What this book is about
Mack McKinley is the leader of Ghostwalker team 3. Everyone on his team is his family. They grew up together. 2 years ago the Heart of the family, and the love of Mack's life Jaimie left him, taking his heart with her, and leaving Mack angry, and hurt. Mack's team gets a mission to stop some gun runners, and are sent to San Francisco to a warehouse where the shipment is suppose to be. In stead of finding guns Mack and his team find Jaimie. Mack knows he messed up big time with Jaimie, but now that he has found her, he isn't letting her get away again. Mack knows it's not going to be easy. Jaimie wants nothing to do with him, or the life he leads. Can Mack get his Jaimie back, and can he keep her, and his family safe when a enemy comes to take Jaimie out?
“I’m always ready for you,” she answered. “I crave you.”
Mack:
“I don’t want to live in a world without you in it, Jaimie.” His mouth pressed tightly against her spine. “Never put yourself in jeopardy like that again.”
Mack is a Jerk. He is hardheaded, controlling, and doesn't know how to show the depth of his feelings for Jamie. And yet I like him! Man did he mess up with Jaimie, and then he lets his male pride keep him from going after her and winning her back. He feared how much he loved Jaimie, didn't show it, making Jaimie feel like it was just sex to him. He learns his lesson of course, and learns to show her how he feels, but it is slow going. Which I didn't mind because it made him feel realistic. He has a little of a fun, and playful side. He is super protective of his family. I love that even though him and Jaimie are apart two years they are both faithful to each other!
“Like hell. Like hell I’ll stay away from you.” He stepped closer, his breath coming in ragged gasps. He burned for her. Every moment of every day. He couldn’t think straight without her. She stilled his mind. Made him human. “I can’t breathe without you, and damn you, you know it. You don’t get over what we had. You can’t. I can’t. We belong together no matter what bullshit you’re telling yourself.”
I should have told you I wanted you to stay. I know it’s not what you want to hear right now, but I was a fucking coward. Give me another chance with you. I don’t want to go through my life without you. I should have asked you to stay
“Listen to me. I laid here for hours figuring things out. You’re part of me and when I don’t have you, I can’t breathe right, let alone function. You make me whole. You keep me mellow. You’re the best person I know. I can talk about anything with you. Most of all, when I’m out there doing what I do, you’re the reason I do it. You’re the reason I know I’m going to make it back.” He brushed his mouth back and forth over hers in small, coaxing caresses. “With you, Jaimie, I’ve got everything. Without you, there isn’t much to life.”
Jamie:
“Inside me. Right now, Mack. I can’t wait.”
God I love Jaimie. She wanted a commitment from Mack, and when he wouldn't give it, she took a stand and left. Then when he shows up looking all yummy, and even with her still loving him, and wanting him bad, she stood her ground! Boy did she tell him what she thought, and I loved it. When she was letting him have it I was yelling at my Kindle " Yea honey you tell him!" Jaimie is funny, playful and super smart. Jaimie loves her family, and is very protective of them. She doesn't like violence, but she is brave in other ways, and she stands for what she believes in.
“You broke my heart, Mack. You threw me away for your adrenaline rush. Well, you’ve got the life you wanted. I learned my lesson, and believe me, it was a hard one. You wanted sex and I was handy. I’m attracted to you and was willing to give you just about everything. I didn’t see for a long, long time that that” she jerked her chin toward the thick, rock-hard bulge in the front of his jeans “was all that mattered between us, all that you were ever going to give me. It isn’t ever going to be enough for me. I’ve got a life now, Mack. I’m never going to feel like that again, the way you made me feel. I hated myself. I don’t want to see you again. I’m asking you to just stay away from me.”
“I was a kid and anything you did was incredible and cool. I’m all grown up now and I know the difference between physical attraction and love. I want love. I want a family. I won’t settle for anything less and you don’t have that kind of commitment in you. You aren’t tearing out my heart, Mack. Go do your thing. Get your adrenaline rush, but when you come back all hot and bothered, find another woman to expend all that energy on, because I’m not available.”
“When you talk to me, Mack, sometimes you make me crazy, but I want to try again. Read some books on communicating with women, that’s my only advice to you, because you suck at it.”
“I know what I said, Jaimie. It was bullshit. I want a home. With you. A family. You are my family. You want children, we’ll have them. I don’t give a damn how many. Maybe a dozen so you don’t think about walking out on me again.”
Mack and Jaimie are a sweet, second chance couple. Their love felt real, and they had a ton of sexual tension. When they did come together it was hott! I love the new team. I really like Kane, Paul, and Javier. I love how they are all a very close loving family. They had a cute playfulness. I know Kane's book is next and I can't wait, but I hope Paul and Javier get books too. I really enjoyed this book!
Below I leave my favorite moment from this book:
“I live for you. I love being in Force Recon in the GhostWalker unit. That word you always want me to say to you. I love what I do. The missions. The action. The ability to make a difference in the world. I love that, Jaimie. But you’re my other half. You’re everything. I don’t know how else to say it to you. There are no words for the way I feel about you. I hurt you, I know I did. I wanted to be your everything, more than love. I didn’t want to believe you could walk away from me and I let pride get in the way. I wanted you to come back to me on your own.” His throat closed and he cleared it, pressing his fingers to his stinging eyes. “I could never have walked away from you. I still can’t. The thought never once entered my mind. We were supposed to be together always. Always. Through everything, no matter how bad it got. It was always going to be us.”
http://jessicasoverthetopbookobsessio...
*Spoilers*
“As I recall, you said in no uncertain terms you weren’t ready for any kind of commitment. I took you at your word. What did you think I’d do?”
Street Game is the 8th book in the Ghostwalker series, and in it we meet a whole new team. A 3rd team filled with a bunch of new people that we have never heard of, and a few that we have like Kane, and Brian. I didn't know how I would feel about a book with a bunch of new people, but I loved them! Street Game was a great read, and I connected easily with this new team. Christine Feehan is doing a awesome job at keeping this series fresh, and intriguing.
“I know. If I told you I missed you every hour of every day, what would you say to that?” “I’d say you couldn’t possibly have missed me more than I missed you. You tore out my heart, Jaimie. Don’t do it again. I’m not going to be perfect at this. I’d rather you snap me out of it some way. Kick me in the shins. Punch me. Get my attention. But don’t walk out on me when I’m being dense.”
What this book is about
Mack McKinley is the leader of Ghostwalker team 3. Everyone on his team is his family. They grew up together. 2 years ago the Heart of the family, and the love of Mack's life Jaimie left him, taking his heart with her, and leaving Mack angry, and hurt. Mack's team gets a mission to stop some gun runners, and are sent to San Francisco to a warehouse where the shipment is suppose to be. In stead of finding guns Mack and his team find Jaimie. Mack knows he messed up big time with Jaimie, but now that he has found her, he isn't letting her get away again. Mack knows it's not going to be easy. Jaimie wants nothing to do with him, or the life he leads. Can Mack get his Jaimie back, and can he keep her, and his family safe when a enemy comes to take Jaimie out?
“I’m always ready for you,” she answered. “I crave you.”
Mack:
“I don’t want to live in a world without you in it, Jaimie.” His mouth pressed tightly against her spine. “Never put yourself in jeopardy like that again.”
Mack is a Jerk. He is hardheaded, controlling, and doesn't know how to show the depth of his feelings for Jamie. And yet I like him! Man did he mess up with Jaimie, and then he lets his male pride keep him from going after her and winning her back. He feared how much he loved Jaimie, didn't show it, making Jaimie feel like it was just sex to him. He learns his lesson of course, and learns to show her how he feels, but it is slow going. Which I didn't mind because it made him feel realistic. He has a little of a fun, and playful side. He is super protective of his family. I love that even though him and Jaimie are apart two years they are both faithful to each other!
“Like hell. Like hell I’ll stay away from you.” He stepped closer, his breath coming in ragged gasps. He burned for her. Every moment of every day. He couldn’t think straight without her. She stilled his mind. Made him human. “I can’t breathe without you, and damn you, you know it. You don’t get over what we had. You can’t. I can’t. We belong together no matter what bullshit you’re telling yourself.”
I should have told you I wanted you to stay. I know it’s not what you want to hear right now, but I was a fucking coward. Give me another chance with you. I don’t want to go through my life without you. I should have asked you to stay
“Listen to me. I laid here for hours figuring things out. You’re part of me and when I don’t have you, I can’t breathe right, let alone function. You make me whole. You keep me mellow. You’re the best person I know. I can talk about anything with you. Most of all, when I’m out there doing what I do, you’re the reason I do it. You’re the reason I know I’m going to make it back.” He brushed his mouth back and forth over hers in small, coaxing caresses. “With you, Jaimie, I’ve got everything. Without you, there isn’t much to life.”
Jamie:
“Inside me. Right now, Mack. I can’t wait.”
God I love Jaimie. She wanted a commitment from Mack, and when he wouldn't give it, she took a stand and left. Then when he shows up looking all yummy, and even with her still loving him, and wanting him bad, she stood her ground! Boy did she tell him what she thought, and I loved it. When she was letting him have it I was yelling at my Kindle " Yea honey you tell him!" Jaimie is funny, playful and super smart. Jaimie loves her family, and is very protective of them. She doesn't like violence, but she is brave in other ways, and she stands for what she believes in.
“You broke my heart, Mack. You threw me away for your adrenaline rush. Well, you’ve got the life you wanted. I learned my lesson, and believe me, it was a hard one. You wanted sex and I was handy. I’m attracted to you and was willing to give you just about everything. I didn’t see for a long, long time that that” she jerked her chin toward the thick, rock-hard bulge in the front of his jeans “was all that mattered between us, all that you were ever going to give me. It isn’t ever going to be enough for me. I’ve got a life now, Mack. I’m never going to feel like that again, the way you made me feel. I hated myself. I don’t want to see you again. I’m asking you to just stay away from me.”
“I was a kid and anything you did was incredible and cool. I’m all grown up now and I know the difference between physical attraction and love. I want love. I want a family. I won’t settle for anything less and you don’t have that kind of commitment in you. You aren’t tearing out my heart, Mack. Go do your thing. Get your adrenaline rush, but when you come back all hot and bothered, find another woman to expend all that energy on, because I’m not available.”
“When you talk to me, Mack, sometimes you make me crazy, but I want to try again. Read some books on communicating with women, that’s my only advice to you, because you suck at it.”
“I know what I said, Jaimie. It was bullshit. I want a home. With you. A family. You are my family. You want children, we’ll have them. I don’t give a damn how many. Maybe a dozen so you don’t think about walking out on me again.”
Mack and Jaimie are a sweet, second chance couple. Their love felt real, and they had a ton of sexual tension. When they did come together it was hott! I love the new team. I really like Kane, Paul, and Javier. I love how they are all a very close loving family. They had a cute playfulness. I know Kane's book is next and I can't wait, but I hope Paul and Javier get books too. I really enjoyed this book!
Below I leave my favorite moment from this book:
“I live for you. I love being in Force Recon in the GhostWalker unit. That word you always want me to say to you. I love what I do. The missions. The action. The ability to make a difference in the world. I love that, Jaimie. But you’re my other half. You’re everything. I don’t know how else to say it to you. There are no words for the way I feel about you. I hurt you, I know I did. I wanted to be your everything, more than love. I didn’t want to believe you could walk away from me and I let pride get in the way. I wanted you to come back to me on your own.” His throat closed and he cleared it, pressing his fingers to his stinging eyes. “I could never have walked away from you. I still can’t. The thought never once entered my mind. We were supposed to be together always. Always. Through everything, no matter how bad it got. It was always going to be us.”
http://jessicasoverthetopbookobsessio...
September 15, 2017
Continuing my GhostWalkers reread because I get withdrawal if I don't visit my GhostWalker peeps often. I read this between June and July, 2017.
New Thoughts:
Mack is less off-putting to me in previous rereads. I think he's a strong personality and he took some things in his relationship with Jaimie for granted, which he learned the hard way. I think that he needs to stop treating her like she's his subordinate. I am glad that Jaimie made it clear how she feels on things, and has a way of handling him to deal with his bossiness but also to make sure she gets what she needs in their relationship. I enjoyed their romance, but my favorite part of this book is getting to know Team 3 and their family dynamic. I loved that this team is very much a family, and while the other teams operate that way on many levels, it's deeper with the Urban Warfare Team because they all grew up together. At the same time, they integrate newcomers like Paul into the group and extend loyalty to them.
Because Feehan was introducing a new team, this book is pretty straightforward, not to many twists and turns with the suspense. It does further the overall theme of the GhostWalkers conspiracy and Whitney playing puppet with them, along with their trying to find out who is trying to eliminate the GhostWalkers.
Javier is literally my favorite, well other than Kane. I always bug Ms. Feehan about when she's going to write his story. I picture him as my beloved Diego Luna.
I will definitely give this a five star as before. I just love this series. I am a broken record about. I can't help it. Now onto Ruthless Game.
***Reread from July 17-July 19, 2012
My Thoughts:
Looking back at this book, I can't believe how much I came to love Team 3. They are firmly entrenched in my heart. Initially I felt sort of thrown and betrayed that Ms. Feehan had left my beloved Teams 1 and 2 and went to a bunch of folks I didn't know. I am eating my words. These guys (and two girls) rock! A different feel and relationship with this group. All the teams are a family, but these folks grew up together, and that bond is many years in the making. I could feel that family tie between them and it makes this book shine.
Jaimie and Mack--
This couple is very complementary. Mack is hard and decisive. Authoritative. Jaimie is warm and welcoming. Her strength is in her mind and in her heart. She is thought and intellect. Her mind is kind of scary and beautiful at the same time. Mack is acting and moving. Jaimie is pondering and mental exploration and examination. That is not to say that Mack is not intelligent and Jaimie isn't decisive. But in those areas where one abounds, the other benefits. I liked that about this book.
I liked Mack more this time around. I could see that he loves deeply and strongly, but that's not about declarations, but about doing. He did learn a lesson when he lost Jaimie the first time, and it has impressed on him that he needs to give her what she needs, the affirmation. We can take people for granted, assuming they know how important they are. But Jaimie didn't know how important she was to Mack. She thought that she was an add-on to his life, easily replaceable or forgettable. She didn't know that his life more or less fell apart without her. When he comes back, she can't understand his anger. But the thing about a man like Mack is that if he can't change or fix something, it makes him mad. When Jaimie left him, he couldn't fix that. So now he is angry at her for taking something so precious away from him and not understanding how important she was. She thinks she's the one who has more of a grudge to bear against him.
Their job now was to find that way of giving each other what they truly needed. I liked seeing them come to this point of understanding that one was not too hard or the other too soft, but perfect for each other. Together they were complete and full, making something even stronger as a unit. It was also funny seeing how the family worked through and around their issues with each other, because their relationship affected the whole group and the guys loved them both. I liked how integrated the romance aspect was into the overall group dynamics.
Overall Thoughts: I didn't think this was a favored romance in this series, because Mack is so pushy in some ways. In the end, and even moreso on the reread, I loved it so much. It's different from all the other books (as each one is). While Mack isn't my favorite GhostWalker, I have come to love him for who is. There are some people who challenge you in a way that no one else does. And that's good. Because their presence in your life makes you well-rounded in ways you lacked before. I am taking Mack this way. He is teaching me to deal with the kind of guys that get on my nerves, and teaching me understanding. I do need that.
A different installment, but great in its own way. Love Team 3, love all the characters, and I loved the escalation and expansion of the conspiracies.
Another thumbs up. Yes I am hopelessly in love with this series!
Check out my my GhostWalkers Pinboard on Pinterest!
Original Review:
To express my powerful feelings for the GhostWalker series, I would like to borrow the words from Oliver by its namesake: "May I have some more please?"
Street Game takes the GhostWalker series to a different level, but captures everything that I loved about the preceeding books. I love how this series is so intricate, with different storylines that intersect. There are familiar things here that continue to light my fire for this series, but this story is also unique as Mack McKinley and Jaimie Fielding get closure on their past relationship.
Street Game focuses on the Urban Warfare team led by Mack McKinley. He loves his job and what he does. He even loves the enhancements that Whitney's program has given him. This is slightly different from the heroes in the prior books, because they generally felt betrayed that their bodies had been manipulated in such a fashion. Mack takes it all in stride, enthusiastic that his enhancements enable him to do what he does best, fighting the bad guys and protecting his country.
Mack is very much an alpha hero. In fact, he almost comes off as nearly unlikeable at times. He is the macho type, not one to express his feelings unless it involves putting his fist into something, giving orders to his men (and girlfriend), and expecting them to be followed, or having a bout of energetic sex with his girlfriend. He is blown away when Jaimie leaves him. He tells himself that she'll come back, because she needs him much more than he needs her. However, he finds that to be far from the case. Jaimie was his everything, and every day without her is like a gaping hole in his life. When a mission leads him to Jaimie's doorstep, he's determined to get her back, still baffled that she left him.
I said that Mack nearly was hard to like at times. Well, this would be be the case without Ms. Feehan's masterful handling of him. Hugely surprising to this GhostWalker fan, but Mack is probably the most alpha hero yet in this series. He is aggressive and intensely male, take charge, and used to giving orders. At first, it's hard to see his vulnerabilities, because he's quite adept at keeping that part of himself concealed. He's not a man who likes feeling helpless or wounded, and doesn't know how to express himself emotionally. Being in control is crucial for him. Before, this was something that Jaimie was used to. Mack was the one who kept their self-formed family together. They met when Jaimie was an eight year old genius who was already in high school, and Mack took care of her from the very beginning, protecting her from bullies and watching over her, along with the rest of the guys and girl they grew up with in their Chicago neighborhood. Over time, their relationship became a romantic one. For as long as he could remember, Jaimie was his, to protect, to watch over, and to come home to, loving the fire that they had together. Mack always admired Jaimie's intelligence, and was proud of her, but he didn't like her expressing doubts about the GhostWalker program, especially on a botched mission, and his way of dealing with it turned out to be the last straw for Jaimie.
Jaimie never stopped loving Mack, although she knew they couldn't be together, because they were too different, and she didn't like the violence of what their GhostWalker abilities allowed them to do. She didn't trust their superiors when they went into a mission that could have led to the death of some of their team members. When she tried to express her doubts about it, Mack doesn't listen. Instead he dismisses her concerns. She's devastated that he doesn't trust her or take what she's saying seriously, and knows that she has to leave him. Two years later, Jaimie has made a new life for herself, but plans to set up her business so she can take care of her brothers. She knows she can't be with Mack any more that way, but she still cares about him. When Mack and his team end up on her doorstep, she isn't surprised, knowing that she's being set up to be taken out because of the information she had recovered about the conspiracy behind the GhostWalker experimentation.
This book delves further into the conspiracies behind the GhostWalker program, going above and beyond Whitney to the power players that have ties with the White House. Jaimie is a thinking woman's heroine. Her phenomenal brain and analytical skills are used to follow the trails of information to find out who is setting up the GhostWalker teams and why. This installment of the series flows seamlessly into the other books, although the only returning characters are peripheral ones, or characters we only got an intriguing glimpse of in past books. Instead, we meet a whole new group of men, who managed to claim their place in my heart. What I love about this series is that each book makes me want more.
Christine Feehan really knows how to write characters that you become attached to, and yearn to read about. You see their flaws and their pain, and you want them to be happy. This book challenged me, because men like Mack tend to rub me the wrong way. I'm not a big fan of chest-thumping type men. But I was allowed to peel back the layers to see that Mack is a simple, yet complex man who takes his responsibilities very seriously. He has to be brash and confident, because he takes the lives of his team as a powerful responsibility. His way of taking care of others is leading and protecting them. For him, his feelings for Jaimie couldn't be described with mere words. Yet, Mack had to learn that Jaimie needed more from him that he was giving her. He thought that she saw his devotion and adoration, but she felt as though her only place in his life was as his hero-worshipping, cheerleading, brainy, and nurturing girlfriend.
This book has some moments that really strike me with their emotional intensity. These moments show the profound nature of the feelings between the characters. My favorite is when Mack is finally able to express into words just how much he loves Jaimie. I love how that scene is written, and how unexpected it was. She's blown away by it, and so am I. You know that Mack will never be the type to say the three words all the time, and freely, but it's more than clear how much he does love Jaimie. The steamy sex in this novel is pretty awesome, but the emotions behind it are what really enthrall this reader. You feel the fire between Mack and Jaimie, and the powerful bond between them that goes beyond the bedroom to the deepest parts of their heart and minds.
As usual, I love all the interactions between the GhostWalker team. I already love the new characters introduced in this installment, and look forward to seeing more of them. Each character brings something different to the table. I am impressed with the incredible storyline that Ms. Feehan has created with this series. I love reading about the abilities of the different characters, and how they seem imminently plausible, but fantastic at the same time. The action scenes are well-done, and I feel that this book would appeal to a fan of techno-thrillers as much as paranormal and romantic suspense fans. But what I love about these books is how you get the octane moments, the well-thought out and often mind-boggling plot involving the GhostWalkers, the steamy love scenes, the funny and heartwarming moments, and the three-dimensional characters that you cannot help but love, all fashioned together into a beautiful package. This book ends with the evidence that there are more adventures ahead, as the groundwork is laid to follow up on some important storylines introduced in the preceeding books, and touched on in this installment. And all I can say is, I Can't Wait!!
New Thoughts:
Mack is less off-putting to me in previous rereads. I think he's a strong personality and he took some things in his relationship with Jaimie for granted, which he learned the hard way. I think that he needs to stop treating her like she's his subordinate. I am glad that Jaimie made it clear how she feels on things, and has a way of handling him to deal with his bossiness but also to make sure she gets what she needs in their relationship. I enjoyed their romance, but my favorite part of this book is getting to know Team 3 and their family dynamic. I loved that this team is very much a family, and while the other teams operate that way on many levels, it's deeper with the Urban Warfare Team because they all grew up together. At the same time, they integrate newcomers like Paul into the group and extend loyalty to them.
Because Feehan was introducing a new team, this book is pretty straightforward, not to many twists and turns with the suspense. It does further the overall theme of the GhostWalkers conspiracy and Whitney playing puppet with them, along with their trying to find out who is trying to eliminate the GhostWalkers.
Javier is literally my favorite, well other than Kane. I always bug Ms. Feehan about when she's going to write his story. I picture him as my beloved Diego Luna.
I will definitely give this a five star as before. I just love this series. I am a broken record about. I can't help it. Now onto Ruthless Game.
***Reread from July 17-July 19, 2012
My Thoughts:
Looking back at this book, I can't believe how much I came to love Team 3. They are firmly entrenched in my heart. Initially I felt sort of thrown and betrayed that Ms. Feehan had left my beloved Teams 1 and 2 and went to a bunch of folks I didn't know. I am eating my words. These guys (and two girls) rock! A different feel and relationship with this group. All the teams are a family, but these folks grew up together, and that bond is many years in the making. I could feel that family tie between them and it makes this book shine.
Jaimie and Mack--
This couple is very complementary. Mack is hard and decisive. Authoritative. Jaimie is warm and welcoming. Her strength is in her mind and in her heart. She is thought and intellect. Her mind is kind of scary and beautiful at the same time. Mack is acting and moving. Jaimie is pondering and mental exploration and examination. That is not to say that Mack is not intelligent and Jaimie isn't decisive. But in those areas where one abounds, the other benefits. I liked that about this book.
I liked Mack more this time around. I could see that he loves deeply and strongly, but that's not about declarations, but about doing. He did learn a lesson when he lost Jaimie the first time, and it has impressed on him that he needs to give her what she needs, the affirmation. We can take people for granted, assuming they know how important they are. But Jaimie didn't know how important she was to Mack. She thought that she was an add-on to his life, easily replaceable or forgettable. She didn't know that his life more or less fell apart without her. When he comes back, she can't understand his anger. But the thing about a man like Mack is that if he can't change or fix something, it makes him mad. When Jaimie left him, he couldn't fix that. So now he is angry at her for taking something so precious away from him and not understanding how important she was. She thinks she's the one who has more of a grudge to bear against him.
Their job now was to find that way of giving each other what they truly needed. I liked seeing them come to this point of understanding that one was not too hard or the other too soft, but perfect for each other. Together they were complete and full, making something even stronger as a unit. It was also funny seeing how the family worked through and around their issues with each other, because their relationship affected the whole group and the guys loved them both. I liked how integrated the romance aspect was into the overall group dynamics.
Overall Thoughts: I didn't think this was a favored romance in this series, because Mack is so pushy in some ways. In the end, and even moreso on the reread, I loved it so much. It's different from all the other books (as each one is). While Mack isn't my favorite GhostWalker, I have come to love him for who is. There are some people who challenge you in a way that no one else does. And that's good. Because their presence in your life makes you well-rounded in ways you lacked before. I am taking Mack this way. He is teaching me to deal with the kind of guys that get on my nerves, and teaching me understanding. I do need that.
A different installment, but great in its own way. Love Team 3, love all the characters, and I loved the escalation and expansion of the conspiracies.
Another thumbs up. Yes I am hopelessly in love with this series!
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Original Review:
To express my powerful feelings for the GhostWalker series, I would like to borrow the words from Oliver by its namesake: "May I have some more please?"
Street Game takes the GhostWalker series to a different level, but captures everything that I loved about the preceeding books. I love how this series is so intricate, with different storylines that intersect. There are familiar things here that continue to light my fire for this series, but this story is also unique as Mack McKinley and Jaimie Fielding get closure on their past relationship.
Street Game focuses on the Urban Warfare team led by Mack McKinley. He loves his job and what he does. He even loves the enhancements that Whitney's program has given him. This is slightly different from the heroes in the prior books, because they generally felt betrayed that their bodies had been manipulated in such a fashion. Mack takes it all in stride, enthusiastic that his enhancements enable him to do what he does best, fighting the bad guys and protecting his country.
Mack is very much an alpha hero. In fact, he almost comes off as nearly unlikeable at times. He is the macho type, not one to express his feelings unless it involves putting his fist into something, giving orders to his men (and girlfriend), and expecting them to be followed, or having a bout of energetic sex with his girlfriend. He is blown away when Jaimie leaves him. He tells himself that she'll come back, because she needs him much more than he needs her. However, he finds that to be far from the case. Jaimie was his everything, and every day without her is like a gaping hole in his life. When a mission leads him to Jaimie's doorstep, he's determined to get her back, still baffled that she left him.
I said that Mack nearly was hard to like at times. Well, this would be be the case without Ms. Feehan's masterful handling of him. Hugely surprising to this GhostWalker fan, but Mack is probably the most alpha hero yet in this series. He is aggressive and intensely male, take charge, and used to giving orders. At first, it's hard to see his vulnerabilities, because he's quite adept at keeping that part of himself concealed. He's not a man who likes feeling helpless or wounded, and doesn't know how to express himself emotionally. Being in control is crucial for him. Before, this was something that Jaimie was used to. Mack was the one who kept their self-formed family together. They met when Jaimie was an eight year old genius who was already in high school, and Mack took care of her from the very beginning, protecting her from bullies and watching over her, along with the rest of the guys and girl they grew up with in their Chicago neighborhood. Over time, their relationship became a romantic one. For as long as he could remember, Jaimie was his, to protect, to watch over, and to come home to, loving the fire that they had together. Mack always admired Jaimie's intelligence, and was proud of her, but he didn't like her expressing doubts about the GhostWalker program, especially on a botched mission, and his way of dealing with it turned out to be the last straw for Jaimie.
Jaimie never stopped loving Mack, although she knew they couldn't be together, because they were too different, and she didn't like the violence of what their GhostWalker abilities allowed them to do. She didn't trust their superiors when they went into a mission that could have led to the death of some of their team members. When she tried to express her doubts about it, Mack doesn't listen. Instead he dismisses her concerns. She's devastated that he doesn't trust her or take what she's saying seriously, and knows that she has to leave him. Two years later, Jaimie has made a new life for herself, but plans to set up her business so she can take care of her brothers. She knows she can't be with Mack any more that way, but she still cares about him. When Mack and his team end up on her doorstep, she isn't surprised, knowing that she's being set up to be taken out because of the information she had recovered about the conspiracy behind the GhostWalker experimentation.
This book delves further into the conspiracies behind the GhostWalker program, going above and beyond Whitney to the power players that have ties with the White House. Jaimie is a thinking woman's heroine. Her phenomenal brain and analytical skills are used to follow the trails of information to find out who is setting up the GhostWalker teams and why. This installment of the series flows seamlessly into the other books, although the only returning characters are peripheral ones, or characters we only got an intriguing glimpse of in past books. Instead, we meet a whole new group of men, who managed to claim their place in my heart. What I love about this series is that each book makes me want more.
Christine Feehan really knows how to write characters that you become attached to, and yearn to read about. You see their flaws and their pain, and you want them to be happy. This book challenged me, because men like Mack tend to rub me the wrong way. I'm not a big fan of chest-thumping type men. But I was allowed to peel back the layers to see that Mack is a simple, yet complex man who takes his responsibilities very seriously. He has to be brash and confident, because he takes the lives of his team as a powerful responsibility. His way of taking care of others is leading and protecting them. For him, his feelings for Jaimie couldn't be described with mere words. Yet, Mack had to learn that Jaimie needed more from him that he was giving her. He thought that she saw his devotion and adoration, but she felt as though her only place in his life was as his hero-worshipping, cheerleading, brainy, and nurturing girlfriend.
This book has some moments that really strike me with their emotional intensity. These moments show the profound nature of the feelings between the characters. My favorite is when Mack is finally able to express into words just how much he loves Jaimie. I love how that scene is written, and how unexpected it was. She's blown away by it, and so am I. You know that Mack will never be the type to say the three words all the time, and freely, but it's more than clear how much he does love Jaimie. The steamy sex in this novel is pretty awesome, but the emotions behind it are what really enthrall this reader. You feel the fire between Mack and Jaimie, and the powerful bond between them that goes beyond the bedroom to the deepest parts of their heart and minds.
As usual, I love all the interactions between the GhostWalker team. I already love the new characters introduced in this installment, and look forward to seeing more of them. Each character brings something different to the table. I am impressed with the incredible storyline that Ms. Feehan has created with this series. I love reading about the abilities of the different characters, and how they seem imminently plausible, but fantastic at the same time. The action scenes are well-done, and I feel that this book would appeal to a fan of techno-thrillers as much as paranormal and romantic suspense fans. But what I love about these books is how you get the octane moments, the well-thought out and often mind-boggling plot involving the GhostWalkers, the steamy love scenes, the funny and heartwarming moments, and the three-dimensional characters that you cannot help but love, all fashioned together into a beautiful package. This book ends with the evidence that there are more adventures ahead, as the groundwork is laid to follow up on some important storylines introduced in the preceeding books, and touched on in this installment. And all I can say is, I Can't Wait!!
September 10, 2011
I love the GhostWalkers series, so it was a given that I had to read Street Game even if I didn’t particularly love the previous book, Murder Game. When I heard this new book was going to be about a whole new team, I was a bit wary. Why introduce a bunch of new characters when there’s still a lot of characters from previous books whose stories haven’t been told yet? Well, there was nothing for me to do but go along with Ms. Feehan’s decision and enjoy the read…
Master Gunnery Seargent Mack McKinley is the leader of this new GhostWalkers team. Jaimie Fielding is the girl that got away, and Mack wants her back – not necessarily on the team, but mainly in his life. The way he sees it, they belong together and she’d better accept that. He was taken by surprise when she took off 2 years ago, but now that he’s found her again, he’s going to keep her for good. Jaimie doesn’t want Mack and the GhostWalkers back in her life, but she hasn’t much say in the matter when it becomes clear that someone has gone to great lengths to reunite them and her life might be in danger. So Mack and his First Seargent Kane Cannon move into her house, while the rest of the team scatter themselves in her neighborhood to protect her. One woman, surrounded by several testosterone-driven men at her service… If this was a Lora Leigh book, Jaimie would be one very busy lady, LOL. Anyway, I digress…
While Mack struggles to rebuild his relationship with Jaimie, he also has to figure out who set them up and catch some terrorist who, by coincidence or not, happen to have a big load of illegal weapons stored in a warehouse near Jaimie’s. And if that wasn’t complicated enough, Jaimie’s also working "in the shadows" to find evidences against Dr. Whitney and his wrongdoings. It’s obvious that Dr. Whitney is still as powerful as ever, and it’s hard to tell who’s friend or foe – especially when it looks like their own CO Seargent Major Griffen can’t be trusted and there seems to be a traitor in the team.
So, have I enjoyed this read? Yes, absolutely. But I didn’t love it, and I "blame" Mack and Jamie for it. Their romance didn’t raise my temperature. Don’t get me wrong, their love scenes were steaming hot – except the one where he was "interrogating" her, which was kind of uncomfortable to me – and I had some fun with their banter, but there was no real conflict in their relationship. Simply put, there was no reasonable explanation for them to be apart. Jaimie was the one who left, so she should have a plausible explanation for that, right? Well, I doubt she knew why she had left... First, it was because she wanted a commitment Mack wasn’t willing to give; then, it was because she couldn’t stand the violence that surrounded the GhostWalkers way of life; later, it was because she was investigating Dr. Whitney’s dirty deeds and she didn’t want to put Mack and his team in danger; then, it was back to Mack’s commitment issues… Lather, rinse, repeat. Get it together, woman! As for Mack, he was one of those alpha males I love to hate. He had a one-track mind when it came to Jamie, and I had no problem with that. Yes, I wanted to smack him in the head a couple of times, but I ended up understanding why he had to be so dominant. His sense of humor was key to make me more sympathetic towards him. Without it, he’d be nothing more than a big bully.
Considering how disappointing I found Mack and Jaimie, you might be asking why I gave this book 4 stars. Well, the romance was meh, but the rest was great. The whole GhostWalkers concept is very fascinating to me: even though the series has become more far fetched as it progressed, it still contains some elements that I could see happening in real life and I love this mix of PNR with a twist of reality. I also love the "tech talk". I know most readers don’t care for it, but I’m a computer geek so I can’t help it. :) Last, but not least, I can’t forget to mention the action scenes: Ms. Feehan really knows how to write them. I was on the edge of my seat, even though I knew the good guys would win in the end. Great job there, Ms. Feehan!
As expected, this book introduced a lot – and I mean A LOT – of new GhostWalkers. Two of them, Kane and Brian, should be familiar to those who have been following the series, but all the others were brand-new heroes in the making. I admit I got a bit confused in the beginning of the book, having to learn all those new names and trying to remember who was who, but it didn’t take long before I saw them as longtime friends. Kane, Javier and Gideon have already claimed a piece of my heart. Hopefully, one of them will be the hero in the next book in the series. Can’t wait! ;)
Master Gunnery Seargent Mack McKinley is the leader of this new GhostWalkers team. Jaimie Fielding is the girl that got away, and Mack wants her back – not necessarily on the team, but mainly in his life. The way he sees it, they belong together and she’d better accept that. He was taken by surprise when she took off 2 years ago, but now that he’s found her again, he’s going to keep her for good. Jaimie doesn’t want Mack and the GhostWalkers back in her life, but she hasn’t much say in the matter when it becomes clear that someone has gone to great lengths to reunite them and her life might be in danger. So Mack and his First Seargent Kane Cannon move into her house, while the rest of the team scatter themselves in her neighborhood to protect her. One woman, surrounded by several testosterone-driven men at her service… If this was a Lora Leigh book, Jaimie would be one very busy lady, LOL. Anyway, I digress…
While Mack struggles to rebuild his relationship with Jaimie, he also has to figure out who set them up and catch some terrorist who, by coincidence or not, happen to have a big load of illegal weapons stored in a warehouse near Jaimie’s. And if that wasn’t complicated enough, Jaimie’s also working "in the shadows" to find evidences against Dr. Whitney and his wrongdoings. It’s obvious that Dr. Whitney is still as powerful as ever, and it’s hard to tell who’s friend or foe – especially when it looks like their own CO Seargent Major Griffen can’t be trusted and there seems to be a traitor in the team.
So, have I enjoyed this read? Yes, absolutely. But I didn’t love it, and I "blame" Mack and Jamie for it. Their romance didn’t raise my temperature. Don’t get me wrong, their love scenes were steaming hot – except the one where he was "interrogating" her, which was kind of uncomfortable to me – and I had some fun with their banter, but there was no real conflict in their relationship. Simply put, there was no reasonable explanation for them to be apart. Jaimie was the one who left, so she should have a plausible explanation for that, right? Well, I doubt she knew why she had left... First, it was because she wanted a commitment Mack wasn’t willing to give; then, it was because she couldn’t stand the violence that surrounded the GhostWalkers way of life; later, it was because she was investigating Dr. Whitney’s dirty deeds and she didn’t want to put Mack and his team in danger; then, it was back to Mack’s commitment issues… Lather, rinse, repeat. Get it together, woman! As for Mack, he was one of those alpha males I love to hate. He had a one-track mind when it came to Jamie, and I had no problem with that. Yes, I wanted to smack him in the head a couple of times, but I ended up understanding why he had to be so dominant. His sense of humor was key to make me more sympathetic towards him. Without it, he’d be nothing more than a big bully.
Considering how disappointing I found Mack and Jaimie, you might be asking why I gave this book 4 stars. Well, the romance was meh, but the rest was great. The whole GhostWalkers concept is very fascinating to me: even though the series has become more far fetched as it progressed, it still contains some elements that I could see happening in real life and I love this mix of PNR with a twist of reality. I also love the "tech talk". I know most readers don’t care for it, but I’m a computer geek so I can’t help it. :) Last, but not least, I can’t forget to mention the action scenes: Ms. Feehan really knows how to write them. I was on the edge of my seat, even though I knew the good guys would win in the end. Great job there, Ms. Feehan!
As expected, this book introduced a lot – and I mean A LOT – of new GhostWalkers. Two of them, Kane and Brian, should be familiar to those who have been following the series, but all the others were brand-new heroes in the making. I admit I got a bit confused in the beginning of the book, having to learn all those new names and trying to remember who was who, but it didn’t take long before I saw them as longtime friends. Kane, Javier and Gideon have already claimed a piece of my heart. Hopefully, one of them will be the hero in the next book in the series. Can’t wait! ;)
April 4, 2019
Reread the series. Suprisingly I did not hate this book so much. Mack will never be my favorite ghostwalker. But I "got" him a bit more so I am elevating to 3 stars.
Prior comments:
2 stars for Christine Feehan. Otherwise, I HATED this book! I hated Mack. At no point did I like him. I started off liking Jaime. Admiring her courage. But then she folded so completely, I ended up hating her too. "I live for making you happy". Apparently that includes doing the one thing she said she could NEVER do. Mack was selfish right up until the very end. Telling her if she did not pack fast enough for his next call out, he was taking her and she would lose all her stuff. I am not going to write paragraphs about all that I hated, but this is the first CF hero I have felt this strongly about. I disliked Ken's behavior in his book and really did not like Jesse. But neither of them did I hate. I hope I never have to read about Mack and Jaime ever again. At the very end when Mack was asking her to go with him (and give up her life) I was praying so hard for her to say no. I do not ever want to read a romance novel where I am praying they do NOT end up together. That is a huge fail for me.
Plus there was something pervy about their relationship. He helped raise her but suddenly became her lover. He was only 7 years older, but came off a lot more than that. So she watched him with women? What made them get together? Was he perving out on a child? I was uncomfortable the entire book about their relationship.
Safety Gang
Prior comments:
2 stars for Christine Feehan. Otherwise, I HATED this book! I hated Mack. At no point did I like him. I started off liking Jaime. Admiring her courage. But then she folded so completely, I ended up hating her too. "I live for making you happy". Apparently that includes doing the one thing she said she could NEVER do. Mack was selfish right up until the very end. Telling her if she did not pack fast enough for his next call out, he was taking her and she would lose all her stuff. I am not going to write paragraphs about all that I hated, but this is the first CF hero I have felt this strongly about. I disliked Ken's behavior in his book and really did not like Jesse. But neither of them did I hate. I hope I never have to read about Mack and Jaime ever again. At the very end when Mack was asking her to go with him (and give up her life) I was praying so hard for her to say no. I do not ever want to read a romance novel where I am praying they do NOT end up together. That is a huge fail for me.
Plus there was something pervy about their relationship. He helped raise her but suddenly became her lover. He was only 7 years older, but came off a lot more than that. So she watched him with women? What made them get together? Was he perving out on a child? I was uncomfortable the entire book about their relationship.
Safety Gang
May 3, 2010
My Review:
I’m going to apologize right up front for this review because even though it’s taken me weeks to write, I’m still making a mess of it. There are so many things about this book that seemed different to me – unique from the others – and yet, I can’t put my finger on it. It is more a feeling than anything I can point to and say, “This is what makes this one different…”
In Street Game, we’re being introduced to a new GhostWalker team, this one headed by Mack McKinley whose specialty is urban warfare and his talents too numerous to name. It seemed that every time I thought I understood what his ability was, he was doing something new.
Jaimie was a member of the team for years, but hers and Mack’s volatile past and a close call during a mission, prompted Jaimie to disappear one night, leaving behind the only family she really ever had, and the only man she’s ever loved.
Mack and Jaimie find themselves reunited, but not under the best of circumstances, and seemingly not by mere coincidence which makes them both jumpy and untrusting of each other. Never a good combination when you’re life depends on those you’re working with.
This latest installment of the GhostWalker series flowed so smoothly from the last team to this one that I didn’t even notice the shift, which was something I was worried about because sometimes when you have so many characters in a series, it’s hard for me to keep track. I don’t feel like I needed a refresher or should have done a re-read of Murder Game (book 7) or anything like that before reading Street Game.
There’s just something special about all the GhostWalkers and I can’t put my finger on it. In each team member, I get the feeling that there’s an underlying sense of… emptiness, which is what binds them together. They are all different. Like, they know they’re men, but not free men. They are human, but not exactly. I often wonder how many of them would take a “do-over” if they could, and choose not to be guinea pigged. But in Street Game as in many of the other books, the heroes of the story say that they enjoy their abilities. But again, I have to wonder… do they really, or are they just making the best of it? I guess that might be a question that never gets answered to my satisfaction.
While the surface storyline of this book is different, we’re still dealing with Dr. Peter Whitney, nut-job extraordinaire. But that’s where the comparison ends because there was something different about this book – something special. I felt a stronger connection to all the team members than I have in the previous books, but I also felt a deeper sense of sadness, not only in them, but for them. Maybe it’s because we – and they – are finding out really how low Peter Whitney sank in his justification of his experiments and how far they really went.
The emotional intensity of Street Game was high. There was Mack, always holding back, never sharing his feelings… holding, holding… then WOW! It was like a dam bursting open when he finally opened up, telling Jaimie exactly what she needed to hear: how much he loves her. That was a truly great moment and frankly, for a while there, I didn’t think he had it in him. And with the rest of the teammates, in addition to their "family" ties, there was a sense of sadness... or a resolve... that I think in many ways connects and keeps this team together. They know what it's like to be who...or what… they are. They relate to each other on a level no one else can. And those commonalities make for some fierce and loyal ties that bind.
This really was a great, 5 star read, but again, I apologize that I just can’t really express why…
I’m going to apologize right up front for this review because even though it’s taken me weeks to write, I’m still making a mess of it. There are so many things about this book that seemed different to me – unique from the others – and yet, I can’t put my finger on it. It is more a feeling than anything I can point to and say, “This is what makes this one different…”
In Street Game, we’re being introduced to a new GhostWalker team, this one headed by Mack McKinley whose specialty is urban warfare and his talents too numerous to name. It seemed that every time I thought I understood what his ability was, he was doing something new.
Jaimie was a member of the team for years, but hers and Mack’s volatile past and a close call during a mission, prompted Jaimie to disappear one night, leaving behind the only family she really ever had, and the only man she’s ever loved.
Mack and Jaimie find themselves reunited, but not under the best of circumstances, and seemingly not by mere coincidence which makes them both jumpy and untrusting of each other. Never a good combination when you’re life depends on those you’re working with.
This latest installment of the GhostWalker series flowed so smoothly from the last team to this one that I didn’t even notice the shift, which was something I was worried about because sometimes when you have so many characters in a series, it’s hard for me to keep track. I don’t feel like I needed a refresher or should have done a re-read of Murder Game (book 7) or anything like that before reading Street Game.
There’s just something special about all the GhostWalkers and I can’t put my finger on it. In each team member, I get the feeling that there’s an underlying sense of… emptiness, which is what binds them together. They are all different. Like, they know they’re men, but not free men. They are human, but not exactly. I often wonder how many of them would take a “do-over” if they could, and choose not to be guinea pigged. But in Street Game as in many of the other books, the heroes of the story say that they enjoy their abilities. But again, I have to wonder… do they really, or are they just making the best of it? I guess that might be a question that never gets answered to my satisfaction.
While the surface storyline of this book is different, we’re still dealing with Dr. Peter Whitney, nut-job extraordinaire. But that’s where the comparison ends because there was something different about this book – something special. I felt a stronger connection to all the team members than I have in the previous books, but I also felt a deeper sense of sadness, not only in them, but for them. Maybe it’s because we – and they – are finding out really how low Peter Whitney sank in his justification of his experiments and how far they really went.
The emotional intensity of Street Game was high. There was Mack, always holding back, never sharing his feelings… holding, holding… then WOW! It was like a dam bursting open when he finally opened up, telling Jaimie exactly what she needed to hear: how much he loves her. That was a truly great moment and frankly, for a while there, I didn’t think he had it in him. And with the rest of the teammates, in addition to their "family" ties, there was a sense of sadness... or a resolve... that I think in many ways connects and keeps this team together. They know what it's like to be who...or what… they are. They relate to each other on a level no one else can. And those commonalities make for some fierce and loyal ties that bind.
This really was a great, 5 star read, but again, I apologize that I just can’t really express why…
February 12, 2010
The GhostWalkers move out of the swamp and jungle and into the territory of urban warfare with a completely new team of enhanced soldiers, together since childhood, that stumble upon "the one that got away" two years ago, breaking all their hearts, one more than the rest.
Jaimie left the brutal world behind her, but it came knocking on her door yet again, with Mack McKinley bringing his team into "her" city on the heels of an arms-trafficking terrorist group. Jaimie and Mack were close once, but her sense of self-preservation made her leave him (apparently he didn’t care for her beyond the bedroom, despite him constantly keeping her safe from herself, him and his world), breaking his heart in the process.
Now he’s back, her heart is jumping of joy, yet her head is more reluctant. And just as he’s about to launch a full-scale attack onto her senses, danger comes crashing in. So what else is new in the world of the GhostWalkers?
I’m a big fan of Christine Feehan's work, but I have so say this book was quite a disappointment for me. The major problem was the fact I was thrust into an unknown group. I never "met" these men before, I didn’t know they’re background (well, most of it), I didn’t really know what made them tick, so it was truly like meeting new people for the first time and finding yourself threading carefully around each other, assessing, watching, learning.
The second problem was the hero. Ms. Feehan loves to write about her alphas, big, surly brutes with hearts of gold, that, after a while, are more than happy to be brought down to their knees by the right woman. Sorry, but Mack didn’t fall into that category. Sure, he was alpha, sure he was surly, but he was also too much of a jackass for me to actually like him and care whether he got his happy ending or not.
But taking things from this perspective, I’m more than happy he ended up with a brat like Jaimie. Spoiled, petulant, throwing tantrums when things didn’t go her way, leaving instead of sticking with the man she supposedly loved. Sheesh!
She loved him for protecting her, for being big and not scared of anything ,always taking matter into his own hands, yet resented him those same traits, because "he didn’t listen to her". Can you spell spoiled brat?
The amount of angst in this book was enormous, taking the spotlight off the action scenes, which are actually the reason I read these GhostWalkers books. But even when I managed to finally concentrate on the suspense part of the book, the action scenes, the intrigue, the mystery, and the tension felt sort of flat, like they were slapped together in a hurry, without much thought or finesse, resulting in the pacing being way off and certainly not par with her previous novels.
Jaimie left the brutal world behind her, but it came knocking on her door yet again, with Mack McKinley bringing his team into "her" city on the heels of an arms-trafficking terrorist group. Jaimie and Mack were close once, but her sense of self-preservation made her leave him (apparently he didn’t care for her beyond the bedroom, despite him constantly keeping her safe from herself, him and his world), breaking his heart in the process.
Now he’s back, her heart is jumping of joy, yet her head is more reluctant. And just as he’s about to launch a full-scale attack onto her senses, danger comes crashing in. So what else is new in the world of the GhostWalkers?
I’m a big fan of Christine Feehan's work, but I have so say this book was quite a disappointment for me. The major problem was the fact I was thrust into an unknown group. I never "met" these men before, I didn’t know they’re background (well, most of it), I didn’t really know what made them tick, so it was truly like meeting new people for the first time and finding yourself threading carefully around each other, assessing, watching, learning.
The second problem was the hero. Ms. Feehan loves to write about her alphas, big, surly brutes with hearts of gold, that, after a while, are more than happy to be brought down to their knees by the right woman. Sorry, but Mack didn’t fall into that category. Sure, he was alpha, sure he was surly, but he was also too much of a jackass for me to actually like him and care whether he got his happy ending or not.
But taking things from this perspective, I’m more than happy he ended up with a brat like Jaimie. Spoiled, petulant, throwing tantrums when things didn’t go her way, leaving instead of sticking with the man she supposedly loved. Sheesh!
She loved him for protecting her, for being big and not scared of anything ,always taking matter into his own hands, yet resented him those same traits, because "he didn’t listen to her". Can you spell spoiled brat?
The amount of angst in this book was enormous, taking the spotlight off the action scenes, which are actually the reason I read these GhostWalkers books. But even when I managed to finally concentrate on the suspense part of the book, the action scenes, the intrigue, the mystery, and the tension felt sort of flat, like they were slapped together in a hurry, without much thought or finesse, resulting in the pacing being way off and certainly not par with her previous novels.
January 8, 2010
Street Game by Christine Feehan
First let me say that this book broke me out of my recent reading funk. Although it was uneven in certain spots, overall this was a very enjoyable book. In fact, for the first time in a very long time, I became so absorbed in this story, that I forgot I was reading. It was only when my family started harassing me for dinner (for the love of God, couldn't they go to McDonald's or something??), that I was popped back into reality.
Street Game is the latest installment of Feehan's Ghostwalker Series, which I have really been enjoying. Here's my take on this series and Street Game....
1) Feehan is a master of paranormal. The characters' abilities are incredibly cool....invisibility, reading people's locations/emotions from their energy patterns, telepathic brain surgery...and the list goes on. How's this for romantic? Everyone has an energy pattern that displays certain textures and colors, but the hero and heroines' pattern, according to one of the Ghostwalkers, is woven together. Sigh.
2) The male bonding/camaraderie scenes with the Ghostwalkers are superb! Superb! Trash talking, super loyal, sometimes aggressive...yummy alpha male testosterone-jacked stuff! Seriously, JR Ward's got nothing on Christine. Maybe Christine will dye her hair blond, start wearing all black, and sport some stylin' black sunglasses. Hee hee. :)
3) There is a great build up of suspense and anticipation during their missions, in particular when they have to grab Sergeant Major Griffen--I literally could not put the book down. The final mission of the book is also excellent, and exhilarating to finally see Jaimie using and enjoying her powers.
4) The first scene where Jaimie and Mack make love is this really cool fusion of psychic paranormal powers and the physical response between them. I loved it.
5) Now onto the "uneven" parts....I am getting sort of tired of the whole Whitney thing. I realize this is the over-riding story arc that is supposed to tie all of the books together, but I'm sick of Whitney, and I just wish someone would blow him up or something.
6) Feehan loves deep POV. The heroine spends pages thinking about how she lost herself with Mack, how much she loves him, how scared she is of his possession....and the hero is thinking about how he can't live without her, she is the light of his life, she destroyed him when she left...etc etc. It's just too repetitive. Enough already. We got it the first time. Stick with the action!
7) I was not feeling the emotional connection between the hero and heroine as much as past Ghostwalker couples for one simple reason. Their relationship was in the past. Feehan forgot the golden rule...show, don't tell. We need to feel their connection now, not hear about the past ad nauseam. Even the sex scenes were not as hot or intense as others in the series.
8) I was totally irritated with the scene where Mack is "interrogating" Jaimie while she is diligently working at the computer, and he is forcing her to take her clothes off. This was just plain ridiculous. Oy!
My overall take on this book...it was uneven, but still a great read for Feehan fans. Fabulous at spots, slow and repetitive in others. Feehan did an awesome job getting us primed for the other Ghostwalker stories. I personally can't wait for Kane's book, and I really liked Javier, too.
Grade: B
Penelope
First let me say that this book broke me out of my recent reading funk. Although it was uneven in certain spots, overall this was a very enjoyable book. In fact, for the first time in a very long time, I became so absorbed in this story, that I forgot I was reading. It was only when my family started harassing me for dinner (for the love of God, couldn't they go to McDonald's or something??), that I was popped back into reality.
Street Game is the latest installment of Feehan's Ghostwalker Series, which I have really been enjoying. Here's my take on this series and Street Game....
1) Feehan is a master of paranormal. The characters' abilities are incredibly cool....invisibility, reading people's locations/emotions from their energy patterns, telepathic brain surgery...and the list goes on. How's this for romantic? Everyone has an energy pattern that displays certain textures and colors, but the hero and heroines' pattern, according to one of the Ghostwalkers, is woven together. Sigh.
2) The male bonding/camaraderie scenes with the Ghostwalkers are superb! Superb! Trash talking, super loyal, sometimes aggressive...yummy alpha male testosterone-jacked stuff! Seriously, JR Ward's got nothing on Christine. Maybe Christine will dye her hair blond, start wearing all black, and sport some stylin' black sunglasses. Hee hee. :)
3) There is a great build up of suspense and anticipation during their missions, in particular when they have to grab Sergeant Major Griffen--I literally could not put the book down. The final mission of the book is also excellent, and exhilarating to finally see Jaimie using and enjoying her powers.
4) The first scene where Jaimie and Mack make love is this really cool fusion of psychic paranormal powers and the physical response between them. I loved it.
5) Now onto the "uneven" parts....I am getting sort of tired of the whole Whitney thing. I realize this is the over-riding story arc that is supposed to tie all of the books together, but I'm sick of Whitney, and I just wish someone would blow him up or something.
6) Feehan loves deep POV. The heroine spends pages thinking about how she lost herself with Mack, how much she loves him, how scared she is of his possession....and the hero is thinking about how he can't live without her, she is the light of his life, she destroyed him when she left...etc etc. It's just too repetitive. Enough already. We got it the first time. Stick with the action!
7) I was not feeling the emotional connection between the hero and heroine as much as past Ghostwalker couples for one simple reason. Their relationship was in the past. Feehan forgot the golden rule...show, don't tell. We need to feel their connection now, not hear about the past ad nauseam. Even the sex scenes were not as hot or intense as others in the series.
8) I was totally irritated with the scene where Mack is "interrogating" Jaimie while she is diligently working at the computer, and he is forcing her to take her clothes off. This was just plain ridiculous. Oy!
My overall take on this book...it was uneven, but still a great read for Feehan fans. Fabulous at spots, slow and repetitive in others. Feehan did an awesome job getting us primed for the other Ghostwalker stories. I personally can't wait for Kane's book, and I really liked Javier, too.
Grade: B
Penelope
January 6, 2010
For the most part, I enjoyed three-fourths of Street Game and it was well on it's way to a 5 star read, but the last quarter of the book didn't do it for me. This book took a whole new spin on romance, in that it was more of an obsession that the hero resented and didn't treat the heroine all that well. Something we see via flashbacks only. Thankfully. Two years later, when the main H/h reunite, he tries to play a different tune, but it's a struggle for his SEVERE alpha personality.
Initially, I had a hard time liking the hero, Mack McKinley. He was the team leader, so I expected him to be hard-nosed and have an ask-no-questions-personality, but I found him too pig-headed, self-centered, dominating and controlling--toward the heroine--Jamie Fielding. He was able to redeem himself as the book progressed, but for most of Street Game I found him hard-to-like.
I did not approve of or like his method of "interrogating" Jamie. Sex with anger to teach someone a lesson is abuse and that's not romantic for me. That alone almost knocked this down to three stars.
With minor references to the previous 7 books in this series, this was all new stuff. It's the GhostWalkers that still work for Whitney that had been talked about in the earlier books. Ms. Feehan talked about the other teams here and eluded to more that may be the focus of later books. One team in particular is a total mystery to the others at this point. The twin brothers that were captured in the Congo were mentioned a few times, but never by name. Flame was mentioned, but, again, not by name.
For anyone interested in starting this series, this would be a great place to begin.
At least one member of this team participated in Whitney's Breeding Program--Kade. So get ready for his story because I feel it may be next. Having read this new spin and knowing the little that was eluded to here that set up Kade's story, I'm concerned that the focus of the romance is going to shift from love to yeah-I-abused-you-but-now-I-see- we-are-stuck-together-so-let's-make-the-best-of-it-while-I-work-on-my- self-and-you-better-do-everything-I-say-as-I-treat-you-like-a-child.
I dislike books that climax-build-climax over and over. The ending did just that. It was too much. The enormous amount of new characters that got added in the last 1/4 of the book--most inconsequential--to continue plunging the book up and down again was too much. Blech!
I thought it was interesting to see "things" from the inside of Whitney's control rather than from the outside of the team that got away & the orphaned girls that Whitney used as lab rats (books 1-7). At this point, they do not know each except one person has been exchanging e-mails with Flame. And, Flame, of all people! I don't remember her being particularly computer savy, but that's fine.
3 1/2 Stars
Initially, I had a hard time liking the hero, Mack McKinley. He was the team leader, so I expected him to be hard-nosed and have an ask-no-questions-personality, but I found him too pig-headed, self-centered, dominating and controlling--toward the heroine--Jamie Fielding. He was able to redeem himself as the book progressed, but for most of Street Game I found him hard-to-like.
I did not approve of or like his method of "interrogating" Jamie. Sex with anger to teach someone a lesson is abuse and that's not romantic for me. That alone almost knocked this down to three stars.
With minor references to the previous 7 books in this series, this was all new stuff. It's the GhostWalkers that still work for Whitney that had been talked about in the earlier books. Ms. Feehan talked about the other teams here and eluded to more that may be the focus of later books. One team in particular is a total mystery to the others at this point. The twin brothers that were captured in the Congo were mentioned a few times, but never by name. Flame was mentioned, but, again, not by name.
For anyone interested in starting this series, this would be a great place to begin.
At least one member of this team participated in Whitney's Breeding Program--Kade. So get ready for his story because I feel it may be next. Having read this new spin and knowing the little that was eluded to here that set up Kade's story, I'm concerned that the focus of the romance is going to shift from love to yeah-I-abused-you-but-now-I-see- we-are-stuck-together-so-let's-make-the-best-of-it-while-I-work-on-my- self-and-you-better-do-everything-I-say-as-I-treat-you-like-a-child.
I dislike books that climax-build-climax over and over. The ending did just that. It was too much. The enormous amount of new characters that got added in the last 1/4 of the book--most inconsequential--to continue plunging the book up and down again was too much. Blech!
I thought it was interesting to see "things" from the inside of Whitney's control rather than from the outside of the team that got away & the orphaned girls that Whitney used as lab rats (books 1-7). At this point, they do not know each except one person has been exchanging e-mails with Flame. And, Flame, of all people! I don't remember her being particularly computer savy, but that's fine.
3 1/2 Stars
January 12, 2010
I like this series; it has action and intrigue as well as the interaction between the alpha male and the alpha female. Still even with that, this one got a little tedious with the angst back and forth and back and forth between them. It seems to me that also, that at some point, people with the "powers" that the Ghostwalkers have would not have so hard a time finding the dastardly Whitney. This book dragged on just a bit too long to keep the attention. If or rather since Mack had a plan why didn't he let Jaimie know about it way earlier. They could have accomplished their missions and moved on.
This was just not one of my favs.
This was just not one of my favs.
January 2, 2010
(Kindle Edition)
My first book of 2010, and I couldn't have chosen a better one :)
A huge fan of the entire Ghostwalker Series, I was glad to see Christine Feehan pull away from the we-just-met-but-OMG-I-just-have-to-have-you motif that's present in so many of her other books.
In Street Game, our hero and heroine have known each other their whole lives, and were even involved romantically before any of the pheremonal whatnot occurred.
Never fear, the conspiracy is still alive and kicking, with several old players making an appearance, as well as a few newbies. There was also quite a bit of hat-tipping towards characters from previous novels, and I have to say that I sincerely hope that Kane is going to be one of the heroes in an upcoming novel, because his story is one I'm dying to hear.
I adored the underdog Paul, really hope that Javier gets his own novel one day, and was quite enamored with our hero in all his chest thumping glory (especially that he was so bewildered by his feelings for wee Jaimie)
I definitely think this was one of her stronger novels, with much the action finally not taking place in a swamp or jungle scenario ;)
Overall a very solid read. 4 1/2 stars (only losing 1/2 a star because I feel it can't stand on its own without reading at least a few of the previous novels)
My first book of 2010, and I couldn't have chosen a better one :)
A huge fan of the entire Ghostwalker Series, I was glad to see Christine Feehan pull away from the we-just-met-but-OMG-I-just-have-to-have-you motif that's present in so many of her other books.
In Street Game, our hero and heroine have known each other their whole lives, and were even involved romantically before any of the pheremonal whatnot occurred.
Never fear, the conspiracy is still alive and kicking, with several old players making an appearance, as well as a few newbies. There was also quite a bit of hat-tipping towards characters from previous novels, and I have to say that I sincerely hope that Kane is going to be one of the heroes in an upcoming novel, because his story is one I'm dying to hear.
I adored the underdog Paul, really hope that Javier gets his own novel one day, and was quite enamored with our hero in all his chest thumping glory (especially that he was so bewildered by his feelings for wee Jaimie)
I definitely think this was one of her stronger novels, with much the action finally not taking place in a swamp or jungle scenario ;)
Overall a very solid read. 4 1/2 stars (only losing 1/2 a star because I feel it can't stand on its own without reading at least a few of the previous novels)
April 15, 2015
Another great addition to one of my favorite series:)!!
January 29, 2010
The past can haunt you.
A GhostWalker team, headed by Mack McKinley, heads to San Francisco after receiving a tip that an arms dealer has a cache hidden and waiting to be shipped. But the address can’t be right: only one loan occupant on the top floor of a three-story warehouse in the building? Tight security, but bypassable. Something’s not right. There’s nothing on the first floor, the second is high-tech, state of the art computers. But, discovering Jaimie, the woman he once had and lost, on the top floor, couldn’t be a coincidence… Could it?
Together since they were kids, the team is happy to see Jaimie again. She left a few years before, when Mack broke her heart. She’s determined to make it on her own. Creating her own software company, she on contract with the government creating high-tech software. But she has her own agenda: she’s hunting Whitney down. She wants to expose him, and those in the government who are backing him, to expose what he’s done, especially the experiments on children. She’s getting close, and they want her eliminated. However, they’ll only accomplish that over Mack’s dead body.
Mack’s ego and pride are what stopped him from going after Jaimie when she left. This time, he has no intention of letting her go. But can he convince Jaimie that he is what she wants him to be? A man who loves her?
**Another incredible book in the series! Strategy and adrenaline-packed action, it’s awesome to watch the play-by-play with all the characters. To see the comradeship between players who‘ve known each other since they were kids.
Mack, the strong, silent type, is a very intense man who will stop at nothing to keep Jaimie safe, and to bring her back with him. He refuses to lose her again.
Jaimie is determined to stop Whitney, to keep her team, especially Mack, safe. No matter how hard she guards her heart, she still loves him, even when he infuriates her.
The mystery continues, and you know the next book will receive top marks, just like this one. Action-packed, strategy-filled, with plenty of psychic energy between them all, you can’t help but love all the characters, and you can’t wait for their own stories. Two thumbs up, Ms. Feehan!!!
A GhostWalker team, headed by Mack McKinley, heads to San Francisco after receiving a tip that an arms dealer has a cache hidden and waiting to be shipped. But the address can’t be right: only one loan occupant on the top floor of a three-story warehouse in the building? Tight security, but bypassable. Something’s not right. There’s nothing on the first floor, the second is high-tech, state of the art computers. But, discovering Jaimie, the woman he once had and lost, on the top floor, couldn’t be a coincidence… Could it?
Together since they were kids, the team is happy to see Jaimie again. She left a few years before, when Mack broke her heart. She’s determined to make it on her own. Creating her own software company, she on contract with the government creating high-tech software. But she has her own agenda: she’s hunting Whitney down. She wants to expose him, and those in the government who are backing him, to expose what he’s done, especially the experiments on children. She’s getting close, and they want her eliminated. However, they’ll only accomplish that over Mack’s dead body.
Mack’s ego and pride are what stopped him from going after Jaimie when she left. This time, he has no intention of letting her go. But can he convince Jaimie that he is what she wants him to be? A man who loves her?
**Another incredible book in the series! Strategy and adrenaline-packed action, it’s awesome to watch the play-by-play with all the characters. To see the comradeship between players who‘ve known each other since they were kids.
Mack, the strong, silent type, is a very intense man who will stop at nothing to keep Jaimie safe, and to bring her back with him. He refuses to lose her again.
Jaimie is determined to stop Whitney, to keep her team, especially Mack, safe. No matter how hard she guards her heart, she still loves him, even when he infuriates her.
The mystery continues, and you know the next book will receive top marks, just like this one. Action-packed, strategy-filled, with plenty of psychic energy between them all, you can’t help but love all the characters, and you can’t wait for their own stories. Two thumbs up, Ms. Feehan!!!
January 28, 2010
I'll admit I wasn't happy with the switch to a new Ghostwalker team but Feehan did a great job in catching my interest in this new team. The continuity to the other teams came when I recognized Kane from Deadly Game. Getting to know him here and knowing he'll get his story with Rose and their baby made me hope his book is next.
At first I was afraid Mack was going to be a bit too much of a jerk but Feehan makes you understand why Mack is Mack. Jaimie knew what she wanted and was strong enough to see, that in the end, she got what she wanted. She gives on the little things but not the big and that worked fine for me. They both learn more about each other and deepen their understanding of each other and it was great.
There was so much story here, lots of details added to help fit more pieces together. The "family" aspect of this particular Ghostwalker Team was a lot of fun. Some of my favorite parts in these books are the action scenes when the team works together and we get several scenarios with them working in sync in Street Game. Just the right amount of bedroom action. Not as over the top as some of the last ones, which was perfect for me.
You'll fall in love with this new Ghostwalker Team.....
On Audio Also:
Tom Stechshulte does a fabulous job narrating the Ghostwalker series by Christine Feehan. One of very few narrators that can make the audio version of a book stand head and shoulders above the written for me.
At first I was afraid Mack was going to be a bit too much of a jerk but Feehan makes you understand why Mack is Mack. Jaimie knew what she wanted and was strong enough to see, that in the end, she got what she wanted. She gives on the little things but not the big and that worked fine for me. They both learn more about each other and deepen their understanding of each other and it was great.
There was so much story here, lots of details added to help fit more pieces together. The "family" aspect of this particular Ghostwalker Team was a lot of fun. Some of my favorite parts in these books are the action scenes when the team works together and we get several scenarios with them working in sync in Street Game. Just the right amount of bedroom action. Not as over the top as some of the last ones, which was perfect for me.
You'll fall in love with this new Ghostwalker Team.....
On Audio Also:
Tom Stechshulte does a fabulous job narrating the Ghostwalker series by Christine Feehan. One of very few narrators that can make the audio version of a book stand head and shoulders above the written for me.
April 6, 2010
This is the 8th book in Feehan's Ghost Walker series and heads in a totally new direction with a new GW team and new characters. I think Ms Feehan could have given us a heads up in the last book as to what was coming, but nonetheless I was able to follow along very easily and actually enjoyed this new team quite a bit.
This is Mack and Jaimie's story. Mack is the "Top" or head of this team of GW's and Jaimie is the woman he loves; the woman he never stopped loving, even after she left him without a trace 2 years ago. This was one aspect of the story I thought was very well done. We didn't have to watch them fight falling in love because they already were. Jaimie left because she thought Mack couldn't or wouldn't give her priority in his life, not realizing that everything Mack did, he did with her in mind. Once Mack found her again, he wasn't letting her go and I thoroughly enjoyed seeing him wear down her weak resistance.
I also loved the fact that this team is comprised of family, albeit it a self made one. They have been together through thick and thin and the love each other. Its not just a group of men and women but a family unit and that makes them so much stronger than anyone could ever imagine.
I'm very much looking forward to upcoming stories with this team, particularly Kane and Javier.
4.5 stars
This is Mack and Jaimie's story. Mack is the "Top" or head of this team of GW's and Jaimie is the woman he loves; the woman he never stopped loving, even after she left him without a trace 2 years ago. This was one aspect of the story I thought was very well done. We didn't have to watch them fight falling in love because they already were. Jaimie left because she thought Mack couldn't or wouldn't give her priority in his life, not realizing that everything Mack did, he did with her in mind. Once Mack found her again, he wasn't letting her go and I thoroughly enjoyed seeing him wear down her weak resistance.
I also loved the fact that this team is comprised of family, albeit it a self made one. They have been together through thick and thin and the love each other. Its not just a group of men and women but a family unit and that makes them so much stronger than anyone could ever imagine.
I'm very much looking forward to upcoming stories with this team, particularly Kane and Javier.
4.5 stars
January 2, 2015
I didn't enjoy this one as much the previous 7. Mack and his crew were a completely different Ghostwalker team than the one we had been following for the prior 7 books. I don't think the author eased me into the new group but threw me in. I also see the next book is still with this group.
I don't get it. There is no real connection to the group working with Lily Whitney and her Ghostwalkers other than similar origin (Peter Whitney's experiments) and they know Peter Whitney's experiment was too invasive and went over all ethical boundaries.
It's like starting the series all over. To make matters worse, I don't like Mack. I like Jaimie and was glad she left him, but of course they were engineered back together. I will have to work harder at getting over this bias of mine.
I don't get it. There is no real connection to the group working with Lily Whitney and her Ghostwalkers other than similar origin (Peter Whitney's experiments) and they know Peter Whitney's experiment was too invasive and went over all ethical boundaries.
It's like starting the series all over. To make matters worse, I don't like Mack. I like Jaimie and was glad she left him, but of course they were engineered back together. I will have to work harder at getting over this bias of mine.
January 15, 2010
Quit at page 270. Needs heavy-duty editing to cut repetitive dialogue, some real-world commonsense applied (inappropriately timed & placed sex scenes anyone?), plotholes fixed, and annoying main characters with continuous repetitive pushme/pullyou dialogue and motivations/actions fixed. (These two need a marriage counselor.) Too bad, because it had an interesting sounding plot.
Christine Feehan is starting to be like Stephanie Laurens for me. There's a lot of gold down deep, but I don't have the patience to wade through all the mess to find it.
Christine Feehan is starting to be like Stephanie Laurens for me. There's a lot of gold down deep, but I don't have the patience to wade through all the mess to find it.
April 13, 2025
4.25 stars
I read Kane’s book before this one and so far, reading out of order doesn’t take away from the story.
First off, I loved the family dynamic this group has. I love how intensely they all love each other. You know they would lay their life down for each other, without hesitation. I liked how everyone loved and respected Mack, and followed him into war if needed. I liked the banter, the funny moments, and obvious admiration they had for one another.
Now to the couple at hand, Jaimie and Mack. Both of them were celibate during their separation, didn’t even bother with other people because there would never be anyone else.
I know that Mack behaved like an asshole and said some mean things to Jaimie after that horrible operation. He also admits he took her for granted. So I completely understand Jaimie wanting to leave and make something of herself. She wanted to know if she could survive life without Mack, I get it. And tbh, with the way Mack took her for granted he totally deserved her leaving him without a word.
What I didn’t like was Jaimie condemning Mack for the things he had to do. He’s a Ghostwalker and in the military, as is she, no one else should’ve understood why he did what he did better than her. They grew up together, she and the rest of the men chose to follow Mack to get experimented on. She can’t keep blaming Mack for it all, he does it on his own anyway.
For a genius, Jaimie was pretty stupid🤦🏻♀️
She held his strength and being the best at what he does over his head constantly. The same strength she used to rely on when things got difficult. His entire team was fine with Mack shouldering all the blame when anything went wrong, the difference was that his men didn’t throw tantrums while Jaimie did. I loved it when the men called her out for her pacifist bullshit and she didn’t really have an answer. Poor Mack was still defending her. I hate it when authors pair these extreme pacifists with people who have to use violence for their job, you could at least make them not as annoying🙄
One thing that wasn’t explained was the OM drama. This Joe guy, why’d he say Jaimie was his? Why’d Jaimie talk so dreamily about him? I thought we’d get some closure on that but I guess CF gave up on that? Frankly, it was a stupid idea anyway.
Although I liked Jaimie, then disliked her a lot, started liking her again, and then disliked her only to pity her, I loved the action part of the book. The smut was pretty fantastic too, so overall it’s a success.
I read Kane’s book before this one and so far, reading out of order doesn’t take away from the story.
First off, I loved the family dynamic this group has. I love how intensely they all love each other. You know they would lay their life down for each other, without hesitation. I liked how everyone loved and respected Mack, and followed him into war if needed. I liked the banter, the funny moments, and obvious admiration they had for one another.
Now to the couple at hand, Jaimie and Mack. Both of them were celibate during their separation, didn’t even bother with other people because there would never be anyone else.
I know that Mack behaved like an asshole and said some mean things to Jaimie after that horrible operation. He also admits he took her for granted. So I completely understand Jaimie wanting to leave and make something of herself. She wanted to know if she could survive life without Mack, I get it. And tbh, with the way Mack took her for granted he totally deserved her leaving him without a word.
What I didn’t like was Jaimie condemning Mack for the things he had to do. He’s a Ghostwalker and in the military, as is she, no one else should’ve understood why he did what he did better than her. They grew up together, she and the rest of the men chose to follow Mack to get experimented on. She can’t keep blaming Mack for it all, he does it on his own anyway.
For a genius, Jaimie was pretty stupid🤦🏻♀️
She held his strength and being the best at what he does over his head constantly. The same strength she used to rely on when things got difficult. His entire team was fine with Mack shouldering all the blame when anything went wrong, the difference was that his men didn’t throw tantrums while Jaimie did. I loved it when the men called her out for her pacifist bullshit and she didn’t really have an answer. Poor Mack was still defending her. I hate it when authors pair these extreme pacifists with people who have to use violence for their job, you could at least make them not as annoying🙄
One thing that wasn’t explained was the OM drama. This Joe guy, why’d he say Jaimie was his? Why’d Jaimie talk so dreamily about him? I thought we’d get some closure on that but I guess CF gave up on that? Frankly, it was a stupid idea anyway.
Although I liked Jaimie, then disliked her a lot, started liking her again, and then disliked her only to pity her, I loved the action part of the book. The smut was pretty fantastic too, so overall it’s a success.
July 4, 2018
Nope, this is the end for me.
I mean really, what do you do when you don't like either protagonist? Stop reading the series. I thought they were both ridiculous, childish, immature and I couldn't root for either one of them. So I think I'm gonna take a big long break from this series.
I mean really, what do you do when you don't like either protagonist? Stop reading the series. I thought they were both ridiculous, childish, immature and I couldn't root for either one of them. So I think I'm gonna take a big long break from this series.
July 16, 2009
I have loved the other Ghostwalker books, they are a great deviation from the normal Paranormal Romance. This one, I had a hard time wrapping my mind around. And the female character who started out strong, became more of a wimp and way too angsty. Maybe once I get this new team of urban warfare figured out, I will like this part of the series better. There were a few good action scenes and a few non-angsty relationship scenes, but if I had been Jamie, I would have knocked Mack down a step or two several times in this book.
August 30, 2024
Mack pissed me tf off. He’s an absolute garbage MMC.
March 9, 2010
For Mack McKinley and his team of GhostWalker killing machines, urban warfare is an art.
But despite a hard-won knowledge of the San Francisco streets,
Mack knows from experience that too many things can still go wrong.
Danger was just another part of the game—and now he’s come face-to-face with a woman who can play just as tough.
She’s Jaimie, a woman with a sapphire stare so potent it can destroy a man.
Years ago she and Mack had a history—volatile, erotic, and electric. Then she vanished.
Now she’s walked back into Mack’s life, as a spy with more secrets than are good for her.
Against all odds, she’s hooking up with Mack one more time to take on an enemy that could destroy them both, or bring them back together in one hot, no-holds-barred adrenaline rush.
(goodreads review)
I have read this series from day one and have to say the direction they are taking is a little disappointing.
Its the same underlying theme each & every time.
Ghostwalker meets love of life, they have sex, they fight, he dominates, they do a mission and all is well.
This particular books gives us insight into a different team that has nothing to do with the original team members we have been reading about. Which was interesting as it introduced us to some new characters and set up addition stories.
It was also confusing.
We see references to Jaimie emailing another female (which I think is Flame but not 100% sure).
Mack has to be one the most aggressive ghost walkers to date. Very dominating & controlling.
He tolerates no dissent in his decisions; which is why Jaimie leaves him in the first place.
I have to admit I was a little creeped out by Mack. He is very controlling and his "love" for Jaimie is obsessive; borderline stalker. He treats Jaimie as a not to bright child. And the rest of the team backs Mack's attitude with the platitudes, "He loves you...he cares for you...cut him some slack."
At one point Mack looks at her and thinks, "...that mouth that was every man's fantasy...remembering how he had taught her to use it for his pleasure. He had taught her-everything."
Ew.
Frankly his constant whining about, "how could she leave ME" got old quick.
Jaimie builds a life for herself as a security's expert after she leaves Mack. She is also slowly unraveling Whitney's deception & building a case against the project.
She is toted as being a highly intelligent ghostwalker herself but you don't see much of it.
The other characters have more personality and dynamics to them then Mack & Jaimie and I look forward to reading more about them.
Especially Javier-a skateboarding ghostwalker. :P)
The end went fast and was a little abrupt. Only took 20 pages for Jaimie and Mack to work everything out and complete a dangerous mission.
I won't give up on the series but I'd like to see more action and less angst.
Street Game is # 8 in the GhostWalker Series.
I give it a 3.5
But despite a hard-won knowledge of the San Francisco streets,
Mack knows from experience that too many things can still go wrong.
Danger was just another part of the game—and now he’s come face-to-face with a woman who can play just as tough.
She’s Jaimie, a woman with a sapphire stare so potent it can destroy a man.
Years ago she and Mack had a history—volatile, erotic, and electric. Then she vanished.
Now she’s walked back into Mack’s life, as a spy with more secrets than are good for her.
Against all odds, she’s hooking up with Mack one more time to take on an enemy that could destroy them both, or bring them back together in one hot, no-holds-barred adrenaline rush.
(goodreads review)
I have read this series from day one and have to say the direction they are taking is a little disappointing.
Its the same underlying theme each & every time.
Ghostwalker meets love of life, they have sex, they fight, he dominates, they do a mission and all is well.
This particular books gives us insight into a different team that has nothing to do with the original team members we have been reading about. Which was interesting as it introduced us to some new characters and set up addition stories.
It was also confusing.
We see references to Jaimie emailing another female (which I think is Flame but not 100% sure).
Mack has to be one the most aggressive ghost walkers to date. Very dominating & controlling.
He tolerates no dissent in his decisions; which is why Jaimie leaves him in the first place.
I have to admit I was a little creeped out by Mack. He is very controlling and his "love" for Jaimie is obsessive; borderline stalker. He treats Jaimie as a not to bright child. And the rest of the team backs Mack's attitude with the platitudes, "He loves you...he cares for you...cut him some slack."
At one point Mack looks at her and thinks, "...that mouth that was every man's fantasy...remembering how he had taught her to use it for his pleasure. He had taught her-everything."
Ew.
Frankly his constant whining about, "how could she leave ME" got old quick.
Jaimie builds a life for herself as a security's expert after she leaves Mack. She is also slowly unraveling Whitney's deception & building a case against the project.
She is toted as being a highly intelligent ghostwalker herself but you don't see much of it.
The other characters have more personality and dynamics to them then Mack & Jaimie and I look forward to reading more about them.
Especially Javier-a skateboarding ghostwalker. :P)
The end went fast and was a little abrupt. Only took 20 pages for Jaimie and Mack to work everything out and complete a dangerous mission.
I won't give up on the series but I'd like to see more action and less angst.
Street Game is # 8 in the GhostWalker Series.
I give it a 3.5
January 5, 2010
I was not really all that excited for this book to come out. I found within the last couple of books in this series I couldn't believe the couples stories and were mostly reading the books for more on the inner workings of Whitney and all his behind the scenes manipulations. So I started to read this one with great reservations, and then as I started ran into more. I mean where were the Ghostwalkers that I knew, who were these new guys and why couldn't I get a story about a previous one like Ian or Tucker, all of these thoughts were going through my mind making me think bad about the book before it even got started.
I am happy to say that I really liked this book. Like I said I didn't want this new team, but as we got to know them more in the book I really liked them. I loved how they all seemed to create a "family" atmosphere and have been together from a very young age. I loved who all the other guys called Mack to the carpet about Jaimie. I also liked that Jaimie did her best to protect her family even if it wasn't a good choice for her.
Plus the best thing about Jaimie was her smarts. Finally we have someone who can untangle the whole web that Whitney has weaved to get closer to taking him down. I love how she was able to slowly start to unravel the thread and start to connect the people that help Whitney out. Also her alluding to working with Flame made me chuckle, because Flame would so roll over her, but I think they would be super funny in a room together.
I enjoyed where this story went with Mack and Jaimie and the rest of the team. I am looking forward to seeing more from these characters and still have hope of one day there being a whole little community of Ghostwalkers where they can all live safely and bother the heck out of each other.
I am happy to say that I really liked this book. Like I said I didn't want this new team, but as we got to know them more in the book I really liked them. I loved how they all seemed to create a "family" atmosphere and have been together from a very young age. I loved who all the other guys called Mack to the carpet about Jaimie. I also liked that Jaimie did her best to protect her family even if it wasn't a good choice for her.
Plus the best thing about Jaimie was her smarts. Finally we have someone who can untangle the whole web that Whitney has weaved to get closer to taking him down. I love how she was able to slowly start to unravel the thread and start to connect the people that help Whitney out. Also her alluding to working with Flame made me chuckle, because Flame would so roll over her, but I think they would be super funny in a room together.
I enjoyed where this story went with Mack and Jaimie and the rest of the team. I am looking forward to seeing more from these characters and still have hope of one day there being a whole little community of Ghostwalkers where they can all live safely and bother the heck out of each other.
February 9, 2021
This time around we've got a new group of Ghostwalkers to get to know. These guys are interesting in that most of them all grew up together and joined the program as a group already. I missed our regular players a bit in this one, kept waiting for someone to make an appearance, but at the same time I did really enjoy the interplay between all of these guys.
Jaimie and Mack were a lot of fun as a couple as well. Jaimie used to be part of the group, she grew up with them, trained with them, but on their first mission together things went wrong and resulted in Jaimie leaving and running. She's managed on her own for a couple of years, but when "chance" has Mack and his team running an op that somehow mistakes her warehouse as their target their worlds are colliding once again. This time Mack's not going to let her go easily.
I liked all the new information we got in this story. There was some developments along who's been making life difficult for all the Ghostwalker teams. I do look forward to seeing how these guys might interact with the other teams in the future. Jaimie was great as she's so strong and independent. She's not an anchor but she's managed to make things work for herself. I liked how she fit into the group. These are her brothers and all want to look out for her. Of course Mack is determined to gain his place at her side back as well. I really do enjoy the stories in this series.
Jaimie and Mack were a lot of fun as a couple as well. Jaimie used to be part of the group, she grew up with them, trained with them, but on their first mission together things went wrong and resulted in Jaimie leaving and running. She's managed on her own for a couple of years, but when "chance" has Mack and his team running an op that somehow mistakes her warehouse as their target their worlds are colliding once again. This time Mack's not going to let her go easily.
I liked all the new information we got in this story. There was some developments along who's been making life difficult for all the Ghostwalker teams. I do look forward to seeing how these guys might interact with the other teams in the future. Jaimie was great as she's so strong and independent. She's not an anchor but she's managed to make things work for herself. I liked how she fit into the group. These are her brothers and all want to look out for her. Of course Mack is determined to gain his place at her side back as well. I really do enjoy the stories in this series.
September 26, 2010
The Ghostwalkers series is not my favorite of Christine Feehan's fictional worlds. I'm not much interested by the espionage and political wrong-doing behind the scenes in this series. That being said, Feehan certainly knows how to write a group of characters that are well-developed and interesting. Even though I don't enjoy the subject matter and the increasingly detailed web of deceit surrounding the Ghostwalkers, the characters themselves are truly wonderful and contain enough "juice" to keep the series going for me.
In this particular genre, Christine Feehan is the queen. If you are thinking about trying paranormal romance on for size, I definitely recommend starting with one of her diverse and satisfying series'. Whether it is her Dark Carpathian Series or the Drake Sisters, the Jaguar Series or the Ghostwalkers, Christine Feehan writes some of the best books in the genre.
Despite the fact that Street Game is not my favorite, I am still looking forward to book 9 in the series, Ruthless Game - coming in December 2010. Ruthless Game will tell the story of one of the Ghostwalkers from Street Game, Kane, one of the more enigmatic members of the team. It will be good to see where the story goes from here.
In this particular genre, Christine Feehan is the queen. If you are thinking about trying paranormal romance on for size, I definitely recommend starting with one of her diverse and satisfying series'. Whether it is her Dark Carpathian Series or the Drake Sisters, the Jaguar Series or the Ghostwalkers, Christine Feehan writes some of the best books in the genre.
Despite the fact that Street Game is not my favorite, I am still looking forward to book 9 in the series, Ruthless Game - coming in December 2010. Ruthless Game will tell the story of one of the Ghostwalkers from Street Game, Kane, one of the more enigmatic members of the team. It will be good to see where the story goes from here.
January 14, 2010
This book introduces a third Ghostwalker team and actually tells us that there are 4 official teams, one in each branch of the military. The team in this book is lead by Mack and also contains Kade who is briefly mentioned in Deadly Game as one of the men who help the imprisoned women from one of Whitney's bases. The one nice thing about this book is you kind of get an idea of how many Ghostwalker teams are out there and how they are related. I've been a big fan of this series but the latest books just have not grabbed me. I actually really disliked Mack. He has the same arrogant, macho, alpha male attitude as previous Ghostwalker males but he comes off more as a jerk who is more concerned with utilizing Jaimie for his own uses rather than any feelings that may exist between the two of them. It isn't until the very end that we see any change in his attitude and the sudden turnabout doesn't feel natural. Where as in previous books I felt like the women really affected how the men behaved I feel like Mack will go back to being his typical jerk-like self after he gets used to having Jaimie back under his thumb.
The saving grace of this book are the other Ghostwalker team members. I found several of them interesting and am curious to see how their stories will turn out.
The saving grace of this book are the other Ghostwalker team members. I found several of them interesting and am curious to see how their stories will turn out.
October 8, 2010
Street Game
By Christine Feehan
Reviewed by E.R.
The main characters,Mack McKinley and Jaimie Fielding, have a history together. After a mission gone wrong, Jaimie disappeared. Two years later, Mack and his team ended up finding Jaimie after being given a “wrong” address. The encounter between the two lovers is full of tension and misunderstanding. But the two must put the past on hold as they try to find the ones targeting them.
I liked Mack. I realized he is the alpha-male of the group, but Jaimie held up her own in the team. I also liked that Mack realized he cannot live without Jaimie, and wants to remedy that. And the sexual tension between the two…HAWT.
Of course, I haven’t forgotten about the rest of Team Three. It is nice to know the rest of the team, especially those that had been mentioned from previous books. It was also nice to know more of Kane and Brian. The rest of the team are: Marc, Lucas, Jacob, Ethan, Javier, and Rhianna, with Paul added later in the team. There is also Joe Spagnola, Jaimie’s HOTT assistant. Knowing a little bit of the secondary characters makes me eager to read their own book, whenever CF gets to them.
Overall, I liked this book. And I love this series.
By Christine Feehan
Reviewed by E.R.
The main characters,Mack McKinley and Jaimie Fielding, have a history together. After a mission gone wrong, Jaimie disappeared. Two years later, Mack and his team ended up finding Jaimie after being given a “wrong” address. The encounter between the two lovers is full of tension and misunderstanding. But the two must put the past on hold as they try to find the ones targeting them.
I liked Mack. I realized he is the alpha-male of the group, but Jaimie held up her own in the team. I also liked that Mack realized he cannot live without Jaimie, and wants to remedy that. And the sexual tension between the two…HAWT.
Of course, I haven’t forgotten about the rest of Team Three. It is nice to know the rest of the team, especially those that had been mentioned from previous books. It was also nice to know more of Kane and Brian. The rest of the team are: Marc, Lucas, Jacob, Ethan, Javier, and Rhianna, with Paul added later in the team. There is also Joe Spagnola, Jaimie’s HOTT assistant. Knowing a little bit of the secondary characters makes me eager to read their own book, whenever CF gets to them.
Overall, I liked this book. And I love this series.
June 9, 2010
A good read but I didn't find it quite as page turningly intense as earlier books in this series. Maybe because it's a new team [essentially:] to the readers and you don't know them very well.
It's an interesting concept - this team was [mostly:] street kids who were mutually telepathic [and sometimes more:] who found each other and bonded together into their own 'family' - before Whitney ever started messing with them.
The plot is more relationship [second chance lovers:] than action driven. We spend a lot of time on the h/h's flashbacks and tortured emotions. I did find the rest of the team [and Joe, a member of another team:] great so have hopes for future books for them.
GhostWalkers
1. Shadow Game (2003)
2. Mind Game (2004)
3. Night Game (2005)
4. Conspiracy Game (2006)
5. Deadly Game (2007)
6. Predatory Game (2008)
7. Murder Game (2008)
8. Street Game (2010)
9. Ruthless Game (2010)
It's an interesting concept - this team was [mostly:] street kids who were mutually telepathic [and sometimes more:] who found each other and bonded together into their own 'family' - before Whitney ever started messing with them.
The plot is more relationship [second chance lovers:] than action driven. We spend a lot of time on the h/h's flashbacks and tortured emotions. I did find the rest of the team [and Joe, a member of another team:] great so have hopes for future books for them.
GhostWalkers
1. Shadow Game (2003)
2. Mind Game (2004)
3. Night Game (2005)
4. Conspiracy Game (2006)
5. Deadly Game (2007)
6. Predatory Game (2008)
7. Murder Game (2008)
8. Street Game (2010)
9. Ruthless Game (2010)
March 27, 2015
A PAGE TURNER!!
Street Game introduce Team 3 of the Ghostwalker Series. Wow this team is fascinating. The story is packed with action, hot romance between Mack McKinley and Jamie Fielding. You will love all the secondary characters in this edition to the GW's series. The new twist on there genetic enhancements were different and very interesting. Of course they are still battling the evil Dr. Whitney and beating him skillfully at his game. The romance between Mack and Jamies was hot and as usual for the men in this series Mack is ultra alpha male. I have re read the entire Ghostwalker series at least 4 times I can't fathom why I never wrote a review for Street Game. Its a Great fast paced page turner!!
I Highly Recommend Street Game and the entire GW series by Christine Feehan!!
Street Game introduce Team 3 of the Ghostwalker Series. Wow this team is fascinating. The story is packed with action, hot romance between Mack McKinley and Jamie Fielding. You will love all the secondary characters in this edition to the GW's series. The new twist on there genetic enhancements were different and very interesting. Of course they are still battling the evil Dr. Whitney and beating him skillfully at his game. The romance between Mack and Jamies was hot and as usual for the men in this series Mack is ultra alpha male. I have re read the entire Ghostwalker series at least 4 times I can't fathom why I never wrote a review for Street Game. Its a Great fast paced page turner!!
I Highly Recommend Street Game and the entire GW series by Christine Feehan!!
August 29, 2013
About one hundred pages in, I realized that I had read this book before, a long time ago. It was just familiar enough to remember a couple of scenes. I still read it all the way through. Everything is getting more intense as all the teams get closer to stopping Whitney. Mack and Jaimie are just...sigh.... Such an intense love for one another. The dynamic between the entire team, having grown up together and calling themselves a family, was wonderful. There were definitely many moments that their bickering had me laughing out loud, especially the scenes between Mack, Kane, and Jaimie. A very good book, a great way to keep the main a storyline going. I love learning about these people's lives.
February 8, 2010
I liked the overall story, but it felt slow at times. There was so much background story given throughout the book, but around page 200 or so, it sort of just felt like the story ground to a screeching halt so that the author could examine each characters feelings and past. I don't know, it felt like two books put together.
Don't get me wrong, I liked the book, I liked the characters but I think it would have been better with less background and more action.
Don't get me wrong, I liked the book, I liked the characters but I think it would have been better with less background and more action.
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