Ghosted

by Allyson Charles

A special forces operator who knows what he wants. A woman who will blow all his expectations apart.

Marine Raider Tony Garcia holds himself to the highest standards. He expects no less from the women he dates. Polished, sophisticated, organized. He has a type and he’s happy to stick to it. But fate has a wicked sense of humor when it sends Bridget Sullivan veering into his path.

Bridget is the epitome of unconventional. She’s a nerdy, foul-mouthed force of nature, and after her last experience in dating became a police investigation, she’s sworn off men. Especially ones who have the nerve to toss her over his shoulder to keep her from trouble. One who wouldn’t know fun if it came up and bit him on the butt. If Tony would stop being so dang sweet, if he didn’t fill out his shirt quite so well, then maybe she wouldn’t have such a hard time keeping her hands to herself.

But when strange events start to swirl around Bridget, Tony will do everything in his power to keep the infuriating woman safe. Mysterious fires. Unexplained noises. Eerie lights in the night. It’s as though an unseen force is determined to tear her world apart.

And that’s only the beginning of their trouble. Because something even more dangerous lurks in the shadows, and it’s set its sights on Bridget…

Meet the men of Alpha Squad. Protective, strong-willed, and tough, they go hard after what they want. And when they set their sights on a woman, they’ll use every weapon in their arsenal to make her theirs. Each book in this series is a fast, steamy read, full of pulse-pounding action and sexy times.

Genres: Military Fiction, Contemporary

184 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 18, 2024

About the author

Allyson Charles writes small-town, contemporary romances with heat and humor. A former attorney, she happily ditched those suits and now works in her pajamas writing about men’s briefs instead of legal briefs. When she’s not writing, she’s probably engaged in one of her favorite hobbies: napping, eating, or martial arts (That last one almost makes up for the first two, right?). She also writes steamy historicals as Alyson Chase.

Sign up for Allyson’s newsletter at www.allysoncharles.com/newsletter.
You can find her at www.allysoncharles.com, on Twitter @1allysoncharles, and on Facebook at facebook.com/AuthorAllysonCharles.

Reviews

[Ann Lorz · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are some authors that write great alpha heroes and Charles is one of them. I love this new series by her. Each book gets better and better. I find myself looking forward to each book as they come out.

Up this time, we have Tony. At times he so frustrating that you want to smack him. He has this idea of what he wants in a woman and can't see anything else. I understand his feelings but he's putting too much into this dream of his. Saying that it doesn't stop him from wanting to be with a woman that he likes (a lot) but doesn't see in his future.

I totally loved Bridget. She is a great character. I love her nerdy way and how she stands up for those around her. I feel bad because she's dealing with the loss of her uncle and being the owner of his bar and on top of all that she has a what she thinks is a ghost and someone out to hurt her.

The story is very enjoyable and there is a part in it where she's playing an online game along with Chris that cracked me up. It is one of those don't drink anything while reading it moments. I was reading this late at night and found my laughing very loudly. I couldn't help myself it hit my funny bone.

Each story is a standalone with their own beginning and ending and no overlapping storyline, but I believe reading the series from the beginning will help you enjoy these guys even more. Now we need Ryan's story.

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[Paula · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ghosted (Marine Raiders Alpha Book 4) by Allyson Charles is a fast-paced novel of danger at home. While the team do go on a mission in this story the main conflict is one concerning Bridget Sullivan new owner of the bar the guys frequent. Opposite attraction is Marine Raider Tony Garcia’s first main problem. As he is attracted to Bridget but doesn’t want to be.

The suspense and the danger that is following Bridget is what kept me reading this story. The author does a great job not giving away exactly where that danger is coming from, meaning there is a red herring or two in this book. I also like the mystical aspect included in this story. While instant love was what the plot implied, it was more instant lust that was acted upon. The love part seemed to happen far too quickly, making me wish that it had been developed at a slower pace. However, as far as alpha males and strong women colliding before joining this is an excellent example.

An ARC of the book was provided by the publisher/author through BookSprout which I voluntarily chose to read and review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Jean]

This is book four in The Marine Raiders Alpha series and it Tony and Bridget’s story. Tony is part of of The Elite Military Team and lives by structure and high standards so when he meets Bridget who is a force of nature, a nerd and a really mouthy person which is the total opposite of him in every single way and even though they shouldn’t work it seemed that they have some kind of connection between them. When Bridget realised that strange and unexpected things start to happen and she has a target n her back for some reason Tony decides that he will do anything and everything possible to keep her safe and protected regardless of what he has to do or the situation that he finds himself in and how annoying he finds her. There are twists and turns along the way that will have you turning the pages and unable to put this book down because it is so addictive and I can’t wait to read more books in this series.

[Michelle Frater · Rating 3 out of 5]

Just what the doctor ordered. A gamer with a mouth that would make a sailor blush. Bridget is a breath of fresh air and she doesn’t take sh*t from anyone. Especially not the uptight alpha, who doesn’t hesitate to manhandle her to keep her safe. Bridget is far from Tony’s ideal woman, which almost makes it inevitable they would hook up. But is it a fling or is it something more? As mysterious incidents start getting more sinister, it’s almost as if Bridget attracts trouble. With an ex being investigated by the feds, an employee with a threatening abusive boyfriend and what appears to be a haunted house, it might be kind of nice to have a Marine Raider wrap his protective arms around you and make the scary world go away.

[Laura R · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a cute romance that has suspense but also a lot of lighthearted moments - especially between Bridget and Tony. Bridget is a small dynamo who doesn't take guff from anyone. Tony is an alpha male who likes the finer things in life and has definite thoughts on what his ideal woman would be like. Enter Bridget, who is nothing like he wants from a woman. Or is she? While there were plenty of suspenseful parts to this story, I really enjoyed the interactions between these characters and didn't want to see the story end.

[Marie Bourgery · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a steamy opposites attract initial dislike to lovers romance. Bridget is a recent bar owner fantasy gamer with nerdy t-shirts and sword skills girl. While Tony is special forces and dates classier girls. He was kind of jerk about it when they get together making her believe she’s only good for temporary. Bridget is very stubborn, assuming all the bad things that are happening to her are random until she gets caught in a bad situation. Tony’s teammates are a riot and it was nice to catch up with previous characters in the series.

[Nicole Potter · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fantastic read - 4.5 stars

I had an absolute blast reading Tony & Bridget's story. The author has done a brilliant job with their story that had me laughing out loud in spots. He's a stuffed shirt military & she's the polar opposite of him. Despite their differences there is an undeniable attraction. Will Tony get his head out of his butt & realise what he has with Bridget is worth fighting for or will Bridget slip through his fingers?.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Angela · Rating 5 out of 5]

Romantic suspense is my jam in contemporary romance so Allyson’s Marine Raiders slides right in to my wheelhouse. I love the guy who has a “type” but finds that he really doesn’t and falls for the rough and tough and nerdy girl. I laughed out loud in several places in this book and that sword, hilarious but deadly. These guys and girls could definitely be friends of mine. Sweet, kind, hot and sexy. Oh yeah!

[Fleur · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely loved Tony and Bridget and whilst Tony doesn't realise it when they first meet the more time they spend together and protective he becomes he sees how amazing Bridget is.
I liked how you didn't really know who as behind the danger so you kept guessing and when you find out who it is you also get a lot of answers.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Floraljoy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyable:
This was a good romantic suspense with an interesting plot. I particularly enjoyed the mystery and suspense aspects. Friendships also shown brightly with this close knit group of alpha military men and the strong women who brought them to their knees. Bridget and Tony made an unlikely couple but I was glad that things worked out for them.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Barbara Harrison · Rating 5 out of 5]

Set aside a day for this steamy contemporary military comic romantic thriller set in Jacksonville, North Carolina where 5'3 Bridget Sullivan has just inherited her uncle Kiernan Kennedy's bar The Limber Ginger.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Nate · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was Tony and Bridget’s story. Marine Raider Tony Garcia holds himself to the highest standards. He expects no less from the women he dates. Polished, sophisticated, and well organized. He has a type and he’s happy with it. But fate has a wicked sense of humor when it sends Bridget Sullivan veering into his path. This was a fun, entertaining read. And voluntarily leaving my review.

[BecReadReview · Rating 5 out of 5]

These two will leave you laughing. The sass & banter so good has you rolling your eyes. Chemistry sizzles. Love the camaraderie within the boys & girls. The underling suspense & danger lingers while we see these two figuring out love while life gets in the way. Absolutely entertaining. Honest review.

[Mg Meredith · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ghosted is a nice middle of the road read a little action, lust, and just enough mystery to keep you invested this was not my favorite book in the series or the best that I have read by this author.

I received a reader's copy of this book and I am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Elaine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Entertaining story. Not my favourite of the Marine Raiders Alpha, although I did enjoy reading this story. Though still a 4☆

[Debbie Benson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review. It is a nice blend of action and romance with some mystery to spice it up. I found it enjoyable to read.