When my past haunts me more than the ghosts of the dead, it’s time to start slaying my demons.
My worst nightmares have come to pass. Not only has my father found me, but I’m now locked away in an asylum. What bothers me more is that I don’t know where I stand with the guys. After our brutal battle with a vengeful ghost, I wouldn’t blame them if they don’t want anything to do with me.
As though my life wasn’t already in shambles, my gifts have come to the attention of a real-life mad scientist. He wants to exploit my abilities for nefarious purposes, and he doesn’t care if I live through his experiments as long as he gains what he wants.
If the guys have taught me anything, it’s to not go down without a fight. Unfortunately, the idiots derail my escape plan when they infiltrate the asylum to rescue me…only to be caught in a trap. Now, we will have to work past our resentment and distrust if we want to escape with our lives. The experience will either draw us closer together…or destroy us all.
Meet the Rue, Hicks, Gunner, Ellis, and twins, Jameson and Jaceson.
** This book contains dark themes and violence. You have been warned. Read at your own risk.
Stacey Brutger lives in a small town in Minnesota with her husband and an assortment of animals.
When she's not reading (from the towering stack of books she can't resist buying), she enjoys creating stories about exotic worlds and grand adventures...then shoving in her characters to see how they'd survive. She enjoys writing anything paranormal from contemporary to historical.
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Where the fanged, furry and spell slingers fight the darkness inside their soul for a chance to claim the one they love.
I had to DNF this one. I was already on the fence about book one, this one just made sure I was sure I didn't want to read anymore.
I don't like reading about asylums and prisons, it seems to make author's think they can get away with ridiculous storylines. This is a ding on that. I skimmed through after a few chapters thinking "enough of these filler chapters" then wondered why I was even putting myself through it.
After waiting months to read book 2 I'm disappointed, in a way to be honest though, I knew it could go one way or the other.
Can't recommend this one, unless you like the whole institute thing.
If this was a stand alone story where you didn’t need another book to know the characters and how they met I would give it 4 ⭐️ but even though where the story goes is possible it feels like a big jump in a completely opposite direction from the first book and feels like an almost entirely different world. If this was the third book in the series and there was a book to bridge the gaps and introduce elements that would have made this more believable I could have gotten behind that, but there isn’t. The whole story with her Dad, Nan, family history of her gifts, and even ghosts is almost non existent as is where the main characters needed to grow and heal together and separately. And honestly the end that was just quickly wrapped up could have been its own book. As it has been written this should have been a 4 book series with this as book 3. But it’s not so it’s just kind of confusing and lacking. Even the title doesn’t make sense and is a disconnect from the first book. All in all not a bad story or writing, just not thought through on delivery.
Oof. Book 2. Such a let down. I waited to read book one so I could binge them together. And I was so-so on book one. 😬
This one honestly read like it was written BY a 16 yo FOR 16yo’s. You know, the type of story where they write what they THINK adulting is like, but they really have no clue because they don’t actually have any life experience yet?
That’s what it felt like. So juvenile. And ridiculous. Sure, these 18yo have all the power, all these connections. The guys are this super team and each have specialized skills and team titles. She has been held in captivity and sheltered and violently abused all her life, yet managed to somehow also enroll in online college without her father knowing, set up her own accounts online and make market trades and put away a bunch of money? Ok. Sure. But she couldn’t get herself out of that situation? 🙄
Right off the bat, I was disappointed that she had zero hard feelings over how the guys treated her at the end of book one. She was so hurt and betrayed, but apparently those months of separation and torture made her forget it all because the moment she saw them she lusted over them. So much so in fact, that within minutes of seeing one of them she was ripping off clothes and making out in a closet. 🙄 She’s been held captive in a psych hospital and tortured by a sadistic monster for months, knows that every movement is being tracked, but THAT is her first reaction???
And then later, we get the virginal girl that was raised in isolation suddenly turned sex kitten when she loses her V card to TWO men in a shower, complete with never ending amazing organisms.
As. You. Do.
When she begs for more, one says “you’re probably sore” and she responds with “I may be sore, but I’m never too sore for that” 🙄🙄🙄.
Seriously, this never ending sex scene definitely needed some 70’s porno background music. The audiobook totally missed that opportunity.
I wish I could say I was making this up. But I cannot.
Of course after all the superhero hijinks, things are mostly wrapped up without any problems. Her evil dad wasn’t even an issue. The mean girl comes around to the light side 🙄
Ugh. So sad that I was looking so forward to this series.
Ugh 😩 I absolutely hate it when the second book in a duet gets pushed into a totally crap and bizarre direction that you didn’t see coming in book one. When I read book one I felt like it had potential. Was it amazing and or great? No. But it was good enough, and I felt like it had potential. Even though she was only one week with her potential mates and they kind of did her dirty at the end.
But book two completely ruined anything I felt about book one. Honest to God I have absolutely no clue why this author made this book RH. Like no clue at all because there was no romance, no relationship progression, no real chemistry, no time spent with them actually as a couple until the absolute ending of the book, she doesn’t even have sex with two of her partners I believe even when the duet is over. I just don’t understand why she chose it to be an RH because they were more like friends the entire book than lovers. And when there was the tiny amount of sex, I just couldn’t connect to it. Basically the entirety of this book they are in an asylum that is also a testing facility. And that’s it. Like they’re in there and shit happens and they try to get out. There you go that’s the entire book. So if you’re looking for a romance or a real RH book and sexiness don’t read this book.
This was a great duet overall and a great book on its own. I was initially nervous about how much I’d like it because asylum focused books aren’t usually my favorite to read, but I loved the first book enough, and I trust Brutger enough, that I gave it a shot, and I’m so glad I did. I loved seeing the way Rue and her men fought for each other even when everything was pitted against them. They were willing to risk everything to get them all out of the asylum. The story was engaging and I flew through the book, not wanting to put it down. I wouldn’t mind another book about some of the other characters in this world!
While I enjoyed the first book in the series, the second book was not as engrossing. Nan has not been seen and abandoned her after saving her? Her time in the “asylum” was dragging. I had hoped their relationship would progress in a more organic way but it seemed like they were older than they were with how they lived and how important they said they were.
While the story started really interesting with her seeing ghosts in the first book, the guys changing in the second and all the testing was extra and unnecessary. I was really hoping the second book would have taken a slightly different course.
I really wanted to love this book. But it felt like everything was rushed, the author was just adding things to hit all of the tropes, and while I technically finished this, my eyes were jumping over paragraphs of inner dialogue (I legit skipped an entire chapter because there was no external dialogue), and the sex scenes were straight up confusing. It was like as soon as it was more than just 1+1, I had no clue who was where doing what.
It was a fantastic premise, and a *really* cool concept, but it all just fell kind of flat. I’m pretty disappointed in this.
Rue can see ghosts but her past haunts her with her father still out there trying to hurt her. She fell in love with some good men but they have to rescue her from the asylum. Will her men save her in time? The experiments they conduct on these people in the asylum are horrible. Can Rue make it? She is tough but every one has a breaking point. This book was another great book in this series. I can't wait to see what Stacey comes up with next.
I really liked this book. 4 star for rating, 3 for spice. The asylum parts were pretty well done, and I liked the friends they make. There were a a couple plot points that were kind of vague and left me with questions, like what happened to drive the main villain and how things worked with the modifications, but overall things were resolved well.
IMO, it was good, but it wasn't as good as the first book. I knew it was PNR, so having the FMC see and talk to ghosts wasn't a big deal. It kind of jumped the shark with the other stuff. It was still a great book with an HEA. There are a few loose ends that are a perfect setup for a spin-off series. I'll be looking for it.
I loved this series! I hope this isn't the end I'd love to see how their relationship grows. Also I'd love to see how everything would go if they do continue to save the other patients! I hope this isn't how it ends!!!
I couldn’t wait to read the 2nd book in the duet, which did not disappoint! Both books were engaging and it was bittersweet to find myself at the end. Really enjoyed the journey.
Love this too book series! The story, extremely unique and fun. The characters were exciting. I enjoyed from beginning beginning to end. The storyline was a unique adventure .
I loved the first book but this one fell a little flat for me, personally I wasn't as keen on the asylum setting, but I realise that's just my opinion. The romance part felt a little rushed and the end with her father was a little anticlimactic.
What a fantastic conclusion to this awesome duet! Rue and her men are put through the wringer and back. The writing is awesome and this storyline is unique !! I can’t possibly recommend this book enough!!!!!
This was great.. Excellent characters, and moved along quickly. I do wish we'd had more time outside of the Institute together. Would love to see these characters again on the future!
I love happily ever afters and this book definitely delivers. The quirky characters are totally loveable and I liked how they grew and changed throughout the story. I can’t wait to read more from Stacey Brutger. She’s an amazing author ❤️
Revenant, book two of the A Spirit Realm series, is an ebook I borrowed through Kindle Unlimited (KU). I really like the characters and this plotline was unexpected and unusual--it kept me guessing. Book three can't come fast enough.
Kinda wish dear old dad had a more fitting ending, but ok. Love the hea and good world building, but i need more...more of the other morphs and everybody
Thoroughly recommend this author. All her series have strong characters & detailed plots. Genuinely cant put them down until I finish all the available books.