Phoenix Inheritance

The Phoenix Institute #4

by Corrina Lawson

To save their son, they might have to sacrifice their love—and their lives.

Ex-Navy SEAL Daz Montoya and rescue dog handler Renee Black have made a career out of saving people. But when their whirlwind affair resulted in pregnancy, Daz’s verbal fumble tore their budding relationship apart.

It’s been a tough eight years for Renee, raising Charlie alone with his autism-fueled impulsiveness, but she’s managed—until now. When she has to chase him to the edge of a cliff in a snowstorm, seeing the face of their rescuer is just the rotten cherry on top of an already rough day.

In the close confines of a snowbound cabin, Renee and Daz rediscover the heat still simmering between them. But while Renee welcomes Daz’s renewed determination to help Charlie however he can, she’s reluctant to trust him with her heart.

With the Phoenix Institute’s help, Renee and Daz discover their son’s gift for animal telepathy is real. And that to save him from old enemies that would kill to control him, they must join forces—and risk losing everything they’ve ever loved.

Warning: This novel contains explicit reunion sex and characters used to mixing a little danger in with their romance.

Genres: Paranormal, Romance

278 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 3, 2015

About the author

Writer, Mom, Geek & Superhero, Corrina Lawson is the author of the superhero romance series, the Phoenix Institute, and the alternate history Seneca series, in which Romans and Vikings have settled in ancient North America.
She is also co-founder and Content Director for GeekMom.com and a mother of four, including twins.

Reviews

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

An act of heroism brought them together but ill-timed words torn them apart.

Renee Black and Daz Montoya had the chemistry but when an unexpected pregnancy comes into the picture, it torn their budding relationship apart. The job came first.

Years later a freak storm threatens Renee and their son’s Charlie’s lives and who comes to the rescue…the last person they expect…Daz.

Not willing to pass up a chance to fix his mistakes Daz, plunges head first into winning his family back into his life. Will his career choices once again threaten his happiness or will it save the family he wants in his life.

I not a big fan of stories vacillating between past and present plot lines but after a while the vacillation actually grew on me. We are giving a front row seat to both Renee’s and Daz’s “courtship” and relationship as well as the current state of affairs.

Lawson adds a very unique twist to this romance and reuniting tale, by giving Charlie as well as many of Daz’s friend’s supernatural abilities.

I loved the reveling in the geek-dom atmosphere created by the character's fascination with comic book action heroes.

In the end, it was a fun and entertaining story but didn’t have me on the edge of my seat. I enjoyed it and would like to get a deeper connection to the clan at the Phoenix institute.

I received this ARC copy of Phoenix Inheritance from Samhain Publishing in exchange for a honest review. This book is set for publication March 3, 2015.

Written by: Corrina Lawson
Series: Phoenix Institute
Sequence in Series: #4
ISBN-13: 9781619222830
Publisher: Samhain Publishing, Ltd.
Publication date: 3/3/2015
Rating: 3.5 Stars
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Find this book on: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

[ItsAboutTheBook · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review can be read at It's About The Book

4.5 stars

Everyone loves SAR dogs, and mixing them in with this gem of a story about my most favorite conflicted rescue hero ever, Daz Montoya, was a fantastic plot twist! Renee Black and her autistic son Charlie are busy navigating the world of special needs parenting. It’s tough going, and as single mother, Renee has no one to lean on. Conceived while working in Turkey on a rescue mission where she met Daz, they’ve never lived together as a family. After she found out she was pregnant, he offered to marry her but never told her he loved her–so she refused. He then virtually disappeared on dangerous, covert military operations for the next two years and missed not only Charlie’s birth but his early years. He quit the military then, and has moved closer to where they live, but she’s only received sporadic support from him at best. Renee and Daz both have a lot going on in their lives, and having a special needs son is not a small part of it. But since Daz isn’t around to see the day-to-day difficulties that make just leaving the house sometimes as complex as planning for a military battle, and hasn’t really ever witnessed the terrifying tantrums that transform Charlie from an easy-going boy to a screaming whirlwind, it’s hard to get him to understand completely what the challenges of living with a truly gifted but severely autistic child are. Renee needs help.

And, no worries. If you haven’t read the Phoenix Institute series, this book also does well as a stand-alone read.
Daz Montoya, former Navy SEAL and Phoenix Institute soldier, carries an incredible amount of guilt around with him. Guilt about his inability to tell Renee that he loved her when she told him she was pregnant years before. Guilt that he can’t help her more with their son Charlie. Guilt about his job with the Resource, now called the Phoenix Institute. Guilt that he didn’t realize that Alex Farley, his boss now, was trapped in the Institute when he was younger, and that Daz, under orders from Richard Lansing, was unintentionally one of the people holding him. Guilt that he didn’t start helping Alex get free from Lansing soon enough. ~sigh~ I feel guilty just writing about him.
And Renee. She’s a real trooper. She did search and rescue (SAR) for a long time with her two dogs. But after the birth of her son, Charlie, her life has been seriously curtailed. She used to travel a lot. Now a trip to the mall is arduous. She used to be able to accomplish a lot of things and was really skilled and resourceful at helping others. Now, she has a hard time just helping herself and her son get through the day. She is the navigator–the search and rescue pathfinder for her autistic son as he finds his bumpy way through the world of non-believers. But it’s not fun being the squeaky wheel to get help, making enemies at the school by insisting on getting Charlie tested, and Renee is just plain tired of pulling the long shift all alone. She needs Daz to help. Reassure her that she’s not crazy. That Charlie does have a problem. That they can get help. That she and Charlie aren’t alone.
When Daz nearly died in the last Phoenix Institute field operation against Rasputin, he wished in those possible last moments to be with Renee and Charlie. So now, rejuvenated and healing from his wounds, he uses the impending snow storm to go and take care of them. One of the problems in the relationship between Daz and Renee was that she was always capable and wanted to take care of herself; Daz is hoping with the storm that there’s something he can do to help that she’ll accept.
As luck and a bad kitty named Odin would have it, Daz arrived just in time to be the hero. While Renee and Charlie were getting the outside furniture stacked into the garage, Charlie heard the cat calling for him and took off literally over a cliff to find him. When Renee found him, he was dangling six feet down a cliff drop off, caught on a tree branch. Her attempt to rescue him ended up with both of them hanging by the branch, until Daz followed the dogs down to them and brought them up, one at a time.
Now, Renee is off-kilter and open to the possibility of Daz being there for them. She just wonders if it’s real. And if it’s only because of Charlie. She was hurt before when she’d told him of her pregnancy because he only seemed willing to marry her for the child, not for love. Not for her. Will it be different this time? Will he stay? And together can they solve the dilemma that is their son, who not only has autism but swears he can talk to animals?
And when forces lurking outside the cabin show harmful intent and try to use their son’s talents for sinister reasons, can they get the help they need for Charlie to be able to control his power? Can the Phoenix Institute save the day in time for this family struggling to reconnect?
And can Daz cough out the words I love you? Let’s hope so!

[Marta Cox · Rating 4 out of 5]

The latest instalment in the Phoenix Institute series and it's a little bit different to other books by this author. This time we get to read two time lines which really opens up the story and gives an amazing amount of insight into the background of the central characters. Dax is an ex Seal who met Renee whilst on assignment but although they quickly formed a relationship he never really committed himself to it and when Renee told him she was carrying his child he was fully prepared to fulfil what he saw as his " commitment" but no more. Now as his child grows up Dax is left kicking himself at what is clearly lost opportunities!
Renee always loved the sexy military man Dax but never told him and now she's raising their son Charlie as best she can but it's hard enough for a single parent but even more difficult when that child is autistic . Renee is grateful that Dax makes time for Charlie but lately things are escalating and Renee sees Charlie's problems worsening. A freak snow storm leaves Charlie and Renee in danger but luckily Dax has the presence of mind to go check on them but what he hadn't expected was to get snowed in with the family he now realises belong by his side . All is not as it seems though as Dax has a secret but as passion ignites between Renee and Dax danger is about to come crashing through the door!
I really enjoyed reading this book and even though I hadn't read the previous books in this series I found it very easy to follow which is a true test of the authors story telling abilities. This is a paranormal story so expect telepathy and telekinesis to feature heavily as gifted humans appear but it's also a story of two people finding the courage to take a chance because it's not always easy putting your heart on the line. This was a sensual romance that didn't feel rushed or forced and the background information to the couples first encounters really helped pull this reader in. What really surprised this reader was the concept of making their son Charlie autistic . I found it quite poignant that the parents both had a very different approach to their sons behaviour. Renee is a woman fighting for support for her son whilst for a lot of the story Dax is a man in denial and that felt very realistic . I'm sure it's terribly difficult for parents to accept any difference in their child and ignorance and prejudice is an awful thing . Luckily as the story progressed Dax grew in my estimation ( trust me he had a lot to make up for!) and realised that autismn is not something to run from but just a part of his sons makeup. Charlie's autismn is quite simply just a part of who he is and all differences should be embraced! This story was very interesting and I'm intruiged by the supporting characters. If honest I wasn't that impressed by Dax initially but he does redeem himself . What really worked was the humourous concept of superheroes and you have to read it if you want to know just why Batman is so awesome! I will certainly look out for more in this series and happily recommend to those who enjoy something a little different

[Eva Millien · Rating 4 out of 5]

Daz reconnects with his family only to have life throw them another curve ball as it seems his son has need of the Phoenix Institute and to keep him safe from enemies that want to control him may require a sacrifice of love and lives in this thrilling paranormal romance. The author’s use of surprising twists and turns keeps readers guessing and this time there is a charming little boy with a love of superheroes to round out the bad guys. I had to turn every page of this story until I had read every last word and I can’t wait to find out what happens next in this battle against some truly despicable enemies.

See my full review at:

http://www.thejeepdiva.com/review-pho...

[Marlene · Rating 4 out of 5]

Originally published at Sci-Fi Romance Quarterly

Back in Issue 5 of Sci-Fi Romance Quarterly I reviewed Corrina Lawson’s entire Phoenix Institute series to date. Because I can’t leave a job unfinished, and because I wanted to read the rest of the story, I’m back with a review of the final book in the series, Phoenix Inheritance.

When last we left our heroes…no that’s not quite right.

Daz Montoya has been part of the main sequence of The Phoenix Institute (Phoenix Rising, Phoenix Legacy, Ghost Phoenix) from the very beginning. But Daz doesn’t have any superpowers of his own. Daz was hired by the late and completely unlamented Lansing to both babysit firestarting telekinetic Alex and help Alex become the leader of a paramilitary team.

When Alex finally rebels against his psychopathic foster father in Phoenix Rising, Daz follows the kid he has trained, and leaves Lansing in their burning dust. As Alex has taken over the Institute, Daz has continued to lead the team.

But in Ghost Phoenix, Daz discovered just how difficult and deadly it can be to be the human pinball in a contest between two supers – and Daz has the hand-shaped burn scar to prove it.

Daz is used to being the biggest and baddest thing out there, and he’s having a damn hard time figuring out how to “level up” in a world where he is just a vulnerable human and his opponents can read his mind, control his body, or set him on fire with a thought. And when they heal in an instant, and he definitely doesn’t.

Daz has another big adjustment to make. While he was still a Navy SEAL, he very unofficially participated in the rescue of a downed plane filled with medical supplies and personnel headed for a refugee aid station. As part of this off-the-books search and rescue mission, he met Renee Black and her beautiful SAR dogs Thor and Loki.

The affair between Renee and Daz burned hot, and produced a child. But Daz couldn’t make the right words come out of his mouth to tell Renee he loved her, and Renee has Charlie without him. Even though Daz continues to meet his obligations where Renee and Charlie are concerned, he’s not the 24/7 parent that Renee is forced to be.

Daz is a part of Charlie’s life, but 2 weekends a month are not enough for him to absorb, or even accept, that his eight-year-old’s autism is real and that keeping Charlie mostly on track is wearing Renee down. No one can be on watch 24/7 indefinitely and not hit burnout.

Until a freak snowstorm and a feral cat conspire to get Daz back in Renee and Charlie’s lives long enough for a whole bunch of home truths to finally sink into his skull. It takes a whole host of crises to finally get Daz to accept Charlie exactly for who he is, and for him to figure out that in order for him to have a place in Renee’s life, he has to accept her as a full partner, and not someone he holds at arm’s reach.

And that Batman still has a place in the Justice League, even though he doesn’t have any superpowers of his own.

Escape Rating B: As much as I enjoyed Phoenix Inheritance, it felt like a story in the middle, and it leaves a lot of loose ends dangling regarding the Institute that I hope get picked up, and wrapped up, in a later book that does not currently seem to be on the drawing board.

The story between Renee and Daz also has a feeling of being “in the middle” because so much of their story, the mission where they met, is told in flashbacks that interrupt the story in the present. I found those flashbacks informative but a bit jarring. I was invested in the story in the present and felt like I was getting enough information about how they started that I didn’t need to see all the details – I was much more interested in how they were going to resolve their current problems.

Which are, admittedly, huge.

The biggest thing is that Daz keeps treating Renee as someone he needs to protect, instead of as someone who is right in there with him. He hasn’t let her into his life. And this is crucial, because Charlie says that animals talk to him telepathically, not that he uses that term. Renee believes Charlie is imagining what he wants to hear because he has a very powerful and inventive imagination. She doesn’t know that telepathy is real, but Daz does and doesn’t share that information.

Charlie’s potential telepathy puts him in danger from the same forces that are targeting the Phoenix Institute, and Daz doesn’t do a proper threat assessment because he just doesn’t want to admit that his son is autistic.

Of course, there is evil afoot, and that evil is after Charlie, just as they are after everyone connected with the Phoenix Institute. I feel so sorry for the poor cat that they use as both bait and trap, and I’m glad that Odin finds a much better home with Charlie – who really does understand him.

The issues that remained from Ghost Phoenix, that Rasputin and his gang of extra-fanatic crazies are after Alex and anyone connected with the Institute, are not resolved at the end of Phoenix Inheritance. While they managed to neutralize his local representative, that presence also made it apparent that there are plenty of tentacles left on this particular monster.

So the story ends with everyone currently safe, but with the sure and certain knowledge that evil is still out there and still has them in its sights. So even though the romance between Daz and Renee has reached a lovely Happy For Now, a happy ever after seems far outside everyone’s control.

I hope we find out how they neutralize Rasputin one of these days. This series deserves a fitting and final wrap.

[Maya · Rating 4 out of 5]

Phoenix Inheritance is the 4th book in a paranormal series. Ms. Lawson does a very good job in explaining the surrounding world so that it can be read as a stand alone. However having read the others, I feel there are layers to the story I would have missed jumping in here.

This is a second chance story between Daz and Renee who found themselves reeling with the discovery an unplanned pregnancy. The weight of what was left unsaid between the two of them broke their relationship but not their commitment to their son Charlie. Renee is the primary parent but Daz is very much a part of Charlie's life.

The re-connection between Daz and Renee is really not the main focus of the story. It's a love story between two parents and a child who is Autistic.

I have two children who are not autistic, however I have a first cousin, a few months older than my son, who is autistic so while I can *not* claim to have any idea what it's like to raise a special needs child, I can at least say I've had a window in to this world.

In my family for the longest time some family members were convinced my cousin would simply outgrow this no matter how many times others said that it just doesn't work that way. I've watched my aunt especially step up and advocate for her daughter and get her the tools she needs.

My sister's kids and mine are in the same age range as my cousin. They are all teenagers now and when we all get together I know it can't be easy for my Aunt to watch the rest the crowd move to a place in their lives which my cousin can not follow.

There is a particular poignant scene in the book where Daz is hoping Beth, a psychic psychologist, can "fix" Charlie and when he realizes that just isn't going to happen, he's crushed. Meanwhile Renee confronts him with the reality that he sees his son as defective and he needs to understand that no, this *is* who Charlie is and he has to accept it.

It's not easy. When our children are born, we might say we only want them to be "happy" whatever that means, but it's a definition of happy which is normalized to the world we understand and paths which make sense to us.

This isn't the road Charlie can take. It had me thinking of a verse from the Grateful Dead song Ripple (Hunter/Garcia)

There is a road, no simple highway,
Between the dawn and the dark of night,
And if you go no one may follow,
That path is for your steps alone.

There is no "fix" to this. Charlie can talk with animals but his autism is separate to this talent. I was very moved by Charlie's story which I think is the meat of the book.

Meanwhile, I'm a big comic book reader and there is a treasure trove of comic book references which made me so so happy.

I'd caution people when reading this not to expect the romance to be the star if you will. Instead it's about two people who lost their way but love each other and their precious son. We watch them as they come to terms with life as it is, harsh realities and all, and cheer when they find that there is a happy ending which might not be what they imagined years ago yet is as precious.

[Books and Spoons · Rating 3 out of 5]

Originally published ar booksandspoons.weebly.com/book-blog

I love it when a story surprises me, that this one certainly did that.
Renee and Daz have chemistry, the attraction sizzles between them. They are both very likable characters, and their love for their son, Charlie, is palpable, and constantly present, admirable. The story is told by going back and forth in the past, nine years ago when Renee and Daz met, and in the present. The time period was clearly marked at the beginning of the chapters. You could clearly see how the characters had grown and developed, seeing most of the history of their relationship. Very intriguing and passionate love story.
There was action in both time periods, and it was intense, energetic, and vivid. The fear, tension, and intense situations were well built, and kept my interest.
I don't shy away psychic storyline, I find them interesting. But in this story, after all the other psychic abilities, when the immortals were introduced, the story lost me.
But before that point, alluring and compelling second chance romance with vivid action, and intense situations
~ Three spoons

[Jennie · Rating 3 out of 5]

although i did like the book, it was pretty hard to feel anything with the characters. it was fast paced to the point you couldnt really get an attachment to the characters.i couldnt handle the thought of how much these characters loved each other after 8 years of not being together,hardly talking and the fact that their break was so bad. plus the fact you have a kid in the mix and the father isnt really around. yea i could feel the "love that never died" feeling. but i do give credit to letting you understand that in the end the men stepped up and yadd yada. all in all i didnt care for these characters but the story in itself of interesting. TK and all. i will continue to read this series because of the other characters surrounding the story.

[Philippa Lodge · Rating 4 out of 5]

While the issues in this book were really important, it never really took off for me. Much of the love story is told in flashbacks, which don't ordinarily bug me, but I felt they were too much back story and took the place of the current relationship. Also, the external threat was so vague and not fleshed out until almost the end that it felt like an after thought.

That said, this is a good addition to the series and the way that they are building the Phoenix Institute and helping people with powers. It just could have had a lot more tension.

Edited to add: This has nothing to do with the writing of course, but the arm muscle on the cover model is a little freaky.

[Angela · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was the fourth book of the series, but for some reason I got it in my head that it was the first...oh well. Even though like I said it was the fourth book, I had no problem keeping up with the world it takes place in. It did a good job of explaining the past events. I liked the way that the relationship of Daz and Renee was told by having the chapters switch between the present and their beginning which took place nine years before and resulted in their having a son. The son, Charlie, is autistic and has a special ability that has him needing the Institute's help. I'm going to have to read the rest of the series to prepare for the next book.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.

[Diane Mason]

I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review, so here goes. This was my first Corrina Lawson book and it will not be my last. I'm intrigued by the cast of characters and their special abilities or non-abilities. Daz and Renee felt like a real life couple with real life issues. I liked their interaction with the Institute people. Charlie pretty much stole the show for me. I can't wait to see if he plays a part in future books. I will definitely be reading the other books in this series.

[Jennifer Lombardi · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was WAY out of my comfort zone and I almost stopped reading it but in the end, it was worth the read. The story line was good, the characters were well written, all in all, it was catchy. Once I got past the strange things in the book, I could not put it down. I found it exciting and fun!

*This book was given to me by the publisher in exchange of an open and honest review*

[Melissa J. Katano · Rating 3 out of 5]

How do you go up against the powerful paranormals if you don't have any powers of your own. And what if the child you have does have them? And what if that child is also autistic?