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Phoenix Inheritance

(The Phoenix Institute #4)

Corrina Lawson (Goodreads Author)

3.94 · Rating details · 35 ratings · 13 reviews

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

Phoenix Institute, Book 4

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 alon ...more

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Paperback, 274 pages

Published June 9th 2015 by Samhain Publishing (first published March 3rd 2015)

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Dec 08, 2014 Beth rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: netgalley, own, kindle, march-2015, paranormal, supernatural, romance

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 ...more

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Mar 07, 2015 ItsAboutTheBook rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: holly

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. A 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! ...more

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Dec 08, 2014 Marta Cox rated it really liked it · review of another edition

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 w 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 ...more

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Mar 02, 2015 Eva Millien rated it really liked it · review of another edition

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 ev ...more

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Jul 16, 2015 Marlene rated it really liked it

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 Phoen ...more

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Apr 19, 2015 Maya rated it really liked it · review of another edition

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 com 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. ...more

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Jan 01, 2015 Books and Spoons rated it liked it · review of another edition

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 chapt ...more

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Jun 03, 2015 Jennie rated it liked it

Shelves: first-reads

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Mar 22, 2015 Angela rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Recommended to Angela by: Netgalley

Shelves: ebook, fiction, military-pi-etc, netgalley, romance, series, urban-fantasy-paranormal

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 au ...more

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Feb 12, 2015 Philippa Lodge rated it really liked it · review of another edition

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 pow ...more

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Feb 13, 2015 Diane Mason added it · review of another edition

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 ot ...more

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Jan 11, 2015 Jennifer Lombardi rated it really liked it · review of another edition

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*

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Apr 18, 2015 Melissa J. Katano rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: paranormal

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? ...more

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About Corrina Lawson

Corrina Lawson

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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.