Anomalies. Abnormals. Curiosities. Freaks. Threats. The Conditioned bear many labels, heavy restrictions, intolerable scorn, and unforgiving laws. For thirty years they have been consigned to regulation behind the walls of safe houses and camps. The Conditioned have no rights. They are not people. They are the damned.Attorney Ben Lavelle, a widowed father of twin girls, has a ghost problem. It … problem. It bangs through the houses in his neighborhood, terrorizes his kids, and is generally creating havoc. Turning to his brother Gene who has ties to organized crime, he asks for his help—for the girls. Never having dealt with a Conditioned before, Ben has no idea what to expect but Seven is definitely not anything he imagined.
Seven-Two-Four is a Ghost Talker, she can manipulate the energy malignant and otherwise. Isolated in the Institutions, Seven’s lived a harsh existence where even the simple luxuries like sleeping in a bed are denied to her. When the job with Ben and his family buys her a few more days before her scheduled euthanasia, Seven experiences life as a person for the first time.
When tragedy strikes, Ben turns his legal prowess on the Institutions dehumanizing the Conditioned in the first place. Can he and Seven survive when even the memory of their love threatens everything they hold dear?
Please note this book was previously published under a different title and series name. If you feel you’ve read this before, you might have. Also, the author suggests that you always read the forward to her books to see if there are any triggering things for you and to make sure it is the kind of book you want to read. But, if you like smart, strong characters who grow exponentially over time in love than she suggests you go grab this book right now.
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I liked the first book but I love the second. It was hard to put down. I hope to hear more about these characters in book 3.
The second book in the Illicit Minds series and this series is just getting better with each new book, I want to read the next book. I received a copy of this book and I am voluntarily leaving a review.
Seven is a ghost-talker, able to sense and destroy malevolent spirit energy. As one of the Conditioned, humans with dangerous psi powers, she’s kept institutionalized, to be euthanized at a young age. Brainwashed and self-effacing, she is complacently facing her early death when she goes on one last job: to exorcise the ghosts inhabiting the home of widower Ben Lavelle and his two young daughters. Ben is the first one to treat her as a human being. As their romance blossoms and he plans to find a way to save her from her fate, tragedy strikes and takes Seven away from him, seemingly forever.
Illicit Connections was a gripping read that hooked me from start to finish. The character development was typical for a Rebecca Royce book (I’ve seen it in several of her other books), in which she takes a browbeaten, totally self-effacing character and turns her into a courageous, take-charge kick ass heroine. The Conditioned’s secret powers reminded me a little bit of Nalini Singh’s Psy-Changeling series, so if you liked those books, you’ll probably like the Illicit Minds series by Royce. And, BTW, Illicit Connections is book 2 of its series, but it’s totally readable as a standalone.
No spoilers of any kind included.
I thought Illicit Connections was pretty amazing but then again I think that about all of Rebecca Royce’s books because she is an awesome story weaver.
So yes I do recommend Illicit Connections because it’s awesome.
Loved the family
This book picks up a year after the first book after Addison and her team have blown up one of the institutions. It features a new group of characters, but you get some cameos from characters from book 1.
Ben has a problem…a ghost problem…and when his brother sends a conditioned girl to his house, he gets more than he bargained for. Seen as just a tool to do her job and then go back to the not so happy place at the institution. seven as she goes by has to figure out the ghost but while doing that she gets a taste of Ben’s family that makes her not want to leave. Ben is outraged by how the conditioned are treated being a lawyer he will do anything he can, but can one lawyer stop the institutions?
This family is so freaking cute. Ben has two little girls who I just loved. Hopefully we see them more in the next books. Ok so Roman, I need his book. He’s the fury but I feel so bad for him, I need to know how story. Toward the end of the book some secrets did seem a bit rushed. But overall good book. Really enjoyed reading more about this world.
So much has happened since the last book ended, the conditioned go by numbers now and how they’re treated are different also. When Seven meets Ben it sets up the reader for a story that has surprises galore! This is their story but it also sets the stage for more to come plus leaves you wanting more with some characters so hopefully everyone will get their stories before it’s all over!
To get to continue on in this series that is one that stands alone since it is different from what I have read in a long time. It does have reminders though of camps of yesteryear which they two were used at times. Since I also do love a good ghost tale this has some flavor I gobbled. This centers around Ben whom has the trouble so when in need he is directed to none other than one of the condemned Conditioned. Some of this story line is so riveting that you will at times be like a deer in the headlight. Then there is Seven who will captivate us getting alot of our attention and as the two go forth to we are also rewarded with some things that were in the dark that come to light. But woe is me heart wrenching climax will capture us wholly with a ending to leave us gasping. What next will we be given also to follow this one?
Seven.. That’s all she is known by. Ben knows that he is driven to help. It was great how the story evolved. Seven, Ben, and all of the other characters were unique and they were a strong blend for the story. The story was a sad state of what people do to others that are different. And yet the human spirit is resilient and will rise even when the mind has forgotten. Illicit Connections was wonderful in the fight for doing better as human beings. In a world where love and protection is the highest value. I know that I probably put too much into the story. I love the story as it is for face value. But I also love the concept of doing better.
This was a continuation of Illicit Senses. While the characters and situations were separate, it is best to have read Illicit Senses first.
This is the second book in the Illicit minds series. The books are based in the same world but the stories are individual. This story is about Ben and Seven. Ben is a widowed father of twin girls. Seven (Seven-Two_four) is a ghost talker. When Ben needs assistance he gets Seven on her last job before she’s “terminated”.
This is a very interesting world this series is set in. I’ve enjoyed both books so far. They are well written, quicker reads that suck you in right to the end. Can’t wait to see what she gives us next.
In the first book in this series, Wade and Addison had managed to destroy places holding the ‘Conditioned’ and many escaped. However things are even worse now than they had been then. Now these two are hard at work to change things once again.
In this book we meet Ben Lavelle, an attorney living in an area with a ghost problem. A widower with twin girls, Ella and Daphne, he has been ‘elected’ by the neighborhood to do something about this problem. He contacts his brother Gene to get the services of a Conditioned Ghost Talker. Something that was nearly impossible nowadays, his brother who works for the mob got results very quickly. Ben had to take ‘it’ within the hour, as she was being taken back from what was to be her last job before being put down. Something that shouldn’t happen until she’s older and also something Ben feels should happen at all.
Ben can’t think of this beautiful woman as an ‘it’ and he finds himself falling in love with her. He’s appalled that she doesn’t have a name and as she requests calls her Seven. After an initial attempt to see the ‘ghosts’ in his home, she is even more exhausted than she was when she arrived. After he literally puts her to bed he starts researching Conditioned law looking for the ways he can tackle the system.
Seven is the one who points out Ben’s daughter Daphne is Conditioned and that only validates his planned lawsuits to change the way the Conditioned are treated.
There is much at play here, we have Seven, the information she shares about Madame Joan, the Twins, Guy and the Island Sanctuary. There are also some time jumps that accelerate the story. Plus more about Addison and Wade.
I can’t wait for the next book, I am cheering very loudly for the Conditioned.
I’m utterly ADDICTED to this series and cannot wait for the next one!!! Definitely read book one first so that you can understand all the context. There are a few cameos in this from book one, and I hope more to come on the future .
Ben is a widower and father of very intelligent and precocious six year old twin daughters. As a lawyer the neighborhood deemed he need to take care of the odd issue plaguing everyone. Crazy things keep happening and for no apparent reason. the only possible answer is ghosts? The only person new can think of to help is his brother Gene that works with the local New Orleans mafia. He’s always been a bit rough around the edges, but when it came to his family and beloved nieces he’d do anything to help. And so Ben now has a Conditioned coming to the house too track ghosts of all things. What he want expecting was this young, stunningly beautiful woman that appears almost afraid of her own shadow. After Addison and Spencer escaped and helped free some Conditioned, restrictions got even stricter. Terminated at age forty, sterilized so absolutely no pregnancies. So when he learns this kind, young woman is to be terminated once done with this job his mind goes numb! Why this docile woman so far from forty is to be executed? When she won’t even sit on a chair, expects to sleep on the floor and have a meager one meal for the duration of this job? This is insanity!
As if it’s not bad enough that he can’t figure out these freak occurrences, now this beautiful woman that doesn’t even have her own name…. She goes by seven, is willing too put herself at risk for he and his girls before returning to her own death?! Something must change! All kinds of secrets are revealed in this book. Things Ben had no clue about. Revelations about the Conditioned, his family, and so much more. Yet again there’s tons of suspense, action, love and a very brave woman at the center of this story. I can’t wait for book three….based on a few mentions in this book I’m curious if book three might be about the President or one of his family? Maybe he or they are Conditioned? Either way I can’t wait to find out! Be warned this series really is very addicting
I voluntarily offered to review this book with no obligations and my opinions are honest!
This was a great book !
Ben just wanted help w/ his ghost problem.
Seven-Two-Four experience for the first time what a family was supposed to be like.
When danger comes for her, will Ben be strong enough to protect her.
It has all the ingredients that you need for a great book!
I can’t wait for the next book in this series.
There is a lot of turmoil in the country since so many if the conditioned have escaped. Ben meets Seven or Shiri when looking to have ghosts removed from his neighborhood. He falls for her quickly realizing she is a human and not an it. Shiri knows almost nothing of the outside world and knows she is to put down after this last job. She’s never had feelings for another before and is overwhelmed by her feelings for Ben and his children. We get to see Roman again trying to help the conditioned in the background. He really started to grow on me in this book and I hope he is able to find his happily ever after. I like Ben’s character a lot. He fights for what he believes in.
Brilliant
Wow completely had me hooked within first chapter….couldn’t put it down at all …. read it in a couple of hours the chemistry was off the charts the characters wore well wrote and you could relate to each of them ….this book is wrote so well you can’t help but love it another great book wrote by awesome writer love it