Quick-witted hustler Ghost is no stranger to living dangerously; survival has always been the name of the game. He’s just always gone it alone. Now he’s got the wrong people breathing down his neck, and the only way out demands placing his trust in the unlikeliest of heroes: Duncan Rook, a gruff cop whose ethics are as solid as his body. Cozying up to a criminal is hardly what Duncan’s … hardly what Duncan’s reputation on the force needs–especially when that criminal is temptation personified. Ghost is Duncan’s polar opposite, and the last person he expected to fall for.
So then why does every imaginable scenario for taking down their common enemy end with Ghost in his arms?
This book is approximately 122,000 words
One-click with confidence. This title is part of the Carina Press Romance Promise: all the romance you’re looking for with an HEA/HFN. It’s a promise!
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Well! If you’d have told me a week ago that Ghost’s story would give me all the feels, and have me almost in tears, I would have asked you what you were smoking, because during the first two books he most definitely does not give off cute mushy vibes. At all. Sidney Bell most definitely saved the best ‘til last. I was dying to get into Ghost’s psyche, desperate to find out what made him tick. Duncan Rook apparently. I can’t say I blame him either. Duncan was adorable, the perfect gay book boyfriend, he was strong and caring, he listened and he never ever pushed Ghost beyond his boundaries. Another suspense, action romance, good versus evil, if you will, with Ghost and his gang facing off against Mama, Kellen and Spratt. I was hooked from the get-go. I hated having to go to work and having to wait for my next instalment. A full five star read from me. I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. This is my honest opinion
This LGBTQ Romantic Suspense has a tender romance with lots of suspense in the mystery side. Good pacing with great characters make more than a 4 star read.
This book…
It was sitting at about 4 stars for quite some time. The beginning was excellent, high adrenaline, but then it lagged in a couple of places in the middle.
However. Let’s talk about that ending. Yes, the entire last third of the book gave this book back its 5 stars, it was that good. But not only that, the character arcs and character development is excellent in this book, for both Duncan and Ghost, but most especially for Ghost. He showed a maturity towards the end that I didn’t see coming, and even though his actions hurt Duncan, it needed to be done so that Ghost could grow and heal. And OMG, Chapter 27 was just about the saddest fucking thing I’ve ever read.
Excellent writing, great characters. I highly recommend this entire series if you’re looking for something angsty and edgy, that is much more focused on plot and relationships than sex.
Omg Okay so I didn’t read the other 2 books in this series. Now this book can be read as a standalone, but you can tell it’s part of a series. I felt like I missed some “getting to know” Ghost moments by not reading the first two books. Still it didn’t take me long to fall in love with Ghost. My heart broke for him and all his went through. Some of the things in this book were ugly, raw, and hard to read. Selling sex to survive as a teen, the hunger, abuse, betrayal, just everything!!! It tore my heart out. Ghost had dark issues and I love that the author didn’t gloss over them. Duncan took a little longer to warm up to for me, but in the end I loved him too. Not as much as Ghost but….. Duncan and Ghost had a really slow burn relationship. Which was understandable with trust issues and past demons. Plus it really gave depth to Duncan and Ghost’s love. I did however take a star off because I would have liked a little more steam between them. Just a tad! Still this book was a great and emotional read with lots of action. This was my first time reading anything by Sidney Bell but it won’t be my last. I plan on going back and reading the first two books in this series too.
I totally loved Ghost and Duncan. I was wary of going into this book without reading the first two but I must say I totally got into it after a few chapters. This is a slow burn romance with little-to-no sex. Ghost and Duncan are total opposites. Ghost has survived a horrific past and he is so strong and loyal and brave. Ghost is also very funny and snarky. I loved their banter.There were many times I laughed out loud. I love that we have both POVs and I loved being inside Ghost’s head.I love him. Period. Ghost and Duncan are incredible together and they have something very special.
Trigger warning mentions of childhood sexual abuse
*ARC provided by the author via A Novel Take PR and Netgalley in exchange for honest review
I’d wager anyone who has read the Woodbury Boys series has been anticipating Ghost’s story and Rough Trade proves the wait was more than worth it. Miss Bell again smoothly blends hurt/comfort and suspense to create a story that drew me in from the first chapter.
Rough Trade offered an in depth look into Ghost’s life following his escape from the clutches of a dirty cop and the punishing reach of a crime family’s matriarch, and in the midst slowly reveals his past and innermost thoughts. While trying to escape the perils of his previous associations, Ghost finds himself involved with a cop currently on medical leave who’s struggling in his own way. In the two books leading up to Rough Trade, I’d never have anticipated Duncan being Ghost’s guy. The relationship between these two men was deliciously different from what I expected, making it that much more memorable. I loved that the author took the time to develop Ghost and Duncan individually before cementing them as a couple. The slow burn romance reflected Ghost’s sorted past and hesitant embrace of his future, proving yet again that Miss Bell stays true to her characters in all facets of their lives rather than simply when the angst is a convenient plot point. I always knew this story would be a good one, but I was still surprised just how good it was. The vulnerability of Ghost was tangible and his story heartbreaking but powerful in its strength.
Per usual, the action and suspense scenes of Rough Trade were well-detailed, full of emotion, and complete with a few twists, keeping me fixated on the story and desperate to see how it all would unfold. If you’re a fan of hurt/comfort romances at all and love to see characters who’ve been dealt a difficult hand rise above and find their happy ending, the Woodbury Boys series is a can’t miss and Rough Trade was the perfect cap to this trio of incredible books.
*Received via Netgalley*
Rough Trade by Sidney Bell
The Woodbury Boys #3
Grabbed me and kept me glued to the story from beginning to end! I cared and felt and hoped and wished and was so glad that eventually Ghost and Duncan managed their HEA. I loved them both and only wanted the best for them.
What a tortured soul Ghost was and yet he was so giving and charming and wise and strong and damaged. Duncan was the perfect partner for Ghost even though it was NOT an easy relationship for either one of them.
With more than one villain to thwart the two had a lot to contend with. Car chases, shooting, corrupt police and so much more made this action-packed romantic suspense just what I needed on a cold rainy day!
This is the first book I have read by this author but it definitely won’t be the last. Thank you to NetGalley and HQN-Carina for the ARC – This is my honest review.
5 Stars
4 Stars
Review by Elizabeth
Late Night Reviewer
Up All Night w/ Books Blog
Rough Trade is installment three in the Woodbury Boys series by Sidney Bell. I have not read the first two installments in the series so I went in blind. I do have to say, Rough Trade was a good read.
I may not have read the previous two installments in this series but I will be reading them as soon as I can.
Rough Trade is a slow burn story about so much more than romance. The main character, Ghost, has had a rough, tragic life and it broke me. I am not one for angsty reads but this one was just too good to put down. This is not your typical MM book and that is what I loved about it. I had so many feels while reading and I shedded countless tears. I cannot really say a whole lot without giving it away.
I will warn you that there are some sensitive topics (abuse). If you have not read this book, read it.
My Review:
This series has been so good, but I’ll admit, I had no idea how Sidney Bell would handle Ghost because he’s always been such a messed up character.
Well, the good news is that she handled his story brilliantly. She didn’t fix him, but instead made all of that trauma and mental scar tissue a large part of his character arc…because have no doubt…Ghost is a mess. He’s only 20 years old, but has years of sexual abuse and neglect in his past. He uses sex as a weapon and really seems to be on the precipice of not coming back. His fugue states during and after sex are frightening. But the one person who seems to get all this is Duncan.
Duncan Rook is a cop. He’s introduced to Ghost under very extreme circumstances and steps right up although Ghost doesn’t make it easy. But Duncan has close to a decade working as a police officer. He’s not a stranger to mentally traumatized people. He gets that Ghost needs very careful handling. In other words, Duncan is perfect for Ghost.
This is not a fall in love and every thing is smooth sailing afterwards type of story, but I liked that about it. As much of a mess as Ghost is, it felt more honest to have the difficulties that these two had. I like that the author gave them the time to emotionally develop and evolve.
There’s also a bit of suspense/danger to this book (as has been the case for all the books in the series), but it’s not enough that I consider the books to be romantic suspense. They are just action packed…and these two seriously go through the wringer in this book.
But I loved it. I loved getting to see Ghost get to a better place. I loved the little things that they connected over…like the movies and how much the TV placement meant between the two of them. This is NOT a relationship built on sex. I liked that with Ghost’s background that Sidney Bell respected that and didn’t go there for the two of them. They have sexy moments, but those are more careful than sexy. For these two, the relationship is about the connection between them and it’s beautiful, even when it’s hard.
I liked it…and definitely recommend the entire series.
I received a complimentary copy of this book in return for an honest and voluntary review.