Book Review: The Ghost Bird Series by C.L. Stone (up to Touch of Mischief)

BIG WARNING: If you like to read classy well thought out books with relatively few cliches and at least a chance at being realistic, these books are not for you.  If you like strong female leads who can take care of themselves, then the Ghost Bird series is not for you.  If the idea of a reverse harem freaks you out, walk away now.

All that being said, I am obsessed.  I've turned into a fangirl again.

These books have made me a little stupid. Let me explain why...

I started out reading the Ghost Bird series a month or two ago with a direct warning from a friend that they would ruin my life. Something about unrealistic expectations in the future.  Did I pay attention? No.

I am obsessed with covers and these covers drive me crazy. They all feature the same girl (up to House of Korba) and all of the girls have the wrong color hair. She is supposed to be a dirty blond and an excessive amount of time in the books are spent going on about her hair.

They are pretty covers, despite having the wrong model for them but I could nit pick all day about them.

These books are a slow burn romance.  Think glacial pace.  The wait for something to happen can be torture at times but when something happens, it is like magic.  I can feel the chemistry between the characters.

The main character, Sang Sorenson, is a perfect example of the "helpless heroine".  She has been locked away all her life from the outside world, barring school.  Her mother is insane, her sister is a bitch and her father is rarely, if ever, around.  Her mother forces the idea that if she goes outside, she will get raped and die. Sang takes a chance and tries to run away but ends up running straight into the arms of her savior...

Ok, the real reason I read them.  The boys.

There is this new trend somewhat emerging of the "reverse harem".  That means lots of boys, one girl.  It can come off as kind of weird and society sort of demands that the girl picks one guy.  That's the best part of these books in that she doesn't have to.  The main character, Sang, is surrounded by nine (that's 9, nueve, neuf, neun) men and they all get along with each other.  They are like family and they will do anything to protect her.  Check out the author's interpretation of her men on her twitter. These guys are all part of a secret group called The Academy that influences everything that they do.  The more that Sang tries to pry into their lives within the Academy, the more confusing it gets.

Introductions:

Kota Lee: The first one that Sang meets. The fearless leader. The nerdling. Kota is the one that first runs into Sang as she is running away from her home and convinces her that he can help her.  He is compassionate and really works to listen to what others are saying.  Generally, a great guy.  The type of guy you bring home to meet your parents, grandparents and dog.

Victor Morgan: Victor is sort of the logical thinker of the group.  He is patient and quiet.  He plays the piano and is good with computers, both self taught and only achieved with an extreme amount of effort.  Sometimes, he comes off as kind of distant but he has his reasons.

Gabriel Coleman: Gabriel fills the role of the fashionista in the group.  He bosses the other guys around, telling them what to wear, how to do their hair and every other aspect of appearance.  Gabe may seem like a soft guy sometimes but he can hold his own and can be just as tough as the other guys.

Nathan Griffen: The fighter. Nathan is a big burly guy who is wonderful at martial arts.  Nathan makes me mad sometimes because he seems like he has so much potential to be play a much more passionate person.  He holds back to protect himself.

Lucian Taylor: I love his name, even though he goes by Luke. Lucian is such a wonderful name.  Luke is the happy-go-lucky one.  He jokes around and can lighten the mood. Luke can always be counted on to cheer the others up or sneak into to other people's houses without them noticing much.

North Taylor: One of my favorites.  The BFG (for everybody that watches Chelsea football) and part of the muscle of the team. He rides a motorcycle and is generally a BAMF. He plays football but hates being told what to do.  North is one of the characters that seems to have the most depth, at least to me.  He puts on a front of being tough and an enforcer but he cares deeply for his family and is willing to do anything to protect him.

Silas Korba: Another one of my favorites.  Apparently I have a thing for big rough and tumble guys. Silas is definitely the other third of the muscle of the team, along with Nathan and North. He plays football but loves baseball. A passionate Greek man with a penchant for sweet talk and selfies.

Dr. Sean Green: If anybody has ever had a fantasy about a doctor/patient relationship, here you go.  Dr. Green is smart and a definite flirt.  He plays the role of caretaker wonderfully but still needs, in some ways, to be taken care of himself.

Mr. Owen Blackbourne: We have gone over the doctor/patient fantasy and this one is the student/teacher fantasy.  Blackbourne has this persona that you want to please.  You want his approval desperately and when you get it, it is like the sun is shining.  He is demanding and tough on the others but he is still a likable guy.

So there we have it.  There are the reasons that I read this series, all nine of them.  The guys grow throughout the books, as does Sang.  We get back story and the reasons that they are the way they are.  I definitely care about these characters and I want their stories to work out.  I want them to be happy.

These books are guilty pleasures for me.  This isn't the best quality writing or editing but I will forgive the author since she is so prolific.  They are built to entertain and when I read them, I walk around with a big grin on my face.  They have turned me into a hopeless fangirl and I can't wait for the next book to come out and the one after that.

This author puts out a new book every 3-4 months.  She has another series in the same world called The Scarab Beetle that is a much more adult series, also dealing with the mysterious Academy.  The next book coming out is Liar which is part of The Scarab Beetle and will be out December 15th.  The next book for The Ghost Bird will be out in April.  C.L. Stone has planned 20+ books for The Ghost Bird and they will eventually turn from young adult to full on adult.  I can't wait!

Has anybody else read this series or another reverse harem story? What did you think?  Is it weird or hot?