Tag Archives: GEM

Onyx (GEM 3) by Freya Barker-review tour

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Onyx (GEM 3) by Freya Barker-review tour

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / B&N / KOBO / Chapters Indigo /Apple /

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date November 6, 2023

GEM: A PRIVATELY-FUNDED ORGANIZATION OPERATING INDEPENDENTLY IN THE SEARCH FOR—AND THE RESCUE AND RECOVERY OF—MISSING AND EXPLOITED CHILDREN. ALTHOUGH, AT TIMES WORKING IN CONJUNCTION WITH LAW ENFORCEMENT, GEM AIMS TO ENSURE THE VICTIMS RECEIVE JUSTICE…BY WHATEVER MEANS NECESSARY.
____

Operator Onyx; balanced, strong, a guardian

She’s the voice of reason, advocates, and strategizes.

Supporting the team from the background, Onyx rarely goes out in the field. However, when a widespread child exploitation ring is discovered, her particular skill set is needed to get close.

Unfortunately, her boss—a man she’s never laid eyes on before—is dead set against her taking the lead. Outvoted, he finds a way to keep her in his sights, risking his own exposure.

•••••

REVIEW:ONYX is the third (and final?) instalment in Freya Barker’s contemporary, adult GEM dark, erotic, romantic suspense series. This is Rajani ‘Onyx’ Agarwal, and Jacob Branch’s story line. ONYX can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story lines is revealed where necessary but I recommend reading the series in order.

SOME BACKGROUND: GEM stands for Gather, Evaluate, Mobilize

GEM, a group that works independently of other organizations, searching for missing and exploited children; and CARD (Child Abduction Rapid Deployment) is a division of the FBI working to stop those trafficking in children. Approximately twenty years earlier Raj (Onyx), and her fellow GEM agents Kate (Opal) and Janey (Pearl) were abducted from a teen youth center, help captive and abused by a madman who was believed to have died in a fire at the center but their investigations into the missing and exploited all reveal a connection to the center, and the probability the baddest of the bad survived.

NOTE: Due to the nature of the story line premise, there WILL BE triggers for more sensitive readers.

Told from dual first person perspectives (Onyx and Jacob) ONXY focuses on the take down of the last man that destroyed Onyx, Opal and Pearl’s lives. Raised in a group home for troubled teens, the boys and girls were used and abused by the people in charge but a fire allowed the children to escape, and the survivors are searching for the ones who got away. Fast forward to present day, the members of GEM are all former childhood victims whose duty it is to protect those most vulnerable but as a side proclamation, GEM searches for the men who destroyed their lives, and with only one man still on the run, Onyx goes undercover in the hopes of taking down the remaining abuser who is about to turn the tables on our story line couple. With the help and coordination of GEM’s boss and CEO Jacob Branch, as well as Jacob’s friend Hamish, the trio face down the nightmare who continues to destroy so many lives.

The world building continues to focus GEM, but more specifically the three women and their boss Jacob Branch, who have pledged to help those unable to help themselves. With the number of missing and exploited children on the rise, GEM is kept busy searching for those unable to help themselves.

The relationship between Onyx and Jacob is employee and boss but very few people are truly aware Jacob’s secret or his real identity. As Onyx begins to tumble down the rabbit hole, secrets are revealed, lies are exposed, and Onyx struggles to accept what happened and why. The $ex scenes are intimate, erotic and intense without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.

There is a large ensemble cast of colorful and charismatic secondary and supporting characters including Opal and Mitch, Pearl and Lee, Hamish Adrian, and Jacob’s caretaker Bernice Nelson. The requisite evil has many faces.

ONYX is a story of secrets and lies, betrayal and vengeance, power and control, forgiveness, acceptance and love. ONYX is twisted, passionate and dramatic story of tragedy and recovery; the characters are struggling and broken; the romance is fated but predicated on deceit and deception.

There are several moments of confusion, a couple of twists to the story line that at times left me wondering what happened and why but all will be revealed throughout the story.

Reading Order and Previous Reviews
Opal
Pearl

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

USA Today bestselling author Freya Barker loves writing about ordinary people with extraordinary stories.

Driven to make her books about ‘real’ people; she creates characters who are perhaps less than perfect, each struggling to find their own slice of happy, but just as deserving of romance, thrills and chills in their lives.

Recipient of the ReadFREE.ly 2019 Best Book We’ve Read All Year Award for “Covering Ollie, the 2015 RomCon “Reader’s Choice” Award for Best First Book, “Slim To None”, and Finalist for the 2017 Kindle Book Award with “From Dust”, Freya continues to add to her rapidly growing collection of published novels as she spins story after story with an endless supply of bruised and dented characters, vying for attention!

Facebook: http://bit.ly/FreyaFacebook
Twitter: http://bit.ly/FreyaTwitter
Instagram: http://bit.ly/FreyaInstagram
Web: http://bit.ly/FreyaWeb
Goodreads: http://bit.ly/FreyaGoodreads
Newsletter: https://www.subscribepage.com/Freya_Newsletter
Bookbub: http://bit.ly/FreyaBookBub

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Pearl (GEM book #2) by Freya Barker-review tour

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Pearl (GEM Book #2) by Freya Barker-review tour

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / B&N / KOBO /Chapters Indigo /Apple /

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date August 25, 2023

Operator Pearl; layered, mysterious, a protector.
She masks as delicate, analyzes, and moves stealthily.

Hot on the trail of a young accomplice in a child exploitation ring, Pearl finds herself posing as a teenager to get close. Unfortunately, joining a group of kids on a wilderness quest means stepping out of her comfort zone and into uncertainty. But with the target in her sights her focus stays razor-sharp.

The last thing she needs is the dogged journalist who’s been close on her heels catching up and rattling her cage. When he inserts himself into her investigation, she has no choice but to go along.

Thrown together in a mutual pursuit of justice, the negative energy between them sparks up in a new way.

GEM: a privately-funded organization operating independently in the search for—and the rescue and recovery of—missing and exploited children. Although, at times working in conjunction with law enforcement, GEM aims to ensure the victims receive justice…by whatever means necessary.

•••

REVIEW:PEARL is the second instalment in Freya Barker’s contemporary, adult GEM romantic suspense series focusing on three GEM agents and friends Opal, Pearl and Onyx. This is GEM Agent Janey ‘Pearl’ Fisher, and investigative journalist Lee Remington’s story line. PEARL can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty but for cohesion, I recommend reading the series in order as there is an ongoing premise throughout.

NOTE: Due to the nature of the story line premise, there may be triggers for more sensitive readers.

GEM stands for Gather, Evaluate, Mobilize

Told from dual first person perspectives (Pearl and Lee) PEARL follows the search for a missing young girl with connections to a program for troubled teens called Evolution Quest .With the help of investigative journalist Lee Remington, Pearl goes undercover as a volunteer in the hopes of learning the who, how and why but Lee and Pearl are about to expose an intricate pedophile ring who target their victims at Evolution Quest. What ensues is the building relationship between Lee and Pearl, and the potential fall-out when Lee is targeted, and Pearl discovers the past never truly dies until you see if for yourself.

The world building continues to focus on GEM (Gather, Evaluate, Mobilize), a group that works independently of other organizations, searching for missing and exploited children; and CARD (Child Abduction Rapid Deployment) a division of the FBI working to stop those trafficking in children. Twenty years earlier Janey and her fellow GEM agents Kate (Opal) and Raj (Onyx), were abducted from a teen youth center, help captive and abused by a madman who was believed to have died in a fire at the center but their investigations into the missing and exploited all reveal a connection to the center, and the probability the baddest of the bad survived.

The relationship between Pearl and Lee begins acrimoniously as Pearl doesn’t want a partner aka Lee along for the ride. Pearl is desperate to locate the missing girl but Lee is about to reveal he knows more about the case than she could have imagined. As Lee and Pearl begin an investigation of their own, they will find themselves a target of the people involved. The $ex scenes are intimate and passionate, without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.

The colorful and energetic secondary and supporting characters include Opal and Mitch (Opal), Raj (Onyx), GEM boss Jacob Branch, as well as several struggling teens, counsellors ,parents and law enforcement. The requisite evil has many faces.

PEARL is another story of power and control, betrayal and vengeance, abuse and obsession, love and understanding. The premise is dramatic, twisted and tragic; the characters are spirited, animated and stubborn; the romance is edgy and compelling.

Click HERE for Sandy’s review of book one OPAL

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

USA Today bestselling author Freya Barker loves writing about ordinary people with extraordinary stories.

Driven to make her books about ‘real’ people; she creates characters who are perhaps less than perfect, each struggling to find their own slice of happy, but just as deserving of romance, thrills and chills in their lives.

Recipient of the ReadFREE.ly 2019 Best Book We’ve Read All Year Award for “Covering Ollie, the 2015 RomCon “Reader’s Choice” Award for Best First Book, “Slim To None”, and Finalist for the 2017 Kindle Book Award with “From Dust”, Freya continues to add to her rapidly growing collection of published novels as she spins story after story with an endless supply of bruised and dented characters, vying for attention!

Facebook: http://bit.ly/FreyaFacebook
Twitter: http://bit.ly/FreyaTwitter
Instagram: http://bit.ly/FreyaInstagram
Web: http://bit.ly/FreyaWeb
Goodreads: http://bit.ly/FreyaGoodreads
Newsletter: https://www.subscribepage.com/Freya_Newsletter
Bookbub: http://bit.ly/FreyaBookBub

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OPAL (GEM #1) by Freya Barker-review tour

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OPAL (GEM #1) by Frey Barker-review tour

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / Amazon.uk / Amazon.au / B&N / KOBO / Apple /

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date May 22, 2023

GEM: A PRIVATELY-FUNDED ORGANIZATION OPERATING INDEPENDENTLY IN THE SEARCH FOR—AND THE RESCUE AND RECOVERY OF—MISSING AND EXPLOITED CHILDREN. ALTHOUGH, AT TIMES WORKING IN CONJUNCTION WITH LAW ENFORCEMENT, GEM AIMS TO ENSURE THE VICTIMS RECEIVE JUSTICE…BY WHATEVER MEANS NECESSARY.
____
GEM Operator Opal; multifaceted, versatile, a chameleon.

She hides in plain sight, adapts, and infiltrates.

When Opal goes undercover in a youth center several teenagers have disappeared from, she’s shocked to find a ghost of her own traumatic past at the helm. However, her worry for the missing kids is greater than her concern being recognized and she risks her own safety to discover the truth.

To complicate matters, a familiar FBI agent shows up conducting his own investigation and almost blows the whistle on her. It takes some doing to convince him to join forces with her but as it turns out, they work well together.

In the course of uncovering an organized group of child molesters, they find themselves falling—for each other.

••••••

REVIEW: OPAL is the first instalment in Freya Barker’s contemporary, adult GEM romantics suspense series focusing on three GEM agents and friends Opal, Pearl and Onyx. This is forty year old, marksmanship trainer for the US army, GEM Agent Katherine ‘Kate’ Jones aka Opal Berry, and FBI Agent Mitch Kenny’s story line.

NOTE: Due to the nature of the story line premise, there may be triggers for more sensitive readers.

GEM stands for Gather, Evaluate, Mobilize

Told from dual first person perspectives (Opal and Mitch) OPAL follows the search for several missing teens from a group home in the city of Lanark, Kentucky. Twenty years earlier, our heroine Kate, along with Janey and Raj, were abducted from a teen youth centre, held captive and abused by a madman who would eventually die in a fire at the same centre. Fast forward to present day wherein, several more teens would go missing, under similar circumstances to what happened years before, a similarity that brought with it ghosts from the past. Going undercover as part of the GEM investigation, Opal would come face to face with FBI Agent Mitch Kenny, a man determined to stop Opal before it’s too late but as the search turns dangerous, the investigation hits too close to home for the man with whom Opal is falling in love. What ensues is the search for, and rescue of the missing teens, and the potential fall-out the investigation becomes personal, pushing Opal out of Mitch’s life.

The relationship between Mitch and Opal begins when Mitch and Opal must work together in an effort to uncover the truth. A number of at risk teens are missing, pointing to a possible organized group of child molesters, a group of well connected and well known men in positions of power but as the names and faces are revealed, Opal finds herself facing down a ghost from the past. Mitch and Opal struggle in the face of work-place involvement but when the time comes to run, Mitch pushes Opal out of his life. The $ex scenes are passionate without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.

There is a large ensemble cast of colorful , powerful and energetic secondary and supporting characters. We are introduced to Pearl aka Janey, Onxy aka Raj, their handler and GEM founder Jacob Branch, FBI Agent Matt Driver, as well as Mitch’s daughter Sawyer, his ex-wife Becky, and her new husband Chad Miller, as well as several teens and volunteers at the Youth Centre. The requisite evil has many faces.

OPAL is a story of power and control, betrayal and vengeance, abuse and obsession, acceptance and love. The premise is gritty and captivating; the romance is subtle and seductive; the characters are desperate, determined and dynamic.

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

USA Today bestselling author Freya Barker loves writing about ordinary people with extraordinary stories.

Driven to make her books about ‘real’ people; she creates characters who are perhaps less than perfect, each struggling to find their own slice of happy, but just as deserving of romance, thrills and chills in their lives.

Recipient of the ReadFREE.ly 2019 Best Book We’ve Read All Year Award for “Covering Ollie, the 2015 RomCon “Reader’s Choice” Award for Best First Book, “Slim To None”, and Finalist for the 2017 Kindle Book Award with “From Dust”, Freya continues to add to her rapidly growing collection of published novels as she spins story after story with an endless supply of bruised and dented characters, vying for attention!

Facebook: http://bit.ly/FreyaFacebook
Twitter: http://bit.ly/FreyaTwitter
Instagram: http://bit.ly/FreyaInstagram
Web: http://bit.ly/FreyaWeb
Goodreads: http://bit.ly/FreyaGoodreads
Newsletter: https://www.subscribepage.com/Freya_Newsletter
Bookbub: http://bit.ly/FreyaBookBub

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