5 Star Review for Riding the Thunder

Very enticing romance with a ghostly duo and a cat with no name., October 15, 2007
By
Detra Fitch (USA)

Jago Fitzgerald (Mershan) would do anything for his oldest brother, Des. After their father committed suicide, in front of ten-year-old Des, Des became the man of the family. Des helped out their mother and practically raised Jago and Trev (Jago's twin). After years of planning, the time for revenge has come. Mershan International has completed all the arrangements for Montgomerie Enterprise's hostile takeover. This action will complete the Mershan family's revenge on the Montgomerie family. It does not matter, especially to Des, that the man who committed the ruin of their family is dead. Closure would come with the ruin of the granddaughters. Des and Trev were off dealing with two of the Montgomerie sisters overseas. Jago's target is in Kentucky.

Asha Montgomerie's brother, Liam, is doing his best to keep the family's horse ranch. Their father, in England, is doing everything he can to force the sell. Asha is being pushed by their father to sell her restaurant, The Windmill. But Asha is the sole owner of the restaurant and she will NEVER sell it. Asha also owns the small motel, swim club, laundromat, and the drive-in theater. The Windmill is a haven for lost souls, of the past and the present. People in the area know that there are unspoken rules about The Windmill Restaurant (and the drive-in). The first rule is to never touch the Wurlitzer 2000 jukebox in a threatening manner. The restaurant's ghostly duo does not take it kindly. The second rule is to change nothing. Third is not to sit in a certain booth after dark. There are other rules, but the locals simply accept them all as normal.

When Jago drives up, it does not take Asha long to figure out he works for the company trying to claim her teeny community and wipe its existence off the map. She has no idea how far up the corporate ladder Jago really is though. As for Jago, the instant he looks at his alleged enemy's granddaughter, he knows that she is destined to be his. The question is how to get Asha without her realizing exactly who he is and why he came to the area in the first place. The more Jago sticks around, the more he finds himself becoming part of the strange community. Jago begins to understand Asha's fey spot in the world. A sanctuary for ghosts, a jukebox with a mind of its own, a Cajun cook, a cat with no name, a guy named "Oo-it" and an aging Jedi Master. Jago has to make a choice between the love for his brother and his growing love for Asha and the area. A storm is coming...

***** This is book two in the Sisters of Colford Hall series. In my opinion, it is even better than the first (The Invasion of Falgannon Isle). Trust me, that is saying something! Author Deborah MacGillivray gives each character a realistic touch, but the main characters (Jago and Asha) are downright striking. I came to deeply care for them. The secondary and background characters snuck up on me. I have no idea how these crazy people became so important to me. But as I neared the end of the book, I dreaded the thought of never seeing them again. Now THAT is talent! All-in-all, I found this to be a delicious frolic in a magical world. Perfect! *****

Reviewed by Detra Fitch of Huntress Reviews.