Title: Texas Thunder
Author: Rod Casteel
Published in 2002 by Ellora's Cave
Genre: Contemporary
IBSN:1-84360-052-8 LIT
1-84360-064-1 PRC
Cynthia Petterson was not expecting a "happily-ever-after" marriage, but she was expecting that her husband-to-be would be faithful to her. That was blown out of the water when, on the morning of her wedding day, she found him in the shower of her maid of honour, Shannon, and expecting her to join him. The shock had nearly driven her over the edge, but she is stronger than that. It had, however, driven her out into the snow, in a desperate attempt to put some distance between herself, and the pain of Jeff's betrayal, and into a storm that would have consequences that she could never expect. As she travels the mountainous road, the snow begins to fall heavier, and before long, she can hardly see where she is going, let alone where she has been. She is trying to get down off the mountain, when her car decides to take a detour.
As she struggles to make sense of what has happened in her life, Cynthia realizes that the man who had come to her rescue, the man to whom she gave the gift of her body is a man that she misses very much. Although Charles is a friend of her older brother, Cynthia wishes that he would call. The snowbound days she had spent in his care, in the beautiful home that he had built high on a Colorado mountain, still call to her. The tenderness, the concern, and the gentleness of his caring are deeply imprinted on her, even as her family came and swept her away. He didn't follow, and she is now wondering if what they had was just a passing fancy. Her life had returned to what is was before. She has returned to her home in Texas, and yet she is not as happy as she was before. She is again surrounded by family, and has jumped back into her work on the ranch, but there is one important exception this time...a piece of her heart is missing.
The snow was coming down faster as Charles Randall headed down the mountain to Stanford's, the closest grocery store. The weather report had not been very accurate. He figured, at the rate it is snowing, he would have just enough time to tuck in some supplies and make it back home before the brunt of the storm hit. There is something nagging and pulling at him, but even as he volunteers to drive 83 year-old Mrs. Higgins home, he's feeling compelled to hurry as quickly as he safely can. Having delivered the lady to her home, Charles heads back up the mountain, only to be stopped at the sight of the tracks that leave the road. The ravine is deep and steep sided, and he knows that no one else could have possibly been by, not was it likely for another to come along in this weather. It is a struggle to get to the vehicle, and even more so to get the driver out and up the steep sides, but he manages.
There is a familiarity about the young woman he finds in the wrecked car, but as the pieces finally come together, she is swept from his life by her family. She left his home almost as fast as she entered it, and in the process leaving him bereft. He never noticed the emptiness, the vacuum that his life had become until Cynthia had crashed into his life. She brought sunshine, and a joy that he hadn't felt in at least 6 years. Until now, he was totally unwilling to examine his life, and his self-imposed isolation. He was still successful, but he had shut himself off and away from those who could have been the most important in helping him overcome the pain. This realization brings him up short, and sets in motion the series of events that will change more than one life, and change them for the better. Until Cynthia, Charles didn't have a reason to return home to Dallas and the family construction company. Now he is home, and able to pursue the one who has brought him back to life, to Texas. The woman who has brought the smiles back to the faces of his family...Cynthia.
Texas Thunder is the story of two people, and how they meet, are pulled apart, and come together again. Rod Casteel has brought together a pair of characters whose lives have caromed off into a haze of emotional hurt and pain. A set of unusual circumstances has brought them love, goodness, and a realization that life renews. Out of the ashes of what has been, something warm, beautiful, and real can be created and flourish. It has been said that truth is stranger than fiction, and yet the power of love has provided many of us with stories that seem miraculous. So it is when another tragedy threatens, and another accident brings their world into focus.
This is a first book from author Rod, and it is well done. Texas Thunder is very good, and is a fast and wonderfully easy read, as the style is simple and straightforward. The story is believable and quite enjoyable, bordering just enough on the fanciful to tickle the imagination, and make you scoff and sigh in turn. Texas Thunder leaves the reader wishing for more, and although it appears to be a book of a rather bland nature, don't let the cover fool you. It is hot and spicy as a bowl of salsa, and the feelings it evokes keep the senses humming. I found it to be a fast and enjoyable read, and I would definitely recommend it to those who enjoy a sexy contemporary romance. Texas Thunder was entered, and won recognition in the Molly Awards, and it is available now from Ellora's Cave. It is a wonderful addition to my library, and it will be to yours as well.
Yours in good reading,
Rose!
Rod Casteel
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