Reviewed by Taylin
TITLE: Cannon Fire
SERIES: The Legend of the Ghost Train #2
AUTHOR: CJ Baty
PUBLISHER: Self Published
RELEASE DATE: May 15, 2020
LENGTH: 141 Pages
BLURB:
1862 – Maxwell Ryder refused to honor a prearranged marriage with Penelope Walker. Instead, he fell madly in love with her younger brother, Jeremiah. When Maxwell returned to his regiment, Penelope planned the murder of her brother. Hiding his body where no one would ever find it. Maxwell died during a Civil War battle never knowing what happened to his love.
Present – Luke Ryder was the last descendant of the Ryder family. It was on his watch that the family’s great home, White Oaks Manor, was sold to a rich business man named, Jacob Walker. He hated Jacob before he ever met him, but after, Jacob asked him to join in the restoration of the old manor, their time together brought them closer and love started to bloom.
Jacob Walker and his sister Trisha, own their own business, buying and restoring classic homes. Jacob fell in love with White Oaks Manor before he ever met the man who had to sell it to him. Luke Ryder was nothing like any of the men Jacob had ever known. He was charming, funny, and very passionate about his family’s heritage.
As the two work together, the attraction between them grows stronger. Then strange things begin to happen at the manor. People being injured, cold winds, and wild screams during the night. Trisha seeing a woman’s ghost that warns her to keep her brother away from Luke Ryder. Jacob has strange dreams of his own. None of them know of the impending danger that is watching over them.
Penelope Walker was made a fool of once. Condemned to haunt White Oaks Manor where her brother’s body is hidden, she kept Maxwell and Jeremiah apart in life and she sure in hell isn’t going to let them be together in death.
Can Luke and Jacob save themselves, and the lovers from the past before Penelope reeks her vengeance again?
REVIEW:
As the last of his line, Luke Ryder has had to sell his family home. The whole transaction has been done with no face to face contact. The man who has bought White Oak Manor is Jacob Walker, and Luke wants to hate him. However, when it comes time to hand over the keys, Jacob is everything Luke wants in a man.
Jacob’s initial thoughts were to restore the manor then sell it on as a B&B. But there is something about the place that draws him to it. Part of that pull is its previous owner, Luke. Jacob persuades Luke to help with the restoration work, and as the two get closer, Jacob has dreams about the place. Upon his arrival, Jacob saw and felt the presence of ghosts. They had never shown themselves to Luke, who dismissed Jacob’s ideas as tricks of the light. But Luke knew stories existed about his home. He took the job of helping Jacob because he wanted to see White Oak Manor reborn. When accidents started happening, it became clear that more was going on with the old family home.
Cannon Fire is book two in the series and can be read as a standalone. The only element connecting the stories are the paranormal elements. It is told in the third person, present tense from multiple viewpoints. Anything from the past, such as dreams or ghostly interactions, are written in italics. Technically, it’s not perfect. Nevertheless, it is a story that I couldn’t put down. The writing has an atmospheric quality about it that drew me in from chapter one. I started and finished it in a day.
There’s an immediate spark between Jacob and Luke, which given their historical connections, is to be expected. The focus is on the ghostly aspects of the story, and it is admirable that the author didn’t get sidetracked. But I’d have liked to read more of the interactions that allowed love to bloom between Luke and Jacob in those early weeks of renovations. The timeline suggests an appropriate period for their feelings to emerge. Still, because the story hops and skips to where the ghostly events are more active, it gives the impression that the romance buildup is of a much shorter length.
The cast is not large, which suited me, and my feelings varied from character to character, which again, is a definite positive. Trisha, Jacob’s sister, runs hot and cold regarding the budding relationship between Jacob and Luke. Then again, she is influenced by a ghost. Penelope, the evil murdering hauntress, does an admirable job of being the scorned woman out for revenge. Albeit, I believe the author could have gone an extra yard with her arc in the closing scenes.
As for Maxwell and Jeremiah – the original historical lovers – Jeremiah captured my heart. For much of the story, Jeremiah is muted, but he makes his feelings known. He has a calmness about him and an absolute belief that Maxwell will be able to ride the Ghost Train and find his way back to him.
To date, this author’s stories have not failed to give my emotions a workout. There is drama, suspense, frustration, love, and yes, Jeremiah made me melt. Another reader may find that melting moment with Jacob or another character. Who knows? Everyone’s reading experiences are different.
The story receives four hearts because of the technicalities, which occasionally affected the flow and my desire for more relating to the interactions between Luke and Jacob. But, it is still a damned good story. If you are one of those readers who likes a ghost story with a HEA, and one that doesn’t make you check under the bed before sleeping or keeping a night light, then Cannon Fire is recommended.
Coal Dust is book 3 in the series and is due for release summer 2020. I look forward to it.
RATING: 
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