Review of Ghostly Interference by Jan Sikes

 

Blog: 

Jag Peters has one goal in his quiet comfortable life—to keep his karma slate wiped clean. A near-miss crash with a candy apple red Harley threatens to upend his safe world. He tracks down the rider to apologize properly. Slipping into a seedy biker bar, he discovers the rider isn't a "he", it's a "she", a dark-haired beauty.

Rena Jett is a troubled soul, who lives in a rough world. She wants no part of Jag's apology, but even while she pushes him away, she is attracted to him. When he claims to see a ghost—her brother—can she trust him? And could her brother's final gift, a magical rune stone with the symbol for "happily ever after" have the power to heal her wounds and allow opposites to find common ground—perhaps even love?

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My thoughts:

This story wasn’t just fabulous, it was completely unexpected.

First of all, the author has taken the traditional roles and reversed them. We have our heroine, Rena Jett, the tough biker scarred by a tragic past and determined to stand alone. Then our hero, Jag Peters, is a computer geek who’s struggling with sexual harassment in the workplace. But, one rule holds true – opposites attract. The character development with these two is amazing. They learn and grow from each other throughout.

The Biker line usually turns me off. Many authors write entire series’ about MCs and I have to wonder if they’ve ever been on a bike, let alone known a member of an actual club. (My family has history.) Sikes doesn’t go there. I appreciate that.

Then, there’s the paranormal aspect. The ghost of Rena’s late brother, Sam, isn’t overly intrusive, but he makes his presence known at the right times. How he communicates with the living characters is more believable than in most ghost stories.

This story has sub-plots galore, but each one ties in and has a purpose. One part worried me – when Jag’s family secret was revealed. I thought to myself, “Oh no, too predictable.” However, it goes on to be a good part of the overall story.

Here’s where I have to add a warning to the reader. If you’re just looking for hearts and flowers this isn’t that book. Parts of the characters' past and what happens in the present are sometimes raw and gritty including sexual abuse, kidnapping, motorcycle accident, and gun violence. It may have triggers for some of you. Personally, I thought the author did a great job of relaying these events. I appreciate realism.

This book doesn’t only get a solid five ***** stars from me; it’s one of the few I’ll keep to read again.

Amazon link:

https://www.amazon.com/Ghostly-Interference-White-Rune-Sikes-ebook/dp/B08KW1KFMW