Customer Reviews

The Thrill of It All

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
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This was my first Christie Ridgway novel. The storyline starts with Felicity Charm at a crossroads in her life, winning the "Joanie" for best on-air host of her GetTV shopping channel show. She is determined to turn her back on the Charm relatives who raised her from an orphan at age 4 once and for all after having made it in the glitzy world of television sales. While driving her new prize Thunderbird she gets a call from Aunt Vi asking for her help in finding her wayward cousin Ben. Insisting to herself that this is the last time she will involve herself in these family problems, she turns around and ends up losing control of her car (on a road seeded on purpose with nails by her Uncle Billy to enhance his auto repair business) and crashing into another vehicle. Alone in the desert in the pouring rain, cold, hungry and surrounded by tarantulas outside the jeep, Felicity (or Lissie as Michael calls her) takes to Michael, the stranger who seems to have brought her back to life in more ways than one.

After leaving Michael and their almost sexual encounter behind when the tow truck arrives, she is shocked to find that she and Michael Magee have more of a connection through the Charm family. As Felicity struggles to try to turn her back on the backward world of Half Palm California, she finds it difficult to resist the allure of Magee, a former rock climber with more talents than she realized. It is the journey of Felicity putting behind her pre-conceived ideas about people and letting herself lead with her heart that takes the story full circle.

First off, I'm a rather large fan of Ms. Ridgway. Her ability to create characters that the reader can connect with and laugh with is what sets her apart from other authors.

In her latest effort this does not change. We are introduced to Felicity Charm and Michael Magee. Both are characters that do a fairly good job at hiding who they really are. That is until Lissie and Michael run into each other literally. Now all bets are off, and both need to face the fact that what they thought they wanted and needed might not be exactly how they figured.

Felicity comes from a family of...con-artists and scammers. She has worked real hard at getting rid of the "charm" in her life. She is a very successful shopping network hostess. She has just won the "Joanie" (this equals the golden globe in T.V. awards) and feels that she can now work on the idea of proving to Drew (her boss) that she is worthy of being a little more to him than an employee. But...all of this comes to a crashing end when she gets a call from Aunt Vi and a trip back home is put into play. On said trip home she crashes into Michael and this is truly the beginning of a new and more realistic Lissie. Or is it?

Michael can't believe that his very own piece of bad karma has just crashed into his Jeep. He knows that his life is over as he knows it. He has to keep a promise and although it's not exactly what he wants a promise is a promise. Oh, and this promise does not include the sexy, sweet Lissie. Saved by a tow truck (you'll just have to get the book) Michael goes his way and Lissie goes her way...right to the same place. Now Magee is in more trouble than he ever was climbing mountains and rocks. He has a bad case of "Lissie" and she is making his life miserable. He wants her but can't have her...or can he?

Magee and Felicity are great characters. The reader will truly be able to connect with them both. Neither is too pretty, or perfect and this makes their realationship all the more fun to read. They both make bone headed mistakes (just like us fellow mortals) but are able to see the truth in the end. Secondary characters such as Ashely and Jack add to this compelling storyline with one of their very own. This is not to say that this is a story steeped in reality...it's not but it's a wonderful way to escape if only for a little while. I highly recommend Ms. Ridgeway laugh and loved filled reads!

Official Reviewer for www.romancedesigns.com

This was my first book that I've read by Ridgway and it definitely won't be my last. This book was really fun with lots of the intimate details that make the personalities come to life. Wonderful job with balancing the comedy and tense character relationships. I would have done a 4.5 stars if I could have. Great book for a fun exciting read!

This book was great. I really connected with all of the characters. I loved the relationship between Lizzie and Magee. The sex scenes were awesome and Ridgway did a great job of having the sexual tension throughout the whole book. Great if you want some sex and fun.

This is one of the best books I have read in a long time. I read it in a day and was never bored, I enjoyed all of the characters and I wanted to see how everything ended.

The Thrill of it All is the story of Michael Magee, a rock climber who feels responsible for the death of his best friend and climbing buddy, and Felicity Charm, an on air personality/host for a TV shopping network. The two meet when Felicity crashes her car into Magee's and the rest is history.

I liked Felicity. I thought she was strong and independent without coming across as hard and sweet and vulnerable when she needed to be.

I liked Michael and thought he was strong and flawed but also caring and masculine.

They had great chemistry together. They nearly burned up the pages. I liked that the story focused mainly on them.

The secondary stories of Ashley and Peter and the mystery of Ben fit nicely with the relationship between Magee and Felicity. Ashley came across as a wimpy ditz for parts of the book but redeemed herself in the end. I was also glad that Peter found happiness.

Overall, this was a great book. The story moved at a nice pace, it was well written and I was never bored. Once I started, I didn't want to put it down.

I think this has been my favorite CR book of all. Title says it all, definetely a "thrill". I'll take a Michael Magee anyday!

In Vegas, GetTV host Felicity Charm is thrilled when she wins the "Joanie" for her selling of electronic items. However, she has no time to bask in her glory as her California based family of nuts and con artists intercede. Aunt Vi asks Felicity to come home to Half Moon to solve the problem of her cousin vanishing. Although she prefers to avoid her family of rascals at all cost, Felicity is the troubleshooter so she drives across the desert.

However, Felicity's hits a car sitting on the side of the road in an isolated area. The other driver Michael Magee insures she is okay by taking her to his nearby abode. That night they fall into each other's arms, but not long afterward she learns his secret. He promised his deceased best friend that he would take care of his widow and daughter who happen to be first and second cousins to his "Lissie" as he calls the woman who crashed into his heart.

Though her family comes out of You Can't Take It With You without the charm as they use and abuse the serious minded Felicity, fans will enjoy this lighthearted romp because of the two likable protagonists. The contrast between Felicity and her family has made her feel as if she was adopted as they could never share the same DNA as she takes life seriously while they go from one caper to another. Michael becomes the equal sign between everyone, but he has made a death bed pledge that makes it unlikely that he and his beloved will forge a permanent relationship.

Harriet Klausner

This story was good. It was believeable and you could connect witht he people on a more humane level. Maybe that is why I really did not care for Michael most of the time. I liked him, then he was a jerk, and I didnt. It played out like that for most of the story. He was like most men out there, I guess he was just "too" real for me. Only some of the time, dont get the wrong idea, this book was good. He just agrivated me sometimes. I still liked it. There are just soem things I would have changed. It was a thrill, thats for sure.