FIRE AND ICE

By Julie Garwood
Ballantine Books (2008), 320 pages, $26 (hardcover)

The strengths of Julie Garwood’s books are the engaging characters she brings to life, and the chemistry she brews between the hero and heroine.

“Fire and Ice” fit rather nicely into her well-honed formula.

Sophie was peripherally introduced in “The Murder List.” Don’t remember? No wonder – it was written four years ago.

So to save yourself the frustration of not being able to remember Sophie – or other characters – from that book, you might want to read it again before you start “Fire and Ice.” Or, you can read this brief synopsis:

Regan and her friends Cordie (perhaps within the next decade we’ll read about her romance with Regan’s brother Aidan….or maybe not) and Sophie go to hear this quack self-help guru, to help Sophie (a reporter) expose him as a fraud. He tells everyone to write a “Murder List,” names of people they’d rather not exist.

Regan scribbles down a few names so he doesn’t suspect her of being a spy.

The next thing she knows, people on her list start getting killed. And she receives threats. She’s assigned a bodyguard – Alex Buchanan – who is a few weeks away from leaving Chicago and returning to Boston to work for the FBI.

They fall in love.

So in “Fire and Ice,” Regan and Alec are back, and so are some of Alec’s police buddies. But the new guy is Jack – Alec’s partner, and the hero of this piece.

Jack loses a bet and consents to a favor, which results in him sticking close to Sophie. Of course eventually he sticks real close.

Sophie is a strong heroine and Jack makes a good match for her. Their chemistry is good and it’s obvious to everyone that they’re head-over-heels – everyone but Sophie and Jack. And that just makes it fun to watch.

The suspense is intriguing and will keep you guessing in some aspects. The trip to Alaska is rather fun to read about – but keep a blanket handy. You’ll get cold when you read it.


Overall rating: 4 of 5 hearts. Garwood doesn’t release books very often, but when she does it’s a must read. This book has ties to the Buchanans (the modern day ones), which gives it additional appeal for fans of that series. But it’s also well-written, with engaging characters and a suspenseful storyline – which will appeal to all romance fans, and perhaps even to some mystery readers as well.

Hunk appeal: 10. Jack isn’t the flowers and candy romantic type. Thank goodness. His toughness, eventual protectiveness and capability give him a gruffy appeal. His reluctance to accept his love for Sophie is endearing as well. It’s just fun watching him fall.

Steamy scene grade: XXXX. And fall hard.

Happily-Ever-After: Good. Garwood has a knack for fun endings (who will ever forget Laurant’s and Nick’s finale in “Heartbreaker”) and while this one doesn’t match that one, it’s still a good one. Maybe a bit predictable, but that’s OK too.

Also this week…..



“When the Duke Returns,” by Eloisa James (2008 paperback) 4 of 5. This fourth book in the “Desperate Duchesses” series is just fun. Isidore, who we’ve watched not-so-patiently wait for her husband to return from Africa, finally gets to meet the man who made her a duchess when she was just a child. Their families arranged the marriage, and they were married by proxy when Isidore was quite young. Simeon returns looking to start a life with his docile, biddable wife. He was in for quite a surprise when he discovered his beautiful Isidore was a lot of things – intelligent, quick-witted, opinionated and stubborn – and most definitely not docile and biddable. While they struggle to decide whether to stay married or not, they can’t ignore the passion that sparks whenever they’re together – even though at times, both would like to. Then again, at times they both rather enjoy that passion.

A STONE CREEK CHRISTMAS

By Linda Lael Miller
Silhouette (2008), 217 pages, $4.99 (paperback)

Take a veterinarian who talks to animals, a lost reindeer named Rodney and a Christmas tree vendor named Kris Kringle and what do you get?

A delightful holiday romance worth reading.

Olivia O’Ballivan is a small-town vet who spends more time with animals than people. She’s got trust and abandonment issues – thanks to her mother’s desertion when she was a child, and even her beloved famous brother’s leaving to find fortune and fame – but that doesn’t stop her from becoming attached to new-guy-in-town Tanner.

Tanner has definite commitment issues.

So when they embark on a no-strings-attached affair, it seems the best for both. But it doesn’t take long for each of them to realize they’re in love – and no-strings isn’t best at all.

In fact, they both discover they want strings. Lots of strings. And not just the strings of lights they buy to decorate for Christmas.

The simplicity of the plot, and the fun that Linda Lael Miller has with entwining Christmas magic in the story, should put it at the top of holiday reading lists. But Olivia’s sadness about missing her grandfather, and her angst over those abandonment issues thanks to dear old mom, make her less than a cheery and fun heroine to read about. Tanner doesn’t help matters – he’s still grieving for his deceased wife, misses his grandmother, and is conflicted about whether he should be forcing his daughter to live in a boarding school for protection.

All of this soul-searching, angst and sadness makes for a rather somber read much of the time.

But the romance between Olivia and Tanner is touching, endearing and sweet. It’s also fun to read about Brad and Meg (“The McKettrick Way”) as they enjoy their happily-ever-after.

Overall rating: 3 of 5 hearts. Perhaps a bit too somber at times, but still a touching and sweet romance full of Christmas spirit.

Hunk appeal: 10. Perhaps a bit too somber at times….but Tanner is a good man who treats Olivia well and tries to do the right thing for his family.

Steamy scene grade: XXXX. Not too somber.

Happily-Ever-After: Good. Perhaps a bit too somber….but Tanner and Olivia are well on their happily-ever-after way and seem to be a bit perkier.


Also this week…..



Silver Bells

by Fern Michaels, JoAnn Ross, Mary Burton and Judy Duarte
(2008, paperback) 3 of 5.

This is a collection of short, holiday stories that are easy, quick reads. In “Silver Bells,” by Michaels, movie-star Amy discovers she can go home again – thanks to high school boyfriend Hank. In “Dear Santa,” Holly discovers the magic of Christmas – and love – thanks to Gabriel. In “Christmas Past,” Nicole discovers love is worth trying again – thanks to David. And in “A Mulberry Park Christmas,” Jillian goes home again, and discovers love again – thanks to Mac.

THE PAGAN STONE

By Nora Roberts
Jove (2008), 305 pages, $7.99 (paperback)

Nora Roberts very, very rarely disappoints.

But the finale of her latest otherworldly-type trilogy fizzled somewhat.

Perhaps it was because the bad guy wasn’t really a guy – or gal. Perhaps it was because Gage and Cybil weren’t really romance hero and heroine worthy.

Maybe it was because Gage and Cybil’s “courtship,” if you can call it that, seemed to be more about the physical than romance.

And maybe some readers aren’t just enlightened enough to latch onto characters who are way too casual and “cosmopolitan” about certain things.

Or maybe all the research and speculation about the big evil entity lurking in their lives just got a bit tedious and overshadowed the romance.

Regardless, “The Pagan Stone” wasn’t as good as its predecessors, “Blood Brothers” and “The Hollow.”

Still, a disappointing Nora Roberts book is better than many and it’s still an intriguing story. And besides, if you read the first two books, you’ve got to read this one.

Encouraged by successful battles against the evil thing in the earlier books, the team of six is ready to dispense of the bad entity for good. They’re far from totally confident they can, but they know they have no choice.

Of course we started “The Pagan Stone” with two couples already blissful – Quinn and Cal (“Blood Brothers”) and Fox and Layla (“The Hollow.”) By the way, Layla was less annoying in this book.

Gage and Cybil resent the notion that fate may be forcing them toward couple-dom. They acknowledge a physical attraction, but are determined not to be paired for eternity.

Of course, they end up paired for eternity.

When Gage confesses his love – and it does rather charmingly come out like a confession dragged out by torture – he says, “I’m not here with you because of some grand design dictated before either of us were born. I don’t feel what I feel for you because somebody, or something, decided it would be for the greater good for me to feel it. What’s inside me is mine, Cybil, and it’s in there because of the way you are, the way you sound, the way you smell, you look, you think….

“I’m in love with you, and I’m almost through being annoyed about it.”

And by the time you read that, you’ll almost be through being annoyed at Gage and Cybil and the research that bogged down the story somewhat.

Overall rating: 3 of 5 hearts. While the research and speculation about how they can best defeat the evil entity gets cumbersome, there is still enough witty dialog and repartee to make it worth reading. Nora Roberts is incapable of writing a bad book. This one just isn’t as good as most of hers.

Hunk appeal: 10. Gage is a good enough guy, and while he stumbles a bit – and is somewhat too casual – he does rally nicely at the end.

Steamy scene grade: XXXX. Doesn’t stumble here.

Happily-Ever-After: OK. The evil is destroyed and the town can live without the fear that strikes every seven years. The couples are all paired and headed toward wedded bliss.

Also this week…..

A BRIDE BY CHRISTMAS
by Heather Graham, Jo Beverley and Candace Camp (2008 paperback) 3 of 5.

These are actually stories by these authors written 19 and nine years ago. Even though they’re all short stories, they do drag at times. Still, they’re Christmas stories and that makes them more tolerable. In Graham’s story, “Home For Christmas,” a Yankee captain confiscates a Southern home, and captivates it’s young mistress – Isabelle. She is torn between her feelings for Travis, and her allegiance to the Confederacy. In Beverley’s, “The Wise Virgin,” Joan gets entangled in a feud between her uncle and his long-time enemy, and falls in love with the enemy. She thinks their future together is doomed not to happen, but she underestimates the power of true love. And in “Tumbleweed Christmas,” by Camp, Melinda becomes a housekeeper and cook for a curmudgeonly rancher. By Christmas, he’s not so curmudgeonly any more.