Fire and Ice by Anne Stuart

Fire And Ice by Anne Stuart

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


I finally finished my reread. It was taking too long!  I'm glad I finally just gave in just read this straight through the past couple of days. I alternated between the Kindle version and my paperback, which is a little more beat up than it was when I started.  Purses are not the best habitat for books, but what can a bookworm do? 

My thoughts this time around:

*Reno, you are such a brat, and how I love you.  You sexy thang! Why did it take you so long to admit you were crazy about Jilly. You were a goner from the beginning. I wish you could have refrained from putting your big cowboy boots in your mouth so much because you were trying to push her away.

*This book is really kind of chaotic at times.  It's okay though. I liked the wild pace and the energy. It felt like an Ice book, but on speed.

*Jilly sure did have a potty mouth. I think it's a function of her age and trying to put on armor against the world. Her mother is an idiot, and her father is barely around.  Other than her older sister, Summer, she practically raised herself.

*I thought the fist fight between Reno and Taka was hilarious. They really did act like family.  It was funny how even Reno was scared of Taka.  Taka is pretty scary, except maybe to Summer.

*I haven't had the pleasure of visiting Tokyo, but this book makes me feel like I did. 

*I loved this book just as much. A wild, crazy love story. Complete escapism, with two people who are young, gorgeous, and in love. Sometimes that's exactly what I need to read.


Reno



Rain is definitely my Reno. He doesn't have the waist-length red hair, but it's not much of a stretch to see him with that look. Here's a picture of him after he cuts his hair and dyes it black.

Jilly



Romola Garai definitely reminds me of Jilly. In the book, she has brown eyes, but otherwise, she pulls of the rebellious, but innocent, and highly cerebral persona of Jilly very well.

Reno is a lethal weapon, I decided he would be a sai. Technically sais aren't sharp except on the tip. They are mostly a defensive weapon, but a sai is a nasty weapon in the right hands.  Reno plays like he's feckless, but he's just as lethal as the other men of the Committee, and he's also Yakuza, which is a double whammy.




I needed this book right now!
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Original Review


I loved this book.  I know a huge part of it was the Japanese hero. What can I say?  I absoutely adore Asian men, and Reno is such a interesting guy. He's not a nice guy, but boy is he sexy and in the heart he is a decent human being.  He is one reluctant to fall in love hero, but deep down I think he fell for Jilly at first sight. He makes her pay for loving her though.

This book is action-packed and you don't get much down time. But it added to the almost Bonnie and Clyde appeal (without the overt criminal elements).

Boy the sex scenes are probably the steamiest I've read in an Anne Stuart.  You really get the tension and the fire between Reno and Jilly. Jilly has no ability to resist Reno, and she knows it.  Heck, I'm not sure I'd do better resisting him.  I'm still trying to figure out Jilly's failed sexual experience.  I'm scratching my head over that one.

For some reason I wasn't digging Reno's red hair. That bothered me a lot. I could deal with the tattoos, which has shown how I've changed in the years.  But the red hair just didn't sound attractive to me. Probably because I love the glossy black hair of Asian men.  Yum! 

I have a secret fascination with the Japanese Yakuza, which was delightfully indulged somewhat with this book. I loved the tidbits about Japan that Stuart throws in. Not like a person who researched Japan, but truly loves the city and its inhabitants. This book made me want to jump on a plane and go to the country. 

I was a bit worried about Jilly being so young, but it really didn't ruin the book for me. I think the way Stuart dealt with her young age was appropriate. She wasn't always certain and didn't always react the right way to situations, but who does at the age of 20.  Reno also shows that he is a twentysomething and somewhat rebellious type, and so his actions were fitting.

I love the Ice series, although they definitely go there for romances. This book is no different. I think this one is my favorite because Reno is not as machine-like and completely apathetic about morality as the other heroes were (Don't get me wrong, I still love Bastian, Peter, Taka, and Killian for all their ruthless killerness).  In fact, Reno has to work hard not to feel anything, particularly for Jilly. It's clear early on that Jilly is his Achilles' heel, although he makes her believe he can't stand her.  If you're looking for a nice little romance with normal people who always do the right thing, and no body count, don't read this book. If you want an adrenaline ride with two characters who passionately love each other, even though they know it's folly, I think you will love this book. I adore Anne Stuart, so I was along for the ride.  I thought the frenetic, intense, crazy adventurous theme of the book juxtaposed with glimpses into Japanese culture were thoroughly enjoyable.  The book even ends with a wild climax that makes you wonder what these two will be up to in the future, but you don't doubt for a second that they will stay together because they are soulmates.



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Unlawful Contact by Pamela Clare

Unlawful Contact by Pamela Clare

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Unlawful Contact is another example of Pamela's Clare's ability to write top notch romantic suspense that satisfies both the heavy-duty romance fan who wants a true love story and the analytical reader who looks for realism in her fiction.  In this case, her story is about Sophie and Marc aka Hunt, who met in high school, parted for twelve years, and came back together in a very explosive fashion.

Incidentally, I couldn't help but think about Arrested Development as I read this, since that is a very hilarious recurring joke on the show since Bluth Sr. is in prison.




There's a scene near the end of the book where I laughed out loud because it was such a reminder of this. 

Okay, back on point!

I can't say I'm a fan of underage sex, fuddy duddy that I am. However, I think that Pamela Clare made their teenage encounter very romantic, and I felt the lasting and powerful bond they formed and why it was so meaningful. I'm glad she did show this, because it makes their later interactions and relationship have an added depth.

Sophie is both a sweet, caring person, but also tough and incisive as a character.  Clare shows the integrity that journalists have and seem to largely lack in the public image we get from the media. I am glad that I had friends who strongly recommended that I read Extreme Exposure despite my dislike of journalists and politicians because Clare has caused me to re-evaluate my negative closed-mindedness of journalists by showing what they do, how seriously they take it, and how many sacrifices and risks that are involved in making sure that the news is fairly reported. I can't say I view the news media favorably over all still, but I am sure there are plenty of true believers with integrity in the industry.

Certainly, I've not walked Sophie's life journey, but I felt like I grew to know her and love her with each page I read.  I can see why Hunt never forgot her or got over her. I can understand her willingness to trust and believe in Marc, and her determination to help him, even though she was torn after he kidnapped her.

As for Hunt, Oh my!!! I loved him.  He is very tortured and his life pretty much sucked.  It's sad to say that the best years of his life were when he was a military sniper in Afghanistan, and the short night he spent with Sophie. The burden of guilt he carried made me want to cry for him.  Even though he is shown in a violent way early in the book, I knew that wasn't truly who he was. I knew that while prison turns many people into the basic, most animalistic parts of their natures, Marc managed to maintain that core of dignity despite six hard, hellish years inside. I loved him for that.  I am afraid of prison, let's be honest.  (Only my sister is more afraid of prison, which is strange since we are fairly upstanding citizens).  I can't imagine how horrible it would be to have a life sentence, especially as ex-law enforcement. The reveal near the end made my jaw drop, that Marc would be willing to do that!  Of course, I already adored him, but my adoration quotient when up even more.

The storyline was intense and really disturbing that such an injustice would occur and would go on so long. I was freaking angry about it.  I did a huge amount of yelling at the book near the end. My sister's cat was looking at me like I was crazy, in fact.  I wanted blood.  I could see why Marc was willing to take the risk to break out of jail. I couldn't blame him. Let me just say, a girl couldn't have a better older brother! 

Ms. Clare captures the reality of the wrongs that are inherent in a man-made system of justice.  It breaks my heart to know that women/girls can be abused in such a way by people in the system.    I'm not much of an Old Testament justice kinda girl, but I really wanted to see these guys get sentenced to castration for what they did!

The love scenes were hot, hot, hot, and I do mean hot.  I love that Clare can write such hot love scenes without going over the line into kinky/ick factor. You could see that poor Marc was 1)making up for lost time (since he was celibate 7 years), 2)taking the opportunity to get his true girl, 3)living a short amount of life he could before they put him back into the pen.  The love scenes showed the intensity of the feelings between Marc and Sophie and cemented my feeling that they had loved each other for that long time apart, even if it was an embryonic sort of love. It touched my romantic soul.  That's a good thing.

I read this book slowly and savored it.  I have gotten into a bad habit of reading fast because of deadlines, and I appreciated the opportunity of allowing a book to sink in and to digest the words, allow the scenes in the book to play on the movie screen of my head.  This was a great book to do that with.

Excellent from beginning to end. Each book in the I-Team series tops the preceding, which is something!  I definitely recommend it to romantic suspense fans and fans of misunderstood/bad reputation but true blue heroes and heroines who are truly likable.

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Heads Up!

In preparation of the November release of Striking Distance, The Pamela Clare Fan Group will be hosting a group read of the series, starting with this book! If you haven't yet read Pamela Clare's I-Team series, you're missing out on some truly fantastic stories.

So what are you waiting for?? Grab a copy of this book and join us on June 25th! We'd LOVE to have you!! Extreme Exposure Group Read




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If you're already a Pamela Clare fan, or interested in learning more about her and her books, be sure to stop by our Pamela Clare Fan Group  here on Goodreads!




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Ice Storm by Anne Stuart

Ice Storm by Anne Stuart
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Review of 1st Reread completed May 18th, 2013 on Kindle Version

I have finally gotten the time to start my reread of Ice Storm. It’s taking me forever to get through this Ice series reread, but I am enjoying it immensely. It’s nice to be able to savor the writing of my favorite author this way. I usually read books faster than I would like the first time, and you miss the nuances when you do that.

I loved how I was kept guessing on Killian. Is he really the cold-hearted murderer his reputation suggests? Then why the acts of unselfish chivalry when he thinks no one is paying attention?

Once again, it struck me how much Killian truly loved Isobel. He was a man on a mission and he had to complete it, and his love for her was inconvenient and unadvised, but he couldn’t make that go away. Even though he did leave her life, she never left his heart, and for someone who apparently could care less about Isobel, he sure did keep track of her over the following eighteen years.

There is something about a hero who is so lethal and capable like Killian. Gives me happy shivers. I liked that Isobel knew her stuff as well. She was realistic for a woman who had been an intelligence operative for many of her adult years. Yet I also liked that it troubled her, what she had to do in her job as a Committee operative. While Killian seems to wear his heart on his sleeve less, he too is an honorable man in an elemental way. Not afraid to get his hands dirty to do his part to make the world a better place. I think that out of the Ice series so far, they are the most perfect match. Two soulmates, even if they don’t believe in the concept. For a dark concept, this book is rather blissfully romantic. Although don't expect the overt heart and flowers. That ain't Stuart's style and I'm glad she doesn't write that way and does it so well. I know when I read one of her books, she wills surprise me with a romance that challenges the norm but truly gives me what I want in a romance novel.

I enjoyed catching up with the other Committee operatives: Bastien, Peter (who has an extended POV), and of course, my darling Reno. Happy to see these lethal men blissfully conquered by love, and waiting to see Reno get his own Cupid's Arrow to the heart, although there are signs already. The excitement level is rising to finally reread Reno’s book after something like four years. And of course, Mahmoud was both hilarious and a source of organic pathos, a child who is the symptom of a flawed, war and turmoil damaged world. How fitting that his surrogate parents would be two world-weary, dangerous spies. I cherish this book and this series.


Suggested Casting

Killian is a Saber. A sharp, deadly weapon made for efficient use.



Guy Pearce as Killian



Ruth Wilson as Isobel Lambert





***Original Review Below****

Anne Stuart does not disappoint. This book has all the things I love about Anne's books. And it has more. The characters are heroes on the edge, both the hero and the heroine. They live in the black heart of night, but fight for good the best way they know how. As much as I love Anne's heroes, Killian really sunk into me. His battle to do what must be done, and the fact that he never really got over Isobel in eighteen years. Isobel is convincing as a cool, competent leader for a covert organization. She suffers when she sends men out to their death, but she does it because it's the right thing to do. You want these two people to find peace. You want them to be together. In the hands of a master like Anne Stuart, you get what you want and more.

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Hard Evidence by Pamela Clare

Hard Evidence by Pamela Clare
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Hard Evidence was an excellent book. It quenched my thirst for good romantic suspense, that's not just about a hot hero and a cute, likable heroine scratching an itch while dodging bullets, and ultimately falling in love. No, there's nothing wrong with that. But it's great to read something that goes deeper and touches on issues that are real and meaningful in the world today while I get my high octane romance fix.

Julian is a man who has spent most of his life in the dark. He started out with a less than ideal childhood, a truly heartbreaking childhood, and channeled that into undercover law enforcement. He's seen only the worst of people. And while he believes that this has barred him from the possibility of a good, normal life and a good woman, undeserving of both, he is a very good man. He has put his life, soul and sanity on the line everyday to help the helpless. That made me love him. He's a gorgeous, sexy man in every way, but it was his heart that touched me the deepest.

Tessa is a crusader in a different way. She works as an investigative journalist to use the print media to bring positive change. Some of the risks she takes makes my hair stand on end. (And knowing that the writer, Ms. Clare taps from her own experiences in journalism makes it even more harrowing). Sometimes I wanted to ask her if she was crazy. But I also understand her need to help others, to use what God gave her to effect change in a world where too many people either don't know, don't care, or look the other way.

These two together make sense in a beautiful way. It was a pleasure to read their emotional, highly sensual, and meaningful love story. I started out reading this slowly (around my other review read), just taking it all in, enjoying the leisurely visit with Tessa and Julian, and soon I couldn't put the book down because I was so compelled to see what happened next.

Hard Evidence does hits hard with the realism of this world in which underage/teenage girls are abused, brutalized, and treated as objects and commodities. It makes me upset and angry to know that this is really happening, and it made me cheer for Julian (who is so well named, for he is a Dark Angel), and Tessa, who is an angel of justice from a whole different direction to do what they could to help those girls. Sometimes it seems as though the good guys don't win nearly enough, and it's too easy to give up the fight. But reading about heroes in these books like Tessa and Julian, that they represent the many unsung heroes, and knowing that there are those in real life who sacrifice and strive to make this world a better place is hugely encouraging. Some dark subject matter, but ultimately hopeful. A beautiful love story in which the light of love shines into places where most angels fear to tread, but not these in this book. Highly recommended!

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