I received this book for free from the library in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Source: the library
Fire and Ice
by
Anne Stuart
romantic suspense in a paperback edition that was published by MIRA Books on May 1, 2008 and has 379 pages.
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Other books by this author which I have reviewed include Reckless, Breathless, Black Ice, Cold as Ice, Ice Blue, Shameless, Ice Storm, Ruthless
Fifth in the Ice romantic suspense series revolving around bad boy spies. The couple focus in this one is on Reno and Jill.
I really wanted to give this a “2”, but since it’s only because I can’t stand Jilly’s character and I did appreciate the Japanese tour, I’m upping it to a “3”.
My Take
What drugs was Stuart on? This was terrible. I kept checking the cover to be sure I was still in the same series with the same author. She is so much better than this?! Was she in a hurry to crank this out? Was she not paying attention? Seriously, folks, you can skip this one.
Yeah, I enjoyed the tour of Japan and Japanese culture, and I do like Reno’s character’s ruthless cockiness even with its undertone of vulnerability and immaturity. Although, I would still have thought he would have better taste than to want anything to do with Jill. I really don’t see the attraction.
There is plenty of action and a very sad ending of so many things. Christ, with all the evidence of bad guys coming after her, does wittow Jilly have to be so frickin’ stupid??? I want to kill her off now. Jill is worried about the legality of using a cellphone while they’re driving their second stolen car after being chased by Russian killers? She runs out of their hotel room because Reno upset her? Shoot her now; preserve the gene pool!
No kidding! –
“You’re pathetic as a kitten. If your family had any sense they wouldn’t let you out without a keeper.”
LOL, Taka is gonna be in so much trouble, but I did appreciate the cleverness of his getting Summer to stay behind.
You may have noticed that I’m disappointed with this one. I had so looked forward to reading about Reno and to have to read about this idjit spoiled the whole thing for me.
The Story
Poor wittow Jilly got her feelings hurt. So she’s run off to Tokyo to visit her big sister Summer. Peter Madsen learns that Jilly’s on her way to Japan even though she’s been told not to come, and she’s totally ignorant of the dangers waiting. Oh, yeah, in spite of knowing that Taka is a spy and his family is yakuza. It’s just what Reno needs as an excuse to see her again. He’s been in love with her for some time now, but was warned off by both Taka and Summer. Her danger is his reason to buck both his cousin and his grandfather.
If you can ignore Jilly’s participation, it is an exciting game of cat-and-mouse throughout Tokyo as Reno tries to put the few clues together and help his grandfather.
The Characters
Jill Lovitz is Summer Hawthorne‘s little half-sister and doesn’t seem to have learned a thing (see Ice Blue) in spite of our being told how intelligent she is. She’s chronologically twenty with the maturity level of a thirteen-year-old. Obviously she’s one of those with a high intellect and no common sense. Ralph Lovitz is her billionaire father; Lianne is her self-obsessed mother.
Hiromasa “Reno” Shinoda is the grandson of one of the few honorable (?) yakuza lords left in Japan. The man who banished him from Japan. And he puts quite a bit of trust into his invincibility as Ojisan’s grandson. He’s smart, practical, and too emotionally vulnerable. Takashi O’Brien and his wife Summer (see Ice Blue are in hiding due to Sir Harry’s threats; Taka is also Reno’s cousin. Kyo is a good friend of Reno’s.
Ojisan is the oyabun, the head of the Shinoda yakuza. He’s been sharing out a lot more power since Reno and Taka took up spying for the Committee. Kobayashi is an ex-sumo wrestler and his grandfather’s personal bodyguard. Hitomi is his grandfather’s second-in-command.
Peter Madsen is an operative of the Committee, and after events in Ice Storm 4, it looks like he’s in charge. He and his wife Genevieve have taken in Mahmoud. And they are in desperate need of a Play Station Three.
Duke is the stupid boy with whom she had the horrible date. Big frickin’ deal.
The Cover and Title
The cover is somehow related to the story. I guess. I can’t picture where it occurs, but I’m assuming that someone thought it did. Its deep blue–grays set the tone of menace with the stormy sky and the hillside of ferns and palm trees that support the modern house at the top glowing with orange. The sky above reflects the title with flames and icicles. Looks to me as though someone was in a hurry to get this cover done and nobody was paying attention.
The title is meant to reflect Jill and Reno’s personalities — Fire and Ice. Personally, I think Dumber and Dumb would have worked well.
