Fire and Ice [Mass Market Paperback]

Julie Garwood (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 29, 2009

Sophie Rose is a crime reporter at a major Chicago newspaper and the daughter of Bobby Rose, a charming gentleman and big-time thief. When asked to write an exposé about her notorious father, Sophie quits and goes to work at a small newspaper, covering local personalities such as William Harrington, the 5K runner whose trademark is red socks. Those socks—with Sophie’s business card tucked inside—are practically all that’s found after Harrington is killed near Prudhoe Bay, Alaska, seemingly in a brutal polar bear attack.
 
Sophie heads north to investigate, but danger follows in her wake. After one attempt on her life, she’s assigned brash but sexy Jack MacAlister as a bodyguard. But Sophie and Jack will soon be fighting more than their growing passion for each other. Powerful forces will stop at nothing to prevent the exposure of the sinister conspiracy Sophie and Jack are about to uncover.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“[Julie] Garwood entices readers with sizzling adventure punctuated with memorable characters. . . . Humor and danger are a winning mix. . . . A genuine Garwood gem!”—Romantic Times
 
“Julie Garwood has become a trusted brand name in romantic fiction.”—People

About the Author

Julie Garwood is the author of numerous New York Times bestsellers, including Sizzle, Fire and Ice, Shadow Dance, Slow Burn, Murder List, Killjoy, Mercy, Heartbreaker, Ransom, and Come the Spring. There are more than thirty-six million copies of her books in print.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 400 pages
• Publisher: Ballantine Books; Reprint edition (December 29, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0345500768
• ISBN-13: 978-0345500762
• Product Dimensions: 4.2 x 1.1 x 6.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (75 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #49,412 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #91 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Romance > Romantic Suspense

More About the Author

Julie Garwood is the author of numerous New York Times bestsellers, including Fire and Ice, Shadow Music, Shadow Dance, Murder List, Killjoy, Mercy, Heartbreaker, Ransom, and Come the Spring. There are more than thirty-six million copies of her books in print.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

157 of 169 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Doomed to Disappointment, February 23, 2009

By 

B. Williams "B." (South Carolina) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Fire and Ice: A Novel (Hardcover)

I love Julie Garwood. Really, I do. She is a literary goddess, and I worship at her feet. However, as divine as she may be, "Fire and Ice" is anything but ambrosia.

Honestly, it kills me to say this. You must understand that I cut my teeth on Garwood's brilliant romantic historicals. I have spent a good portion of my life collecting each and every one---not to mention reading them again and again to the point of memorization. (Sad, I know, but the woman is, after all, a goddess.) There was a time that I would count down the days until a new Garwood was published like a crack addict awaiting her next fix.

Unfortunately, those days are now gone.

I have known it for a while, but, with each new book since the debut of "Heartbreaker," I have watched this author turn her back on every talent in her arsenal (witty, hilarious dialogue, fast-paced plots, fabulously interwoven and highly-entertaining sub-plots, sigh-worthy love stories, interesting historical facts, and side-splitting chaos) to reach out for the murder-mystery world where she simply doesn't shine. Ever since "Heartbreaker," (I am not even going to bring up "Shadow Music"--Don't get me started on that trainwreck) I have had to read the same basic plot over and over again, each time growing more and more disenchanted and disheartened. The smart-yet naive, sexy heroine is in danger from a psycho killer---but refuses to actually believe that---and it's only the big, bad loner lawman who is going to be able to save the day. P.S. They fall in love somehow along the way. Did I mention that?

Now, I will tell you that I am not a huge fan of the murder-mystery romance genre. This is why it has taken me this long to speak out (or type, as the case may be). I kept thinking it was me. Well, guess what? I just read this latest book, "Fire and Ice," and I can tell you one thing for certain:

The problem isn't me.

Not only are we dealing with the same plot as all the others, but we also have the incredibly quick development of Jack and Sophie's relationship. It's like someone injected them with steroids or something. One minute, they barely know each other, the next he's announcing that they'll be heading off to bed "by 10pm." Huh? I am all for quick romances and I have seen plenty of authors pull it off dozens of times. This one just isn't believable to me. These two just get to head off to Alaska, jump into bed, dodge a few bullets---as well as a crowbar (ouch)---and, BOOM, live happily ever after. Sophie herself even tries to figure out why she's so involved with someone she barely knows. Honey, if the characters are asking these questions, don't you think the readers will, too?

Then, there is the mystery plot. It was far-fetched for me to believe that someone like Sophie would really pursue this Harrington fellow as much as she did after he disappeared. He was irritating, boring, and colossal waste of brain power every time she was in his presence. He disappears before a race. So what? I was a journalist for many years. Believe me; reporters (especially those who work for smaller papers) have too much to do and too little time to do it in to worry about people like that---especially when the guy is a self-centered, egotistical creep. Even if you honestly want an apology, you wouldn't try to track him down because you would be too worried that he would suck you into his narcissitic vortex again. No, you'd put him in the "weirdoes to be avoided in the future" file and move on to the next story.

But, let's say Sophie is jonesing for an apology so bad she tracks him down. Why on earth would the bad guy actually call her? And, if he did only call her to find out what she knew, it was obvious she knew next to nothing about the whole thing---or at least not enough to piece anything realistic together. (We'll leave out the fact for a minute that Sophie is automatically suspicious of all lawmen and, nevertheless, answers every question fired at her by two strangers on the phone calling from Alaska). Harrington's death was ruled an accident. The bad guy is in the clear. Why would he keep calling her, trying to get her to come to Alaska? Does he want someone to connect him to the Harrington death? The bad guy is supposed to be this smart, educated scientist. I know rednecks who aren't that stupid.

I could go on and on about all the issues I have, but I won't. I could tell you the few things I liked in this book (and there were actually a few), but they're irrelevant. It comes down to this: If you love Julie, as I do, you would buy a copy of the phonebook if she put her name on it. But, in return for this devotion, it would be nice if she'd forget about all this foolishness of trying to be this "thrilling, Queen of Suspense" and write to her strengths. Julie: Just tell a good love story that has heart and rings true. If you still feel the need to toss in a body or two along the way, I'll survive.

Maybe she'll listen. Maybe she won't. Until then, I guess I'll just be doomed to disappointment.

55 of 61 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Would the real Julie Garwood please stand up???, April 24, 2009

By 

E. Raiford (Brooklyn, NY) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Fire and Ice: A Novel (Hardcover)

I'm sorry, but I just don't think Julie Garwood is writing her books anymore. This isn't her voice. Julie's voice is charming and funny and quirky, with lots of romance, character development, and heart. This has none of that. Her last few books haven't. Now more than ever, though, I'm convinced that Julie isn't writing these books. Authors don't change voice. I don't know how this book got published. The plot is lame and boring with so many holes and inconsistencies that it just isn't fun. Unfortunately, there is not a sizzling, electric romance to make up for the lame plot. The characters are all one dimensional and spout simple, boring dialogue. I don't know how or why the characters fell in love, because they were hardly together at all. When they were, there was zero chemistry. That used to be Julie's strength: chemistry. Plus, the descriptions, vocabulary, and sentence structure were plain old elementary. Very basic sentence structure. After the last book, I vowed I would not waste any money until the writing got better. I checked this one out of the libary. I'm afraid I'm done with Julie, which is a shame, because I have read and re-read her historicals (and the first two modern books, which were quite good), and I count many of those as some of my all-time favorite books. Oh well...another one bites the dust.

21 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Sophie Needs A Consciousness Raising Group, April 15, 2009

By 

Jo (DC) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Fire and Ice: A Novel (Hardcover)

I realize that this genre of fiction always includes an overly macho man, but Jack is insufferable. No matter what he looks like, how could any self-respecting woman be attracted to a man who orders her around, forbids her to do what she wants, talks down to her and invades her space without asking. That is not sexy. That is creepy.