14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
It's not perfect, but I found myself not caring, July 20, 2008
I love Anne Stuart. It is my goal to read every single book she's ever written, and I'm getting there! She is probably the only author whose books I will buy without even reading any kind of plot description. That's because anything this woman writes, even if it's flawed, is still more enjoyable then the best work of a ton of other authors. Fire and Ice is no exception; it is Stuart working her usual magic.
I've really liked all the "Ice" books, and ever since we first meet Reno in Ice blue, I've been eagerly awaiting his story. After reading it in one sitting, I can say that I was not disappointed. Reno came across as such a unique and complicated character in Ice Blue, and fire and Ice definitely does him justice. Who else but Stuart could take a flamboyant Japanese punk/gangster/secret agent with long red hair and tattoos and make him into a feasible romance hero?
Some people have commented that Reno has lost some of his spunk and become too much like the other ice men, but I don't agree. He's still as outrageous as ever, but he seems a little bit harder and wiser. I think he's just grown up a little. And we do get a better understanding of him-- beneath the outrageous exterior, he's actually not a bad guy, he's a brilliant engineer, and he's scared of falling in love. Aww.
People have also commented that Jilly is cowardly and annoying, but I disagree. The poor girl is only 20, and she is on the run for her life faced with numerous near-death situations. The way she behaves is realistic. Yes, I was disappointed that we only heard about her genius IQ but never saw it in action. However, this is a small complaint, as I still found her likable and spunky. Yeah, she did some stupid things and took a lot of orders from Reno, but come on! she's young and frightened, and what other choice does she have?
Most importantly, the chemistry between these two that was hinted at in Ice Blue really explodes. They argue constantly, throwing out insults and inuendos, but you can tell that sexual tension simmers close to the surface. I was worried that Jilly would not be able to hold her own alongside the larger-than-life Reno, but she does. They're a good match, and their feelings for each other are believable; you can really see the gradual transformation from lust to grudging respect to love.
My only real complaint was the plot. For the first half of the book there kind of isn't one-- Jilly and Reno just basically run around Tokyo, trying to escape various thugs. It seems that the purpose of this is to force them into close proximity so that their relationship can develop. The plot was a bit hazy; I never really understood why exactly they were being chased and who was doing it. However, the plot improved in the last third, when we see the complicated problems within Reno's family's gangster organization and finally somewhat understand what's going on. Anyway, I always think the relationship between the hero/heroine is way more important than plot in a romance novel, so the plot holes didn't really detract from my enjoyment.
Overall, this book is full of non-stop action and riveting sexual tension-- making it a worthy addition to the "Ice" series!
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
12 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Finally, A Hit Outta The Ballpark!, May 23, 2008
I remember when I first started reading this series. I had no notion of where the story was going, did I like any of these murderous characters? most of the plot left me lost BUT I kept on reading because of the sheer writing mastery of this author. I liked a few in this series, but most I did not. The one immediately before this one, left me cold. None of the characters I cared about and the female lead needed a sharp needle to the pericardium. Except it would have been too difficult to find the heart. Now comes this home run and wow! Can you IMAGINE a tall, brilliant, Japanese hero with a head of flame-red hair down to his waist? With a leather jacket, Harley, a master Yazuka grandfather and a hunka a' burninglove for the female lead. Just quit folding laundry and making dinner, right now! Find a comfy spot and don't leave it because you won't want to put this honey of a book down until it's read. Then maybe you will turn around and read it again! It's that darn good.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
Interesting but left me cold..., June 5, 2009
While I can see the point of some reviewers that Jilly is young and therefore her lack of backbone and stupidity should be somewhat understandable...she IS supposed to be a genius. I guess because her genius is ancient Japanese something-or-other, it's okay that she's rather dumb in other areas, even as she's frequently referred to as an "old soul". What really bothered me overall was the complete "given over to the gonads" theme, which seems somewhat common in the few Anne Stuart books I've read. The male leads are SO HOT that the fact that they frequently treat the female like utter crap, but the woman just loves and pants after them anyway. Sorry, but having seen and interacted with someone for 5 minutes as the two characters were have supposed to, then she sees him again and he's a complete d**k to her and she melodramatically says she hates him....but he's SO HOT....
Gah. I just don't like the dynamic and the way the female is treated throughout the book, then suddenly, he decides, oh, yes, he does "love" her, and reappears and she falls at his feet. Blech.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
![[Start the discussion]](http://g-ecx.images-amazon.com/images/G/01/x-locale/communities/discussion_boards/start-new-discussion-sec._V192250339_.gif){kind=small}
