FIRE AND ICE by Julie Garwood

Publisher:   Ballantine

Published:   December 29, 2009

ISBN:  978-0345500762

Genre:  Romantic Suspense

Format:  Paperback

Obtained via:  Publisher  

Reviewed by name and email address:  Gina Gina@loveromancesandmorereviews.com

FIVE HEARTS

Sophie Summerfield is a reporter for a local neighbourhood type paper in Chicago.

Sophie Rose is the daughter of the notorious Bobby Rose – a person of interest to many law enforcement agencies because of his financial manipulations.

The Sophies are one and the same and try as she might, sometimes those two different parts of her life cross.  Given how law enforcement has relentlessly pursued her father, Sophie doesn’t think too highly of law enforcement with two exceptions:  Her friend Gil and her best friend Regan Buchanan’s husband, Alec.  Gil is a retired cop and Alec is current FBI.  When several things happen including an attempt on Sophie’s life Alec arranges things so his partner, Jack MacAlister to watch over her. 

William Harrington is a fit, handsome and all around wonderful guy.  Just ask him—he’ll be happy to tell you.  When he decides that his twenty-fifth footrace is noteworthy he contacts several newspapers and finally lands a story with Sophie’s paper.  Sophie is tagged as the reporter of choice to do Harrington’s story and she diligently approaches the task.  When Harrington goes missing she is first irritated and then her reporter’s instincts kick in and she becomes curious.  When the story leads her to a small oil town in Alaska, Jack, despite his dislike of the cold, accompanies her.  Will they find more than cold on the frozen tundra?

I’ve said it before but I’ll say it again, I’m a huge Julie Garwood fan.  From her historicals to her romantic suspenses I’ve enjoyed each book.  FIRE AND ICE, book 7 of her Buchanan series has to be the best I’ve read. I enjoyed how the scientists’ diary was interspersed with Sophie’s story—at the start of each chapter there is insight into just what they are up to in the wilds of Alaska. Their study of the wolves was a unique added element to the story.

Sophie is a wonderfully complex character.  While on the surface she appears to be a rich, spoiled, blonde bimbo, she is actually very bright, generous and caring.  Her loyalty to those she cares about comes through in the story.

Even though the relationship between Sophie and Nick happens relatively quickly, the path they take to finding each other is well done.  Garwood does a fabulous job of taking the reader into each of their minds and what got them to where they are when they meet.  The relationship takes some nice turns.

Great suspense, especially in Alaska and after.  This is one of those reads I picked up and was glad I didn’t have to get up the next day and could sit up reading into the wee hours of the morning because I just did not want to put this one down.

This is an objective review and not an endorsement of this book.