ICE by Stephanie Rowe

I say Brrrrrr, it's cold in here! There are either some Toros in the atmosphere or winter is rearing it's ugly head.... I guess it was too much to hope that good old global warming would keep the icky wet stuff away. It's coming, I know it is. Cold mornings, static electricity in everything, having to "warm up the car", etc - all on the Ick list. On the flip side, it means roaring fires, cuddling under handmade quilts (I got a beautiful one from Kim for Christmas - yay!) and reading a really good book. Now that I look at it that way...well - maybe this winter stuff won't be so bad! We made it through half the week and the weekend beckons with crockpots of stew, good movies and maybe a glass of vino or two in addition to the aforementioned glorious book binging! Oh, I am so in a happy place now! Ahhhh. What's that? You need a little something more for your happy place? How about a bite of eye candy - will that help? Alrighty then!

Ice by Stephanie Rowe - originally published by Dorchester Publishing 2009 - released this week on Amazon.com and B&N.com with a hot new cover!

DEATH HUNTS THEM.

Alaskan bush pilot Cort McClaine thrives on danger, but the daredevil flier is closing in on a crash and burn if he doesn't get a handle on the past that's still haunting him. The last thing Cort needs is a woman who reminds of how much he's already lost, but that's exactly what he gets when a sexy-as-hell accountant climbs into his cockpit.

PASSION CONSUMES THEM.

With her diamond earrings and high heels, ex-climber Kaylie Fletcher has cut her ties with the snow-capped mountains that have claimed the lives those she loves. But when her family goes missing on Mt. McKinley, Kaylie must brave the land she fled to find them before it's too late.

SURVIVAL BECOMES THEIR ONLY GOAL.

When a madman targets Kaylie, there only person she can trust is Cort, a ruggedly handsome protector who will either heal her heart or break it forever.

You know how exciting it can be to forage in your closet or drawers and find a shirt or a sweater you completely forgot you had? Or putting on an old coat and finding $20 in the pocket? It's unexpected and a complete thrill. Buzz on Facebook this week had a favorite author of mine reporting she was re-releasing a previously published book I had read several years ago, complete with hot new cover. With all this impending winter weather, how could I not see this as a sign for this week's read?

Blasting with as much action packed adventure as freezing Arctic air, Ice takes the reader on a journey to the wilds of Alaska where Kaylie Fletcher ventures against her will and better judgement in the hopes that she can find her missing family. Cort McClaine gets hired to do a job - deliver a city slicker to her friend's home. The horror that awaits them upon their arrival also binds them together as they fight to discover the identity of a killer, find out if her missing family is alive and explore the electric sexual chemistry between them. Like oil and water, they appear to have nothing in common, but the surly bush pilot and the savvy, citified accountant have endured losses to the Alaskan wildnerness that left them with a resilience and will to survive - each in their own way. Once they start their new adventure, their wills are tested to the limits and resisting their mutual attraction becomes unavoidable.

Before the Kaylie's plane even lands, Rowe has the reader hooked! Compelling characters, well crafted storyline and snappy dialogue makes for a stellar page turning thriller. The sexual chemistry between Kaylie and Cort evolves as the deeper motivations of each becomes slowly revealed and makes for a very moving emotional journey and adds to the depth of the story as well. The descriptive scenes of the Alaskan wilderness are vivid and stirring, making the stark frozen setting both moving and beautiful. The author's writing style makes this tale - it is so appealling with it's realistic attention to detail, as well as it's sexy, edgy mystery!

Having been a great fan of Stephanie Rowe's paranormal romances, I was eager to check Ice out. More than pleasantly surprised, I became a fan of romantic suspense as a result. The action and adventure of a thriller gets all tangled up in a first rate romance and the combination is fabulous! Keep your eyes peeled for her follow up Chill and by all means, check out her Immortally Sexy series or her latest Soulfire series - available in print and e-book!

I give Ice five chocolate dipped strawberries and I'd like one of those sexy bush pilots from Twin Forks to keep me warm for a while!