Book discussion: Fire and Ice (Ice 05) by Anne Stuart

Today I am very happy to host Heidenkind from Truth, Beauty, Freedom and Books who kindly agreed to discuss one of Ice series novels penned by Anne Stuart.

Synopsis (from Goodreads):

In the wake of a failed love affair, brainy beauty Jilly Lovitz takes off for Tokyo. She's expecting to cry on her sister Summer's shoulder, then spend a couple months blowing off steam in Japan. Instead, she's snatched away on the back of a motorcycle, narrowly avoiding a grisly execution attempt meant for her sister and brother-in-law.Her rescuer is Reno, the Committee's most unpredictable agent. They'd met once before and the attraction was odd-- tattooed Yakuza punk meets leggy California egghead--but electric. Now Reno and Jilly are pawns in a deadly tangle of assassination attempts, kidnappings and prisoner swaps that could put their steamy partnership on ice.

Why did you read it?

Anachronist: Because I am insane - it explains everything so neatly, right? ;p Speaking seriously, I was in the middle of a very demanding technical project and I simply needed something different as a kind of counterbalance. What can be better than a suspense romance in Japan? Especially one featuring characters which I knew and liked from the previous part of this series (Ice Blue )? I roughly knew what to expect so I went, I purchase, I read. What about you, Heidenkind?

Heidenkind: I’m a huge Anne Stuart fan and I loved Ice Blue, which took place in Japan AND had an art historian heroine. So it kind of went without saying that I would read this book, even though I have to confess I didn’t remember either Reno or Jilly from Ice Blue (is it unreasonable to be annoyed when I’m expected to remember secondary characters? even remembering the main characters is asking a lot).

It would be fair to say that I was super-excited Stuart was setting another book in Japan.

How did you like it?

Anachronist: it wasn’t completely bad but I had a strange case of déjà vu - almost every twist and turn of the plot seemed to be repeated from the previous novels. The ups and downs of Jilly and Reno’s love affair were almost a direct reflection of the ups and downs of the romance of Jilly’s older sister, Summer, and her now husband, Takanashi, Reno’s cousin, from Ice Blue. It was as if the author was writing the same book over and over again - the details can change like the colours and flavours of ice cream,  but the more it changes the more it remains the same.

Heidenkind: The book DID feel really formulaic, although I enjoyed parts of it. I would disagree that Reno and Jilly are direct reflections of Takanasha and Summer, though--they’re just pale imitations of the original characters. Which quite honestly is ridiculous because they had their own personalities in Ice Blue.

I feel like Stuart didn’t spend as much time setting up this novel and making it work as a whole as she did with the previous three.

Did the setting work?

Anachronist: It did but I wish we were granted more Japan time, less stupid meandering to and fro.

Heidenkind: For real, I was SO annoyed when Jilly went back to ‘Merica. It’s kind of like in Pirates of the Caribbean, when they go back to the island and you’re like, “You could have finished this movie 30 minutes ago while you were on the island.” Never go back to the island. It’s a rule.

Anachronist: Right. Perhaps it was done with the American readers in mind. Some writers feel their book will be received more favourably if they add a dash of patriotism here and there.

If you were to describe the series in one sentence you would say:

Anachronist: only in a cheesy romance novel professional killers make good partners and/or husbands.

Heidenkind: James Bond if you got to bang him, and he fell in looooooooove.

What disturbed you the most?

Anachronist: I think the predictability of the plot, especially when it comes to the sex scenes. If you have read (and remember) the previous parts (like yours truly) you must admit they were completely devoid of any ‘wow’ factor - as schematic and formulaic as if the author used a simple ‘copy-paste’ technique while creating them. First base, second base, third base, repetition, somebody wants to kill you, repetition...he is a jerk, she is a brat, they quarrel, they cannot live without each other...boring.

Heidenkind: When you say the previous parts, do you mean the previous novels in the series? I don’t think Stuart’s novels in general are THAT formulaic, although this one definitely was. I don’t mind the formula, honestly, because usually it works with the character progression. But in Fire and Ice, it did feel artificial.

Anachronist: Yes, I meant the previous novels in the series. The first one I liked, the third one was ok, the rest...to tell you the truth I was too bored to read all of them.

What do you think of the main leads, Jilly and Reno?

Anachronist: They were simply watered down versions of Summer and Taka from part 3.

Pity, because I liked Reno in part 3 and also Jilly was kind of sweet with her bratty attitudes and independence. Here it was as if they all forgot who and what they used to be and behaved according to a well-known scheme. Jilly never unveils her nerdy side (she is supposed to be the family brainiac, right? An archeology student at Harvard? I would never guess) Reno, the bad boy and womanizer suddenly never even looks at another girl - it’s hard to believe he is the same guy who suggested to his cousin a threesome with Summer...

Heidenkind: VERY hard to believe, and I totally agree that it seemed like they lost their personalities between Ice Blue and Fire and Ice. I actually thought Jilly was super-annoying in Ice Blue, but I’m willing to be won over by her character, assuming she had a character here of course (she didn’t). Also, I’m a sucker for the spoiled rich girl/bad boy plot and I was really looking forward to Stuart utilizing that but she didn’t! Reno wasn’t a that much of a bad boy at all (am I really reading an Anne Stuart book right now?) and Jilly had a few moments of interest, but otherwise she was just in reactionary panic mode.

What about the HEA ending? Was it satisfying?

Anachronist: It was completely artificial - as if the author was forced to add those several k words against her better judgement because the editor insisted. Overall if I drank a glass of champagne every time Jilly’s life was endangered in this novel I would be permanently drunk for two-three days and the last chapters would send me completely over the top. Not to mention the fact that, with champagne prices, I would go bankrupt double fast.

Heidenkind: Seriously, a bottle of Veuve Clicquot costs $80! I also hated the ending. It was dragged out beyond belief. I especially hated the BBQ with all the previous characters, though, because of course I couldn’t remember who any of them were.

Do you enjoy reading those ‘family’ series, in which a bunch of different characters is presented in the first book and then some of them get their own installments to find/rediscover the love of their life?

Anachronist: I am not a fan of those, not really, although I do understand the appeal. It’s like with McDonalds - you know what to expect no matter where you are and more often than not you won’t be disappointed. It has of course good and bad sides. Good side: if you feel like reading romantic crap...er...novels, you know what to buy and there is 99% of chances you will choose right. Bad side: it is basically the same book rewritten over and over again so you get bored soon.

Heidenkind: I never understood the appeal of these “family” series, and honestly they kind of annoy me. I already mentioned I can never remember previous characters from a novel; and in addition to that, it seems like an excuse for a writer to produce a series of books like vomit that fall into the same formula without even the added annoyance of creating new characters. Laaaaaaaaazzzzzzzzzyyyyyyyyyyy.

That being said, the “Ice” series is hardly the worst example of this type of series. Actually, I think only Fire and Ice is a blip in an otherwise very good series.

Who would you recommend this novel to and why ?

Anachronist: Romance fans all over the world, but not those more demanding. Actually I suppose reading this one as the first of the series would make sense - everything else will be (slightly) better.

Heidenkind: I don’t think I would recommend this novel to anyone. Compared to most of Stuart’s work it’s a forgettable, throw-away novel, imho. If I was to recommend a Stuart book it would be Ice Blue, Ice Storm, or The Widow.

Anachronist: Ice Storm was better? Hmm...

Heidenkind: The one with Isobel? I thought that was a fun twist on the classic romantic suspense of the ‘60s, like an updated Mary Stewart novel.

Anachronist: I like twists. I might try that one.

Guest review: Brook Street series by Ava March

Today I am very happy to host Heidenkind, my Internet friend who writes her own beautiful blog Truth, Beauty, Freedom and Books featuring reviews, essays about books, art, and many other interesting posts. She is an art historian, specializing in 19th-century American art and early 20th- century French art. Her favorite books are romantic and deal with themes of people who are separated from everything they find comfortable or safe in life. Sounds lovely, doesn't it? 

Let me also add she writes tremendously well so I am very happy that she accepted my invitation. Almost as happy as those two gentlemen, Laurel and Hardy, dancing above. ;) What's more, Heidenkind decided to review for me a genre I've never featured on my blog before and for many reasons. One of them was that I was simply afraid. ;) Anyway time to let my guest speak about one scary series - m/m romances, nothing less! Enjoy!

Ava March writes historical m/m romances set in Regency England that feel emotionally authentic and have really hot sex scenes. (I do not say this lightly--even in romances I usually skip the sex scenes, because they tend to be idiotic; but March has some serious talent when it comes to writing sex that is super-hot, yet doesn't feel gratuitous because it advances the plot.) She's my go-to author when I'm feeling stressed out and need a story that will give me a break from reality. The Brook Street trilogy is March's latest offering and I was really looking forward to escaping into the stories. Unfortunately, I don't think the Brook Street novellas lived up to the excellence of some of her other works.

In Brook Street: Thief, Lord Benjamin Parsons has always wondered if he was gay. So, after hearing about a gay gambling club from his homophobic brother (how'd his brother hear about it, one wonders), he goes for a night on the town determined to hook up with a fellow and see if he enjoys it. That's where he meets Cavin Fox, a spry young lad from Seven Dials. After 15 (or 5?) minutes doin' the deed in a pay-by-the-hour place, Benjamin and Cavin are in love! But how in the world will an aristocrat and a thief ever get together? HOW INDEED.

There are so many cliches in this novella I rolled my eyes at least three times before finishing the first ten pages. The fall-in-love-after-a-one-night-stand story line is one I always find particularly difficult to buy into, and in this case the skeezy hook-up in a gambling hell, followed by sex in a no-tell motel, didn't help matters. Can you imagine the stains on that mattress?? Ewwwwwwww.

Furthermore, none of the characters behave logically. Normally I love thief characters, but Cavin doesn't steal A SINGLE THING during the entire course of this novel! That's like having a vampire character who never shows his fangs, or a rake character that sits at home all time reading. The reason for this lack of larceny is because Benjamin gave Cavin the beautiful gift of allowing him to pop Ben's ass cherry (see what I mean? eye roll) during their anonymous hook-up. Très romantic. Some other inconsistencies that jumped out at me: when Cavin tries to get a position for his brother in Ben's house, instead of acting suspicious of the street urchin who's about to be let loose on her kitchen and all the silver, the cook is all smiles and hugs. And at dinner, Cavin goes from wondering how to eat asparagus and use a fork, to criticizing how well-done the veal is and describing the sauce as "divine!" Get a lot of veal and specialty sauces in Seven Dials, do you Calvin Cavin?

I did like that Cavin and Ben treated one another as equals. Although Ben is in his mid-thirties and of a higher class and bank account than Cavin, the twenty-one year-old thief is more experienced, both sexually and otherwise, than Ben, so it evened out. But I found that difficult to reconcile with Ben's eventual position as the sugar daddy of the relationship, and Cavin being cool with his marginalized position in Ben's life.

Brook Street: Thief was enjoyable to read, but also (because it was?) laughably ridiculous, without the emotional touchstones I'm used to seeing inMarch's work. I wish she'd pushed the characters farther and really thought about how they would react in their situations. As it is, Brook Street: Thieflacks a ring of truth to bring me into the story completely. I still had fun with it, though, and this is probably the best book in the series.


In Brook Street: Fortune Hunter, we find out that, coincidentally, there are MORE men living on Brook Street with a love story to tell. One of said men is Oscar, a creepy nice? friend of Benjamin's who is the size of an Oompa Loompa. Seriously, I think my grandma might be bigger than him. When Ben's American cousin, Julian, visits London in search of a wealthy wife, Oscar immediately invites him to stay in his ginormous mansion, where he feeds Julian the best food, gives him a beautiful room, insists on dressing him in the most gorgeous clothes, and takes him to the best parties. This sounds like the set-up of a horror story. RUN JULIAN, RUN!!!! Julian doesn't run, however, and is soon spending time in Oscar's ridiculously large bed. But what will Oscar say when he realizes his boy toy still intends to marry a woman?

Brook Street: Fortune Hunter was more believable than Thief, but weirdly not as much fun. I wish March had gone full throttle with this story and made Oscar an outright psycho who went all Misery on Julian's ass. Since neither of the guys in Fortune Hunter were very likable, this would have been a perfect solution: Julian is insecure and spineless; Oscar is way too eager to please and a little stalker-y. Together they're the Bonnie and Clyde of Regency romances! As it was, their relationship didn't seem to develop naturally--or at all; it just happened. The characters change abruptly into upstanding citizens by the end, but it still doesn't make sense that they'd fall in love while neither of them had any redeeming qualities. And what is with the sugar daddy set-up in these books?

The best part of Fortune Hunter was when Benjamin bit one of his friend's head off for asking if he could borrow Ben's cook (Cavin). Ohhh snap. Get your own cook, bitch.


The final book in the trilogy is Brook Street: Rogues, about two beasties, Linus and Rob. They've been SUPER SUPER close friends since they were ten, and even live next door to each other on Brook Street. Linus is gay and Rob isn't (well, except for the times when he has sex with Linus, of course), and they're both playa playas. Then Rob realizes he doesn't like seeing Linus leaving parties with other men, and asks for an exclusive relationship. In response, Linus freaks the hell out and Rob has to do some detective work to figure out what his deal is.

Linus was in Fortune Hunter and came across as a total badass, but in Rogues he was kind of passive-aggressive. Instead of hashing it out with Rob, he runs to the country to avoid him; and instead of dealing with his dad's property (which he hates), he just avoids thinking about it. But I do have to say at least Linus was interesting and had more of a backstory than most of the other characters in this series.

I'm also a sucker for young love and liked that Linus and Rob had a history and didn't just fall into instalust or -love or whatever was going on with the previous two couples. This is definitely a story that could be expanded into a full novel if March chose to do so. Still, the pacing in Rogues was slow and there were some eye roll moments near the end. It needed a little more conflict to keep it going, or possibly more buddy moments between Linus and Rob. And I can't believe March passed on the chance to blow something up--wtf? You had the opportunity to plausibly set something on fire and you didn't take it?! Very disappointing.


I don't think the Brook Street trilogy is the best example of Ava March's writing (that, in my personal opinion, would either be Convincing Arthur or the Bound series), but it was okay. Thief was the most entertaining of the three, with Rogues coming in second, but unfortunately none of the novellas stood out as exceptional. If you're looking for an author to break into the m/m genre with, though, I can't recommend March highly enough.