#62 – Fire and Ice by Anne Stuart (Mira, May 2008)

"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."

Rating:  Excellent - 5 stars

Yowza!  Anne Stuart does it again!  This is one fast-paced, action-packed and very hot book!

In Book 3, Ice Blue, Taka's wild cousin, Reno, met Summer's adolescent sister, Jilly, but only briefly.  But that was all it took.  Bad Boy, Reno, where nothing ever fazes him, was speechless and Jilly was awestruck.  Warned away by Taka and Summer to keep his hands off her, he has spent the past 2 years trying to forget her by joining the Committee and enjoying lots of other women.  Jilly, was an "egghead".  She graduated high school at 15, university at 17 and now 20; she's working on her graduate degree.  After a humiliating and disappointing one-hour-stand, she flees to her sister in Tokyo, secretly hoping she will see Reno again.

The story takes place about 6 weeks after Book 4, Ice Storm, and the Committee is in upheaval.  When they get word that Jilly is on the way to see Summer, Reno is sent to intercept her, worried she will get caught up in the cross-fire.

This story definitely does not stand alone - the whole storyline is connected to the other books. You don't have to have read the entire series (except I think you do because Book 1, Black Ice, is the best), but definitely, Ice Blue and Ice Storm.

I really enjoyed this one - actually more than Ice Blue.  Reno was his usual wild self - trying to deny his attraction for Jilly.  He was actually quite cruel to her verbally, but it suits his character and level of maturity to act like that.  He's 27, but he's been having a good time being quite the player, and he just can't handle his feelings for her.  Plus, he's trying to keep his promise to his cousin to leave Jilly alone.  He's worried that he won't be able to control himself, so he says nasty things to Jilly trying to get her angry at him - so she won't let him touch her.

Jilly is a bit scatter-brained - but highly intelligent, academically.  Thrust into the Committee's world of intrigue and violence, she really is a fish-out-of-water.

I highly recommend this one.  I will caution that Reno's language is pretty explicit. Reno intrigued me when he was introduced in Ice Blue and I've been waiting impatiently for his story.  It was well worth it!

BTW - Anne Stuart has written a free short story following up on the activities just after Book 3, Ice Blue.  Here's the link:  http://www.anne-stuart.com/home.html

Excellence Factor: Excellent - 5 stars

Steaminess Factor: Heat Wave

Total Books Read:  62

HARL - 41 

Other - 21

TBR Challenge totals: 13 out of 62 (21%)

04-May-2008

~ ElleJay - Team member of Novel Obsession
There is no pleasure in having nothing to do; the pleasure is having lots to do and not doing it!