Author: Linda Howard
Publisher: Ballantine Books
Publication Date: November 2009
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Buy The Book: Amazon | BN | Audible
Description: On holiday leave from the service, Gabriel McQueen is sent into a brewing ice storm to make sure that his father’s distant neighbor, Lolly Helton, who has fallen out of contact, is safe and sound. It’s a trip that Gabriel would rather not make, given the bitter winter weather—and the icy conditions that have always existed between him and Lolly. Arriving at Lolly’s home, Gabriel spots strangers through the windows—one of them packing a weapon—and kicks into combat mode. But once Lolly is rescued, the heat—and the hunt—are on. Snowbound, unarmed, and literally under the gun, Gabriel and Lolly must depend on each other to endure the merciless forces of nature and evade the ruthless enemy out in the blackness of the silent night—and out for their blood.
My Thoughts: As you can see, it has taken me quite a while to get to this book, mostly due to my reservations about the storyline. I had to talk myself into starting this one because I thought a story about two people trying to outrun killers in a deadly blizzard would hold no appeal for me. Fortunately, this story held so much more that wasn’t evident to me before I started reading.
There is major history between Gabriel and Lolly, and not the good kind. They have known each other since high school and though they have not kept in touch over the years, the memories they hold are far from fond. When Gabriel is asked by his father to go check on Lolly, Gabriel is less than thrilled. Gabriel’s a good guy, so he does and finds himself in the role of rescuer when he spots armed intruders in Lolly’s house. The story kicks up several notches when after the rescue is made, they have to figure out a way to get back down the mountain without being killed by the intruders or Mother Nature.
My Final Verdict: The story moves at an enjoyable pace. Without getting mired in the details and too much of a character’s inner monologue, which drives me up the wall, the author keeps the story moving with believable and relatable characters. Even the intruders are believable and realistic. I have to say several scenes had me tense with apprehension.
This story isn’t very long and though the author does a fabulous job of wrapping up loose ends, I did feel there were parts that were rushed. I had a hard time accepting that Gabriel and Lolly fell in love that fast, especially with their adversarial past. I’m not completely discounting it, however. Anything is possible in a situation where it’s kill or be killed. I’m just not convinced they are ready to make a life-long commitment. At least not yet. Perhaps if the story had run a little longer, I would have felt differently. For me, the story ended quite abruptly. I would have liked to have seen more of the relationship development and more interaction between Lolly and Sam. Readers of romantic suspense fiction will still enjoy this story and the edge of the seat action.
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