Format: E-book
Read with: Amazon Kindle
Length: Novel
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Series: Ice, Book 2
Publisher: MIRA
Hero: Peter Jensen (Peter Madsen)
Heroine: Genevieve Spenser
Sensuality: 3.5
Date of Publication: November 1, 2006
Started On: November 8, 2010
Finished On: November 16, 2010

I started out on Cold As Ice right after I was done with Black Ice. I knew that this story would offer a hero a bit mellower and a bit more humane than Bastien Toussaint (Sigh!) and I was right in believing so. Peter Jensen though described as someone who has ice running through his veins is far more in touch with his emotions and it is far easier to deduce his feelings towards the heroine than it was with Bastien that makes Peter more appealing as a hero to readers in general. But for me, Bastien still tops the list and still manages to invoke a shiver or two (of the good kind) whenever I think of him. ^.^

The Hero: Peter Jensen or Peter Madsen is the best at what he does. English to the core, Peter is the son of Richard Madsen, a London policemen who was a sullen bully of a man who on many occasions shows his authority over his wife Kimberly Wemberley Madsen and son with his fists. Peter can never understand how someone as prissy to the core as his mother had been attracted to a bully like his father. Kimberly had tried hard to mold Peter into someone worthy enough for the high society from which she comes from. But all her efforts had been wasted on a boy who had been ridiculed and bullied upon by his peers until he had learned to fight dirty to come out at the top. When Daniel Conley, the son of a powerful Parliament member who had a legion of followers around him to make him feel like God had taken an averse pleasure in hurting Peter real good, what he had done  to Daniel in return had been what had recruited him as one of the most lethal agents of The Committee. Lethal with a gun and almost effective with a dozen other weapons, fluent in five languages and someone who could be straight or gay based on the mission, Peter is a valuable asset to The Committee. Being in love only once with a hideous scar on his body to show for it and a failed marriage under his belt, Peter doesn’t do emotions and has never second guessed himself on a mission ever. That is until Ms. Genevieve Spenser comes in on his latest mission and rocks his world in more ways than one.

The Heroine: Genevieve Spenser is junior partner at Roper, Hyde, Camui and Fredericks and is not a woman without her own nightmares to haunt her at night. With blond hair, brown eyes and 15 pounds overweight and thirty years old, Genevieve had grown up with parents who had maintained the illusion of being rich and well bred. Fresh out of law school, Genevieve had held the belief that she could do some good and make a difference and had worked as a public prosecutor in the poor are of Clinton County, New York and she had been so good at domestic abuse cases that Genevieve had amassed a large number of angry and hostile husbands who would like nothing better than to wring her neck for locking them away. And when one of those angry husbands had come looking for her whilst she was working late and trussed her up real good, Genevieve had packed her bags and moved to New York with her pills to keep the nightmares at bay.

Storyline: People Magazine’s Sexiest Man of the Year Harry Van Dorn is a billionaire who has fooled many a people to think him just your average philanthropic rich man. But in reality, Harry is one sick bastard who thinks him above the law, has the kinkiest and filthiest cravings ever and has set his sights on bringing the world to financial ruin by his brilliant Rule of Seven plan. Peter Jensen has been working undercover, as his personal assistant for the past 3 months to try and figure out what the Rule of Seven consists of. With no other option at hand as the date of execution of his plan draws nearer, The Committee makes the decision to eliminate Harry and finish him up once and for all. When Genevieve who had been about to embark on a six week sabbatical to the rain forests of Costa Rica needs to get some papers signed by Harry, one of the most prestigious clients of her law firm, Genevieve becomes collateral damage on a mission whose timely execution is crucial to the whole world’s stability. For someone like Peter who has never killed innocents, Genevieve poses a problem and a far greater threat on his ice clad control and emotions as for the first time in his 38 years of life, Peter goes against orders and tries to save the woman who is slowly driving him to insanity as she tries to thwart his protection at every turn.

The First Encounter: Peter and Genevieve’s first encounter takes place aboard Seven Sins, Harry’s luxury cruise liner. Though Genevieve doesn’t understand why, Peter the impeccable PA of Harry rubs her emotions raw right from the very start.

Time period: This story has a contemporary setting and takes place in different locations all over the world.

Narrated in: This story is told from both Peter and Genevieve’s point of view. Added into the mix are the thoughts and actions of Harry as well as Madame Isobel Lambert the current head of The Committee.

Awareness between the hero and heroine: For someone like Genevieve who cringes at the mere thought of going near a man since the violence that erupted in her life at the hands of an angry murderous husband of a client, when Peter rouses in her feelings she has never encountered before, Genevieve is more or less appalled at the thought of her emotions being fickle enough to go haywire around a terrorist such as Peter Jensen. But needless to say, Genevieve is no match for a man like Peter who is ruthless enough to use sex as a weapon. But what Peter doesn’t count on is the huge hole that Genevieve carves out on his ice cold armor around his heart which tumbles him up real good. The constant bickering between mouthy Genevieve and Peter serves as foreplay on many a occasion and it is the constant hum of awareness and sexual zing between the two that makes this book so good a read.

The turning point: From the moment Genevieve steps on board the Seven Sins, Peter knows deep in his gut that nothing would ever be the same again. For him, keeping Genevieve alive in spite of the mission is a turning point itself in a man whose very pride lies in his ability to keep a clear head no matter the circumstance. For Genevieve, from the very first kiss to which she succumbs to though she tells herself over and over again that she doesn’t feel a thing for Peter is what lays the foundation of their relationship. When Peter finally gives all of himself to Genevieve, against his better judgment, there is no turning back for two people who have finally found their better half, under the most unlikely circumstances.

Ending: A happily ever after for Peter and Genevieve.

Likes:

1. Thank God for the fact that the ending in this one wasn’t so abrupt.
2. One of the things I love about novels by Anne Stuart is the fact that the hero and heroine both go through a period of separation from one another towards the ending which makes the story a better one for me all around. I want the hero and heroine to have to work for their happily ever after as no one passes those around on silver platter in real life.
3. Revisiting Bastien and Chloe. That just made my day!

Dislikes: None, though an epilogue in one of her books would nice. Just saying! ^.^

Recommended for:

1. Fans of Anne Stuart.
2. Fans of romantic suspense who love their heroes just a tad darker than your average alpha hero.

Favorite Quotes

He kissed her. Not the seductive caress before he rendered her unconscious, this was strange, different, angry. His mouth covered her, and it had nothing to do with seduction. His kiss was full of anger and desperation and there was nothing she could do but let him. She clutched the arms of the chair, her fingers digging into the upholstery so that she wouldn’t lift them to touch him. as some crazy part of her so desperately wanted to. She let him kiss her, shocked at the feelings that went swirling through the pit of her stomach.

“How could you do that to me?” she whispered. “You took everything. How could you?”
He really had no choice. He pulled her into his arms, holding her tight against his body. He’d broken her completely. It had been the smartest thing he could do, what he was best at. He should feel satisfaction. Mission accomplished. And instead, he felt as if he’d lost everything as well.

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