Fire and Ice-Anne Stuart

Fire and Ice
Anne Stuart
Mira, May 2008, $6.99
ISBN 9780778325369

Twenty years old California graduate student Jilly Lovitz decides to get away from the States by visiting her sister in Japan. Using the pretence of studying Japanese art, the genius Jilly visits Summer and her brother-in-law Taka, who she is unaware are in hiding from hitmen.

However Russian mercenaries go after Summer and Taka, but settle on Jilly. Taka’s cousin Reno, an undercover agent, rescues Jilly from the Russians. Reno is upset with the fact that he attracted to the American and that she blithly disobeys his safety orders. Still he plans to keep her secure while stopping the hired guns. He also knows that as Hiromasa Shinoda he has family commitments, but he cannot ignore his feelings for the vulnerable American.

The aptly named FIRE AND ICE never decelerates from the moment that Jilly decides to cross the Pacific as she becomes the target of thugs. The story line is action-packed as Reno finds Jilly is a monster distracter when he needs to focus on the killers. With a touch of Japan to anchor the tale, fans of romantic suspense thrillers will relish this exciting one sitting tale.

Harriet Klausner