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The MacKenzie Family #10.6
Desire & Ice
From Liliana Hart’s New York Times bestselling MacKenzie family comes a new story by New York Times bestselling author Christopher Rice...
Danny Patterson isn’t a teenager anymore. He’s the newest and youngest sheriff’s deputy in Surrender, Montana. A chance encounter with his former schoolteacher on the eve of the biggest snowstorm to hit Surrender in years shows him that some schoolboy crushes never fade. Sometimes they mature into grown-up desire.
It’s been years since Eliza Brightwell set foot in Surrender. So why is she back now? And why does she seem like she’s running from something? To solve this mystery, Danny disobeys a direct order from Sheriff Cooper MacKenzie and sets out into a fierce blizzard, where his courage and his desire might be the only things capable of saving Eliza from a dark force out of her own past.
Danny Patterson isn’t a teenager anymore. He’s the newest and youngest sheriff’s deputy in Surrender, Montana. A chance encounter with his former schoolteacher on the eve of the biggest snowstorm to hit Surrender in years shows him that some schoolboy crushes never fade. Sometimes they mature into grown-up desire.
It’s been years since Eliza Brightwell set foot in Surrender. So why is she back now? And why does she seem like she’s running from something? To solve this mystery, Danny disobeys a direct order from Sheriff Cooper MacKenzie and sets out into a fierce blizzard, where his courage and his desire might be the only things capable of saving Eliza from a dark force out of her own past.
79 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 16, 2016
93 people are currently reading
475 people want to read
About the author
Christopher Rice
37 books2,585 followersChristopher Rice is the recipient of the Lambda Literary Award and is the Amazon Charts and New York Times bestselling author of A Density of Souls; Bone Music, Blood Echo, and Blood Victory in the Burning Girl series; and Bram Stoker Award finalists The Heavens Rise and The Vines. An executive producer for television, Christopher also penned the novels Ramses the Damned: The Passion of Cleopatra and Ramses The Damned: The Reign of Osiri with his late mother Anne Rice. Together with his best friend and producing partner, New York Times bestselling novelist Eric Shaw Quinn, Christopher runs the production company Dinner Partners. Among other projects, they produce the podcast and video network TDPS, which can be found at www.TheDinnerPartyShow.com. He lives in West Hollywood, California, and writes tales of romance between men under the pseudonym C. Travis Rice. Visit him at www.christopherricebooks.com.
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
February 19, 2016
Slick's review posted at Guilty Pleasures Book Reviews
Oh man, I don't even know where to start with this review because there was so much I loved about this book. Once teacher and student and now sheriff's deputy and woman in trouble this couple's chemistry was off the charts hot. Sure, it's a little bit about the taboo of it, but most of all it was about their connection then when it was innocent and now when it is anything but.
Danny Patterson knows one thing when he runs into Eliza Brightwell, his former English teacher something isn't quite right and he aims to find out even if it means going against the wishes of his boss, mentor and the man who offered him the job he loves so much.
Danny is one of those good guy heroes, but he proves that he doesn't mind being a bad boy when he has the right motivation. Eliza returns to Surrender, Montana with trouble on her tail and when Danny winds up in the middle of it he knows he will do anything to keep her safe from harm and warm during the blizzard that has them trapped and he also aims to prove he's no longer the boy she once taught, but a man who knows exactly who and what he wants.
Sexy doesn't even begin to describe the sensual dance they begin when running from danger or the intimate moments they share later. What I loved is that despite their age difference, despite the fact they will probably send tongues wagging in this small town they simply surrender to what they feel and decide to give each other and their feelings a chance.
Given their history and the fact that they came through a tense situation together the speed of their relationship didn't seem out of place and while I am perfectly happy at how this book ended, I can honestly say this is one couple I would really love to see again. Thoroughly entertaining with characters that were easy to love, Desire & Ice is an absolutely sexy and exciting romance.
Review copy provided for an honest review.
Oh man, I don't even know where to start with this review because there was so much I loved about this book. Once teacher and student and now sheriff's deputy and woman in trouble this couple's chemistry was off the charts hot. Sure, it's a little bit about the taboo of it, but most of all it was about their connection then when it was innocent and now when it is anything but.
Danny Patterson knows one thing when he runs into Eliza Brightwell, his former English teacher something isn't quite right and he aims to find out even if it means going against the wishes of his boss, mentor and the man who offered him the job he loves so much.
Danny is one of those good guy heroes, but he proves that he doesn't mind being a bad boy when he has the right motivation. Eliza returns to Surrender, Montana with trouble on her tail and when Danny winds up in the middle of it he knows he will do anything to keep her safe from harm and warm during the blizzard that has them trapped and he also aims to prove he's no longer the boy she once taught, but a man who knows exactly who and what he wants.
Sexy doesn't even begin to describe the sensual dance they begin when running from danger or the intimate moments they share later. What I loved is that despite their age difference, despite the fact they will probably send tongues wagging in this small town they simply surrender to what they feel and decide to give each other and their feelings a chance.
Given their history and the fact that they came through a tense situation together the speed of their relationship didn't seem out of place and while I am perfectly happy at how this book ended, I can honestly say this is one couple I would really love to see again. Thoroughly entertaining with characters that were easy to love, Desire & Ice is an absolutely sexy and exciting romance.
Review copy provided for an honest review.
February 20, 2016
I received an ARC of this book from InkSlinger PR in exchange for an honest review and as part of the books' blog tour promotions.
When I started this series, I made sure not to read reviews or blurbs off of Goodreads and Amazon because I wanted to be taken on a journey where I wouldn't know what to expect and where I wouldn't be able to guess what would happen next. That was a risk, but I have to say that the risk paid off. I started the books not know what what story was about. Instead, I let the characters take me with them in every novella.
Christopher Rice's Desire and Ice gave me a young deputy who was very easy to love. I liked Danny Patterson right away. I always have a thing for law enforcers, so that could be why I immiediately took a liking to him. As for the heroine, it was also very easy to see why Danny would have a crush on her even when he was still a schoolboy. I recently read another novela of a personal favorite where the heroine was also the teacher, and like that book, this book really had that natural chemistry between the main characters. I'm not much of a student-teacher romance fan, but this novella made it very easy for me to get into the way things were played out.
One thing that's really good about this book, well, the whole series, actually, is that each novella, while written by different authors, has that seamless flow going on. It doesn't feel like I'm bouncing from one book to another. Instead, it just feels like I'm reading one long book that focuses on a different main character with each chapter. I really love how the authors of this series was able to blend and mis their work together to create this vibe that the series has. Each book is a fast, so make sure you check them out. The entire series plot is a little addictive, though.
When I started this series, I made sure not to read reviews or blurbs off of Goodreads and Amazon because I wanted to be taken on a journey where I wouldn't know what to expect and where I wouldn't be able to guess what would happen next. That was a risk, but I have to say that the risk paid off. I started the books not know what what story was about. Instead, I let the characters take me with them in every novella.
Christopher Rice's Desire and Ice gave me a young deputy who was very easy to love. I liked Danny Patterson right away. I always have a thing for law enforcers, so that could be why I immiediately took a liking to him. As for the heroine, it was also very easy to see why Danny would have a crush on her even when he was still a schoolboy. I recently read another novela of a personal favorite where the heroine was also the teacher, and like that book, this book really had that natural chemistry between the main characters. I'm not much of a student-teacher romance fan, but this novella made it very easy for me to get into the way things were played out.
One thing that's really good about this book, well, the whole series, actually, is that each novella, while written by different authors, has that seamless flow going on. It doesn't feel like I'm bouncing from one book to another. Instead, it just feels like I'm reading one long book that focuses on a different main character with each chapter. I really love how the authors of this series was able to blend and mis their work together to create this vibe that the series has. Each book is a fast, so make sure you check them out. The entire series plot is a little addictive, though.
March 10, 2016
A young deputy sheriff and his former teacher must survive through a blizzard while being hunted by killers. Will they live through the night long enough to explore the desire growing between them? There was great chemistry between the two main characters, Danny and Eliza. The story had an interesting twist with who the brains behind the hit was and why it was being done. It was a quick read. I enjoyed this book.
August 25, 2022
Good
Best Christopher Rice book I have ever read. I loved that Cooper was in the book and that if feels like part of the family.
Best Christopher Rice book I have ever read. I loved that Cooper was in the book and that if feels like part of the family.
July 21, 2016
Another awesome story from Christopher Rice
I feel like I gush over everything Chris writes...which, I probably do, but he's a fantastic author so really, how could I not?
This is a short, sweet, and intensely hot story about the hottest cop I've ever seen and the teacher he always had a crush on. Add a little suspense, a lot of sexual tension, and you get a book that had me blushing so hard in the waiting room at the VA that I had another veteran leaning over to ask if I was okay. No sir, I'm not. I need a cool drink of water and a few minutes to myself. (No, I didn't tell him that)
I feel like I gush over everything Chris writes...which, I probably do, but he's a fantastic author so really, how could I not?
This is a short, sweet, and intensely hot story about the hottest cop I've ever seen and the teacher he always had a crush on. Add a little suspense, a lot of sexual tension, and you get a book that had me blushing so hard in the waiting room at the VA that I had another veteran leaning over to ask if I was okay. No sir, I'm not. I need a cool drink of water and a few minutes to myself. (No, I didn't tell him that)
February 15, 2016
This was a hot action packed novella. I was sucked in from the beginning and didn't put it down until I finished. The story line was amazing and it was hot as hell. I highly recommend if you want a quick steamy read.
February 20, 2016
Another great read by Christopher Rice...keep them coming.
April 8, 2016
A perfect blend of Rice's early mysteries and his erotic romance. A very intriguing, fun, quick read with well drawn characters.
April 23, 2016
Sweet
This was a short sweet romantic and sexy read. I loved that it took place in Surrender and enjoyed Cooper being it it
This was a short sweet romantic and sexy read. I loved that it took place in Surrender and enjoyed Cooper being it it
June 27, 2017
My book choosing habits can best be described as “squirrel meets rabbit.” I’ll be in the middle of one book, decide to read another, then read an excerpt from a book at the end and decide to read that one. And that’s what happened here. The sneak peak at the end of Delta: Rescue caught my eye, and with it being written by a man, my interest was majorly piqued.
Danny Patterson is a twenty-three year old deputy for a small town in Montana. I liked that he’s not former military - which is what just about EVERY OTHER HERO is these days (insert rolling eye gif here). He’s just a guy who grew up in a small town and had the sheriff offer him a job. He’s at the store before a major spring storm is about to roll through, and sees the object of his teenaged fantasies - his high school English teacher. Eliza Brightwell seems distracted and not her usual self when she runs into Danny, which is why Danny decides to follow her up the mountain to make sure she’s okay.
What follows is an action packed 79 pages of suspense and steamy.
So often you don’t get enough backstory, enough character development, or enough plot development, but there’s nothing lacking in this story at all. I loved the older woman/younger man storyline, and the dialogue between the two was entertaining.
“The passage of time is a fact, Danny. Age is more subjective.”
“Here’s hoping,” he said with a devilish grin.
Things almost got derailed for me when Danny and Eliza started to do a little teacher/student role playing. As someone who works for a school district, inappropriate teacher/student relationships aren't something to joke about, so I'm kinda turned off by that kind of storyline. Thankfully there wasn't much to it!
This book is a novella done right. I was drawn in immediately and held on for the ride without putting the book down. And because I enjoyed this book so much, I decided to follow another rabbit trail and read another book by Christopher Rice. I love it when I discover a new-to-me author!
Danny Patterson is a twenty-three year old deputy for a small town in Montana. I liked that he’s not former military - which is what just about EVERY OTHER HERO is these days (insert rolling eye gif here). He’s just a guy who grew up in a small town and had the sheriff offer him a job. He’s at the store before a major spring storm is about to roll through, and sees the object of his teenaged fantasies - his high school English teacher. Eliza Brightwell seems distracted and not her usual self when she runs into Danny, which is why Danny decides to follow her up the mountain to make sure she’s okay.
What follows is an action packed 79 pages of suspense and steamy.
So often you don’t get enough backstory, enough character development, or enough plot development, but there’s nothing lacking in this story at all. I loved the older woman/younger man storyline, and the dialogue between the two was entertaining.
“The passage of time is a fact, Danny. Age is more subjective.”
“Here’s hoping,” he said with a devilish grin.
Things almost got derailed for me when Danny and Eliza started to do a little teacher/student role playing. As someone who works for a school district, inappropriate teacher/student relationships aren't something to joke about, so I'm kinda turned off by that kind of storyline. Thankfully there wasn't much to it!
This book is a novella done right. I was drawn in immediately and held on for the ride without putting the book down. And because I enjoyed this book so much, I decided to follow another rabbit trail and read another book by Christopher Rice. I love it when I discover a new-to-me author!
October 6, 2019
Blessedly short. Really awkward. I like May to Dec romance and it’s cool the woman is older, but....but...this felt a bit weird. He’s not that far out of school and she had been his teacher. It just came off as creepy cougar and young boy with a crush. That’s not romantic but skeevy.
November 15, 2017
Not enough story. Needed more background. Too much all about the sex.
March 7, 2019
way too short.
May 27, 2020
Fun, fast read.
January 25, 2022
Loved this book! Danny and Eliza...true love!
March 12, 2016
Apart from the pun on the name of the author , which is rather nice but also easy, vice excluded though you may think it is included, this novella has great qualities.
Not as a thriller because the plot is rather simple and manichaeistic in facts like two people having their heads run over by their own four wheel drive SUV in a snow tempest: it sounds like Titus Andronicus by Shakespeare. They must have done it on purpose. Or they are really as dumb as every finger on both my hands and every toe on both my feet. Dumber than I you die for sure and will end up in the family meat spread for Thanksgiving celebrations in “Corpse Bride” or “Beetlejuice.”
Not as a storm story because the blizzard is rather tame and not that long. For Montana it is nearly an August snow storm. Could do better, God of all weathers, and we do not even come close to a “Storm of the Century,” and that one was only in Martha’s Vineyard. The demented elements do not seem to be able to force our heroes to eat the leather soles of their shoes like Charlie Chaplin was compelled to do once.
Not even as a romance of passion and hatred, of sacrifice and extermination. Easy indeed with the Russian-led car stealing mafia if not cartel! Easy indeed with the FBI arresting the biggies and leaving the underlings free. Easy also when the underlings are trying to loot each other’s loot expecting the FBI to let them go out of the country with bags full of cash. And strangely enough they nearly did it though a bad snow storm in Montana delaying the flights in LAX, Southern California after all, seems a little bit dubious and far-fetched as the reason why the FBI finally managed to arrest the two running underlings. The other non-running ones will get their heads run over by their own four wheel drive SUV. That’s subtle!
But it is a masterpiece as for sensual and erotic romance of a high school student (from 14 to 18, hence underage at he time) finally realizing his dream with his ex-English teacher some four or five years later (and thus of age of course now and he even has condoms in his bedside nightstand: well-prepared kid indeed). Explicit lyrics generously provided free of censorship but covered with some modesty. Erogenous descriptions will titillate the most bashful among you readers from under their feet up to wherever your bashfulness will authorize. And since the author is gay he is both able to describe the pleasure of the woman (more than common in standard literature, both dominated and dominating: that’s the advantage of being gay since you can try both sides of the coin), and that of the man (which is generally only found in very marginal literature like Charles Bukowski’s eruptive howling and gay more or less pornographic literature with or without pictures and videos).
But understand me well. This erotic masterpiece could not be that effective without the very original style of Christopher Rice. He manages to softly include in his language some sweet version of the teenage SMS’s of a pubescent Linguo, the certified language correcting robot directly imported from the Simpsons to this novella, even if Linguo is dead, because it is the linguistic master mixing up language and tongue of all emerging voraciously lustful male and female erupting from any child around the age of 13. Linguo may be dead but SMS grammar and smiley syntax are all the more active in the subductive impulses of today’s youth and in the older individuals who try to sound and look younger than they are.
Some sentences are thus at times reverberant with the language, syntax and lexicon included, of another age than life in Surrender (that’s a remarkable name for a town like this one: police work or master-slave phantasm?), Montana, a 3,000 soul city somewhere in Brokeback Mountain that would not in any way ride bareback, and in this city there are more cows than human beings of course, ghosts included. So let us ride the mechanical bull in some fishy, shady and unsavory saloon.
You can easily read this masterpiece in one evening and implement some practical experiments if your lover is around. With a little bit of elaboration on the LA crime scene it could become an episode in some CSI or Criminal Minds episode with a romantic twist and some greyish shade. Apart from that titillating appeal the novella is entertainingly simple and direct: do not imagine any complexity in the minds of the two main characters. They think the same way a cow and a bull may think in a pasture on a hot summer morning.
Dr Jacques COULARDEAU
Not as a thriller because the plot is rather simple and manichaeistic in facts like two people having their heads run over by their own four wheel drive SUV in a snow tempest: it sounds like Titus Andronicus by Shakespeare. They must have done it on purpose. Or they are really as dumb as every finger on both my hands and every toe on both my feet. Dumber than I you die for sure and will end up in the family meat spread for Thanksgiving celebrations in “Corpse Bride” or “Beetlejuice.”
Not as a storm story because the blizzard is rather tame and not that long. For Montana it is nearly an August snow storm. Could do better, God of all weathers, and we do not even come close to a “Storm of the Century,” and that one was only in Martha’s Vineyard. The demented elements do not seem to be able to force our heroes to eat the leather soles of their shoes like Charlie Chaplin was compelled to do once.
Not even as a romance of passion and hatred, of sacrifice and extermination. Easy indeed with the Russian-led car stealing mafia if not cartel! Easy indeed with the FBI arresting the biggies and leaving the underlings free. Easy also when the underlings are trying to loot each other’s loot expecting the FBI to let them go out of the country with bags full of cash. And strangely enough they nearly did it though a bad snow storm in Montana delaying the flights in LAX, Southern California after all, seems a little bit dubious and far-fetched as the reason why the FBI finally managed to arrest the two running underlings. The other non-running ones will get their heads run over by their own four wheel drive SUV. That’s subtle!
But it is a masterpiece as for sensual and erotic romance of a high school student (from 14 to 18, hence underage at he time) finally realizing his dream with his ex-English teacher some four or five years later (and thus of age of course now and he even has condoms in his bedside nightstand: well-prepared kid indeed). Explicit lyrics generously provided free of censorship but covered with some modesty. Erogenous descriptions will titillate the most bashful among you readers from under their feet up to wherever your bashfulness will authorize. And since the author is gay he is both able to describe the pleasure of the woman (more than common in standard literature, both dominated and dominating: that’s the advantage of being gay since you can try both sides of the coin), and that of the man (which is generally only found in very marginal literature like Charles Bukowski’s eruptive howling and gay more or less pornographic literature with or without pictures and videos).
But understand me well. This erotic masterpiece could not be that effective without the very original style of Christopher Rice. He manages to softly include in his language some sweet version of the teenage SMS’s of a pubescent Linguo, the certified language correcting robot directly imported from the Simpsons to this novella, even if Linguo is dead, because it is the linguistic master mixing up language and tongue of all emerging voraciously lustful male and female erupting from any child around the age of 13. Linguo may be dead but SMS grammar and smiley syntax are all the more active in the subductive impulses of today’s youth and in the older individuals who try to sound and look younger than they are.
Some sentences are thus at times reverberant with the language, syntax and lexicon included, of another age than life in Surrender (that’s a remarkable name for a town like this one: police work or master-slave phantasm?), Montana, a 3,000 soul city somewhere in Brokeback Mountain that would not in any way ride bareback, and in this city there are more cows than human beings of course, ghosts included. So let us ride the mechanical bull in some fishy, shady and unsavory saloon.
You can easily read this masterpiece in one evening and implement some practical experiments if your lover is around. With a little bit of elaboration on the LA crime scene it could become an episode in some CSI or Criminal Minds episode with a romantic twist and some greyish shade. Apart from that titillating appeal the novella is entertainingly simple and direct: do not imagine any complexity in the minds of the two main characters. They think the same way a cow and a bull may think in a pasture on a hot summer morning.
Dr Jacques COULARDEAU
February 20, 2016
A quickie May-December romance that some readers will love, while others will find awkward.
Danny Patterson has had a crush on his HS English teacher Eliza Brightwell since 9th grade, but now that he's all grown up, his feelings are anything but juvenile. Now the town of Surrender's youngest deputy at just 23, Danny sees Eliza breeze back into town just before a huge snowstorm, so it only makes good neighborly sense to check on her to make sure she's got all she needs to survive for a few days! When he finds Eliza furiously digging holes through her ex-husband's farmhouse lawn, she breaks down and tells Danny that she's looking for money he buried because he's in some deep trouble.
And when that trouble comes straight to Eliza's doorstep just as the storm hits, Danny will have to do some pretty fast maneuvering to keep her safe. Fortunately, he won't have to do much convincing to get Eliza to see him as a man instead of a former student.
DESIRE & ICE is a novella in The MacKenzie Family series, loosely based on that same series by Liliana Hart, but which features a series of novellas written by a variety of authors. As Mr. Rice's erotic romances are some of my favorite books, I had high hopes for this novella, but I'm afraid I just couldn't get past the preexisting relationship between Danny and Eliza. I'll admit I was a bit squirmy about the teacher/former student angle because, just yuck, but it didn't come off TOO creepy, thankfully. In fact, the two had excellent chemistry, and the love scenes between them were both well written and packed an erotic punch.
BUT, and it's a huge but, when Danny starts calling Eliza "Miss Brightwell" in bed and asking if his foreplay skills earned him an A, I kind of mentally checked out. Oh, I read every word, and it was technically flawless, but that just was too much for my already toeing the line comfort level. Now don't get me wrong, Danny was well beyond consenting age, and Eliza never did anything as his teacher that could be construed as unethical, so it's not THAT kind of book, but DESIRE & ICE it pushed my ick buttons nonetheless.
Bottom Line: While I'll continue to devour all the erotic romance I can by Mr. Rice, this is one read that just wasn't up my alley. - See more at: http://www.theromancereviews.com/view...
- See more at: http://www.theromancereviews.com/view...
Danny Patterson has had a crush on his HS English teacher Eliza Brightwell since 9th grade, but now that he's all grown up, his feelings are anything but juvenile. Now the town of Surrender's youngest deputy at just 23, Danny sees Eliza breeze back into town just before a huge snowstorm, so it only makes good neighborly sense to check on her to make sure she's got all she needs to survive for a few days! When he finds Eliza furiously digging holes through her ex-husband's farmhouse lawn, she breaks down and tells Danny that she's looking for money he buried because he's in some deep trouble.
And when that trouble comes straight to Eliza's doorstep just as the storm hits, Danny will have to do some pretty fast maneuvering to keep her safe. Fortunately, he won't have to do much convincing to get Eliza to see him as a man instead of a former student.
DESIRE & ICE is a novella in The MacKenzie Family series, loosely based on that same series by Liliana Hart, but which features a series of novellas written by a variety of authors. As Mr. Rice's erotic romances are some of my favorite books, I had high hopes for this novella, but I'm afraid I just couldn't get past the preexisting relationship between Danny and Eliza. I'll admit I was a bit squirmy about the teacher/former student angle because, just yuck, but it didn't come off TOO creepy, thankfully. In fact, the two had excellent chemistry, and the love scenes between them were both well written and packed an erotic punch.
BUT, and it's a huge but, when Danny starts calling Eliza "Miss Brightwell" in bed and asking if his foreplay skills earned him an A, I kind of mentally checked out. Oh, I read every word, and it was technically flawless, but that just was too much for my already toeing the line comfort level. Now don't get me wrong, Danny was well beyond consenting age, and Eliza never did anything as his teacher that could be construed as unethical, so it's not THAT kind of book, but DESIRE & ICE it pushed my ick buttons nonetheless.
Bottom Line: While I'll continue to devour all the erotic romance I can by Mr. Rice, this is one read that just wasn't up my alley. - See more at: http://www.theromancereviews.com/view...
- See more at: http://www.theromancereviews.com/view...
June 29, 2016
The MacKenzie family and Surrender are a world created by Liliana Hart a New York Times best-selling author. An author to date that I have read only one of her stories. I was of the opinion that I could take it or leave it, and mostly that was leave it. It had wonderful build-up at the beginning then fell into confusion in the middle and flat at the end. It appeared the author had an inability to write physical conflict so she hinted it could happen and then it just inexplicably didn’t.
However, this is not a story of Surrender written by her. Now it appears her setting and some of her characters have been handed over to other authors to try their hand at. I thought I’d give Surrender another shot with Christopher Rice’s novella set in Surrender in the middle of winter. From my experience of his writing he was not an author so afflicted by Ms Hart’s particular inability.
This is a story of a young deputy smitten with his former high school teacher who chases after her when he realises a storm is heading their way and she may be trapped at her old property, ill-equipped to survive the blast.
It is sort of reminiscent of another story I’ve read by Vivian Arend – the younger man, older woman scenario – forced together by an icy blast. Apart from the woman having an ex, that’s where the comparison ends unfortunately.
This is a romp of the dastardly kind. Ex is a self-absorb crim who has dumped his ex-wife in the way of trouble and Danny is left to get her out of it and in the process making her fall in love with him.
As always the people Christopher has created are real and passionate, his writing eloquent and his word pictures imaginative.
It is, however, not one of my favourites. Perhaps because it was too short of a tale and I didn’t feel the immediate spark between the two main characters; or perhaps it was the gravity of the situation that kind of touched on the unbelievable.
I was however glad for Eliza’s rescue. Can’t have the criminal element winning the day.
However, this is not a story of Surrender written by her. Now it appears her setting and some of her characters have been handed over to other authors to try their hand at. I thought I’d give Surrender another shot with Christopher Rice’s novella set in Surrender in the middle of winter. From my experience of his writing he was not an author so afflicted by Ms Hart’s particular inability.
This is a story of a young deputy smitten with his former high school teacher who chases after her when he realises a storm is heading their way and she may be trapped at her old property, ill-equipped to survive the blast.
It is sort of reminiscent of another story I’ve read by Vivian Arend – the younger man, older woman scenario – forced together by an icy blast. Apart from the woman having an ex, that’s where the comparison ends unfortunately.
This is a romp of the dastardly kind. Ex is a self-absorb crim who has dumped his ex-wife in the way of trouble and Danny is left to get her out of it and in the process making her fall in love with him.
As always the people Christopher has created are real and passionate, his writing eloquent and his word pictures imaginative.
It is, however, not one of my favourites. Perhaps because it was too short of a tale and I didn’t feel the immediate spark between the two main characters; or perhaps it was the gravity of the situation that kind of touched on the unbelievable.
I was however glad for Eliza’s rescue. Can’t have the criminal element winning the day.
July 21, 2016
5 Candi Kisses
NO Spoilers
I have to tell you that until now I have never been able to get thru a book written by a man, but this story had all the classic elements of all of Liliana Hart's MacKenzie Stories and I am delighted.
Danny isn't a scrawny teenager anymore and the object of his teenage desires return to Surrender 4 years after she moved away and married the wrong guy. A really wrong guy. Danny sees her and know what he feels now for Ms. Blackwell has nothing to do with his teenage fantasies, but of a true full grown lust of a man and a desire to make all the wrongs into right for Eliza.
This story is high packed action thru a snowstorm from hell, 2 Knuckleheads trying to kill them and a hike thru said storm, but the heat between the H/h kept you feeling all warm and fuzzy.
Excellent read Mr. Rice. I will be looking at your previous works now.
Merged review:
Desire & Ice: A MacKenzie Family Novella
By Christopher Rice
Review by Candace Fox
Genre: Contemporary Romance
5 Candi Kisses
NO Spoilers
What a great, exciting, adrenaline fulled ride this Story was. I have to tell you that until now I have never been able to get thru a book written by a man, but this story had all the classic elements of all of Liliana Hart's MacKenzie Stories and I am delighted.
Danny isn't a scrawny teenager anymore and the object of his teenage desires return to Surrender 4 years after she moved away and married the wrong guy. A really wrong guy. Danny sees her and know what he feels now for Ms. Blackwell has nothing to do with his teenage fantasies, but of a true full grown lust of a man and a desire to make all the wrongs into right for Eliza.
This story is high packed action thru a snowstorm from hell, 2 Knuckleheads trying to kill them and a hike thru said storm, but the heat between the H/h kept you feeling all warm and fuzzy.
Excellent read Mr. Rice. I will be looking at your previous works now.
NO Spoilers
I have to tell you that until now I have never been able to get thru a book written by a man, but this story had all the classic elements of all of Liliana Hart's MacKenzie Stories and I am delighted.
Danny isn't a scrawny teenager anymore and the object of his teenage desires return to Surrender 4 years after she moved away and married the wrong guy. A really wrong guy. Danny sees her and know what he feels now for Ms. Blackwell has nothing to do with his teenage fantasies, but of a true full grown lust of a man and a desire to make all the wrongs into right for Eliza.
This story is high packed action thru a snowstorm from hell, 2 Knuckleheads trying to kill them and a hike thru said storm, but the heat between the H/h kept you feeling all warm and fuzzy.
Excellent read Mr. Rice. I will be looking at your previous works now.
Merged review:
Desire & Ice: A MacKenzie Family Novella
By Christopher Rice
Review by Candace Fox
Genre: Contemporary Romance
5 Candi Kisses
NO Spoilers
What a great, exciting, adrenaline fulled ride this Story was. I have to tell you that until now I have never been able to get thru a book written by a man, but this story had all the classic elements of all of Liliana Hart's MacKenzie Stories and I am delighted.
Danny isn't a scrawny teenager anymore and the object of his teenage desires return to Surrender 4 years after she moved away and married the wrong guy. A really wrong guy. Danny sees her and know what he feels now for Ms. Blackwell has nothing to do with his teenage fantasies, but of a true full grown lust of a man and a desire to make all the wrongs into right for Eliza.
This story is high packed action thru a snowstorm from hell, 2 Knuckleheads trying to kill them and a hike thru said storm, but the heat between the H/h kept you feeling all warm and fuzzy.
Excellent read Mr. Rice. I will be looking at your previous works now.
April 11, 2016
This was the first time reading Christopher Rice's work for me and I was pleasantly surprised not only by how well his story meshed with into the MacKenzie world but also because I usually don't care for male writers when it comes to romance novels...weird yes but the styles are very different and the love scenes are a lot tamer when it's written by a man. BUT I honestly really liked this book, and would definitely read more from him in the future.
As I said this story meshed really well into the MacKenzie world...and honestly I would say out of all the books it meshed the best into the MacKenzie world. As for the characters Danny being younger has always had a thing for his high school teacher but she ended up getting married and moving. By chance they meet again when she returns to Surrender to "help" her ex-husband. Everything goes wrong at the worst time...with a blizzard rushing down on the town Danny just happens to be in the wrong place at just the right time.
Eliza trusts way to easily, but that's not always a bad thing...but in the case of her ex it was her worst mistake. On the other hand had it not been for Lance she would have never went back to Surrender and never seen Danny again, so hey I guess it all worked out.
Overall I liked this whole series, I definitely have my favorite in the series, but I enjoyed read each one all the same.
As I said this story meshed really well into the MacKenzie world...and honestly I would say out of all the books it meshed the best into the MacKenzie world. As for the characters Danny being younger has always had a thing for his high school teacher but she ended up getting married and moving. By chance they meet again when she returns to Surrender to "help" her ex-husband. Everything goes wrong at the worst time...with a blizzard rushing down on the town Danny just happens to be in the wrong place at just the right time.
Eliza trusts way to easily, but that's not always a bad thing...but in the case of her ex it was her worst mistake. On the other hand had it not been for Lance she would have never went back to Surrender and never seen Danny again, so hey I guess it all worked out.
Overall I liked this whole series, I definitely have my favorite in the series, but I enjoyed read each one all the same.
November 16, 2016
This is part of the MacKenzie series by Liliana Hart
Meet Danny Patterson. Danny definitely isn’t a teenager anymore. Danny’s the newest and youngest sheriff’s deputy in the town of Surrender, Montana. A brief chance encounter with his former schoolteacher on what is the eve of the biggest snowstorm to hit Surrender in years. Now shows Danny that some schoolboy crushes never ever fade. They sometimes mature into grown-up desires.
It’s been a good few years since Eliza Brightwell set foot in Surrender. So why's Eliza back now? Why does Eliza seem like she’s trying to run from something serious? To try and solve this mystery, Danny disobeys a strict and direct order from Sheriff Cooper MacKenzie. In which Danny sets out into the fierce blizzard. Where Danny's courage and his desire might be the only things he's capable of to try and save Eliza from a dark force out of her own past.
Christopher Rice is a new author to me but reading this book i'm sure to be reading more of her books. Christopher and Liliana make a good team. 5* book
Meet Danny Patterson. Danny definitely isn’t a teenager anymore. Danny’s the newest and youngest sheriff’s deputy in the town of Surrender, Montana. A brief chance encounter with his former schoolteacher on what is the eve of the biggest snowstorm to hit Surrender in years. Now shows Danny that some schoolboy crushes never ever fade. They sometimes mature into grown-up desires.
It’s been a good few years since Eliza Brightwell set foot in Surrender. So why's Eliza back now? Why does Eliza seem like she’s trying to run from something serious? To try and solve this mystery, Danny disobeys a strict and direct order from Sheriff Cooper MacKenzie. In which Danny sets out into the fierce blizzard. Where Danny's courage and his desire might be the only things he's capable of to try and save Eliza from a dark force out of her own past.
Christopher Rice is a new author to me but reading this book i'm sure to be reading more of her books. Christopher and Liliana make a good team. 5* book
March 5, 2016
Christopher Rice's first foray into contemporary romance was a surprising good time. Desire and Ice is apart of a series of one novel and multiple novellas. I have not read any of the others but is Rice is apart of this series I am sure they will be just as good.
Desire and Ice follows Danny Patterson a new sheriff in the town of Surrender, Montana. The town is about to be hit with a major snow storm. Danny learns that an old teacher from his past is back. Eliza is back in Surrender and at the estate of her ex husband. She runs into Danny as she is trying to find something hidden. After a brief requainence all hell breaks loose and they are running for their life. All this leads to hidden desires and out in the open passions.
I am a huge fan of Christopher Rice and love all his works. The romances he has written I have not been disappointed by any stretch of the means. Desire and Ice is a passion ride to hetero love and sex. A great read indeed.
Desire and Ice follows Danny Patterson a new sheriff in the town of Surrender, Montana. The town is about to be hit with a major snow storm. Danny learns that an old teacher from his past is back. Eliza is back in Surrender and at the estate of her ex husband. She runs into Danny as she is trying to find something hidden. After a brief requainence all hell breaks loose and they are running for their life. All this leads to hidden desires and out in the open passions.
I am a huge fan of Christopher Rice and love all his works. The romances he has written I have not been disappointed by any stretch of the means. Desire and Ice is a passion ride to hetero love and sex. A great read indeed.
March 18, 2016
This story was my least favorite of this series. It was a good story but it just didn't fit as well as the others. I enjoyed Danny and Eliza but felt there really wasn't much of a connection between them.
March 13, 2016
Desire & Ice
I loved this book! I liked Danny and Eliza story. I liked how the way they brought the Mackenzie family. I would read more of this author. Thank you!
I loved this book! I liked Danny and Eliza story. I liked how the way they brought the Mackenzie family. I would read more of this author. Thank you!
April 3, 2016
Not a good read.
Not a fan of this one by Christopher Rice. I've enjoyed! many of his other book. This one seemed immature.
Not a fan of this one by Christopher Rice. I've enjoyed! many of his other book. This one seemed immature.
October 9, 2016
Love under fire and ice. Danny and Eliza are compelling characters you will root for from the first chapter. Nicely paced with just the right amount of suspense. A twist at the end is a treat.
March 27, 2017
This novella was a little sweet, a little naughty and a little thrilling so basically short, sweet and very satisfying read.
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