Black Ice

By: Anne Stuart

Narrated by: Jennifer Van Dyck

Length: 8 hrs and 49 mins

Publisher's summary

Living paycheck to paycheck in Paris, American book translator Chloe Underwood would give anything for some excitement and passion - even a little danger. So when she's offered a lucrative weekend gig translating at a business conference in a remote château, she jumps at the chance to shake things up.

Then by chance Chloe discovers her employers are anything but the entrepreneurs they appear, and suddenly she knows far too much. Her clients are illegal arms dealers, and one of them is ordered to kill her. But instead, Bastien Toussaint drags Chloe away, and the next thing she knows she's on the run with the most terrifying and seductive man she's ever met. What were his motives - and would she live long enough to find out?

©2005 Anne Stuart (P)2009 Audible, Inc.

Critic reviews

"This taut romantic suspense novel from RITA Award-winner Stuart delivers deliciously evil baddies and the type of disturbing male protagonist that only she can transform into a convincing love interest....Brilliant characterizations and a suitably moody ambience drive this dark tale of unlikely love." (Publishers Weekly)

Kept me engaged - not as good as Rohan though.

If you could sum up Black Ice in three words, what would they be?

Curiosity killed the?

Who was your favorite character and why?

Sebastion of course. He just couldn't help himself to do the right thing. He so wanted to remain a bad guy but just really wasn't that person.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I laughed at times that should probably have not been funny.

Any additional comments?

The run from the bad guys part went on a little longer than I had patience for but I never was one for the chase scenes or on the run scenes in movies. Not unless there is more substance between the characters who are on the run with more moments of interest within them.

Narrated Wonderfully, Story Found Wanting

Most of the sites identifying top 25 or 10 romantic suspenses listed Black Ice by Stewart. So I purchased this book in the hopes that it measured up to it's recommendations. Sadly, it did not.

Here is where I had issues with the storyline.
First, Chloe argues to retain the position as interpreter for her friend. I get that she needs the money. But the bad guy who is adamant that they can get along without her suddenly does an about face. No explanation and very weak argument.

Second, all the bad guys are arguing in German about Chloe being there which clearly supports the argument that she's not needed. These are just the tip of the iceberg where there is no evidence to support decisions made by the characters. It's almost like the book was written after drinking a bottle of wine...sounded good but nothing really builds or supports the plot.

The plot has potential if the author or someone takes the time to iron out all the discrepancies. But at this time I couldn't encourage anyone to purchase it. Perhaps the library?

Like Season of TV in a book

the way this book progresses reminded me of a season of 24, or a similar show. it was an enjoyable book but it seemed like it took it's time moving along. the narrator was good.

Delightfully warped anti-hero hooked me on author

Would you consider the audio edition of Black Ice to be better than the print version?

Buy the book. You'll find yourself re-reading it so often that it makes the performance bearable.

What didn’t you like about Jennifer Van Dyck’s performance?

Her voice and characterization didn't particularly seem the best match for the book or characters. But then I suspect this dated back to the heyday of big publishers when an author was at the mercy of any audio deal she could get.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Love how the hero was so damaged that he could never quite remember if he was using his real name.

Any additional comments?

I've been going back and re-reading this book for years. It hooked me on the Ice series and this author. I've never read about a more damaged man, yet found myself so desperate to know how his life turned out (spoiler alert) - a short cameo in a later book in the series was enough to keep me from tracking down the author at a conference and torturing her into writing a sequel. I suspect I was not alone.

Warning - read this book and you might find yourself automatically one-clicking anything written by this author.

Love this book!

I have read this book a thousand times I own it in Hardback and on audio.

not for me

The guy hit my too creepy for words button. Too much if you don't say no, that's a yes. And the narrator is doing an impression of a William Shatner impression.

Good But A Bit Light On Romance

Chloe Underwood is an American living in Paris, working as a children's book translator. She decided to forgo the medical career path taken by the rest of her family and is living abroad trying to gain some excitement in her life. She is fluent in a number of languages and shares an apartment with her co-worker Sophie, who is only looking for wealthy boyfriends to support her lifestyle. Sophie makes a last minute request of Chloe to replace her on a weekend job at a business meeting held at a Chateau outside of Paris. Chloe decides to do so because the money is appealing.

Things start to go south pretty quickly when the participants of the meeting are immediately suspicious of the change in translators. They are actually participating in illegal arms trade and debate whether they need to kill her. One of the participants, Bastien Toussaint, is actually an undercover agent for a private organization battling terrorist operations. He's not your typical agent for a not so typical organization and has his own reservations about Chloe, wondering if she's working for someone else and out to do him in.

This is not your typical romantic suspense story and it moves more like an espionage thriller. Chloe truly is an innocent but no one is willing to take the risk and she's marked for death. Bastien vacillates between allowing her to be killed and risking his life and cover in order to save her. She has an immediate attraction to him but is also repelled by his ruthlessness. The book moves at a very fast pace and no relationship is sacred. You are unsure of friend or foe from one moment to the next, including Bastien.

I found it to be an extremely interesting story but the romance was sometimes hard to swallow. It wasn't clear as to why Bastien was attracted to Chloe, even though her attraction to him seemed to be a bit more understandable. Nevertheless, the book kept my interest throughout and I found myself rooting for them as a couple so something worked. The ending was quite abrupt and I'm hoping the series includes more about the future of these two.

Jennifer Van Dyck was good with the delivery of the story.

Pick An Accent & Stick With It

I own a copy of the physical book and have read it a few times. I like the book. I'm not much one for audiobooks and this reminded me why. The story is good, so are the inflections, but I wish the narrator was better. The book clearly states where the different characters are from but she'll put on a hideous French accent for most of them (when they're not French) or change to a Slavic sounding accent for the French characters. I think I was most annoyed at her giving most of the characters French accents when they shouldn't have had them and switching halfway through a sentence. It threw me off more than once.

Awesome!

I am a big fan of Anne Stuart's "House of Rohan" series, so I was eager to give this "Ice" series a try. If the rest of the books are as good as this one, I will be estatic! Anne Stuart stories aren't your usual romantic "fluff." They are gritty, raw, and often a little dark. I think the previous reviewer hit the nail right on the head when she compared this to a 007 movie where James Bond actually falls for the woman he is protecting. And the female lead was no wilting violet, either. The storyline, character development and dialogue all came together to created a fantistic story, probably one of the few that I will actually listen to again!

Didn't expect to love it like I did!

Any additional comments?

Despite the fact the book started off with one massive info-dump after another I hung in there and waited it out. About 1/4 to 1/2 way through BAM...this book got so good. It was such a different romance. I know that flawed hero's are the "thing" right now, but this guy is more than flawed---he's completely wicked, but somehow the author managed to make me empathize with his life. He's the worst and best hero ever, and even though I have absolutely no knowledge of international arms trafficking or European organized crime rings, I felt like everything that happened was so realistic. The Heroine (Chloe) reacted just as you'd expect (most of the time). Sure, she might not be thinking of sex after she'd just been tortured, but it is a romance book---so you have to expect some of that type of thing. My only objection is that it ended too soon. I SOOOO wanted an epilogue. We deserved to know what happened after the final page! :)