Book Review: Black Ice

Black Ice by Becca Fitzpatrick
Release Date ~ October 7, 2014
Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
ISBN13: 9781442474260
ARC received from S&S Canada for review

Goodreads Synopsis:
Danger is hard to resist in this sexy thriller from Becca Fitzpatrick, the New York Times bestselling author of the Hush, Hush saga.

Brit Pheiffer has trained to backpack the Teton Range, but she isn't prepared when her ex-boyfriend, who still haunts her every thought, wants to join her. Before Britt can explore her feelings for Calvin, an unexpected blizzard forces her to seek shelter in a remote cabin, accepting the hospitality of its two very handsome occupants but these men are fugitives, and they take her hostage.

Britt is forced to guide the men off the mountain, and knows she must stay alive long enough for Calvin to find her. The task is made even more complicated when Britt finds chilling evidence of a series of murders that have taken place there and in uncovering this, she may become the killer's next target.

But nothing is as it seems, and everyone is keeping secrets, including Mason, one of her kidnappers. His kindness is confusing Britt. Is he an enemy? Or an ally?

Black Ice is New York Times bestselling author Becca Fitzpatrick's riveting romantic thriller set against the treacherous backdrop of the mountains of Wyoming. Falling in love should never be this dangerous. 

Black Ice is a fast-paced, mysterious read that left me guessing the whole time I was reading it; as much as I thought I had predicted all the twists, I usually ended up being surprised by one reveal or another. I never read Hush, Hush so this was my first impression of one of Becca Fitzpatrick's books.

1. Britt's natural growth and changes:
   
   Britt's character is going to bother some readers, I knew that from the very first chapter. She isn't your standard character who's easy to like or maybe even identify with - she's definitely spoiled and rather immature because she hasn't had to figure out much of life for herself yet. But the idea behind Black Ice is that Britt is forced to go through a situation where she can only rely on herself - and you can see her fight that at times. She doesn't have a clue what to do or how to deal. And by the end of the book, I'm not sure I'd say that she's figured that out entirely - but she's clearly changed and there is improvement. She's flawed and far from perfect, but that made the story seem more real to me.
   
2. A story with a heavy crime element:
   
   I am one of those people who has always enjoyed crime stories (weird? maybe a little) so these elements in Black Ice really worked for me. There's a larger part of the plot devoted to a big mystery, but there are a few smaller ones as well. I liked how suspenseful the book was (particularly in a few scenes), but it also doesn't cross that line in to horror/scary territory for readers who are wary of that. 

I had a much harder time with some of the secondary characters - a couple of them are left without any redemption (which is fine) but it can feel awkward when other "bad" characters get their moment to explain at least some of their poor behaviour and actions. It's one of the main ways that a character instantly feels shallow to me. 

I'm not too sure where to include this in my review, but I had very mixed feelings about Mason. I wasn't entirely sold on his character but I also didn't hate him. He clearly had his own issues to work through, and I almost wish I could have a book about Mason in order to see his development - he's certainly not a lost cause and there were many times when I liked him. But by the end of the book, I just wasn't wholly convinced. 

The simplest way of putting it is that while I enjoyed Black Ice as a thriller, I had a harder time with it as a romantic book. Depending on how you feel about either of those genres (and the types of elements you like in those genres) will likely determine your thoughts on Black Ice.