Hotter on Ice

<b>3.5 stars.</b><br><br>I came about <i>Hotter on Ice</i> as I was bought a subscription to the Dare imprint for my birthday so I’ll be entirely honest here, without that it’s highly likely I would have passed this by as the bodyguard/model set-up is one that I generally don’t get along with plus it’s the fourth book in a series. However, I’m all for trying out new authors and I do love a Beauty and the Beast themed romance and brooding, broken heroes, so in for a penny in for a pound. <br><br><img src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/hostedimages/1546515734i/26852388._SX540_.jpg" width="34" height="27" alt="description" class="gr-hostedUserImg" loading="lazy"><b> <i> They had crossed a line that they couldn’t uncross.”</i> </b><br><br>Whilst I wouldn’t say Alya and Henning’s chemistry was amazing, it was intimate and there’s no shortage to the heat they create as they keep warm within the stunning, but freezing confines of Sweden’s Icehotel. And with Henning’s honesty and Alya’s strength during his more vulnerable moments there’s no question that you’re willing this couple to find their HEA. <br><br><img src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/hostedimages/1546515734i/26852388._SX540_.jpg" width="34" height="27" alt="description" class="gr-hostedUserImg" loading="lazy"><b> <i> There are parts of me that are broken, that might never get fixed.”</i> </b><br><br>If I have one particular grumble, albeit it minor, it was the regular reminders of how built and scarred Henning is which did become a little repetitive, but that aside I’m sold enough to rewind and read the previous books in the series because on the whole Rebecca Hunter’s writing worked well for me. <br><img src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/hostedimages/1546462459i/26850225._SY540_.jpg" width="200" height="200" alt="description" class="gr-hostedUserImg" loading="lazy">

Great read. This is the book 4 in the Blackmore Inc series and the first book that I have read and I really enjoyed it. Alya and Henning were a great couple. They had great chemistry between them. Great storyline and a great location. Can’t wait to read more from this author. I will be going back and reading more of this series.<br /><br />I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

A lovely scarred hero, but way too much sex, a thin plot and characters lacking substance.

This was a great addition to the Blackmore, Inc series &amp; I liked how this is a Beauty &amp; the Beast type story. I loved how Henning has been protecting Alya for years without her ever seeing him. She is gorgeous and he is scarred and feels like she would never want to see him in person. I appreciated how Alya cared about Henning, saw who he is on the inside. This story also takes place in an interesting place.

4th Blackmore Inc. Novel this one follows the romance between fashion model Alya Petrova and her bodyguard Henning Fischer. Pretty much every criticism I levelled at the previous Blackmore Inc novel - Baring it all - is rectified in this one.<br /><br />First up I adored Henning the hero - If Max was too perfect and multi talented Henning is his complete opposite. He's physically and mentally scarred, brusque and bad with people. Yet when he does say something, it's always exactly the right thing and he's brooding and utterly devoted to Alya. He's also wonderful with his princess obsessed 5 year old niece. The worst thing about him is his name - I mean seriously do you know anyone called Henning? Otherwise Yum. <br /><br />Alya I didn't warm to quite as much, but she is in every way Henning's match. I do like her determination to break free of fear and her refusal to compromise and accept Henning's half-assed offer.<br /><br />The Swedish Ice Hotel setting also gives this an added edge. I'm tired of tropical islands and I loved the descriptions of Sweden, plus the cold triggering Henning's memories of the pasted added an extra layer of brooding.<br /><br />Romance is pretty good in this - these two really are great together and make each other better people. Yes Henning is needy and Alya offers him salvation and hope, but it works both ways and Henning's constant support and desire build her up too. I also have to say that I like the fact that Henning comes to his senses and doesn't rely on supporting characters to force him to act.<br /><br />Editing is a tad sloppy in places - there's a section where the pair go skiing that feels jumpy - we go from getting ready to ski to a flashback about sleeping next to each other then back to skiing - but explaining why they are skiing and things feel in the wrong order, plus I'm not sure the waking up next to her happened between the interview and the skiing - it's like there's an extra night added into the time frame - there are also a couple of very similar phrases that a good editor should have spotted.<br /><br />Otherwise though I really liked this one, largely due to such a strong, imperfect hero a great insight into the fashion world and an unusual setting.<br /><br />Solid 3.5 stars

I liked that both hero and heroine were vulnerable with pasts they both hadn't fully begun to unpack. I also really liked that the heroine's ex was a villain that stayed off page and doesn't spring out from behind the curtains in the 11th hour twirling his mustache and throwing up a road block. I also LOVED how the heroine stands up for herself during The Black Moment. <br /><br />What I was less enamored with was the superficiality of the romance. The hero has been working surveillance for the heroine from afar for several years now and they both have this pent up insta-lust even though they don't actually meet face-to-face until this book. With their mutual angsty vulnerabilities I wanted to wallow around more in those feelings but instead, since this is the Dare line, it's a lot of steamy sex. Which, fine. I knew what I was signing up for going in - and while I do think the author does a good job of blending the hot sex with the romance - I wanted to wallow a lot more "in between the lines." In the emotionally messy gray areas. Instead it's insta-lust and burning up the sheets. <br /><br />Good, not great for me. YMMV.

This story is a modern take on the Beauty and the Beast fairy tale set in a beautiful, and rather unusual location. In this version, the Beast is a big, hunky hero with a very well defined protective streak. While he thinks of himself as hideous, his beauty definitely does not. Alya is a stunningly beautiful model who has just taken on a new assignment at the Icehotel in Sweden and is in need of a new bodyguard. Henning, her new bodyguard, has provided surveillance for her over the past few years, but they have never met in person before now. He is heavily scarred from a drug bust gone terribly wrong during his time as a cop. His oversized stature and scars have kept him behind the scenes in the security company he now works for, but the security of Alya has become very personal to him. Rather than being put off or intimidated by him as he had feared, Alya is fiercely attracted to Henning and is comfortable with having him as her bodyguard. The scars only hint at the hell he endured and the demons he still carries with him, but Henning can’t deny his own attraction to the beautiful and resilient Alya and he will do anything to protect her. The forced proximity soon leads to steamy and passionate intimacies between them, out of site of the cameras that are documenting the photo shoot. Will this stolen time together lead to a more permanent, lasting relationship? <br /><br />This book is sexy, steamy and captivating. The characters are well defined, realistic and relatable, making this book enjoyable to read.I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

<img src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/hostedimages/1583102921i/29043977._SX540_.png" width="300" height="250" alt="HotteronIceRebeccaHunter" class="gr-hostedUserImg" loading="lazy"><br>I hope you love my super-hot take on the Beauty and the Beast fairy tale! Both Henning and Alya struggle with their scars from the past, but together at the Icehotel, they open a glimmer of hope for each other. Can it last?<br><br><a href="https://goodreads.com/book/show/51809536.Hotter_on_Ice__Blackmore_Inc___4_" title="Hotter on Ice (Blackmore Inc. #4) by Rebecca Hunter" rel="noopener">Hotter on Ice</a> is book #4 in the Blackmore Inc. series, but don't worry -you can start here!<br>The other books in the series:<br>#1 <a href="https://goodreads.com/book/show/40218386.Best_Laid_Plans__Blackmore_Inc___1_" title="Best Laid Plans (Blackmore Inc. #1) by Rebecca Hunter" rel="noopener">Best Laid Plans</a> (currently in Kindle Unlimited)<br>#2 <a href="https://goodreads.com/book/show/41252883.Playing_with_Fire__Blackmore_Inc___2_" title="Playing with Fire (Blackmore Inc. #2) by Rebecca Hunter" rel="noopener">Playing with Fire</a><br>#3 <a href="https://goodreads.com/book/show/42640046.Baring_It_All__Blackmore_Inc___3_" title="Baring It All (Blackmore Inc. #3) by Rebecca Hunter" rel="noopener">Baring It All</a>

Fiery hot love in a freezing cold location!<br /><br />Alya lost her bodyguard, Max, when he fell in love with her sister, Natasha. Thrilled for the new couple, she still has to find someone else to watch her back while she's on location at a famous ice hotel resort in Sweden. She only knows Henning as the guy monitoring her security from afar, and she's completely unprepared for the instant attraction she feels when they finally meet in person.<br /><br />These two are so hot together it's a wonder there's any ice left in Sweden! I loved how there wasn't any of the common "but we work together" objections - clearly he can still protect her regardless of how they're spending their time together. But there are other complications on the road to their HEA.<br /><br />Henning's complicated past is only part of the problem. His concern for her safety comes at a point in Alya's life when she's ready to move beyond the crippling fear she's dealt with for the past three years. Just how much protection is necessary, and how much is at risk if she lets it go? These questions turn this super-hot romance into an intense personal journey for both Henning and Alya, making their HEA all the sweeter for it. <br /><br />There wasn't a slow spot or weak point anywhere in this story. I was captivated right from the start, and loved each and every page. I highly recommend it for all romance readers. I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book.

I've actually liked this so much more than I believed I would.<br /><br />This book is HOT. Spicy, steamy, you name it. It has some Beauty and the Beast undertones- which I've obviously LOVED but it is also very sex-centred- in a good way. <br /><br />Of course, the plot is almost paper-thin as most of the action took place outside the actual book and we are only left with, ehem, <i>the climax</i>, but it was so enjoyable.<br /><br />Nothing more I can say about it, other than what's revealed in the blob. Basically, it's a lot of fun packed in about 160 pages of pure smut.<br /><br />Highly recommended as a great distraction during these long, long days of pandemic restrictions.