Crazies R Us Book Blog: Elizabeth's Review~ Surviving Ice~ K.A. Tucker~ Contemporary Romance

~4.5 STUNNING STARS~

"Ice is beautiful and enticing; cold and hard and uncompromising."

Surviving Ice is my second K.A. Tucker read. Once again, I stand in awe at the rich and lyrical writing style of Ms. Tucker. She has the ability to draw her readers in and hold them captive by the endearing, and yet, complex characters she creates. I thoroughly enjoyed being back with her writing and I feel likeSurviving Ice was like a homecoming party. With it's edgy characters and action packed plot, this read is not to be missed!

Ivy is a bit of a drifter. As a tattoo artist and street graffiti artist, she lives a simple life working for her uncle in his tattoo shop in sunny California. When it comes to her family, her uncle has always been her only support. When Ivy witnesses his brutal murder, she is left grappling with emotions in which she has no idea how to cope with. Although she has the support of her friends, she only desires to run away.

"Ned who made San Francisco feel like home, because now he's gone, I just want to get the hell away."-Ivy

Sebastian is a former Navy Seal. After an "other than honorable" discharge from the military, he has found success working in private security for an old military friend and mentor. When he receives the call to return to his home state of California for a special mission, he returns home to work a job that will be the catalyst for changing his life forever.

"Ivy is fierce, and stunning, and captivating."-Sebastian

Sebastian doesn't know anything about the "reckless" woman that he has been charged to follow and "get to know". He only knows that she has answers and it his job to retrieve them. He never expected to fall in love with her. When it comes to Ivy and Sebastian, the saying "opposites attract" really does ring true. Ivy is edgy, artsy, and a true free spirit. He is a straight laced former military man who thrives under structure and living his life under the straight and narrow. As a fast friendship is formed between the two, which naturally progresses to much more, Sebastian begins to feel guilt for deceiving Ivy. When his boss begins to take alternative precautions for the job's sake, Ivy's life is put in danger. Can Sebastian save Ivy and find the answers he is searching for? Will Ivy ever forgive the man who has stolen her heart when she finds out the truth about him and "the mission"?

"I wanted to fill her with me. I wanted to mark her, in a way."-Sebastian

Surviving Ice is an addictive read full of action, mystery, and the steam factor is "off the charts" aka HOT! Told in dual POV, the characters are extremely likable and the plot is well developed throughout. The pacing of the story is steady and the dialogue is rich with sarcastic banter between Noah and Ivy. I thoroughly enjoyed every moment of this read. The setting of the story is well established as every detail is colored perfectly on the page. Additionally, the story arc is nicely crafted with a well developed beginning, middle, and end. These are just a few reasons why I enjoyed Surviving Ice.

"What are you doing?"-Ivy

"I'm staying."-Sebastian

Overall, I highly recommend this read to anyone who enjoys a good action/mystery/romance! I have always been a fan of Ms. Tucker's writing and this read just reaffirms my desire to read more of her work! Ivy was such a unique creation and she and Sebastian will stay with me always! Bravo Ms. Tucker! Bravo!

~Read as part of the Shh...for the IndieSTAR chat with Probst, St. Germain, Tucker & Rose: Oct. 4-10!