This is a contemporary romance about a doctor and a hockey player. Liana contacted me via the Lori Foster Weekend group and asked me to review it. I've never been asked personally by an author to do this and I felt hesitant but finally agreed. Boy am I glad.
This is one of the most powerful and heartwarming books I've read, ever. Both Eric and Emily had serious emotional hang-ups which directly impacted on the other's weaknesses. There were moments when my heart was pumping furiously because the drama of the scene was so well written I really felt what the characters were feeling. There were also some moments that made me laugh out loud they were so amusingly spot on. I suspect Liana is a hockey fan and if she's not, she knows someone really well who is. She captured some scenes during a couple of hockey games so well that I could see it happening.
I hesitate giving a recap of the story because it's important to discover the layers of Eric and Emily as they reveal them to each other. This is about a developing relationship. There were many times when either Eric or Emily would choose not to discuss the situation with the other and make a decision that wasn't really in their best interest. Just as I would be ready to throw the book against the wall and scream "NO", the reason given for the decision made so much sense I would just sigh and go with it. Plus Eric and Emily are beautifully drawn, three-dimensional characters about whom I came to care a great deal.
This is a story about the impact of abuse - physical, mental and emotional. But it is also a signal lesson on the importance of communication. Every time there's a misunderstanding it's because they kept secrets and didn't talk with one another. I know this is a standard in romance, but for some reason it felt like a major influence in Thin Ice.
Well, I'm off to buy her other book, Jake's Return. Liana Laverentz has a new fan girl. Oh, and Thin Ice was 2008 Eppie winner for Best Contemporary Romance.
Well, Linda, you won't be disappointed by Jake's Return. It is every bit as good as Thin Ice, I promise.
ReplyDeleteA found Liana's humour balanced the sensitive issues beautifully. I'm a firm fan!
Sheryl w/a Charlotte Chalmers
Linda, I'm glad you enjoyed Thin Ice. It's a great book and you'll enjoy Jake's Return just as much. It's fun finding new authors, isn't it?
ReplyDeleteA new author worthy of fangirl-itis? Woohoo! I look forward to reading this one.
ReplyDeleteHi, Linda,
ReplyDeleteI just stumbled across this for the first time today. Thank you so much for this wonderful review. I'm so glad you enjoyed Emily and Eric's story. It's a very special story to me as well. Happy New Year!