Alot of stuff was happening, i mean wow.
But i enjoyed the character and the relationship they developed most.

This is an interesting M/M romantic suspense that had some issues.

Physician's Assistant in a rough urban ER, Hunter Charbonneau has had a rough few years. He fell for a decent guy while in college, but Jerry devolved from a successful bar owner to a small-time drug peddler to a big time dealer and abuser--and the aftermath left Hunter battered, literally gun-shy, and Jerry dead. He's been seeking out one-nighters for a bit of relief, though he has a serious crush on Shawn--the new phone operator for the ER.

Shawn has turned Hunter down, though Hunter suspects his excuse for being less than truthful. A tragic incident in their Delingham, Mass, hospital puts these guys on a collision course. It's not nice, and it's not neat, but they seek each other after surviving. And the raised attention from the incident brings those who'd like to give Shawn a dirt nap special--including FBI Special Agent Nick Truman.

This is a romantic suspense, so don't expect a lot of romantic build-up. As Hunter tries to reach out, Shawn resists reaching back--well, until he can't any longer. He's got to shed yet another false identity to stay alive and fight for his innocence. I liked the twist and turns, and the creative use of scene was fantastic. I truly felt like I was in New England, battling snow storms and evading the baddies. I liked how Hunter never gave up on Shawn--AKA Alex--and how they outsmarted all the bad guys with some help from Hunter's police family members and some really brave Alaskan Huskies.

The book has a lot of melancholy sub-plots, with Hunter surviving his abusive ex, Alex surviving several attempts on his life before he could get into WITSEC, and neither knowing if they could trust the Feds to do the right thing. There are several bad agents in the book, which really raised the tension. The book ends on a Happy For Now note, with a sequel in the offing.

I love romantic suspense stories with little to no down time and that’s exactly what Hitting Black Ice was. It was a great start to Heloise West’s Heart and Haven series.

Shawn is a mystery that Hunter is determined to figure out. The hostage situation that Shawn and Hunter get themselves caught in has nothing to do with Shawn’s past, but in a round about way, it helps the people hunting for him track him down. From that point on, nothing is the same for either Hunter or Shawn.

Like I mentioned, there was little or no down time in Hitting Black Ice. At times it felt like there was too much danger – so much it was hard to believe that they came through it in one piece.

Regardless, Hitting Black Ice pretty much had everything I like in a romantic suspense. Danger, twists and turns, a heated romance and even moments where readers had a hard time trying to sort out the good guys from the bad. For a lot of reasons, I’m looking forward to continuing this series. Send Lawyers, Guns and Roses is next and that’s followed by His Dark Reflection – which is Nick Truman’s story. I’m also a fan of authors who can change my opinion about characters I loved to hate. Trust me when I say that Heloise West has her work cut out for her with Nick. 😉

I didn't care for this book. I didn't care about the characters until close to the end of the book. The story itself was ok but it did move along rather stiltdly. The love / sex scenes feel weird.

I really loved the first part of this book. Hunter is working in an ER and has a crush on the admin named Shawn. Hunter was in a relationship previously that became abusive and ended in a suicide. Hunter hasn't recovered from that and is still dealing with the fall out. There is also obviously a bit more to Shawn although we only see this through Hunter's POV. Hunter and Shawn end up being held at gunpoint in the ER and then end up having sex more as a life affirming situation than anything else. However, they are both attracted to each other. So I love the book to this point but then it started to go a little off the rails for me. Shawn says it was nothing more than sex and they can't be in a relationship but then acts as if they are. This is when the suspense part kicks in and it's usually one of my favorite aspects but it just seemed to overwhelm the characters and so many things were going on. Lots of characters were introduced and it seemed a bit rushed. There are a lot of twists and turns as well. However, the character depth takes a backseat at this point and the relationship is suddenly instant. The villain was a surprise but I didn't really like the way it ended for him. There were also a few plot points that seemed to be left hanging. Maybe they will be covered in the next book.

Overall, I loved the first part of the book but the second part was just okay for me.

This is the first book I've read by this author and I enjoyed it. Shawn is the run from the law and Hunter works in the ER and is attracted to Shawn but scared to let him. The truth comes out about Shawn after a hostage situation but Hunter doesn't believe it. The book is filled with suspense, action, very hot sexy time, and I loved. Shawn and Hunter are great together. Once you start reading you will not be able to put it down.

I received a free copy of Hitting Black Ice from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I'm very sorry to say that I did not finish this book. I stopped at 44%, and even getting there was a struggle.

The premise was okay-ish, but the characters were all kinds of bad.
No confidence, no depth. Some situations quite far-fetched.

It seemed like the story started with a bang and then the rest was written just for the sake of ending it.

This book was an enjoyable read but I found it rather unbelievable at times, and it also felt rushed at the end.
I have seen reviews from a few years ago, so it appears this book (and the other two in the series) are being re-released. That being the point, it should have been edited better. I spotted several typos/mistakes. It was an ok read but I don't think I will bother with the rest of the series.
3-3.5*

Thanks to NetGalley for allowing to read an arc of Hitting Black Ice by Heloise West for an honest review.


”Intellectually I know. Emotionally, it's much harder.”

And that pretty much sums up the story, emotionally speaking. Hitting Black Ice was not easy for me to follow. The author’s writing is okay; the flow and plot could improve. After I knew what was going on, it was easier to follow the story. Or the characters, I should say. The story is character-driven, and it depends on the actions of them for the story to continue. I quite enjoy character-driven novels; even some of them end up being my favorites. Hitting Black Ice was just right. As I said before, it could’ve been better if it wasn't for the flow.

Hitting Black Ice is about Hunter and Shawn both still healing and making a life for themselves after the incidents that stain their past. The difference between them is simple: One is trying to hide from being found, and the other is trying to find love through him.

The story follows the life of Hunter, an ER nurse whose world view changes after helping Shawn carry a gun-down drug dealer inside the emergency room.

And it follows Shawn, whose past needs to stay hidden for him to believe he could live a healthy and regular life. A life he craves and fantasies as Hunter slides through his hard shell.

They both go through falling in love and practically throwing all their hard work away to save each other. From the fear and death, for what comes for them and themselves.

Hitting Black Ice is not a simple love story. But for them, a love story it is.

after surviving a hostage crisis in the e.r. where they both work in hitting black ice, hunter and shawn are forced to face the attraction that has been building up between them. yet, both of them have past baggage that weighs them down.

shawn is on the run from the witness protection program after his handlers proved to be double agents for the crime lords he was ratting out. there's a lot of crazy convoluted twists to his part of the story, and the explanations for those things come late in the game, and i'm not one hundred percent sure i understood where everything went wrong for him, but basically he's running and falling in love with hunter is such a bad idea, because he is lying to him about who he is, and he also is so worried about putting him in danger.

meanwhile, hunter had an emotionally abusive ex who killed their dog and then proceeded to shoot himself in front of hunter's eyes in the parking lot of the hospital he used to work at. so needless to say, there's a lot about the hostage situation that is triggering, and later on the danger that he and shawn find themselves in, brings back some bad memories.

but the key thing here, is that in spite of all the trauma and baggage, and the hurt these two cause each other, there's also a deep connection. hunter can't quit shawn, and shawn can't let go of hunter either, even when he's worried that staying will make everything worse. so somehow they need to untangle the mess and make everything right again. but they'll need help, and some of it will come from the most unexpected places.

**hitting black ice will publish on august 19, 2019. i recieved an advance reader copy courtesy of netgalley/ninestar press in exchange for my honest review.

I didn't love this, but I liked it well enough.

What I liked:
~ the premise -- once I realized what was going on, I enjoyed the intrigue.

What wasn't as strong:
~ the characters -- having this narrated mostly by Hunter made it tricky in places. First, Hunter doesn't know what's going on with Shawn/Alex, but it's not only that -- it's how Hunter doesn't trust his own feelings/instincts (perhaps because of the trauma in his past). I felt like I also couldn't trust his impressions, and that meant my sympathy for all the characters introduced by him was lukewarm and wary instead of engaged.
~ how Shawn ended up where he's at -- I don't want to spoil anything, so I'll just mention that Shawn at the time he meets Hunter (and moving forward) seemed quite different from the Shawn/Alex who was revealed through flashbacks -- like a completely different person, in fact.

What I didn't like that much:
~ how quickly Hunter decides Shawn is for him (especially after all the doubts he voices initially)
~ the whole situation with Truman -- I personally didn't like Truman's story arc. I felt like his past actions (with Alex and his partner) were not okay in any way, and I felt like those were too quickly and easily justified for my taste. I also didn't like Hunter's constantly changing emotions toward him and the implication that Truman will be the hero of his own book later on. He simply didn't work for me.

All in all, it was an okay read and had its high points, but I probably won't re-read it or pick up any of the sequels.

Hitting Black Ice ended up becoming another one that didn't quite work for me. The premise sounded interesting, but the execution, for me, was not so great. The biggest detractor was the clunky pacing and writing. One passage would go into great detail, and then suddenly, you'd speed through a whole day in three sentences. The first 40% is pretty much the MCs getting horny -- I still can't get over the fact that Hunter got aroused after hearing Alex sigh over the phone....what? The latter half with Alex's backstory, however, did manage to rope me in a little bit, and I did find Agent Truman to be somewhat intriguing. I'm actually a little curious to see how Agent Truman's story will play out, but I'm not sure if I want to continue on or not.

This book was ok. I didn't think the story was that plausible with Hunter having a crush on Shawn a coworker at the hospital he works at, and then they start this weird romance based on being held hostage together by drug lords. Shawn has this whole past he is hiding from and on the run from the law. Hunter is kind of a mess too with a lot of emotional baggage from his previous relationship that is really taking a toll on him. Together they seem kind of unlikely and I just did not think they meshed well. The story was kind of confusing jumping back and forth between the past and present which was not smooth but awkward. Not terrible, but not a favorite of mine either.

I loved the first part of this novel. The whole story begins with Hunter who is working in a busy ER and has a bit of a crush on a new admin named Shawn. Right from the beginning, it’s clear that Hunter has a lot of emotional wounds that are still healing. His previous relationship became abusive and ultimately ended with a suicide that Hunter feels was in- part his fault.

There’s a lot going on in this book. The first part of the novel seems really authentic and genuine. Even a few pages in, West manages to make Hunter a sympathetic character. It’s obvious that he cares about people, he loves his job, but he’s also still healing. He seems like a real person… someone I’d want to get to know.

The depictions of trauma in the book are well-written and authentic feeling. I really enjoyed that Hunter stayed in character throughout the novel. No matter what came up for his character to deal with, he stayed true to the type of person he was.

The intrigue and suspense gear up quickly in Hitting Black Ice. Hunter and Shawn are caught up in a violent and deadly hostage-taking at the hospital. After a violent killing, being held at gunpoint, an outburst that nearly results in Shawn’s death… the two men get together in physical, affirmation of life sexual encounter in a storage room at the hospital. Even as Shawn candidly declares he’s only in it for the physical release… the two men are drawn to one another.

The pace of the novel changes at this point. At times it seems a bit too rushed because of the sheer volume of characters and plot points to remember. No one is quite what they seem and there are a few significant and surprising reveals. The attraction between Shawn and Hunter goes from physical to love a bit too quickly as the plot escalates.

When the end of the book arrived, I found myself a little bit unsatisfied. The end was abrupt and there are lots of loose ends. I assume that many of the unresolved plot-points will be taken up in the continuation of the series.

All in all a good read, and certainly enough that I’m curious to continue reading the series.

This is one of those rare Netgalley arcs that I requested because it sounded like exactly what I wanted to read, got it within two hours, and then finished it three hours later. It left the book hanging wide open for a sequel, but I fell hard for Shawn and Hunter. Both young men were involved in a high stakes hostage situation, an mysterious FBI guy chasing after Shawn, guns, shootings, and more dangerous scenarios taking place in the snowy mountains during blizzard like conditions. Exactly what I wanted to read.

The only reason it’s four stars was because it left it hanging on a cliffhanger. Sigh. I very much need book two, and I am now invested in this series. The author immediately soared to my top ten favorite LGBT authors.

This made me think very strongly of the survival stories of Stargate Atlantis fanfiction that I used to read in a way, with lots of plot, romance, and characters. I very much enjoyed this and eagerly look forward to book two. Overall, I’m giving this 4/5 stars, and I’m hopeful book two will be out as quickly as possible. I especially liked the dogs that were thrown into the plot for good measure and the heroic rescue at the end. Highly recommended for those who enjoy fast paced action with lots of twists and turns!