Ice Queen by Gun Brooke is an ice queen, age gap romance about love breaking down the walls erected around a heart that’s been hurt too many times.
High school councilor Aislin Kennedy loves her job. She uses her charisma and enthusiasm to help her students achieve their dreams and provide them with a safe environment to do so. Her charm and passion for her students cover the deep wounds left by a manipulative lover. She’s reticent to form any kind of bond with another woman unless it’s on the dancefloor and doesn’t follow her home.
Susanna Durr is the CEO of a fashion conglomerate with two messy divorces behind her. In the boardroom she’s the picture of control and confidence. Nobody dares challenge her in a business meeting, but at home, her fourteen-year-old daughter defies and tests her at every turn. It’s clear to Susanna that Cynthia is desperately unhappy, but Susanna doesn’t have the same self-assurance as a mother as she has as a CEO.
Caught in a storm, Aislin ducks into a coffee shop and meets a brooding teenager looking for someone to confide in. Aislin instantly puts her at ease, and over the course of a few text messages, Cynthia explains why she’s so unhappy at her exclusive public school. She enlists Aislin’s support in convincing her mother to allow her to transfer to the local public high school. Little does Aislin know Cynthia’s mother is one of the most powerful women on the East Coast.
When Aislin agrees to help Susanna connect with her daughter, it’s not long before they develop feelings for each other. Both women have heartbreak in their pasts and one more could ruin them both. Is their love worth the risk?
Pros And My Favourite Parts
I genuinely enjoyed the characters in Ice Queen. Susanna is most definitely an ice queen, yet she’s awkward and aware of it. She says things that are biting, but as soon as they leave her mouth, she regrets them. Being a mother allows the reader to see a softer side of her character. With Cynthia, she’s unsure of herself but it’s clear she wants to make better decisions to improve their relationship and Cynthia’s well-being. Aislin isn’t the shy, reticent, yet plucky young woman I see in most ice queen/age gap romances. There’s nothing shy about Aislin. She insists on being treated with respect and let’s Susanna know her position of power doesn’t figure in with her desire to help Cynthia. Of course, Aislin has moments where she feels unsure where her relationship with Susanna is going but Aislin easily fits into Susanna’s world. Both women have terrific backstories that inform their actions and feelings. That’s very important to me when I’m reading a romance. I want to understand why the main characters do what they do.
Cons And Heads Up
This is a minor thing, but I noticed it so you might too. Sometimes the dialogue felt overly formal to me. Coming from Susanna that makes sense. Coming from Aislin not as much and coming from Cynthia not at all.
The Conclusion
I enjoyed Ice Queen. I’m a sucker for a story about a single mother and in this case, it really adds depth to Susanna’s character. The conflict that threatens Susanna and Aislin’s future isn’t a convoluted series of events. It’s the insecurities they each bring into the relationship that they’re forced to acknowledge and deal with. To me this felt authentic. The book is a quick read with plenty of spice, so it made for a nice weekend escape.
Excerpt from Ice Queen by Gun Brooke
“May I?” Aislin raised her hands, palms up, to Susanna. What did she mean? Did Aislin want to dance like some of the people around them, holding on to each other? Her nerves suddenly on alert, Susanna merely stood there, not sure how to proceed. Why didn’t she just decline and return to her guest, which would be easy?
“I—I’m not…”
“It’s just a dance,” Aislin said, her bright smile mirrored in her eyes. She gently took Susanna’s hand. “And you’re gorgeous.”
The impossible words hit Susanna right between her breasts, stopping her heartbeat for a few moments. The audacity of this woman. Now Aislin took Susanna’s other hand and placed it on her bare shoulder. Susanna felt the leather of Aislin’s vest against her fingertips, and the smooth, pale skin burned her palm. Before she realized it, she was pulled closer, and Aislin’s arm was around her waist. There was plenty of space between them, and Aislin’s touch was completely innocent, yet Susanna’s blood pulsed to the beat of the music in a way she had never felt before.
“See? Just a dance,” Aislin said, but now her broad smile vanished as she sucked her full lower lip in between her teeth. She guided Susanna safely among the people on the dance floor, which was fortunate, as she had no sense of direction. This dizzying feeling couldn’t be because of the few glasses of wine she’d had. Perhaps the lights that played over the people dancing on the shiny floor caused it? Susanna huffed inwardly at herself. She knew all too well that she was out of her element in this environment, and in the arms of this…this girl.
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Bits and Bobs
ISBN number: 9781635557213
Publisher: Bold Strokes Books
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