Snowbound by Cari Hunter: Book Review

Snowbound by Cari Hunter is a fast-paced thriller romance and an excellent debut novel by Cari Hunter.

Officer Sam Lucas is held hostage by two brothers who were in the middle of robbing a jewelry store during a snowstorm. Unsure whether her work partner is alive or not, she attempts to get away from the criminal brothers. Unfortunately, Sam was not able to and managed to sustain critical injuries in the process.

Meanwhile, Dr. Kate Myles bravely volunteers to head to the lion’s den in her coworker’s stead in order to check on the wounded officer and on one of the brothers who was injured by Sam during her attempt at escape. Once at the location, Kate tries her best to keep Sam alive.

Slipping in and out of consciousness, Sam tries to stay alive while Kate tries to figure out a way to get out of their dire situation. During this time, they form a fast-forming and unique bond. The question is whether their bond is enough after surviving their ordeal.

Pros And My Favourite Parts

Both Kate and Sam are very strong female characters, they never gave up even though many would have if they were put in the very same situation.

Although the two meet under tough conditions, Kate and Sam manage to find love amidst it all. Yes, they only knew each other for a short time, but I felt that their love was believable. While Sam was attracted to Kate from the get-go, it took a while for Kate to realize her feelings for Sam. There was a lack of communication at a certain point in the latter half of the book, but I felt that it wasn’t out of place.

While I did enjoy the romance, I liked the plot even more. The book started off well as it was thrilling from the get-go. There were moments that had me on the edge of my seat.

There are times when reading a book that takes place in a different area than I’m used to, and it gets bogged down by their sayings or their humour that only those living there would know, but I did not feel that way at all in Snowbound. Hunter does use British lingo, but was easy to follow and did not detract from the story.

Cons And Heads Up

There are some violent scenes that were quite graphic, you may want to skip these parts if you have a weak stomach or are sensitive to that kind of thing.

While I do not think the lack of sexy times in this book is a con, I thought it would be worth mentioning for potential readers.

The Conclusion

Snowbound is the perfect mix of crime thriller with just a dash of romance. While the first half of the book is quite serious, there is some humour that the author slipped in here and there that helped break the tension.

This is the very first book that Cari Hunter published, I remember reading it when it was first available and remembered it as being a very strong debut novel. Over ten years later and I still think the same today.

Snowbound is a great read from start to finish, a highly recommended book whether you’re already a fan of Cari Hunter’s writing or not.

Excerpt from Snowbound by Cari Hunter

The gunshot had been deafening in the small room. The gun dropped to the floor between them as they stood, inches apart, both too shocked to continue their struggle for the weapon. Sam blinked. Her ears were ringing and she felt slightly off-balance for a reason she couldn’t fathom. She heard Steve swear once, then his fist connected with her face and she fell. Unable to brace herself, she hit the floor, the wind knocked from her in an instant. She gasped for breath on the cold stone, twine still taut around her wrist when she raised a hand to her cheek. There was blood on her fingers, hot and fresh, and she realised the air was thick with it, sweet and cloying with that metallic edge that always made her sick to her stomach.

Steve seemed angry about something. He was cursing, his hands tearing through his hair as he looked down at her and his brother. He reached low, grabbed her hand—the one with all the blood on it—and pulled her onto her front. That brief movement was enough to send agony flaring through her right thigh, ripping into her and robbing her of the breath she had fought so hard for. She started up a litany of curses of her own, more colourful, more creative than his had been, as he kept her in place with a knee in the small of her back and bound her hands once more. She could feel the blood now, oozing onto her trousers. Two wounds: one to the front of her leg—the pain sharp as she lay on it—and a larger one to the back, air chilling the ragged flesh the bullet had exposed. Steve tied off his knot, and the pressure on her back vanished as he left her to go over to Eric.

Adrenaline fading fast, Sam lay shivering, the pain in her leg starting at the core of the wound and screaming outward, her blood sticky as it pooled beneath her. Shock brought detachment with it, and she wondered if the bullet had hit an artery or shattered her femur and how long it took, on average, to bleed to death. She bit her lip to stop herself crying, at least while Steve was still in the room. He was dragging Eric toward the door, berating him for being too heavy, for not helping, for causing this in the first place with his stupidity.

Then they were gone, the door slamming completely, spite-fully, shut and plunging the room into darkness. Sam sensed the cold seeping into her and closed her eyes, feeling exhausted and bizarrely matter-of-fact. That was that. She couldn’t do anymore; the realisation was strangely liberating and peaceful. Her head was swimming, she could distantly hear herself gulping for air, and she gave up the struggle to stay awake. Her only source of comfort as grey drifted across her vision was the fact that Mac wouldn’t be the one to find her body.

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