Sugar and Ice by Eule Grey is a sweet romance with a large hint of paranormal and a heartwarming ending.
Mave found Lisa in the first book of the series, but still feels nearly overwhelmed with feelings of inadequacies around her gorgeously butch girlfriend. Lisa owns the Yorkshire newsletter The Echo and Mave is the writer, but she is also connected to the spectral world Lisa claims to not believe in.
The paper is in a lot of financial trouble, Christmas is fast approaching, and Lisa’s too perfect friend Jalila’s shop is being haunted by a dangerous coating of ice on the sidewalk. Despite feeling inadequate, Mave must tackle all of these problems and still be ready for the big holiday karaoke at the pub.
Writing
The story is told entirely from Mave’s perspective, which I found a bit confusing for a while. I haven’t read the first book in the series so it took a while to figure out that there really are ghosts and ghoulies in the world but only some people can see them. The nearly fairy tale language lends itself to a story that slides in and out of our mundane world. This language lends itself to a mostly sweet tale that dips easily and without warning into a sense of dread, and at the end nearly overwhelms with sweetness.
Pros And My Favourite Parts
My favorite thing in this book has to be the most original haunt ever. While it is actually scary and dangerous it’s also wonderfully silly and character specific. Because Mave is the only one who can see ghosts – which Lisa continues to argue she doesn’t believe in – she is the only person who can help the dreaded Jalila save her shop from the icy bombardment.
Mave is a woman who has always been told she’s not up to snuff so of course she can’t shake the feeling no matter how much Lisa shows and tells her otherwise. Watching her take care of business despite misgivings is a treat. The actual end of the book, though, ties up what could have been a maudlin story arc in the most heartwarming way, and made me want to go back and read again.
Despite all the sound and fury of Halloween, Christmas has long been a season that depends on ghosts. I like the traditionally spooky yuletide haunts of this book butted up against modern pastimes like karaoke at the pub.
Heads Up
Nothing serious, though there is one very sad story line.
The Conclusion
Somehow Mave and Lisa must figure out a way to solve the extreme financial problems of their newsletter The Echo, or they may have more Christmas worries than gift giving. Along the way, Mave battles feelings of inadequacy as she helps Lisa’s perfect friend Jalila with the icy haunting of her business.
I didn’t read book one of this series ahead of time, so I was a little confused about the state of the world’s feelings on the actual ghosts that Mave deals with. It didn’t take long to see that the author has created a subtle world that is on one plane of existence and not everyone can see the others. Mave and Lisa are a very sweet couple, and a lighthearted frame for this sometimes eerie ghost story that often veers into light humor.
Excerpt from Sugar and Ice by Eule Grey
After a little of what my Auntie used to call tonguey French action, I felt much better. Amidst the sexual tension, we ate a piece of Mum’s fruit cake together. I remembered—too late—Mum saying something about having no dried fruit. “Ah. I should’ve said. She might’ve used raw ginger instead of actual fruit.” A burnt twang confirmed my culinary suspicions.
“Oh?” Lisa doubtfully swallowed with one eye closed and the other fluttering in desperation. “I’ve never had fruit cake without fruit before. Blurgh.”
I forced the mouthful down somehow. “It’s a special kind. Fruitless and fancy-free.”
Then we unpacked the box of shiny tasteless treasures. Lisa held up a hideous green metallic toad encrusted with glitter. “Look at this! Tom made it when he was eight. Aww. He’s always been an artist.”
“Artiste,” I reminded her.
“The little devil scribbled on the walls and even once on the bath. It took years to scrub the ink off.” Her face went beautiful with memories while I accepted the obvious. I simply couldn’t spend my days without her nearby. Lisa’s strength made me safe. Her softness made me strong.
One did not say such words first thing in the morning, with the kettle on and the lingering aftertaste of fruitless cake. Instead, I tried to transmit my sentiments via osmosis and a shoulder stroke.
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Series: Kitten and Blonde
Sealed with a Hiss (book one)
Sugar and Ice (book one and a half)
Bits and Bobs
ISBN number: 978-1-64890-710-4
Publisher: NineStar Press
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Note: I received a free review copy of Sugar and Ice by Eule Grey. No money was exchanged for this review. When you use our links to buy we get a small commission which supports the running of this site
