I always think of this as Nora's caper book.

Unfortunately, I don't think this is one of the books that's being considered as a movie. Which is just as well--they're making Lifetime movies out of them, and this would make a good mainstream movie.

There's the bored but plucky heiress, the daring jewel thief, action, adventure, crocodiles, caves, chases, drama, an evil villain and his creepy henchmen, even a pig. Somebody should contact the producers who made The Italian Job. Seriously.

i enjoyed this book tremendously. Many reviewers have said that this wasn't Nora Roberts best effort & i agree with this, but having said this it's still a very enjoyable book & i wouldn't miss it. It reminisces Romancing The Stone (the movie) a great deal. I thought the plot carried on well and the banter between H/H was witty, there was alot of excitement throughout the story, and the romance was definitely there so am a bit suprised that some readers didnt think there was alot of romance?? i liked the neat ending & it definitely wrapped up everything nicely. It's worth spending the $$ to buy the book. I definitely recommend this book.

I think Nora has spoiled me with her more recent writings. "Hot Ice" is an early attempt at suspense and romance, however, it was fairly boring throughout the story when ice cream heiress Whitney MacAllister and professional thief, Douglas Lord meet up. Their travels to find the hidden treasure dating back to the French Revolution and Marie Antoinette take them all the way to Madagascar. I think if Nora had written this story today, it would have been a real cliffhanger because the basic storyline is a good one. There were times during the story that I was actually "hooked" however, those moments were not long enough for this novel to be considered one of her success stories. Whitney is a spoiled rich girl and Doug is the typical good looking, strong, smart and very slick thief in her life. Toward the end of the book, things do get interesting when master mind villain, Dimitri and his bad boys come face to face with our hero and heroine and a long chase through New York, DC, and onto the jungles of Madagascar finally culminates. I enjoyed watching both main characters grow to a certain point by the end of their journey, however, the current sparks that Nora can grab from her audience with her outstanding writing is not in this novel.

I usually enjoy reading Nora Roberts books when I want a light hearted romantic change of pace. However, I found it difficult to get through this book. I felt like I had to force myself to keep reading. It was a bit too drawn out and even boring in parts. There was a great deal of suspense at times, but in between it lacked the page turning quality that I would have liked.
I noticed that the book was written in 1987 which explains some of it. This had to have been one of her earlier works and certain aspects of the story would never be an option now. For instance, Whitney uses credit cards everywhere to pay for things. In todays day and age we all know that leaving a paper trail when you are trying to elude a powerful enemy is asking for trouble. Other parts, just show their age.
I am sorry to say that this may be the first one of her books that I did not enjoy as much as I had hoped for. It's not even worth checking out from the library. Skip this one. There are plenty of others by this author that are far better.

HOT ICE is an interesting tale about a wealthy woman and a first rate thief. Nora Roberts likes to use this premise and has used it in several of her books. However, each has different entwined subplots that make them each unique. She does use a few of the same guidelines:

1. The woman is beautiful and usually wealthy.
2. The thief (usually male) is always gorgeous and street savvy.

I personally am waiting for her to write about a really homely thief and a poor woman; now that would be an interesting concept, right? Ok, so maybe that's why I'm not a published author and Nora Roberts is one of the best!

One of the variances in HOT ICE from her other books is that the race to find treasure begins in Manhattan and ends in Madagascar. The usual trials and tribulations occur: passion trying to be denied, a rival enemy hot on their tails, etc. HOT ICE is more along the lines of pure romance with a little mystery thrown in for balance. In my opinion, Roberts's better efforts have more mystery and less romance, as she's excellent at setting the stage for suspense.

HOT ICE is a good story, but not fantastic. I wouldn't label it a "stop light book" as is my term for a book that is absolutely impossible to put down, so much so that you read a few lines while waiting at a red light in your car! I would much rather recommend MONTANA SKY, SANCTUARY, THE REEF or another more recent Roberts novel. However, if you've already read these and wish to fill some time, this would be the book for you!