Arwen is an individual figure skating coach who never thought she’d ever get to meet the lead singer of the band Soar. She’d been crushing on Gannon ever since Soar’s first CD came out. While attending the band’s concert in her hometown, Gannon’s and her gaze meet during a love song he sings, making Arwen think he’s only singing for her. Unexpectantly, the next day, an even more unbelievable situation occurs. Gannon appears at the skate club and asks her out on a date.GO BACK AND READ THE BLURB ABOVE…
When his gaze met the woman’s in the crowd, Gannon became immediately taken with her. Something about her drew him like no other human woman had before. As an Alte, a winged being humans had mistaken for angels through chance encounters, he and his band mates are the last of their kind after an illness swept through their people. Surviving, they find themselves able to manipulate the elements, allowing them to hide what they truly are from the humans around them. Their bright silver eyes become natural, and even their wings are camouflaged, leaving a tattoo-like mark on their backs. Immortal as well, the remaining five have together lived for over a thousand years.
As Gannon grows closer to Arwen, he finds himself fighting to keep his true self hidden. Even more frightening, when they make love, he starts to absorb her life energy causing him to put some distance between them. But when another of their kind arrives on the scene, revealing what caused the demise of their people, Gannon is faced with letting Arwen die or risking the rest of humanity to save her.
Okay, so I usually give a full summery of the book and characters here, but the blurb does a very good job of covering everything. I’m not sure I could do better, and I would end up having to quote large parts of it. I will add the following:
Arwen Grayson was an ice-skating Olympic hopeful that choked up during the larger championships. She still loved the sport enough she chose to become a coach for other champion hopefuls. But being a coach to champions takes long (and early) hours dedicated to her job and students. This has negatively impacted her social/dating life. While she has a few, close friends and co-workers, it has been six months since her last relationship and he left because of her work.
After the death of the rest of their race, the remaining Alte banded together as brothers, though not actually related before (from what I gathered). They do have sex with human woman on occasion and more so now that women are throwing themselves at the band. But in general they tend to stick together but separate from us and none of them have ever form a relationship with any human woman. That is why Gannon being drawn to Arwen is so strange for him and the band when they find out. The band/’brothers’ are supportive, though, and do like Arwen when they meet her.
Gannon even asks Arwen to go with them to the next/last concert. He doesn’t want to leave her, nor leave her behind for even the few days it will take for their last concert. His ‘brothers’ are supportive of this. They even ‘help’ when he withdraws from her the next morning because he is worried about the life-force exchange that he can’t seem to control.
As the blurb indicates, they do encounter another remaining Alte. But he is malicious and tries to hurt Arwen. Now Gannon has to try to protect Arwen from both himself and another Alte at the same time. He just has no idea how when he is so drawn to her.
Icy Temptation seems to be #1 in the Angels That Rock series. While most of Icy Temptation’s story is taken care of, the ending is left open for more books. I understand where she is going with that, but I hate being left hanging (like any normal person). But this is a great set-up for series, giving a firm explanation of the Alte and the band.
Of course, I have a few nit picky issues with Icy Temptation. Arwen is so dedicated to her job that she lets her boyfriends suffer/go in the past… Then is willing to pass off her students without any notice or doubt to follow Gannon and his band? I don’t care if it is only for a week, she gets another to cover her and she doesn’t have any competitions at that time. The two different attitudes just don’t mesh. And she is a little too accepting of Gannon finding her and asking her out. Dream dates with stars are great fantasies, but she doesn’t really know this guy at all before jumping in with both feet. The other big issue is that the Alte have been around as immortals for a thousand years and still know so little about their history or about what is going on between Gannon and Arwen. So it is new, but none of them have experimented before? Hummmm… Also, I would think if all but a few of my race had died out and then I became immortal, I would be upset or bitter after a few hundred years, much less a thousand. None of these guys seem to be, and are happy to entertain the humans as well!
Other than that, Icy Temptation was pretty good. Marisa Chenery did a great job explaining the Alte. The idea behind the Alte may be a bit far fetched, but most paranormal are if one really thinks about it (we are just use to the idea of vamps or shifters). I liked that she didn’t make them “fallen angels” or flat out aliens. And I loved that she had the wings ‘hide’ as tattoos instead of becoming invisible or something. The Alte feel well thought out and executed.
The character interaction in Icy Temptation is okay. Arwen is star-struck, has some hero-worshiping going on. But falling for a rock star without really getting to know him normally wouldn’t leave one hopeful for the future. Gannon is nicely troubled by his lack of control around Arwen. And horrified by the thought of harming her during sex. Poor guy doesn’t stand a chance. Being our hero, he tries to do the right thing, but cant’ resist her either. What a dilemma…
Overall, Icy Temptation is an interesting paranormal. The Alte are a clever play on the angel myths of old. And the rock band just adds to their appeal. Icy Temptation is a good start for this series and it will be fun to see where Chenery takes it.
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