Becca Fitzpatrick made a name for herself with her successful paranormal romance series, Hush Hush. She’s left the paranormal behind but romance is still on the agenda as she plunges headlong into a realistic, romantic thriller.

Eighteen year old Britt Pfeiffer is confused. She’s not sure if she should reconcile with her first and only love, Calvin, or maybe she should just put him out of her mind for good. That second option becomes a lot harder when Calvin ends up chaperoning Britt and his sister during a backpacking trip in the wilds of Wyoming, the Teton Range.

Things get out of hand fast, but not in the way one may expect. A vicious storm puts Britt in the path of two fugitives and possible murderers before she and Calvin can even meet up at his family’s cabin. Now Britt has to use her wits to stay alive and hope Calvin can reach her in time. One of the kidnappers is burdened with a terrible secret and Britt can’t be sure if he’ll turn out to be a help or her biggest hindrance. This is a story in which nothing is as it seems!

I think Fitzpatrick's writing has improved a lot since her Hush Hush days. I read the first book in the series and thought it was okay. I have the entire series, but haven't gotten around to reading any of the other ones yet. Black Ice is well done and guaranteed to keep readers on the edge of their seats. The descriptions are so vivid, one can feel every sliver of ice and every frozen, frosty flake, alighting on their person, as the reader becomes part of the journey to survive.

 The author did an excellent job with character development. There are no cookie cutter archetypes here. The characters may be young adults, but Fitzpatrick imbued them with a rich depth and complexity. They face deep and serous choices---ones the reader may or may not agree with, but will be forced to ponder and draw their own conclusions as to what they would do in similar circumstances.

Black Ice may be targeted to the young adult market, but more mature audiences will not be disappointed in the least, by this exciting and super suspenseful novel.