Thin Ice
Liana Laverentz
Reviewed by Cynthia Murphy
Romance
novels often fall victim to the genre’s standard plot devices such as
trauma,
emotional baggage, and interfering characters.
Liana Laverentz’s Thin Ice gracefully
sidesteps such pitfalls. Most of the
standard elements of a typical romance novel are present, but Laverentz
has
created a romance with depth.
Thin
Ice sounds like it should be a typical romance.
The main characters appear to be polar
opposites. Dr. Emily Jordan hates
violence. When hockey player Eric
Cameron walks into her ER after a fight, she takes an instant dislike
to
him. Their paths cross again, and they
form a tentative friendship that quickly turns to romance.
The story follows the usual pattern of highs
and lows, breakups and makeups, but that’s where the similarities to
other
novels end. Laverentz has included a
dark undercurrent of domestic violence in this story.
Violence plays a huge role in the
story. It shapes the characters and
their actions. Emily is a survivor of
domestic violence. As a result, she
remains vehemently opposed to all forms of violence.
She also bears emotional scars from her
past. These scars cast a shadow over her
burgeoning relationship with Eric.
Fighting on the ice is just part of his job, but the violence
unnerves
Emily. She worries about Eric’s ability
to maintain his temper off the ice.
Emily’s lingering fears stem from her failed marriage and
turbulent
childhood. With the characterization of
Emily, Laverentz captures the long-term repercussions of abuse.
The most impressive thing about Thin Ice is the
character
development. Laverentz manages to avoid
stereotypes for all of her characters.
Emily is much more than a battered woman trying to run from her
past. In many ways she faces her past
head-on
through her work at the hospital and her volunteer work at the local
women’s
shelter. Likewise, Eric is more than
just a hockey hunk. He relishes his
volunteer work with local children and plays the cello in his spare
time. These are atypical, but genuinely
likable
characters.
Even the supporting characters are
well-developed. Each supporting
character serves a purpose in the novel.
Some characters provide insight into Emily and Eric’s past
lives; others
propel the story forward. The cast of
supporting characters includes a violent ex-husband, an abused former
mother-in-law, and a reporter. Laverentz
does not waste a single character.
The plot is solid. It features more than
the usual number of
twists and turns for the couple. Of
course, the ending is a foregone conclusion.
After about fifty pages, you know this couple will make it
somehow. This is one of those books where
the
characters’ journey is more important than the destination. Laverentz
has also
included a nice epilogue.
Despite the heavy presence of
violence, Thin Ice is really a very
enjoyable novel. It has sharp characters
and more depth than other romance novels.
It is a bit heavier than other romances, but it works. Such well-drawn characters would be out of
place in a lighter work. Overall, it is a
fun read.