I am very surprised at the poor ratings for this book. The books I have been reading read more like plotless poor with no character development.

But this book dealt with a serious issue of alcoholism, yet to me it did not get too maudlin.


I would say that on the negative side, we did not get much character development for Andre and the book was way too short.

Overall, I enjoyed the book. ( )

Originally posted at Romance Around the Corner

Grade: 3.5

I don’t recall ever reading a story set in Antarctica, so that alone was enough to make me want to read it. Also, one of the characters is French. Enough said!

Max Conway is a former Navy SEAL with more baggage than an airport. Since he was discharged from the teams, he’s been working as a safety diver at a research base in Antarctica. During his free time he either gets drunk, has anonymous sex or both. So is no wonder that one day he wakes up in bed with someone he doesn’t know. The stranger’s name is Andre, a French scientist heading for the same base as Max. Andre is angry at him for falling sleep before sex and not remembering anything after. So when they meet again in Antarctica and are assigned to work together, neither is happy about it.

Despite not liking each other that much Max and Andre are attracted to one another. The problem is that the atmosphere is homophobic at best and the only one who knows about Mac’s sexuality is his best friend. Now he must decide if he wants to give in to temptation, or stay in the closet and get drunk instead.

As I said before, the setting was unique, interesting and I was fascinated by it. I haven’t been to Antarctica, but I’ve lived in isolated environments with the same people during weeks, and I think the author did a great job at portraying the claustrophobic atmosphere that comes with it.

Max is the protagonist and we only get his POV. He isn’t a likeable character. In fact, all he does is screw up. He’s so engrossed in his misery that he is blind to everyone else’s struggles. But he’s so conflicted and in so much pain throughout the book, that I wanted him to battle his demons and get to a place in his life where he could be happy and have a healthy romantic relationship. I didn’t particularly like him, but I understood where he was coming from. I’m not sure if his character finds redemption at the end, or even emotional stability, but I want to believe that he’s a work in progress and that he will eventually become a better man.

We don’t see much of Andre, and I think this is the weakest part of the story. The little we see of him was enough to make me intrigued, but in the end, he was nothing but a love interest. I would have loved to get his POV, or at least more background. However, Max and Andre were a good match and I believe in their happy ending. But the romance and the character development needed a few more pages to fully shine.

I don’t think this is a book for everyone. I know that the reason it worked for me was because I found Max a nuanced, compelling character. But just as easily a different reader may find him an unlikeable jerk and his actions unforgivable. So I’m on the fence about recommending it because it’s a character-centric story with a very difficult main character. The romance is scarce and is not particularly romantic. I think it suits Max and Andrew, and it goes well with the setting, but again, not for everyone.

If you enjoy flawed characters and are curious about the unusual setting, I think you should give it a try. Just keep in mind that the overall tone is dark and the romance isn’t the main focus.

Note: see the cover? Navy SEALs --or maybe moody French scientists-- are so hardcore that they go shirtless in Antarctica. Boo-Ya!

Source: we received a copy from the author for review. ( )

August Ice makes for a great change in setting from what I’ve been reading lately. Max Conway is a former Navy SEAL, and is working as a diver in the Antarctic. Max is an alcoholic, and his drinking is getting out of control. Before he leaves for his 6 month trip to Antarctica, he gets drunk one night and wakes up not remembering anything. Max wakes up beside a stranger, Andre Dubois. Max can’t remember anything from the night before, and the two part ways in the morning, with Andre realising Max is a drunk. Andre dismisses Max’s ‘offer’ and Max leaves with the familiar feel of shame.

Max is ready for the plane trip to take him to his job when he sees, ‘The Guy’, Andre. Andre looks on at Max with distaste, and a mutual antagonism flares between them. Andre turns out to be a scientist that is traveling to the Antarctic for work, and Max knows that things have got to stay professional between them. The rest of the divers are homophobic, and Max has kept the fact he’s gay quiet. With the attraction he feels for Andre not dissipating, and his drinking getting out of control, the summer for Max is going to be hell on wheels for him.

I’ve a big fan of Dev’s writing, and though I didn’t like her last release, I liked August Ice a lot more. Max is a dark character, and this book is quite dark in tone which fits in with the icy setting. Max is an alcoholic in denial, and he doesn’t realise the danger he’s putting others and himself in with his drinking. He keeps telling himself that he likes the odd drink. His best friend, Annie, knows he’s a drunk, and the two of them had a toxic relationship. She puts up a front pretending to be his ‘girlfriend’ whilst Max keeps others away from her. Also, Annie would supply Max with bottles of alcohol, and in return, Max would supply her with LCD. On the days that Annie would go on an acid trip, Max would watch over her to make sure she was safe. I was horrified by their relationship and what they would do for each other.

The romance is not the strongest in August Ice. Andre is not as in-depth as Max is, and we don’t learn a lot about him or his personality. Andre is an ex-heroin user, and notices that Max is in deep trouble. At first I could understand why Andre was judging him. When the two of them became closer, I didn’t quite believe in the attraction between them. That was partly because of Max’s alcoholism because it took over the entire book. It was the third person in the relationship, and I was waiting on tenterhooks wondering when would it all come crashing down on Max.

It did all come crashing down, but how it did annoyed me. Max’s drinking becomes out of control. During one of Annie’s acid trips, Max drinks and falls asleep. Annie is found out of her head by the other teammates, and Annie afterwards blames and puts all the responsibility of her acid trip going wrong on Max. I was like, woah, wait a minute. You took drugs on your own responsibility, and you trusted a known alcoholic to keep you safe? I thought there was a terrible lack of responsibility with Annie, and she should have been fired. I didn’t understand why Andre helped with the disposition of the LCD’s. Annie deserved to lose her job, but Max ended up being the one taking the brunt.

This is the biggest downfall of Max, and it’s there that Andre helps him become sober. This isn’t shown, but we start off on the next chapter with Max a different man and ready to become a diver again. He’s now open with his relationship with Andre, and I wanted to more of Max being sober. August Ice makes for a different read, and I did enjoy it a lot more than Learning from Isaac. It doesn’t have a strong and emotive romance, but Max is a dark and flawed character that made August Ice a very interesting read. I give it a C ( )

full review to come. ( )

full review to come. ( )