Rating: 
Summary: Regency farce evolves into Scottish drama
Review: I read this book because Romantic Times listed it as one of the 200 best romances of the last 20 years. It's good but I don't think it's all that good.Basically, the first quarter of the book is pretty conventional Regency farce including a rather absurd section on a day for each of the seven sins. Also, Dominic is a pretty self-centered jerk in the early pages. The book improves as the setting shifts to Scotland and Catronia's true mission (one with considerably more worth than her original story) emerges. The book is probably at its best when exploring the politics of Scotland in the early 19th century. The romance plot worked reasonably well but was nothing exceptional. Bottom-line: Five stars for Scottish history and politics and three stars for a so-so romance = four stars overall.
Rating: 
Summary: Disappointing
Review: I was not thrilled with this book. It was recommended by Romantic Times but it didn't work for me at all. Maybe the guy had something of interest but I couldn't see why he was interested in the girl. When people are defined as Rakes, I guess that is my clue not to buy. It won't be of interest to me.
Rating:
Summary: Romance & Intrigue in the Highlands
Review: I've just read "Flowers Under Ice", by Jean Ross Ewing, which packs some of my favorite romantic elements into a rich and vividly drawn story. Ms.Ewing has combined a strong and intelligent heroine, a devastatingly attractive but tormented hero, and a wonderfully despicable villain into a romance that covers every mood from serious lust to sweet tenderness. Dominic Wyndham first meets Catriona minutes after he's climbed to the top of a church spire and back down to win a bet. He appears at first glance to be an aristocratic wastrel with a scandalous reputation and nothing better to do than risk his life in reckless wagers. Or at least that's the impression Catriona, a spirited young woman from the Scottish Highlands, first forms. Dominic is at a truly low moment in his life; having just been callously informed him that his estranged wife is dead. Catriona lands another blow by telling him that his wife has had a baby by another man, and that Dominic's duty is to journey to Scotland to take charge of the child. Dominic agrees, but adds two outrageous conditions: that Catriona will accompany him unchaperoned, and that she will agree to explore one of the seven deadly sins for each day of their journey. Bit by bit, however, Dominic's true nature and the reasons behind his pose of careless indifference are slowly revealed, while the reader discovers more about Catriona's real mission. Along the way they are pursued and harassed by a variety of villains, and it soon becomes apparent that even more is at stake than a child's life. Catriona is a challenging heroine, dauntingly strong in her purpose, but her reasons are selfless, and due to her strong sense of honor and duty. I liked those qualities, and also the way Catriona fell under Dominic's spell, despite herself. Under Ms. Ewing's skillful hands, their love affair progresses gradually from a sensuous physical attraction to a soul-deep need for each other that really rang true for me. If you enjoy reading Jo Beverley, Edith Layton, or Anne Stuart, I think you will also enjoy Jean Ross Ewing. I definitely did!
Rating: 
Summary: Way Disappointing
Review: Our hero, Dominic Wyndham, is shunned by the Ton ever since his young wife, Harriet, ran from him on their wedding night after the marriage was consumated because he was replusive to her. She not only ran to her parents home, but ran to them in a middle of a ball with Dominic following her. There, she declares to all, that he used her in an awful manner. Thus, the ton gives him the direct cut and excludes him from their circle. Dominic than has to enlist in the army where he becomes a valued spy. Harriet wants the marriage annulled but then she was pregnant. WHen she finds out Dominic is returning from war she throws herself down the stairs to purposely lose their child. Oh, than she leaves for a convent in Scotland. First of all, this is just stupid. Dominic is a gorgeous man who was very popular with the ladies both before and after his marriage. And with many women of the Ton so obviously they would know if he has strange bed habits, which he did not. So why was he shunned for so long? Also, he was a bit of a hot head and the reason Harriet was so turned off by him was that she preferred women, not men. One would have expected a young hot male to defend himself against her slurs. Not just sit by and say nothing. Than Catriona Sinclair, a miss from the highlands, comes to tell him Harriet is dead and that there is a child. He knows it is no child of his and he knows Harriet did not like men so whose child is it? So off he goes with Catriona with an inspid seven deadly sins wager. Who cares? Why was he even interested in Catriona? And I hate when authors portray men as unable to keep it in the pans, that he was so overwhelmed with lust that he must have her sort of thing. Dominic was a spy for goodness sakes. I think he could manage to control himself, especially towards a female who is, by his own admission, not pretty and she finds Dominic a jerk and he knows it. The book really insulted my intelligence!
Rating: 
Summary: Enthralling
Review: Previous reader reviews express much better than I can what an incredible book this is! The depth of the characters (Catriona and Dominic)is deeply moving. Next to buy for me is "ILLUSIONS" ~ I can hardly wait. Don't miss this wonderful, beautifully written Historical Romance ~ it's a keeper!
Rating:
Summary: A terrific sexy book!!!
Review: Simply the best romance I've read all year! A sexy, seductive Regency adventure where a London rake and a proud Highland woman explore the seven deadly sins, one for each day of an amazing seven-day journey to Scotland, while they each tempt and seduce the other. The deadly sins were never this much fun before, but it's also a gripping mystery involving a lost baby, and full of surprises. A truly moving story. Dominic is incredible. He's a classic rake, but he hides so much passion and tenderness behind his fabulous sense of humor. He made me laugh out loud, while Catriona's courage and tenacity stunned me. She felt so true to the Highlands of Scotland, I really felt I was there. Definitely a keeper!
Rating:
Summary: Passionate and exciting romance fiction
Review: Sometimes you read a book, and you enjoy it, and then you read reviews by others, and wonder if you've all read the same book! This is the problem I have with a couple of the reviews posted here for Flowers Under Ice, a truly magnificent action-packed story with passionate protagonists, sound historical background, and complex plotting. This is intelligent writing, among the very best in historical romance today. There is no rape in this book. How absurd! I agree that there are still bodice-rippers in this genre that feature men who don't understand the meaning of "no" but this is simply not one of them. Dominic is a dark hero, a disturbed man, beset by many demons. Yes, he wants to bed Catriona, but he comes to love her, and she becomes his salvation. Love can heal, that's the message of this novel. And the passion is mutual, it's believable, it's palpable. This book is among the very best of its genre...it is uplifting and fine. Don't miss out on this treat...
Rating: 
Summary: disappointing
Review: Still one of the most literate voices of the genre, but did not meet expectations with this one after her beautifully conceived Illusions. The heroine was not very sympathetic and was not fully developed as a character; she did a better job with Dominic Wyndham but I was hard pressed to see why he was falling in love with Catriona. Still, a welcome change from most of the pulp out there.
Rating:
Summary: 4 1/2 stars -- Intense tale with a wonderful, complex hero
Review: This is a very interesting book, but not an easy read. Jean Ross Ewing (AKA Julia Ross) is a *very* talented writer, but her stories definitely are not light, fluffy romance.
But, AH!, the hero! Dominic Wyndham is the type of hero that I *adore*. The disgraced younger brother of an earl, he is dangerously charming, gorgeous, complex, intelligent, and driven by demons from his past. Dominic initially appears to be nothing more than a dissolute rake and libertine who lives outside the bounds of polite society and supports himself by gambling and winning foolish wagers. Those who have previously read "Illusion" (in which Dominic was a secondary character), will be aware that he had worked as an intelligence officer during the Napoleonic wars, so there is more to Dominic than the initial impression would suggest. But he is a very complex character and his actions and motives are not *always* pure. He is not above demanding that the heroine travel as his mistress and trying to seduce Catriona, particularly when he believes that she is lying to him and using him for her own purposes. His faults and weaknesses make him a more believable and three-dimensional character, to my mind.
Catriona, unfortunately, is not as compelling a heroine. She is a Highland lass who is fanatically devoted to saving her people from being driven from their homes by the English aristocracy. She is a *very* strong, proud woman but since she spends alot of the book keeping secrets from Dominic (and the reader), she seems cold and distant for much of the story. I agree with the reviewer that stated that it was hard to understand what Dominic found so appealing about her. She spends the beginning of the book snapping things at Dominic like "Och!" and "Love! The word is soiled in your mouth!" She gets alot better by the end of the book, but it is a long road up to that point.
The plot is interesting and *not* completely predictable--the action is well-done and the romance *hot*. This book still suffers from the problem that I had with "Illusion"--really stilted dialogue, especially between the hero and heroine. At least Dominic does not spend the whole book quoting obscure poetry at Catriona (a la Nigel and Frances in "Illusion"), but nor do they talk to each other like normal people, not even normal *really smart* people. It is clear that Jean Ross Ewing is very intelligent and well-read, and the wealth of literary references and ideas makes her books richer, but she does make her characters wrap their mouths around some really ridiculous, awkward dialogue at times. This is not such a problem in her newer works, published under the name of Julia Ross.
But this is still an excellent book, far superior to the majority of historical romances--well-written with interesting characters and ideas. Dominic is a unique, memorable hero--so well-drawn and attractive that I wish that he were *real* (If he were, watch out Catriona!) If you like this book you will *love* "The Seduction" and "The Wicked Lover", written by the same author (Jean Ross Ewing/Julia Ross).
Rating:
Summary: Much more than your average romance
Review: This is a wonderful book. I've haven't seen a writer bring Scotland to life like this since Gabaldon. Ewing's descriptions of the country and people brought them to life. And let's not forget the romance<g>. Dominic is my favorite kind of hero, the embittered veteran of the Napoleonic wars who comes home to deviltry and drink because he's unwilling to face his past. He's not ready to allow himself to become attached to anyone, until a Highlander woman drags him to Scotland to save a child. The journey there is one filled with mystery, passion, and self-discovery for both the hero and heroine. Don't miss this one!
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