Clear as Ice

by Penelope Marzec

When Ethan's prayers for his mother's life go unanswered, he abandons his faith, tossing it out with his mother's Christmas ornaments. The loss of his hope leaves him empty and he begins to shy away from relationships, but when his dog Rufus, a rescue from a shelter, develops a fondness for a woman skating on the frozen lake behind his house, he's annoyed. Not only does he resent her using his pond, he doesn't understand her fear of dogs.Haylie, once an Olympic figure skater, is afraid of more than just Ethan's dog. She lives in constant fear due to threats from a stalker, but one day Ethan's dog chases the danger away, so Haylie decides to try to lose her fear of dogs...But then the stalker's plans expand to include revenge toward Ethan as well. If they are to remain safe and live to see a happily-ever-after, Haylie and Ethan must put aside differences and learn to trust each other. This Christmas season promises to be the most challenging and the most meaningful of their lives.

Genres: Holiday

100 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 20, 2019

About the author

Penelope Marzec grew up along the Jersey shore, heard stories about Captain Kidd, and dug for his buried treasure. Her adventure resulted in a bad case of poison ivy. Deciding books were better than buried treasure, she discovered romance novels and was soon hooked on happy endings. She became an early childhood educator and found her own hero in an electrical engineer who grew up in Brooklyn, played the accordion, and was immune to poison ivy. Together they raised three daughters. Now retired, Penelope either writes her stories or paints seascapes in oils. Sometimes she sings while her husband plays the accordion.

Reviews

[SuperWendy · Rating 2 out of 5]

This felt like a longer novel cut down to size to fit novella length. You can drive a bus through the holes in the suspense sub plot (restraining orders are glossed over and parole, violating it or otherwise, is never mentioned regarding a villain who gets released from jail early because of "good behavior") and the resolution is dashed off in a tell-no-show sentence. There's also the problem that the suspense plot doesn't mesh well with the tone of the story - heavier inspirational, a hero who says "bah humbug" (more than once), and the heroine (who is dealing with a stalker mind you!) who tries to revive the hero's Christmas spirit. The characters read very Hallmark Movie with a bunch of God Stuff and ill-fitting suspense plot on the side. Oh, and there's a dog. None of it hung together well.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

When a thoroughly traumatized former Olympian must face all of her fears in the space of a few days, it takes an embittered EMT and his dog to bring back the joy of Christmas.
Set in east central New Jersey after Superstorm Sandy, ice skater Hailey revisits the site of her former home which had been destroyed in the storm. She is surprised by a visit from an overly friendly and protective, playful dog, companion to Ethan, the owner of a new house on the lake where she enjoyed ice skating in the winter. Ethan, a former wild teen, now a humbug who’s been disappointed by unanswered prayer, and Hailey, a young woman of great faith, now a physical therapist, continue to run into each other. Ethan’s dog, Rufus, decides Hailey needs him as much as Ethan does and does what he can to take care of her.
Hailey and Ethan team up when Hailey’s past problems terrorize her. Somewhere in their developing relationship, Rufus decides to practice a little matchmaking in between his protection detail. Hailey is willing to take steps toward conquering her fears, but will Ethan crawl out of his well of misery and meet her partway?
Ethan may have thrown over his late mother’s faith when God let him down, but he’s smart enough to realize that Hailey holds the keys to healing grace. He’s not about to let another good thing get away, bah humbug or not. But Hailey’s problems may be more than he wants to deal with.
Clear as Ice is a sweet and short holiday romance told from both Hailey’s and Ethan’s viewpoints as they maneuver around each other and everything Christmas. Those who enjoy feel-good stories featuring loveable dogs will love Marzec’s inspiration story.

[LoRee Peery · Rating 5 out of 5]

Confusion over the spelling of Hailey couldn’t detract me from feeling sympathy for her. She returns after seven years to skate on the pond where she’d grown up, and a stranger lives in the house that had disappeared in a flood. Big dog Rufus stalls her in her tracks. Owner Ethan is a paramedic who needs Haylie’s help after skidding onto the pond without skates. Circumstances bring them together but she loves the Lord, and Ethan “used to believe.” Enter a stalker from her past. Examined lives leads them to the conclusion they are each other’s HEA.

[Carol James · Rating 5 out of 5]

Clear as Ice is a heartwarming story of two people struggling to overcome past hurts and fears. Both Haylie and Ethan have suffered personal losses that hinder them from trusting one another. Haylie’s distrust stems from fear, Ethan’s from loss. But Ethan’s recently adopted dog, Rufus, plays matchmaker. Will they be able to set aside their pasts and learn to trust and love each other? Clear as Ice is an uplifting read, perfect for the Christmas season.

[Clare Revell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having lost his faith, Ethan concentrates on his job and his dog Rufus. Haylie lost everything when she fell on the ice during the Olympics, ending her career. Determined to put the past behind her, she returns to the small town she grew up in, to find everything has changed. Her parents house is gone, in it's place a new one. A dog chases her. leading to a turn of events neither of them could have imagined.
A really lovely page turning story that will keep you reading.

[Victoria · Rating 5 out of 5]

When Ethan’s dog, Rufus, nearly collides with Haylie while she’s ice skating, a delightful Christmas romance begins to unfold. Ms Marzec draws the reader into the warmth of the season while exploring the lives of these two flawed individuals. The setting is scenic and at times the story is intense, but the hope of Christmas never fails.

[Stacey · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've always admired the grace of a figure skater, so I loved that the main character was a figure skater. The bits about the turtles even inspired me to look them up online. Clear as Ice was exactly what I was looking for - a quick and easy read that was easily finished within the short window of free time that I had available.

[Terri Nguyen · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a good book until the end. Suddenly after only seeing each other a handful of times they were exchanging I love yous and talking about getting married. It had good potential but fell short.

[Carlene Havel · Rating 5 out of 5]

A feel good romance with a happy ending - just my cup of tea!