To be honest, this book wasn’t at all what I was expecting, and I will probably be very unpopular when I say that I was majorly disappointed with it! I was initially drawn to the beautiful cover and the premise of a tense survival story in a merciless remote setting, where personalities clash and tension simmers. Unfortunately it was none of that. True, we do have a remote setting, and I loved the interesting facts about huskies and mushing, which I knew very little about. I also enjoyed the descriptions of the snow covered landscape and the rock where the boundaries of three countries come together. However – here it comes:

I didn’t like any of the characters – sorry! How old were these people? For the best part of the book they act like hormonal teenagers, sulking, being snippy to each other and storming off in a huff not talking to each other, and then – SPOILER ALERT – it suddenly all gets resolved in one happily ever after moment that was so far fetched for me that I wanted to throw the book and get back the time I had invested in it. All the affirmations and positive thinking in the world is not going to get you a bow-tied ending like this, where all the threads come together so perfectly. At times the book felt preachy to me, as if it was trying to give lifestyle advice, when the angry hormonal characters reflected on some deeper level and had some insights into life and its mysterious ways. And the romance – no, just no. In fact, the whole situation these people found themselves in was based on an action by one of the characters that was so immature and far-fetched that it seemed like a looooong stretch for me to be even remotely credible. Phew, I had to get that off my chest!

Personally, I think that a great opportunity was lost here. With a setting that provided an excellent opportunity for some simmering tension and an undercurrent of menace and danger that kept the reader engaged, and the opportunity to create real drama, the author focused instead on some stereotypical elements that did not live up to my hopes for the tense story of survival I had hoped for. None of the characters rang true for me, and the primary emotion when reading was irritation. I wanted to slap each and every one of them and tell them to “grow up”! I concede that I probably set my expectations too high and was just the wrong audience for this book. For me, this was definitely NOT a thriller, or a mystery. I am sure that other readers will enjoy it, even if just for the gorgeous huskies and the unusual setting. Unfortunately not a good fit for me – life’s like that.

You had me at huskies. Seriously, as a dog lover, my heart melted at the cover alone. Isn't it gorgeous? This is the first book I have had the chance to read from this author, and I was lucky enough to get an early copy.
Ellingham writes beautifully, and her characters are engaging and very human. I love how she sets the scene. Before they embark on their arctic adventure, she gives the background to each character, so before you set foot in the snow, you feel as though you already know them and their struggles. The trip is much more than a once in a lifetime opportunity, for each of them they are going on a journey to deal with problems in their lives and trying to find a way forward, to move on. The description of the setting is so vivid I felt like I was there at times, and the setting is a genius metaphor and very unique in the market. This book was a joy to read, and stays with you long after the last page. Ellingham is now an 'auto buy' author on my list. I can't wait to see what she comes up with next.
Big thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC.

Review: When I saw this book was available to be reviewed on NetGalley I was excited as I loved the last book by Lauire Ellingham. Once I had read the blurb I knew it was going to be interesting. I was not disappointed.

Lauire writes in her brilliant style that really captures the essence of each character. Each chapter drip feeds you a little more information about that characters life and what they are hoping to gain from this amazing journey they are on.

I managed to get half way through this book then I had to stop. I stopped not because it was difficult to read or because it was rubbish far from the contory it was so good it brough back some personal memories. That is the reason I had to stop but I very much will be returning to this book at some time later in the future as I need to know how the journey ends for each character.

This is another amazing book by Lauire Ellingham and I wish her every success with it.

I will defiantly be returning to it.

This was a book that explored human relationships on one level, but was an interesting read. I loved the idea of spending eight days with a pack of six huskies. Molly and her half sister Anthea went on the adventure along with others, including Noel and his fiance. I was enthralled by the descriptions of the sleigh and team of dogs speeding through the snow and ice. There were several twists and turns in the plot that surprised me, but in a nice way.

Three people, the frozen, unforgiving Arctic and the secrets that could destroy them all. Molly, Erica and Noah are trekking across the Arctic with a team of huskies and the raw power of their surroundings threatens to endanger their trip. One appears to be the perfect mother, but she’s not; one is so angry about the loss of her dreams of stardom, she’s willing to risk her team’s safety rather than ask them for help, and the other has a deeply scarred psyche that he has a hard time controlling at the best of times. What will happen when civilization and all its trappings are far behind. I loved the setting of this book, the stark cold and remote world made me almost claustrophobic and heightened the tension