This is a spoiler-free review!
I was in the mood for a standalone novel, and because I will always have a love for the Hush, Hush saga, I knew it was time to dive into Fitzpatrick's young adult thriller. With the tag line of having a forbidden romance with your kidnapper, how could I refuse? And as a lover of the dark romance genre, I knew that this would not cross nearly as many lines as I am used to reading, but all the same I was excited to finally read this book.
Britt is a high school senior, ready to go on her spring break trip up in the mountains with her best friend Korbie... and her ex-boyfriend Calvin. Could it be any more awkward? She plans on putting the past behind her as they go to Korbie and Calvin's family cabin, where she also plans to go on an adventure of her own by backpacking forty miles. A blizzard has other plans for Britt, Korbie, and Calvin, and lands Britt and Calvin with two strangers that are certainly not friendly.
We really get to see how hard Britt fights to stay alive and make sure that she and Korbie have a chance to make it home from the unexpected experience of being essentially kidnapped and snowed in on what was supposed to be a final hurray before senior year came to an end. Britt is prepared to do whatever it takes, and was immediately suspicious of Mason and Shaun, whereas Korbie was using her one brain cell to insult the canned chili after they were "rescued" from the snow.
I have to say, I was so very grateful that Korbie did not play a big role in the book, because if she showed up even more, I would have ripped out the pages before I saw her name one more time. From what we learn from Britt and what we witness from Korbie herself, it is safe to say that she is probably the worst person for Britt to be friends with, especially because Korbie is so insecure that she likes to tear down Britt every chance that she gets. It is obvious that she is a "pick me" and that is further proven when they meet Mason and Shaun.
The pacing of the book was done very well, and it moved in such a way where you can feel the urgency that Britt feels as she runs through the snowy mountain, and especially when she realizes that Mason and Shaun are not the best people to be stuck in a secluded cabin with in the middle of a blizzard. Fitzpatrick did an excellent job in making Britt's internal monologue really come through and show her thought process as she learned more about the men holding her hostage and what exactly they are capable of when no one is watching.
While Britt is smart, I did find myself yelling at the pages a number of times -- she claims to be well prepared for a forty mile trek in the Teton Range, but failed to bring more socks? Maybe it was the fact that they were in the moment of being stranded with no way to call for help, but I personally would have grabbed a few more things before leaving my Jeep behind.
Mason seemed to be a more complex character compared to Shaun, who was very much the brooding type that would sit in a corner and sulk for the rest of his life if he could. We see Mason take a backseat as Shaun runs the show, but not everything is as it seems as the night goes on. With a number of obstacles that are thrown in Britt's path as she tries to get away, she finds herself drawn to Mason in an unexpected way, leading her to do things she never thought she was capable of. The sides of Mason come out as the story moves on, and we gather more and more pieces of who he really is right along with Britt.
As a young adult novel, I would say that a number of twists are predictable if you are taking everything in and cataloging the information that Britt is observing as she and Korbie are being held in the cabin, as well as when Britt is out in the wilderness. I wish the tension was higher between Britt and Mason, and I do think that Fitzpatrick could have upped the stakes when it came to throwing in her curveballs. The constant back and forth that Britt went between Mason and Calvin was making me a little crazy, and if it went on for any longer I would have thrown the book across the room. Even with being predictable, I had a fun time reading the story and it was a great quick read to get me ready for my next book.
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