Olympic Bronze snowboarder Marcus Devlin refuses to take anything seriously--from relationships to his own future.  But when he causes his family more grief he is shipped out--literally--to the ends of the earth.  A hard night’s partying with alcohol and a beautiful redhead got him through the hours until he steps on board the Ice Queen--and runs into her again.  Unwilling to learn the family business, Marcus vows that he’ll enjoy the cruise, and at least Brylie can’t sneak out on him again--he’s the boss, she works for him, and they’ll be surrounded by frigid water.  His high hopes for the voyage are dampened when, as the youngest of the cruise line’s owners, Brylie introduces him to the captain--her father.

            A sizzling physical relationship neither Brylie nor Marcus can ignore suddenly becomes the ultimate distraction when the Ice Queen is boarded by rogue pirates.  From there, survival--and salvation for the 200 passengers who bought a pleasure cruise, not execution--become the only reality facing Brylie and Marcus.

            MJ Fredrick creates a dazzling tale with characters forced to deal with their fears and limitations in a life-or-death situation.  Characters are vivid and memorable, from the lovers to minor characters, such as the ship’s doctor or Brylie’s friend and assistant chef, Monica. 

            And in a story where ruthless pirates armed with automatic weapons and explosives are the least of anyone’s worries, you can imagine the suspense and twists in the story.  Every time I breathed “Thank God” and settled back for the happy-ever-after I found myself turning the (digital) page and wanting to cover my eyes so I wouldn’t know what happened next.  Even though you may need oxygen for much of the book, every harrowing event, while unexpected, makes perfect sense. 

            MJ Fredrick’s Midnight Sun hits readers with humor, steaming sex scenes, and breath-stealing suspense--all while on a journey to the barren reaches of Antarctica.  Not a minor accomplishment, MJ!