Customer Reviews

Playing With Fire

5 star:		(30)
4 star:		(19)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Along come mad scientists, secret sub-government agencies and...control over the four elements? In a non-stop thrill of a laughter-inducing ride, one simple gal just trying to make a buck finds out there's more to life than coffee and the next lame job. Only problem is, will her new talents consume her, or will she master the potentially volatile forces?

Belle Jamison needs a new job to support not only her needs, but those of her elderly father too. She's trying extra hard not to screw up the job she has currently as well as the interview she's got later the same day. Only problem is she's a bit of a smart alec and she's hanging by a thread because of it. When a man bursts into the coffee shop where she works, begging for help, it's Belle who catches his eye. Hours later, after being detained by some pretty convincing agents, Belle's not feeling so hot. All she had was a mocha latte, so why the sudden flu-like symptoms? In a haze, she stumbles through her interview and barely makes it home where she collapses. The next morning doesn't bring any relief and to make matters worse, there's a hot man at her side--only his hotness is not the issue--his wanting to kill her is. With new powers come all new problems and Belle has to find a way to get back to simple `ole her. Only, she might be starting to like the new her...

Belle's story is in first person, so anyone not fond of those need be aware of this. Belle is perhaps one of my most favorite female leads I've ever encountered in a romance. She's determined, loyal to the good side and she knows what she wants and goes after it. Plus, she's got some faults and she's not afraid to admit it. It's the combination of her pluses and minuses that make her so unique. The dialogue throughout, with whomever she interacts with, is riddled with laugh-out-loud wit and I was very impressed with how the secondary characters shown through. Rome's role as hero was no less emphasized than Belle's and he is hot, hot hot! The addition of his family lent the story a desperate feel at times as he and Belle strive to make the world a safer place for people like them. If you are a fan of first person comedy/paranormal romances, heroines that save the day make you smile, heroes that make you sigh and a great cast of secondary characters, then I can't recommend this one enough. The plot wraps up very nicely, but sounds as if it might continue with more? Either way, I was thrilled and would love to see more if Ms. Showalter chooses to do so.

Gena Showalter kicks off a new paranormal series with "Playing with Fire." Like many of her other novels, this story is told in the first-person perspective. But, please don't let this tiny detail distract you! Showalter is Queen of the first-person narrative. Throughout the book, she balances the protagonist's voice (Belle) with the rest of the characters. So, even though Belle's character/personality is put in the fore-front, Showalter does not neglect to develop each of the (important) supporting characters - specifically, Rome Masters.

"Playing with Fire" starts normally enough - a typical work day for Belle: wake up (late), go to work (late), charm boss, and then, for God's sake, keep from getting fired. On this average day, the narrator's life is flipped up-side-down when a distressed scientist slips one of his latest concoctions into her drink. From just one sip of her mocha latte, Belle goes through a fantastical transformation from human to superhuman. And as if the physiological change wasn't enough to kill her, she soon discovers that her new abilities might.

Enter Rome Master:

His mission is to find Belle, and neutralize her if indeed she is exposed to the scientist's experiment. As it turns out, she is compromised - but Rome doesn't have the heart to bring her in for experimentation. Instead, he enlists her help - and for payment, Rome will in turn teach Belle how to control her newfound powers.

As per Showalter's style, the heroine is a feisty piece of work; she is comical, sarcastic, and sensitive. As for the hero, Rome is very much the alpha male, with a touch of vulnerability that makes him irresistible. I simply loved experiencing the connection between Belle and Rome; both characters have a strong sense of family loyalty and honor; but not only that, they also possessed a strong passion and undisclosed love for each other.

I've been a fan of Showalter's ever since reading "Enslave Me Sweetly" and "Awaken Me Darkly." And like those preceding novels, this book did not disappoint me. As far as I'm concerned, Showalter is a sure thing. Her name alone is enough for me to purchase all her books.

Belle Jamison leads an ordinary life, sort of. She can't keep a job and she has no love life. She's just about to lose her job at a coffee shop when a strange thing happens. During a melee, a scientist slips Belle a compound that gives her supernatural powers. Now she can start fires, freeze people and control the elements. Pretty cool, huh?

While Belle is suffering with what she thinks is the flu, or food poisoning, government agent Rome Masters enters her life. Rome knows he should turn Belle over to his employers, but he can't quite do that. He wants her to help him with a problem. While running from two different groups of people, the pair fight a powerful attraction that has built between them.

Playing with Fire is a fantastic blend of humor, warmth, sex, and adventure. Belle is an unlikely heroine, who struggles to control her new abilities. Rome is a sexy agent that I fell in love with the minute he entered the room. Together, Belle and Rome make a powerful pair. One of the things I loved the most about them was the care and concern they showed not only for each other, but for their family members.

Playing with Fire is a roller coaster ride that will take a reader through spills, chills and thrills. When it's over you'll be wondering what's next for the fascinating characters, and their unique supporting cast, which includes fun loving Tanner and a sexy agent who can plug himself into an electrical socket, literally. The tagline on this novel says "Tales of an Extra Ordinary Girl." This book definitely lives up to its boast.

Amelia
Reviewed for Joyfully Reviewed

I so wanted to love this book. I like both romance novels and comic books, so this seemed like a sure thing. It starts out strong. Our heroine, Belle Jamison, coffee wench, is funny, charming, self-deprecating, and spunky. The story - regular nice girl accidentally develops superpowers - is nothing new, but it's presented in a very engaging fashion. But then the hero appears, and herein lies my problem with the book.

We're told numerous times that Rome Masters is sexy, but it seems solely based on his clothes (he's wearing all black, after all) and the fact that he has a smoldering blue gaze. Oh, and he's dangerous. He also deliberately keeps things from Belle, ties her up, holds her prisoner for her own "safety," and is generally insensitive to her feelings. The story is told entirely in Belle's first-person perspective, and that doesn't help. The reasons behind most of Rome's actions are never all that clear and he subsequently comes off as a jerk. There's certainly no excuse for him to spring his gorgeous but nasty ex-wife and cloyingly cute kid on Belle under the guise of taking her to get help from a "friend." A tiny bit of concern for her feelings would have been nice. It would have taken him all of ten seconds to throw in "I should warn you, it's my ex-wife" before taking her there.

I found myself rolling my eyes quite a bit when Belle would suddenly completely change gears because he'd give her a smoldering look. Yes, finding someone you find attractive is supposed to make you all gushy, but I was never quite able to grasp what she saw in him apart from his supposed sexiness. As a humorous action/adventure book, it works quite well. But it's supposed to be a romance novel, and I just wasn't feeling the romance.

This one totally cracked me up! The only reason I dropped it down to four stars instead of five was because the main character was a bit too Paris Hilton for me, or, at least she began that way, but there was improvement as the book went along. Rome, Mr. Sexy Catman, himself, was a dream. Tanner, the sex craved teen/pre-adult, was the king of one-liners and completely loveable. I hope this becomes a series because this superhero/comic book revivial novel was a blast!

In Atlanta, twenty-four years old Utopia Café waitress Belle Jamison has major bills since she covers much of the expense of her ailing dad living at the expensive Village on the Park assisted living center (and home to the silver foxes). However, barely keeping her job (only thanks to her twin "girls" - boobs that is- coming to her rescue), she calls 911 to save some guy's life from assailants when she learns the enemy is the CIA.

Now a week later, the worst coffee wench in history is having personal problems ever since the incident as the endangered dude slipped a powerful Mickey into her latte. Now this hunk Rome Matthews hovers all over the bewildered Belle explaining she was caught in a paranormal war between two adversaries. He further informs her that her body is changing due to the spiked latte she drank and his job is to bring her to his side's lab for testing to see if she can become a superheroine or perhaps neutralizing her, which means being comatose. Too young to consider not having children, Belle Superhero flees with a determined Rome in hot pursuit.

PLYING WITH FIRE is a romantic update of the Greatest American Hero though Ralph Hinkley was at least a competent teacher. The story line is action-packed, fast-paced and filled with twists as two sides want Belle. While Rome finds himself falling love with her, he knows he still might have to neutralize her especially if the enemy gets her. Fantasy romance fans who enjoy a zany amusing tale will appreciate this wild fun ride that starts with a résumé filled with firings and ends with a save the world scenario job.

Harriet Klausner

My friend and i both read this book and we LOVED IT!!!!! there was action, comedy, romance and other great things, complete with a perveted kid you gotta love and the 'hot' ex. the love between Belle and Rome was really good. i couldn't put the book down!

I bought this book for a quick read for a long drive. Well, it's been 3 months since that car trip and the quick read has turned into one of the worse books i have ever read. I'm amazed that it's getting such good reviews!
I haven't finished the book, so i won't comment about the ending, but the characters that have been introduced have been flat, boring, and stereotypical. The story was corny, but it could have worked if the characters weren't so predictable.
The female, Belle, was your typical obnoxious sassy leading female! She uses cliche's like no ones business, and i t so annoying i kept hoping that she would set herself on fire! She actually said this line in the book, "Don't make me go PMS on your a**!" I'm sorry but who says things like that? What woman would say that? If i had not read another of showalters book before, i might have thought that it was a man trying to delve into the woman's psyche and that was all he could come up with.
Not only was the leading lady horrible lady, but the 'chemistry' between the Belle and her love interest was so contrived that it was laughable. How could anyone be attracted to that annoying female?
It was just horrible book, plain and simple. I regret not keeping my receipt so that i could have returned it and gotten my money back. Save yours and don't buy this one.

I absolutely cannot get enough of her books, they are funny, sexy, very steamy(that's the kind I like) and they are great readings. I want more!!!!!!!!!!!

This was the first book I read by Gena Showalter. I loved it so much that I had to search for more of her books