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11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Fantastic Characters and Creative Writing Keep This Series Burning, July 27, 2010
This review is from: Tempting the Fire (Paperback)
Tempting the Fire is the penultimate entry in Sydney Croft's immensely successful and truly unique ACRO series, about a CIA-like agency inside the U.S. government, whose agents have fascinating special abilities. This book has two couples sharing the stage: first is Sela, an ACRO agent with an ability to read thoughts and memories during sex and a background in studying extraordinary animals, and Logan, the heir to a huge weapons corporation who has a secret of his own when it comes to special abilities since he is virtually a human machine due to a previous accident. The second couple is Marlena, who has been a really interesting secondary character in earlier books because she was cursed as a young woman to fall madly in love with anyone she sleeps with but who will never receive love in return, and Chance, a Navy SEAL who is the sole survivor of his team after being demolished by a mythical creature deep in the Amazon. The mission of the two female ACRO agents is to capture this mythological creature, as low profile and with as little interference as possible. Of course, Logan's company is there with the same purpose and Chance is contending with a huge problem of his own after his encounter with the creature, so together they stir up lots of interference. Trust is definitely the common theme throughout this book. Then there's Itor, ACRO's rival agency, their evil counterpart, who always seems to be involved.
Most of the book takes place in the wild forests of the Amazon, and the setting was vivid enough to make us feel as though we're there. I really enjoyed that there were two main couples. Sela and Logan have a very passionate relationship from the beginning, and I liked their undeniable chemistry, even as they really struggled to trust each other with so many secrets between them. A scene of hate sex in a cave was especially hot. Meanwhile, Marlena and Chance are two really scarred individuals who find comfort in each other, even when they don't really understand it. I felt that the authors came up with a really creative way to handle Marlena's curse, and as a character I'd been rooting for, I was happy to see her finally find another human being she could come to really love. And once again, Sydney Croft seemlessly weaves sex into the agents' abilities in new and different ways that allow this series to explore the realm of erotic romance in a tasteful, intriguing way.
Then there's the secondary plot between Annika and Creed, who are absolutely my favorite part of the ACRO series. I was really pleased to see them get a significant storyline in this book after being on the backburner in the last book. They have always felt like a very real couple to me, despite the paranormal elements, and their intricate, intense relationship continues to reach new depths as they navigate their happily ever after, while it's really satisfying to see them developing and growing together. Other characters from previous books also make appearances, which is something I've always loved about this series, that we still get to revisit our old favorites.
There is one book to come in this series, which will be a grand finale and likely the final showdown between ACRO and Itor. But the best thing about this series is how these authors creatively implement new, amazing abilities and the universal elements that make up great characters in a way that always feels fresh and always keeps the reader engaged. I don't want to think about this series ending, but I can't wait to see what the build up to the end will bring.
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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Lands on solid ground yet felt a bit on the Ordinary side..., August 16, 2010
This review is from: Tempting the Fire (Paperback)
First thing you will see, i am a guy and probably in the minority of the readers who read these books, but i have read many of Larissa's books and i feel she is very creative and original with her books. I have not had the opportunity to read any of Steph's books, but the two of them have written some very interesting books in the ACRO series. I will not cover the plot of the book, as others already have, but i will give my thumbs up on another great book that fans of the series will not want to miss.
So if I think It's great, why did I give it 4 stars? I feel it fell a bit short of its potential. One of the hallmarks of the other books was a creative mix of action, drama, and steamy scenes all blended together with flawed, memorable characters who had exciting supernatural powers.
Like Creed who has his Ghost protector, Kat, who always interferes in his life. That was always exciting to read about. So was Anikka's CIA past and her electricity ability. In book 2, Kira's power to talk with animals added alot of story i felt, and so did Ender and his super speed and super sight, which made him an excellent sniper. Book 3 had Faith Black and Wyatt, and their powers were woven into the story several times with very creative talent to make an interesting story, and book 4 was downright amazing with Ulrika's shifting ability, and how she could not control her beast "Cujo" when she came out, and lived in fear because of it.
Now onto book 5. Larissa and Stephanie took some characters from the other books that were flawed, memorable, and very endearing, and gave them center stage. Most of the book dealt with Drama, and i feel that was well done, but it lacked the action scenes the other books had. I do not want to spoil the book for anyone, so i will not give any details, but other than a short conflict with a small band of Guerrilla's, the only other action scene came at the end of the book. Both Marlena and sela have had extensive combat training and other forms of education, but those are rarely, if ever, used in a creative way to flesh out the characters.
And lets look at Faith and Annika. Both were abused and mistreated, but it just made them stronger and more dedicated. Their past was used very strongly to enhance them as characters and flesh them out, as well as give the readers a motivational point for their behavior and the way they act. This book does not really give much of a past for either Marlena or Sela, besides "i was abused" and it looked to me like both women were trying to forget their past ever existed. Thats fine i guess, but Lets see Annika's struggle to overcome the emotional trauma her past caused. And her attempts to hunt down her parents killers one by one, with Creed's attempts to stop her. Thats several pages dedicated only to her backstory, and filled with action as well, which fills out Annika very well, making her a unique character.
It didn't really feel like there was much of a supernatural slant this time around either. I mean, the supernatural was there, to be sure, but other than a very well written scene at the end of the book, the supernatural elements were not used or woven into the story at all. Marlena had no power at all (She was cursed actually), and Sela had a limited telepathy which didnt really add any depth to the story at all, nor was it really used beyond a simple mention or two. The Chupacabra was hunted and promised to be a very promising action scene, but i was disappointed when they simply wrote him out of the story, like he was an extra. So this book, un-like the others, did not really have lots of exciting supernatural battles and supernatural scenes in it. There were a few, to be sure, but the drama was center stage.
Now i'm sure it looks like i hated the book. Well, i did give it 4 stars remember. I think Larissa and Stephanie Omitted some supernatural stuff on purpose. They wanted to show another side of ACRO. Sela and Marlena were intel-agents, not combat specialists. They wanted to show that ACRO has another side, one that can work behind the scenes and manipulate people, and they wanted to show Marlena and Sela's humanity and how much the manipulation hurt them, and also their loyalty and love for ACRO as they did their jobs. I loved the way the girls gathered intel and kept the silence imposed on them by Dev, as well as they tried to do the right thing. That was a very interesting read. And as a fan of Annika and Creed, i loved seeing them return and they had a nice sized part of the book at that.
The book had a very nice ending that hinted at whats in store for book 6, as well as one of the females that might get used as a main character. (I won't give anything away but i see a potential female in the book that would make a VERY interesting lead character to use in book 6, as well as a male that spent time in her presence, and i think it would be very cool to use them as a couple in book 6 and pair them off.) I am just guessing of course, but I can always hope. In the other books stories tended to be wrapped up in most cases, but this book had a couple of stories in it that did not finish, and left me very interested in how they will turn out in book 6.
Although the action was a bit slower and the lead females were a bit ordinary in my opinion, this was still a great book and fans of the series will love it from cover to cover. It was definately worth the buy.
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Tempting the Fire-A Joyfully Recommended Title, February 14, 2011
This review is from: Tempting the Fire (Paperback)
Sela Kahne is a Cryptozoologist for The Agency for Covert Rare Operatives (ACRO), and has never believed in the legendary chupacabra. When a Navy SEAL team is attacked in South America there is only one survivor. ACRO sends Sela, and seducer Marlena West to the jungle to sort things out. They're tasked with finding the chupacabra that reportedly attacked the team, and finding out what Global Weapons Corporation (GWC) is doing down there.
When they arrive they find Logan Mills, working GWC, who, along with his team, has found Chance McCormick, the SEAL survivor. Marlena's task is to seduce Logan, and try to find out his secrets. But things don't always go as planned, and Chance, who now carries a deep secret of his own, develops a deep attraction to Marlena.
With things switched, Sela works to help Logan find the chupacabra. She also uses her ability - being able to read her partner while he climaxes during sex - to discover that Logan has a secret of his own.
The couples team up when the real enemy (ACRO's deep rival Itor Corporation) arrives to take possession of the chupacabra, and they don't care who they hurt to get it. Sela, Marlena, Logan and Chance have to look past deceptions to thwart ITOR's plan. When they get back to civilization can love overcome huge hurdles to help Sela and Logan, and Marlena and Chance, find happiness together?
Every time I read a Sydney Croft ACRO novel it leaves me hungry for more. Tempting the Fire fueled my flames for more ACRO like no book in the series has. This novel is a gripping tale of couples overcoming obstacles. Particularly wrenching for me was the story of Sela and Logan. I loved this couple together, and was rooting for them to acknowledge their love for each other, even as they were fighting their way through difficult situations.
I love the way the writing team that makes up Sydney Croft crafts their books, each chapter leaving you wanting more and wanting to swallow the book in one gulp. Tempting the Fire also features beloved characters from the previous ACRO novels. It is always fun to see where they are going and what they have been up to.
Tempting the Fire is explosive, to say the least. If you have not read the ACRO series, you should start at the beginning with Riding the Storm and work your way forward. They provide hours of entertainment with characters that capture your heart and make you root for their success.
Tempting the Fire, along with the other ACRO books, has found a place on my keeper shelf, and is a definite Joyfully Recommended read for me
Amelia
Reviewed for Joyfully Reviewed
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