Playing With Fire by Gena Showalter Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of Playing With Fire
Book Review: Bummer - I'd hoped for more...
Summary: 2 Stars
The cover is great. The teaser blurb is great. So I expected a book handling the idea of chemically induced mutation and the resulting problems of suddenly acquired super powers in a younger lady. Or at least a rousing and heroic battle against the forces of evil. Or maybe even the learning experience of new powers. A neat premise...
The hope gets lost in the many long and loving descriptions of hard nipples, how they turn hard, why they turn hard, and what they turn hard for. And respective other body parts.
Oh well.... Not going to re-read it to look for redeeming features...
Book Review: Consistantly Showalter!
Summary: 4 Stars
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.
Book Review: Cute, high action, paranormal romance
Summary: 4 Stars
I've been wanting to read the Alien Huntress series by Gena Showalter forever. I picked this book up instead to get a flavor for her writing style without getting involved in another ongoing series. This was a cute book. If you like the Aisling Grey Guardian series or other similar funny paranormal romance books you would probably get a kick out of this one.
This book is about Belle. Belle is a girl who has a hard time getting and keeping jobs. She needs the money to help pay for care for her ailing dad. Then one day on break some guy in a mad scientist get-up runs out of an abandoned building into the coffee shop Belle is currently working at. Later she finds out he slipped something in her mocha latte. Suddenly Belle is like a Wonder Woman of the four elements and she can do things only super heroes can do. Fortunately this helps her meet up with another super hottie who has cool powers of his own. Unfortunately the bad guys want Belle for their own nefarious purposes.
This was a cute light read. There is a lot of imagining about sex and groping and a lot of talking about sex. So if that bothers you I would look the other way; I would say the sex talk is about the same level as the Aisling Grey books...maybe a bit lighter. There was a lot of action and suspense too and that really kept the book moving. The male lead Rome is sensitive, animalistic, and sexy. This book has a little of that alpha male thing going on but not that much.
Belle's powers were really cool; very X-men. I only wish that we had seen more of them. As with all of these paranormal romances I wish they had spent more time kicking butt and less time groping each other. But, what can you do? I knew what I was getting into.
All in all this book was fast-paced, a quick and light read, lots of fun, and just right for lifting your mood. I zoomed right through it. The story line wasn't the most original; and the characters somewhat stereotypical. This is another one of those books that if you know what you are getting into you'll have fun. If you abhor romance though, I would choose something different...maybe the Jaz Parks series would be more your style.
I am kind of glad this is a one book thing. It would be interesting to see Belle in a few more missions but I think the characters would get old in a few books.
Book Review: FUNNY WITTY SEXY READ!!
Summary: 5 Stars
I sat down to review this book and had decided to give it 4 stars, but just thinking about it had me laughing and enjoying it again so it truly deserves 5 stars.
Belle Jamison has tried as many jobs as there are out there. But somehow she has not found her niche. She has been supporting her father for some time now and has to hold down several jobs to pay for his care at a live in care center. Her latest job as a waitress at a Starbucks like cafe is definitely not her first choice.
Belle has just talked her way out of being fired, again, when she takes a break with a mocha-latte. A man runs in from across the street and asks for help, while she calls 911 he slips a pill into her drink. Then he runs as a group of big guys chase him through the shop. Later she gets sick and goes home, where she is bed bound with a flu like illness. After 5 days she wakes to see a "total hottie" on the phone next to her bed and finds out he has come to kill her. Never one to go quietly Belle must be convinced she now has super powers, then she must determine to work for the agency he works for. Anyway he is not letting her out of his sight.
Rome Masters works for PSI,(the good guys) and tells Belle that another agency OASS ( the bad guys) are after her because she drank the formula. It seems Rome has his own agenda too. If he trains her and lets her live she must help him protect his daughter from both agencies. Rome also has some secrets of his own.
When Belle begins to shoot fireballs from her fingers as well as ice and earth and wind she has to believe what Rome says and he is so hot in those black pants and tee shirts.
The story is fast paced and more fun than a bag full of rattlesnakes. Do not miss it.
The chemistry is great and the humor is wonderful, it reminded me alot of the Katie MacCallister books.
Book Review: Fast, fun romp with super powers
Summary: 3 Stars
How would you like to go to sleep tonight as your same old self, but wake up tomorrow with super powers?
That's what happens to Belle Jamison. A girl with a snippy tongue and a hard time keeping a job, but with a heart of gold, gets unknowingly dosed with a "secret formula" that turns her into a weather wizard, able to affect all four elements, depending on how she feels at the moment.
This book starts off a little rough, seeming to aim more for clever quips than developing characters, but smooths out as it gets going. Belle, the heroine, remains smart-mouthed throughout, but begins to seem less like a cardboard cutout and more like a real person as things progress.
The hero - Rome Masters - is quite drool worthy and apparently somewhat of a saint, as he puts up with Belle's childish behavior and gives her the benefit of the doubt until she starts to shape up.
The whole thing improves quite a bit once you get into the meat of the story - Belle learning to control her powers, chasing down the bad guy, saving the world - you know, the usual - and ultimately turns into a pretty fun romp through super power land.
I wouldn't call this an award winner by any stretch of the imagination, nor is the premise especially creative. But overall, it was a fun and lighthearted story that kept me pretty well entertained with moments of outright laughter. An interesting enough book to encourage me to give this author another go next time I'm at the book store.