Playing with Fire

Belle Jamison, a normal girl with normal problems. Well, maybe not so normal, as she has trouble keeping a job, takes care of her father and pays his medical bills, and uses her womanly charms to stop her newest boss from firing her for her tardiness. Life is tough, and its about to get tougher when a mad scientist comes crashing into the place where she works, dumps a secret formula into her coffee and dashes off again while supposedly CIA agents are chasing him. Belle drinks her coffee and gets so sick she thinks she’s going to die, or is hallucinating and is on a bad drug trip. When she wakes up and finds Rome hovering over her and after listening to the story he has to tell, she realizes that life as she knew it was about to drastically change. Now, she can control the elements, that is if she can get her emotions under control and not torch, drown or freeze everyone on the planet. She is also falling in lust and love with Rome. But what is a girl to do when her passions threaten to set him on fire, literally?

Gena Showalter has written a paranormal romp that will have the reader laughing, crying, gasping and panting. Wonderful multi-dimensional characters abound in this story. Belle is a nutty, sassy endearing woman. Rome is alpha, delicious and sometimes exasperating. Tanner, a young man who gets involved will have the reader laughing. Lexi, Rome’s ex-wife gives a little more drama to the story. Ms. Showalter really knows how to write great dialogue that keeps the reader laughing and moves the story along. The sexual tension between Belle and Rome is sizzling hot. The plot is exciting, adventurous and well paced. The reader will be captured from the very first page and will be laughing out loud and cheering the team on as they race to beat the bad guys at their own game. Every thing culminates to a very satisfying ending that will have the reader sighing in contentment. This reviewer enjoyed this story immensely and spent a very pleasant afternoon delving into the world of Belle and Rome and their paranormal lives. Ms. Showalter has built a world where this reviewer could see more stories of. This reviewer hopes there will be more to come.

September 2006