Playing With Fire

By Gena Showalter

Twenty-four-year-old barista Belle Jamison dreams of a better job and a decent love life.

Until a crazy scientist spikes her mocha latte! Suddenly Belle can wield the four elements—earth, wind, fire and water—with only a thought. Coffee too hot? No problem. Hair in need of a blow-dry? Done. Gorgeous government agent Rome Masters has been sent to neutralize Belle.

But he's not the only one after her. Together they must outrun the rogue agents on their trail and find a way to control her powers. There's just one problem: the sparks Belle and Rome generate are even hotter than the ones flying from her eyes—and with her future on the line, now is the worst possible time to fall in love….

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperCollins UK
• Release date: Feb 1, 2011
• ISBN: 9781408924716

Gena Showalter

Gena Showalter is the New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author of over seventy books, including the acclaimed Lords of the Underworld series, the Gods of War series, the White Rabbit Chronicles, and the Forest of Good and Evil series. She writes sizzling paranormal romance, heartwarming contemporary romance, and unputdownable young adult novels, and lives in Oklahoma City with her family and menagerie of dogs. Visit her at GenaShowalter.com.

Reviews for Playing With Fire

[ninadangelo · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I've only just discovered Gena Showalter's books and the three I've read so far were quite good. I like her style of writing as it's quick, quirky and not flowery like some prose that I have read of late. I'd definitely recommend Playing with fire and it's sequel twice as hot. I also hope that she writes more of this series.

[kcoleman428 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Oh.My.God...funny! I loved this book! You are simultaniously worried for Belle and worried what mess she'll concoct next. Her relationship with Rome is great! The are such a fun and dynamic team (with Tanner thrown in) it made the whole book really fun to read!

[krumbs_1 · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

Well, on a positive note, this book made me come to a decision. No longer will I continue to read books in which the heroine is kidnapped, restrained, drugged, and then all she can think of is how hot her kidnapper is. Oh, and the supreme self-involvement of the character speaks against this as well. Did not finish it.

[elie26reads · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I loved this book I couldn't put it down. I loved how an ordinary woman became extraordinary my a simple mocha latte. All Gena Showalter readers will love this book just like all her others!

[sissly · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Christine Feehan is one of my favorite authors. This in one of my more memorable of her books because the heroine is autistic. That is just not something that I see in the books that I read but found that I really enjoyed.

[ltlmiss_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I really liked the characters in this book. They were just a lot of fun. It veered from the usual roles in paranormal romance - there's an ex-wife and a child for the hero, the heroine isn't a virgin, etc. I liked it so well that I started the second book as soon as I finished this one.

[avigi_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The plot reminded me of X-Men and some. The hero, Rome is the Wolverine and heroine, Belle, is Storm with other three mutant combination (earth, wind, fire and ice). I like the fact that I got to read this hotheaded super girl persona, reminding me of what I once wanted to have (when I was watching the animated XMen on TV) - a mixture of Jean Grey, Storm, Rogue and Mystique (minus her facade) - daydreaming endlessly of becoming a superhero.The plot is fast-paced, but my interest wavered somewhere in the middle (I don't know why) but it got back on track, on and off. The love story sizzles (literally) and there's something just so erotic about the push and pull of the romantic scenes. The last phase of the book was quite interesting that it made me change my rating because it got me wanting to read the next series of this. I'd like to see how much improvement Belle did with her newfound powers, and if her struggles to control them will soon be as easy as eating pie. I'd like to think there's more to her powers than what was expected and if mastering them would mean she can fly. Overall, the book is quite good, made me daydreaming again of my JeanTonic persona (yes, my superhero name). Yes, definitely looking forward to the second installment of this.

[angellocke · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Good read. Not as good as The Lords of the Underworld or the Atlantis series but still good.

[c5ibarra · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Playing with Fire is the first novel in Gena Showalter’s Tales of an Extraordinary Girl series. This book was so much fun. I felt it could easily be mistaken for a young adult novel because of the cover and title. Be warned this one is definitely NOT for kids. This book contains several steamalicious scenes. The characters in Playing with Fire were fabulous. Belle is the twenty-something protagonist who has to learn to control her new superhero powers. Rome is the sexy bad boy sent to kill her. All of the secondary characters were a blast too. The author must have a killer sense of humor because this book was full of quick-witted and sarcastic dialogue. It made me laugh out loud many times. I can’t wait to get my hands on the next book in the series, Twice as Hot.

[krau0098 · Rating: 4 out of 5 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.

[virginiagill · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Two weeks after reading this book I am STILL cracking up! How dangerous would I be if suddenly my emotions caused fires, or floods, or snowstorms? Egads! This was an utterly delightful trek through an imagination as odd as my own. I loved it. If you need something totally off the wall and light hearted grab a copy of this book and settle down for a good read.

[catholickittie · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I will always say 3 books got me completely hooked on romance novels. This is one of them. The characters are smart, sassy, funny with the right amount of sex-y. The hero and heroine match perfectly and the story will have you laughing so hard that you pee, just a little bit! And the hot hot hot chemistry will have you needing an ice bath to cool off! I read it years ago and when they re-issued it I just had to re-buy it even if the original cover was hotter. I waited years for the sequel but this book was so awesome it better be worth the wait.

[littleflwers · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This was such a great read. I laughed on and off all the way through it. Belle the main character is a total screwup. The book starts with her resume which in itself is hysterical. She is doing the best she can to support herself and her father. She dearly loves her dad and will take most any job to help pay for his special care in a facility where her dear old dad chases the women confined there. She is slipped a potent cocktail which gives her master over the four elements. Her learning the elements she has and how to control them is a riot. You can just imagine what she is going through while setting things on fire accidentally or by stirring up hurricane winds. I fell in love with this character and with the man who originally was set on killing her. Instead he decides to save her from all the evil doers out there trying to get her. They are quite a match those two. I can hardly wait for the sequel to this. If it is anything like this first book I know I will just have to get it.

[thebooknerd · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

'Playing with Fire' is one the funnest books I've ever read. It has a little bit of everything: humor, action, drama, fantasy, romance, violence, sex, and wit. If you're already a fan of Gena Showalter, this book will stand out as one of her best. If you're new to this author, I see no better place to start than with this book.

[bookwhisperer · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Attempted reading this story. Felt that the general idea was good. Although, I do not feel that the story layout was all that great. I reading 86 pages of this book, and I struggled with every page. Since this was my first introduction to Gena Showalter I am not sure if it was the writing style or souly thing story that I am having trouble with. I will definetly try another book by Showalter and see where I stand at that point.

[wyvernfriend · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Belle Jamison has had a lot of jobs, she has difficulty finding a place in the world until after a guy rushes into the coffee house she works in and involves the place in a gun battle. When she returns to her drink she finds it a little sweet but finishes it anyway. Then she wakes up in her apartment she finds herself with company, some very hot company and some new abilities. She can use elemental forces. Now she has to work out how they work, keep herself alive and decide between the different forces at work.Even when there's a lot of bullets flying she's a bit sex focused but as she also has to use her emotions to focus her powers this is a little understandable. Enjoyable but nothing spectacular. Pretty typical within it's genre. Tanner, the young guy she first kidnaps and then turns into a sidekick, is interesting and fun. Their relationship is almost more interesting than her relationship with Rome.

[twilightblue · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A slightly different twist away from all the werewolf, vampire books. This one goes the way of comic book super-hero-dom. Quick read.

[jenson_aka_dl · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Belle is a hairsbreadth away from being fired from her coffee shop job when a desperate scientist spikes her mocha latte with something more than cream. Suddenly Belle is sick and the strange, but hunky man in her bedroom is telling her she can now control the elements. The worst part is that in confirming that Belle has these powers, he now has an obligation to neutralize her. Thus begins the story of Belle Jamison and her trials in playing with fire.This story was pretty entertaining and easy to get through. However, I unfortunately couldn't ever really bring myself to like Belle all that much. I guess it must have been the attitude. The supporting cast of characters was interesting. Should the author chose to write a follow-up I would definately be willing to read another story with some of these characters. Overall if you're into parapsychology with your romance, you might want to check this book out.

[chandler2606 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Interesting concept. I enjoyed it.