Playing With Fire (Blaze, 20)

Rating:
Summary: PLAYING WITH FIRE-Daniel and Lara-SPOILERS
Review: Favorite scene with Lara-
Heart to heart with Bianca about marriage.

Favorite scene with Daniel-
Lunch and heart to heart with Tamar.

Together-
Fighting after Lara dresses like a hooker.

Rating:
Summary: A Race Through the Woods
Review: I have read Carrie Alexander before. She has written for Harlequin Books under the Love & Laughter, Temptation and Duets lines. So I knew she could write them with laughter and steam blended together. I was not disappointed with PLAYING WITH FIRE.

The heroine, Lara Gladstone, is a free spirit. Like many of Ms. Alexander's heroines, they are bold and provocative with a touch of mysteriousness surrounding them.

She does not want to get tied down to one man. Into her life comes Daniel Savage. He is used to getting his own way and wants Lara. It's up to him to unmask the mysterious Lara, and he does. Both are not looking for a permanent relationship, but they both quickly realize that the feelings they have with one another is something that could last a lifetime. But do they want to?

The secondary plot woven into the story revolved around Lara's sister and family. She certainly wanted to make you smack her, as she was self-centered, but at the same time I felt sorry for her. She never got the chance to grow up and mature. The kids were a hoot, even though obnoxious. Part of the problem with the secondary story is that it seemed to go on...and on. I would have preferred a few more scenes with the hero and heroine together. They were a terrific couple. And towards the end, things got blazing hot.

Carrie Alexander has proven to me again something I have known before. She is an intelligent and witty writer. Her contribution to Blaze is welcome.

Rating:
Summary: Low stars for a Blaze,only
Review: I should first start by saying this is the first Carrie Alexander book I've ever read and she is a good writer. At no point did I read a chapter and think, "Well, that was poorly written." What became evident though, was that her style really didn't fit a small novel format. Yes, the sex scenes are graphic and lend themselves to the style of a Blaze but part of what makes Blaze novels different is the combination of character thought and action meld nicely (most of the time), while still being much more erotic than say a standard romance. The characters are interesting but Lara's internal dialogue was plain annoying. I don't mind an indecisive female character but the constant back and forth in her mind as to whether to change the nature of their relationship from casual to more serious, was distracting from the actual flow of the book.e.g. Lara's thoughts on controlling Daniel and showing him she could be in charge while they're engaging in foreplay were these constant interruptions that just made the flow of most scenes uneven. Likewise, a phone sex scene choppy with interruptions of banter,(that wasn't that funny, actually.)Finally, I put it together that the short format just wasn't a fit for Ms. Alexander's writing style. Searching her name I saw she had written other longer novels and my suspicions were confirmed. What I think I'll do is purchase one of her longer novels and see if the length improves the flow from character thought, dialog and action.

Rating:
Summary: One of the best I've ever read
Review: In 20+ years of romance reading (approximately 100 novels/year), this is one of the best romances I've ever read.

The characters are three dimensional, the heroine's commitment problem believable, the secondary characters are well written and interesting (I'm still quite intriqued with the mystery of the hero's secretary, which was not resolved in this book) and the sex scenes spicy, varied and many.

I generally find romances to be like dessert, fun and sweet and tasty, but not really filling. This book was so well written that I felt like I'd had a gourmet meal.

My one complaint was that I couldn't put it down and stayed up until 3:30 am to finish it.

I will definitely be looking for more books by this author.

Rating:
Summary: Carrie Alexander heats up the pages of Blaze!
Review: Lara Gladstone wants nothing to do with what she thinks is a woman's role in marriage. Watching her mother give up all her dreams and hopes for her famous father, Lara wants only to lose herself in her art, and find someone who can fulfill her wildest fantasies, not fall in love. A glance, a spark, and instant attraction to the man she sees across a crowded restaurant sets Lara into high gear. Here is her hunter; the man she wants to chase her until capture and sensual satisfaction is eminent.

Daniel Savage is flummoxed. He is being teased across a crowded room by a woman he can only describe as a lioness. His competitive spirit ignited, Daniel is up for fun and games and leaves with the exciting, mysterious woman. Startled to realize that he wants much more from her than a one-night stand, Daniel sets out to change Lara's mind about love, in a subtle, yet thorough manner.

PLAYING WITH FIRE is a fun, fantastical, highly sexual read. For every woman that ever dreamed of acting on that secret fantasy of taking the gorgeous man across the room home and devouring him, this is the book for you! Lara and Daniel are a match made in sexual tension heaven, but better still, roles are reversed in that Lara is afraid of commitment and Daniel is not. Watching the by-play, listening to the intense and witty dialogue, feeling the leaves crunching beneath my feet as Daniel chased Lara through the woods near her home, all made for a vivid, exciting, satisfaction-guaranteed read. The subplot involving Lara's best friend Bianca is heartwarming and tender, surprising in its intensity for the characters involved.

I highly recommend PLAYING WITH FIRE as a daring and original fantasy romance read. Consciously, readers know this may not be a realistic storyline, but let yourself go and enjoy the unconventional love story that unfolds from the depths of sexuality. Ms. Alexander's vivid imagination leaves readers reaching for the iced water and personal fan!

Rating:
Summary: Carrie Alexander heats up the pages of Blaze!
Review: Lara Gladstone wants nothing to do with what she thinks is a woman's role in marriage. Watching her mother give up all her dreams and hopes for her famous father, Lara wants only to lose herself in her art, and find someone who can fulfill her wildest fantasies, not fall in love. A glance, a spark, and instant attraction to the man she sees across a crowded restaurant sets Lara into high gear. Here is her hunter; the man she wants to chase her until capture and sensual satisfaction is eminent.

Daniel Savage is flummoxed. He is being teased across a crowded room by a woman he can only describe as a lioness. His competitive spirit ignited, Daniel is up for fun and games and leaves with the exciting, mysterious woman. Startled to realize that he wants much more from her than a one-night stand, Daniel sets out to change Lara's mind about love, in a subtle, yet thorough manner.

PLAYING WITH FIRE is a fun, fantastical, highly sexual read. For every woman that ever dreamed of acting on that secret fantasy of taking the gorgeous man across the room home and devouring him, this is the book for you! Lara and Daniel are a match made in sexual tension heaven, but better still, roles are reversed in that Lara is afraid of commitment and Daniel is not. Watching the by-play, listening to the intense and witty dialogue, feeling the leaves crunching beneath my feet as Daniel chased Lara through the woods near her home, all made for a vivid, exciting, satisfaction-guaranteed read. The subplot involving Lara's best friend Bianca is heartwarming and tender, surprising in its intensity for the characters involved.

I highly recommend PLAYING WITH FIRE as a daring and original fantasy romance read. Consciously, readers know this may not be a realistic storyline, but let yourself go and enjoy the unconventional love story that unfolds from the depths of sexuality. Ms. Alexander's vivid imagination leaves readers reaching for the iced water and personal fan!

Rating:
Summary: Winner of the WordWeaving Award for Excellence
Review: The game is teasingly seductive -- the beckoning come hither looks, the smoldering passions luring them. The game becomes a fevered seduction, as wild fantasy plays out myriad possibilities, a sensual delight. The game is the savage hunter in pursuit of the woman who longs to be caught in a cataclysmic joining, without defense, winner take all. But the question remains as to what happens when the fantasy isn't enough, and he longs for the woman to surrender not just her body, but also her heart.

Daniel Savage's life had become a cliché with long hours and an administrative assistant that knows him better than he knows himself. He's drawn irresistibly to the woman's teasing seduction, thriving on the thrill of the hunt, and delighting in her potent allure. When they leave the party to retreat to the quasi intimacy of a drink at another restaurant, the heat between them becomes searing. Especially when Daniel wants to know what's she wearing beneath the daring dress that is only a dropped thread away from public indecency. When she leaves him with her golden panties in hand as she departs the restaurant, he's hooked, forever. Now he's got to find the woman who plays the game complete with false identity and sensual allure.

Lara Gladstone fled the brittle city, with a lifestyle of struggling by day and partying by night, to the quiet of the Adirondack Mountains where she recreates the beauty of nature in stained glass. A restaurant opening where her work is displayed lures her from her quiet retreat, and in a borrowed dress as dangerous as sin, Lara catches Daniel's eye. She knew immediately that he was uniquely her match. His distinctive aura lures her, creating a chemistry she wants to play out. The night becomes like a dream sequence, and she is caught up in this otherworldly feel that allows her to seek reckless adventure. She wants to live her fantasies, to be overwhelmed by passion.

Carrie Alexander's PLAYING WITH FIRE provides a searing look at love, blending extreme sensuality with the struggles of maturity. Lara's no frightened virgin; she's a provocative, powerful woman unafraid of her sexuality, but terrified of a permanent commitment that might weaken her. At thirty, Lara's grown beyond the limits of youth that loves late nights and a party atmosphere. She needs something more; something offered in the sexual fantasies and emotional implications of a relationship with Daniel. But as much as Lara desires the fantasy, she fears the reality. A relationship with a man like Daniel can't be relegated to the bedroom and kept a secret. Their relationship must be more than just sexual games, wild nights and excitement.

Alexander captures the struggles of risk that come to all of us past our twenties as we learn to cope with the changes maturity brings. These are memorable characters, from the best friend with her brightly colored kitchen and delightful daughter, to the fiercely independent aunt. The gamut of possible roles for a woman are presented within the secondary characters, from fierce independence and remaining single, to the traditional sister's marriage and two children, to her best friend's unconventional lifestyle and single mom status. Alexander's story honors each character's choices, while pushing her heroine into pursuing the path that is uniquely her own. Very highly recommended.