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Book Review of Playing With Fire (Tales of an Extraordinary Girl, Bk 1)

Playing With Fire (Tales of an Extraordinary Girl, Bk 1)
PengQueen avatar reviewed on + 114 more book reviews


3.5 stars. Very promising first book.

Basically it's the first person tale of Belle, an ordinary girl with a boring life, who unsuspectingly drinks a formula that gives her powers over the four elements. She is pulled into a world of paranormal wonders she never knew existed right under her nose. Rome, an agent of a paranormal organization, first hunts her to neutralize her but finds himself attracted to her and driven to protect her. Because Belle is being hunted by many people who want to use her new found powers for their own gains.

The best best things about this book--very cute, very funny, without being too sugery sweet. Belle is clumsy and emotional in the beginning, seems like kind of a loser but with a good heart. She's so easy to relate to and that makes it all the more fun when she starts to grow both in the use of her powers and as a person. Rome was a very sexy counterpart, very likeable. There's also some interesting secondary characters introduced, such as Tanner the empath who becomes Belle's sidekick. Basically it's all the fun of a comic book but with a romance novel twist.

The negative part--it's a bit predictable. Like all first books in a series, it's preoccupied with setting up the world and doesn't have the best stand alone plot. The book is still enjoyable, but it could have used less exposition. Overall though, a really great read.