Playing with Fire

Product Information

I'm hovering my mouse over the 2 and 3- star rating. I usually love any and everything Tess Gerritsen writes. Her Rizzoli and Isles series is one of my favorites. When I got word that she had written a standalone, I was beyond excited to get my hands on a copy. L.J. Shen has always been a ‘read anything’ author to me. Every book she has written has always been a true and explosive ride for me. Her characters, so addictive. Her words, so illuminating. Her books, full of stories that grab a piece of my heart and make me fall in love. She is one of the authors, who writes stories that take you on an unforgettable journey. Whether it is a billionaire romance, a mafia romance, a new adult romance or an angsty read, L.J. Shen takes you deep into her web of stories that will captivate and enchant you forever. weeelll... at least she wasn't being compared to a sneezed on pizza. but apparently this is all fine and dandy just because he only does one night stands, doesn't eat the 😺, and he was thinking about Grace while hooking up with Melanie... Every teaser and snippet that has been released of Playing With Fire did NOT prepare me for this story and the emotions that follow it. The emotions that are forced upon you are so unexpected, I felt like I was in a whirlwind being hit in every direction with different emotions and in the end, I was an absolute mess. I know without a doubt this book and the characters will stay with me forever, there’s just no forgetting these two, they’ve etched their way deeply into my heart and I’m captivated by everything that is them. These two gave me all the feels! I love how their relantionship developed, how it wasn't rushed, but gradually cemented with care and trust. These two had a lot of barriers to overcome, most of them came from their self-worth, but the progress of both characters made it possible and it was a beautiful thing to witness. West and Grace brought the best from each other and I love them together so much! Their relantionship was full of witty banter, sizzling chemistry and off-the-charts passion!

Book for Financial Freedom | Playing With FIRE Book for Financial Freedom | Playing With FIRE

This book brings us two broken people going through the motions of college. Both West and Grace have been through fire and looking to rise from its ashes like a Phoenix. Grace with her flawed features and West with his broken promises come together as unlikely pair. They both shine mirrors into each others lives and it is a beautiful thing to read. The love between Grace and West is, although at times difficult, transformative. Shen brought us REAL ROMANCE, the ugly, passionate, sweet, hurtful, and kind love. My heart was breaking when it was over because I never wanted to let them go. I wanted one million epilogues. Alas, a reread is what I will have to do, and I’m not mad about it. For some reason, West St. Claire wasn’t very happy he’d been born, and knowing that nearly undid my soul, breaking it to pieces.” I would like to thank Net Galley and Random House Ballantine books for supplying me with a forward copy of the latest Tess Gerritsen novel in exchange for a honest review. Overall I thought that there were some missed opportunities to have a profound novel that explored the idea of whether our genes could somehow predict our murderous tendencies, or even a well researched historical thriller that told the story of an Italian families plight during World War II. It could have been anything, but instead, it's more interesting to play with fire than read this book.

Customer reviews

after Grace Shaw's (h) accident when she was 16 which scarred her physically, she became invisible and hid in her own shell for the next 5 years until she meets West St. Claire (H) - Sheridan University's "bad boy" who runs and fights in an undergroung fighting rink. L.J. Shen reaches new heights with this angsty romance that completely captured my heart. The characters are unforgettable, and the writing is flawless. If you don’t read another book this year, read this one! Seeing as West St. Claire is so popular, keeping most of his peers at arm’s length was something of a conundrum. The chip he carries on his shoulder threw me off-kilter too, but I liked how he wiggled his way into Grace’s life and helped her step out of her comfort zone. What I found disturbing were his inner-thoughts, and it wasn’t until I got well into the read that I discovered why he felt as he did.

Playing with Fire: A Modern Investigation into Demons Playing with Fire: A Modern Investigation into Demons

However, there is a correlation between all these incidents and Julia is determined to find out what it means. when it comes to the // romance and chemistry // i just didn't feel it here especially in the beginning and especially when they started to emotionally connect, he goes and sleeps with Melanie. also, i didn't really get why Grace started hating on West when he literally said one sentence to her the first time they met. in fact, she had more reason to hate on Reign aka West's asshole friend. In the present day, Julia Ansdell, a professional musician, married and the mother of a very young girl, happens upon an old piece of music during a music-oriented visit to Italy. From that point on, her life and the lives of everyone around her seem to change. The music itself seems to carry a mystery and possible danger. Julia doesn't understand what is happening to her daughter, but she thinks she knows what's causing it. She is terrified for Lily, and for herself, but what scares her more is that no one believes her.

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I read a lot of non-fiction on this time period and it was just nice to read a well written and entertaing historical fiction story. Playing with Fire is a romance with so much depth and brilliance. I truly bow down to L.J. Shen for giving me a truly sensational book. DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Random House UK, Transworld Publishing, Bantam Press via Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of Playing With Fire by Tess Gerritsen for review. I unreservedly apologise for taking so long to read this. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions. I got up and scooped her up, giving people something to look at and talk about for years in this godforsaken town, pressing a dirty kiss to her lips and almost breaking her jaw in the process. While on maternity leave from her work as a physician, she began to write fiction. Now retired from medicine, she writes full time. She lives in Maine.