PLAYING WITH FIRE is Book three in Cynthia Eden's Phoenix Fire series. Like the first book in this series, the hero is a phoenix. However, unlike in the previous books, the hero and heroine are not strangers. I like this new dynamic. The history between Dante and Cassie adds drama and intensity to their romance.

I don't usually like a lot of action mixed in with my romance, but PLAYING WITH FIRE has a great frenetic energy that is irresistible. Cassie and Dante's journey on the run from miscellaneous bad guys is extremely exciting and I couldn't take my eyes off the page. As thrilling as the action sequences and the conflicts between the various supernatural characters are, the personal drama between Cassie and Dante is perhaps more compelling.

Cassie spends almost as much time running from Dante as she does running from the bad guys. It's heartbreaking at times, when Cassie doubts whether Dante cares for her as much as she does him. They have such a long history together and it hurts her so deeply when he doesn't remember her the times he dies and is reborn. She figures that if she really meant a lot to him, he would remember her. That's what makes PLAYING WITH FIRE such a great story -- the non-stop action, the super sexiness, and the emotional pull.

I like that Cassie and Dante are both such layered characters and Cynthia Eden gives the reader a wonderful glimpse into their respective pasts. They've both known great pain, and a lot of it at the hands of Cassie's mad scientist father. Getting this peek into Cassie's past helps in understanding why she is so committed to rescuing others. I was really surprised to see a softer side of Dante at times, rather than the emotionless killer he normally projects.

PLAYING WITH FIRE is electrifying, with red hot romance, and characters you care about. I can't wait to find out what happens with characters like Vaughn and Trace. I look forward to reading the next exciting installment in this Phoenix Fire series!