Playing with Fire by Cris & Clare Meyers - 5 Stars
Blurb:
The rules are simple: Get in. Get out. Get paid. Loner Renee Devereaux is a thief with a lot to hide, and trust is a risk she rarely takes. Stone Anders is a mercenary and hitman, but being a hired killer isn’t fitting like it used to. But while they are criminals, they are anything but common. Renee and Stone are Talents, and their supernatural powers give them an edge in a high stakes business where one wrong move could be their last. It’s always just one job, and everyone scatters—sometimes in less than favorable circumstances. For Renee and Stone, that’s business as usual. But things change. A chance at revenge draws Renee and Stone into a job they know they shouldn’t take. The job: Steal a dangerous magical artifact before it can be used. Along with the deadline, they’ll have to deal with a loudmouth hacker with problematic connections, a rookie who still believes in ‘right’ and ‘wrong,’ and a professional liar with a cat’s curiosity. Worse, something just doesn’t feel right. But this is their job. They have a reputation to maintain, a paycheck to earn, and a score to settle…
ADR S&S Book Review:
Urban Fantasy in its Truest Form
“Playing with Fire” is Urban Fantasy in the true sense of the word, without the romantic entanglements that a lot of UF books are bogged down with these days. It is a fast paced crime novel with an elemental twist of magic that keeps the reader on the edge of his/her seat.
The characters are complex and diverse, and I found the interactions between them both entertaining and intriguing. My personal favorite was the cool and aloof Stone Anders. His relationship with the enigmatic Renee Devereaux, and the way he juggled the often challenging personalities of the rest of the team, left no doubt that when there was a con to pull, a heist to execute, Stone Anders was the man for the job.
Overall, a fantastic first book for this up and coming writing duo, with all of the elements required for an enjoyable read. I’m looking forward to reading “Fly By Night,” and the rest of the series.
