Playing with Fire

Hot in Chicago Series #2

By: Kate Meader

Narrated by: Amelie Griffin

Length: 10 hrs and 26 mins

Publisher's summary

As the only female firefighter at Engine Co. 6, Alexandra Dempsey gets it from all sides: the male coworkers who think she can't do the job, the wives and girlfriends who see her as a threat to their firefighter men, and her overprotective foster brothers who want to shelter their baby sister at all costs. So when she single-handedly saves the life of Eli Cooper, Chicago's devastatingly handsome mayor, she assumes that the respect she's longed for will finally come her way. But it seems that Mr. Mayor has other ideas....

Eli Cooper's mayoral ratings are plummeting, his chances at reelection dead in the water. When a sexy, curvaceous firefighter gives him the kiss of life, she does more than bring him back to the land of the living; she also breathes vitality into his campaign. Riding the wave of their feel-good story might prop up Eli's flagging political fortunes, but the sizzling attraction between them can go nowhere; he's her boss, and there are rules that must be obeyed. But you know what they say about rules: They're made to be broken.

©2015 Kate Meader (P)2016 Tantor

Critic reviews

"The themes of staying true to yourself and the impact of family legacies make for an interesting storyline." ( RT Book Reviews)

Romance at it's Best!

I loved both books in this duet, family, tradition, love. This is what love of family, relationship is all about. Kate Meader, you have a big new fan!

Playing With Fire

Alex is the baby sister and only girl in the Demsey firefighter clan and she has caught the eye of the Mayor. She also has a foul mouth and temper to rival a mean dog but she is loyal to a fault so don't get on her bad side. Mayor Eli Cooper wants Alex and even if he has to manufacture a reason to keep her close. These two are spectacular together. The chemistry is explosive and the narrator on the audio version of this one was much, much better than the first. I just wish the third was out in audio!

Story good. Narration not so much

The story is good but the narration wasn't what I have come to expect. I believe I would have rated it higher with better narration. Those of us who listen to a lot of books understand the importance of the narrator.

4 stars

I liked this one a lot more than book 1. The narrator and storyline kept me interested.

This story is predictable

I can handle predictable. I like the author and the last book in the series. I HATED the reader. She made the book more booring than ever. I couldn’t finish Playing w Firebecause of her annoying and bland style. Over all, meh...,

Very frustrating listen

One of my pet hates is when the author tells us repeatedly that a character has certain traits but then makes their actions constantly contradict what the reader is being told. For example in this book we re told that the female lead is kickass, strong, sassy and well loved and supported by her family. Unfortunately she acts uncertain, folds easily when a man tells her to change her behaviour and is attracted to a man who gets turned on by imagining hitting her because he doesn’t like her choices.
The whole book was just frustrating and annoying - there is nothing sexy about a woman being treated like a child by a man, its just insulting and disrespectful.

couldn't finish :/

I couldn't finish this one. The story is okay but the narrator struggles with the task before her and her emphasis is awkward.

Not Like Book 1

In book 1, the main female character was smart and assertive. Unfortunately in the 2nd book, firefighter Alex (sister of Luke) was weak and easily manipulated by the good looking mayor. Since Alex was loved and admired by her foster brothers and adopted father, it made absolutely no sense that she would have zero self-respect or confidence in herself. Boring!

Terrible

I don’t normally write reviews, but this was seriously so insulting I had to write something! My favorite books are the ones with strong heroines, but that is not the case here—-very disappointing given the book summary. I only made it to chapter 4 and had to stop. The “hero” came off as the douchebag. I don’t mean the kind of character you don’t love to hate in books—- he’s the character you just hate. Sexist and chauvinism at its best. The “heroine” was just wishy washy and ready to cave to whatever Mr. Douchebag wanted. Sorry but this was just horrible.

Bad narrator.

I couldn’t get through the first chapter. One of those narrators that’s monotone most of the time and leaves the end of every sentence hanging.