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Shannon Harrison
is a full-figured black woman with a successful career as a counselor
for the
Women’s Alliance. When
the book
opens, Shannon is meeting with Adam
Hayden, the father
of a pregnant girl she is counseling, because he is intent on pushing
his
daughter into a marriage she doesn’t want.
At first sight, Shannon is attracted to Adam; he’s
gorgeous with fair skin and the
most beautiful blue eyes she’s ever seen.
Adam Hayden
is furious with Shannon, because she‘s advising his pregnant daughter,
Dana, against
marrying the baby’s father. He wants
Dana married. When Shannon arrives for their
meeting, Adam is
thrown by his instant attraction to her.
He can’t keep his eyes off her body.
He knows he shouldn’t act on the attraction, but
will he be able to keep
his hands off all her luscious curves?
Adam is a
product of an inter-racial relationship.
His mother had an affair with a married, white man
who chose to stay
with his wife and have nothing to do with Adam. He
was raised by his black mother and
step-father and in his mind he’s black, but he looks white, so Adam has
identity issues.
The
characters in PLAYING WITH FIRE act so immature. Adam
wasn’t a hero, he was shallow, selfish and verbally abusive to anyone
that
didn’t do exactly what he wanted. Unlike
some struggling heroes he never redeemed himself. Other
than his good looks, I never figured
out why Shannon was attracted to Adam. She divorced her ex-husband because he was
verbally
abusive and she counsels women in abusive relationships.
Adam’s verbal abuse starts almost immediately
after they met. Adam and Shannon weren’t
good role models for Dana. They fought
in front of her, had sex on the patio with her in the house and had
unprotected
sex more than once. Adam and Dana used Shannon’s weight against her and
both told Shannon she was fat.
I’ve read
such wonderful things about author Marilyn Lee, so to say I was
disappointed
after reading PLAYING WITH FIRE is an understatement.
Upon reading the synopsis, I was so excited
about the storyline, but the immature characters spoiled the book for
me. Even so, I was able to see that
Ms. Lee is definitely
a talented writer. It’s too bad PLAYING
WITH FIRE didn’t burn as bright as I’d hoped.
Reviewed by
Jennifer
Ray for The Road to
Romance
April 15, 2004
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