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readbyriz's review against another edition
5.0
This one was so good.
Its different from everything I’ve read so far from this author and I loved
Its different from everything I’ve read so far from this author and I loved
jessica_lb's review against another edition
4.0
Cute, nice message, but again with the fade to black...I can forgive it though
xxbooksilovexx's review against another edition
5.0
Lj Shen has done it again! 2 amazing characters who both have equally terrible pasts. And they manage to find each other and become everything to each other. I can't get enough of West & Grace. Thank you, LJ.
thebookplatypus91's review against another edition
5.0
“I was a phoenix, slicing the air, flying farther away from the ashes that had buried me for years. I knew I would always remember how they’d felt against my wings. But that I would never let them bring me down to the ground again. And still, I rise.”
Wow! I don’t know what I thought I was getting into while starting into this ARC of Playing With Fire by LJ Shen.. but this was definitely not it. What an absolutely beautiful slow burn novel about two lost souls finding each other.
Grace. One of the strongest female leads in a book that I have read about in a long time. She’s a burn victim who stays in the shadows with her one and only BFF, Karlie. Quietly making her way through life while caring for her grandmother who is slowly losing herself to Alzheimer’s.
West. A beautiful broken boy with a heartbreaking past struggling to find anything to live for. Keeping his family afloat financially, he does underground fighting. When that money wasn’t enough he took up a job at a taco truck where he meets Grace.
And let the slow burn romance begin. I think LJ Shen did an absolutely phenomenal job creating these characters and really leading us into their minds on what they’re going through. Neither character had an easy life.
As more background stories unravel, you can’t help but fall for these characters. And maybe even cry a tear or two.
“Texas was The Chosen One whom I’d spent my birthday with. She was my so-called redemption. Antidote to my poison. The one Mom had been praying for.”
Ugh. I’m a hardcore fan of LJ Shen. I have read every single one of her books to date. And I honestly think that Playing With Fire is her best writing yet.
This is a stand-alone.
No cliffhanger. Does have an HEA!
The only triggers I can think of is a VERY brief paragraph or two talking in detail of dog fighting. (But it may be my weak ass heart/love for pit bulls that got my squeamish)
Possibly depression/suicidal thoughts.
Wow! I don’t know what I thought I was getting into while starting into this ARC of Playing With Fire by LJ Shen.. but this was definitely not it. What an absolutely beautiful slow burn novel about two lost souls finding each other.
Grace. One of the strongest female leads in a book that I have read about in a long time. She’s a burn victim who stays in the shadows with her one and only BFF, Karlie. Quietly making her way through life while caring for her grandmother who is slowly losing herself to Alzheimer’s.
West. A beautiful broken boy with a heartbreaking past struggling to find anything to live for. Keeping his family afloat financially, he does underground fighting. When that money wasn’t enough he took up a job at a taco truck where he meets Grace.
And let the slow burn romance begin. I think LJ Shen did an absolutely phenomenal job creating these characters and really leading us into their minds on what they’re going through. Neither character had an easy life.
As more background stories unravel, you can’t help but fall for these characters. And maybe even cry a tear or two.
“Texas was The Chosen One whom I’d spent my birthday with. She was my so-called redemption. Antidote to my poison. The one Mom had been praying for.”
Ugh. I’m a hardcore fan of LJ Shen. I have read every single one of her books to date. And I honestly think that Playing With Fire is her best writing yet.
This is a stand-alone.
No cliffhanger. Does have an HEA!
The only triggers I can think of is a VERY brief paragraph or two talking in detail of dog fighting. (But it may be my weak ass heart/love for pit bulls that got my squeamish)
Possibly depression/suicidal thoughts.
sydney_09's review against another edition
5.0
This is one of my favorige L.J. Shen books. It felt complete and the burn is nice and slow, the build up between the two main characters definitely plays out well. Definitely a great read
chandlerainsley's review against another edition
dnf @ 50%. i was so so bored. and i really don't understand why everyone is so damn rude to a BURN SURVIVOR in this book.
and this is set in a fictional texas town but so much of the details were wrong, from the types of tacos served at the food truck, to the ingredients in a frito pie, to AC being called "aircon." i don't think non native texans would notice but good lord it irked me reading it.
probably just a me thing, but it's also getting increasingly difficult for me to enjoy books with heroes who refuse to talk about their emotions. used to like a misunderstood guy in romances, it's just getting harder to impress me.
and this is set in a fictional texas town but so much of the details were wrong, from the types of tacos served at the food truck, to the ingredients in a frito pie, to AC being called "aircon." i don't think non native texans would notice but good lord it irked me reading it.
probably just a me thing, but it's also getting increasingly difficult for me to enjoy books with heroes who refuse to talk about their emotions. used to like a misunderstood guy in romances, it's just getting harder to impress me.
dianaandthebookhunt's review against another edition
4.0
I have a thing for stories about fires and phoenixes. The book which made the most lasting impression on me as a teenager and got me into reading more seriously was Fahrenheit 451. Fire & Phoenixes I tell you
missloren_89's review
2.0
Oh boy..... where do I even begin with this one?
This was my first LJ Shen novel and it's probably going to be my last. This was semi-promising but just continued to get more annoying and absurd as it went on.
The dialogue was iffy and the actions made by the characters were just....unbelievable.
And I swear to god if I had to hear the word phoenix, the description of a phoenix,what the symbolism is of a damn phoenix or how Grace was embracing the spirit of said phoenix, one more goddamn time --I was going to pull out my eardrums.
Despite my grips with this book as a whole, the ending was quite sweet.
This was my first LJ Shen novel and it's probably going to be my last. This was semi-promising but just continued to get more annoying and absurd as it went on.
The dialogue was iffy and the actions made by the characters were just....unbelievable.
And I swear to god if I had to hear the word phoenix, the description of a phoenix,what the symbolism is of a damn phoenix or how Grace was embracing the spirit of said phoenix, one more goddamn time --I was going to pull out my eardrums.
Despite my grips with this book as a whole, the ending was quite sweet.