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playing with fireWhat: Playing With Fire (Freak House #2) by C.J. Archer

Who: C.J. Archer

When: September 2013

 How: A copy of this novel was provided by the author for review.

Hannah Smith thinks she’s safe now that Reuben Tate is set to face trial. But when an unusual creature is let loose on the Freak House estate, everybody is in danger, including Jack. To hunt it down, the household must take risks, but the greatest risk is to Hannah’s heart. She’s in danger of falling deeply in love with Jack, a man whose very touch can kill her.

4cats2I must admit, C.J. Archer is one of those authors that you know will draw you in. After I read The Wrong Girl, I was in love with the story within the pages. And I knew that I wanted to read more of Hannah’s story. And then along came Playing With Fire.

Playing With Fire is different to The Wrong Girl. Hannah has been at Frakingham for a few weeks, and she’s adjusted. She knows a bit more about her powers, she’s comfortable with the other residents (okay, maybe not Langley and Bollard, but who would be comfortable around those two?), and she can’t actually touch the guy who she may or may not be madly in love with, i.e. Jack. Even though the two books are different, I love both of them.

I think Hannah comes into her own in Playing With Fire. She’s not the girl from the attic any more, she’s not afraid. In fact, I would say that Hannah is pretty darn brave. She doesn’t hesitate when it comes to protecting the people she loves, she doesn’t worry about herself all the time, and her strength of character is just amazing. Hannah is definitely one of my favourite YA female main characters.

One of my favourite aspects of Playing With Fire is that, whilst there is an epic romance (and when I say epic, I mean EPIC romance), that’s not the focus of the book. Yes, it’s in there, and no, we are not left wanting more; but the way Archer weaves it into the story is perfect. We learn about demons, and other supernatural goings-on, but we learn about new characters, and old characters, and friendships, and families. We learn about so much in Playing With Fire, and that’s one of the reasons why it is so good. It’s not just a YA romance riddled with some other plots. It’s an awesome plot that also has an amazing romance between two dedicated and brilliant characters.

Playing With Fire was an action-packed novel. If you think girls in the 1800s spent their time weaving, chatting, and painting – you guessed wrong. They’re out defending their household from demons, mastering supernatural powers of their own, and getting caught up in seriously dangerous situations. Or at least the ladies in Archer’s 1800s are. And I must say I am a fan of these ladies, and this version of the 1800s. It’s intriguing, and powerful, and just downright pretty awesome.

I recently received an email from Archer where she spoke about the third book in the series, and plans for another Freak House series. I cannot wait for Heart Burn, and am so happy to learn that Samuel will be getting a series of his own! He is one of my favourite characters in this series, and I cannot wait to learn more about him, and his gift.

All in all, Playing With Fire was a fantastic sequel, and I highly recommend the Freak House series to lovers of the supernatural, awesome characters, and ye olde English times.

© 2014, Chiara @ Books for a Delicate Eternity. All rights reserved.

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Posted on: January 6, 2014 • By: Chiara

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