Another fascinating and well-written paranormal romance by Cynthia Eden. I liked how the story flowed. Cassie and Dante were made for each other.

This was hard to read as a stand alone title. I hadn't read anything else in the series and found the opening chapters confusing. The central couple clearly had a lot of backstory, and I really wasn't sure if that was covered in a previous book or not. I was pretty sure some of the side characters must have appeared in their own title though.

Can you say hot, hot hot!!! Eden brings down the roof in this epic story of fiery passion, intense drama, and a love worth dying for again and again. Nothing can keep two lovers apart, not even Hell!

This is Book 3 in the Phoenix Fire series. You don’t have to read the first two books, but it does make a lot more sense if you do read them. I didn’t read them, so I was a little confused on a few things, but I still really enjoyed the book. I just have to go back and get the other two now. Cassie’s father was part of a group called Genesis and they experimented, so they could make a super Army. Now Cassie’s in Chicago trying to find Dante. The story goes on from there in a very exciting way. There’s a lot of action and excitement from the beginning to the end. You will enjoy reading every twist and turn involving Cassie and Dante. It had a very good ending to the series. I voluntarily read and reviewed this book that I got from Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Cassie Armstrong has plenty to atone for. The daughter of the most immoral researcher ever to pick up a scalpel, she’s determined to use her own brilliance in genetics to repair the damage her family has done to the paranormals. Especially Dante, the first of the phoenixes, the one they call the Immortal. He’s been haunting her dreams since she was a little girl, and she’s been trying to ease his pain for almost as long. If only he remembered any of it . When I started reading I couldn't put it down I read the book in one day.Cynthia Eden is magnifysent writer.I cannot wait to read more of there books.Keep up the great work.You should definitely read this book.

4 stars.
My very first read by Cynthia Eden and she sure packed a lot of action into this book. Such a wide variety of paranormal characters: phoenix shifters, a wolf shifter, vampires, a half-dragon shifter and genetically modified humans.
A lot to take in to be honest but I think that was mainly because I am starting with book three instead of the first one in this series and that was because I received a complimentary copy of this book from netgalley.
I actually thought this was a new story but it appears to be a rerelease of an already published series.

Very "hot" read, pun intended. Aside from all the death and burning going on (what with the phoenix shifters dying and then rising up from the ashes) I really liked the pace of the story and the romance was certainly intense even if it took a backseat to the adventures.

I definitely enjoyed this book and plan on reading many more by Cynthia Eden. I really like her way of storytelling and the romance was pretty great too.
Dante was really fierce and intense while Cassie was softer yet really determined to achieve her goals and help all her friends.
Almost forgot to mention but it also had a really sweet epilogue at the end.

Complimentary copy received from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

AHHHH!!! I just loved this book - it was my favorite of the series by far! I felt so much for Cassie. Her love for Dante was so strong it sometimes ended up being heartbreaking for her. I equally felt for Dante' and his confusion after each of his risings. It was a very emotion ridden book - more so than the others.

Although I was a little tired of people seeming to be dead and then coming back (not the main characters though - I love it when they come back), the plot was a good one. It is partly a continuation of the previous books with new elements and people added in to make it a book of its own.

I would recommend this book for any paranormal romance fan, who loves a good plot, good characters, and good romance.

NOTE:
I originally reviewed this book years ago, so link #1 is to the original review, and link #2 is to the updated review

This book popped up on Netgalley, and since we all know I'm a Cynthia Eden fan, I grabbed it! But it's a re-issue of a title from a couple of years ago. However, since I enjoy her books I re-read it anyway. 

You can read my original review on Got Fiction here

But I'm posting an updated one here.

Book 3 in Cynthia Eden’s Phoenix Fire trilogy picks up right where Once Bitten, Twice Burned left off. Cassie, sister of evil Dr. Wyatt, is trying to make it right. She feels there’s a cure for the primal vampires her father created, there has to be. She just needs to get some phoenix tears. She is clinging to this desperate hope, feeling that if she can fix this, she can help reverse at least some of the damage, both literally and on the cosmic scale.

This is where Dante comes in. He's a Phoenix, and a very old one, but good luck getting him to cry. Cassie believes that he cried to save her once.


She’s convinced that means that he must care about her, at least a little. Dante is the one they called The Immortal. He’s been in the facility since Cassie was a little girl. She tried to help him escape several times. Some attempts were successful, others, not so much. But Dante kept coming back for her, and kept getting recaptured so he could watch over this little girl who cared too much about the monsters.

He doesn’t remember this though, because the scientists have killed him so many times, his memory is gone.

One thing he does remember? Cassie. He remembers her face. He’ll fight to keep her alive and by his side, until he can learn more. He wants to figure out why she's important to him. What he’s not remembering, is something his body is telling him; she’s his mate.

While Wyatt may be dead, someone out there is trying to take charge. And surprise surprise, he is Cassie’s ex. He’s paired with another doctor, one who isn’t what she seems either.

He wants Dante back, but he also wants Cassie back. If she won’t come as his girlfriend, she can come back as an experiment. After all, she’s been one since she was a child. Her father made her immune to vampires, and her blood is poison, yet smells delicious. It’s quite the combination.

But her ex is an experiment too. He was in the military and volunteered to become. . .more. He wanted the super human strength of the paranormals. But he’s not finished. He thinks he’s created a serum that will turn him into a phoenix. And it does.

For a while...

Dante and Cassie make their way back to her safe house, but it isn’t safe for long. Their enemies are close behind, and Cassie is bleeding. She may heal quickly, but her blood sends out a siren song to every paranormal out there. Pretty soon they’re once more fighting for their life.

Cynthia Eden excels at paranormal romance, and this trilogy is no different. Her characters are always well developed, and her plots intricate. For a new taste of paranormal romance, check out her Phoenix shifters.

This series is only a trilogy, but it can’t be over, because I want Trace’s book! Lol (hear that, Cynthia? I need a story about Trace. And you know, Laurie is an awesome heroine name-just sayin’).

***ARC courtesy of Kensington Books

This is a reprint of the 3rd book in the Phoenix Fire series. So if you have read that book before, nothing is different about this one other than the cover. It's about Cassie Armstrong and the Phoenix Dante. Cassie is trying to atone for the things her father and brother did to paranormals. She wants to fix the things they did and make the lives of the paranormals at least somewhat better. But she also believes she needs Dante's help in order to do this. Even knowing that he doesn't remember her or their shared past. Dante Can't remember anything that happened between them before, but he does know when he see's her that she is his! He knows there is more going on than he knows about but he is determined that she will be his.

I will always love this story. All of the books in this series are good but just knowing what Cassie went through as a child and what she did to try help not only Dante but the other's her family was hurting makes you love her even more. It always made me sad that every time Dante would "die" he wouldn't remember her or their past when he came back. And to realize that they both were fighting so much more than they ever thought they were at the end? Makes it a truly great story once they handle it and everything else going on! Another great read by this author!

I received a copy of this e-book and am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

Cassie feels like she has a lot to make up for, her father experimented on humans in an effort to build the perfect army. The number of people he experimented on, their pain and even deaths, live in Cassie's soul. Cassie was also a victim of her father's as he experimented on her and her brother. Throughout her education, her goal was to come back and help any of those she could that her father experimented on, especially Dante.

Dante is a Phoenix but he was one hundreds of years ago and not due to Cassie's fathers experiments. It didn't stop the mad scientist from torturing to learn and possibly re-create a formula to create a Phoenix. Cassie has loved Dante since she was a child and even helped him escape her father's lab.

Once again Cassie and Dante have re-united. The problem is...when a Phoenix dies and then rises again, many times they have no personal memories. Cassie has been through many a heartbreak when Dante had no idea who she is.

Dante may not remember specific details right away but he knows Cassie is his...

Danger is after them though, from a man who has taken over her father's work and was also a test subject and incidentally, a man Cassie thought loved her. He just wanted what she could do for him and he is actively searching for her as well as Dante.

Will Cassie and Dante ever be safe? Together?

Awesome story!! I am a major fan of this author and she never fails to disappoint me. With this book I enjoyed it as I read but when all the secrets started to emerge I was sitting on the edge of my seat!!

I could feel all the pain, anguish and heartbreak...the evil and especially the love. Both Cassie and Dante learn quite a bit about themselves, things they have to deal with and accept.

I have reread this book three times and I love it. This is a amazingly written paranormal romance that I Highly recommend.

I found it hard to get into as the world created is very rich and clearly you need to read the other books first in order. I didnt realise it

Both characters were a bit too whinging and drama orientated for me. However fans of the series will I think like it a lot. The world building is good and there’s quite a cast of characters

Cassie may have been the daughter of one mad man and the sister of another, but she is a truly caring person. She continues to try and repair some of the damage her father has wrought amongst human and paranormal "volunteers" alike. But once again fate plays fickle and she once again faces Dante, the man she has secretly loved for some time. But as a Phoenix, when Dante dies, he is reborn afresh with one slight wrinkle...he forgets his memories of her. He can remember her eventually but it breaks her heart each time.

Dante knows that Cassie is special to him but as the story unfurls we also learn that even though her father experimented on her from the time she was a young girl, she already had a little something special in her! No Dante doesn't know if what he feels is real or just her own special abilities manipulating him.

Dante is a real older man! I loved the way he soaked up technology, but kept the old alpha male grunts etc! His actions around Cain were especially aggressive and just a little bit panty melting! I loves meeting the other patients Cassie has and their struggles. I us admit I had a bit of a lump in my throat during the epilogue, I just loves the way they created their own little family.

I had not read the other books in this series but that didn't hamper me in enjoying the story. Well worth a read!

Playing With Fire is the third and final book in the Phoenix Fire series by Cynthia Eden. While each book is about a different couple, the events in books 1 & 2 strongly affect what happens in this final story and wouldn't make much sense without the back story from the previous two. Take my advice with a grain of salt and check them out before diving in to this one.

Playing with Fire takes place some time after the second book, with Cassie trying to track down Dante after he's lost his memory once again. Dante, as the oldest living Phoenix, is essentially an immortal but each time he dies and is reborn, loses some of his memory and more and more of his humanity. In a world where paranormals and humans now live side by side, a group called Genesis used this to their advantage to begin experimenting on paranormals to try and make humans into super soldiers. Dante, being one of those who "volunteered" has him on the run to keep from being locked back up in a cage. Dante's immense strength and lack of empathy makes him one lean, mean, flamethrower machine.

Unfortunately for Cassie, her father and the creator of Genesis, used her and her brother to experiment on as children, both characters you meet in the first two books. Now an adult, she wants to correct the wrongs and help her friends but she needs Dante for that.

Action packed from the get go, Cassie must try to get Dante to trust her while they are constantly being hunted and while ghosts from both their pasts are ready to throw up every road block in their arsenal to capture them both. The pacing is non-stop and the plot is gripping to the last page.

I've enjoyed the series immensely and love that the ending sort of leaves an opening for a potential for more in the future, but still tidying up the series in a satisfying way. I honestly don't think Cynthia Eden can write a bad book, no matter the genre. Making the characters strong yet flawed, damaged but never completely broken, even a character like Dante who seems cold and harsh in the previous books have some redeeming qualities in him. This was another enjoyable read by a talented author that I can't get enough of.

Obsession. That's the word that sticks out to me about this book. Dante is obsessed with Cassandra even when he doesn't remember her. He's a Phoenix and when he dies, he loses his memory but never the pull to her. He'll follow her to the ends of the earth.

Cassie is trying so hard to right the wrongs of her father. There has to be a cure for what he did to his victims and she will do anything to help them. She thinks Dante is the key but every time he dies, he loses his memory of her. She's been in love with him since she was eight years old and her heart breaks every time he forgets her.

I like the twist to this story. Dante has a dark side and he's willing to do anything to keep Cassie. He's cold and you can't tell if his obsession to Cassie is just possession or more. When he dies and rises again, you never know what he's going to be like. I loved it!

Great storytelling, fantastic world building and characters that leap off the page is what you get each time you read a Cynthia Eden book. Playing with Fire is all of that and then some! Dante will make your toes curl and Cassie is a female character that you can admire. Strong, resilient and determined, she gives everything to what she believes in. When most of us struggle to find a few minutes of the day for the time to settle in to read, you want the book to be a damn good one. This book is definitely that.

I love Cynthia Eden books and I was not disappointed in this one, she has done it again. This book is full of suspense and the characters are so hot together. The chemistry is so good and can’t wait for the next book,

I was given this ARC from netgalley to give my honest review.

Hot and Wild adventure of a paranormal who refuse to remain dead.
In Playing With Fire, Cynthia Eden 3rd book in the Phoenix Fire series. She brings to life a world where humans know that paranormal being exist and our Government wants to experiment and see how they tick. In other words..want to use them for their own wicked means. However, there is one being that refused to be any one’s lab rat.
Dante is the oldest of his kind, and he is out for some payback. When Cassie Armstrong the daughter of most immortal research has much to atone for. Her family has done nothing but torcher the paranormal beings. However, the paranormal world weren’t the only ones being torched at his hands…Cassie was as well. To bring peace to the paranormal world she needs help from one man, and that one man can or will be the downfall to Cassie and what passes for a normal life.
But before she can help those who suffered at her father’s and brother’s hands. She first must stop her enemy that is hot on her trail.
Playing With Fire was without a doubt one of the best Paranormal Romance I had the pleasure of reading. Fast-paced action and hot romance was the main key to making Playing With Fire a must read for any fans who enjoy reading about worlds outside of the normal.
Though I never read the other story in this series…do know that this reviewer will certainly correct that oversight. Thought this is the final book in this series, it felt like other characters who were asking to have their story told. Here is hoping that one day Cynthia Eden wouldn’t mind doing other books in this series someday.

Playing with Fire is an entertaining paranormal romance. There are many storylines, paranormal lore and mystery interspersed with the romance.

Cassandra Armstrong is a woman desperately seeking redemption for the sins of her family. Not exempt from her father's cruelty, she approached, Dante, aka the Immortal, the first phoenix shapeshifter, for help. Unbeknownst to Dante, he and Cassie share a special connection but he has no memory of her. Cassie and Dante learn not only to trust each other but navigate the new reality of their relationship which ultimately blossoms into love. On top for that, their enemies stalk their every move.

There were a few situations where the characters' reactions are a bit melodramatic and over the top. Unfortunately, for all his attributes, Dante can come off as being too hard and uncompassionate. However, that can be attributed to the shape-shifter aspect of his being. I liked Cassandra, and felt her genuine desire to right the wrongs caused by her father. How she didn't buckle under that guilt is a testament to her strength and resolve. All all, I enjoyed the novel and would recommend it to paranormal romance lovers.

As it is part of a series, and having not read any of its predecessors, I highly recommend proceeding with the reading order.

**I received an Advanced Reading Copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.****

Nothing burns hotter that the life-giving flames of the phoenix. Dante, aka the Immortal, lives in a world overflowing with betrayal, death and fire. With each rising he awakens confused; with only foggy memories and an unrelenting craving for the mysterious Cassie.

"She felt like the best dream he'd ever had.
And her voice...sex and pleasure...temptation. Lust.
Her voice drove him on as she whispered his name."

Cassie is no stranger to tough choices. Her entire life has been spent trying to undo the atrocities created by her father. Having been both a witness and an unwilling recipient of her father’s cruelty she refuses to allow anyone else to be victimized by the Genesis group. Especially, the man she has been in love with since she was child – too bad he cannot even seem to remember her name.

"She’d never been able to forget his kiss. He’d been the first man that she ever kissed. The first to make her feel like she belonged to someone. A someone who sometimes seemed to hate her."

Cynthia Eden has written another scorcher. Dante and Cassie’s passion burns up the pages in “Playing with Fire." Not sure where the Phoenix Fire series is headed, but I truly believe it will continue to feed my addiction for dangerously handsome and alluring man. Hopefully, she will provide us anxious reader with a story about Trace, Vaughn, or yet an unknown sexy male.