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Playing With Fire #4
Notorious
Loving her is easy. Proving to himself he deserves her? Baby steps Playing With Fire, Book 4King of one-night stands, all-around man whore, that s Eric. And you know what? He doesn t give a rip. After being dumped by the two people who mattered most to him, numbing himself with alcohol and anonymous sex was the easiest thing to do. Men, women, they re all the same to him. Feelings, caring, it all just gets in the way.Then he meets Stacy. Sweet, beautiful, a delicate combination of shy and forceful, she s unlike anyone he s ever known. She sees right through his facade and makes him face his ugly truths, brutal reminders he doesn t deserve her. He wants her like no one else and it scares him out of his mind.Stacy can t help herself, she s attracted to gorgeous, sexy, hurting Eric. There s more to him than meets the eye even though what s meeting her eye right now is a complete mess. Broken hearts will do that to the strongest man she should know. If she can get him to forgive especially himself maybe things could work out between them. But first, she can t let him get away."
113 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 21, 2011
4 people are currently reading
441 people want to read
About the author
Karen Erickson
98 books1,435 followersUSA Today bestselling author Karen Erickson lives in central California with her family. Being a romance writer and bringing her characters to life is her greatest dream come true.
She also writes as NYT & USA Today bestselling author Monica Murphy.
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https://www.karenerickson.com/newsletter
She also writes as NYT & USA Today bestselling author Monica Murphy.
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https://www.karenerickson.com/newsletter
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
June 16, 2011
When I'm in the mood for a scorching romance, Karen Erickson is an author I'm sure will deliver. Her latest installment in the Playing Fire Series, Notorious, picks up where the third book left off: with Eric -- a man who has lost his lover to a woman they shared in a ménage -- who is now alone. To say Eric is in a bad place is an understatement. He doesn't trust, he doesn't share more than one night with a lover, and he doesn't love. Then he meets Stacy. She, too, is the victim of heartbreak. Soon they discover the chemistry between them will not be denied. Can Eric overcome his demons in order to find happiness? Or will his actions push Stacy away?
Notorious is a story that a reader will approach with high expectations. After reading the previous story, Scandalous, readers want Eric to have his happily ever after. Unfortunately, the connection between the characters never happened. What is meant as tension quickly becomes something else, making it difficult to care for either the hero or the heroine. Eric continually pushes Stacy away, to the point that it’s difficult to understand why she’d take him back. Likewise, due to her nature, Stacy becomes hard to like. She’s a sweet character who continues to allow Eric to mistreat her. Perhaps the length of the work is a part of the reason; however, the result is a lukewarm reception to what had the potential to be an amazing book.
On a more positive note, Ms. Erickson does deliver the heat. The sex scenes are so hot they burn. Despite the differences between them, Eric and Stacy steam up the pages as he assists her in exploring her sexual boundaries. He’s well versed in all things sexual, so suffice it to say he’s more than willing to explore naughty things with the woman he can’t seem to let go. Familiar locations are used, which allows the reader to settle in and remember what drew them into the series. Another bonus is the protagonists in the prior book, Brandon and Alexa, make appearances. It was interesting to see what had occurred in their relationship.
If you’re in the mood for an extremely hot erotic story, with scenes that will leave you breathless, be sure to check out Notorious.originally posted at http://whippedcream2.blogspot.com/201...
Notorious is a story that a reader will approach with high expectations. After reading the previous story, Scandalous, readers want Eric to have his happily ever after. Unfortunately, the connection between the characters never happened. What is meant as tension quickly becomes something else, making it difficult to care for either the hero or the heroine. Eric continually pushes Stacy away, to the point that it’s difficult to understand why she’d take him back. Likewise, due to her nature, Stacy becomes hard to like. She’s a sweet character who continues to allow Eric to mistreat her. Perhaps the length of the work is a part of the reason; however, the result is a lukewarm reception to what had the potential to be an amazing book.
On a more positive note, Ms. Erickson does deliver the heat. The sex scenes are so hot they burn. Despite the differences between them, Eric and Stacy steam up the pages as he assists her in exploring her sexual boundaries. He’s well versed in all things sexual, so suffice it to say he’s more than willing to explore naughty things with the woman he can’t seem to let go. Familiar locations are used, which allows the reader to settle in and remember what drew them into the series. Another bonus is the protagonists in the prior book, Brandon and Alexa, make appearances. It was interesting to see what had occurred in their relationship.
If you’re in the mood for an extremely hot erotic story, with scenes that will leave you breathless, be sure to check out Notorious.originally posted at http://whippedcream2.blogspot.com/201...
July 11, 2011
You have a man who has been kicked to the curb, literally, by the two people he loved, two people with whom he had shared a menage and who now have focused on one another as they left him out in the cold. His hurt is palpable, and he responds by being willing to "do" just about anyone to fill up that empty place inside him. But there's a problem: the empty place never seems to get filled. Until he meets Stacy, a woman who is willing to accept Eric with all his bumps and bruises, warts and hurts. This story is very, very erotic and continues the Karen Erickson tradition of hot erotic romance. It is also the culmination of a four book series and completes Eric's story. Eric's sense of having no direction is one that stands out in my mind. This author has made his character so incredibly real. I guess I am most impressed with the healing that came into Eric's life, the balance that was restored by Stacy's love and acceptance. She was a really special person and she made such a difference in Eric's life. A very good ending to a really good series.
July 4, 2011
I'm happy Eric got his HEA.
July 9, 2011
I think I thought this was going to be much kinkier. First, you have a bi guy, Eric, who is a man whore because the last guy he was in a relationship with ended up breaking off with him to be with the girl they did a three-way with. He's devastated and taking it out on anyone who will offer some comfort. Then, you have Stacy, who is best friends with the aforementioned threesome girl. She is wallowing in self-pity because her fiancee broke it off with her because he's in love with another man and thinks he wants a sex change operation to become a woman. So where does Stacy go for this self-pity? A gay bar. Hmm. Okay. And who does she ultimately find there, but Eric. They get to talking and there's a spark that scares the hell out of Eric. So he's an asshole to her several times, but every time he comes back to her groveling. So given those two characters, doesn't it seem like we might get something kinky? Threesome? Moresome? Anal sex? No, but we do get some voyeurism, mild public sex, and exhibitionism. I would have preferred the story to continue after the exhibitionism... and gotten kinkier. :-) I mean it was all good and sweet (yes, we get an HEA after Eric shoots himself in the foot 500 times), and maybe what I wanted to happen wasn't meant to happen in their relationship, but it kind of ended abruptly. For me. Maybe it's perfect for someone else. I did enjoy it, and maybe it's more of a 3.5 than 3... just not quite a 4 for me.
May 24, 2012
Eric has been on a downward spiral since breaking up with his two lovers, turning to meaningless sex and stiff drinks instead. When he sees Stacy, who he recognizes, at a bar he has been using to troll for partners he feels a closeness to her that he has not felt before.
A delicate relationship begins with Eric feeling like it will be only a matter of time before he derails it, but as they grow closer he realizes Stacy is it for him. Panic sets in and will it be self sabotage or happily ever after?
Even though Eric in the beginning is not quite likeable, you like him. He is vulnerable and lost, Stacy sees through all of this which makes the story even more special. I would have liked it to be a bit longer and really see the two develop they had a pretty powerful story. 3.99 rating, almost a 4 but I needed just a little more.
A delicate relationship begins with Eric feeling like it will be only a matter of time before he derails it, but as they grow closer he realizes Stacy is it for him. Panic sets in and will it be self sabotage or happily ever after?
Even though Eric in the beginning is not quite likeable, you like him. He is vulnerable and lost, Stacy sees through all of this which makes the story even more special. I would have liked it to be a bit longer and really see the two develop they had a pretty powerful story. 3.99 rating, almost a 4 but I needed just a little more.
November 6, 2013
4 out of 5 stars
This was really good, however I kept waiting for more to unfold and it didn't so... It kind if fizzled towards the end for me.
I did like the storyline of two broken hearts attempting to mend one another despite the fears of being hurt and rejected again. There's enough heat to set fire to the pages of this one, and I got my HEA so I'm not totally at a loss.
I recommend this fast hot little read for those who want a quick pick-me-up and some naughtiness to go with it.
This was really good, however I kept waiting for more to unfold and it didn't so... It kind if fizzled towards the end for me.
I did like the storyline of two broken hearts attempting to mend one another despite the fears of being hurt and rejected again. There's enough heat to set fire to the pages of this one, and I got my HEA so I'm not totally at a loss.
I recommend this fast hot little read for those who want a quick pick-me-up and some naughtiness to go with it.
April 18, 2013
This book was fair. It was not as good as I had hoped it would be. After reading the book #3 in the series I was definitely looking forward to Eric's HEA. What I got was a bland story. My other issue I was so totally annoyed when the author kept calling one of the characters from the prior book Brad instead of Brandon...Ugh!
October 26, 2011
Loved Eric.
December 3, 2013
This was wonderful. I'm so happy for erick.
January 13, 2018
Save your money and don’t bother reading the first three books in the Playing with Fire series. Book 4 Notorious is the only one worth the bother.
I really liked both characters especially Eric. Eric was used and tossed aside in book 3 called Scandalous. Also the ending in book 3 SUCKS.
Notorious was a pleasant read and I was glad Eric found his HEA.
I really liked both characters especially Eric. Eric was used and tossed aside in book 3 called Scandalous. Also the ending in book 3 SUCKS.
Notorious was a pleasant read and I was glad Eric found his HEA.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 14, 2020
2nd Reading:
Quarantine Read
Since I did not read book 3 before this, I'd probably say that there's a little connection between me and this one.
******************************************************************
I’m a spoiler. Not because I want to discourage/encourage anyone in reading this book. I just want to write the highlights for me to remember by in the future. (There are really instances when I forgot about the story and I don’t want to waste my time in re-reading books that have bad plots.)
I read stories with LGBTQ characters but they were not the main casts. This is the 2nd book that I read where the H is gay or bisexual. I write “or” because on the book Scandalous where I met Eric (the H) he was a gayman, in a relationship with a bi (Brandon) and experimented on his curiosity about a certain woman (Alexa). I think to understand Eric better, one must read Scandalous first.
He held a certain appeal to me maybe because his name reminded me of a certain “Eric Northman” haha.
And I really believe that he was terribly hurt by what Brandon and Alexa did to him in Scandalous. It was mentioned that Brandon and Eric had a trouble in their relationship (they lived together for 2 years). Honestly? I didn’t actually get what really troubled the couple. Then Alexa entered in their lives.
Then Eric became NOTORIOUS. Because of the hurt he experienced he did tons of anonymous fcks in just 2 months? How did he describe himself? A man whore: he fckd probably every Tom, Dick (haha) and Harry and perhaps Annabel, Emily and Sadako. And then one night he met Stacy, Alexa’s bestfriend. She was dumped by her cross dressing fiancé for another man. Eric could relate to her. He wanted her for the night. BUT Alexa declined. That’s the beginning of how Eric chased her.
I like Alexa and Eric. I imagined them to be sookie stackhouse and eric northman with their blonde coloring :-)
They started as friends and seeing how Eric handled her at first, did not piss me off actually even though he was a jerk a couple of times. I was angry about Alexa and Brandon: the damage that they’ve done to this poor thing. And speaking of the devil – Alexa appeared and guessed that Stacy was shagging Eric.
Brandon also talked to Eric about how difficult Alexa was,
“I never want to break her heart. I love her too much.”
It was mind boggling, how much he meant that statement. Only a few months ago he would’ve scoffed if someone told him he’d feel that way about someone. A woman.
Stacy was a good girl and Eric taught him hedonistic ways (ha ha ha). She had this fantasy of threesome and when she told Eric about it, I expected him to be game. NOPE!
““I don’t know.” He shrugged, looking vaguely uncomfortable. “I’m not good at this shit.”
Her brows crinkled, “What shit?”
“Romantic gestures.” He waved his hand in the air. “I want to do right by you. I sent you flowers. I surprised you by coming by after work so I could pick you up. I planned to take you to dinner. Someplace intimate and quiet where we can stare into each other’s eyes over lit candles and barely eat the expensive food we ordered. That was my plan. But now I don’t want to go. I just want to take you back home and keep you all to myself. Naked, in my bed. With me, against me, beneath me.”
“What you just said was the most romantic thing any man has ever said to me.”
At the end, he found love in Stacy and she found love in Eric. I was really happy for Eric. He deserved to have a happy ending.
The story is nice, I just hope that this would be edited properly :-D
Quarantine Read
Since I did not read book 3 before this, I'd probably say that there's a little connection between me and this one.
******************************************************************
I’m a spoiler. Not because I want to discourage/encourage anyone in reading this book. I just want to write the highlights for me to remember by in the future. (There are really instances when I forgot about the story and I don’t want to waste my time in re-reading books that have bad plots.)
I read stories with LGBTQ characters but they were not the main casts. This is the 2nd book that I read where the H is gay or bisexual. I write “or” because on the book Scandalous where I met Eric (the H) he was a gayman, in a relationship with a bi (Brandon) and experimented on his curiosity about a certain woman (Alexa). I think to understand Eric better, one must read Scandalous first.
He held a certain appeal to me maybe because his name reminded me of a certain “Eric Northman” haha.
And I really believe that he was terribly hurt by what Brandon and Alexa did to him in Scandalous. It was mentioned that Brandon and Eric had a trouble in their relationship (they lived together for 2 years). Honestly? I didn’t actually get what really troubled the couple. Then Alexa entered in their lives.
Then Eric became NOTORIOUS. Because of the hurt he experienced he did tons of anonymous fcks in just 2 months? How did he describe himself? A man whore: he fckd probably every Tom, Dick (haha) and Harry and perhaps Annabel, Emily and Sadako. And then one night he met Stacy, Alexa’s bestfriend. She was dumped by her cross dressing fiancé for another man. Eric could relate to her. He wanted her for the night. BUT Alexa declined. That’s the beginning of how Eric chased her.
I like Alexa and Eric. I imagined them to be sookie stackhouse and eric northman with their blonde coloring :-)
They started as friends and seeing how Eric handled her at first, did not piss me off actually even though he was a jerk a couple of times. I was angry about Alexa and Brandon: the damage that they’ve done to this poor thing. And speaking of the devil – Alexa appeared and guessed that Stacy was shagging Eric.
Brandon also talked to Eric about how difficult Alexa was,
“I never want to break her heart. I love her too much.”
It was mind boggling, how much he meant that statement. Only a few months ago he would’ve scoffed if someone told him he’d feel that way about someone. A woman.
Stacy was a good girl and Eric taught him hedonistic ways (ha ha ha). She had this fantasy of threesome and when she told Eric about it, I expected him to be game. NOPE!
““I don’t know.” He shrugged, looking vaguely uncomfortable. “I’m not good at this shit.”
Her brows crinkled, “What shit?”
“Romantic gestures.” He waved his hand in the air. “I want to do right by you. I sent you flowers. I surprised you by coming by after work so I could pick you up. I planned to take you to dinner. Someplace intimate and quiet where we can stare into each other’s eyes over lit candles and barely eat the expensive food we ordered. That was my plan. But now I don’t want to go. I just want to take you back home and keep you all to myself. Naked, in my bed. With me, against me, beneath me.”
“What you just said was the most romantic thing any man has ever said to me.”
At the end, he found love in Stacy and she found love in Eric. I was really happy for Eric. He deserved to have a happy ending.
The story is nice, I just hope that this would be edited properly :-D
April 9, 2019
I love it, Eric makes me hate him and love him at the same time
September 6, 2016
So I am in two minds. I know I would have absolutely loved this book a few years ago. Its soft erotica, laced with kink and brimming with romance. Too much romance for my taste right now.
Read Erickson's Scandalous Scandalous before this. It'll tell you all about Alexa and Brandon and how they screwed with Eric and then with his head. It'll give you a justification, probably. for why Erickson turned sweet little Eric's character from Scandalous to an 'asshole' (sic) in Notorious.
This book is Eric's story. He gets dumped in Scandalous by Alexa and Brandon and he decides to get drunk and do every guy and girl (Yes he is bi) he sees, to possibly satiate an ache. Up until he meets Stacy who turns him down and then he chases her (duh!!). When he gets her and they seem to have a 'connection' (sic), he runs away from her. Later he realizes what he did comes back and she gives him another chance. Then again, he decided to break up with her before she can. (At this point, I got irritated. Ok I get it, Erickson Karen Erickson wants to show A and B screwed with Eric's head a lot, but this was quite insane. All the break up and make up, got boring at a point.) Anyhow he realizes he loves her (yawn) and that she is kinky (she is made out to be very prim in the first few chapters).
Soft kink. Voyeurism. Light bondage.
Its a good book for people who are just starting to read this genre, although it beats me why its the sequel to a book (Scandalous) that will raise eyebrows for some newbies to the genre.
January 4, 2016
again a blurb that tells us NOTHING and I had to skim reviews to remember anything about this book. [Hey at least I COULD remember things?]
Anyway - I remember reading a book (sadly not the book) where the heroine tells the hero she's not willing to be his emotional punching bag anymore. [>.> I don't think it's THIS book...] -and I wish she would have done that here.
He is an ass.hat. to her.
And she's kinda ... not the brightest crayon in the box. And then with the his ex(es) and her being friends/not friends with the chick .... I didn't read the previous books - and looking at the premise/character(s) I don't care to.
Don't know that this ~short [relatively] story was the best for everything that was happening? I don't know - sadly this book just didn't click with/for me.
D
Anyway - I remember reading a book (sadly not the book) where the heroine tells the hero she's not willing to be his emotional punching bag anymore. [>.> I don't think it's THIS book...] -and I wish she would have done that here.
He is an ass.hat. to her.
And she's kinda ... not the brightest crayon in the box. And then with the his ex(es) and her being friends/not friends with the chick .... I didn't read the previous books - and looking at the premise/character(s) I don't care to.
Don't know that this ~short [relatively] story was the best for everything that was happening? I don't know - sadly this book just didn't click with/for me.
D
July 7, 2011
a pretty good ending to the series. happy that Eric got his happily ever after. But the females characters were a bit annoying, the fights or the couples a bit juvenile and could have used a bit more plot growth. But as usual the sex was HOTT and if you've read the others in the series you wont be too disappointed with this one.
September 17, 2011
It's been so long since the last book that I've completely forgotten the characters, but boy oh boy, WHOA MAMA. This was surprisingly tame – like other reviewers, I was expecting a lot kinkier myself.
June 21, 2013
This series was pretty out of my element. After finishing I really enjoyed them. They were fun and exciting. If hardcore seems aren't something your able to read about then this isn't the series for you!
September 16, 2013
Reviewed as part of the two-story PLAYING WITH FIRE 2 for RT Book Reviews November 2013 issue: http://www.rtbookreviews.com/book-review/playing-fire-2-0
January 2, 2014
Eric who was in a triad with Alexa and Brandon and than dumped hooks up with Alexa's best friend Stacy.
They have hot second fall madly in love booked felt rushed and seems to just end. Since when does a book end at 87%
Seemed strange. Liked the story, felt a little cheated
They have hot second fall madly in love booked felt rushed and seems to just end. Since when does a book end at 87%
Seemed strange. Liked the story, felt a little cheated
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 8, 2011
Eric from Scandalous gets his HEA here and it is good!
November 12, 2012
Not as great as the third one but it's a play off, of it. It basically drags right behind what happened in the third one, we finally get our conclusion.
June 23, 2015
Wicked
Loved it it's scorching hot panty melting has a bit of all love fantasy lots of awe ummm yes characters are awesome It's a must read
Loved it it's scorching hot panty melting has a bit of all love fantasy lots of awe ummm yes characters are awesome It's a must read
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews