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Playing with Fire
At the tender age of eighteen, Jessie Bacelli learned the truth of evil. After the murder of her father, Jessie steps in to take care of her younger sister, Annie, while following in her father’s footsteps and becoming an agent for the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Dedicating her career to bringing down Luther Rabago, the man responsible for her father’s death, she doesn’t have time for distractions in her life. Especially when they are as handsomely annoying as fellow agent, Alec Chambers.
But then Jessie is faced with the worst horror of her life. Luther Rabago has taken her sister, Annie, and initiates a dark game of cat and mouse that stretches from the streets of Downtown Denver to the heart of the French Quarter in New Orleans. Partnered with Alec, Jessie finds herself battling not only her fear for her little sister, but her attraction to a man that is everything she swore long ago she would never allow in her life. And as the flames ignite around them, Jessie realizes she very well might lose more than she ever imagined.
But then Jessie is faced with the worst horror of her life. Luther Rabago has taken her sister, Annie, and initiates a dark game of cat and mouse that stretches from the streets of Downtown Denver to the heart of the French Quarter in New Orleans. Partnered with Alec, Jessie finds herself battling not only her fear for her little sister, but her attraction to a man that is everything she swore long ago she would never allow in her life. And as the flames ignite around them, Jessie realizes she very well might lose more than she ever imagined.
370 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 10, 2013
About the author
Cassandra Bella
8 books8 followersBorn to Write Love Stories
Cassandra Bella believes it wasn’t just the fact that she was born the day before Valentine’s that she was fated to write romance. Intrigued by deep emotions that touch the heart and that special spark of falling in love, she enjoys creating stories and characters that leave her readers with a smile on their face and a tear in their eye.
Cassandra has been writing for as long as she can remember, and for nearly as long she’s been letting others know. Just look back into her junior high and high school yearbooks – both proclaim “Author” as her career goal. She completed her first book, “Dear Diary” in her grandmother’s family room on a manual typewriter at the age of 12 – that manuscript still holds a place of honor in her home.
Her current passion for romances stems from her love of stories that touch the heart. Her characters are born in many people, from old friends to grandparents to her “dear, sweet, loving husband.” When it comes to heroes, hers usually have some sort of law enforcement background and their inspiration lies in her father, who made a life-long career of keeping the peace.
Cassandra was born and raised in Colorado, and currently lives there with her husband, who was her high school sweetheart, three sons, one daughter and her first grandchild.
Cassandra Bella believes it wasn’t just the fact that she was born the day before Valentine’s that she was fated to write romance. Intrigued by deep emotions that touch the heart and that special spark of falling in love, she enjoys creating stories and characters that leave her readers with a smile on their face and a tear in their eye.
Cassandra has been writing for as long as she can remember, and for nearly as long she’s been letting others know. Just look back into her junior high and high school yearbooks – both proclaim “Author” as her career goal. She completed her first book, “Dear Diary” in her grandmother’s family room on a manual typewriter at the age of 12 – that manuscript still holds a place of honor in her home.
Her current passion for romances stems from her love of stories that touch the heart. Her characters are born in many people, from old friends to grandparents to her “dear, sweet, loving husband.” When it comes to heroes, hers usually have some sort of law enforcement background and their inspiration lies in her father, who made a life-long career of keeping the peace.
Cassandra was born and raised in Colorado, and currently lives there with her husband, who was her high school sweetheart, three sons, one daughter and her first grandchild.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
October 17, 2025
Natalia’s fear of fire runs deeper than survival it’s trauma waiting to be faced. As ash and flames close in, unlikely bonds form, and every step forward feels like a gamble. This story reminded me how fierce the will to live can be, even when the world seems against you.
January 29, 2014
I'm torn between a 3.5 and a 3.7
[3.5 being the average rating I am prone to giving a book I liked]
While the book was good, It is not one that will stick in my mind. I would recommend to suspense readers though.
Oh! Also, I must mention the title and cover are gorgeous and adequately fit the story-line and characters. (:
This book is a mixture of Suspense and contemporary with strong elements of romance. The book is told in third person points of view, alternating the focus on several different characters. The novel focused predominately on Jessie and Alec with small sections focusing on Annie, Rabago (villain), Brett (father's partner), and even the father in the first chapter. I thought this book worked nice in 3rd person, since there was still that focus on Alec and Jessie and their emotions. I did not feel as connected to them as if the novel had been told in 1st person, but as a suspense novel, sometimes it is better being able to view the story from the outside while the detectives are chasing leads and introducing more info to the case. It makes the story a bit more fast- paced than if it were in 1st person. That being said, the book was not particularly fast paced, which made sense since detectives do not solve cases and find missing person's in one day as they do on crime shows. That made that aspect a little more believable.
I like that we come into the book with the two main characters having a small working knowledge of each other- even if their prospective opinions are not the most flattering. We delved into Jessie and got to know the inner workings of her heart and what made her tick- after all, this is her story. We sort of get a smaller crash course on Alec whose life was basically pleasant in comparison. He is a woman- lover and he unintentionally aggravates Jessie due to her unwanted attraction to him. She just has a problem with relationships in general and has the lowest opinion of him. He has always just known her as the hot, hard- as steel- FBI agent who spent her career slowly taking down Rabago's empire piece by piece. But then Rabago finally gets tired of her messing with his plans, he decides to make her life hell. He kidnaps her sister, setting off a cat and mouse game where he is always two steps ahead of Jessie. With Jessie forced to partner up with the man who gets under he skin and eager to hunt the man who took her only family, her life starts falling apart around her. Due to the new intimacy of partnership and the race against time to find Annie, the two are forced to spend more time with each other and deal with whatever the hell it is simmering between them. Jessie can't afford the distraction, but at the same time craves it.
While parts of each other's lives are opened up to each other and they learn more about the other, the reader follows along and builds a deeper understanding of the characters and what drives them as the characters figure it out themselves. Although Jessie is a much more defined character who we know every aspect about, Alec was a great character in his own right and I enjoyed watching his feelings for Jessie change throughout the book.
I do feel like I wanted a bit more of the novel focused on Annie, but I guess I can be content with the little I did get.
Rabago was a bit of a sporadic villain and I don't understand why he waited years to retaliate against Jesse when she has been a thorn in his side since she graduated the police academy. I swear to you, at one point the guy was sitting in a chair, plotting her destruction while stroking a cat. I kid you not. I had to laugh at the villain stroking the cat cliche. I don't think it was meant for comic relief, since the book has a serious note, but I don't care. As crazy as he sounded in the book and as master-mind- like as he was throughout the novel, you would think he wouldn't have made the stupid mistakes he made in the end. I can't stand villains who talk and talk giving the victim time to retaliate. If you are going to be evil, damn it, be evil. lol. I know, that is messed up, but come on. Did scar hesitate before he threw Mufasa into the stampede of wildebeest? NO. He did not. That is all.
Aside from the wayward villain (I don't really understand what he did. Was he a drug lord... I.. don't get it. A Don? Some kind of Crime mogul. All I got was that he has henchmen and he is rich and he is the bad guy and that he strokes cats.. moving on. Maybe I just missed that sentence. Dang it, Snyder, pay better attention next time!) and the fact that the book held my attention for short periods of time, but did not keep me glued to it or engrossed in the story too much like some romantic suspense I have read, it was a pretty good read with a well- defined lead character.
[3.5 being the average rating I am prone to giving a book I liked]
While the book was good, It is not one that will stick in my mind. I would recommend to suspense readers though.
Oh! Also, I must mention the title and cover are gorgeous and adequately fit the story-line and characters. (:
This book is a mixture of Suspense and contemporary with strong elements of romance. The book is told in third person points of view, alternating the focus on several different characters. The novel focused predominately on Jessie and Alec with small sections focusing on Annie, Rabago (villain), Brett (father's partner), and even the father in the first chapter. I thought this book worked nice in 3rd person, since there was still that focus on Alec and Jessie and their emotions. I did not feel as connected to them as if the novel had been told in 1st person, but as a suspense novel, sometimes it is better being able to view the story from the outside while the detectives are chasing leads and introducing more info to the case. It makes the story a bit more fast- paced than if it were in 1st person. That being said, the book was not particularly fast paced, which made sense since detectives do not solve cases and find missing person's in one day as they do on crime shows. That made that aspect a little more believable.
I like that we come into the book with the two main characters having a small working knowledge of each other- even if their prospective opinions are not the most flattering. We delved into Jessie and got to know the inner workings of her heart and what made her tick- after all, this is her story. We sort of get a smaller crash course on Alec whose life was basically pleasant in comparison. He is a woman- lover and he unintentionally aggravates Jessie due to her unwanted attraction to him. She just has a problem with relationships in general and has the lowest opinion of him. He has always just known her as the hot, hard- as steel- FBI agent who spent her career slowly taking down Rabago's empire piece by piece. But then Rabago finally gets tired of her messing with his plans, he decides to make her life hell. He kidnaps her sister, setting off a cat and mouse game where he is always two steps ahead of Jessie. With Jessie forced to partner up with the man who gets under he skin and eager to hunt the man who took her only family, her life starts falling apart around her. Due to the new intimacy of partnership and the race against time to find Annie, the two are forced to spend more time with each other and deal with whatever the hell it is simmering between them. Jessie can't afford the distraction, but at the same time craves it.
While parts of each other's lives are opened up to each other and they learn more about the other, the reader follows along and builds a deeper understanding of the characters and what drives them as the characters figure it out themselves. Although Jessie is a much more defined character who we know every aspect about, Alec was a great character in his own right and I enjoyed watching his feelings for Jessie change throughout the book.
I do feel like I wanted a bit more of the novel focused on Annie, but I guess I can be content with the little I did get.
Rabago was a bit of a sporadic villain and I don't understand why he waited years to retaliate against Jesse when she has been a thorn in his side since she graduated the police academy. I swear to you, at one point the guy was sitting in a chair, plotting her destruction while stroking a cat. I kid you not. I had to laugh at the villain stroking the cat cliche. I don't think it was meant for comic relief, since the book has a serious note, but I don't care. As crazy as he sounded in the book and as master-mind- like as he was throughout the novel, you would think he wouldn't have made the stupid mistakes he made in the end. I can't stand villains who talk and talk giving the victim time to retaliate. If you are going to be evil, damn it, be evil. lol. I know, that is messed up, but come on. Did scar hesitate before he threw Mufasa into the stampede of wildebeest? NO. He did not. That is all.
Aside from the wayward villain (I don't really understand what he did. Was he a drug lord... I.. don't get it. A Don? Some kind of Crime mogul. All I got was that he has henchmen and he is rich and he is the bad guy and that he strokes cats.. moving on. Maybe I just missed that sentence. Dang it, Snyder, pay better attention next time!) and the fact that the book held my attention for short periods of time, but did not keep me glued to it or engrossed in the story too much like some romantic suspense I have read, it was a pretty good read with a well- defined lead character.
July 29, 2015
Review of Playing With Fire by Cassandra Bella:
I was given a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I was drawn in to the story from the start. Chapters One through Four set the stage, providing the back story for the heroine’s motivation. I actually liked this technique as it helped you to feel the pain and relate to Jessie’s determination to avenge her father’s killer, rather than thrusting the reader into present day with only a passing reference to Jessie’s motivation. The remainder of the story focused on Jessie’s quest, following in her father’s footsteps as a federal agent, to bring down the entire criminal enterprise of the man who murdered her father in the line of duty. This becomes very personal, as the killer is determined to take down Jessie as well, along with anyone that is important to her. When the villain kidnaps Jessie’s sister, she is partnered with her FBI rival, the confident and good looking Alec, who both frustrates and thrills Jessie. There is definitely a love-hate relationship between these two and plenty of sexual tension, as they work together to find Jessie’s sister and take down a killer. Jessie is a complex character, thrust into a lot of responsibility at a young age, raising her sister, caring for her mother who is very emotionally needy, and establishing her career as a federal agent. This leaves her very little time for relationships and explains her confusion over her feelings for Alec. Overall, this was an entertaining romantic suspense read with a satisfying ending after some twists and turns and scary moments. I give it a solid four stars. The only constructive comment I have is that in the real world, Jessie would not be permitted to actively work the case involving her sister, but it made for an exciting story.
I was given a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I was drawn in to the story from the start. Chapters One through Four set the stage, providing the back story for the heroine’s motivation. I actually liked this technique as it helped you to feel the pain and relate to Jessie’s determination to avenge her father’s killer, rather than thrusting the reader into present day with only a passing reference to Jessie’s motivation. The remainder of the story focused on Jessie’s quest, following in her father’s footsteps as a federal agent, to bring down the entire criminal enterprise of the man who murdered her father in the line of duty. This becomes very personal, as the killer is determined to take down Jessie as well, along with anyone that is important to her. When the villain kidnaps Jessie’s sister, she is partnered with her FBI rival, the confident and good looking Alec, who both frustrates and thrills Jessie. There is definitely a love-hate relationship between these two and plenty of sexual tension, as they work together to find Jessie’s sister and take down a killer. Jessie is a complex character, thrust into a lot of responsibility at a young age, raising her sister, caring for her mother who is very emotionally needy, and establishing her career as a federal agent. This leaves her very little time for relationships and explains her confusion over her feelings for Alec. Overall, this was an entertaining romantic suspense read with a satisfying ending after some twists and turns and scary moments. I give it a solid four stars. The only constructive comment I have is that in the real world, Jessie would not be permitted to actively work the case involving her sister, but it made for an exciting story.
August 30, 2015
Playing With Fire by Cassandra Bella
Review done by Cassandra Brooker
I give this 3 stars.
I received an ARC for an honest review.
It started off kind of slow for me and it was confusing. I didn’t know where this was going but I kept reading. We meet Alec who is cocky and gets shot. He thinks he is dyeing but I guess fate wants to intervene.
He meets Jessie and she is not happy about her partner. He is good looking but that is all he has going for him. He wants Jessie and Jessie wants her sister back home safe.
I liked that the book went from Denver to New Orleans and the French quarter which I love!
Jessie got thrown into a lot of reasonability after her father was murdered but I don’t think she would take it back for a second. She is taking care of her sister and making money. I like that Jessie is doing what she needs to help her sister out.
The book moved slow for me and I did not finish this book, it just didn’t grab me and pull me in. I think it was just lacking something and that is why it didn’t pull me in.
Review done by Cassandra Brooker
I give this 3 stars.
I received an ARC for an honest review.
It started off kind of slow for me and it was confusing. I didn’t know where this was going but I kept reading. We meet Alec who is cocky and gets shot. He thinks he is dyeing but I guess fate wants to intervene.
He meets Jessie and she is not happy about her partner. He is good looking but that is all he has going for him. He wants Jessie and Jessie wants her sister back home safe.
I liked that the book went from Denver to New Orleans and the French quarter which I love!
Jessie got thrown into a lot of reasonability after her father was murdered but I don’t think she would take it back for a second. She is taking care of her sister and making money. I like that Jessie is doing what she needs to help her sister out.
The book moved slow for me and I did not finish this book, it just didn’t grab me and pull me in. I think it was just lacking something and that is why it didn’t pull me in.
August 8, 2015
This book was a gift in exchange for a fair and honest review.
This story begins with the murder of Jessie and Anna’s father and the aftermath.
It then moves forward to the present where Jessie is an FBI Agent working under her late father’s partner, Brett. Her entire focus is on bring down anything and anyone connected with Luther Rabago who executed her father. She is succeeding at that too well in fact.
Luther on the other hand is tired of things going awry and has decided it’s time to do away with the Bacelli sisters. In order to get them both he kidnaps her sister Anna, knowing that Jessie will stop at nothing to get her back.
In the middle of all of this is Jessie’s partner Alec. He doesn’t understand why she dislikes him but still seems attracted to him. Jessie makes this clear in a conversation while looking for a possible informant.
A very emotional, tense and suspenseful read. Keep tissues on hand and try not to bite your nails.
This story begins with the murder of Jessie and Anna’s father and the aftermath.
It then moves forward to the present where Jessie is an FBI Agent working under her late father’s partner, Brett. Her entire focus is on bring down anything and anyone connected with Luther Rabago who executed her father. She is succeeding at that too well in fact.
Luther on the other hand is tired of things going awry and has decided it’s time to do away with the Bacelli sisters. In order to get them both he kidnaps her sister Anna, knowing that Jessie will stop at nothing to get her back.
In the middle of all of this is Jessie’s partner Alec. He doesn’t understand why she dislikes him but still seems attracted to him. Jessie makes this clear in a conversation while looking for a possible informant.
A very emotional, tense and suspenseful read. Keep tissues on hand and try not to bite your nails.
January 14, 2014
I'm usually hesitant to read romance novels because they can get too cheesy describing sex. I'm always reminded of the guidance counselor in 10 Things I Hate about You and her repeated references to "his turgid member" (eye roll). However, I love crime stories. This book is a whirlwind ride with just the right amount of crime, revenge and naked fun times to meet all my needs. I enjoyed the metaphorical and literal fires ignited throughout the story. And I found myself cheering the characters on until the very end. The writing overall was spectacular. The pacing was just right; the transitions between viewpoints were well executed. I expected the ending, but loved the way it was written with just the right amount of cheesy goodness. I look forward to reading more of Ms. Bella's work after this.
January 24, 2014
Playing with Fire is a fast paced, entertaining romantic suspense novel. The heroine, Jessie Bacelli, an FBI agent, is focused on taking down the man who orchestrated her father’s murder. When she begins to get too close, the criminal she is chasing ups the ante by kidnapping her sister. She has to work with a fellow FBI agent, Alec, to save her sister and avenge her father.
I liked that all of this was set up very early in the book. The author was able to create well developed characters quickly, which got me invested in the story right off the bat. Jessie is a strong and competent heroine, and I thought that there was great chemistry between her and Alec. The strong lead characters and quick moving plot made Playing with Fire a really entertaining read. I would definitely recommend this book to readers who like romantic suspense novels.
I liked that all of this was set up very early in the book. The author was able to create well developed characters quickly, which got me invested in the story right off the bat. Jessie is a strong and competent heroine, and I thought that there was great chemistry between her and Alec. The strong lead characters and quick moving plot made Playing with Fire a really entertaining read. I would definitely recommend this book to readers who like romantic suspense novels.
September 7, 2015
Annie and Alec both work for the FBI. Annie’s father was an agent for the FBI, too. Her dad was murdered while working a case when Annie was getting ready to graduate high school. Annie stepped into her dad’s shoes to raise her little sister, take care of her helpless mother financially, to work for the FBI and go after the man who killed her father. But, this murderer was one step ahead of her. Murder, mystery, suspense and love sum up the book for me. Annie is used to taking care of everyone and Alec looks out for himself…until he works with Annie. Alec was just the man to break down her walls and show her she needs and deserves to be taken care of sometimes. I really enjoyed this book and was on the edge of my seat the whole time. Fast paced, easy to read and full gamut of emotions.
July 31, 2015
When Jessie loses her father as a teenager she vows to raise her younger sister and work to one day take revenge on the man who killed her father in cold blood. She follows in her father’s footsteps to become a Federal Agent in order to make life difficult for the evil Rabago. But when he kidnaps her sister it becomes a cat and mouse game. She must try to find her sister and exact her revenge before time runs out while fighting the growing feelings she has for her partner, Alec at the same time. Jessie must face her father’s killer as well as her internal demons and try to save all those she loves. This was an interesting book and parts of it kept me very engaged but I struggled to really connect to the characters and I felt like the story moved too quickly to really pull me in.
January 22, 2014
I enjoyed Playing with Fire by Cassandra Bella very much. If you are a mystery/adventure lover with a little sexual tension mixed in, this is the book for you. Ms. Bella does a very good job of mixing the action of the crime, chasing down the bad guys, and the “will they or won’t they “ sexual game being played by the main characters. The basic premise is revenge for a father’s murder, with a kidnapped sister added in. The female lead character spends most of the book chasing the bad guy and the male lead spends the time following her around. It is a simplistic plot, but has enough twists and turns to keep it interesting to the end.
August 19, 2015
Cassandra Bella's "Playing with Fire" was a wonderful book. This is the second one of hers I have read and again I wasn't disappointed. The book opens with the tragic death of Jessie's, the main character's, dad. Which leads her joining the FBI to seek revenge for her father’s murder.Throw in hot chemistry between between Jessie and her partner, Alec Chambers and the kidnapping of her little sister. You have the perfect combination of suspense, romance, and drama. Loved it!
January 13, 2014
From the first page, Cassandra Bella captivated me with her opening sentence, "Something wasn't right." This immediately made the hair on the back of my neck stand up. I was eager and a bit apprehensive for what was about to happen. I thoroughly enjoyed the suspense Bella described, wanting more at every turn of a page. Of course, the romance was an added bonus.
July 22, 2015
This book keeps you on your toes. Death, fear, love, worry all play big parts of this book. What happens to whom is what kept me turning page after page in this book. This is a good thriller with a love story that may or may not happen in the end.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews