Review: Fire Baptized by Kenya Wright

This is not a book I’m happy about reviewing, because I really wanted to like it and its rating doesn’t truly reflect its quality.

You know how you love something like ice cream (note: I don’t like ice cream) and so you eat lots and lots of it.  Then one day you pick up your favourite ice cream and it looks extra sumptuous.  Even though there is nothing wrong with that ice cream, and even though it’s just like every other ice cream you’ve bought, you just suddenly can’t stomach it.

That was my reading experience with Fire Baptized.  Don’t mistake the three star review.  This is a well-written book with a very interesting, likable cast of characters.  Fans of Paranormal Romance will probably eat this right up and love it.  In fact, many, many do.

I got this book very, very excitedly because Wright was not only an author who composes herself amongst the reviewing and reading community with excellent manners, but the very synopsis was intriguing.  I WAS INTRIGUED, I SAY!  Bloody intrigued.  Fascinated.  Practically slobbering to get my greedy little paws on it and take it for a roll in the metaphorical reading hay.

But I’ve gorged myself, you see. After taking so many others to my not-so-metaphorical-bed (that’s where I read!  Get your mind out of the gutter), I just found that I couldn’t do it again.  For now, I’ve had my fill of paranormal romance for now and, unfortunately, I just didn’t realize that until I started this one.

Despite being reasonably well-written with fresh, different characters, there was enough similar to the formula to make an engorged paranormal fantasy book worm grab her tummy and reach for the pepto bismal.  From the intensely alpha males to the mystery that can only be investigated by the heroine.

On a personal level, I’ve just read too many similar things too often before.  BUT on a purely objective level, I really can’t fault Fire Baptized or Wright.  It’s not her fault I’m the floozy of the PNR reading world, that the glamour of the illicit paranormal smoochies has ebbed.

It’s not you, Fire Baptized, it’s me.

Can we still be friends?

Oh, by the way.  Did anyone else know that the angry, flaming woman on the cover is wearing a bikini or has years of heavy drinking and rampant book-promiscuity (reading at night!) destroyed my vision?  You know, it’s nice to know that in the midst of burning, heinous, fury-fire of epic proportions, she still thought to wear a nice bikini.  And she has an excellent brazillian.  At least I think it is, but there’s only so much burning crotch you can look at to determine these things before people start thinking you’re crazy.    Oooooooohhhhhhhh! You know, I bet she’d be MARVELOUS at a barbecue!

Yeah, okay, I just crossed the line.

But, before they take me away, I do believe this one’s $0.99