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Taming the Fire (ACRO #4)

4.11 of 5 stars 4.11 · rating details · 1,155 ratings · 102 reviews

Power. Pleasure. Danger. It doesn't get any hotter than this.
He came to the underground London club for a night of extreme sex play with the enigmatic "Mistress Rik." Butthe special agent known as Trance is really on a search-and-rescue mission to keep her alive. Part predator, Ulrika "Rik" Jaegar possesses feral powers that make her a danger to others-and toherself. That...more

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Published (first published April 16th 2009)

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Nov 29, 2010 Leigh rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

*****Slight Spoilers*****

3.5/4 stars. This book turned a corner for me overall in the ACRO series, but I have to say that I think the ending fell flat for me, and that led to the 3.5/4 star rating rather than a 4/4.5 star rating.

I had a difficult time warming up to Rik in the beginning of this book. For one, I really disliked her calling Trance "boy", but that is due solely to personal reasons. Additionally, I had a hard time at first picturing her as a sexy, enticing woman, because as she was d...more *****Slight Spoilers*****

3.5/4 stars. This book turned a corner for me overall in the ACRO series, but I have to say that I think the ending fell flat for me, and that led to the 3.5/4 star rating rather than a 4/4.5 star rating.

I had a difficult time warming up to Rik in the beginning of this book. For one, I really disliked her calling Trance "boy", but that is due solely to personal reasons. Additionally, I had a hard time at first picturing her as a sexy, enticing woman, because as she was described as a Dom, and foreign to boot, for whatever reason, my mind imagined her as the butchy foreign female in "Dodgeball". As such, I forced my self to picture her as Heidi Klum so to get a more feminine picture of her in my mind. It helped. :)

I really liked how this book focused on so many different characters, and I was unsure for some time what was driving me more to read with every opportunity I had...was it Trance and Rik, Ryan and Meg (Coco), or Dev and Gabe? Even Marlena's bit had me interested! Overall, I loved the progression of all of these stories. I'm so glad that things really came together for Ryan and Meg, and I'm very enticed and excited to read more about Dev and Gabe. It's been a hard road for Dev, and I'm glad that Oz sent someone special to be in Dev's life. And once I got over my idiosyncracies with Rik, I really liked the development of Trance and Rik as well.

As with all main couples, Trance and Rik had their challenges, they had their very sexy time, they fell in love, and at last, they had another obstacle to overcome in the end. This is where things fell flat for me, though. Everything, right up to the end, had been believable. They overcame some things, discovered that they cared enough about each other to build a true relationship, and then Trance realized something about Rik's past that made it impossible for him to be with her, a huge obstacle. Did I think that they could work through it eventually? Yes. Did I think that they would work through it the way they did? No. He forced her away from him, he wouldn't even reach out to her, but then all of sudden, they just ran into each other, made whoopy (instigated by her), and then he asked her to move in with him. Really??? It seemed like he got over the huge obstacle all of a sudden much too fast.

Anyway, as I said earlier, this book really turned a corner for me, even if I thought the ending was too contrived, too easy. While there were really steamy scenes, and sex was a part of the plot device (as it has been for all the books in this series), the book did not revolve around sex or steamy time, and there was a lot of story and character development. I think that there was a very solid mix of plot and sexy time, and that one didn't dominate for the sake of the other. I'm very interested to see if that will hold true for the remainder of the series.(less)

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Oct 13, 2010 Carolyn F. rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: library-book, urban-fantasy

This one is about three love stories, like the other books. First there's Rik and Trance. She's a shapeshifter that been used and abused by an evil agency. He's sent to bring her in to the good side. I liked the story, but not as much as the others. Trance was a dick and made me cry. The next love story is Dev and Gabriel. When Oz died he told Dev to watch out for a man who would need him and he would need Gabriel. Dev fights his feeling - which is fine because he really loved Oz - but it takes...more

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Jun 15, 2011 Lauren rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: paranormal-romance, other-shifters, virgin-heroines, amnesia, men-in-uniform, kick-ass-heroines

Taming the Fire
3.5 Stars

Synopsis:
Tortured and abused by the diabolical Itor agency, Ulrika Jaeger is now on the run together with her internal beast, which she can only control using sex. Trance is the ACRO agent sent to capture and control her but he soon finds himself awakening long buried desires and emotions that will change both his and Rik’s lives forever.

Review:
The Sydney Croft duo are adept at incorporating multiple romances into one all-encompassing story. The main couple, Trance and Ri...more

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Apr 05, 2011 Grammy 1 rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

OMG...I love you guys for reccomending this series....I am addicted...
I do not want to do spoilers....But Ryan is found and ohhhh so glad....Trance is sent on a mission...We just met him briefly last book. To bring in Ulrika/aka Rik This is one sizzling romantic story....I have never really delved into Bondage and SM and if this would bother you....this is warning....I as a grammy learned more than I ever cared to but it was not repulsive....LOl

The way these characters are inter twined I love it...more

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Jul 16, 2010 Jen (That's What I'm Talking About) rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: paranormal-romance, erotic, acro-series

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. This is the fourth book in the ARCO series, but it is the first book of a new “story arc” within the ARCO world.

The story opens with ARCO agent Trance trying to bring in shifter and ex-ITOR agent Rik. Rik is a mistress in a BSBM club and Trance has a bondage/Dom history. The books gives the reader an insight into this underground world, but I just couldn’t connect. I don’t know if it was because of the extreme sex play or just this story, but their sex scenes weren’t emotionally satisfying to me...more This is the fourth book in the ARCO series, but it is the first book of a new “story arc” within the ARCO world.

The story opens with ARCO agent Trance trying to bring in shifter and ex-ITOR agent Rik. Rik is a mistress in a BSBM club and Trance has a bondage/Dom history. The books gives the reader an insight into this underground world, but I just couldn’t connect. I don’t know if it was because of the extreme sex play or just this story, but their sex scenes weren’t emotionally satisfying to me - I just couldn’t grasp their need to Dom/sub over one another.

The story moves quickly with Rik and Trance developing a connection, but building a trust on false pretenses (Trance lies about his true identity.) While on the run, Trance continues to foster the trust with more lies, and of course, when the truth all comes out, Rik is incredibly upset. I think this was also part of the reason I didn’t connect as deeply with the couple - knowing that the relationship and trust was built on lies, and that Rik had been abused so much in the past, just bothered me. Once the couple get back to ARCO, Trance and Rik learn to trust one another and start to fall in love. But then BAM a major issue comes out of the woodwork. Trance unfairly cuts Rik out of his life, and I felt a bit let down by the story and Trance’s character. And when the couple FINALLY reunites in literally the last pages of the story, it just didn’t hold an emotional punch for me.

One thing I loved was Rik’s character. She is a strong, alpha female who doesn’t trust easily. I enjoyed watching her learn to overcome her own fears and past to build stronger relationships with those around her. But best is her self-development with her inner beast (AKA Cujo).

As for the enjoyable side stories, there were some changes. With Annika and Creed getting their HEA in the previous story, we move onto lost ARCO agent, Ryan and his mystery girl, Coco (aka Meg). I was looking forward to another multi-book story arc with these two, similar to A/C, but this one was wrapped up within this book. I didn’t feel the strong emotional connection with this couple as I did with A/C. Both Meg and Ryan’s emotional states were too much of a roller coaster ride for me - hurt one moment, completely in love the next. I think if their story had more time to develop, it would have been more emotionally satisfying.

*SPOILER IF YOU HAVEN’T READ FIRST THREE BOOKS*

My love from each book has been ARCO’s leader, Devlin. In the third book, Seduced by the Storm, Dev was finally reunited with his long-time on again/off again true love, Oz. And then Oz was killed, and his death destroyed me. Now Dev’s storyline is moving forward and I’m not sure what to make of it. I found his transition to Dev’s new love too quick - but then again, I adored Oz and their relationship was so powerful for me. I am hopeful that we will learn more about Dev and Gabe in the next book, and that their story isn’t quite finished.

Overall the book moved quickly and was a good read. However, I found myself (unfairly) comparing the story to the prior three, and it just didn’t measure up to the emotional satisfaction I found in those books. I still enjoyed it and look forward to the next book (coming this summer).

My Rating: 3.5 stars(less)

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Jul 23, 2009 Tiffany rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: contemporary-romance, erotic-romance, acro, paranormal-romance, 2009-reads

My Amazon review:

Taming the Fire follows the previous Storm trilogy (Riding the Storm, Unleashing the Storm, Seduced by the Storm) telling us the adventures within a secret paranormal government agency, called ACRO, comprised of members with special abilities (think X-Men). These agents fight crime around the globe, ridding the world of mysterious supernatural evil we don't even know exists, usually at the hands of nefarious rival agency Itor. The latest installment features Ulrika, a werewolf s...more My Amazon review:

Taming the Fire follows the previous Storm trilogy (Riding the Storm, Unleashing the Storm, Seduced by the Storm) telling us the adventures within a secret paranormal government agency, called ACRO, comprised of members with special abilities (think X-Men). These agents fight crime around the globe, ridding the world of mysterious supernatural evil we don't even know exists, usually at the hands of nefarious rival agency Itor. The latest installment features Ulrika, a werewolf shapeshifter, and Trance, an excedosapien who possesses extraordinary strength and an innate talent for hypnosis. Trance's mission is to track down Rik, an escaped Itor agent, and get her on ACRO's side before Itor can reclaim her.

Trance and Rik share a common bond in that they're both players in the world of BDSM, which seems perfect except they're both determined to be the Dominant. The book starts hot and heavy with the push-and-pull between these characters and doesn't let up for a moment, but something is different this time. Whereas before they each used BDSM to hide behind a role, a facade, now someone must submit, and in the process they begin to trust each other like they've never been able to before.

Sydney Croft has an incredible ability to match characters and bring them together in a very powerful way. Rik is extremely vulnerable and Trance's gaping past haunts him, but as they begin to heal each other, almost without noticing at first, their loneliness is alleviated and a bond forms that cannot be unbroken.

We again see the vast array of unique and colorful secondary characters that makes the ACRO world so nuanced and complex, including old favorites and bright newcomers. Ryan and Meg's supporting romance is heartfelt and touching, a reunion they must fight for as Ryan struggles with amnesia and Meg (introduced as Coco in the previous book) tries to overcome feelings of betrayal. We get more of head of ACRO Devlin O'Malley's story as he reconciles remaining grief from the loss of his lover and embarks on a new relationship. And finally we learn more about ongoing character Marlena, a beauty cursed to always experience unrequited love. Marlena's story will be completed in the next installment in the series.

Just as good, we get to revisit previous beloved couples Kira and Ender and Wyatt and Faith. My personal favorites Creed and Annika don't make a significant appearance in this novel, but I'm assured they will continue to play a big role in upcoming books.

Readers should be advised that the nature of Trance and Rik's relationship, including the heavy BDSM, definitely entrenches Taming the Fire into erotic romance territory with a high amount of sexual content. This is a series where sex plays a big part and has a very specific purpose in the missions and abilities of its characters, but I have always marveled at the aplomb and care given, how it's woven so intricately into the fabric so that it never feels gratuitous or overindulgent. Instead, it helps us see the connection that builds so fiercely between Trance and Rik, a connection we're convinced will never sever.(less)

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Aug 22, 2012 DaisyGirl rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: erotica-bdsm, m-m, genre-romance, i-own, romance-pnr

2.5 Stars

This is was the first (somewhat) disappointing read for me in the series. There were three stories and although each was interesting and had the potential to be great, the end product was lukewarm IMHO.

***CONTAINS SPOILERS***

Trace & Ulrika "Rik" Jaegar
Okay, per my status update, I had a problem with Trace and Rik. Both were experienced in the BDSM lifestyle and Rik was using it to control her inner beast. Please understand that I love me an alpha male; I need me an alpha male; heck...more 2.5 Stars

This is was the first (somewhat) disappointing read for me in the series. There were three stories and although each was interesting and had the potential to be great, the end product was lukewarm IMHO.

***CONTAINS SPOILERS***

Trace & Ulrika "Rik" Jaegar
Okay, per my status update, I had a problem with Trace and Rik. Both were experienced in the BDSM lifestyle and Rik was using it to control her inner beast. Please understand that I love me an alpha male; I need me an alpha male; heck, most times, I read this genre for the alpha males! Now, an "alpha" is ... wait for it ... dominant! So, I had a difficult time reconciling Trace being the sub to Rik's Dom. I realize that Trace was playing a role to get close to Rik and gain her trust but he didn't do it just on one or two occasions nor was it limited to the BDSM club scene. Rather, Trace was pretty submissive for a fair portion of the start of their relationship, both in and out of the BDSM club. So that was a turn-off for me. Then, 2/5 of the way through the book Trance started exhibiting more dominant behavior and Rik was more submissive. WTF? That just rang false to me and I just couldn't buy it. In the end, Trance and Rik found their HEA and I'm happy for them but their story is my least favorite of the series to date.

Ryan Malstrom and Meg "Coco" Lapp
At first, I really liked this couple. There was a lot angst given their past and Ryan's amnesia. And, I do not begrudge them their eventual HEA. Ultimately, however, I thought Ryan was an ass and Meg accepted too much blame. Okay, so she stole $25M from him to get back at him for standing her up. But the $25M consisted of funds from his illegal arms deals; and, allowing himself to chicken-out from their date was inexcusable. Was Meg's theft petty? Sure. She knew it was wrong, apologized, and offered to return the funds. She stuck by Ryan and actively tried to make amends for the past wrong. I think she more than made up for what she did. Ryan, on the other hand, cruelly stood Meg up, kidnapped and almost raped her, consistently rejected and demeaned her, and then refused to have sex with her and sent her packing! His olive branch? A couple "I'm sorry" and an apologetic hand squeeze (whatever that is). Was it enough? No where near, in my book. If I were Meg, my brothers would've kicked Ryan's ass six ways to Sunday; ML should've done the same. It was the least Ryan deserved.

Devlin and Gabriel
First off, I'm still in mourning over Oz's death. Period. I haven't gotten over it and don't know if I ever will. I don't know that I can forgive the authors for that particular plot twist. That said, I love Devlin and relish his story. In this installment, we are introduced to Gabriel (it is alluded that he's the companion Oz promised to send Dev and there's evidence this is true). Gabriel's okay but his arrogance and immaturity grated on me at times. Nonetheless, I have high hopes for him and Dev in the future!

Other Observations
• While Sydney Croft undoubtedly writes some steamy hawt sex scenes, they fell flat for me in this book. I'm unsure if this is because I wasn't thrilled with the characters or because the scenes seemed rushed and crammed in towards the end of the story.
• On a positive note, I appreciate that some of these characters stand up and take responsibility for their wrongs. I believe that if you hurt someone or mistreat them, then you should own it, apologize, and do whatever you can to rectify the situation. Too frequently in romance fiction, I find that apologies are viewed and treated as a sign of weakness. I couldn't disagree more. Being accountable and responsible for one's action and inaction is courageous; and, failure to do so, cowardice.
• That being said, the guys in this book seemed to be bigger jerks than usual. And, more importantly, they didn't make proper amends for their wrongs IMHO.(less)

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Feb 10, 2010 Ami rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: urban-fantasy-paranormal-futuristic

At first I'm a bit uncomfortable with the setting. Not that I don't like BDSM setting; but I usually read either male Dom/female sub or both male D/s. So, a female Dom/male sub is new to me and I'm still not used to it. But I'm glad that it doesn't go the whole way with that, and once it passes that milestone, I find myself, as usual, absorbed with the story. Ulrika "Rik" is complicated tortured woman with the beast inside of her. Trance is just the guy for her. I think their relationship is one...more

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Aug 07, 2009 Cindy rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: keepers

Book 4 in the ACRO series and the authors' are maintaining the intensity. This one has two primary plots. In the first, Trance, an excedo with super strength and the ability to hypnotize with a look, has been sent to bring in Ulrika [Rik:] who is an escaped ITOR operative. Rik is a victim - her family destroyed by ITOR as they experimented with them - only she survives and has been mutated into a shapeshifter. ITOR controls her with a collar she has been unable to remove [it contains a bomb amon...more

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May 06, 2012 Sally rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: erotic, read-2012

Taming the Fire is Trance and Ulrika Jaeger's story. Ulrika and her family were captured by Itor Corp when she was young and drastically traumatised, when she finally managed to escape Itor's grasp she went underground in the world of BDSM. Trance an ACRO employee is on a mission to take Ulrika to ACRO where they can help her and her inner wolf be at peace with each other and the world. This he knows won't be easy as he has to go back to his dark world of BDSM and go against all his Dom instinct...more

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Apr 11, 2012 Wai rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites

There's not much that I can say about Taming the Fire, the fourth book in the ACRo series. Not because it's poor. Just the opposite, in fact. I loved every moment of it but rather that I'd be repeating what I've said about the first three books.

And I don't want to indicate that the books are formulaic because aside from the basic principle of 'resolutely single agent goes to recruit very reluctant person and ends meeting their soul mate', they're not.

Perhaps I ought to focus on what I enjoyed mo...more

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Sep 22, 2011 Vivien rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Dec 28, 2010 E. rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: erotica, paranormal

ACRO (Agency for Covert Rare Operatives) agent Trance is trying to recruit/rescue former Itor agent/detainee Ulrika (Rik) Jager. The problem is that they are meeting on a D/s level and they are both used to being the Dom not to mention the complications caused by his excedosapien strength versus her inner wolf that has been tortured and warped over the years. Several sizzling BDSM encounters are played out while they come to terms with each other. Meanwhile, Oz is sending Devin O'Malley a sign t...more

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Jul 17, 2011 Anna (Bobs Her Hair) rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: erotic, paranormal-romance

This book follow the formula of the other books in the series. And I do like the formula! Sydney Crofts know how to create 3-dimensional characters I can care about. I liked Ulrika and felt her pain. Trance was a hard character for me to get into. He was similar to Ender, yet I liked Ender so much better.

I read the BDSM with clinical detachment. It's just beyond my realm of imagination. I found myself asking, "Does this world really exist?" Um, yeah. "What IS that?" It sounds like a catheter. "W...more

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Dec 07, 2011 Anna's Herding Cats! rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: croft-sydney, december-challenge, need-review

There wasn't really anything wrong with this book. It was entertaining, the characters likable, etc. I enjoyed the BDSM elements and learned a some new things. Thank you google. My "problem" with the book was that there were too many stories going on at once. I know it's typical for this series to have 2-3 stories going at once but for the first time I felt let down by it. Nearing the end I didn't feel like you really got enough time with any of the couples but especially the main couple Trance...more

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Jul 15, 2012 Rhi Meeker rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is the second book I have read in this series. Unfortunately I got them from the library out of sequence but it appears I don't have to have read the books in between to understand what is going on. There were some scenes that are spoilers for when I read the other books but I am ok with that. I like the way these books are split between 3 different couples, alternating points of view within each couple and switching between each couple. The switches are well done, not cliffhangery just for...more

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Jul 04, 2012 Crystal rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I enjoyed this book as I have all of them so far. This book moved pretty quickly, faster than the other 3. I fell there was a lack in the build of emotion in this story, but I also understand that in the BDSM world emotions aren't involved so the build in Trance and Rik's relationship was unconventional from the start. I really enjoy Dev's story and was very excited to see it take the next step. Again, it seems that the emotion is put on the back burner but I hope to see more in the next novel....more

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May 22, 2012 Janne S rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

As these two writers evolve (two women writing as Sydney Croft), the books get a stronger voice and more defined characters. That's what saves them from being run-of-the-mill. They are indeed totally predictable on a visceral level, it's just the storyline that alters somewhat. Again, as I've said before, it's also reminiscent of Black Dagger Brotherhood as each character has a 'book', there is a blind 'king'/boss (who doesn't necessarily stay blind) and each ACRO agent has his/her own specialne...more

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Aug 03, 2011 Barb rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The authors have definitely hit their stride and delivered an action packed fourth book with Taming the Fire. Everything is better. The characters, so much more detailed and fleshed out, the story, the love scenes, the fire, the emotion and how the series is tying in all the characters throughout the books. You see old favorites and get to know new ones. Loved Trance and Rik and also loved Ryan and Meg. I was wondering what happened to Ryan and to have his story woven into Trance and Rik's and s...more

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Jun 09, 2010 Susan rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This was my favorite of the series... the series so far anyway! What delicious tension amongst the couples!! Whew!!

I think Trance/Rik are my favorite main couple characters but I'm not 100% sure why?!? I certainly can't relate... especially with the boundage stuff (wowza!) but I think it's the overwhelming vulernability of those two that made them so appealing!

I continue to love the secondary characters/couples and was cheering for Ryan/Meg to whole way through!

SPOILERS... SPOILERS... SPOILER...more

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Jan 23, 2013 Marina Y. rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Once again, the main couple didn't interest me as much as the secondary characters. Trance and Rik had an odd relationship and I'm not sure I enjoyed reading about their Sub/Dom relationship. BUT Devlyn O'Malley never disappoints! The tension with him and Gabriel (how appropriate of a name!) kept me on the edge, and I hated that they only got a chapter once in awhile. Meg & Ryan were also a very interesting story. Marlena surprised me and intrigued me! Poor girl. I'm very much looking forwar...more

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May 25, 2012 Camilla ~ ♥Qhuay At Last♥ ~ rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: pdf, kindle

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. *Siiighh*

I don’t really know what’s left to say about this series anymore.. The ACRO series and me are definitely not a match made in book heaven.. I can’t exactly tell you why though..

Oh wait.. yes I can.. It’s the ridicules storylines!

Review done..

No?

Ok, so this book # 4 is about the 2nd Animal couple of the series, where we meet Trance (again) and his Bitch (Whoop whoop.. See my review of book # 2 to find out why I’m so excited about his mate being a Bitch! ;) Ulrika, or just Rik. She’s a Wo...more

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Sep 18, 2011 texxie-prufreads.blogspot.com rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites

4.5 stars..***MILD SPOILERS***

They say there can be a whole lot of pleasure in a little bit of pain. Taming the Fire, the 4th installment of he ACRO series, confirms as much. Meet Trance, former Army MP, now ACRO agent. Trance, an excedosapien, possesses extraordinary strength and the ability to hypnotise. As Maroon 5 would say, "look into his eyes and he'll own you.." Trance isn't new the underground BDSM scene, though for this mission, he must step out of his comfort zone. Trance must pose as...more

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Dec 12, 2010 Anja rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Well, I like the 3 parts before, but I had trouble with this one, because I didn't like the story around Trance and Rik. Sorry, but the dom/sub, bdsm thing isn't my cup of the. I could have live with it if it was just about the sex, but it even got transferred into their conversations. I wished it would have been more like in the end.

BUT I really liked the story about Ryan and Meg, but unfortunately it was too short, too fast, because it wasn't the main focus like the story between Dev and Gabe....more

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Jul 22, 2010 Lady Valee rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: pnr-romance

4.5 stars.

I loved this one and book 2 the most. This series is so different from everything else I have been reading, it's very intense. I really got into this book.

What I love about this series, which I usually don't, is the fact that each book tells more than one love story, so we see many romances developing at the same time. I mean, they all happen at the same time. I really enjoy to see so many different point of views because we get to know many character very well.

What can I say? Every...more

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Oct 01, 2012 Linda rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

As reviewed on Read Our Lips:

Trance is on a mission for ACRO, to obtain and convince a former ITOR agent, Ulrika, to join the good side. "Rik" has a wild side who needs the dominance of BDSM to keep herself happy. Playing the scene, moving from city to city, she´s got no hope of ever settling down, since ITOR wants her back.

ACRO lost their undercover agent, Ryan, and now he´s presumed dead.
Ryan has no memory of this, he´s been mind scrubbed and believes that he´s on a mission for ITOR, to find...more

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Nov 20, 2011 Pat rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: adult, naughty-bits, paranormal, romance, series, always-worth-re-reading, favorites

Wow!

Anything I say here is both too little and too much at the same time. Did I saw wow?!?!? Cuz WOW!

*****SLIGHT SPOLERS AHEAD -- STOP NOW IF YOU DON'T WANT TO KNOW*****

Naughty Bits, Intrigue, Betrayal, Surprises, Danger, Power Struggles-all are plentiful for this entry. Trance flexes his all as he goes undercover to bring in free agent Rik Jaeger - once an ITOR operative. They are front and center as they explain the intricacies of BDSM for those of us who may not understand. The lore also get...more

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Sep 15, 2011 L-D rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: paranormal-abilities-superpowers, pnr, romance, military-soldier-spec-ops, series

In the 4th ACRO book, the main romance is between Ulrika, a wolf cryptid (shifter), and the ACRO agent sent to retrieve her, Trance. Like his name, Trance has the ability to hypnotize people as well as having super strength. Trance is chosen for this mission because Ulrika is a dominatrix and Trance has experience with the BDSM world. His experience, however, lies in the role of a Dom, and he needs to fill the role of a sub in order to get close to Ulrika. This is extremely difficult for Trance...more

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Sep 19, 2011 Kseniya Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ Sin Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: e-book, erotic-romance, fantasy

Trance is on a search-and-rescue mission to keep Ulrika (Rik) alive. Part predator, Rik Jaegar possesses feral powers that make her a danger to others—and to herself. That’s why ACRO wants to recruit her to their side….To do so, Trance will have to pull off the impossible: capture and control Rik, both woman and beast.

I absolutely love the ACRO world Sydney Croft created in her books! After such an amazing story in "Seduced by the Storm" I wondered if she can pull it off again, because I wasn't...more

Trance is on a search-and-rescue mission to keep Ulrika (Rik) alive. Part predator, Rik Jaegar possesses feral powers that make her a danger to others—and to herself. That’s why ACRO wants to recruit her to their side….To do so, Trance will have to pull off the impossible: capture and control Rik, both woman and beast.

I absolutely love the ACRO world Sydney Croft created in her books! After such an amazing story in "Seduced by the Storm" I wondered if she can pull it off again, because I wasn't particularly keen on "Unleashing the Storm". But she did an amazing job!!!

Sydney Croft gives us a delicious mix of power, pleasure and danger all shaken up in one explosive cocktail I can savour for days. Trance and Rik's story was incredible. I can only imagine how hard it was for both of them having to "play roles" and at the same time dying for the roles to be reversed. I have never read any books with BDSM purely because I have a feeling I wouldn't like it. But this book has definitely made me re-think that. The chemistry between Trance and Rik was scorching hot! However, I noticed that this book had much less then usual ACRO erotica scenes we get in other books, but, for me, it hasn't compromised this book in any way. Moreover, it kept me hanging on the edge all the way through.

I love that all ACRO books have their own main story and characters together with all the other subplots so well woven in at the same time! We get to find out what happened to Ryan who was sent to work undercover at ITOR. And I have to say, I really enjoyed reading Ryan and Meg's story. We also see how Oz's promise to Dev takes shape in Gabe's appearance and what an amazing gift Gabe has! My only regret is that we got very little of Creed and Annika in this book.

I literally burst out laughing when Trance asked Rik: "How's Cujo?" This was so appropriate considering she couldn't control her wolf!

The sweetest moment for me was when Ryan told Meg how he felt: "I remember falling in love with you, Meg. And the best part is, I'm doing it all over again, right now."

I can't wait to read the rest of the books and sincerely wish there were more than only two left!(less)

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Jan 09, 2011 Erika Badass rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The writing is excellent, the dialogue is great, and you are sucked into this world of ACRO and spy agents with super powers of all kinds. I wasn't into the BDSM parts, as that's not my thing, but I am invested in the series and want to see it through and learn about all the characters, especially Devlin.

I really enjoyed Trance and Rik as characters. The scenes were smokin hot with them in it. Albeit a bit much for me.

I never knew you could do that with a metal instrument and a penis *shudders*...more

1 like · like · see review

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Other Editions (4)

Genres

Romance > Paranormal Romance

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Fantasy > Paranormal

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Adult Fiction > Erotica

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Romance

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Romance > Erotic Romance

19 users

Erotica > Bdsm

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Adult

8 users

Romance > Contemporary Romance

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Romance > Romantic Suspense

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Fantasy

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About Sydney Croft

Sydney Croft is the alter-ego of two published authors who came together to blend their very different writing interests into adventurous tales of erotic paranormal fiction. Together, they developed a world where people with extraordinary abilities, like the power to control storms, could live and work with others like them. The series has been described as "Erotica meets the X-Men," and is unique...more

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Quotes from Taming the Fire

“A couple of hours after Rik left, Trance was still on the floor of the basement dungeon, staring at the mess around him.
“Trance?”
He looked up to find Wyatt at the bottom of the stairs, staring at him. Wyatt gave a long whistle as he looked around the room and then again at Trance. “Orgy gone wild?”
Trance groaned. “Is there a fucking sign on my door that says ‘Bother Me Now’?” — 8 people liked it

“Wow,” Ryan said, taking the excedo in from his bare feet to his worn jeans and wrinkled T-shirt. “Protesting showers?”
“Bite me.” Trance stood aside and let Ryan inside, despite his growled words.
Ryan strode to the living room, went straight to Trance's DVD player, and inserted one of his sex discs.
Trance stood in the entrance to the living room, arms crossed, leaning against the wall as if it were the only thing holding him up. “I don't remember making a movie date with you.”
“Keep your dick in your pants, Romeo.” Ryan pushed Play and stood back. “What do you know about that?”
Trance's eyes shot wide, and he yanked himself off the wall. “I know you need an ass-kicking if you came to watch porn with me—oh, fuck me, that's you. Turn it off! I don't need to see that.”
Ryan hit the Pause button. “Well?”
“Well, what?” Trance shuddered. “Christ. I'm going to have to gouge out my eyes now.” — 7 people liked it

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Taming the Fire (ACRO #4)

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