Taming the Fire by Sydney Croft

Title: Taming the Fire  
Author: Sydney Croft  
Series: ACRO (book #4)  
Previous in series: Seduced by the Storm  
Next in series: Tempting the Fire

My rating: 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 Rik, are an interesting pair. Both are plagued by personal demons but refuse to be controlled by them, and ultimately manage to come to terms with who they are. Their initial relationship is based on sex but develops and grows into something more quite quickly (an element that is missing in Unleashing the Storm). I should point out that the books incorporate several BDSM scenes, and even though I do not particularly enjoy books of this type, the scenes are skillfully woven into the fabric of the story and manage not to become excessive.

Meg and Ryan are my favorite couple possibly due to the slow build-up of their relationship and the intensity of their emotional, and ultimately, sexual connection. Ryan’s amnesia and internal struggle with the possibility of his dangerous desires add to the complexity of their bond. Dev and Gabe's story was also sweet but not as engrossing perhaps because I am not really into m/m relationships.

Although the writing flows and the story is entertaining, I did not find Taming the Fire as enjoyable as Seduced by the Storm. First, the animal theme was too similar to the second book, Unleashing the Storm, which was a disappointing read (see review here), and second, the ending feels forced and contrived.

Finally, the hints at Marlena’s story are intriguing and I look forward to reading more about her in the next book.