In his review for Rolling Stone magazine, Elias Light rated Passion Like Fire three out of five stars. He felt that while Tamia's "voice is always resplendent", she "doesn't find enough sharp songs" to include on the album. Complimenting her collaborations with Salaam Remi and Shep Crawford, he criticized her decision to work with Lil' Ronnie on the majority of the album, commenting that "these two never gel". SoulTracks editor Charles Melody felt that the album was lackluster compared to her previous work on Love Life, but "still demonstrates the lyrical depth, vocal range and uniquely sweet, saucy that keeps her in demand and a part of the post-90's mix." He remarked thath Passion Like Fire comes across as sort of a misnomer. The dominance of ballads and scattering of midtempos make it less of a buoyant listen overall, although still a worthy one." Matt Collar of AllMusic found that the album "showcases the singer's sophisticated and mature R&B sound."
