{"id":7437,"date":"2016-05-02T06:56:57","date_gmt":"2016-05-02T10:56:57","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/?p=7437"},"modified":"2017-03-08T13:18:40","modified_gmt":"2017-03-08T18:18:40","slug":"review-the-player-the-game-maker-3-by-kresley-cole","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/?p=7437","title":{"rendered":"Review: The Player (The Game Maker, #3) by Kresley Cole"},"content":{"rendered":"

Buy:\u00a0 Kindle Ebook<\/a> \u00a0| \u00a0Paperback<\/a><\/strong><\/h4>\n
\n

\r\n <\/div><\/div>\n
\n

Review<\/strong><\/h4>\n

3.5 stars<\/b><\/p>\n

I enjoyed this one. Super smutty, but with a nice emotional aspect to it, the third and (? final) book in The Game Maker<\/i> series rounds out the story of the Sevastyan brothers really nicely.<\/p>\n

This book tells the story of youngest Sevastyan brother, Dmitri. Having survived a tortuous childhood, Dmitri has become hugely wealthy and, having recently been reunited with his older brothers, has decided to take a well-earned break from business.<\/p>\n

Victoria is from a long line of grifters. Well ensconced into the family business she considers herself a \u2018confidence artist\u2019, but her last few targets have been busts. With her father in a whole lot heap of trouble after a con gone wrong, the whole family is pulling together to raise the money needed to keep him alive. Dmitri is the ultimate target, and Victoria sets her sights on him as the answer to all of their problems.<\/p>\n

I would so fake-flirt with this Russian, in order to manipulate him into fake near-sex situations.
\nI would be perfect for a milk-cow, because I didn\u2019t lose control sexually, even when I was supposed to.<\/i><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

As experienced as she is at her \u2018job\u2019, Victoria has no clue what she\u2019s getting herself into with Dmitri. The gorgeous, dark and broody Russian takes one look at her and is instantly smitten, and he makes it clear that he intends to set her world on fire.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere are two things you should know about me, Victoria. One, I <\/i>will play games with you.\u201d
\nWarmth flooded my body, centering between my thighs. I swallowed. \u201cWhat\u2019s the other thing, big guy?\u201d
\nHe palmed the back of my head, drawing me close. Yet then he hesitated, as if relishing that he was <\/i>about to kiss me. \u201cYou will like my games.\u201d<\/i><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Yes, it\u2019s a smut-fest as Dmitri claims Victoria as his, and then goes proving it to her over and over and over again. And though she knows in her head that he\u2019s just a job, her heart and her body tell her otherwise as he takes her on a journey of sexual discovery unlike anything she has ever known, opening her up to new experiences and revealing her unknown kinky side. While at the same time surprising her at every turn and stealing her heart.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou know that I\u2019m not for sale, right?\u201d
\n\u201cI know. Or I would have already bought you.\u201d
\nI grinned, thinking he was kidding, but he just stared into my eyes.
\nToo intense! So I tried a playful turn. \u201cAnd what would you do if you owned me?\u201d I tweaked his strong chin. \u201cWould I be your slave?\u201d
\nHe shook his head. \u201cI would free you, Victoria. And then I would buy you the entire goddamned world.\u201d<\/i><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

I liked the dynamic between these two. Victoria, the con artist with a heart who is falling for her mark, and Dmitri, the tortured recluse who doesn\u2019t know how to deal with people but is so enamoured with Victoria that he puts himself right out there for her, and doesn\u2019t care a bit.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou must be leaving Vegas soon.\u201d
\nHe seemed to be weighing his words. Finally he said, \u201cNot without you.\u201d
\nMy jaw slackened.
\n\u201cThat was one of those things I should haven\u2019t said aloud, isn\u2019t it?\u201d
\nRed flags waved all over the place. \u201cThis is going too fast.\u201d I struggled for equilibrium.
\n\u201cCompared to most other couples? Yes. But you and I are both aware of what\u2019s happening.\u201d
\nI sputtered, \u201cSpell it out for me, big guy.\u201d
\n\u201cYou are going to be mine,\u201d he said. \u201cExclusively. You\u2019re as good as already.\u201d<\/i><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Yes, things move quickly, but he\u2019s a Sevastyan, and that seems to be the way things go with these boys. There are some ups and downs as they get to know each other, slowly learning to trust and revealing their secrets to each other. But Victoria is keeping the biggest secret of all, and it\u2019s one that she can\u2019t keep forever. What will happen when the truth is finally revealed? Dun dun duuuuuuun. There are some great twists and turns in this book, and though I predicted where the story was going, I still enjoyed the ride.<\/p>\n

I really liked Dmitri. His past has been explored a bit in the previous books of the series, but getting it all from his perspective and seeing how it has affected him brings so much emotion to the story! He\u2019s so incredibly damaged, but his love for Victoria is a beautiful thing, and I love how even though he is struggling to move forward, he fights hard for her and for the promise of a life together. His vulnerability and huge heart provided a really nice balance to the story.<\/p>\n

\u201cImagine a pitch-black room with a single candle lit in the center,\u201d he said, his voice gone low. \u201cThe room is the world. You are the candle.\u201d
\nA shaky breath escaped my lips. \u201cHow can you be so sure about me?\u201d
\nHe levelled his spellbinding gaze on my face. \u201cWhen you\u2019ve been in the dark as long as I have, <\/i>moy angel, there is no mistaking the light.\u201d<\/i><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Dmitri and Victoria have a very different story from the other couples in the series, and as much as I found their dynamic to be interesting, I didn\u2019t feel their chemistry as much as I wanted to. Of course the sex is there (probably not as smutty as the previous two, but there is still lots of it) – graphic and with a bit of kink, and it\u2019s all very hot, but I didn\u2019t feel the warmth between them and it just felt like the story was missing something.<\/p>\n

The couples from the previous books both make an appearance, as does scene-stealer Jess, and the drunken antics of this group are freaking hilarious!<\/p>\n

\u201cOver the last year, I have thrown myself and every other available woman at that man. But he turned this\u201d\u2014she waved at her spectacular figure\u2014\u201cdown. Repeatedly. Pickiest guy ever. Yet now he can\u2019t take his eyes off his new \u2018date\u2019. \u201cYou\u2019ve beaten out millions. Tell me, was it as simple as swallowing?\u201d
\nI snapped my gaze to her. \u201cI met him fifteen minutes ago.\u201d
\nJessica nodded. \u201cIn those fifteen minutes, did you happen to swallow?\u201d<\/i><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

This isn\u2019t my favourite book of the series, but I still enjoyed it, and I\u2019m so glad that Dmitri get his happy ending.<\/p>\n

3.5 stars.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The Game Maker series<\/strong><\/h4>\n

\"The<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0\"The<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0\"The<\/p>\n

The Professional (#1)<\/strong>
\nReview\u00a0<\/a>
\nBuy:\u00a0Kindle Ebook\u00a0<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0\u00a0Paperback<\/a><\/p>\n

The Master (#2)<\/strong>
\nReview<\/a>
\nBuy:\u00a0Kindle Ebook<\/a>\u00a0 |\u00a0\u00a0Paperback<\/a><\/p>\n

The Player (#3)<\/strong>
\nReview<\/a>
\nBuy:\u00a0\u00a0Kindle Ebook<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0| \u00a0Paperback<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Buy:\u00a0 Kindle Ebook \u00a0| \u00a0Paperback Review 3.5 stars I enjoyed this one. Super smutty, but with a nice emotional aspect to it, the third and (? final) book in The Game Maker series rounds out […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":3113,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","yasr_overall_rating":3.5,"yasr_post_is_review":"","yasr_auto_insert_disabled":"","yasr_review_type":"Product","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[179,9,29],"tags":[186,48,187],"class_list":["post-7437","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-billionaire","category-romance","category-steamy","tag-kresley-cole","tag-review","tag-the-game-maker"],"yasr_visitor_votes":{"stars_attributes":{"read_only":false,"span_bottom":false},"number_of_votes":0,"sum_votes":0},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/The-Player.jpg?fit=150%2C224&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p7gaNL-1VX","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7437","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=7437"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7437\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/3113"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=7437"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=7437"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=7437"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}