Release Day Review: The Player by Kresley Cole

The Player by Kresley Cole

The Player by Kresley Cole
Series: The Game Maker #3 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: April 12th 2016
Links: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
Source: I received an ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review

#1 New York Times bestselling author Kresley Cole brings readers the third book of the erotic Game Maker Series, a searing tale of a man racked with dark desires and the beautiful young woman who could sate him at last.

A madman with a shadowed past . . .
In Las Vegas, Sin City, Dmitri Sevastyan finds her, Victoria Valentine—sexy, vulnerable, and in need of a protector. Obsession takes root deep inside him. Despite a history tainted with violation and betrayal, he will stop at nothing to possess her.

A grifter with nothing to lose . . .
Descended from a long line of con artists, twenty-four-year-old Victoria, a.k.a. Vice, needs the score of a lifetime to keep her loved ones safe. She sets her sights on gorgeous and rich Dmitri Sevastyan. Even as the irresistible Russian toys with her body and mind, he tempts her heart.

Love is the ultimate wild card.
When Vice and her associates maneuver Dmitri into a hasty Vegas wedding, he refuses to protect himself with a prenup, trusting her with all that he has. But can she trust him? As secrets unfold, the newlyweds share days of doubts and nights of the wickedest pleasures. Yet once Vice discovers her husband’s past, will she stay to fight for her marriage or cut her losses and run?

AHHHH!!!! I absolutely, whole-heartedly LOVED The Player!!! It’s already one of my favorite books that I’ve read so far this year. It’s sexy, it’s addicting, it’s romantic – if you were a fan of the previous Game Maker novel, you NEED to get your hands on this third and final book!

I have to admit, going into this, I wasn’t sure it would live up to The Master, which is one of my all-time favorite books ever. But I’d been dying for Dmitri’s book ever since meeting him in The Master, so I prayed to the book gods that The Player wouldn’t disappoint – instead, Kresley Cole blew. me. away. I honestly can’t choose between Maksim and Dmitri now – these two hot AF, powerful Russian men are my kryptonite. So, just saying, if you loved Maksim in The Master, you’re going to loooove Dmitri, because he’s basically his brother but twice the alpha-ness/possessiveness/obsessiveness. *grins*

“You know what? You’re not going to bench me. Because I’m gonna run game on the juiciest mark of them all—Dmitri Sevastyan.”

Victoria Valentine comes from a family of con artists – but a scam gone wrong has them all in debt and threatened with death if they don’t pay up. The Valentines have stepped up their con game, but it’s not easy to earn millions of dollars in such a short amount of time. So Victoria sets her sights on the gorgeous, intelligent, elusive billionaire Dmitri Sevastyan – but she has no idea what’s in store for her. He fires her up like no other, leaves her breathless and wanting more. But what happens when she actually starts to fall for her mark?

“Imagine a pitch-black room with a single candle lit in the center,” he said, his voice gone low. “The room is the world. You are the candle.”
A shaky breath escaped my lips. “How can you be so sure about me?”
He leveled his spellbinding gaze on my face. “When you’ve been in the dark as long as I have, moy ángel, there is no mistaking the light.”

Dmitri has his eyes on the prize as he sweeps Victoria off her feet in a whirlwind romance and some hot, dirty, kinky sex. He doesn’t just want her body – he wants her mind and soul too, and he’ll do anything to have it all. If you don’t like heroes who are utterly obsessed with their heroines, this book might not be for you. But if you DO like obsessed alpha heroes – Dmitri. is. your. man. He’s completely taken and captivated by Victoria from the moment he sees her, and he will honestly do anything for her. *Sigh* I adore Dmitri. The way he’s so possessive of and head over heels for Victoria melts my heart – and of the three Sevastyan brothers, I honestly think he’s the most obsessive, crazy, AND romantic of them all, and that’s saying something.

He pressed a kiss to my head, and inhaled the scent of my hair. “I believe when a man finds the one woman meant to be his, he associates her scent with happiness. In the deepest recesses of his brain, he thinks, This woman is where all happiness lies. She is my home. Every time he catches her scent, that link is reinforced.” Another kiss. “My happiness lies with you, Victoria. You are my home. It is because I’ve never experienced these feelings that I recognize them.”

If you loved The Master, The Player is a must-read! There’s a twist in this book I did NOT see coming, and I applaud Kresley Cole for taking me by surprise and for making me love the book even more because of it. If you’re worried about Victoria taking advantage of Dmitri, don’t be. I promise, by the end of the novel, you’ll have no complaints about anything having to do with the con. I also loved seeing the couples from the previous books in the series, especially Maksim and Lucía – it’s just so freaking amazing to see these three powerful Russian brothers completely whipped, in love, and happy with their women. KC did an incredible job with Dmitri and Victoria’s story – the romance was addictive, the sex was raw and intense, and the world of conning was intriguing and unlike anything I’d ever read. The Player was perfection – I loved everything about this book!

5 hearts
lacey

Quotes are taken from the arc and are subject to change in the final version.


Reading Order: The Game Maker series

The Professional by Kresley Cole The Master by Kresley Cole The Player by Kresley Cole

#1 ~ The Professional: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible (Part One, Two, Three) • Goodreads
#2 ~ The Master: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • AudibleGoodreads
#3 ~ The Player: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads


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20 thoughts on “Release Day Review: The Player by Kresley Cole

  1. I am looking forward to The Player. I love Kresley Cole. I am usually not a fan of serials, but when The Professional came out I would be waiting at midnight for it to hit my kindle. As ,much as the anticipation built, I am glad the rest of the series was released as full novels. Cliffhangers kill me!

  2. I loved the first two books in this series, but the plot of this book doesn’t pique my interest that much. I think I need to be in the right mood to give this one a try! Thanks for your honest review 😉

    Betul E.

  3. Whoa… really one of your favorites for the year already? I haven’t read any of her books yet, or this series. Recommend that I move it up to the top right away?

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