2024 the best player review

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#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?

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B01BTBBXCM
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Valkyrie Press (April 12, 2016)
Publication date ‏ : ‎ April 12, 2016
Language ‏ : ‎ English
File size ‏ : ‎ 1737 KB
Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Print length ‏ : ‎ 336 pages
Reviewer: ReadingDiva's Blog
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: The Player
Review: The Player by Kresley Cole is the final book in The Game Makers series. In this installment of the series we are fully introduced to Dmitri, the younger brother of the three and while we knew he too suffered terrible abuse we didn’t know the extend of it.If you read book #1 & 2 of the Game Maker Series you have a complete understanding why these Russians have us ladies fanning ourselves. They are just too hot and too alpha. The Player is the final book in the Game Maker Series and it is not less amazing than book #1 & 2. I probably sound like I am rambling and perhaps I am but this book was so hot I had to walk away a few times. Dmitri is rich, powerful and intelligent, the only thing missing in his life is the love of a woman. As his brothers he has suffered immensely in the hands of someone who has supposed to protect him, he also suffered abandonment by his brothers and though their story is entwined every one of them is completely different.Dmitri has secrets and with every secret there are consequences and the risk of pain and heart break. Dmitri story comes with a very deep and sad foundation. While we have learned of what happened to the brothers when they were kids, we don’t necessarily know the details of Dmitri’s past, we are however given a clear glimpse into his life as a recluse, a loner who does not need or want company. Cole did a superb job in this story, not because she was able to tease us with a predetermined idea of what Dmitri was like, but she was also able to give us a story that explored these characters life in a way in which was not only surprising but also twisted & entertaining.The Player explores the what if’s in life. It explores the reality of many people, the contradictions of life, the obstacles and the ultimate reality that we have the reigns of our own destiny only if we are ready for it. It also takes us into the world of a woman whose job isn’t necessarily typical. Victoria as well as her family deal in a world of crime and where the next job could easily cost their life. I enjoyed Victoria/Vice, her character is matured, her skills and her street smarts made her unique in a way that I haven’t seen before. Cole managed to explore her mind and her feelings so beautifully without taking away the essence of her good nature and her devotion and loyalty to her family. Dmitri on the other hand gave us mystery, uncertainty and a glimpse into his world that while it wasn’t always clear as to what his end game was we did get to enjoy his machinations, manipulations, his dirty talk, his extravagance, and his streets smarts which allowed him to sneak his way into Vice’s world.While it is difficult for a reader to get over the lies and nature of Vice & Dmitri’s love story one should also consider that these characters aren’t perfect, their decisions and choices in life determined their present but it didn’t necessarily pre-set their future. I enjoyed how Cole managed to create so many differences between these two characters, from their backgrounds to the way in which they saw life and how they lived it, but while at the same time bringing these characters together in an amazing way that left no doubt as to how and why they both deserve redemption. Dmitri is a fantastic character, conflicted, tortured, manipulative, smart, extravagant and with a deep need for intimacy and closeness that only Victoria can give him.The Player demonstrate how the interaction between characters is what determines the quality of a story. The interaction between these characters was explosive, beautifully developed and well played out. I enjoyed their sexual escapades and scenes, the details, their dialog and their dirty talk was explosive. Each character gave the story a certain balance, each with their own story to tell and each found on one another the needed support that made it all happen. Of course not without going through the aggravations and conflicts that would make it all worthwhile at the end. This story is fun, perhaps not as dramatic as The Professional & The Master but not less intense and sexual.Kresley Cole has proven to be at the top of her game, I can’t recommend this series enough. Read The Game Maker series if you want to experience quality story telling and characters that will swoon you with their charisma, sensuality and dirty talk.

Reviewer: Krissy
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Left Reeling
Review: I have read every single one of Kresley Cole's books. I own all of them in my beloved Kindle. Yes, I have done the math and realize Mrs. Cole could probably buy herself a very nice dinner with her hubby based on my investments alone. I'm okay with that. You want to know why? Because she produces stories like this one. I finished this book with my heart ACHING in my chest. Everything I have ever loved about Mrs. Cole's writing style was woven into this story. The humor, the vulnerability, the passion, and the soul-wrenching romance all meshed together into a unique storyline THAT I DID NOT SEE COMING.So I have to gush about Demitri first. His personality is so...raw. Everything about him is intense. Especially in the beginning, I was almost uncomfortable how quickly and strongly he reacts to Victoria's (Vice's) presence. It was so overwhelming that I actually felt disappointed at first. I was afraid that he was going to be too eccentric and too difficult to relate to. But then the character development kicks in, and gosh, the vulnerability and charm he shows Vice made me feel like my heart was simply going to combust. And his intelligence... I really applaud Cole for being able to SHOW how smart the man is rather than just TELL her readers. I really don't think that's an easy feat.Now Vice. I don't think any heroine can beat the absolute awesomeness of Lucia from The Master (I REALLY thought she was so cool), but Victoria certainly leaves an impression. She has an interesting background and stressful current predicament, but I loved how she responds to Demitri most of all. She is so protective over him, even when she doubts herself and his motives. Through her protectiveness, I got to see her own vulnerability. The two of them make quite a beautiful--and sizzling--pair.Ironically, while Cole advertised that this was supposed to be her hottest book of the series, it was the romance that really got to me. Don't get me wrong, the sex is MOLTEN LAVA HOT, but the emotions in this book just hurt so good, yah know? All the desperation and confusion and hope and anticipation left me NEEDING to see that happy ending. And--sorry if this is a little spoiler--when everything does turn out beautiful and happy for everyone, the relief was so profound, I wanted to cry.Do I think there is room for even more improvement? Of course, no book is perfect. For instance, I definitely felt the ending was a tad rushed, especially considering this one was the end of the trilogy. But that's what makes me excited for the next Kresley Cole story. I can hardly imagine what she will bring to the table next.

Reviewer: Kindle Customer
Rating: 4.0 out of 5 stars
Title: A little confused.
Review: I am not sure how to rate this book. I was looking forward to finding out more with the youngest Sevastyan sibling but we learn a brief synopsis of what he endured. The beginning of this series we were introduced to Aleks Sevastyan. Aleks was an enforcer for the Russian mafyia. There was so much history to his story and darkness that I wanted to know more. Then we find out that he had two other brothers. I gave both books 5 stars. Even though the book was given to us from the female point of view, it was the male characters that had the most substance. This series would have been so more entertaining from both points. By the time the third book came, I was so involved with the male characters that the female characters (Natalie, Lucia and Victoria) did not hold the interest. It was Aleks, Maksim, and Dimitri that had me enthralled. In the third book we know nothing about Dimitri. The lead female, Victoria, to be honest was boring. She is a conartist but so what? She tried to con Dimitri, Okay....I just needed more. I wanted to know how Dimitri was able to get through his past. I did not want a synopsis of it.It was a good book but could have been so much better. I am giving it 4 stars. Since it was the last book there could have been more with the families. I would have loved to have more of the brothers bringing back Dimitri. How did Dimitri get through with his darkeness? I do not want to give too much away but okay. The end was pretty good and I think it was the reason I gave the 4 outside of the steamy, crazy sex scenes. Some of the best I have read. Please read this series in order. It is entertaining.

Reviewer: LANNN
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: Now THAT is how a great book is done. Brilliant plot. Left a smile on my face and wanted it to continue. Gush. Dimitri I want a man like you!

Reviewer: marta97
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: Amo a Kreley cole. Todos sus libros son maravillosos.Este es muy bonito. El que menos me gustó de la saga fue el primero. El segundo y este me han encantado.Escribe superbien y en ningún momento te aburres. Te engancha desde la primera página.No se mucho inglés pero en cuanto salió este libro me lo compré y me lo leí en inglés porque sabía que Kresley Cole me iba a maravillar otra vez.

Reviewer: L. M. Train
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: Dmitri is one of my most admired hero characters. He’s obsessive and genius. This book broke my heart and mended it again.

Reviewer: ska
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: ... I didn't see that one coming. Knowing a little about Dmitri's background really made me wonder how Vice would fit in there with her line of work, and really, her scheme just about broke my heart. I really felt for Dmitri. This being said, the twist was smart - and fun - and unexpected for me at least. Really made the book.I'm a huge fan of the Immortals after Dark Series, and wasn't so sure about this one, because both Aleks' story and Maksim's were too similar for my taste. That's why my expectations for Dmitri weren't that high. Glad to have been disappointed. Absolutely loved the story!!!!

Reviewer: Buba
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: Eu adorei este livro, sem dúvida um dos meus favoritos, e se você gostou de The Master, vai gostar deste igualmente.Eu não quero estragar a experiência para ninguém, então tentarei manter esta avaliação o mais "virgem" possível.The Player traz uma trama ainda mais elaborada que The Master. Pontos extras para a autora que compôs um enredo que surpreende a cada virada de página. Prepare-se para o final que é criativo e intrigante, todas as peças do quebra cabeça se encaixando perfeitamente. Ao mesmo tempo, quando se reflete sobre o final da estória, percebe-se que ele não poderia ser diferente. O penúltimo capítulo, em que todos os conflitos se resolvem, dá conclusão à história de forma perfeita e lógica.Dmitri e Victoria são personagens excepcionalmente bem desenvolvidos. Me encantei com a complexidade dos personagens e com os diálogos. A evolução e o amadurecimento do relacionamento entre o casal trazem um sentido de "verdadeiro" à história.Não há elogios suficientes para classificar este romance. A autora brinca e apresenta seus truques pouco a pouco. Isto pode ser percebido, inclusive, nos capítulos iniciais, em que eu considerei difícil sentir empatia pela heroína. Aos poucos, Victoria vai se revelando, como num passe de mágica, mostrando suas forças e vulnerabilidades.Confesso que interrompi a leitura inúmeras vezes querendo prolongar a experiência maravilhosa com este livro. Recomendo? Com certeza! Este é uma obra que pode agradar a muitos e em que se pode encontrar muitos atrativos: humor, romance, paixão, uma pitada de suspense e perigo.