The Player (The Game Maker Series) (Volume 3)

Cole and crew do their research and it shows. Every minute detail ensnares the mind and the story becomes an obsession that cannot be put away until the end. Thank you, Cole, for sharing these heroes and heroines with the world!

This was a fantastic series. The character development was excellent . I don't want to say to much because there are surprises in each book. If you enjoy your intimacy naughty and strong alpha men, you will love this series.

This book is the worst Kresley Cole book I've ever read.The hero and the heroine are ridiculous and unlikeable.The plot is unoriginal and dull.Cole should've ended this series with the second book.Borrow this book from your local library.Don't waste your money buying it.

I got hooked on this series when The Professional originally came out as a serial. Kresley Cole knows how to write a good broody bad boy hero. I picked up the second two books of the series in audio because I wanted to hear those delicious Russian accents... and Kimberly Alexis was able to pull those off splendidly.

We first met Dmitri Sevastyan in The Master, as the youngest of the Sevastyan siblings. We also learned in the earlier books that Dmitri, and all the Sevastyan boys, are tortured heroes. Dmitri was sexually abused by a sadistic guardian as a child, until he and his older brother, Maxim, had to take extreme measures to get out of their situation. The molestation had a long-reaching effect on Dmitri understandably, and he is only now learning to cope with his past and mend his broken soul. I really liked Dmitri. His determination to overcome his past trauma was admirable, no matter the obsession that inspired his transformation.

Victoria "Vice" Valentine comes from an entire family of con artist grifters - they pretty much see the world as their mark, but only those "deserving" marks. The family has had a rule about swindling innocent "gulls" (gullible marks). Until now that is. The family swindled the wrong person and now is in trouble with a cartel, so they believe they have no choice but to move in on the broody billionaire, despite the fact that he is a good person. Vice and her family are playing Dmitri as a mark for the majority of the story. I couldn't stand it. I hated Vice and I hated her family, and I especially hated what they were doing to Dmitri. Once Vice started stealing from the prior heroines early on in the book, I was already writing off her character. This book pretty much cemented my dislike for con artist heroines - its just not a trope for me.

The romance between these two moved at lightning speed... only I had a hard time becoming invested in the relationship. Knowing what we knew about Dmitri's past, I just hated seeing him getting played by Vice. No matter what Dmitiri did for Vice and her family, she was never fully invested in the relationship. Then there was a huge plot twist, which I absolutely LOVED. But Vice went off the rails and went from lying heroine to running heroine, another pet peeve of mine. I don't want to give away the twist... but I was totally down with it and I absolutely could not believe how Vice reacted.

If you like the con artist trope and don't mind deception in your romance, you will probably like this book. I loved the hero like crazy, so that saved me from DNF'ing the book, but the heroine did keep me from enjoying it fully. There was a good amount of chemistry and steam where it counted, but the BDSM aspects were not quite as in-your-face as we saw in the earlier installments of the series. Now that we have run out of Sevastyan brothers... I think I can confidently say that my favorite book of this series was The Professional .

3 stars / 3 flames. Full review posted at Bambi Unbridled.

I truly have no idea why this book has received so many positive reviews??? Kresley Cole is my all-time favorite author I absolutely love everything she's ever written. This book is the only exception to that. I normally power read her books and have it finished in one day... this book however I'm still trying to get through it and it's been two months. I find myself bored, yawning, and falling asleep. Zzzz? I still LOVE Ms.Cole however and will just reread one of her other books while waiting for her next release.

This review is 100% spoiler free and more or less sums up the entire series.

To say I am a HUGE fan of this series would be an understatement! I first fell in love with it while reading The Professional and was a complete goner after The Master! Of course you KNEW Dmitri's book was coming but the way Kresley just casually slipped it out there - like it was no big deal - was very naughty! Just like this series!

I am not going to recap the story for you because I am sure you are quite capable of reading the blurb and will most likely be reading the book so there is no real need for that but I will say this ...

1. Kresley Cole writes some of THE best heroines out there! They sure know how to hold their own. They are smart. They are funny. They are sassy. They are loyal. And they sure hit the men who dare to fall in love with them like a force of nature - these poor guys never see it coming and it's SO MUCH FUN to see them try and navigate the feelings they are not familiar with.

2. speaking of men ... this Russian trio is BEYOND! I mean, they are brooding, they are dark and dangerous and they are SO SEXY that I truly have no words. And when they fall for their woman, THEY FALL HARD and will stop at NOTHING to get her!

3. Kresley's writing ... what is there to say other than it's ABSOLUTELY FANTASTIC! I am one of the slowest readers on Earth and I ZOOM through her books in one sitting. Her stories are always fast paced, funny, make you shed a tear or two and filled with some of THE hottest sex scenes out there!

4. speaking of sex ... VERY FEW authors can get away with writing 70/30 sex to story ratio and not leave you feeling like ALL you are reading about is sex. Kresley is one of those authors.

5. I am so sad that this series is now over. I am hoping that Kresley Cole will gift us a little novella in the future about all three couples vacationing somewhere together. It was SUCH a hoot to see them all together in this book!

P.S. Picking a favorite couple in this series was one of the hardest things! I have to say that, as much as I LOVED (and trust me - when I say 'LOVED' I mean 'LOOOOOOOOOOVED'!) Dmitri and Victoria, Maksim and Lucia still reign as King and Queen of this series (for me). But at the end of the day, this entire series is worth the read. And then reread. And then another reread! It's just THAT good!

P.P.S. I've yet to meet Kresley Cole in person but I feel like I have a very good idea of what she would be like if I ever did get the chance. I feel like her personality shines through her writing and I like - no, LOVE - what I see! I hope if/when you pick up this series, you'll fall in love with it [and it's creator] as fast and as hard as I did!

love Kresley Cole, consider her one of my favorite authors. I enjoyed the first 2 books in this series which is a departure from her other books in style, characters, and mild BDSM feel. This book is the 3rd and youngest Russian brother takes place in Las Vegas where he meets and finds his obsession. I did not follow how or why his feelings were so strong. This book did not have the character and story development I expect and love from almost all of Kresley Cole's books and was sorely disappointing. I do not recommend this book and would prefer to reread one of my other favorites. Ugh hate to write negative reviews, but I felt like she just walked through the writing of this book not making much effort as to who these people were or why they had any bond.

I have loved previous Kresley Cole books, especially The Master (one of my favorite books by any author and read many times), however, maybe
because I have read The Master so many times I felt like this book was in many ways just a rewrite. SPOILER ALERT: We once again have
a heroine who is in trouble and needs money to fix the problem. Also, even her parents are threatened with death, again a similar situation to
Cat/Lucia. Victoria, the heroine, even speaks Spanish! Dmitri has all the angst of Maxim but somehow through his years of therapy I guess seems ready to go when he meets Victoria, except for a confusing episode of needing to call his brother on his wedding night when it's time for the deed to be done. Up to this point he has not expressed any concern about this being a problem. Victoria gets to live in a mansion on the beach and has a pool just like Cat/Lucia. She even runs around topless until Dmitri gives her his tee shirt just like Cat/Lucia. I even noticed there were lines that the H/h said to each other that were almost word for word like Maxim and Cat/Lucia. The Professional and The Master had such different plots and character development that this book was such a disappointment for me. Maybe I really wanted Jessica to be the match for Dmitri and I couldn't connect with Victoria. I think this was a really easy book to write for Ms Cole, all the angst of the childhood abuse had been revealed in The Master so she only had to fill in this book with some new names and a few differences in the heroine's background. The "con" game and all the details got tedious and the big reveal at the end was not a surprise at all - it was too obvious all along that Dmitri was aware of what was going on. I think a much harder to book to write would have been to put Jessica with Dmitri and explore why she has no filter when she is talking and if she really was out there sexually as much as she said or was she just all talk. With Dmitri's abuse background it would be been interesting to see if maybe there had been something similar in Jessica's or if she is really that freewheeling how much fun it would have been to see Dmitri come to terms with that.
Again, I want to say I have read many of Ms Cole's previous books and really enjoyed them but after waiting a year for this book - the most
tortured of the brothers - this book was a true letdown and I wish I had just stopped at The Master, a true masterpiece.

I do not like Vice and her family no matter the reason. I fell cheap and dirty . I enjoyed the other books but having a hard time with this one. Still reading and I still don't like her and him I get where he was scared as a child but for a billionaire he is clueless. . She is cheap trash. . Sorry ms. Cole don't like this book of series...hours later I am finishing up.. well played ms. Cole well played.. lol..

The con, the hustle, the sham or the scheme. Whatever you may call it, just know this… the game is afoot my friends. One of the most deliciously captivating reads I have had the pleasure of reading this year. I am left in a bit of a quandary here. How to write a spoiler free review yet, leave a review to do this read Justice.

A sexy Russian and the con lady heat things up in Vegas. Only she’s not that great of a con artist and he’s well… running a game of his own.

His “Vice” is an obsession and she has to do what needs to be done for her family. What culminates is a wild ride of a grifter with nothing to lose and a man with everything to lose. Hot, sexy, flirty, and deliciously fun.

I can’t recommend this enough. 5 Stars!

OH MY GOD! BEST of the series! Kresley Cole continues to SLAY me with every single word! She has another sizzling HIT in her Game Maker Series with THE PLAYER!!! Dmitri Sevastyan will bring you TO YOUR KNEES…guaranteed! THE PLAYER was such an intriguing read, full of intense heat and plenty of emotion. Cole has no problem bringing her characters to life in my mind. She does it was ease and a wonderment you can’t deny. I LOVED every second of this!

Let me start off by saying, I’ve fallen completely in love with these characters. Victoria, our heroine, comes from a family of con artists. She herself, has conned a lot of fellas. Circumstance have risen, putting her and her family in jeopardy. Time is of the essence, and Victoria and her family are running out of it. That is until, Victoria sets her eyes on her next mark. She will do anything for her family, and she will PROVE herself no matter what it takes. She can do this…piece of cake…until it isn’t.

“I asked you for mercy, but you’ve given me none.”

Ah, Dmitri Sevastyan, my favorite brother is the hero in this installment. AHHH! I loved his character so freaking hard! Picture this….a billionaire geeky Russian. I know right! It’s freaking genius! If you’ve read the other two books in the series, you should know that Dmitri is definitely cut from the same cloth as Aleksei and Maksimilian. Possessive, obsessive, protective, need I go on? Kresley’s heroes take you by surprise and steal your hearts when you least expect it and with Dmitri, it was no different. While Dmitri shuns every single woman who comes in his path, his heart stops when he sets his sites on the beautiful and alluring Victoria Vice. Instant attraction. Instant chemistry. The rest is history…haha! Not really! His instant yearning for everything that Victoria has to offer is a surprise to Victoria and her family. He is giving everything to her with no consequence, setting everything, including his heart, in the palm of her hand. Too good to be true? Oh, you betcha!

“From the moment I first saw you, I knew you were going to be mine. You got under my skin, into my ****ing blood!”

These two proceed with their whirlwind romance, but when the truth comes out, everything will fall into place for you as the reader. There is a twist, and you WILL NOT see it coming. I was blissfully unaware, but completely ecstatic at the end. You couldn’t keep the smile off my face while reading this book! I was totally and utterly immersed in this story and I didn’t want to come up for air, not even once.

“I want our lives entangled, until they are seamless. Until the line between us blurs to nothing.”

THE PLAYER has so much passion, emotion, and mystery. The characters were INCREDIBLE and the plot was FANTASTIC! You can NEVER go wrong with a Kresley Cole book, whether it be a paranormal romance or an erotic romance. When Cole puts pen to paper, magic happens EVERY SINGLE TIME!

*Gifted copy provided by the author in exchange for an honest review*

I was one of those Kresley Cole fans who watched the clock and counted down to the release of this book because I really liked The Professional but I LOVED The Master. Kat/Lucia is one of my favorite characters of all time. "If you eat my food you will have an orgasm espontania!" LOL.

I was really looking forward to Dmitri's story and, frankly, I thought his heroine would be Jess. She's hysterical and it would take an over-the-top alpha man to tame her. I figured Dmitri, especially with his background, would be the one to do it. I felt like Jess would pull him back from the dark side and help him to recapture the joy of life. Oh, well. Sigh.

What I got with this was lackluster Victoria and her con artist family. Meh. Not the con artist part. That could've worked like the heroine in Lothaire and her shady hillbilly family. (But even that was done boringly.) The problem I have with this book is that there's nothing to really make a reader invest in the emotional journey of the main characters. I expected Dmitri's story to be a tear-jerker/laugh-maker. Instead it's just blah.

Very. Disappointing.

But I'm still a Kresley Cole fan and hope for better in her next book.

Yeah so I love Kresley Cole but this was a bomb and a half. The heroine came across like a nervous moron, torn between loyalty to her family and betraying the hero for his millions. The insta-love/obsessive feelings the hero claims to have the second he looked into her blue eyes was just hard to get into. Now, I'm a sucker for immediate intense romance and emotion, but this was overkill. They'd known each for a few days and he talked to her like he was out of his mind in love. Literally. In real life, every woman would want him to see a psych eval, regardless of how gorgeous he is. The Russian accent and his disjointed dialogue had me re-reading, which sucks. And the sexual encounters were more confusing and creepy than sexy. I'm all for a tortured hero but I don't find sexually abused heroes can ever really heal, as I think that's a conflict that is sensitive and hard to overcome, no matter how beautiful/intelligent/compassionate the heroine is. The book was unfortunately all in the heroine's POV and she sucked as a character. For a "grifter", she didn't have much game to me, and her inner dialogue was that of a teenager. Ex: "Monster rock...jackpot.. don't scream...don't scream. Monster rock. MINE." Ugh. I expected better.

Reviewed by Suzanne and posted at Under The Covers Book Blog

So, we come to the final Sevastyan sibling, Dmitri; the mysterious youngest brother of the trio, the brother we have heard about, yet never seen, was he worth waiting two books for? Hell. Yeah. In The Player sets eyes on Victioria “Vice” Valentine and, like his brothers before him, and knows she is his. However, Vice is a con artist from a family of con artists who is in a spot of trouble. Her only way out? Get a big score, and Dmitri seems like a prime target only she gets more than she bargains for. After all, the last thing she should do is fall in love with him.

Someone get me an ice bucket and a fan! I need it after reading The Player, Kresley Cole has made the third book in The Game Maker the sexiest one to date, I’m pretty sure Dmitri and Vice overheated my poor kindle…or maybe they just overheated poor me. I feel sorry for the next guy with a Russian accent that I hear, ‘cos there’s a fair chance he is going to be jumped. I fully expect Cole to get me the bail money, after all it’s all her fault.

The Player has to be my favourite in this series, it has the perfect mix of humour, romance and scorching hot sex, all of which Cole is fantastic is writing and in this book came together really well. This is nothing new and the book was written very much in Cole’s style, yet with Dmitri she has created a hero who was both incredibly vulnerable and undoubtedly lethal and his pursuit of Vice was both beautifully tender and crazy aggressive and this very contradictory blend of features and actions made him irresistible. I’ve already mentioned how hot the sex was between them, but it bears repeating, the chemistry between them was fantastic, they sizzled together right from the very start. All of which led to some incredibly delicious scenes between them, scenes that were more than just body part a inserts to body part b, it was sexy not only because what they were doing, but because they were with eachother.

This is such a great book, my favourite in the series although, but if you haven’t started The Game Maker series yet it reads well as a standalone; it isn’t necessary to have read the previous books to understand what is happening. If you want something sexy and funny then I highly recommend you pick this up, it is one of my favourite reads of the year so far!

I don't give many 5 star reviews because, frankly, there aren't that many books worth 5 stars. At least not that I've read over the past two years.

This book is the exception. Not only well-written, with fully developed characters, rich plot and pithy dialogue, it was error free, completely.

The straightforward plot had me hooked from the beginning, even though I was uncomfortable with the con artist lingo. It took me a while to get into it. But once I was, I was able to relax and watch Victoria do her magic, and get one tall, dark Russian, to fall into her snare. Dmitri didn't stand a chance.

Or did he?

The mystery, the revealing, the scattering of little bits of information, just enough to keep me reading...all perfectly executed by a gifted story-teller. I won't soon forget the shocker of an ending.

Like a friend said, "In real life, this screams restraining order, but here, panty-melting." She's so right.

I'm going to read the first two of her books. I'm a new fan of Ms. Cole.

Well that was quite well done. I did not want to read this at first because I hate stories that have basis on cons and lies. I understand there's always a conflict to be resolved but I do not appreciate it when there is a deliberate attempt to con the hero or heroine. I was cringing throughout 3/4 of the story because I felt like out of the three brothers, Dmitri was the most broken one and surely did not deserve to taken for a ride. But I wanted to see how the trilogy will be concluded and KC is certaibly good at keeping the reader on her toes! This story unravelled and my stress with how it will play out was rewarded in the end although I actually felt our h should have showed more compassion and stronger feelings for our broken hero. More like a 3.5 for me (I rarely give a 5). I just skip through most of the steamy scenes because sometimes, you just want more of a story, more interaction beyond sex, more happenings and such.

This is another one of those guilty pleasure, smutty-licious book that doesn't have a big story arc, but I still devoured it nonetheless. I absolutely love the final plot twist presented by Kresley Cole, it was simply a brilliant way to end the story.

Victoria Valentine is a con woman from a family of con artist. Kresley introduced us to some slang and terms in their grifter world and make me fall for Victoria's family. Being under pressure to settle her father's debt, Victoria and her family members are hard pressed for money and when a certain Russian billionaire set his eye on her, Victoria is adamant to milk-cow him.

Dmitri Sevastyan is the youngest brother of the Sevastyan's family. Although both the elder brothers from the series make a small appearance, you can still enjoy this book as a standalone. For those who are new to the series or like me, being a forgetful person, Dmitri's eccentricity and his secrecy past serve as quite a suspense. A lot of thing that he did simply doesn't make sense and initially I chalked it up to his weird personality, but towards the end everything is explained well. His character is simply too adorable for me not to love, despite his craziness and obsession.

Dmitri is so smitten with Victoria on first sight. For a man who keep brushing off other women, I looking for the truth of his obsessiveness. His love for Victoria know no bounds and the flowery prose expression of his feelings left me weak knees. Only a Russian can said such a thing without making me feel like sugar overdosed.

"Each minute I spend with you, I crave a thousand more. I wake and see your head on my chest, and I feel as if I live within a fantasy."

Victoria was feeling flabbergasted and flattered at the same time. It also helps that the crazy man is a Russian Billionaire for Godsake. I mean, how lucky can she be? He is also hot and awesome in the sack. Jackpot! Though I find it a bit too much of a coincidence that all the Sevastyan brothers are into BDSM.

Throughout the story, Victoria is having a mental dilemma between enjoying her new beau and finding a way to con his money. But no matter how much dilemma she is in, I never once dislike her. She is the kind of heroine that make you rooting for her and confident that she is going to do the right thing in the end.

"I'd rather have an honest madman than a sane liar."

About the ending and the final plot twist. All I can said is bravo to Kresley Cole. I didn't see it a mile coming. It was simply brilliant and I'm sad to see this series end. I hope that she will consider a spin off series for Victoria's family. I feel that there are too many unresolved issue there. *wink wink*

I expected smoking hot from the first two books but this one surprised me. Not that it wasn't hot - that it was, very much so, oh boy! - but there was so much story around that! And a deep, gripping, tearjerking story, one so tragic you knew from the very beginning it could impossibly have a good ending but you hoped against hope the whole time.
Victoria - Vice - was so loveable, so charming and cute in her grifter ways and her insecurities and the deep loyalty she has for her family. But Dmitri... he intrigued me all along and I fell for him in this book, hard and fast. He's compelling, so very believable and understandable and irresistable too, their story is a whirlwind and a rollercoaster and I had to force myself to stop reading once in a while to get some sleep and to prolong the pleasure (something he is a master of...). Once again Kresley Cole took my expectations and pulverized them into adoring bits of reader's joy. Can we get more? Karen maybe? I'd LOVE it!

4.5 stars

The Player, the final installment in the Game Maker series is one steamy-a** read and will no doubt be a fan favorite, but then really - what would you expect from another one of those hotter than sin Sevastyan brothers? Not only did Kresley Cole make good on her promise to be the sexiest book she’s ever written, it’s also the most intense, and that intensity lasted throughout. Once I started this book, it KILLED me to have to put it down. Sleep is overrated, I couldn’t agree more.

Vice (Victoria) is a con artist who works for the family business in Vegas. One of their cons landed them in deep with a notorious cartel. In a last-ditch effort to settle the very large debt owed them before the deadly deadline, Vice is asked to scope out the rich, sexy Russian, Dmitri. Since she’s had trouble with her last five cons, she’s starting to doubt herself and her abilities to seal the deal, so she’s determined to get his attention and prove her value to her family. What she doesn’t know is he’s already set his sights on HER. From the very moment he sees her, he’s willing to do anything to make her, his. Oh, you sweet cray-cray man.

Let the games begin!

Anyone who has read the first two books knows Dmitri has a dark and gloomy troubled past. Patiently waiting for his book and full backstory has been short of excruciating. Not only did I want to know his tormented past, I wanted him to find someone who could bring him out of the darkness, love and understand him (thank you Vice). I guess you could say I’m a total sucker for a tortured hero, and KC wrote the perfect one. Of course, he wouldn’t be half as interesting if he wasn’t also possessive, domineering, jealous, and demanding. Yes, he’s all those things, but oh so much more. His ability to trust, and the level of trust he’s capable of showing after all he’d been through, floored me. His giving, caring and sweet sides are reasons enough to fall completely in love with him, but you’re in store for much more from this multi-layered complex character.

Shady meets crazy indeed!

I adore Kresley’s sense of humor and her imagination. She took a somewhat crazy, geeky, sexy, eccentric, self-made billionaire with ties to the Russian mob and made me fall in total flove with him. Not to mention, a beautiful, shady con artist who was really protective of her man, before he was HER man. Their journey is emotional, unconventional and seems to be on the fast-track, but never fear, these two are PERFECT for each other and the torridity of their nakey times will leave you fanning and panting all the way to your SO or the sex store, whichever one you can get to first. Seriously, it’s what the naughtiest fantasies are made of.

I loved this story, but I have a confession to make. It threw me for an unexpected loop. Half way through I presumed to have it figured out, then changed my mind, then was shocked at the end with the twisty-twist. The fact it was unpredictable added to the enjoyment of the journey. I’m also not happy about this being the end of the series. For one, I’ve fallen in love with ALL the Sevastyan boys, their mates, families, and friends. Hint-Hint, Jess deserves her own book dang it! And two, KC has got this whole EROTIC thing down. Why stop with just three books? I needs more!

The Player can be a standalone book, but listen to me when I say, you DO NOT want to miss the first two. The entire series is hexing and addictive, full of emotion, humor and steam, and Kresley Cole is a genius user of words.

Review copy provided for an honest review.

Running a con always has its risks. For Victoria, the pressure is on to secure the con of all cons. With her family in danger, Vice is determined to secure the funds needed to keep her family safe from harm. All sights are set on scamming none other than Dmitri Sevastyan. However - tangling with the Russian billionaire might prove more difficult than Vice could have imagined.

When you are at the ‘top’ you should have a life that everyone envies. For Dmitri, all the money in the world couldn’t buy him the one thing he so desperately desires. The one person that completes him…..the true love that he so desperately seeks. Time and time again, Dmitri finds himself rejecting each of the women that throw themselves at the handsome Russian’s feet. Then Vice walked into his life and everything changed.

Dmitri is immediately smitten with Victoria. Determined to show her all the temptations he has to offer. With all of her secrets on the line, Vice rushes into the biggest pay day her family has ever known. A quickie wedding with Dmitri will remove her family from harms way. What started out as a con is now turning into something with so much depth that Vice is second guessing her feelings.

Dmitri happens to be keeping a few secrets of his own. Secrets that threaten to upend his relationship with Vice. Will their newfound romance withstand all of the obstacles in the way? Was the fairy tale too good to believe? Only time will tell…..

Oh Dmitri….I have waited for your story for so long!!! It has felt like an eternity since I spent time with your brothers. Your story….it was sooooooo worth the wait!!

First let me say….I have seriously loved every single book in the Game Maker series! Now Dmitri has drawn me in with his strength and determination to obtain what he wants….at any cost. For fans of the series, you will once again discover why Kresley Cole is such a great writer. These rugged and sexy Russians know how to please their women….Dmitri is no exception! Victoria is one of the most unique characters. Everything about her is out of the norm and it completes Dmitri in every way. She knows first hand what it’s like to have nothing, and enjoys relishing in a man that truly showers her with adoration. This couple is one for the ‘books’. Make sure you check it out! I promise….Dmitri gives his brothers a run for the money in the bedroom!!

I loved this third installment in the Game Maker series. First I have to tell you that at the beginning I was not too fond on Victoria. I didn’t like the fact that she and her family played Dmitri this way. Even knowing she was acting in the interest of the con and what was at stake, I just didn’t care. But then she redeemed herself and I realized this was just part of the plot and not the core of the story. Slowly but surely I grew attached to her.

Victoria (aka Vice) is a con artist. She’s caring, loyal to a fault and when she open her heart to another she does so for life. She was raised to believe that fairy tale doesn’t exist and that if something seems to good to be true, it is. She is afraid and always waiting for the other shoe to drop. She’s think that she’s only meant for a grifter.

Dmitri is so PERFECT! He’s a complicated and intriguing billionaire tech genius. He’s real, genuinely nice and honest (almost ), so thoughtful and generous.
Sometimes all dominant and confident, at other times so vulnerable. He’s totally obsessed with Victoria and determined to give her the world. And he’s so HOT…

Their pull towards one another is primal, carnal, sexy as hell, and when they give in to the chemistry between them, the ground shakes, continents move. HOLY HOTNESS!

Nothing but the best with this author. This book will get under your skin and there will not be a damn thing you can do about it. This book will crush you emotionally just reading it.

There is nothing sugar-coated in this book. This story is raw, wild and sensationally pure and I loved every second of it.

Victoria and Dmitri’s story will take you on a crazy ride. Brace yourselves because this book will rock your world!

I’m totally addicted to this SIZZLING series and to the incredible Sevastyan brothers (Maksim will always be my favorite). Kresley Cole is a gifted and brillant author with a flawless writing style. The Game Maker Series is one of my all time favorite. I was eager to read each and every one of them. An absolute MUST READ!

REVIEW: The Player (The Game Maker Series, Book 3) by Kresley Cole [...]
Publication Date: April 12, 2016
Genre: Erotica/ Contemporary Romance
Reviewed by: Reading in Pajamas/ Cori
Rated: 5 Stars

I loved The Player! The youngest Sevastyan brother just beat out his older brothers. He’s my new favorite and I didn’t think that was possible because I adored Maks in The Master last year. Each book in this series has made my list of favorites. They each feature a sexy Sevastyan brother and a feisty female heroine that leads them on a merry chase and wins their hearts. It was so much fun to read Dmitri and Vice’s book. Dmitri is a sexy billionaire software genius and Vice is a con artist from a whole family of con artists. Together they’re explosive! The heat scorched up the pages and the banter between the characters made me smile. I just loved everything about this book and I hope there will be a spin off series featuring some of the secondary characters. Go grab a copy of The Player and devour it now!

*Review copy provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.

I absolutely LOVE this series! The first book? Amazing. The second book? Beyond fabulous (and one of my all-time favorites). The third and last in the series? Fantastic and quite surprising! I will say this - Kresley Cole has captured my heart with all three of these Russian Mafiya boys and hasn't let go! While The Master (Book #2) is 100% my favorite, this last book really got to me. It pulled at so many emotions throughout that I really wasn't sure which way was up and and which way was down.

I definitely had a love/hate relationship with the h, Victoria (Vika). Actually, more hate than love if I'm being honest. She was infuriating and I felt a crazy need in wanting to protect the H, Dimitri (I know, sounds delusional, right? Well, it is!). That is one of the supreme talents of this author...to make you feel like you are actually a part of the book and entwined in the characters' lives. That is also why I will read all three of these books again...and again...and again!

Amazing job with The Player - PLEASE give us more of Aleks, Maksim, and Dimitri!!!

The third installment of The Game Maker Series follows the youngest brother Dmitri, who isn’t all together sane.  His complete and total obsession with Victoria would be freighting in any other circumstances; yet, make him a billionaire, her a con artist and she is going to put up with his crazy, because she need his money.   

“I’d rather have an honest madman than a sane liar.”

Victoria struggles with the con from the beginning.  She starts to have feelings for Dmitri almost immediately, and her conscious is working against her.  She doesn’t want to con him; yet, her family has got themselves into such a bad situation to the point to where they have no other choice.  She has to go through with it; no matter what.

This series has been incredibly erotic, and The Player is no exception to that.   The sex scenes are downright panty melting.  Out of all three books this has been my least favorite, but not by much.  I am still giving it 4 Boundless stars.  I just like the other two more....Sara

This was my least favorite of the series .. but it was more because Dimitri was not very Alpha for me .. at some point he seems to flat and also the heroines was not very mmm how can i say, i felt like there was not a point you can actually see and feel their love or connection ... i won't say anything bad .. because i don't have nothing bad to say on the contrary this book was good i just missed somethings but still i love the series and it was nice reading the conclusion .. i just wish Dimitri was stronger and more Alpha and Victoria was more into him than in to her family .. other than that i will continue reading more of Kresley books .. she has a new fan ...

I absolutely, positively loved and enjoyed the outstanding and intriguing, amazing, romantic novel by the wonderfully, talented Kresley Cole.
Victoria Valentine comes from a family of con artists and has set her sights on the elusive Russian billionaire, Dmitri Sevastyan. Dmitri's attraction to Victoria leads both of them to intimacy and a relationship. As Victoria's feelings for Dmitri deepen, she doesn't want Dmitri to find out about her past. Meanwhile, Dmitri realizes that he needs to share some secrets with Victoria but feels apprehensive.
Read the highly recommended, beautifully written, must read, erotic love story of Victoria and Dmitri.

This book should've been called The Long Con!

The Player is the hottest book in The Game Maker trilogy! Kresley Cole is one of my favorite authors and everything and I'll read anything she writes. Cause I know she can write a clever plot and tell a story like nobody else, she's AMAZING.

Victoria and Dmitri are a strong couple, I didn't think I'd like them much in the begining. Dialogue is so good, one of Kresley's strong points and of course sex is SO off the chats!. There's also a nice twist that you won't see coming. I loved saying goodbye to this series after having a glimpse of what the previous characters were up to!

I can't say enough about Kresley Cole!!! She is an amazing writer and this book was no exception. I have read the first two stories in this series and I have to say this one was my favorite. Dimitri and Vice's story was so HOT! I couldn't put this book down! And the storyline was so different from anything I've read before. I w o hold give this book 100 Stars if I could that's how much I enjoyed this book. You don't have too read the other stories in this series to read this one, I would recommend you do though. Get your copy today it will be worth the money and your time.

I tried -- I really did! I just never felt their connection. WAY too instalove for me. In only a very few occasions have I been ok with "love at first sight" type situations, and it didn't work for me at all in this one. I kept on getting distracted and bored with my reading, but I kept at it. Honestly, the sex is pretty hot -- so there is that. That might have been the reason I held on so long. I had huge issues with the h being so dishonest. The H obviously adored her, so I didn't see why she had to keep up the grifter act!! He probably would've handed over whatever she needed without any hesitation! But no! I imagine this will be the source for drama later in the story, but I'm over it so much that I really don't care to find out...

First off, I love Kresley Cole, I love this series and I really loved this book!!

Usually half way through a book I can figure out what is going on and what the ending will be. This one blew me away as I had no idea the plot turn that was going to take place. I have always heard that you can't con a conman (con-woman) but this book threw that idea out the window. Love love love Dimitri and pretty little Vice, you got conned!! God, did I mention I love this book?

Loved it! Loved it! Loved it! However, "the twist" was pretty predictable. The only things that I didn't see coming were the setting up the ex and emailing the ex part. But the book and Dima are so freaking adorable that I don't mind the predicable "twist"! I have no complains with this book. Actually I never have complaints with KC. Brilliant story and hero as usual. The chemistry between the two, hero being the perfect husband *sigh* Dima is my second best hero after Sebastian *drool*
This was just the book I needed to settle my mind after reading a s***ty book about a s***ty cheating hero! Finally, I can study in peace. Yes, the only author whose books I read even when I have my finals coming up.
Thank you so so much KC! Don't ever stop writing! Can't wait for more books from this awesome author.

We can all agree that the plot of this story is completely preposterous, right? I mean, it's next-level preposterous, and this is coming from someone who loves Kresley's IAD series, featuring vampires, werewolves, demons, and all sorts of otherwordly entities. But, Kresley's stories are always fun, and even when I found myself laughing at some of the more ridiculous scenes ("Take my credit card, darling. You didn't spend enough money yesterday. I just earned another billion dollars. Spend more. MORE! You're not trying to spend frivolously enough!), she still swept me along.

BTW, I know a hallmark of all of Kresley's male characters is extreme possessiveness (not my cup of tea, but that's OK), but Dmitri was just too much. Beating Victoria's ex, bloodying his hands from pounding walls, and extreme stalking of Victoria, etc. Let's dial it back a bit next time, OK, Kresley?

I gave this book 2 stars because I generally LOVE Ms. Cole's other books, especially the IAD series! I figured out the "twist" to this story in the second chapter. I was disappointed to have to wait until the very end of the book for her to spit out why everything was happening and was under impressed with the explanation. There was no connection between these characters unless you consider intent to defraud sexy. Me? Not so much. I just couldn't work up any sympathy or empathy for either of the lead characters. This book left me wanting more and I didn't get it. Oh well. There's always the next book to look forward to!

The only reason I gave this three stars is because I felt guilty enough not giving Kresley Cole the usual five stars. The first two books were amazing! My favorite being the master.. this book was just disappointing. Maybe it was because I thought Vice was annoying or that I had no sympathy for her family (who screwed themselves over imo) but I stopped reading halfway through.

Bravo Kresley Cole!!!!! You have a fan for life. I love this Series and each book has it's own twists and turns. The Player was no different, I was all in. I love the story and as all ways I found myself being not wanting to put the book down.

I am not into Kresley Coles other books. I read the 1st and 2nd book in this series. This one is my least favorite of the three. I loved the master the best. This one just didn't do it for me. I thought he was way too obsessed with this girl, like a stalker. The female didn't have enough spunk for me that Lucia had with Maks for the master. I had trouble getting through this book, i would end up putting it down and reading something different, then picking it back up again. I wasn't expecting the twist at the end, but it made him look even more crazy. I was really hoping this book would be better

I have read every single K. Cole book, and I've loved them. This book however was a huge let down. The first two books in the series were fabulous. I couldn't wait for final in the trilogy to come out. This character was nothing like his brothers. Dmitri is a big dud. He came off as so insecure that the ending did not mesh with his character through out the book. Severely disappointed.

disappointing end to a trilogy. really wouldve benefited from dual POVs. h was pretty lame. H really needed to tell his side cuz he jus comes across as over the top crazyness. also these types of storiez always havs the" big problem " for h/H to overcome and there jyst wasnt one here. not worth $4. take my advice n skip this one y'alls! just b happy with the first 2 books!