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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 the story of the Sevastyan brothers really nicely.

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.

Victoria is from a long line of grifters. Well ensconced into the family business she considers herself a ‘confidence artist’, 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.

I would so fake-flirt with this Russian, in order to manipulate him into fake near-sex situations.
I would be perfect for a milk-cow, because I didn’t lose control sexually, even when I was supposed to.

As experienced as she is at her ‘job’, Victoria has no clue what she’s 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.

“There are two things you should know about me, Victoria. One, I will play games with you.”
Warmth flooded my body, centering between my thighs. I swallowed. “What’s the other thing, big guy?”
He palmed the back of my head, drawing me close. Yet then he hesitated, as if relishing that he was about to kiss me. “You will like my games.”

Yes, it’s 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’s 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.

“You know that I’m not for sale, right?”
“I know. Or I would have already bought you.”
I grinned, thinking he was kidding, but he just stared into my eyes.
Too intense! So I tried a playful turn. “And what would you do if you owned me?” I tweaked his strong chin. “Would I be your slave?”
He shook his head. “I would free you, Victoria. And then I would buy you the entire goddamned world.”

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’t know how to deal with people but is so enamoured with Victoria that he puts himself right out there for her, and doesn’t care a bit.

“You must be leaving Vegas soon.”
He seemed to be weighing his words. Finally he said, “Not without you.”
My jaw slackened.
“That was one of those things I should haven’t said aloud, isn’t it?”
Red flags waved all over the place. “This is going too fast.” I struggled for equilibrium.
“Compared to most other couples? Yes. But you and I are both aware of what’s happening.”
I sputtered, “Spell it out for me, big guy.”
“You are going to be mine,” he said. “Exclusively. You’re as good as already.”

Yes, things move quickly, but he’s 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’s one that she can’t 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.

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’s 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.

“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 levelled his spellbinding gaze on my face. “When you’ve been in the dark as long as I have, moy angel, there is no mistaking the light.”

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’t 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’s all very hot, but I didn’t feel the warmth between them and it just felt like the story was missing something.

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!

“Over the last year, I have thrown myself and every other available woman at that man. But he turned this”—she waved at her spectacular figure—“down. Repeatedly. Pickiest guy ever. Yet now he can’t take his eyes off his new ‘date’. “You’ve beaten out millions. Tell me, was it as simple as swallowing?”
I snapped my gaze to her. “I met him fifteen minutes ago.”
Jessica nodded. “In those fifteen minutes, did you happen to swallow?”

This isn’t my favourite book of the series, but I still enjoyed it, and I’m so glad that Dmitri get his happy ending.

3.5 stars.

 

The Game Maker series