Review: I want to play whatever game Julian Harte wants to play! Scorching hot story.
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 02 27, 2014
*ARC provided for honest review* For unedited review and much more juiciness: [...]Yum...mysterious businessman, sex god, who loves to play games! What more can you ask for? Welcome to the ultimate game of the heart...indeed! This book had me reading until 3:00 a.m. without a second thought. The storyline was intriguing and Julian Harte was a tasty treat wrapped in a suit. Julian didn't only plays games, he was a thief as well, because he stole my heart and knickers all in one swoop. Eva was but a shy wallflower, going unnoticed by everyone, until she unknowingly caught someone's eye. She gets entangled in a web of lust, games, and confusion by the mysterious Julian Harte.Eva made a somewhat uncharacteristic and impulsive decision one day while scrolling the internet, which led her to chatting with a male escort. She was desperate to break from her sheltered mold, and she had set the upcoming ball for her work as her unavailing of sorts. Julian Harte was immediately intrigued by Eva and wanted to see her inner confidence blossom. He was straight forward with her about his love for playing games and reminded her she was a willing participant. The emotions that Julian provoked from her were undeniably intense and exciting, but also scared her at the same time.Eva's deep seeded insecurities stem from a troubling past that she tries very hard to leave behind her. Julian's ploys help her to overcome some of those demons, while having the hottest sex of her life on top of it all. Well that all sounds fantastic right...a win win? Unfortunately her feelings catch up with her, and she struggles to stay ahead of all these games. She begins to question if she can continue to play this risky game when her heart was beginning to become an unwilling participant.Julian outwardly seemed to be in compete control of his life and emotions, but buried deep within was a battered heart. Eva wanted to be the one to help mend those pieces, but he would have to let her in to do so, which was something he refused to do. Meanwhile, her mysterious boss suddenly takes a surprising interest in her, and things become twisted and tangled. Julian is both good and bad for her. How does she decide what is best for her? When she thinks she has a grasp on the game, she gets thrust into yet another unknown direction. Everything seemed to lead up to the ball becoming the place for the last showdown to commence. All the foreshadowing parts of the game come together that night. Will everything finally come together, or will it just lead to more games and questions?Who needs a prince, when you got a sexy as sin, broken bad boy?! Believe me I love a good fixer upper, but Julian was hell bent that he couldn't be fixed. He was so focused on fixing Eva, that she really didn't stand a chance at helping him, not while she was still broken that is.This book was a fantastic switch up from what I have been reading lately. I thoroughly enjoyed Julian and the connection that he and Eva shared. When they came together, they ignited the pages with a fiery inferno. I thought the concept of his game was a good one for the the most part. There were times, mainly towards the end, that it got a bit too much with the rules an the whole concept in general. The other part that bugged me a bit, was the whole office dynamic with the women so willingly signing up to be used. I guess it's my inner Sheera within, that thought the whole idea that at the ball a woman was chosen to be an object was chauvinistic and a bit farfetched. Oh, and I immediately figured out the main mystery in the book, but I didn't really mind it being obvious because I didn't sign up for a mystery thriller. These things are easily overlooked though, because the rest of the story was enthralling and kept me reading late into the wee hours of the night. Hold on tight to your lady birches, because Julian Harte is set on melting them right off! I can't wait for the next book in the series. Be sure to keep your eye out on this series and amazing author.Find me at: [...]Blog: [...]