Review: Even though I had a hard time with this read, I still want the next bit of story.
Rating: 3 out of 5
Date: 01 7, 2014
I'm having difficulty in deciding a rating for Theirs to Play.  There were aspects to it I loved and aspects that had me cringing.  Let's start with the good.I absolutely love this concept.  I have no problem imaging rich, entitled, self absorbed playboy types betting with young women's hearts.  Though I can't say I would condone it, I can't help but find it totally interesting.  And...well, if you're fool enough to fall for the game..hey, maybe you deserved the hard life lesson that follows.Dawn isn't fool enough though.  She knows all too well how this game works and her snappy attitude was another of the things I loved.  She played along with Max and Freddy only enough to get a few luxury dates out of it but never willingly serving up her heart as the prize. I also love that she isn't your typical, twig thin, model like, perfect heroine.Freddy and Max, on paper, seem like interesting guys.  Faulty and emotionally damaged but interesting.  Freddy seems generally just lost in life with only a need for self satisfaction and caring for Max.  Max is a gambling addict with little other interest in life, it's all about winning.So, here is what did not work for me.I found a strange disconnect in the boys.  They are late twenties, if memory serves, yet their actions felt much younger.  However, on the flip side, their mannerisms and speech felt stuffy and old all too often.  Now, I don't frequently hang out with the rich and privileged, so maybe this is right on.  It just felt weird, it was a large hang up for me.  I'm a character driven reader and I just could not get enough of a handle on these two to care as much I should.This is not normally an issue I bring up when I get an ARC for review, but this one really needed a good polish from a thorough editor.  I understand random mistakes, we all make them, but there were several reoccurring  ones that just became distracting for me.  Again, I'll blame this on my disconnect with the characters.  Had I fallen into their world easier, these errors would have been easier to overlook.Now, here is the thing.  Even though I had a hard time with this read, I still want the next bit of story.  Do you see my dilemma here?  How do I rate a book I didn't really feel, but want more of? Yeah, I don't know either, so we'll middle of the road it with a 2.5 and keep fingers crossed for stronger delivery in book two.