The Master (The Game Maker) – book review

The Master
by Kresley Cole
Release Date: February 17, 2015
Publisher: Gallery Books
Book #2 in The Game Maker series
Number of Pages:  417
Kindle
Source:  MCL
Erotic Romance/BDSM
Ages 18 and up
CW: kidnapping, murder, dub con, intense sexual situations, child abuse

A need colder than Siberian winter meets an attitude hotter than the Florida sun in #1 New York Times bestselling author Kresley Cole’s sultry new Game Maker novel.

Everyone fears the Master…
Rich, irresistible politician/Mafya boss Maksimilian Sevastyan prefers tall, obedient blondes to fulfill his… complicated desires. That is, until the icy Russian encounters a disobedient brunette whose exquisite little body threatens his legendary restraint.

Except her.
Catarina Marín was a well-off young wife until her world fell apart. Now she’s hiding out, forced to start working as an escort in Miami. Her very first client is beyond gorgeous, but when he tells her what he plans to do to her, Cat almost walks out of the door.

If pleasure is a game, play to win.
After their mind-blowing encounter burns out of control, the lovers crave more. If they escape the deadly threats surrounding them, can Maksim overcome his past—to offer Cat his future? Only then will she tempt him with what he really wants: her, all tied up with a bow

This story is a crazy rollercoaster of a ride. It’s intense and heartbreaking and hopeful. Over and over I wanted to hate Maxim, over and over he made me care for him. I’m sure with the way my feelings were being stretched and changed as the book progressed, Cat’s had to be even more.

The root of the problems with this couple is distrust. They don’t trust each other at all…with good reason. The thing is, they are both actually trustworthy people if you are part of their inner circle. They just have to be open to the changes that are inevitable, to the real feeling they are having and giving into them.

Make no mistake, Maxim is often a jerk. Even as he’s starting to trust Cat, he still doesn’t believe Cat. I know that sounds counterintuitive, and it is. He has a mental block to seeing beyond things being black and white. And he’s most definitely not used to being wrong so finds it hard to admit when he makes mistakes.

Cat is so strong and so focused on what needs to be done, she almost forgets that there are people in this world that will actually help others. She has so many good reasons to NOT trust, but she will have to eventually stop running and start fighting back. She has the brains and attitude; she just needs to find the courage. Her little quick-money favor for her friend could derail her plans, but it could also get her on the right path to finally shed her past.

The moments when Maxim showed his tender side were the best. He melted my heart whenever we were given a look at the real person inside his façade. I was rooting for him to overcome the past and let some of those walls down. I was also rooting for Cat to open up and get the help she needed. These two are perfect for each other, which was obvious to everyone from the very beginning.

It seems that the Sevastyan brother who will have the most traumatic story will be Dmitri. While I’m looking forward to his story and for him to find peace, I’m dreading his story because I know it’ll be brutal. It’s a good thing I trust this author so much.

4.5 stars