Customer Reviews

The Master Player (Harlequin Larger Print Presents)

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Pros: The book was cheaper than many of the other books. The pet's name and reason for choosing the name melted my heart. The sex scenes were erotic. No disappointment there.

Cons: The hero had an air of being a total manipulative cad, which carried throughout the entire book. He used women for his sexual pleasure yet the reader is left to believe he has developed feelings for Chloe. He even went as far as saying he had to make her believe she came to the decision herself when it was in fact him pulling the strings behind the scenes. Manipulation is not romantic. How do these books get published? At the end of chapter 5, he actually thought the words "he had won and she was his for the taking," and the demise of her marriage was just a convenient opportunity to seize whatever advantage he could. That sounds more like a predatory, stalker-ish, villain rather than a white knight savior. Half way through the book, it makes you wish Chloe would listen to only half the things her vitriolic ex-husband and despicable mother had to say.

The swiftness in which he broke off another "relationship" (and I use that term loosely) was cold and unfeeling. One could only conclude that once he captured his prey and grew tired of Chloe, she too would fall into the same fate. She wanted a baby so naturally he decided to substitute it with a pet to give her something to look after. How condescending! Even though the pet became an integral part of the story, I think the author could have found a better way of making an introduction.

Her mother was a hateful stage mother. Some of her Mother's words expressed the exact sentiment that crossed the reader's mind even if her delivery was less than nice. The ex-personal assistant was a rotten hussy and the ex-husband was no less worse. There were so many characters to dislike in this book and they kept popping back up just when you think they were gone for good. They became irritating.

I kept reading the book with the hope that the story had to get better. Then, the manipulation turned into downright possessiveness. Max's actions had all the makings of a stalker. Even though he knew his actions were wrong (the one time he had some self introspection), he still proceeded with his master plan. He even renamed her in his mind. That was weird! In the end, I was left conflicted wondering if he was really a changed man or he just had a deep seated need to win. The epilogue was kinda sad too.

I found this book to be very sweet. Chloe is a child star who grew up under the thumb of a tyrant. Her evolution was wonderful. She never came off as naive, just resigned. When Max provided her with an opportunity to get her own life, she grabbed it with both hands. I loved how much he wanted her, but was careful to allow her to find her own independence. This is a good read.