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lakea's review against another edition
4.0
Really great book and a plot that was unique (imho) for a romance novel. Another reviewer likened this to Oceans 11 meets Romance and I’d have to agree.
There were some issues with spelling ( homophones can be tricky and spellcheck ignores them). There was a scene that I found confusing. Ro was in the shower and suddenly his brother was there, then his uncle was there? That’s a very friendly family! It felt like a scene was deleted for some strange reason and then never fixed.
All in all, enjoyable book!
There were some issues with spelling ( homophones can be tricky and spellcheck ignores them). There was a scene that I found confusing. Ro was in the shower and suddenly his brother was there, then his uncle was there? That’s a very friendly family! It felt like a scene was deleted for some strange reason and then never fixed.
All in all, enjoyable book!
lenoreo's review against another edition
3.0
https://celebrityreaders.com/2017/05/16/the-prince-the-player-by-tia-louise/
3.5 stars -- This one started a bit slower for me, I was enjoying it, but it wasn't blowing me away. It ended with a blast though! It just sped right up and kind of overwhelmed me! But strangely, even though it ends on a cliffhanger, I haven't decided if I'll continue. Probably not. While I thought the plot/action was very intriguing, I wasn't completely sold on the romance and characters, which are kind of the things that most draw me into a story.
I had a few problems with the romance, and I think one of those problems stems from the fact that there are TWO love stories in this book, and that while it is dual POV, we get to read from the heroine of ONE COUPLE and the hero of the OTHER COUPLE. Which is kind of cool and unique, but ultimately not satisfying for me. Basically I didn't really get to focus on either couple well enough, and since I didn't get to see both sides of each love, I didn't really buy into the emotions necessarily. Obviously some romances are written in single POV, so you don't need to see both sides to buy a love, but then the author really needs to show me what the other half is feeling through our POVs eyes, kwim? Does that make sense? And I really did not get a feel for what Cal or Ava were feeling... Ava maybe a bit moreso, but honestly I felt like I didn't really get much from that love story at all, it felt more pushed to the background. So it kind of felt unnecessary.
And BOTH couples suffered from a lot of lust that didn't transform into love for me at all. I guess Ms. Louise was trying to go for insta-love or something, and I definitely felt the lust, but I have NO IDEA what drew them to each other (BOTH COUPLES) other than physical attraction. I guess I don't mind that quite as much if we get that development later in the relationship, like I'll give it a pass. But I NEVER really got a feel for what they were so infatuated with wrt their partner, besides the physical attraction. I really needed more emotion. Maybe it's because the love story I felt I got more of was Zee and Cal, and he was just so blunt and dirty talking and kind of forceful, that I didn't understand what made Zee different to him than the others.
And I guess that's the other thing. While I didn't dislike any of the main characters, I also did not fall in love with any of them. They were all ok, but maybe because the narrative was split between 4 main characters, I never really got a lot of development of any of them. And I must say that they all acted a lot younger than their ages. The girls felt like teenagers (particularly Ava, who is supposed to be 21), and the boys felt like college age. *shrugs* Which, some people really do behave that way at those ages, but I don't understand why in their particular case.
And while I felt like Zee was a bit naive with Reggie, I did end up enjoying the suspense and action that the book ended with. I was on the edge of my seat wanting to see how it was going to play out.
So yeah. Not a bad book, just didn't have enough of what *I* personally enjoy the most in my favourite books to keep me captivated. Oh well, not every book is a match for every reader.
3.5 stars -- This one started a bit slower for me, I was enjoying it, but it wasn't blowing me away. It ended with a blast though! It just sped right up and kind of overwhelmed me! But strangely, even though it ends on a cliffhanger, I haven't decided if I'll continue. Probably not. While I thought the plot/action was very intriguing, I wasn't completely sold on the romance and characters, which are kind of the things that most draw me into a story.
I had a few problems with the romance, and I think one of those problems stems from the fact that there are TWO love stories in this book, and that while it is dual POV, we get to read from the heroine of ONE COUPLE and the hero of the OTHER COUPLE. Which is kind of cool and unique, but ultimately not satisfying for me. Basically I didn't really get to focus on either couple well enough, and since I didn't get to see both sides of each love, I didn't really buy into the emotions necessarily. Obviously some romances are written in single POV, so you don't need to see both sides to buy a love, but then the author really needs to show me what the other half is feeling through our POVs eyes, kwim? Does that make sense? And I really did not get a feel for what Cal or Ava were feeling... Ava maybe a bit moreso, but honestly I felt like I didn't really get much from that love story at all, it felt more pushed to the background. So it kind of felt unnecessary.
And BOTH couples suffered from a lot of lust that didn't transform into love for me at all. I guess Ms. Louise was trying to go for insta-love or something, and I definitely felt the lust, but I have NO IDEA what drew them to each other (BOTH COUPLES) other than physical attraction. I guess I don't mind that quite as much if we get that development later in the relationship, like I'll give it a pass. But I NEVER really got a feel for what they were so infatuated with wrt their partner, besides the physical attraction. I really needed more emotion. Maybe it's because the love story I felt I got more of was Zee and Cal, and he was just so blunt and dirty talking and kind of forceful, that I didn't understand what made Zee different to him than the others.
And I guess that's the other thing. While I didn't dislike any of the main characters, I also did not fall in love with any of them. They were all ok, but maybe because the narrative was split between 4 main characters, I never really got a lot of development of any of them. And I must say that they all acted a lot younger than their ages. The girls felt like teenagers (particularly Ava, who is supposed to be 21), and the boys felt like college age. *shrugs* Which, some people really do behave that way at those ages, but I don't understand why in their particular case.
And while I felt like Zee was a bit naive with Reggie, I did end up enjoying the suspense and action that the book ended with. I was on the edge of my seat wanting to see how it was going to play out.
So yeah. Not a bad book, just didn't have enough of what *I* personally enjoy the most in my favourite books to keep me captivated. Oh well, not every book is a match for every reader.
reading_with_2_book_lovers's review
4.0
this is a first read for me by tia louise and wow, i loved zee and cals chemistry.
this story is about an ordinary girl going and getting her prince. what a grrat read.
I will definitely be digging into the rest of the series now.
I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book
this story is about an ordinary girl going and getting her prince. what a grrat read.
I will definitely be digging into the rest of the series now.
I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book
reading_with_2_book_lovers's review against another edition
4.0
This is a fab story. I devoured this book highly enjoyed this story
jaimereadsromance's review against another edition
4.0
I realize that this was a book about two couples but I have to admit that I felt more of a connection with Cal and Zee than I did with Rowan and Ava. I suppose it's because I have a tendency to cheer for the underdog and I feel like Zelda definitely has to fight just a little bit harder for things in life. Not just for herself but for her sister whom she's always felt responsible for, while somehow seeming to play second fiddle to. Cal was just a lot more easy-going than Rowan and seemed far more approachable, which made him and Zelda pretty perfect for each other.
Of course the story wouldn't exist if it weren't for Rowan and his future as King of Monagasco and the whole plot from his uncle to oust him so I can't discount Rowan and Ava's importance to the story, I just wasn't as into them as I was their siblings.
Overall this seems like a great start to a new series and I cannot wait to find out where these couples go from here.
*I received an ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review
Of course the story wouldn't exist if it weren't for Rowan and his future as King of Monagasco and the whole plot from his uncle to oust him so I can't discount Rowan and Ava's importance to the story, I just wasn't as into them as I was their siblings.
Overall this seems like a great start to a new series and I cannot wait to find out where these couples go from here.
*I received an ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review
bribookish's review against another edition
5.0
**4.5 stars
Definitely not what I expected this to be. But in a good way. This is told from 2 couple's POV, one male and one female. I usually go into books completely blind because I like not knowing anything. I know, I'm probably weird.
I'm very nervous to see what happens next because it all escalates VERY quickly the last 5 chapters. It definitely leaves on a cliffhanger, but thankfully the second book which releases in a few days, will hopefully clear everything up.
Definitely not what I expected this to be. But in a good way. This is told from 2 couple's POV, one male and one female. I usually go into books completely blind because I like not knowing anything. I know, I'm probably weird.
I'm very nervous to see what happens next because it all escalates VERY quickly the last 5 chapters. It definitely leaves on a cliffhanger, but thankfully the second book which releases in a few days, will hopefully clear everything up.
booksandcoffee415's review against another edition
5.0
Loved every aspect of it, finished the book in about 3-4 days and moved on to the next in the series. I was even reading at work on my lunch break (when I usually watch Netflix) yes, it's that good!
briarsreviews's review against another edition
2.0
The Prince & The Player by Tia Louise was another sexy story full of angst and drama.
I think a big part of why I didn't enjoy this book was the fact that I've been reading too much romance lately - so take that into consideration when reading my opinion. Was this book great? Absolutely! Am I a bit burnt out on romance books? A little.
This book follows Zelda and her little sister Ava. Zee gets involved with a Prince and gets blackmailed. Zelda has to deal with the Prince, her sister and some crazy drama that gets thrown her way from some of the other characters in this story.
I really liked the royal aspect of this story - it's not the typical royal story line that I've been seeing in romance lately. There's a lot of mystery and drama that's mixed in to this book that makes it feel soap opera-like. The scandalous nature of this story also gave it a little extra 'umph' that kept me hooked and reading to the very end.
This is definitely a series to keep your eyes on! Tia Louise is a fantastic writer than brings the sexy heat and ignites the flames on her pages.
Two out of five stars.
I think a big part of why I didn't enjoy this book was the fact that I've been reading too much romance lately - so take that into consideration when reading my opinion. Was this book great? Absolutely! Am I a bit burnt out on romance books? A little.
This book follows Zelda and her little sister Ava. Zee gets involved with a Prince and gets blackmailed. Zelda has to deal with the Prince, her sister and some crazy drama that gets thrown her way from some of the other characters in this story.
I really liked the royal aspect of this story - it's not the typical royal story line that I've been seeing in romance lately. There's a lot of mystery and drama that's mixed in to this book that makes it feel soap opera-like. The scandalous nature of this story also gave it a little extra 'umph' that kept me hooked and reading to the very end.
This is definitely a series to keep your eyes on! Tia Louise is a fantastic writer than brings the sexy heat and ignites the flames on her pages.
Two out of five stars.
sarcrawsh's review against another edition
4.0
3.5 stars. I really enjoyed this story! Well-written, fast-paced, and interesting. The characters are well-developed even though the focus changes swiftly between four people. I'm sad that there is a cliffhanger, but happy to read more of this author.
stephsromancebooktalk's review against another edition
4.0
4.5 Stars / 4 Steam Fans
I did my video review before writing this so I hope my thoughts are similar, LOL. I read this book because I was meeting Tia Louise for like the second or third time without reading a book of hers (shocking!). I think she is a wonder person so I would purchase her books but then not read them (I know bad me). WELL, what was I thinking!! This story really grabbed me with the square concept of the romance two ladies - Ava and Zelda and two royal men - Rowan and MacCallum! Wowzer, I wasn't sure who I was rooting for as this story unfolded. There was a great mix of romance, mystery, scandal, and sexiness that I could not wait to dive into the second book as this one left me on a cliffhanger! This duet has also propelled Tia Louise’s books higher on my massive TBR.
This specific video review will be included in the March 2019 wrap-up.
For other video book reviews check out my YouTube Channel: Steph's Romance Book Talk.
I did my video review before writing this so I hope my thoughts are similar, LOL. I read this book because I was meeting Tia Louise for like the second or third time without reading a book of hers (shocking!). I think she is a wonder person so I would purchase her books but then not read them (I know bad me). WELL, what was I thinking!! This story really grabbed me with the square concept of the romance two ladies - Ava and Zelda and two royal men - Rowan and MacCallum! Wowzer, I wasn't sure who I was rooting for as this story unfolded. There was a great mix of romance, mystery, scandal, and sexiness that I could not wait to dive into the second book as this one left me on a cliffhanger! This duet has also propelled Tia Louise’s books higher on my massive TBR.
This specific video review will be included in the March 2019 wrap-up.
For other video book reviews check out my YouTube Channel: Steph's Romance Book Talk.