The Professional by Kresley Cole Also in this series: The Master, The Player
Series: The Game Maker #1
Published by Simon & Schuster UK on May 6th 2014
Genres: Contemporary Romance, Mafia
Pages: 400
Format: eBook
Source: Self Purchased
ISBN: 1471113876
He makes the rules...
Mafiya enforcer Aleksei “The Siberian” Sevastyan’s loyalty to his boss knows no bounds, until he meets the boss’s long-lost daughter, a curvy, feisty redhead who haunts his mind and heats his blood like no other. Ordered to protect her, Aleksei will do anything to possess her as well—on his own wicked terms.
Rules are made to be broken…
Grad student Natalie Porter had barely recovered from her first sight of the dark and breathtaking Sevastyan before the professional enforcer whisks her away to Russia, thrusting her into a world of extreme wealth and wanton pleasures. Every day under his protection leads her deeper under his masterful spell.
Are you ready to play?
Yet all is not as it seems. To remove Natalie from an enemy’s reach, Sevastyan spirits her into hiding. From an opulent palace in Russia to the decadent playgrounds of the mega-wealthy in Paris, the two lovers will discover that even their darkest—and most forbidden—fantasies can come true...
Summary
Natalie Porter, is a college grad student, and she has had to work hard for her schooling, working multiple jobs, making her own way. But even though she was adopted by a loving family, there is still one things that she needs…to find her birth father. After searching and searching, giving up thousands of dollars, to find him, she is at a lost when her investigator stops communication. But she hasn’t given up hope that one day she will find him. At a bar with her best friend, she is dared to flirt and take home a stranger, and have fun and dirty sex with him. The man she picks, is bad boy all the way. Danger seeping out of his pores, tattoos, and a dark brooding stare that she finds compelling. But he warns her off, and she didn’t think that she would ever see or hear from him again. Aleksi, was found on the streets as a teenage boy, starving and doing what he could to survive, and was picked up by the Mafia boss. That mafia boss raised him and taught him everything, and was the father he always wanted. But when he is asked to watched over his daughter, he is more than willing. But the longer he watches her, the harder it is. Then their enemies are after her, and he must protect her and bring her back to her father. He knows that he can’t touch her, but she is temptation itself…and will Aleksi be able to resist her body and her heart?
The Hero
Aleksi, has a past and that past has haunted him. At thirteen he was left on the streets, forced to abandon his brothers, and barely surviving the streets, by learning to fight and defend himself. He is then brought into a Mafiya group, and the head honcho, practically adopts him, and teaches him everything he knows. Aleksi, is a killer, and has had to do things he will always regret, but always to protect himself and those he is loyal to. He has always obeyed every order, without question until he meets the woman to bring him to his knees. Aleksi is one sexy bad ass of a hero. And yes he is a hero. But it took time before I believed that.? He was quite intense and complicated at times, and you see from the beginning how mysterious he is. He is dangerous but only to his enemies. He does have certain singular tastes, and delights in them. He loves being in command, especially in the bedroom. But as the story progresses you see so much more depth to his character, than that which he portrays. I loved seeing each layer being peeled off and boy did he give me the shivers and tingles–in all the right places.
The Heroine
Natalie is a fun and sassy heroine. Natalie, is one of those heroines that you can’t help but love from the beginning. She is very bold and daring. She has the spirit of a tiger, and wow does she have passion all boiled down inside her. What I really loved about her character was how she gave back just as much as she got. Alekski is pretty intimidating, but she doesn’t let him frighten her. She does have a strong personality that seems to meld with her hero quite well. I felt like she matched him on any playing field, and she seemed to be able to still give off a sweet personality to. She was very likable and so easy to relate with. She is willing to try anything and has a sense of adventure, that I am not sure I would feel if I was her. But she won me over from the first chapter, as I am sure she will with you as well.
Plot and Story Line
The Professional is a story that will sear you completely. This story was super HOT and way hotter than I was expecting. This author has definitely picked up the heat since I first read her. Which was a few years ago when I tried her historical romances and the first of the Immortal series. I knew that this would be more erotic, but wow this blew my mind away. Despite all the heat it had quite a plot to the story. Much more than you would ever think with an erotic romance…but in my mind this story will still be considered a romance novel—just blazing hot. Because there is still so many positive elements that makes it so much more than a simple erotic novel. Now from the very beginning these two have had fireworks, and he kidnaps her and puts her on a plane, but not before one hell of a kiss and some fondling that just had be getting a fever. Whew…first chapter, and it was always HOT…I knew I was in for one hell of a ride. But it doesn’t stop when they arrive at her father’s home and sanctuary, the safest place on the world for her to be…except from Aleksi. Natalie already knows that she could easily fall in love with him, but Aleksi doesn’t believe he can return that, or dishonor her father that way. But soon Natalie will be like a dog with a bone, never giving up. She is tenacious and stubborn, and Aleksi is danger personified but he surely knows how to show a girl a good time. There are BDSM elements. Now those that know me, know that I am picky about this. There are times I like it and times I don’t. But I knew it had some elements so I was prepared. But Kresley Cole did a tremendous job of writing a story that is engaging and erotic, and has plenty of romance for romance lovers. It is way more intense and dramatic, but there are things that occur that totally shock me, and really pick up the pace of the story. There were some aspects that had me reaching for my tissues…but in a way it was a good thing. I felt all over the place with the story, but I found it one hell of a ride. Now I do want to say one thing. I have heard comparisons from this story to Fifty Shades of Grey (there is no comparison. they are totally two different themes and story lines. They may both have BDSM elements of a sort, but they are as alike as fire and ice. I found I loved this story and it had me from the beginning.
Cover
This cover is so yummy. I don’t even know what it is, but the whole man in a suit, and I don’t know what he is holding (maybe vodka or brandy)…but sure is sexy. The model did a great job in portraying a total russian bad ass.
Overall View
A story that is bound to set you to aflame….a story of passion, unique sexual drama, dramatic characters, and a thrilling plot leaving you breathless for more!!!
“When a woman singles me out”—he leaned down to murmur at my ear—“it’s because she wants to get fucked. She looks at the scars and tattoos and knows she’ll get fucked hard.”
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“I’ll consider myself lucky, my elusive girl, once you consider yourself taken. Every man has a weakness; you are mine. I’ve accepted that. Now you must accept me.”
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