The Game by LP Lovell and Stevie J Cole

Title: The Game

Series: The Game Series #1-7

Authors: LP Lovell & Stevie J. Cole

Genre: Dark Erotica

 Release Date: July 6, 2017

Blurb

What would you do for one million dollars? Or rather, what wouldn’t you do? Would you play a game? 

One contract. Two Guys. Three players. Four Strikes. Five rules. Six zeros. Seven days. 

No safe words. No questions. Complete submission. Are you game?

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Purchase Links

AMAZON US / UK / CA / AU

My Review

I feel like I could give this both 1 star and 5 stars for a whole variety of reasons, which I will try and explain.

I’ve never read any work by either author and from the little bit of blurb I was expecting a book along the lines of JA Huss’s “Taking Turns”. Oh boy was I wrong. The book is seriously dark, savagely twisted and morally corrupt. So dark it was like coal. At times I felt like you do when you pass a serious car crash… you don’t want to look, you know you shouldn’t look but somehow your eyes are drawn to the carnage. I’ve read some dark books (eg Comfort Food by Kitty Thomas and Beast by A. Zavarelli) but this makes those look like a child’s bedtime story. It almost needs to come with a warning – and is not a book for the faint-hearted. Oh and I’m not referring to the sex – some of which is taboo and all of which is steamy. No I’m talking about the mind f***ery that goes with this book.

I both loved and hated this at the same time. Parts of me said ‘as if you’d make that choice’ whilst another part said ‘who knows what you’d do in the same situation as Ella’. A part of me thought ‘as if you’d really be able to set up those games/get away with them’ and that other voice replied ‘who really knows when you have untold wealth and the power that brings’. I frequently questioned why I was reading the book and yet I kept on doing so.

I also felt there were many unanswered questions. Were there only ever the same three men involved? How many other games had been played? Did games overlap or run one straight after the other? And quite frankly how did these men actually keep their business afloat as they seemed to spend more time ‘playing’ than they did working? Had Three purely set up the game just because of Ella? There was an attempt to explain why he had wanted Ella to play the game but I was confused as to what he wanted to shape her into and what he truly wanted/expected to happen. Also if he was so obsessed with her why Day 3’s game?

And the only true explanation I could come up with for why they played ‘The Game’ was very unpleasant and made me really dislike those taking part. We’re richer than you (hence more powerful) so we’re superior to you also appeared to be another unpleasant theme.

I didn’t feel any love or romance or ‘normal’ caring in this book at all and the epilogue chilled me even further and almost made my stomach turn.

And yet I gave this 4 stars. If I hadn’t had those unanswered questions I would have rated this 5 stars. Why? Because it is an extremely well written book and despite reading this almost as I would watch a horror film (through my fingers and hiding behind a cushion) I wanted to know how the story would end. I wanted to see how The Game would end and whether there would be a HEA. The characters were not necessarily likeable or pleasant but they were believable, intriguing and captivating. The Game is meant to mess with Ella’s mind and the book certainly did the same to mine. Unique plot line isn’t in it, and part of me is almost thankful for that.

I think this is one of those books that I’ll need to read again at least once to fully appreciate the story. It’s a good book, it’ an amazing read, I would recommend it but ONLY if you don’t mind how deep into the murky depths of human depravity this will take you.

Excerpt

"It's a simple question, really,” Preston says. “What would you do for a million dollars?" 

Tobias smirks. "Or better yet, what would you not do?" 

Preston glances at Tobias, then back at me. "Would you kill someone?" 

"No." 

Tobias laughs, spreading his arms wide. "Would you submit yourself then? Mind." He leans forward, locking eyes with me. "Body. Soul." 

I swallow. My heart hammers against my ribs. And I glance at the elevator, staring at the panel without buttons. “Submit…” I whisper, mentally acknowledging that I am trapped.

"Complete subservience." Preston says. 

"Like a slave?" My skin crawls when I utter that word. 

Tobias’s brow raises as he glances at Preston. "Slave rather implies doing something distasteful, doesn't it?" 

A slow smile pulls at Preston's lips before he looks at me. "It does. Slavery is to be debased and degraded. Submission is to be protected." His eyes skate slowly over my body. "Coveted. Revered. Cherished." 

These two men look like wolves, waiting, preying...and although my stomach is unsettled, the allure swarming around them is nearly undeniable. They are like the forbidden fruit. One bite may kill you, but how will you ever know until you taste it? 

"Trust me, sweetheart, you'll like it...for the most part." Preston winks. 

"I'm offering you one million dollars in exchange for one week of your time," Tobias says. 

"No amount of money is worth my dignity." I go to stand, although I don’t know where I’ll go, but Tobias grabs my wrist, subtly shaking his head. 

"Dignity?" he says, smirking. "And where exactly will your dignity be when you're living on the street?" My heart pounds unevenly in my chest. "We offer you a salvation not many are afforded. One million dollars for a mere seven days of your life." 

His hand is still wrapped tightly around my wrist. I can't breathe. I can't move. His eyes have me pinned in place. Slowly, I sit back down.

"Sweet Ella," Preston murmurs, standing up and walking behind me. He places his hand on my shoulder, the heat of his palm searing through me, "We know you have no money. No prospects. You're about to lose your apartment..."  

My heart sits in my throat in a pounding lump. I'm frozen with fear, and dare I say, curiosity.  

"You have no family, no one to fall back on," Tobias adds.  

"So tragic," Preston says, "what happened to your parents."  

I shake my head, unable to form words. How do they know this? How do they know these details about my life when I know nothing about them? "I..." I grip the arms of the chair so hard, I fear my knuckles may split.  

"No boyfriend. No job," Tobias says, inspecting the cuff of his jacket as though the entire notion of my pitiful existence bores him. "You've got nothing." His eyes flick to mine, imprisoning me in their green depths. "But you are very beautiful."  

LP Lovell

Lauren Lovell is an indie author from England.

She suffers from a total lack of brain to mouth filter and is the friend you have to explain before you introduce her to anyone, and apologise for afterwards.

Lauren is a self-confessed shameless pervert, who may be suffering from slight peen envy.

LP loves to hear from readers so please get in touch.

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Stevie J. Cole

Stevie J. Cole lives deep in the woods of Alabama with her husband and two precious daughters. She studied Epidemiology concentrating on cancer research but has always had a passion for writing. Some of her stories will strip you bare, some will give you nightmares, but the one thing she can promise is that she will always give you stories that make you feel.

Raw. Gritty. Love.

Because sometimes characters need to be flawed. 

P.S. Stevie's greatest fear is the impending zombie apocalypse. Think about it: swarming armies of decaying, oozing corpses stumbling around with clicking teeth, trying to eat your face. Nothing about that is good. NOTHING!

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