Rule #1: Keep your head down and your eyes up. It makes you invisible. But not stupid. AceI should’ve known I’d get caught counting cards. Sure, I have my rules that are meant to protect me from situations like this, but when you mess with the mob, you’re going to get caught. Now I’m screwed.Then Kingston Romano, the sexy boss of the Romano family, approaches me with a proposition to pay for my … me with a proposition to pay for my transgression, and I’m desperate enough to accept it.
What I’m not ready for, however, are the consequences that follow when I find myself in the crosshairs of a war between the Romanos and a rival family, the Allegrettis.
As the cards are played, I need to pick a side and decide if I’m all in, or if I’ll be taken for all I’m worth.
This story is intended for audiences 18 and older.
more
This is the 4th book I’ve read written by Kelsie Rae; she has done a great job at writing a good book; I can’t wait to read more of her books.
The story line caught my attention at the very beginning and kept me interested throughout the entire book.
I loved the chemistry between the characters.
I received a free copy of this book via booksprout and I’m voluntarily leaving a review.
Contemporary Romance, Adult, Mafia
First Person, multiple-POV
Book #1 of the Advantage Play series. It has a cliffhanger at the end.
“…the term advantage player, which refers to a person who uses legal methods to gain an advantage while gambling, such as counting cards, but it can also be attributed to poker.”
by Ace
WHAT HAS REALLY WORKED FOR ME
Addictiveness: 4/5 This story was fast paced and kept me interested until the end. It was a sexy read with a bit of suspense. As addictive as pizza!!!
Character: hero 4/5, heroine 4/5, secondary characters 4/5, growth 4/5, real 3/5 Characters were well constructed and not one dimensional. They were very likable and easy to connect.
Kingston was a good antihero. That man is no hero, he lived by a totally different code of honor than the norm, but inside their out of ordinary world he was really good. In fact, with Ace he was a big softie. He was hot and sweet.
Ace was a great heroine. I really liked her. She didn’t have an easy life and she didn’t have much to look forward than her revenge. She was pretty young and naive for somethings, but very mature for others.
Several interesting secondary characters that I know will get their book in the future.
Villains… they were easy to hate and easy to discover who they were.
I do have to say, these characters were very softhearted mobsters, it didn’t feel very real at times.
All characters were easy to love, connect and understand.
Cover: art 5/5, title 5/5, color-font 5/5, buy 5/5 I’m obsessed with book covers. I love to find snippets of the stories within the art. I love how this cover has being made for this particular story. We can see Ace at the cover, hugging King, but since this is her book, her nickname at the cover, we don’t see his face. We can see the cards that fits Ace perfectly. I love the color, font and specially placement at the book. I would easily buy this book by its cover, without needing to read the blurb!
Freshness: 4/5 This was a mob romance with an original concept. The plot was not the usual for a mafia romance. As fresh as ice cream.
Plot: believable 3/5, conflict 4/5, dialogue 4/5, ending 3/5, enjoyment 4/5, opening 4/5, pace 5/5, setting 5/5, subplots 4/5, twists 4/5 Good opening and cliffhanger at the end. I like the conflict, the subplot and the twist at the end. The pace was great and kept me at the edge of my seat. High level of enjoyment!
Romance: believable 5/5, chemistry 5/5, description 3/5, development 3/5, steam 2/5 It was instalove. Even though there are not many sexy scenes yet, their chemistry was strong and they fell in love fast. King was very protective of her from the beginning and it was very believable his feelings for Ace. The couple smut scenes were good, but not very descriptive. Affectionate love!
Writing Style: 4/5 This book had a great plot, with good characters and cute romance. Perfect pace with an original concept that had me wanting more at the end. Looking forward to read more! Good writing!
WHAT COULD HAVE BEEN BETTER
Believability: The mobsters were too soft and it didn’t feel real. Not only the main character, but his second hand guy was sweet at times. I know, by in my mind, sweet should never enter in the same line with mobsters.
Also, some of the dialogues felt too young, or again, soft for the suspense and dark tension that should be there.
MY THOUGHTS
The pace of this story was so good, that it kept the suspense going and the tension flowing.
I also loved how the author used multiple point-of-view that made it easier for us to understand what was going on.
I have to mention if I had to give a tag, I would say sweet mobster romance.
I ended the book wanting more, and I’m glad the wait is not very long, because I’m ready for the second book.
29/35 STARS – 4 STARS (between 28 stars and 31 stars)
Addictiveness: 4 Character: 4 Cover: 5 Freshness: 4 Plot: 4 Romance: 4 Writing Style: 4
Action 4/5
Angst 2/5
Darkness 0/5
Humor 0/5
Romance 5/5
Suspense/Mystery 4/5
Would I recommend? Sure. If you are looking for a sweet mafia romance.
Would I re-read this book/series? I will definitely follow the series, but I guess I would only need to reread the book if the wait between books from the series is too long.
Would I read more from the author? Yes.
You may read this because you like the author; you SHOULD read this because you enjoy mafia romance; you MUST read this for a fast-paced suspenseful romance!
Omg. This book was fantastic. Great characters with a deep connection to each other. Tons of chemistry, drama, and suspense to keep it exciting. Read in one sitting. I couldn’t put it down.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
NO SPOILERS This is the first Kelsie Rae book that I have read and was not disappointed I love reading all genre and I would definitely put is one the the mafia romance genre. Took a little time to place all the characters in my head but once I had it click I couldn’t put in down and may have read through the wee hours of the morning. The characters are well developed and as is the story line. Will say the book did end at a good point but makes me want to have the second book to be out now. lol
Love that I have found a new Author to read
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
A gripping graphic fast paced mafia read full of gritty raw violence and criminal activity.
Kingston made for a scary powerful dark king of the Romano empire as Ace was caught up in the seedy life he lived.
Her strong street smarts had gotten her far and revenge was her motivator.
Great storyline with tons of action. Violence and pain were not spared in this story and I hated how much Ace was subjected to by being tangled up with Kingston and her bloodlust for revenge.
Also hated the cliffy at the end.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Drama, suspense, revenge, this book had it all!
by sewsummore
This was a dark romance that sent chills through me, the suspense was sky high and it did not finish at the end of this story but continues on in the next book in the series. Ace was a young girl determined to have her revenge on the man she views as responsible for her mother’s disappearance. When she is caught counting cards at a Romano Casino she meets with the head man himself King. There is a chemistry between them that has them both in it’s grip and when she gets her revenge for her mother she upsets the wrong guy and he kidnaps King’s sister setting the scene for a mafia war. Ace was a foolish young woman who played into the hands of the mafia, her life is at risk and so is the life of King’s sister. King is left between a rock and a hard place as he scrambles to find away to save both the women he loves. The drama in this book and characters made this a book I will remember for a long time as I eagerly await the next book’s release.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Wild Card is a story worth betting all your money on! Kelsie Rae writes sweet romances, but man did she knock the Mafia genre out of the friggin park with this one!!!
Wild Card easily captured my attention and held it. The story line is wonderful and the characters are strong. It wasn’t long before I took a liking to them and become invested in their lives. Ace and Kingston’s tale is fast paced, full of suspense and surprises. The ending is killing me… only because I’m impatient and badly want to find out what’s going to happen next. Hahaha. (4.5)
Wild Card by Kelsie Rae
5 Stars
This is a new Author to me. Now I’m stalking her Amazon page for her other books,I really enjoyed reading this story. Ace is young pretty and she can count cards. She knows how to blend in and win some cash at casino’s. She has a single focus and that’s to win a poker tournament against the man who she thinks killed her mom but that man is Mafia so she needs to play it smart. While she’s practicing her skills at another casino she catches the eye of owner Kingston who is also the head of another mafia family. She agrees to be his little spy when he catches her counting cards in his casino. His enemy is her target. Things get complicated when the realize the attraction they have for each other. This story kept me totally engrossed with every page I turned. Unfortunately there is a cliffhanger and a month wait for Book 2. If you don’t like cliffhangers then wait until October when book 2 comes out but make sure to grab these.
Wild Card is the 1st book in the Advantage Play series by Kelsie Rae and it’s a departure from what she normally writes; she usually writes sweet, lighthearted and romantic romances yet Wild Card is a deliciously tempting dark romance that will take you on quite the emotional rollercoaster journey and it’s only book 1.
The pace is quick, the action is intense, and there’s quite a bit of angst and intrigue to keep you on the edge of your seat woven through the book to keep you hooked from start to end. And the chemistry between Ace and Kingston- wowza!!! Talk about steamy!! The ending ends on an cliffhanger that has me dying for book 2. This is one amazing book 1 in a totally new trilogy that is undeniably hot, sexy, suspenseful, provocative and interesting. I can’t wait for book 2.
My Rating: 4.5 stars ******
Ace is out for revenge, against Burlone Allegretti, head of a mafia family and the SOB who killed her mother. He owns a casino, and she has a plan to ruin him. Kingston Romano took over his crime family recently after the death of his father. And he just made a deal with Ace, moving toward his goal of taking down the enemy. These two are on a slow burn – they come from very different worlds, yet seemingly work so well together.
I don’t usually read mafia romances, but chose this book because of the author. I’ve only previously read one of her other books – a sweet romance, which I loved. Wild Card is definitely not a sweet romances, but the complete opposite. The book is incredible – twists in the story line, a dark story – one that I had trouble putting down. It ends on a cliffhanger, which I’m normally not a fan of, but I knew about it going in. And I can’t wait for the second book to finish this story.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
This book had me on the edge of my seat. Betrayal, revenge, the mob, card counting all rolled into one. Ace finds herself between 2 mob bosses, attempting to play one and to fight her attraction for the other. There are a lot of secrets I need to crack. I love the play with Ace, King, Jack, and I want to know where Jack fits in. I need more of the story!
Im not usually a mafia girl but whatever Kelsie writes I read.
I loved this book.
Ace and Kingston were incredible. Follow the rules and things will be fine, what happens when you veer even slightly from the rules?
Bad things….bad things happen.
I couldn’t read the book fast enough. Kelsie proves she can write anything.
After reading the synopsis on this book, I was surprised that it wasn’t what I expected. However not in a bad way. Ace is a character you can relate to with her rules and snarky attitude. I wouldn’t necessarily consider this book to be a romance, more like a mafia-drama story. Kingston and Ace have good chemistry with their “truth or lie” game that made me laugh at their banter. I will say one thing I truly appreciated about this book is that it wasn’t a “love at first sight” and Kingston didn’t relinquish his responsibilities as the mob boss for Ace, nor does he flash his money around with fancy jet plane trips to the Bahamas. The story line definitely felt more realistic than most books I’ve read.
*spoiler* it does end in a cliffhanger, but also at a good stopping point. I can’t wait for the next one!
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review
Amazing
by Dale
This book has so much going on. I feel like I’m looking at the soap opera scripts.
The chemistry between Ace and King, makes a perfect pair.
But their story ain’t even close to being over. Such as this book… this is the first time I’ve ever read anything from this author. But I’m DEFINITELY looking forward to reading more…on to part two the Dark King.
I voluntarily received an advanced copy of this book via Booksprout and any opinions expressed within this review are solely and uniquely made by me and I am happily leaving this review.
Kelsie Rae has shown us a new side of her writing… and you won’t be disappointed! I love when an author has the talent to successfully cross genres and switch up their styles, and Kelsie Rae has done just that with her new darker romance. This is a fantastic romantic suspense filled with intrigue, strong characters, brilliant writing, and a romance that will have you begging for more. Warning: Do not start reading this book if you don’t have the time to finish it in one sitting. Do yourself a favor and clear your schedule before you crack it open. I got sucked into this story and couldn’t put it down until I was done. I cannot wait until the next book releases so I can find out what happens next in this series I’m certain will keep me riveted until the final pages are read.
This is the first book from this author that I have read and I thought it was an enjoyable read. This is a mafia romance mixed with suspense. Ace and Kingston were explosive together. This book will keep you invested with each page that you read. You are not going to want it to end. I didn’t realize that it was a cliffhanger and I can’t wait to read book 2. I need to know what is going to happen next.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
What an amazing story! I loved it!
It’s a mafia romance with many twists and turns that keep you on the edge of your story! I loved Ace and Kingston. Their chemistry was explosive! They made a great couple!
It had a great storyline. You won’t want to put it down! It ends in a cliffhanger but it leaves you ready for the next book! I know I can’t wait to get it! Thank you Kelsie for giving us the Advantage Play series!
This is the first time in reading this author with the story line drawing me to try this one. As you enter this world Ace will take us on quite the run. Some plains can still go awry with what seems to happen in here. Of course this will not be your straight forward drama it comes with twists and turns which makes for a page turner. I found I was caught up in this with it not easily left. A pleasant surprise this was but glad I had ventured in.
This story has you All In! Ashley @ Carolina Chic’s Read
Kingston is the King of the family and what does that mean?????? He must keep his family safe! Ace is out to beat the one who took everything from her but will she be bringing to her door? When the paths of King and Ace cross do the sparks fly or do the fold the cards before the game can even get going? This is an explosive page turning can’t, put down and can’t wait for the second part of this story!
5 Amazing Stars!!!!