Wealthy White House Advisor and Alluring Aide Unearth Decades-old Secret
Written: Nov 25 '03
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Cute and capable Carey made this story believable. Matt made it all seem possible.
Cons: Violent scenes may be difficult for some readers to deal with.
The Bottom Line: For fans of the series, a must-read. You'll receive answers to some of your questions. Newcomers will either enjoy the romance or the high level of suspense.
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| daphnec's Full Review: The Player Books |
"Carey Benton adored Mondays." The opening line in Evelyn Vaughn's, The Player, reminded me of the novels we read in American Lit. in high school. I immediately got more comfortable, investing a few hours in figuring out who Carey was, and why she adored Mondays. It didn't take long to figure out that Nebraska native Carey Benton adored everything about Washington, D.C., from the public transportation system to her plum position as assistant to Matt Tynan, indispensable advisor to the President of the United States. Before long, I adored Carey, whose self-conscious attention to detail had elevated her to within inches of the top of a very tall ladder.
The Player, by accomplished romance author Evelyn Vaughn, is the third installment in the 12-month continuity series, Family Secrets, published by Silhouette Books, following three prequels (The Phoenix Encounter, The Cinderella Mission, and the Impossible Alliance), the recently-released anthology, Broken Silence, and recent series installments, Enemy Mind and Pyramid of Lies.
This was my first experience reading one of Evelyn Vaughn's novels, and I must admit, I like her style, at least in terms of the way the novel was written. Ms. Vaughn used a sort of "date and time" format, chronicling and comparing Carey's and Matt's mornings, introducing the two main characters in terms of their morning rituals. I also felt the fast-paced urgency of what must be a typical White House workday.
As in all continuity series, The Player features a pivotal character from previous books in the series. Jake Ingram, a financial wizard who has recently met his birth mother, asks college-buddy Matt to investigate the long-hidden CIA project from the 1960's that culminated in the birth of Jake and his four genetically-altered siblings, whom the tabloids have dubbed, The Extraordinary Five. Jake and his birth-mom appear periodically throughout the book.
Naturally, a top White House Aide is way too busy helping the President with day-to-day operations to personally investigate Project Code Proteus, so Matt, with Jake's blessing, passes the project along to Carey who (sigh) cheerfully welcomes the opportunity to spend even more time with (sigh) Matt. I must admit, this was a major inconsistency, as Carey was an otherwise pragmatic, matter-of-fact professional.
My favorite parts of the story were those showing Carey's perspective: the paradoxical intelligent, efficient professional who still had the "Ooh, gee, look at that!" moments that made her a very real character. As Carey and Matt grew close, I was touched by his romantic attentiveness, such as the unique "morning after" bouquet that was, of all things, one of the daisy/golden apple centerpieces from Carey's first Presidential state dinner.
Typical of this series, there was lots of suspense, numerous glimpses of future revelations, body guards, FBI agents, and even a shootout. Anyone who likes action should find plenty in The Player.
While Carey "grows" by leaps and bounds throughout the story, Matt, The Player, finally tallies the embarrassingly long parade of ex-lovers, resulting in a phenomenal "growth spurt" that ultimately prepares him for commitment to Carey.
I liked the characters, including several friends, relatives and significant others that you'll meet once you "get your own" copy of The Player. Some made me laugh; others reminded me of my friends and family members.
I won't ruin the ending, other than to caution you: keep the Kleenex handy. You'll need it.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
daphnec
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Location: El Segundo, CA
Reviews written: 71
Trusted by: 3 members
About Me:
Teacher, married, mother of four
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