Review: Penthouse Player

Penthouse Player Penthouse Player by Tara Leigh
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Billionaire men courting helpless females are a dime a dozen romances. I read this book on a lark because the Publisher sent it to me and I trust this specific one when she sends me books she thinks I might like. She's learned my taste in books surprisingly quickly. Ms. Leigh is a new to me author who caught my attention in the very first few paragraphs in this book. Within a chapter, I was disgusted and was going to mark it as a DNF and send a note back to the Publisher not to send me anything more like this. That would have been a mistake.

Ms. Leigh set me up for a mind twister I wasn't expecting. Reina is the main character and she first comes off as a determined woman. But then, as more descriptions come through, a reader may think she is just a woman looking for her MRS. in the worst of ways. Personally, I have zero interest in reading shallow women who are gold diggers. Some enjoy it, I do not. As the book slowly peels the layers back on Reina, I am heart broken. If there is one way to get me hooked, it is to detail the past of a child neglected by the very one she thought would love her. I teared up as I learned more about Reina's parents and what was done to her. Sometimes, blood is not thicker than water. Nor does blood dictate who one really calls and consider's their father.

Reina is the kind of woman I understand, appreciate and admire. She set herself a goal and she fought her way fairly to it. The cards are stacked against her and she overcomes each obstacle. I love it. So when a man totally screws up her plans, I'm just as pissed as she is. (Isn't it always a man?)

Tristan owns the company that Reina worked hard to get a job in. When their almost hook up reveals the boss/employee relationship, Reina barely runs out of Tristan's home screaming. Their relationship is complicated. The chemistry between the two is exciting, forbidden and so hot. Ms. Leigh does an excellent job of creating heat. The environment she sets the characters in is also spot on. For those who understand the business world for Wall Street, Ms. Leigh has softened the ugliness through a rose coloured filter. There are certain elements that rang true which is what made this story feel more realistic. I'm impressed.

This story did take me on a bit of a roller coaster ride because it felt like I was watching a train wreck about to happen. The conflict is real. We all know what Tristan should do yet we can understand what he wants to do instead. His actions cause a lot more ramification for a woman than a man of his position. Life is unfair and the business world, it is even more so. Whilst the sexual tension is going on between the two, Reina's past comes to haunt her. I have to say, I loathe her biological parents. I am disgusted and appalled. I just can not fathom treating anyone that is blood related to them in this manner. The sheer cruelty is astonishing at times. Abuse is not only physical. Reina is a strong female who could have had "daddy issues" and "mommy issues". Thankfully, she does not. For me, this story is so good because of Reina. Tristan is a bit of a cad.

This story kept me turning the pages to see how it would end. This erotic romance is recommended to readers who enjoy strong females who overcome their past and get their happily ever after.

*provided by St. Martin's via NetGalley

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