The Game Maker · 2016
The PlayerSpice level, tropes & is it dark romance?
by Kresley Cole
Spice 5/5 (Scorching) · Darkness 4/5 (Pitch) · 1 trigger warning flagged
The Player is book 3 of The Game Maker by Kresley Cole. It came out in 2016. The lane here is mafia and possessive heroes. Spice is scorching, with a lot of it on the page (5 of 5) and the darkness is pitch dark (4 of 5). We could not find the author's own warning list yet, so check it before you start. This note is ours. It is not a publisher blurb.
First published: 12 April 2016 (first publication, per Goodreads). Book 3 of The Game Maker.
The Player tropes
On this shelf, The Player is filed under Mafia dark romance and Possessive heroes. Each tag opens more books with that trope.
The Player spice level
Is The Player dark romance?
Yes, firmly. The Player scores 4 of 5 on our darkness scale (Pitch).
Spice and darkness are separate scores. More pitch books. How we rate.
The Player trigger warnings
Warnings not yet verified. We could not find the author's own content warning list for this book, so the flags here are only what the publisher's description makes clear. Check the author's note before you start.
Graphic (0) — open before you read
Open this before you read. These are the flags most likely to be a hard stop.
None flagged in this band.
Minor (0)
Present, and usually not the reason someone puts the book down.
None flagged in this band.
Full The Player trigger warnings
The Game Maker reading order
The Player is book 3 of 1 in Kresley Cole's The Game Maker series. Start here.
- Book 3 The Player (this book) · 2016
Order checked against the Goodreads The Game Maker series page on 13 October 2026.
Who it's for
Shelf note written for this site. We do not copy reviews or publisher blurbs. Outbound links are search pages, not quoted ratings. Kindle Unlimited and endings are only flagged when we were willing to mark them. How we rate.
Missing a book? Suggest it.
Books like The Player
Matched on shared tropes, then the closest spice and darkness scores. Other books in the same series are listed above, not here.
- The Italian Obsession
The Italian Obsession
N.J. Adel
Spice ●●●●●Dark ●●●●○
Shared: Mafia dark romance, Possessive heroes
- Bad Babygirl
Bad Babygirl
Zoe Blake
Spice ●●●●●Dark ●●●●○
Shared: Mafia dark romance, Possessive heroes
- Bite Me, Daddy
Bite Me, Daddy
Zoe Blake
Spice ●●●●●Dark ●●●●○
Shared: Mafia dark romance, Possessive heroes
- Dear Rosie
Dear Rosie
S. J. Tilly
Spice ●●●●●Dark ●●●●○
Shared: Mafia dark romance, Possessive heroes
- Dom
Dom
S. J. Tilly
Spice ●●●●●Dark ●●●●○
Shared: Mafia dark romance, Possessive heroes
- Monster in His Eyes
Monster in His Eyes
J.M. Darhower
Spice ●●●●○Dark ●●●●○
Shared: Mafia dark romance, Possessive heroes
- The Mafia and His Obsession: Part 1
The Mafia and His Obsession: Part 1
Lylah James
Spice ●●●●○Dark ●●●●○
Shared: Mafia dark romance, Possessive heroes
- Cal
Cal
B.J. Alpha
Spice ●●●●○Dark ●●●●○
Shared: Mafia dark romance, Possessive heroes
Books like The Player, with a reason for each
Questions readers actually ask
What is the spice level of The Player?
The Player spice level is 5 of 5 (Scorching). Frequent, graphic, the point of many chapters. Darkness is a separate score: 4 of 5 (Pitch).
What are the The Player trigger warnings?
Graphic: none flagged. Moderate: Obsession. Minor: none flagged. Warnings not yet verified against the author's own list. Check it before you start.
Is The Player dark romance?
Yes, firmly. The Player scores 4 of 5 on our darkness scale (Pitch). Bleak on purpose. Comfort is not the job.
What tropes are in The Player?
On this shelf The Player is filed under Mafia dark romance and Possessive heroes.
Who is The Player for?
For a reader who wants made men and a family business you do not walk away from. Spice is scorching. Darkness is pitch. Warnings are not yet verified, so check the author's note first.
What are some books like The Player?
Matched on shared tropes and similar spice and darkness: The Italian Obsession by N.J. Adel; Bad Babygirl by Zoe Blake; Bite Me, Daddy by Zoe Blake; Dear Rosie by S. J. Tilly; Dom by S. J. Tilly; Monster in His Eyes by J.M. Darhower. More read-alikes, each with a reason, are on zademasked.com/like/the-player.
Is The Player a standalone?
No. The Player is book 3 of 1 in the The Game Maker series by Kresley Cole.
What order should I read the The Game Maker series in?
3. The Player.
How many books are in the The Game Maker series?
The The Game Maker series by Kresley Cole has 1 main book.
What is the The Player age rating?
We'd say 18+. Spice sits at 5/5 (scorching) and darkness at 4/5 (pitch). That's our recommendation, not an official rating, so read the trigger warnings as well.
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