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The Gamblers #1-3
The Gamblers Box Set: Books 1-3
Alec, Nico, and Nate together for the first time!
Get all three full-length Gamblers novels in one box set collection. Plus two bonus short stories, I Never Said I Played Fair —featuring Alec and River—previously published on Goodreads and my website, and It’s a Terrible, Horrible, Incredibly Foolish Idea —featuring Nico and Oliva—previously only published on Facebook.
All-In
River Kingston has a problem, and his name is Royal. Her brother owes one-hundred grand to the mob, and River feels it’s her responsibility to help him.
The daughter of a renowned poker player, River does the only thing she knows how to do to win that much money...
She hits the tables.
Headed to Eden Island, home of the most elite poker tournament, The Omega One, River runs into—literally—the man from her teenage fantasies.
Now she has another problem, and his name is Alec Throne. Because after the famous poker star catches her from falling, he decides he's never letting her go.
And, as River soon discovers, when Alec Throne sets his mind to something…
He's all-in.
Bad Beat
Nico Conti has never regretted joining the family business. Through hard work, loyalty, ruthlessness, and dedication, he earned his rank as Capo and his army of soldiers.
With the life he leads, a good woman is not in the cards—until one comes along and turns his world upside down.
Olivia Miller’s childhood was anything but conventional. Raised in a brothel, her mother protected Olivia from that life until she became sick. Now Olivia must be the protector.
Taken as collateral by Nico Conti in a business dispute between families, Olivia is desperate to get home—until Nico makes her an offer she can’t refuse.
Or can she?
Because to save the one she loves most, Olivia will need to ignore the sacrifices made for her and barter herself to the man who holds her future in his hands.
Full House
Having grown up surrounded by celebrities, Victoria Lee wasn't one to have her head turned by a famous movie star. That changed when she landed her first big break starring alongside Hollywood’s most sought-after leading man, Nathan Reed.
With his sexy good looks, take-charge personality, and hidden charm, Victoria hadn’t stood a chance. And all too soon, their on-screen romance turned into a real-life love story—juicy enough to have social media exploding and land Victoria and Nate on the covers of tabloid magazines.
But the media outlets weren’t the only ones paying attention.
And not everyone was happy for them.
Get all three full-length Gamblers novels in one box set collection. Plus two bonus short stories, I Never Said I Played Fair —featuring Alec and River—previously published on Goodreads and my website, and It’s a Terrible, Horrible, Incredibly Foolish Idea —featuring Nico and Oliva—previously only published on Facebook.
All-In
River Kingston has a problem, and his name is Royal. Her brother owes one-hundred grand to the mob, and River feels it’s her responsibility to help him.
The daughter of a renowned poker player, River does the only thing she knows how to do to win that much money...
She hits the tables.
Headed to Eden Island, home of the most elite poker tournament, The Omega One, River runs into—literally—the man from her teenage fantasies.
Now she has another problem, and his name is Alec Throne. Because after the famous poker star catches her from falling, he decides he's never letting her go.
And, as River soon discovers, when Alec Throne sets his mind to something…
He's all-in.
Bad Beat
Nico Conti has never regretted joining the family business. Through hard work, loyalty, ruthlessness, and dedication, he earned his rank as Capo and his army of soldiers.
With the life he leads, a good woman is not in the cards—until one comes along and turns his world upside down.
Olivia Miller’s childhood was anything but conventional. Raised in a brothel, her mother protected Olivia from that life until she became sick. Now Olivia must be the protector.
Taken as collateral by Nico Conti in a business dispute between families, Olivia is desperate to get home—until Nico makes her an offer she can’t refuse.
Or can she?
Because to save the one she loves most, Olivia will need to ignore the sacrifices made for her and barter herself to the man who holds her future in his hands.
Full House
Having grown up surrounded by celebrities, Victoria Lee wasn't one to have her head turned by a famous movie star. That changed when she landed her first big break starring alongside Hollywood’s most sought-after leading man, Nathan Reed.
With his sexy good looks, take-charge personality, and hidden charm, Victoria hadn’t stood a chance. And all too soon, their on-screen romance turned into a real-life love story—juicy enough to have social media exploding and land Victoria and Nate on the covers of tabloid magazines.
But the media outlets weren’t the only ones paying attention.
And not everyone was happy for them.
816 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 18, 2020
3 people are currently reading
9 people want to read
About the author
Sarah Curtis
23 books765 followersSarah Curtis is a writer of all things romance. She loves nothing more than a sexy alpha male who falls hard for their heroine, almost always in spite of themselves!
A life-long resident of Southern California, Sarah shares her writing den with her childhood sweetheart and very own alpha male. When she’s not writing or dreaming up plotlines you can find her wrangling her plethora of very spoiled felines—she currently has five, yes you read that correctly, furry companions. Sarah is a reader before anything else, and her TBR mountain is higher than Everest. She’s also addicted to watching cooking competitions, especially involving baking! Of her own admission, she rarely cooks, but she’s up for the occasional birthday cake for her children as long as it involves the opening of a box.
If you like romance in all its forms along with some healthy debates with a side of games and puzzles then head over to her Facebook group, Sarah Curtis's Alpha Overload, for fun chats and to discover your next BBF. https://www.facebook.com/groups/20646...
Or visit Sarah's website and sign up for her newsletter to receive a free copy of Alluring Honeymoon — https://sarahcurtisauthor.wixsite.com...
A life-long resident of Southern California, Sarah shares her writing den with her childhood sweetheart and very own alpha male. When she’s not writing or dreaming up plotlines you can find her wrangling her plethora of very spoiled felines—she currently has five, yes you read that correctly, furry companions. Sarah is a reader before anything else, and her TBR mountain is higher than Everest. She’s also addicted to watching cooking competitions, especially involving baking! Of her own admission, she rarely cooks, but she’s up for the occasional birthday cake for her children as long as it involves the opening of a box.
If you like romance in all its forms along with some healthy debates with a side of games and puzzles then head over to her Facebook group, Sarah Curtis's Alpha Overload, for fun chats and to discover your next BBF. https://www.facebook.com/groups/20646...
Or visit Sarah's website and sign up for her newsletter to receive a free copy of Alluring Honeymoon — https://sarahcurtisauthor.wixsite.com...
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Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
May 2, 2021
Book 1 - All-in review:
Well, my fellow romance book-loving friends, I’m happy to report I really enjoyed this one. The made for each other professional poker playing lovebirds played out quite the steamy romantic hand. I can’t wait to ante up and delve right into book 2, which will feature a mafioso hero. As an avid mafia romance reader that couldn’t be a better fit for me.
Was it perfect? Well, practically. During the vast majority of it, I hung onto every word and loved the plot and characters. You know that's the case when you're making dinner, yet you still can't put your Kindle down. I did feel the writing near the very end didn't draw me in quite as much as the rest, despite the unexpected life threatening situation, which did catch me completely by surprise, and I do so love when that happens.
Holy smokes, you had better brace yourself for one h-o-t, muy mucho dirty talking, alpha possessive hero, folks! Alec soon makes it quite clear River is it for him, and he isn’t letting her go EVER. River tends to run in the opposite direction though. She can’t convince herself this has a chance of being more than just a vacation fling.
Other than those comments, I’m keeping my cards close to my chest, folks. Read for yourself to find out why I found this such an entertaining read. I’m thinking the odds are in your favor you’ll likely feel the same. Rating: 4 stars
Title: All-In, Series: The Gamblers (Book 1), Author: Sarah Curtis, Pages: 412, stand-alone but part of a series, good guy/alpha possessive hero, classy/sassy/beautiful/smart heroine, no cheating, no love triangle, no OW/OM drama, VERY steamy with lusty language, one life threatening situation, some violence. Rating: 4 stars
Book 1 - All-In (Alec & River), 4/5/17, Pages: 412
Book 2 - Bad Beat (Olivia & Nico), August 2017
(These comments are based on a Kindle Unlimited version. This is not a detailed ARC review.)
---------------
Book 2 - Bad Beat Review:
Nico Conti, the hero, knew the life he was signing up for when he followed his mafioso father’s footsteps and became a Capo with assigned soldiers to keep his family’s legacy marching forward. Yeah, he’s not the Don yet, but Nico is not to be messed with, folks. Not unless you have a crazy desire to go swimming with the fishes or have an unhealthy fascination with knives. Capiche? Family friend or foe, he’ll come after you in a heartbeat if you mess with what is his.
Lucky for us, despite his self-proclaimed heart of darkness, Nico still has a softer side still lingering and Olivia, the heroine, brings that out into the light. Though he’s convinced there is no goodness left in his soul, we got a glimpse that wasn’t necessarily the case with his cameo appearance near the end of book 1, All-In. It was definitely confirmed in book 2. But brace yourself, he’s still a mobster through and through.
As an avid mafia romance book reviewer, I’ve come across countless made men in my romantic reads. For me, it can be a delicate balance for an author to present a formidable OTT bad boy that gets the famiglia business done, yet has enough redeeming qualities to make me actually like him. Sarah Curtis certainly pulled it off here. I grew to like Nico after I got to know him.
A big false first impression/misconception lead to this main couple’s first intimate encounter to be uncomfortably painful and awkward. I'll be honest here. I struggled with how that scene went down. Lust, not love, was the only thing Nico felt at that point. Nico is soon knocked clear off his feet by his unexpected feelings for Olivia and his desire to protect her. Yeah, it was after that “no turning back now” moment I realized, after I got over how it played out and felt he was remorseful, I decided to give this guy a second chance.
As the innocent babe in the brothel, we learn Livy lived in a very secluded environment and was about to be handed over to an unwelcome set of circumstances. Good news is Nico beat the bad guy to the punch and saved her, at the same time unknowingly saving himself in the process. Not such a bad hand to be dealt with, is it, my fellow mafia romance book-loving friends? His gamble taking Olivia paid off in a very big way. He got the love of his life he never knew he needed.
So, if you can put up with a seemingly blackhearted, ruthless hero at first, you might want to sit back and watch Nico Conti lose his heart but find his soulmate as he lets this beauty calm his savage beast.
Title: Bad Beat, Series: The Gamblers (Book 2), Author: Sarah Curtis, Pages: not listed, stand-alone but part of a linked series, VERY steamy scenes with lusty language, mafia theme, mafia violence, virgin/younger heroine (age 22), alpha possessive/dirty talking mob hero, no love triangle, no cheating. Rating: 4 stars
Book 1 - All-In (Alec & River), 4/5/17, Pages: 412
Book 2 - Bad Beat (Olivia & Nico), August 2017
(These comments are based on an advanced reader copy distributed via the author in exchange for a fair review. No compensation was provided to this reviewer, nor is there any affiliation between the reviewer and author/publisher).
----------
Book 3 - Full House Review:
Sarah Curtis once again proves she knows how to play her cards right and win me over with a perfect for each other main couple. Nathan Reed, the hero, had me at hello, folks. Kind of like Victoria, the heroine, had him at the same words during their first meeting. Yeah, it was insta-love the moment he laid eyes on her, as she became his leading lady on and off the screen. Need more proof why? At 28%, when pondering on how much time he wanted to spend with her he mentally thought “...he’d been wrong. Forever wasn’t long enough.” (le sigh) Though extremely attracted to him, as well, it takes her a little bit longer to get with the program and embrace the notion they could have a forever type relationship, despite living in the glitz and glamour of the movie star world.
Centering on their chemistry and attraction the first 30%, it wasn’t until an unexpected surprise is revealed that for me really started to bond them on an emotional level. Though Nate is one romantic silver tongued, alpha protective, possessive, caveman hero, he backed up how he felt for Victoria with lots of numerous, lengthy, very steamy scenes, complete with lusty language. Yeah, they took center stage more than I expected in what many will consider a “VERY” erotic read. But make no mistake, this guy uses endearing words of love, as well. He genuinely cared for her.
Overall, prepare yourself for some off the chart steaminess, my fellow romance book loving friends. Though there is a dual pronged, mystery/life-threatening underlying sub-plot that gets solved by the conclusion, with one of the culprits being a rather obvious choice, I didn’t find the drama as nail biting or riveting as the previous books. However, this determined, romantic hero made up for it.
The storyline does conclude with a somewhat meandering epilogue that takes you a little further into their future. I’ve got to say my favorite part was how head over heels Nate was for Victoria and his determination for them to be a couple.
Title: Full House, Series: The Gamblers (Book 3), Author: Sarah Curtis, Pages: 278, stand-alone but part of a series, Hollywood actors MC, Great good guy, possessive, caveman type hero, numerous/lengthy/very steamy scenes with lusty language, romance safe, no cheating, no love triangle, no OM/OW drama, hero had been celibate for some time, one of them became a target, non-virgin MC. Rating: 4 stars
Book 1 - All-In (Alec & River), 4/5/17, Pages: 412
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Book 2 - Bad Beat (Olivia & Nico), 8/8/17, Pages: 273
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Book 3 - Full House (Nathan & Victoria), 3/20/18, Pages: 278
(I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. I was not given any payment or compensation for this review, nor is there any affiliation or relationship between this reviewer and the author/publisher/retail outlets.)
Well, my fellow romance book-loving friends, I’m happy to report I really enjoyed this one. The made for each other professional poker playing lovebirds played out quite the steamy romantic hand. I can’t wait to ante up and delve right into book 2, which will feature a mafioso hero. As an avid mafia romance reader that couldn’t be a better fit for me.
Was it perfect? Well, practically. During the vast majority of it, I hung onto every word and loved the plot and characters. You know that's the case when you're making dinner, yet you still can't put your Kindle down. I did feel the writing near the very end didn't draw me in quite as much as the rest, despite the unexpected life threatening situation, which did catch me completely by surprise, and I do so love when that happens.
Holy smokes, you had better brace yourself for one h-o-t, muy mucho dirty talking, alpha possessive hero, folks! Alec soon makes it quite clear River is it for him, and he isn’t letting her go EVER. River tends to run in the opposite direction though. She can’t convince herself this has a chance of being more than just a vacation fling.
Other than those comments, I’m keeping my cards close to my chest, folks. Read for yourself to find out why I found this such an entertaining read. I’m thinking the odds are in your favor you’ll likely feel the same. Rating: 4 stars
Title: All-In, Series: The Gamblers (Book 1), Author: Sarah Curtis, Pages: 412, stand-alone but part of a series, good guy/alpha possessive hero, classy/sassy/beautiful/smart heroine, no cheating, no love triangle, no OW/OM drama, VERY steamy with lusty language, one life threatening situation, some violence. Rating: 4 stars
Book 1 - All-In (Alec & River), 4/5/17, Pages: 412
Book 2 - Bad Beat (Olivia & Nico), August 2017
(These comments are based on a Kindle Unlimited version. This is not a detailed ARC review.)
---------------
Book 2 - Bad Beat Review:
Nico Conti, the hero, knew the life he was signing up for when he followed his mafioso father’s footsteps and became a Capo with assigned soldiers to keep his family’s legacy marching forward. Yeah, he’s not the Don yet, but Nico is not to be messed with, folks. Not unless you have a crazy desire to go swimming with the fishes or have an unhealthy fascination with knives. Capiche? Family friend or foe, he’ll come after you in a heartbeat if you mess with what is his.
Lucky for us, despite his self-proclaimed heart of darkness, Nico still has a softer side still lingering and Olivia, the heroine, brings that out into the light. Though he’s convinced there is no goodness left in his soul, we got a glimpse that wasn’t necessarily the case with his cameo appearance near the end of book 1, All-In. It was definitely confirmed in book 2. But brace yourself, he’s still a mobster through and through.
As an avid mafia romance book reviewer, I’ve come across countless made men in my romantic reads. For me, it can be a delicate balance for an author to present a formidable OTT bad boy that gets the famiglia business done, yet has enough redeeming qualities to make me actually like him. Sarah Curtis certainly pulled it off here. I grew to like Nico after I got to know him.
A big false first impression/misconception lead to this main couple’s first intimate encounter to be uncomfortably painful and awkward. I'll be honest here. I struggled with how that scene went down. Lust, not love, was the only thing Nico felt at that point. Nico is soon knocked clear off his feet by his unexpected feelings for Olivia and his desire to protect her. Yeah, it was after that “no turning back now” moment I realized, after I got over how it played out and felt he was remorseful, I decided to give this guy a second chance.
As the innocent babe in the brothel, we learn Livy lived in a very secluded environment and was about to be handed over to an unwelcome set of circumstances. Good news is Nico beat the bad guy to the punch and saved her, at the same time unknowingly saving himself in the process. Not such a bad hand to be dealt with, is it, my fellow mafia romance book-loving friends? His gamble taking Olivia paid off in a very big way. He got the love of his life he never knew he needed.
So, if you can put up with a seemingly blackhearted, ruthless hero at first, you might want to sit back and watch Nico Conti lose his heart but find his soulmate as he lets this beauty calm his savage beast.
Title: Bad Beat, Series: The Gamblers (Book 2), Author: Sarah Curtis, Pages: not listed, stand-alone but part of a linked series, VERY steamy scenes with lusty language, mafia theme, mafia violence, virgin/younger heroine (age 22), alpha possessive/dirty talking mob hero, no love triangle, no cheating. Rating: 4 stars
Book 1 - All-In (Alec & River), 4/5/17, Pages: 412
Book 2 - Bad Beat (Olivia & Nico), August 2017
(These comments are based on an advanced reader copy distributed via the author in exchange for a fair review. No compensation was provided to this reviewer, nor is there any affiliation between the reviewer and author/publisher).
----------
Book 3 - Full House Review:
Sarah Curtis once again proves she knows how to play her cards right and win me over with a perfect for each other main couple. Nathan Reed, the hero, had me at hello, folks. Kind of like Victoria, the heroine, had him at the same words during their first meeting. Yeah, it was insta-love the moment he laid eyes on her, as she became his leading lady on and off the screen. Need more proof why? At 28%, when pondering on how much time he wanted to spend with her he mentally thought “...he’d been wrong. Forever wasn’t long enough.” (le sigh) Though extremely attracted to him, as well, it takes her a little bit longer to get with the program and embrace the notion they could have a forever type relationship, despite living in the glitz and glamour of the movie star world.
Centering on their chemistry and attraction the first 30%, it wasn’t until an unexpected surprise is revealed that for me really started to bond them on an emotional level. Though Nate is one romantic silver tongued, alpha protective, possessive, caveman hero, he backed up how he felt for Victoria with lots of numerous, lengthy, very steamy scenes, complete with lusty language. Yeah, they took center stage more than I expected in what many will consider a “VERY” erotic read. But make no mistake, this guy uses endearing words of love, as well. He genuinely cared for her.
Overall, prepare yourself for some off the chart steaminess, my fellow romance book loving friends. Though there is a dual pronged, mystery/life-threatening underlying sub-plot that gets solved by the conclusion, with one of the culprits being a rather obvious choice, I didn’t find the drama as nail biting or riveting as the previous books. However, this determined, romantic hero made up for it.
The storyline does conclude with a somewhat meandering epilogue that takes you a little further into their future. I’ve got to say my favorite part was how head over heels Nate was for Victoria and his determination for them to be a couple.
Title: Full House, Series: The Gamblers (Book 3), Author: Sarah Curtis, Pages: 278, stand-alone but part of a series, Hollywood actors MC, Great good guy, possessive, caveman type hero, numerous/lengthy/very steamy scenes with lusty language, romance safe, no cheating, no love triangle, no OM/OW drama, hero had been celibate for some time, one of them became a target, non-virgin MC. Rating: 4 stars
Book 1 - All-In (Alec & River), 4/5/17, Pages: 412
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Book 2 - Bad Beat (Olivia & Nico), 8/8/17, Pages: 273
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Book 3 - Full House (Nathan & Victoria), 3/20/18, Pages: 278
(I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. I was not given any payment or compensation for this review, nor is there any affiliation or relationship between this reviewer and the author/publisher/retail outlets.)
December 28, 2020
I picked this set up just to get the additional updates/short stories for Alex and River along with Nico and Olivia. I love each of the couples in the Gambler Series and I couldn’t miss the opportunity to get more of them. If you haven’t read them yet, they are amazing, each with a hero that is protective, possessive and totally about his woman. Each book is deliciously wonderful on its own but boxing them together is pure decadence.
For safety/trigger spoilers, check out my individual reviews for each book in the series.
For safety/trigger spoilers, check out my individual reviews for each book in the series.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews