Lovers and Players

By: Jackie Collins

Narrated by: Isabel Keating

Length: 17 hrs and 55 mins

Publisher's summary

Jackie Collins is back—in this deliciously scandalous novel, Lovers & Players. And she's giving her listeners a revealing look into the private realms of her fabulously rich and sexy cast of characters.

Dangerous sex, family secrets, irresistible power, mega money and two murders equal one reckless week in New York. Lovers and Players takes you on a high-powered trip from Park Avenue to Brooklyn.

In Lovers and Players, the Diamond family's power extends from coast to coast. Max—a real estate tycoon; Chris—a Hollywood lawyer; and Jett—a handsome young ex-druggie, now a successful model in Italy, must finally come face to face with their tyrannical father, Red, who has been controlling their world for as long as they can remember.

Working as Red's housekeeper is Diahann, a beautiful black ex-singer. Her stunning bi-racial nineteen-year-old daughter, Liberty—a waitress who is a would-be singer herself—does not approve of her mother working as a housekeeper. Liberty has dreams of her own and while she pursues them, Damon P. Donnell, married hip-hop mogul supreme, pursues her.

Amy Scott-Simon, a beguilingly pretty young New York heiress, in engaged to marry Max Diamond. At her bachelorette party she runs into Jett, Max's younger brother. Jet has no idea who Amy is. She also doesn't realize who he is. A one-night fling leads to major complications.

As the lives of these characters intertwine, power, money, fame and love are the ties that bind—emotionally and otherwise—in this highly charged love story about family relationships and deadly choices.

©2006 Chances, Inc. (P)2006 Audio Renaissance, a division of Holtzbrinck Publishers, LLC

Critic reviews

“Take one vindictive aging tycoon and three charismatic, ambitious sons; add one naïve heiress, one aspiring R&B diva, one British (titled, natch) lady of the house; throw in a dash of Russian mafia, kinky sex and a pinch of rap mogul, fabulous locations and a sprinkling of murders, and you have the ingredients for a fast-paced, glamour-heavy Collins extravaganza." —Publishers Weekly

“Vintage Collins here: Sex, love, betrayal, and deception. Her fans will certainly enjoy.” —Booklist

“[Collins] seems to know every Hollywood player and just where to find their dirty laundry basket. She is a consummate observer, an outsider with an insider's knowledge. That's her signature trick. She is at once both intimate and detached.” —Daily Mail (UK)

Another Average book by Jackie Collins!

I have read many of Ms Collins books and as I have stated in other reviews, her books are what I call my "garbage reads" something quick to read, easy to pick up and put down and not lose where you are at, and I really don't gain anything from them! This is just an okay book!

Perfect as usual!

Jackie Collins is my ALL TIME favorite author! I have read and listened to ALL of her books and they NEVER get boring! I get excited when I see new material from her! Anything from this author is well worth listening to or reading! Enjoy!

Good story telling at its best!

Good character development! As I hear the story it literally comes alive for me! I caught myself holding my breath and wondering what would happen next!
Very entertaining!

Pretty good book!

This book kept me interested and I would have given it 5 stars if not for the horrible narrator. She was HORRIBLE at all of the accents to the point where it was distracting and almost racist. Anyway, the content of the book was good so if you can overlook the bad narration then it is worth it.

Good from Start to Finish

If you like Collins this is one of the best. The narrator is great and does a good job differentiating characters.

C+

It was hard for me to finish but I persevered.

The performance would have been acceptable if not for the fingers down the chalkboard voice of the child. Everytime her voice spoke I cringed and felt the hairs in my ears wince. I literally had to stop the story at times.

The story was shruggable.

Overall, it was simply ok. Would not recommend to anyone.

Jackie does it again...

I've always liked the way she (eventually)digs into the characters backgrounds. It was fun and fast paced. The ending was satisfying. The "big reveal " towards the end; mic (or should I say book)drop!

good but annoying child character

overall good but the child character is extremely annoying to listen to and not really how a 5 year old speaks or acts.

Red Diamond's Dysfunctional Family

I haven't read many Jackie Collins' books but I may have to go back and listen to a few more as I found this one to be pure entertainment. There are lots of characters to keep track of and somehow they all manage to intertwine in the end. Steamy sex scenes, tabloid scandals, murders, fashion models, business tycoons, Russian mobsters, coffee house waitresses, rap stars, and music business executives are some of the characters who mix it up to create a great time for the listener. I thought this was a good, easy fun listen. Very enjoyable.

Great 1st Novel

this is my 1st Jackie Collins book. A friend told me little about it. Once I picked it up, I was a fan. I love Jackie. She doesn't hold back.