After finishing The Billionaire’s Game, I was really curious about Dominic’s backstory – and Before The Game gave me exactly what I needed. It was such a fascinating look into who he was before he met Theo, and I loved getting a deeper sense of what made him tick. The writing pulled me in with all the emotion under the surface, and even though Dominic tries to keep everything in control, you can tell from the start that things are starting to crack.
What I liked most about this story was how well it showed Dominic’s inner world. He’s powerful and calculated on the outside, but inside, he’s clearly dealing with a lot of emptiness and fear of connection. Watching him slowly unravel, piece by piece, was surprisingly emotional. There’s no big romance here like in The Billionaire’s Game, but you really feel the tension building toward it. The story gave so much insight into his decisions, especially why he’s the way he is when Theo comes into the picture later on.
The bonus short stories were incredibly fun too. Honestly, this whole idea for Dominic was very different from anything else Moore has done, so I understand why some might feel put off by it. But I heavily enjoyed reading the short stories as a sort of accompaniment to this main story, and I’m glad I got to discover why Dominic is the way he is in Before The Game.
Moore’s characters always have so much depth, and every story adds another layer to this world he’s building. I’ll definitely be reading the next installment as soon as it’s out.