3.75stars—PLAY DIRTY is the first instalment in Lora Leigh’s contemporary, adult Tempting SEALs: Triton erotic romance series. This is thirty-two year old, undercover US Navy SEAL Jack Bridger, and twenty-six year old Poppy Porter’s story line. There is a slight sci-fi plot line involving sentient artificial intelligence, and cybernetic organisms.

NOTE: Due to the nature of the story line premise, there may be triggers for more sensitive readers.

Told from several omniscient third person perspectives (Jack and Poppy) using present day and memories from the past, PLAY DIRTY follows the childhood friends to lovers relationship between our story line couple. At seven years of age, Poppy Porter ‘saved’ the life of her best friend Jack Bridger, and several years later Jack would save Poppy’s life in return. Fast forward to present day wherein Jack Bridger has returned to his home town, a town that believes Jack is a traitor to the American people.Along with his team of former US Navy SEALs Jack goes undercover to ferret out a criminal organization with possible connections to the woman he loves.

The world building focuses on the events of the past, the abuse and betrayal of our story line hero, and the fall-out for a man who has battled all of his life. Poppy Porter has always loved the boy who had stolen her heart but Jack has returned a changed man, a man with a deadly and questionable reputation.

The relationship between Jack and Poppy is a best friends to lovers but a relationship that is currently based on secrets and lies. Jack’s return home comes with a darkness and secrets he is unable to reveal, and Poppy struggles to trust as death and destruction follow Jack in his wake. The $ex scenes are erotic and provocative.

We are introduced to Jack’s US Navy SEAL team: Lucas Royce, Hayes Granger and Hank Brady: Poppy’s over protective brothers Mac-Cole, John David and Evan; Poppy’s bosses Caine Crossfield and mention of River Dawson, as well as Poppy’s friends and co-workers Sasha and Saige. The requisite evil has many faces.

PLAY DIRTY is a story of secrets and lies, betrayal and vengeance, power and control, family and friendships, relationships and love. The premise is intriguing, captivating and engaging; the romance is seductive and fated; the characters are desperate, dynamic and charismatic. PLAY DIRTY ends on a bit of a cliff hanger-you have been warned.



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This book had a unique premise to it but did not give enough up front to hook me.

We see the story start out strong with introducing Poppy and Jack at a younger age, giving these characters a connection that they hold onto through many years while Jack is away. Jack returns with a mission, whereas the reader I feel was difficult to even understand. The details were vague besides getting introduced to the threat of this hidden AI humanoid weapon. For a large portion of the middle of the book I was grasping around for any info to understand what was happening just to get the last 50 or so pages being packed with the mission aspect of the story.

The ending of the book was left on a cliffhanger as well so in the end I feel like I was left seeking out more of the story throughout and by the end just not having enough to care about the future of it.

⭐ 3.5

Okey, Lora Leigh was one of the first authors I read when I started diving into romance. Her books were some of the first ones I read about SEALs and military themes, and I have to say that I developed a liking for them. With this book, I went back to those years because I see that her books haven't lost that essence I adore.

Jack and Poppy, our protagonists, were good, but they never got together when they were young. Now, as adults, each of them has their own life: she works as a real estate agent, and he's an ex-Navy SEAL. But here’s where it gets interesting: he has to “investigate” something and needs to get close to Poppy to achieve it. Let's just say that from there, everything takes a twist, and I liked it. Their relationship was quick, I won't deny it. Everyone is against Jack, except for Poppy, who believes he's a good person.

Now, what truly captivated me throughout the book was the theme of artificial intelligence. As I read, it sent shivers down my spine.

Returning to this author’s work feels like revisiting my happy years. The story is fast-paced and gripping, with some things that left me a little confused.

thanks to the publisher and netgalley for the e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

I have been reading Lora Leigh since she started writing. I have loved her Breed series and many of her suspense books, but some of the suspense fall flat to me. This was one of them. There is a ton of sex and minimal plot. Unfortunately this has happened with Ms. Leigh's suspense before and I was hoping there would be more suspense and more plot.

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC.

Poppy saved Jack as an abused teen and since then he has done everything to protect her whether he was near it far. Jack is leaving the service with a less than honorable record and he will be setting up his own group back home where the only person he's ever loved is. Jack's new team needs to stop an AI prototype from making its way into use but when he arrives Poppy's entire life is wrapped up in all that is going down. Poppy and Jack have the chance to be together like never before but so much is kept in secret. There is just the right mix of mercenary suspense with romance and steam in this story.

I used to really enjoy reading Lora Leigh back in her Ellora's Cave days and some of the Breeds series so I was excited to see she'd been picked up by a major mainstream publisher. In saying that, I have mixed feelings about Play Dirty. I enjoyed the premise of the heroine having been the one bright spot in the hero's early life and he's determined to look after her. There was great conflict when they were each unsure of the other's feelings even as they were drawn together. The sequel bait guys were interesting enough for me to want to know more about them and the SF twist towards the end and the revelation that raises more questions about who's really in charge.

But there are a couple of scenes I have misgivings about. The first time that Jack was with Poppy, he marked her neck so that everyone would know that she was his and was angry when she chose discretion and covered his marks to avoid explaining her sex life to her overprotective brothers before she was ready. His argument was that she had signed up for it by being with him, but even an actual Dom would have negotiated clear consent beforehand, instead of a wave of the hand after the fact.

In another scene, Jack waited until he was inside Poppy to tell her that he was unprotected. In a real life scenario, that would be stealthing.

Because it's been so long since I've read Lora Leigh, I'm unsure if the lack of prior consent was always there and I've only recently become more aware of it or if this is something new she's done with these characters in this book.

In all honesty, although I enjoyed the spice and plot in Play Dirty (maybe the dub con is part of Jack playing as dirty as he can to win), the dub con and greater awareness of consent in current times makes me hesitant to recommend this book to readers. I'm undecided as to whether or not to continue the series.

I was sent this book by NetGalley for my honest review of the book. When I first started reading it I thought it was sweet that poppy wanted to protect Jackson so much because of the hard life he was currently living. After some very troubling and traumatic incidents Jackson ends up becoming a navy seal. When he comes back he’s keeping secrets from the girl who’s always been in love with him. This book was good and the suspense and romance was good but I did have a hard time keeping up with who was talking at the time and it made me a little confused at times.

1 ⭐/ 1 🌶️ .... D.N.F.'d @ 50%

I was so excited to receive an ARC for Lora Leigh's Play Dirty. It's been a while since I have read a romantic suspense, especially one that leans to the darker side of romance. The premise held a lot of promise but unfortunely, the story fell flat for me.

The writing was disjointed and did not flow easily, and there were a lot of awkward scenes with cringy dialogue. It felt as if the plot was a jigsaw puzzle and some of the pieces were jammed into the wrong place. The motive behind the characters was unclear and honestly, they were pretty unlikable as well. And the amount of characters! I know this is a spin-off series but it was difficult to keep track of everyone and I have no idea who is from what. Add in the many redundancies and inconsistencies and Play Dirty just did not deliver for me.

If you like romantic suspense with oodles of mystery, ex-military characters, bloodshed, and a grade A alpha-hole then you may want to try this one for yourself, but it just wasn't for me.

It truly pains me that this was 2.5 stars for me. I really wanted to love this, I loved the plot on the blurb, and the characters from the prologue, but overall the story had issues. Poppy's character felt a bit all over the place, the inner monologue for both Poppy and Jack felt repetitive, and the AI aspect was convoluted. Adding to all of this was inconsistent formatting that kept pulling me from the story or having me need to go back and reread the last few lines to figure it out. I think without the formatting issues, I may have enjoyed the story more and been able to overlook the plot issues, but unfortunately it just accentuate them. I actually still plan to read the next book in the series, but I'll hope maybe editing and proofing will be utilized.

After failing her, he plans to do her dirty.

Jack failed Poppy when she needed him the most because he was avoiding her.
She had to take care of her rapist. Poppy was seven when she brought fourteen year old Jack Bridgier home for a meal and warm clothes. He ended up taking care of his father then becoming a seal and then failing Poppy. Poppy has always been in love with Jack and has no idea that he is planning to do her dirty (in the good way and the unforgivable way). They do like each other and like the sexy times but the whole made up reasons for them not being together until years later - I'm not buying it. I did like that Poppy had no remorse for taking her of her own creep. I have to say, Jack is not very good seal. Guess I just wasn't very impressed with him.

One more shot. The last Lora Leigh book I read I said would be my last. Well, here I am again, and I've got to say I like this one. The formula of lots of sex and little plot has changed a little, okay a very little, but there is definitely more plot to this one. For a sex filled escape with a good suspense plot "Play Dirty" is a great read.

Jack Lee Bridger was an abused fourteen-year-old when Poppy found him hiding from his abusive father. She showed him the only kindness he had ever known. He watched her grow but was unable to protect her when she needed it most. Now Jack is determined to protect her, even if it means with his life.

Jack is back home in Barboursville, West Virginia. a disgraced ex-SEAL. But a SEAL with a mission vital to national security. But to accomplish his mission Jack knows he is going to break Poppy's heart.

Poppy Octavia Porter has been in love with Jack since she was a seven-year-old and found him hiding behind the garbage cans. That love just wouldn't die even when he all but ignored her and left for the Navy. Now he's back and Poppy is determined to make Jack see her as a woman full grown and ready for him as a man.

Jack's mission is dangerous and involves people Poppy cares about and he can't tell her anything about it. The first part is making Poppy fall for him, that was the easy part. Maybe too easy. She is now in danger because of him and the only thing he can do is complete his mission and pray she will forgive him when it's all over.

My thanks to the Publisher and Author for providing a complimentary digital Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) of this novel via NetGalley. This is my fair, honest and personal review. All opinions are mine alone and were not biased in any way.

Poppy has loved only one man. Too bad he avoids her every time he comes home. Jack cares for one woman. Too bad he must betray her in order to save the world.
Playing Dirty is first in a new series by Lora Leigh. Jack has returned home but his reasoning isn't a simple as he portrays. Poppy isn't sure she can trust the new Jack but her body doesn't care. The heat between Jack and Poppy leaps off the pages. Ms. Leigh does little to hide the passion and I am not sorry. Jack and Poppy have a history and now they are ready to feed the chemistry between them even as they both keep secrets. Will those secrets cost them more than they are willing to lose?
I enjoyed finding out in the new world Ms. Leigh is building for us.

This story is intense, action packed, full of suspense, secrets, mercenary military operations, and a dangerous A.I. weapon. But it is also a sizzling hot romance that has been years in the making between the main characters with a connection that is soul deep. But Jack is keeping secrets from Poppy, as well as putting her in danger. Will he be able to keep her safe? And will Poppy and Jack make it out together?

This is Jack and Poppy’s journey and it will keep you on the edge of your seat until the end. So hold on to your seat it is a wild and dangerous ride!

I received an early copy and this is my honest review.

I really loved the beginning of this book as it showed how Poppy and Jack met. I got a bit lost at one point with the amount of characters that were introduced, especially as this book is written in third pov.
Poppy was very head strong and I liked that she always knew it was Jack and never let a man close enough to her, even though Jack did flit in and out of her life as he was in the navy SEALS.
Jack is believed to not have feelings but Poppy is his weakness and her protection always comes first.

Lora Leigh’s book, Play Dirty, is full of intense romance, sexy Navy SEALs & a story so addicting I was hooked from beginning to end! The suspense & cliffhangers push the reader to continue reading until the very end. The characters, Poppy & Jack, along with the other characters are all pieces of a puzzle the reader needs to create the full picture. The cliffhanger & twist at the end of the book leaves the reader wanting so much more. I have not read a romance like this one filled with such intensity & suspense but I absolutely loved it!

I have never read a romance book involving anything related to the military so I was unprepared for the necessity of consuming so much information in between the romance. Although I received the ALC first, I immediately requested the ARC due to all the information about Navy Seals, Artificial Intelligence, Military missions, etc.. I found what worked best was simultaneously reading & listening so all the information could be absorbed more easily. It was very easy to do since the book was so gripping.

I absolutely recommend picking this book up! It is a gripping romance & story that I absolutely loved!

Plus, can you really pass up a good book filled with one extremely sexy Navy SEAL? . . . yeah, no.

Unfortunately I did not finish this book. I was not feeling the story or the characters and the three times jumps in such quick succession did not favours either. I could understand the men being involved with guns and drugs but then to through in artificial intelligence just seemed like grasping at straws. I appreciate the opportunity to read this book but unfortunately it wasn't for me.

“you were always more to me than anyone else would ever be."
•

Poppy has been in love with Jack since she was a kid, and now that he’s return home fresh off retirement as a Navy SEAL, she’s ready to finally go after what she’s wanted for all these years: him.

in order to pull off his secret operation, Jack’s cover has to be believable. starting a romantic relationship with Poppy is the natural option. they’ve both wanted each other forever, and everyone knows it. they aren’t kids anymore, and it was only a matter of time.

while his feelings for Poppy are real, it’s not what truly brought Jack home. the rumor is he’s into some nefarious jobs as a skilled and disgruntled veteran-for-hire. and it’s his job to make people believe it while he runs his undercover mission. when all is finally revealed, will Poppy forgive the lies and deceit to be with the only person she’s ever loved?
•

this and that:
♡ artificial intelligence
♡ childhood friends-to-lovers
♡ dual pov
♡ girl-next-door
♡ family dinners
♡ motorcycles
♡ Navy SEALs / veterans
♡ open door
♡ romantic suspense
♡ small towns
♡ undercover missions
♡“you’re mine”

•

triggers:
☞ child abuse
☞ child exploitation
☞ hostages
☞ human trafficking (mentioned)
☞ kidnapping
☞ murder
☞ sexual assault
☞ wartime atrocities discussed
•

notable quotes:
・Poppy was the only good memory he had of home, and she was one of his greatest regrets.

・For all her sweet temper and easy smiles, she could be a bloodthirsty little thing when it came to the idea of justice.

・She’d owned him since he was fourteen years old, and now he was back for good. She was grown. It was time.

・“a woman like that, she can hate with the same depth of emotion as she loves, once she’s been betrayed.”

・“the next time I have to challenge a man over you, I’ll break his fucking bones.”

・he knew he’d never survive losing her.

・He’d never be the same after Poppy looked at him with hate in her eyes, and he knew it.

・She wondered if anyone besides her had ever loved Jack.

・“Loving him is actually very easy…That, or I’ve just loved him for so long that it seems effortless.”

・he wondered if that was how it felt when the heart began to break.

・“you were always more to me than anyone else would ever be.”

・“I’m your monster slayer, baby…Always.”

・“I have always loved you.”

・“I’ve always been yours…Every part of me belonged to you.”

・“You’re my soul. If that’s love, then so be it.”

・He was home.
—
thank you Bramble Romance for sending me a copy of this book for review!

Lora leigh was one of the first authors I really loved when getting into romance, and this book felt like a warm hug from an old friend. I love the spice she delivers in her stories, and this one was no different. I never feel slighted in that department. I adored Poppy and her unshakable love for Jack. She had a fire but also a maturity in knowing when to pick her battles. She didn't let Jack walk over her but leaned into his experience and protection. Jack brought the fierce possessiveness Lora's heroes must possess. He may be closed off to the world, but Poppy is the only one to make him feel. The plot line had suspense and mystery that was really enjoyable and the epilpgue has definitely sucked me into continuing the series!

I love military romance trope, this one did not disappoint, it did take me out of my reading slum with all the spice that went on here between Poppy and Jack. Jack had a bad childhood and Poppy was the little girl who always had his back and also because of her he was placed in foster care with amazing parents. He had this need to always want to protect her and also developed feelings, same as Poppy. A few years later when he comes back home for an assignment with some other Navy SEALs. The one thing that was not sticking with me was this assignment that he was there to complete, I could've cared less of what was going on..... lol I just loved them together....

I quickly dove into 'Play Dirty' so I could read all of the steamy hot moments that I knew Lora Leigh could deliver.

Jack Bridger is definitely a mysterious, but possessive dirty talker who brings all of the heat to this story. It's really hard to resist Jack. Poor Poppy! He is the perfect match for Poppy Porter's sweet, forgiving heart. There is a dark history between these two that goes back years, and it has changed Jack and Poppy's relationship from childhood friends to complete strangers. Now, Jack is back in town and his sights are set on the woman he has avoided for years, Poppy. Sigh!

There is more to Jack, though, than the mystery man he shows others. His past (and Poppy's) intersect into a storyline that I definitely was not expecting. I liked Jack and Poppy, but that ending was strange.


3.5 stars