This is a great story about Val and Kyle. At the beginning Val knows exactly who Kyle is and wants to piss off her dad and man does she ever. Kyle had know idea who the hot red head is that he can't stop thinking about. I've both learn who the other is the great really starts. Kyle had to prove himself on the field and to Val. Val has to learn too let go and work on getting her dad to finally notice her. This is a great love story that will keep you wanting more.

4.5 Stars

I really love sports romances. My first book in the "Sydney Smoke Rugby" series didn't disappoint! I'm definitely going to read the rest as well!

Kyle is the hottest thing in rugby. Valerie is his coach's daughter and definitely off-limits but he doesn't know that. They meet at a bar where Valerie goes to "celebrate" her 24th birthday alone. They spend the night together and after that Kyle can't stop thinking about her.

The chemistry between Kyle and Valerie is off the charts. I like how Kyle is not the typical athlete playboy but he is sweet and considerate. Valerie is hurt because her dad is distant and the only thing she wants is for him to show her some love; I really felt for her. The gesture that Kyle does at the end of the book is something else. Girls you really need to get yourself a man like that!! The epilogue is really sweet and wraps up the story perfectly!

‘If any man was going to wreck her, she’d choose him.
Always.’

I’ve thoroughly enjoyed the Sydney Smoke Rugby series from Amy Andrews, and Playing Dirty was yet another winning installment. In fact, if this was an American football book, I’d call it a touchdown; the word ‘try’ just doesn’t have the right ring to it, or the same positive connotation I want to convey in this review.

Because I loved the relationship between Val—who’s been a part of the series from the start, though these books are standalones—and newcomer, Kyle. Their meet-cute was bantery and fun, and made for a good set-up, and all of their subsequent interactions made me smile or swoon. Sometimes both.

Also packed into this book is a heavier storyline about Val’s fractious relationship with her dad, Kyle’s coach, which I felt was handled well, and a message about the importance of family. It made for engaging, consuming reading, and absolutely tugged on my heartstrings more than once.

There was just one thing that I felt a little unresolved, but beyond that, Playing Dirty was an über hot, totally sweet and touching book—the fictional equivalent of a game-winning try, if you will.

“Fast, slow, multiple, tantric. Orgasms delivered just the way you want them.”

~ 4.5 Croissant STARS ~

I totally loved this book!

While it was totally hot & steamy (signature Brazen), I liked that the author found a way to make the book fun, as well as touching. I loved Kyle immediately! He and Valerie were perfect! I enjoyed their interactions from the start, and I couldn't help but root for them. I was both happy and sad when the book ended.

This is my second time reading a book from this series. I definitely have a lot of catching up to do, as the other teammates and their banter have me eager to see what I've been missing.

I recommend Playing Dirty, and cannot wait to dive into the others in the series.

I voluntarily read & reviewed an ARC of this book, which I received via NetGalley.

Valerie King has finally gotten her book. Val has lived in the shadows of her coach father and family tragedy for years. She lost her twin sister at the age of two to an accident and her father has never forgiven himself. She feels as though she is a constant reminder of the loss. Each year her birthday is never a happy time ...it is a time of reflection and loss. She finds herself in a bar on her 24th birthday and numbing the pain of the past. Kyle is the new guy on the block he is a lone wolf on the rugby field and has not had the pleasure of knowing the background on the coach or his family. Their meeting is instant attraction and full of such sexual energy . Val knows that he has no idea who she is and she will use this to her advantage ..he can get her through this night make her forget and she can move on before he is non the wiser . Yes that is going to backfire. They are too good together and once the truth comes out it is a full out mess for them personally and professionally ! I loved them together Kyle is a big burly man with such a soft heart
~~Michele McMullen ~~

I Enjoyed reading this hot sport romance.
More on my blog https://heyjustreadit.wordpress.com/2018/07/10/playing-dirty-bye-amy-andrews-review/

Love it! This story make me cry, I love Val and Kyle story. Great chemistry, they have good vibrations from the first time Kyle land his eye's on Val. Rugby is the glue that keep them together.
I received a ARC from Netgalley for a honest review.

I’ve been following Ms. Andrews’ Sydney Smoke series since the second book, and I’ve been waiting for the resolution of the troubled relationship between Griff, the rugby team’s gruff and unemotional coach, and his daughter, Val. So, yes, while this is also the story of Val’s HEA with new-to-the-team Kyle, a pretty large part of the story is about Val and Griff repairing their relationship.

“The sudden thought that her father would not be impressed by this fraternization with one of his players made it feel even better.
Defiant. Illicit.”


Val is drinking away her 24th birthday when rugby player Kyle slides up next to her at the bar. While Val knows who he is – she’s made a habit of inserting herself into the rugby team’s life in order to find a way into her father’s heart – Kyle has no idea who she is, other than a beautiful (and very knowledgeable about rugby) woman. Things proceed much as you would expect, with Val disappearing the next morning, never intending to let her father know what happened since it would affect Kyle’s career. Kyle can’t get the mystery woman out of his head, so when he sees her outside the Smoke locker room after a game, he immediately grabs and kisses her – in front of her dad and the whole team. Already on Griff’s bad side, violating the Smoke’s number one rule – the coach’s daughter is off-limits – leads to a ultimatum: never see Val again or get kicked off the team and blacklisted from rugby forever. But Kyle can’t get her out of his thoughts, and Val can’t forget him, either. Can their love survive the weight of Val and Griff’s strained relationship?

“What if I told you I could handle my career and your father just fine without dancing around and pretending I’m not totally hot for his daughter?”


I’ve liked Val since we first met her in the series, and I’m just going to reiterate that it was so nice to see her finally get her HEA. Most of her life has been shaped by the horrific tragedy that happened when she was 2 (and which we finally find out the details of in this book), and then by trying to earn her father’s love after he emotionally distanced himself after the accident. She’s tried to be good and undemanding, even going so far as to insert herself into the running of the rugby tam and the WAGs just so she can be close to him, because if she can’t win his love, she can at least be involved in the one thing he does love. Even though she knows Kyle is off-limits – and she certainly doesn’t want to tank his career – the chemistry between them is undeniable.

“The Smoke is great because they work together as one. Not because one guy decides he can do it all himself. There are seven other guys out there on the field at any given time, and you’re going to need your team behind you when you’re shit out of luck, Leighton, and you will be. It happens to everyone at some point.”


Kyle, on the other hand, comes from a big self-described bogan (the Aussie version of redneck family) family, and while they love him, he’s resigned to the fact that he’s the person in his family who gets things done. He’s admired and looked up to Griff for pretty much his entire life, and getting to finally play on the Smoke should be a dream come true. Problem is, he’s highly self-sufficient, something that carries over in to his rugby game and is certainly not endearing him to the team or Griff, even before his one night stand with Val is revealed.

“What do you want from Griff? If you could have anything? A relationship? An explanation? An apology?”
The question shredded Val’s usual bravado where her father was concerned.
Nobody had ever asked her that.”


Beyond that, though, this is a ridiculously steamy book, with some of the hottest sex scenes yet. But when they’re not scorching up the sheets (or her bakery’s prep area), Kyle listens to Val, and offers a new perspective that just might succeed at shaking up 22 years of resentment. A good portion of the end of the book is spent on Val and Griff’s relationship, but it didn’t lessen the impact of her romantic relationship with Kyle – rather, it was her relationship with him that allowed her to finally start the work of repairing her relationship with her father.

Overall, I loved this addition to the series, and I’m already eagerly anticipating the next one. I’m not sure who’s next, but now that Val has her HEA, my eye’s on Griff and Eve! I highly recommend this series to anyone who enjoys hilarious and sexy romances!

I received this book for free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Sarah – ☆☆☆☆
4.5 stars

This book is sexy and fun and dirty in the best possible way. A one-night stand between the Smoke’s newest star player and the coach’s daughter causes all sorts of problems when the coach finds out.

Val is the feisty, estranged daughter of the Smoke’s head coach. She also owns her own bakery and makes exquisite Chelsea buns. I loved her as a leading lady. She is funny, self-deprecating, and more than a little bit gobby.

Kyle is a pretty boy rugby star who needs to be taught to play well with others. The banter between Kyle and Val is brilliant and his clashes with her father are epic. This is a deliciously explicit and very sexy read. The chemistry between Kyle and Val is fabulous and their connection is playful and imaginative.

The storyline isn’t a new one in sports romance and the author does rely on some tired tropes, but I loved the rugby and the Australian details are thoroughly entertaining. This is a fun and steamy summer holiday read.


Ruthie – ☆☆☆☆
This is the sixth book in the series – and somehow I have missed the previous books, something I will be remedying soon. I could imagine who got their happily ever after in previous stories, but I loved it without knowing all their details.

Kyle is new to the team, and unbeknown to him he breaks the coach's cardinal rule. This leads to him having to make a very difficult decision – head or heart. Any book which pitches those two against each other, and makes a man have to choose will lead to some heartache, whether his or hers... in this case probably both.

I loved the rugby elements: the issues of being a new player, the family that is the team, the problems of being in love with the coach's daughter, and the impact on the team as a whole. It is important as a background but is also sets up some pretty dramatic moments.

The bakery is a far more sweet and sexy element in the story, and also very heated moments in Val and Kyle's relationships. I love the hygiene authorities comments! It is also the venue for Kyle's big gesture, and in this media crazy world, it was easy to imagine the scene perfectly.

If you fancy a fun, sexy, and sport-based read, then this will surely entertain you.

The first rule any player for the Sydney Smoke learns is this: Stay away from the coach’s daughter. That’s all well and good for newly-traded hotshot Kyle Leighton. He’s come to be coached by Griffin King and no woman would ever take precedence over rugby. Only when Kyle goes to a bar and has a blazing hot one-night stand with the mysterious Val, he has no idea that she’s the one woman in all of Sydney he’s supposed to stay away from. One mistake like that could jeopardize his career – not to mention Val’s already strained relationship with her father. It’s clear to both Val and Kyle that they should stay away from one another. Except some passions burn too hot to ignore…

Playing Dirty is smoking hot and a whole lot of fun. Where can I put an order in for one of Amy Andrews’s Sydney Smoke players? Ms. Andrews has a gift for penning insanely hot athletes who are seriously sexy, incredibly talented on the pitch and in the bedroom, and yet they’re never full of themselves. In other words, the whole team is made up of perfect book boyfriend material and Kyle Leighton is no exception. Kyle is talented, fun, and has a big heart. He isn’t flawless and it drove me nuts when he made decisions in Val’s interest without talking to her, but when he makes mistakes they’re made with good intentions and a kind heart. Val is a blast to read about and I’ve been looking forward to her story from the very first book in the series. Like Kyle, she’s a funny and kind protagonist and it’s easy to adore her. She and Kyle have a red hot romance that made the pages of Playing Dirty fly by and I was rooting for them every step of the way.

Kyle and Val’s romance shines, but there’s an equally important secondary plot in Playing Dirty that will just tug on your heartstrings. Val carries a lot of hurt buried not-so-deep beneath the surface and it’s due to her relationship with her father. She desperately wants her father’s love, but there’s so much grief and guilt in their past that Griff can’t see past to give it to her. Kyle, the outsider in this situation, gets involved because he can’t bear to see Val hurting. The result is a messy, emotional journey that’s intertwined with the romance and I loved it.

Playing Dirty is the sixth book in the Sydney Smoke Rugby series but it can easily be read as a standalone. Every book in this series is a great mix of humor, heat, and heart and Kyle and Val’s story is no exception. I adored Playing Dirty and by the time I finished it I was grinning like a loon (it doesn’t hurt that Ms. Andrews’s heroes excel at incredibly fun, over-the-top displays of affection). I can’t wait to see what Ms. Andrews has in store for readers in the next Sydney Smoke book!

3.5☆
Cute
What I liked:
The writing style
The characters
Part of a series: Sydney Smoke Rugby
Standalone
HEA
Epilogue

I look forward to reading the other books in this series.

Amy Andrews brings it all, in her latest Sydney Smoke Rugby Romance. Playing Dirty is not just delightfully, sexy and hot as F##k, but it is also, sweet, heartbreaking, and filled with emotional moments, that will pull hard at your heartstrings . I laughed, I cried, I fell so hard for this couple and their story.
Valerie King’s Birthdays have always sucked, she dreads them and that is why she is drinking in a bar alone, missing her sister. When a customer makes her laugh, she is surprised when she looks up, to find Kyle Leighton.
Kyle Leighton is the newest member to the Sydney Smoke, the hottest thing in rugby. And Val would know, she has been following his career, since her father, is the legendary coach, Griffin King, of the Sydney Storm.
Kyle’s witty and flirty banter makes her laugh, and makes her feel lighter than air, at his ridiculous conversations. But there is more that draws her to Kyle, it is a electrical, sizzling connection. But her father has one rule, where she was concerned, and that was that the players of the Sydney Smoke were off limits. But this felt to good and she didn’t want it to stop. She was too hurt and too lonely and couldn’t think of a better way to end her shitty day then to leave with him.
Kyle couldn’t remember the last time he’d wanted a woman so instantly. It felt like the beginning of something. But the next morning, she was gone and all he knew about her was her first name. But after his first game with the Smoke two weeks later he sees his mystery woman, but all hell breaks loose when the coach catches him kissing his daughter. If he ever wanted to play rugby again he would need to give up Val. But after witnessing her father and Val’s intense emotional outburst. He has to find a way to talk with her again. To make sure she is okay. Rules be damned. The chemistry and connection that these two have is sexy, entertaining and sweet. But what happens when the coach finds out that the rules have been broken again? You will have to read to find out. There is such an emotional part to this story that you need to read it and experience it first hand. LOVED IT! I just cant get enough of Amy Andrews Stories.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This was a fun and,easy read. It's good for an afternoon by the pool, but it didn't set itself apart from the hundreds of other sport romances out there. On the plus side it was cute and steamy and the H/h had chemistry and were fun to watch together. For the negatives, it was completely predictable , the secondary characters were flat, and the end was to quick and easy with the big red bow. Despite that it was a nice diversion today, and I enjoyed reading it.

Quick(ish) Review 4 stars
I enjoyed this. This is the sixth book in the Sydney Smoke Rugby series and but each book I’ve read does work as a standalone. Val King, the Smoke’s coach’s daughter, is drowning her sorrows while celebrating her twenty fourth birthday, when she meets the newest addition to the team, Kyle Leighton. Kyle has no idea who she is, but as a newbie to the team, he only knows one thing - do not touch the coach’s daughter. Oops. One thing leads to another and well, y’all know the drill - a one night stand, followed by romance, happens.

This is a light read, focused more on the sexual chemistry between Val and Kyle, and there’s plenty of that. The forbidden edge to their interactions, the sneaking around and hooking up while trying to hide it from the team and her father is fun and smutty.

There’s also a more serious edge because of Val’s history with her father and a tragedy in their past. Val and her father have the most emotional scenes in the story, which makes sense and Kyle’s personal arc takes a backseat to that. None of it is delved into too deeply though, and overall, I think it’s in keeping with the theme of the series. There aren’t any real scenes with other characters that developed relationships outside of this trio of characters and in general, I would have loved to see at least one friendship for Val and Kyle so you could appreciate them outside this romance.

Having said that, when real life gets crazy, I tend to gravitate to these lighter types of reads, so this suited my mood just fine. If that’s what you’re in the mood for, you may enjoy this.

I loved this book. The characters were all a little broken but the author made it work. Kyle and Val were not with each other. Despite being warned he couldn't keep away from her. The subject matter between Val and her father was a bit heavy but. the author handled their story with compassion and understanding.

Playing Dirty is the latest installment in Amy Andrews’ Sydney Smoke series about professional rugby players. Valerie King is having a bad birthday. She’s feeling the loss off her twin sister and she’s depressed by the near-constant tension with her father. Val just wants a few hours to forget the pain. Enter Kyle Leighton, a hot rugby player in a bar who is ripe for the taking. Val knows who he is--a new star on her father’s rugby team--but in the moment she doesn’t care. Consequences be damned.

I haven’t read any of Andrew’s other books and I know nothing about rugby but that didn’t matter. I was able to follow the story completely. This book started off a little show for me and then picked up steam. I liked the heroine a lot—especially since she was career minded and had her own life outside her father’s fortune. I enjoyed the different aspects of the story—the relationship between Kyle and Amy, the relationship between Amy and her father, the tension between Kyle and his new teammates, and the meddling secretary.

If you like sports-themed romances, this is definitely a good read.

Playing Dirty is the latest installment in Amy Andrews’ incredibly enjoyable Sydney Smoke series, about the rugby players of the team by the same name. This novel centers on the team’s newest hot shot player, Kyle, and the coach’s daughter, Val. There’s insta-lust all over this one, along with Ms. Andrews’ signature banter and ability to draw richness out of her characters in a short period of time. I have yet to read a book by this author I didn’t like, and this is no exception.

Kyle Leighton is beyond excited to play for the Smoke and celebrates his move with the best one-night stand of his life. He’s desperate to know her name, but she vanishes Cinderella style. and he goes about his business settling in with the team. He’s a league leader in most of the important statistics and knows he is going to be such a benefit to the Smoke that he’s a little confused as to why the rest of the team is cold towards him. And that’s before… well, I’ll get to that.

Val King is really tired of being her father’s daughter. As the surviving child of a horrific accident when she was a toddler, Val’s relationship with her father – Griff - has always been fraught. As readers, we’ve been privy to some of the tension in previous books in this series, but I wouldn’t go so far as to say this isn’t a standalone work. Knowing some of the backstory for this particular subplot adds richness, but Ms. Andrews is good at putting everything on the page that we need to know. The tension between Val and Griff is exacerbated by the fact that rugby is a massive passion for her. She’s at every game, knows every stat, every player, every everything. So when Kyle sidles up to her at a bar one evening, she knows exactly who he is. And when she has a night of passionate sex she knows her father would expressly forbid since his players are never allowed to be with her? She knows exactly what she’s doing.

She assumes it’ll be a one and done, and when she sees Kyle around the stadium, it’ll be no big deal. Rugby superstars have a rotating dance card, so to speak, so what would be the big deal? Val didn’t quite think the whole thing through however, and so when Kyle accidentally announces to the entire team that they’ve slept together, the plot takes off from there.

There are three storylines in this work - the main romance between Kyle and Val (which is just a whole lot of hot, sexy fun), the evolution of Kyle’s career with the team, and Val’s relationship with Griff. In some ways, the romance was the least of my concerns; an HEA is guaranteed in Ms. Andrews’ work, so I was never worried. The other two stories were the ones which carried the tension. Would Kyle understand that being a team player means sacrificing individual stats? How will Griff and Kyle work together? What about Griff and Val? What does a relationship look like after so many years of frostiness?

Luckily for us readers, the answers to all of those questions and more are dealt with expertly. Playing Dirty earns a strong recommendation for any sports romance fans, anyone who loves one-night-stands to HEA, and anyone looking for a satisfyingly rich read to while away these summer heat waves.

Buy it at: Amazon/Barnes & Noble/iBooks/Kobo

Man do I love these Smoke rugby players! The newest player on the team is Kyle Leighton and how very delicious he is! Too bad he breaks the coach's number one rule without even knowing it. Everyone knows the coach's daughter is off limits. If Kyle had known the woman he had a passionate night with and can't get out of his head was the coach's daughter he never would have gone there. But he had gone there and he wanted more! Val King might be the coaches daughter but he can't seem to stay away. Do they dare??

This is a fantastic addition to the series and definitely a book I recommend.

When you have everything and see something uou want you go for it. Thats what Rugby star Kyle Leighton does. Except he doesnt realize who the woman he wants is until its to late.

Val knows who Kyle is when hr approaches her in the bar but for one night she wants what she wants. Thinking she can come clean later.... whsts the worse that can happen? Her dad the coach finding out.

Val and Kyle are explosive and what I appreciated is they didnt fight to hard. They were great together and just wen with it. It was good and i enjoyed it.

This is my favorite in this series since book 2, Playing It Cool! I've always enjoyed each story but there was something truly special for me about Harper and Dex in book 2, and I felt that way again here!

Valerie King is a lot of things. A "ranga" (an affectionate Aussie term for redhead), a great baker, a serious rugby fan, and a lover of all things vanilla. She is also a daughter. To her mother, at least. She's not really sure what she is to her father anymore, as he's spent most of the last 22 of her 24 years, ignoring her, rebuffing her, pushing her aside in any number of ways, and overall making her feel invisible. She understands why he does it, but it doesn't make it hurt any less. When she's drinking alone in a bar on her 24th birthday, and a sexy rugby player tries to pick her up, she figures, who cares about her father's one stupid rule to stay away from rugby players. He'll never know, and it'll certainly make her feel better.

Kyle Leighton was just traded to the Sydney Smoke and he's thrilled to be playing for his childhood rugby idol, and learning from him. He grew up in a bogan (Aussie for redneck) family, and he always takes care of them, whenever anyone gets into trouble. But, he doesn't really have anyone taking care of him. When he walks into the bar and sees sexy Val, he just knows he needs to talk to her. He doesn't expect it to go so completely well. But, after she disappears the next morning, he's sad he has no way to find her. When she shows up outside his locker room, he thinks luck is on his side again. Little does he know his coach is about to be apoplectic with rage, because Kyle, who he already doesn't like, broke his one rule of staying away from the coach's daughter. But, Kyle had no idea who she was, and now it's too late, he's already hooked.

Kyle and Val's chemistry was through the roof and I loved watching their interactions. Their banter was sexy, and funny, and they couldn't keep their hands off each other, even when they really tried to. I loved their connection, and I loved that they both realized that kind of connection doesn't come along every day. They both had a lot at stake by continuing to see each other, but they couldn't help but be drawn back to each other. They also truly cared about each other's well-being, emotionally and physically, and I appreciated the compassion they showed one another, in different ways.

Val's family history was quite fraught, and I was glad to finally understand her, and Coach Griff, and their non-relationship a little better. They've been simmering in the background since book 1, and I have always been curious. The reveal was quite heartwrenching, and it definitely allowed me to feel more for Griff than I have before. Val hasn't had an easy go of it, and I'm surprised she's as well adjusted as she is, to be honest. Obviously that was all her mother's influence, and I could sense her gratefulness that her other remaining parent didn't emotionally abandon her as well. I also loved the guys on the team, and how they all consider Val a little sister. Most of them knew her better and seemed to care for her more than her own father, and while they made her feel a part of the Smoke family, it still never really felt like enough.

Kyle's family was a riot, and I loved how he loves them all, regardless of their failings, perceived or otherwise. Kyle himself was quite the romantic hero, and I loved how he was basically all in from the beginning, even though his career was possibly on the line. He knew Val was something special and he wasn't willing to lose her. He even put her happiness and well-being above his own, even if it was misguided, and she didn't understand it at the time. He did screw up, and she let him know it, and I loved the epic grovel he performed, and the way everything worked out. Also, the epilogue was fabulous and gave me all the feels, and I smiled my way through the entire thing.

I highly recommend this entire fantastic sports romance series, and this book was an excellent addition to it. The Aussie-isms are plentiful, so if you struggle, just remember the author includes a glossary in the back of each book!