sadly had to DNF this one after getting over halfway through it. when i say the mmc was unlikeable i really mean that i COULD NOT STAND HIM. the dialogue was confusing and overall this just wasn’t a hit for me. this might work for some (i was super hopeful given the blurb) but just not me.

I was really excited for this book when I received it, the blurb looked great and I was really looking forward to diving in. Unfortunately, the entire book fell completely flat for me. There was a distinct lack of character depth for the female main character which made it really hard to connect with her or root for her and her naivety became incessantly irritating after a while.

The male main character was way too over the top. It's like we've taken every possessive Alpha-hole from every book and tried to out do the lot of them with one character. It was too much and he just came across as extremely dislikable.

The plot seemed to be a bit all over the place which made it difficult to follow and there were points throughout the book that you weren't 100% sure which character was supposed to be talking, which again became confusing and frustrating.

This review is quite late because I've had a lot going on in my personal life and I really did try and push through this on multiple ocassions but unfortunately in the end I did have to DNF .

This was my first book by Lora Leigh, but it won't be my last.

Jack returns to his home town after leaving the military under questionable circumstances . He moves next door to Poppy, the girl he has always had his eye on. He came home home not only to protect Poppy, but to claim her as his.

This was has some action and a whole lot of spice. What a fun ride!

I highly recommend this one!

I had a really hard time getting into this story. I could not connect with the plot or the characters. Unfortunately, some of the plot and progression did not flow and was unbelievable at times.

My Review (Rating 4.5 Stars)

What a fabulous book this one was! Play Dirty was a book I went completely blind into. It does have some connections to some of her other military suspense series most of which I have not yet read although after this book, I definitely am making it a goal to read more of.

Play Dirty is a story that surrounds two best childhood friends. Poppy was a young girl when she met Jack Lee Bridger and fell hard for this vulnerable boy who came from an abusive father. Poppy and her family showed Jack that there could be love, understanding and support in a home and it changed his perspective. From the moment Poppy was a teenager, she knew that she loved Jack and would do anything for him. Now its been years since she has seen Jack. But now they have a second chance at love again but Jack is under pretenses. Poppy has a job where she is surrounded by enemies and only Jack will be able to save her and get to the truth. But will she be able to trust him when everything is revealed?

What I loved the most about this book was the tender friendship between Jack and Poppy. They have such dear devotion to one another. Jack is the type of hero that might not be for everyone. He is a bit morally grey, we see what the abuse that he suffered as a child had affected him. He is possessive and protective and I just loved how he was with Poppy. There is such complete trust that they have together and that was literally my favorite aspect of the story. Now as this is a Lora Leigh then you can easily expect the spice to be super strong. So fair warning if high spice isn't your cup of tea, but if it is, then you know that Lora Leigh will deliver it to your hearts content. The plot was edgy and thrilling and kept me guessing on where the story would lead it too. Lora Leigh really delivers in some delightful shocks and delights with the reveals that happen throughout the story.

Overall I found Play Dirty to be a sensual, suspensefully provocative and packs a punch of emotional delights and a guaranteed writing style you won't be able to put down until the end! A GRATIFYING GEM OF THRILLS AND PASSION!

This book had the potential to be great. I am so sad! :(

Poppy and Jack's Story had the potential to be one of my favorites; however, the plot was undeveloped. Every time the story seemed to find it's footing - the plot holes emerged.
The plot holes were everywhere to the point that I thought my book was missing chapters. It felt as though the book could not pick a genre, so it bounced around when convenient to the story, which made the book a tough read.

MINOR SPOILERS AHEAD

If the plot had been developed more, the plot twists at the end of the book would have HIT! However, they were just incredibly confusing from the lack of plot development and detail. If this book had been a 100-200 pages more for that missing development, I think this book could have easily been a 4-5 star read.

I may give book #2 a chance just to see if that missing development comes in, but I am unsure at the moment.

Poppy and Jack were childhood friends. Poppy saved Jack's life at one time and she's always had a crush on Jack. Jack is older and leaves for the military for years. He comes back to town a different man than when he left. He is undercover for his team who you meet in this story. Lies, secrets and betrayal abound in this story. An interesting story that kept me reading to the last page.

I received a copy of this book via Netgalley.

PLAY DIRTY will appeal to several genre fans from science fiction, military suspense, erotica, friends to lovers and second-chance romance readers. If you love a good steamy romance, small towns, suspense, motorcycles and families of blood and the heart then you will want to get your hands on PLAY DIRTY.

Reviewed by Annetta Sweetko for Fresh Fiction

Complete review: https://freshfiction.com/review.php?id=86043

When I read, "Fifty Shades of Grey meets hard-bodied ex-Navy SEALs", I knew I needed to check this one out!

Poppy and Jackson saved each other at different times in their lives, and also bonded over their trauma, but later on Jackson stayed away from Poppy, only to come back now to protect her.

I'm kind of disappointed? The story could have been either fleshed out more or just shortened for it to be a novella. While the romance is incredibly hot, everything else felt technical without it needing to be. Also, I personally think the sci-fi aspect could've been done without. The whole AI thing had me rolling my eyes too many times. And then to have it end in a cliff-hanger? This book didn't have me care enough to want to continue the series.

This is the first book I've read from Lora Leigh and I really enjoyed it

I absolutely loved Poppy and Jack. Their story had a rollercoaster of emotions and was very steamy and intense. But I loved it all

I liked this story, I thought that Poppy and Jack, while different in a lot of ways on the surface were actually very similar. When a near tragedy happened years prior and Poppy had to stand up for herself, you could see her rationalize things out and protect Jack. Now, it is his turn to protect the woman he has always loved, but can he do that and still keep her in the dark about what is going on?

I really enjoyed the characters, however the AI concept seemed off in many ways. I still feel like we are missing a piece of the puzzle. I was confused after reading the epilogue, it really threw off the story and I feel like it didn't fit. I rated the book the way I did more for the main story line and the characters.

Received ARC in exchange for voluntary honest review

This book told us the story of Poppy and Jack, he was in the military but now he’s back and with one propose, to protect poppy, but also he has to eliminate an AI, and to do so, he must keep some secrets from her even when he know that might hurt her.

The story by itself was pretty good, a rollercoaster of emotions and was intense and very steamy 😮‍💨 but also it was very interesting, fun and beautiful because Poppy and Jack healed together because they were bonded by their past traumas so it was pretty beautiful to see their journey together. The end of the book let me a little bit confused NGL, but also intrigued so I’m looking forward to read next book and answer all the questions I have 😅

Please check TW before reading

I really enjoyed play dirty, but I’ve also enjoyed everything I’ve read by Lora Leigh. I love the dynamic between the hardened military man and the stubborn sweet woman. It also always fun to see characters from other books make an appearance. I was not expecting the twist of the AI in this book and what happens with the use of AI. If I have a complaint it’s that the book could have been a little longer with a bit more character development/interaction with friends. Overall I loved the story and am ready for the next book in the series.

I was so excited for this book, but it was not for me. Maybe I just had too high of hopes, but it did not keep my attention. The writing did not seem to make sense to me.

2.5/5 stars
This story follows a woman who was once saved by her childhood friend but her later left for the Navy and is now back in town. I haven’t read any of Leigh’s books but have heard that they are a popular romance author. This book does include the story that was promised but I have to say that it wasn’t fully structured. I like the overall plot line but the story wasn’t strong. Too much was happening and nothing was being done. If the story was more clear, it would have been amazing. There was a flashback that helped me understand the story more. I enjoyed the small-town setting and the fact that the story was in dual povs.

Poppy is the FMC of the story who realizes Jack is back in town. There wasn’t much to her story expect for the fact she really wants to be with Jack but no one approves of it. Then there is Jack who just came back from the Navy and is on a mission. He wasn’t the best MMC I have read but I knew more about his character than Poppy. There were some side characters in this book but none that truly called out to me. I believe some will have their stories featured in the next books which I hope are better. The romance is steamy with a second chance and forbidden love tropes. I didn’t feel the romantic chemistry between them as the MCs story happened so quickly.

The ending was okay but there wasn’t anything special to the book. At the end of the story, I felt as though I didn’t grasp the main idea of the story. I hope that the second book is better and the author gets feedback from her readers. For this book, I believe that simplicity is the key and there should be more details about the characters and their surroundings.

*this arc was sent to me by the publisher to give an honest review in return*

I found the storyline a little hard to follow.
There was great spice, and intrigue just alot of characters to follow and keep straight in my head.
I think this would be a 4 star if you're in the right headspace for reading this genre

My most favorite books are the ones that can produce (even once!!!) the level of emotion that this book pulled out of me over and over again. I was absolutely blown away by the writing. I think it takes incredible talent to make a reader feel that depth of emotion without directly using a tragedy to trigger it. I loved reading this one.

Poppy and Jack have been in love with each other since they were kids. Now that Jack is back from an early retirement from the Navy Seals, Poppy is ready to take what she wants. But Jack’s back for a job and while the pull to Poppy is real for him, he’ll do anything to protect her and keep her away from his life.

This is a great book if you’re in the market for something to just entertain yourself with. Plotwise it’s a little far-fetched and I would have liked a much stronger grasp of the AI piece and how it all came together. Character wise, we have great chemistry but very little build up which makes the relationship seem abrupt.

I would compare this book to any big budget action movie with lots of explosions and little deep dialogue, in the sense that it’s good entertainment and for what it is. Is it going to win a literacy award, no. Was I thoroughly entertained and will I read the next book, probably. Definitely come for the steam not the plot with this one.


Play Dirty comes out March 26, 2024! Huge thank you to Berkley for my advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion. If you liked this review please let me know either by commenting below or by visiting my instagram @speakingof.books or on Tiktok @speakingof.books

This was an absolute whirlwind. Leigh masterfully blends steamy romance with gripping suspense, creating a heart-pounding and heartwarming story. The childhood connection between Poppy and Jack, forged through acts of heroism, evolves into a complex, adult relationship filled with longing and unresolved tension. Jack's return as a formidable ex-Navy SEAL to protect Poppy brings their past and present crashing together, with danger lurking at every turn. While the storyline echoes the intensity of an erotic romance, it stands out with its unique blend of suspense and deep emotional bonds. This book kept me on my seat, eagerly anticipating the next installment.

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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