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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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.