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

From my understand this book follows Poppy and Jack. They’ve known each other for years, having met when they were children and Jack was parentless? I think he killed his own parents, truly I might be wrong. I was only able to get through 20% before deciding the book wasn’t for me. The best way I can describe it is I felt like the book had already started without me and I was sort of confused on what was going on. Also, I’m not the biggest fan of 3rd person POV but when a book captures my attention, I will over look it. This book however, it was extremely confusing whose POV it was. It would be mid chapter and just switch out of nowhere. Maybe it’s me, maybe I’ll give it another chance in the future since I don’t really like DNFing books.

DNF at 26%.

The premise of this book looks so interesting, I was so excited to read. But unfortunately, I just couldn't get into it at all. It flipped back and forth within a chapter to different POV with no marking. The storyline was a bit all over the place, and writing style just wasn't for me.

DNF at 32%

Just don't think this was the book for me! Enjoyed the writing style, I just had a hard time enjoying that characters.

Play Dirty is book one in the Tempting SEALs: Triton series by Lora Leigh.
I think I found my newest obsession!
Poppy and Jack had the absolute best chemistry and connection.
Lora Leigh done a terrific job crafting her characters and plots that keeps you turning the pages.
Play Dirty is a real page- turner that kept me up all night until I finished.

Thank You NetGalley and Tor Publishing Group | Bramble for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

The synopsis of this book caught my attention. I feel like it was poorly executed. Many plot holes and it lacked originality and character depth

I didn’t really know what to expect, I had high hopes for this book but it left me a bit confused and I struggled to wanting to pick it up and keep reading it.
It had lots of potential but I’ve found it boring at times and hard to follow with the change of character’s point of view without being clearly marked.
I wasn’t too keen on the MMC, found him very overbearing.

Thank you for giving me the e-arc for this book to read and review. All thoughts are my own opinions after reading the book.

I'm a huge Lora Leigh fan. But it's been a while since I last read one of her stories. So when I saw PLAY DIRTY available to review on NetGalley. I jumped at the chance and I'm really glad I did.

As this is a story that drew me in from the start. With two main characters who share a strong connection. But for a variety of reasons have been on very different paths since childhood.

With Poppy growing up in a big loving, safe family and Jack with an abusive father who he murdered when he was just a teenager.

Yet, no matter the paths these two have taken. They share a tight bond.

So when Jack is given the opportunity to get out of Leavenworth and help investigate Poppy and the two friends she works with he jumps at the chance, because he knows there is no way Poppy is guilty.

And he'll go to any lengths and kill anyone to prove it and keep her safe.

Whilst also trying to keep his distance.

But that is easier said than done. As these two are meant to be together and have the battle scars to prove it.

And with secrets, spicy moments, and danger. This is an enjoyable read. That does however touch on some sensitive subjects that could cause upset including several mentions of sexual assault and the rape of children.

If you love a jealous possessive over the top alpha hero ,LIKE ME, this book is must must must read for you! Lora Leigh set my Kindle on fire with Play Dirty. This one had every single thing that makes me obsessed. A larger than life broken alpha military hero. A sweet but fierce heroine. The thrill and angst of an age gap forbidden romance. The jaw dropping breathtaking suspense and twists. All the spice. I mean all the kinky filthy deliciousness. This book just kept me captive from first page to the last..and even now, I am under it's spell.

Jack Bridger, "dishonorably discharged" navy SEAL, is back to the town with four of his SEAL friends. Poppy never thought he will be back again and also..that he will claim her finally. The scared beaten down boy whom she rescued years ago in a rainy night is no longer there. He has become someone hardened, someone dark, someone dangerous but she knows he will never ever harm her. Little does she know that Jack is here on a big secret mission & she is key to the secret.


I won't give you any spoilers but there are so many moving parts and missing points those don't make sense till the end. Even the end is just mind blowing. This story spans across years. Decades. Little Poppy saved Jack once and since then, she is his only saving grace. I am so obsessed with Jack. He has been labelled as a psychopath with anti social personality and the military used his lethal skills but in reality..he is far from that. He is an expert at hiding his emotions..except when it comes to Poppy. He is so deliciously ridiculously possessive and protective..it gives me chills and butterflies. His life has little meaning without Poppy & he will die for her. His current mission is crucial for the country and the world but nothing is more important than Poppy. He has to use her to get close to the information he needs and it is killing him slowly. Poppy is hopelessly in love with him. She understands and accepts his shadows and his scars and his monsters and yet, she doesn't want to run. They are such a contrast and they fit with each other. Poppy is so kind and a complete sweetheart but she is strong too. Specially when it comes to Jack. The chemistry is just nuclear hot. The suspense was amazing and I want to read more and more about these men! Jack accepted he is damaged and he will never find love but Poppy proved him wrong. It just melts my heart to see an alpha being so soft for his woman.

I reviewed an early copy voluntarily

I started this book with a lot of expectations but unfortunately I didn't enjoyed as much as I was expecting to. In the beginning I was enjoying the story and the characters but then all of it started to get really confusing for me. In general this book, unfortunately, wasn't for me.
Thank you so much to the author, the publisher and NetGalley for giving me this ARC for an honest review.

I enjoyed this book quite a bit. I loved the dynamic between Jack & Poppy. Bonded through childhood trauma where each of them were there for the other at different times of their lives, makes for two kids who grow up forever changed by the other's impact on their own lives. She loved him since she was 7. He was her protector when she became a teenager. Don't get me started on the plot - it was fast paced and unpredictable. Also, the spice was really good. This reads as an interconnected standalone, since the plot is not resolved, but it seems like we will be jumping to a different character's story to resolve the plot. Would read the next one.

ARC REVIEW
2.5 ⭐️
This book was alright. The love story between Poppy and Jack was cute and the spice was there. It just felt rushed and there was so much happening. It was hard for me to keep up and felt lost throughout the book. Also the beginning where it kept jumping back and forth was too much for me. I caught myself skimming. The ending left me really confused. Overall this book wasn’t for me but I could see other people really liking it. Thank you Netgalley and the author for giving me this ARC to read for an honest review!

I really tried getting into this book as the premise of the story of so interesting, unfortunately the writing style was just too difficult for me to get in to. I made it to about 25% but half the time I didn’t understand whose POV I was reading.

I gave this a 3.5 stars! The spice level was definitely there and was exactly what I expected. But there was some back door play which is really hard for me to read — without that, I probably would have rated it a full 4 stars! I think the author did a great job adding a foundational storyline to this, one that’s very real and raw right now. I think this is a very smart read, and it’s one I fully enjoyed. The chemistry between characters was there. The DRAMA. The betrayal. Though I did expect some of the twists, the epilogue had me FLOORED and shocked. And I cannot wait for a second book!

Thank you NetGalley and Lora Leigh for the ARC in exchange for the review.

Fifty Shades of Grey meets hard-bodied ex-Navy SEALs in this red-hot, suspenseful friends-to-lovers, girl-next-door romance from #1 New York Times bestselling author, Lora Leigh.

She saved his life when they were kids and then he saved hers. When she became a young woman, Poppy knew she would never love anyone the way she loved Jack Lee Bridger.

But after a near tragedy, Jack left home to become a Navy SEAL and Poppy knew there wouldn't be another like him. Not for her.

She remembered the way it felt when he looked at her with those smoldering eyes.

The way he kissed her.

Touched her...

Now it's years later and danger is dogging her footsteps and Jack is back.

And Poppy knows that he will do anything--absolutely anything--to keep her safe. She trusts him to protect her body, but can she trust him with heart?

I like the beginning of the story but it fell flat to me going through the book. The only thing keeps me going is the twist, but some part has me confuse. This book may not really be for me.