Naima Simone offers a well-written romantic story in Played with strong characters and an engaging plot. The main characters are well-developed. Each person has emotions that add depth to their relationship, and their chemistry is undeniable. And the author does a great job of building tension throughout the story.

But while the romance is still going strong, some parts of the plot are predictable. Especially for readers who are familiar with the trope of "enemies-to-lovers". Also, the speed could have been more consistent. This is because parts of it feel rushed compared to the slower build-up at the start. Additionally, secondary characters and subplots could have been fleshed out further to create a more complete world around the main love story.

That being said, her writing style is engaging. And her ability to create complex, heartwarming relationships is a highlight of the book. I would read another one.

Very good story, very well written, I really enjoyed reading it and it was fun. I liked how the enemies to lovers developed and how the romance was born, as well as the roller coaster of emotions while reading.
Highly recommended!

Played is the Hat Trick of romance: humor, heart, and heat. Naima Simone delivers all three in this excellent, standalone novel (but hopefully the start of a franchise, I mean, series bc there's three people I really want to read about).

Adina and Solomon are both dealing with the loss of their loves. They are processing their feelings and figuring out how to live life without their partners. Their first meeting is heated. Dina thinks that Solomon is a grade A dick (and he basically is) whereas Solomon feels like he's been hit in the chest by a puck. He doesn't know what to think of this powerhouse of a woman who has hit him with honesty and vulnerability, two things he can't be with himself or others since the loss of his wife. But when fate, and a little bit of a oops, we're (fake) dating scheme, keeps bringing them together, they start to realize that this "ship" is more than what they planned for and might be ready for. 

Just like a hockey game, these two take a while to score. They keep you at the edge of your seat while you wait, giving you just enough action to keep reading and WANTING for one of them to cave. Each time they are on the page together, you feel the tension between them. Solomon is a filthy talker and loves to talk talk talk but doesn't always walk the walk and Dina calls him out on it. AND I LOVED IT. There is massive attraction and heat between Dina and Solomon and while Dina has a better idea of what she would like to do, Solomon is trying to fight his attraction like the defensive lineman he isn't. In fact, he's a forward, which according to my hockey knowledge (thank you Google) is to score--which he is not doing off the ice with Dina despite all his chatter. HOWEVER, when they finally do, hello, my ereader was on fire. These two are incendiary. Damn, does Naima Simone know how to build us up to the moment they give in to one another and then just blow the roof off the arena when they finally get there. Hence, the heat.

And while Played does deal with some heavy topics, it also has moments of humor, friendship, and hope. Lots of hope. Naima does a wonderful job of providing levity at the right moment and showing how two people can process loss differently and still make it genuine and real. This book feels a lot like life. When we are hit by life's losses, we have to keep skating, we have to keep fighting, and we do it in all ways. Through hurt and tears. Through humor and friendships. Through hope and learning to love again.

This was a fun read. This enemies to lovers story explores the relationship between a widowed single dad hockey play and firefighter. I loved how this book explore grief but still have the perfect balance of romance. This book took me on an emotional rollercoaster had me laughing and crying. Definitely recommend!

This book made me go through all the emotions. I would have thrown this book across the room a number of times if it wasn't on my kindle. As a white woman from rural Australia I always find books written by black authors with black characters an education on language and culture. I loved it all in this book. The difficulties around being a minority in a workplace was not lost on me. Even if that workplace was a hockey team or a fire house. I loved the in depth conversations about family loss and how grieving has no time frame. I would have liked more sport but that is the only thing I would change.

Look sometimes Solomon was hard to like but I think that was all part of the plot. He was like a hot water system on the blink - sometimes hot and sometimes cold.

Big thanks to Netgalley, Montlake and Naima Simone for an early release copy of this book. This is my honest review.

I really enjoyed Adina and Solomon’s story. I’m a fool for a good hockey romance and I loved that Adina was a bada** female firefighter. Both have lost their partners and while Solomon has played the field and isn’t looking for something serious, Adina is wondering if she’s ready to get back to dating. These types of books always make me think….what if? The author packed in a good balance of each of their personal lives and then getting to know each other. My only complaint was that I felt the ending was abrupt. I did flop back and forth between the book and audiobook. Overall the audiobook was performed well. I wasn’t a huge fan of the female narrator and how she accented certain words when it wasn’t written that way. Khalil absolutely stole the show.

I love this story about Adina and Solomon. He is a hockey player and after reading it for a moment and finding out he was black was a surprise. I enjoyed the back and forth between them and how the heads were saying NO but the other parts were willing. Enjoyed the explanation of how hard it was to love what you do but having to put up with actions from haters.

Adina's BFF is a trick and needs her own story and I'm hoping Eric is available. Solomon's in-laws were a trip. I understand they were in pain from losing their only child but didn't respect Solomon enough to help and let him move on. Not going to even try to talk about Matt.

Boy, let me say that the dinner with Adina's family and Solomon was worth the price of admission. I was rolling and had to reread it a couple of times because it is so funny.

All in all it's a wonderful story. I read the ARC for this story, and this is my honest opinion! Naima doesn't let you down. I have a few of her stories I have bought but haven't read yet but I buy and will get to them soon because her stories are all worth it.

Wow, I did not foresee the spice! There is plenty of that but also the story itself is really beautiful and I hope that readers don’t let the sexy scenes overshadow it. Solomon and Adina have both experienced the death of their respective partners and are still drowning in grief. When they meet they can’t deny the physical chemistry but both are afraid of getting emotionally hurt.

This book shows the messiness of falling in love after the hurt that comes with the death of a partner.

I enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more by this author.

Absolutley loved this Black hockey romance from Ms. Naima Simone.

Solomon and Adina were so so good. This romance was more than a little emotionally devastating, having both Solomon and Adina dealing with grief from the death of their wife and fiance, respectivly. Kalil was the sweetest kid and the relationship that he had with both his dad and Adina was so heartwarming.

As always, Naima brought the heat with these two. Solomon calling Adina li'l ma truly did something to me. Whew!!

I truly did love this book, however, the ending felt so rushed. I do wish that there had been more resolution regarding the leaked video and the workplace sexual harrasment situation, because both of those situations were so completely heinous, Adina deserved better closure. And for that matter, I wish Adina had gotten an apology from Kendra's parents. All in all, Adina was incredible and deserved better.

Naima Simone’s ‘Played’ was an unexpectedly emotional novel that followed two grieving people slightly lost in the world after their respective trauma.
Dina is a firefighter, one of many in her family. She’s passionate about her job and her role as a woman in a male-dominated career. After her partner passed away tragically in a fire, Dina is trying to rebuild and grieve while running into the same situations that unfortunately killed him.
Solomon is a pro hockey player, widow and single father to a young boy. After losing his wife in a tragic accident he is trying to hold all parts of his life together for the sake of his son.
I didn’t connect with this as much as other readers did. From their first meeting, it goes from hate to some pretty graphic sexual thoughts about Dina and then back to hating her.
The book felt hateful. Between the sexism and misogyny in Dina’s work, the constant sexual harassment from her colleague which escalates greatly, to the control Solomon’s in-laws try and hold in regards to their grandson. It went from ‘I want to have sex with you’ to ‘I want nothing to do with you get out of my life’ very quickly. Every good moment was glossed in negativity. If you are hoping for a hockey-focused romance book you will be disappointed.
Overall I am glad that readers loved this book. Unfortunately for me I did not.

Adina - working in a make dominated field is hard enough as a black woman but when your father and brother were working stationed in the same house, it didn’t make it easier. When she lost her fiancée to a fire, her job was what kept her going. She was at a standstill in her grief until she found a journal of another person’s story of grief.
She personally returned the journal but instead of being grateful, the owner was rude and offensive.

Solomon Young - widowed NFL player with a young son and in laws that like to cross boundaries. He has a hard time expressing his feelings so, the journal was his way of letting things out. When he realized Adrian read his journal, he did not react well. After two years he is still struggling with his loss.

As the story continues and Adina and Solomon grew closer they had to deal with the guilt of moving on and the fear of getting hurt again. I loved the realness of their feelings. They didn’t just jump in, even though the chemistry was smoking. Not only do they have to struggle through their own emotions, but there are others who try to get in their way.

Both characters were great. They both made some bad decisions that caused unnecessary hurt. Solomon let Adina down more than once. She held her own with him and cut him loose when it got to be too much. She felt like she had to handle things on her own. She had a great support system but didn’t use it. Her job situation almost caused her to lose her life.

And the side characters were great. They added a bit of lighthearted humor. Solomon’s son was adorable. Everyone needs a friend like Monie!!!

Black hockey player, black firefighter...

I really liked Played. Adina "Dina" is a black firefighter who lost her her person fourteen months ago. She finds the therapy journal of Solomon, a black hockey player, widower with a young son. His journal is heartbreaking. He really loved his wife, Kendra and is dealing with anger issues two years later.

Pain and loss is something they both share.
Will they take a chance again?
Recommend.

I might actually be feeling a little played after reading this hockey romance that was shy of the goal. I had extremely high hopes due to it centering a female firefighter with a protective family and a single father black hockey player; both dealing with grief. My expectations was for an emotional read between two individuals with demanding jobs seeking solace within another who could understand. Given the way the book started off with the emotional journal writing of one character resonating with the other character, you couldn't tell me that I'd leave with Solomon skating on thin ice with me. I can understand not being prepared for the emotional depth of love after loss. However his actions left a lot to be desired from a male love interest Money and pull are not substitutes for protection and peace.

However I really did enjoy their individual journeys. Adina learning that she didn't need to be strong and suffering in silence. Her familial relationship with the members inside her firehouse extended beyond the job. I also loved how Solomon learned to set boundaries between him and his in-laws.

This book literally and figuratively sizzles off the pages when these 2 unlikely characters meet for the first time.

Adina Wright and Solomon Young don’t have anything in common, except for their grief over lost lovers and the stifling inability to move on. Yet, somehow they rub each other the wrong way from day one, while also sparking chemistry from day one.

I truly loved the characters, and I wanted Adina to speak up sooner about her workplace issue, but she handled her business by herself when push came to shove. Adina showed how strong and independent was capable of being by loving herself enough not to settle for anything less than the best.

Once Solomon got his head out of his… he was able to open his heart for a new love, not to replace his wife, but to enhance his life and move forward with a loving woman again.

Total HEA, and I pulling for her bestie, Noni to get the next story.

Thanks to Montlake and NetGalley for this read. I enjoyed this. It was not really a romance as the book was quite deep through. I like it and will read more from the author.

I can relate to this having also lost my fiance a couple years ago. I love the journey they both went on to accept their situations. With them both learning to put their own needs and wants first for once. Boundaries were made and some were crossed. I’m hoping there will be another one.

This engaging read was very heartfelt and emotional. Adina and Solomon's story had a wide ribbon of sharp poignancy woven to it that I feel anyone that has suffered loss and all the feelings that come with it will deeply relate to. A powerfully moving book that offers a blend of hard reality, raw feels and romance.

3.75stars-PLAYED by Naima Simone is a stand alone, contemporary, adult, POC, erotic, hockey / firefighter romance focusing on thirty year old professional hockey player and single dad Solomon Young, and firefighter Adina Wright’s story line.

Told from dual first person perspectives (Adina and Solomon) PLAYED follows the building but reluctant romance and relationship between our story couple. Solomon Young has loved and lost, and struggles to move forward especially when he is has become co-dependant upon his in-laws for support in the wake of his wife’s death but his father is the team owner, and Solomon is about to cross a line as far as his former in-laws are concerned, a line that involves our story line heroine. Adina Wright is a firefighter, as are most of her family and siblings but Adina has also loved and lost knowing the pain of which Solomon continues to hide. A perceived act of betrayal threatens any hope of friendships, pushing Adina to the side, until a young boy discovers there is more to life than waiting on the sidelines for his father to come home. What ensues is the building romance and relationship between our story line couple, and the potential fall-out as emotions get the best of everyone including our story line hero.

The world building follows several paths. Adina is struggling with harassment at work: Solomon is battling his own guilt ; someone else is targeting our story line couple, and the fall-out is affecting Solomon’s play and his private life.

The relationship between Solomon and Adina begins acrimoniously as Solomon accuses Adina of a horrible betrayal. Not only does Adina feel threatened and abused but vengeance will come in many forms, threatening our heroine’s personal and work life. As Solomon and Adina begin to build the relationship, someone else give Solomon reason not to trust the woman with whom he is falling in love. The $ex scenes are provocative and impassioned.

The secondary and supporting characters include Solomon’s teammates, his son Khalil, as well as his in-laws Nate and Caroline; Adina’s siblings Malik, Malcolm, her mother professor Viviane Wright, her father Captain Nolan Wright; as well as her best friend Noni Crawford, and several other members of the Providence Firefighters squad including Matt and Jared. I hope the author has plans for several more stories.

PLAYED is a story of power and control, grief and guilt, family and friendships, relationships and love. The thought provoking premise is captivating and engaging; the romance is seductive but struggles with issues of trust and guilt; the characters are dynamic, determined and animated.



THE READING CAFÉ: https://www.thereadingcafe.com/played-by-naima-simone-review/


GOODREADS: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6798392498


BOOKBUB: https://www.bookbub.com/reviews/2227399008

Adina Wright is a firefighter who finds a journal while on the job and, against her better judgement, takes it home. The journal belongs to star hockey player Solomon Young, who is still grieving his wife Kendra, who died 2 years prior. Adina is moved by his vulnerability as she recently lost her fiancé and finds his grief validating and relatable. She returns the journal to Solomon, but instead of gratitude, she gets ATTITUDE. 😬👀

This is my first time reading a Naima Simone book, and it was funny, sexy, infuriating, and moving. This book is so layered but also had me stressed emotionally. I appreciated how it handled loss and grief with the two main characters in different stages. This book hits on sexual harassment, existing while black, grief, setting boundaries, and standing up for yourself. Being a black woman myself, I found this book so validating and relatable as Adina is the only black woman working at her station and I am the only black paralegal at my law firm in a niche field. 🖤🫶

The romance in this story is scarce as the main characters agree to a situationship but the sweet and tender moments had me kicking my feet and the spice…🥵 I will be thinking of their first time together for the rest of my days…Solomon was a straight asshole for a good half of this book, but I melted for him seeing how he was with his little boy. There really is something about single dads. And the Lord of the Rings references sprinkled throughout made me smile so wide. I look forward to reading more of Naima’s books. ♥️

Whoa, baby!

PLAYED by Naima Simone is a gloriously consuming romance between firefighter Adina Wright and hockey player Solomon Young. While the two of them actually have quite a bit in common, there have hardly been two people more reluctant to even consider a relationship than these. Each is mourning the death of a beloved partner, and each knows the challenge and sometimes isolation in being a trailblazer, Dina as not only a woman but a Black woman in firefighting and Solomon as a Black man in hockey.

Naima Simone truly brings her storytelling and artistry to Played, as she reveals Dina and Solomon’s heartbreak and agonizing turmoil, their staggering chemistry, their quieter, slowly growing understanding and emotional connection despite their best efforts. I loved their families and friends, and their heartfelt and fierce and sometimes mouthy interactions. And my man Solomon has a truly remarkable way with words when they are intimate—he’s clearly a man of many skills.

Played is a fantastic romance and a beautiful story of what two people’s path to healing and happiness can look like. A keeper.