Adina, a firefighter, and Solomon, a professional hockey player, are smacked with a million reasons they shouldn't be together shortly after their unusual meeting. She finds his diary at a fire scene, reads it, and returns it with details on her online journal. Their instant attraction smolders as they battle too many real-world obstacles — their grief (both had long-term partners die suddenly and unexpectedly), disapproval from extended family, sexual harassment on the job, setting important boundaries, and trust.

Both the banter and love scenes are red-hot, but Naima Simone pushes her characters to explore the social influences behind their struggles and ultimately face them head-on. She doesn't pull any punches when it comes to the complexities of gender and race, but these heavy topics don't detract from her characters' strong narrative voices in Dual First-Person POV. There is a third-act breakup, but honestly, who can blame them? Their baggage doesn't get emptied overnight!

Overall rating: 4/5
Spice level: 3.5/5
Tropes: Sports romance, firefighter romance, fake relationship

Big thanks to NetGalley for providing me with the ARC!

I had high expectations for this book, especially with its intriguing premise, but unfortunately, it fell short for me.

While the pace was brisk, it felt rushed, leaving many plot points unresolved and detracting from the overall immersion. Additionally, the presence of numerous errors and the gratuitous references to "Lord of the Rings" proved distracting.

The promise of a fake dating trope was intriguing, but its execution left much to be desired, lacking in depth and resolution.

Regarding the characters, while Khalil stood out as a likable character, the others failed to resonate with me. Adina was passable, but I struggled to connect with her, and Solomon's repeated missteps without meaningful redemption left me unsatisfied.

The relationship between Solomon and Adina felt shallow, primarily driven by physical attraction rather than genuine emotional connection. It left me questioning whether they truly liked each other beyond the surface level.

The subplots, while introduced for dramatic effect, felt underdeveloped and served more as distractions than meaningful contributions to the story. Only one subplot reaches a resolution, and even then, it feels rushed, while the others follow predictable paths.

In conclusion, while this book had potential, it ultimately did not meet my expectations. However, I can understand why others might find enjoyment in it.

Well some romance books start with a meet cute but this one had more of a meet-hate - these two MCs did not make a good first impression on each other. But thankfully things got better between them...eventually. And overall this was a cute read. I liked Adina and Solomon as a couple and she had the sweetest relationship with his little boy. My favorite moment was when Solomon realized what a dum-dum he'd been towards Adina; people truly are fools sometimes.

When I read the blurb and first few pages I thought this one would be a tearjerker but the story went in very different ways and I didn't shed a tear. Both Adina and Solomon were interesting but they didn't warm my heart. What I loved in the story was how they stood up to the problems in their lives.
I volunteered to review an ARC of this book for Netgalley

Tropes: Hockey Romance, Firefighter Romance, Widows, Meet Cute, Single Dad, Third Act Separation

This is a spicy romance that focus more on the relationship between two widows rather than the sports or firefighter trope. Plus, who does not love a single dad trope????!!! The last few chapters had SO much going on. I flew through them!

I will warn the language is not for the faint of heart! Although, there is only a couple scenes of spice, I would not recommend for those who like low spice because the spice is SPICY!!!! I thought this quite the enjoyable read.

Thank you Net Galley for the ARC.

In "Played," Naima Simone crafts a story that pulses with raw emotion, sizzling chemistry, and heart-wrenching grief. This compelling romance centers on the life of a resilient Black woman firefighter and a brooding hockey player, creating a narrative that is as fiery as it is tender.

The protagonist's journey begins in the depths of unimaginable loss. The death of a colleague in the line of duty has plunged her into a dark abyss, and Simone captures this pain with poignant authenticity. The depiction of her struggle is not just a backdrop but a vivid part of the story that brings depth to her character. I can feel the weight of her sorrow, making her eventual path to healing all the more powerful.

A year after the tragic incident, our heroine finds herself at the Pirates' hockey training facility, where an unexpected discovery sets the stage for a transformative connection. The charred journal she stumbles upon, filled with thoughts that eerily mirror her own, introduces us to Solomon Young. Solomon, a left-winger for the Pirates, is similarly haunted by his past—a father and widower coping with his loss. When she returns the journal to him, the encounter is fraught with guilt and tension. Solomon's icy demeanour contrasts sharply with his undeniable physical allure, setting off sparks that Simone deftly fans into a roaring blaze.

The chemistry between the protagonist and Solomon is electric, palpable from their first frosty exchange. Simone excels at building tension, layering their interactions with a mix of vulnerability and fiery attraction. As they navigate their shared pain and burgeoning feelings, the story becomes a heartfelt exploration of love's ability to heal even the deepest wounds.

What makes "Played" stand out is Simone's ability to balance the heavy themes of grief and loss with moments of lightness and hope. The protagonist's strength and determination shine through, and her journey with Solomon is one of mutual redemption and unexpected joy. The supporting characters, including the protagonist's firefighting family, add richness to the narrative, providing warmth and solidarity.

Simone's writing is evocative, drawing readers into the emotional landscapes of her characters. The dialogue is sharp and realistic, the romantic tension is exquisitely handled, and the eventual resolution is both satisfying and profoundly moving.

"Played" is a powerful story of love, loss, and the courage to move forward. It's a testament to the resilience of the human spirit and the unexpected places where we can find solace and love. Naima Simone has delivered a deeply affecting romance that will stay with readers long after the final page is turned. Whether you're a fan of romance, sports, or stories about overcoming adversity, "Played" is a must-read that promises to captivate and inspire.

I loved how the emotions were portrayed in this book, particularly the angst, grief, and guilt. There definitely should be a ton of trigger warning for harassment in the workplace that happens on page, and deaths of partners off page. Personally, I liked how raw and honest the narration was in showing glimpses of the ups-and-downs, especially Solomon's internal battle of caring for his son's interests as well as his personal desires.

The cover here isn't very apt, coz it barely shows the MMC playing his sport, nor is there really that much romance. I'd say most of the book just revolves around the MCs self-discovery and I actually enjoyed their character arcs and seeing them grow over the course of the story. Not on my list of top favorite books, but it's still better than a ton of novels that I've read. If the themes of the story aren't triggering for you and you aren't seeking a straightforward, feisty sports romance, I think this book could be something you like.

This was an enjoyable firefighter/hockey romance that tackles complex situations and had a lot of depth within. I really enjoyed our main characters, they had great chemistry and banter that will never die. The side characters, minus two, were also a delight to get to know and the healing journeys were beautiful to watch develop.

I wanted to love this book, since I’ve read a couple of Naima Simone’s other works. But this one just fell flat for me for a few reasons:
I was expecting a romantic, sporty book with chemistry between Solomon and Adina. However, there was next to zero involvement with hockey and there was no romance until around the 90% mark. I didn’t love how Solomon talked to her and I know everyone works through grief differently- but there was such whiplash when it came to the characters internal monologues that it was confusing to keep track of. I also didn’t love how the author included language in the characters’ voices. While I appreciate when there is an occasional reference or dialogue native to the character’s language, it was so strangely written and saying things like “lil mama” or then talking like a biker/bad boy or then mentioning lord of the rings? It was so bizzare and didn’t fit together in my opinion-this contributed to feeling like one character was three different people (Solomon). I’m grateful for this ARC and for the opportunity from the author to review it!

This book genuinely helped with my grief. I recently lost a close friend of mine and this helped me work through the grief and understand that they won't be mad if you are happy or move on from them.

I really enjoyed Adina and Solomon's story. What surprised me is that I don't normally like when there are deceased partners. I feel like it's pretty hard to show the new relationship standing up to a past love especially when one of the characters is mourning a dead spouse through most of the book. In this case, both main characters were mourning a deceased partner. It leveled things up a bit even though you felt that mourning more from Solomon. Despite this being something I usually can't get into, I think the author did a great job of showing the growth of both characters. I truly believed by the end of the book that Adina and Solomon loved each other. I can even admit that I liked the struggle they went through to get to where they were at the end. I think that is a testament to the great writing from this author.

Naima stepping into the hockey realm was well played (see that pun there - lol)! Such a fast paced easy read about a pro hockey player and a woman fighter fighter that is sure to catch anyones interest. I love how the dynamic is different and engaging.

Oh no…this was not what I expected it to be. I appreciate the representation and think it’s important but besides all that, this was not my cup of tea at all.

I really enjoyed this book. It was good to have a hockey romance with a slightly different twist. The FMC is a firefighter so it's always nice to have a strong woman with a career. Bonus points for the mmc being from Nova Scotia (my home)

Played by Naira Simone
Rating: 3.5/5

Played follows the story of Solomon and Adina, a firewoman and NHL player, both of colour.

This book fell a bit flat for me, it started off well enough, but after their first meeting, it just went down hill. Which is sad, of course, as it had a lot of potential to me. Their connection felt more physical than anything else and I would have loved to have seen more of their connection as their relationship grew.

The book, however, was written well, and it did flow. There was also a decent amount of spice to this romance. It was also nice to see the representation of woman in a normally very male-dominated career path.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Montlake Books for providing me with an ARC copy in exchange for an honest and fair review.

sadly this was not one of my favorite hockey romances. maybe they’re all blending together at this point, but I just feel like this one didn’t have anything new in it.

Let me start by saying that I have read and enjoyed books by Naima Simone before which makes it even more difficult to say that this book really didn’t work for me at all. I love a story with some emotional heft and this someone really sounded like it would deliver on that front with the added bonus of hockey. Sadly I got very little of either. I could have overlooked that if the romance hit in my feelings but there was very little chemistry between two not very pleasant characters. will stop here and just say that I will still read more by the author but this is very much not a title of hers I would recommend..

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I wanted to love this book and was so excited for it! I love hockey and the romance between a woman firefighter and hockey player was intriguing!

However, it fell short for me. My biggest hang up on the book was that it was written the way the characters spoke and that paired with the inner dialogue honestly made the book difficult to read and follow at times. I understand the reasoning, but I felt it made the flow of the book difficult.

A few other hang up’s were the characters -
Minnie, the sister of the FMC’s best friend, was always out to get Adina and actually comes back later in the story and shares an intimate video of Adina and Solomon (our MCs) to the world - turns out she’s just jealous but it came out of nowhere in my opinion. Also, there was no follow up or consequence for her and I found that annoying.

Matt, a fellow firefighter who was a misogynistic baby, who could have caused Adina to die in a fire and harassed at every opportunity - we also didn’t see anything happen to him for his wrongdoings.

I also hate a third act breakup. Unfortunately, this just wasn’t a favorite for me.

Thank you Netgalley for the arc!

I thought I would give Played a shot but it did not work for me at all. It just fell completely flat. I did not enjoy the writing, it felt rushed and I did not like the characters. Unfortunately I had to DNF.

A Black Firewoman x Black NHL player

Our main characters Solomon and Adina were drowning in grief over loved ones when they met. During this time they come together realizing they have a lot in common, and felt seen. This takes us on a rocky journey from beginning to the end.

I was so excited for this story after reading its description. It unfortunately fell flat in some areas for me.

The dialogue/inner thoughts from the characters felt off to me. From the sayings to the speech, I found myself pausing like what does this say? One minute Solomon is speaking roughly like a biker then a few sentences later he’s calling Adina Ma and Li’l mama. It continued to volley back and forth throughout the pages. Almost like a caricature.

I received an ARC from Netgalley. Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the opportunity. All thoughts are my own.