What do you think?
Rate this book
Villalargos University #1
Play Dirty
โWeโre the face of the university.
The polish on its rot.โ
๐๐ฉ๐ช๐ฏ๐ฌ ๐บ๐ฐ๐ถ ๐ค๐ข๐ฏ ๐ฉ๐ข๐ฏ๐ฅ๐ญ๐ฆ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐ด๐ฆ๐ค๐ณ๐ฆ๐ต๐ด, ๐ด๐ค๐ข๐ฏ๐ฅ๐ข๐ญ๐ด, ๐ข๐ฏ๐ฅ ๐ด๐ช๐ฏ๐ด?
๐บ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐. ๐บ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐. ๐ท๐๐๐ ๐ซ๐๐๐๐.
Their worlds were never meant to collide. But obsession doesnโt follow rules. And some games were never meant to be played clean. In a university, built on corruption, the only way to survive is simple.... Play Dirty.
The polish on its rot.โ
๐๐ฉ๐ช๐ฏ๐ฌ ๐บ๐ฐ๐ถ ๐ค๐ข๐ฏ ๐ฉ๐ข๐ฏ๐ฅ๐ญ๐ฆ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐ด๐ฆ๐ค๐ณ๐ฆ๐ต๐ด, ๐ด๐ค๐ข๐ฏ๐ฅ๐ข๐ญ๐ด, ๐ข๐ฏ๐ฅ ๐ด๐ช๐ฏ๐ด?
๐บ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐. ๐บ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐. ๐ท๐๐๐ ๐ซ๐๐๐๐.
Their worlds were never meant to collide. But obsession doesnโt follow rules. And some games were never meant to be played clean. In a university, built on corruption, the only way to survive is simple.... Play Dirty.
357 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 9, 2025
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 362 reviews
June 4, 2026
One thing I can say for sure after reading a couple books from Luna, and it is that she KNOWS how to grab your attention and keep it locked until you are done.
I got this book thinking was a regular morally grey College sports romance.
Was it super dark ? NO. Was it a regular college morally grey sports romance? ALSO NO!
Donโt expect cutesy cat and mouse chase and fun found family moments, Luna knows how to pack a punch even when itโs not super dark. This was the complete opposite of what I expected and it was absolutely GREAT !
There is so much mystery, begrudgingly I have to say that you finish the book unsatisfied and thinking โWHY NOTHING WAS SOLVED? WHY PEOPLE JUST WALKED UNSCATHED? WHY DO I HAVE MORE QUESTIONS?โ
Clearly this is not a standalone type of series and I will have to read book 2 and keep it up until itโs over and I learn everythingโฆโฆ damn you Luna ! ๐
The book is exhilarating , thrilling, FULL OF SECRETS and mystery murders. There is secret society, sorority and the dirty disgusting disfuncional truth about the school ultra riches !
This book follows Nico a guy from a very poor side of the city, he is a soccer player chasing a dream, he is not an innocent boy but he is a good guy with hopes . He wants to do well in life so he can get a decent life for himself and family. Poor guy has no idea what is behind all the facade โฆ. ๐ฅบ
Shiloh is the rich girl, the Ice Queen of the school. She is daddyโs girl. She is no stranger to pain and she is entangled in a web of lies and deception. Her and Nico have instant a connection, but what happens to Nico in the first day in the University keeps him away from her, distant, cold, hateful, resentfulโฆ.. still he loves herโฆ
I am telling you the only reason this book is not a 5โญ๏ธ for me is because we got basically nothing of Nico and Shiloh together, they barely have a few moments and the books is over. I wanted a longer book, and in the end she tells him NOTHING of all the abuse and violence she was subjected and neither did Nico. So I was left floating because WE also didnโt see any of that since itโs very fast mentioned and not shown, whatever it happened it was off page and EVERYBODY AND THEIR MOTHERS knows how I feel about things happening off pageโฆ. I need to get the details and I fear that wherever the story takes us in the next books , Shiloh and Nicoโs time is over and we wonโt get those confessed tender moments where he can support understand and be there for her knowing he wasnโt the only one going through the abuse and vice versa her been there for himโฆ.. UGH ๐คฆ๐ปโโ๏ธ
Regardless itโs a great story and I will keep up with the series to find out the major plot ! Luna never disappoints, I can wait , already downloaded the second one and itโs a MM ! ๐
I got this book thinking was a regular morally grey College sports romance.
Was it super dark ? NO. Was it a regular college morally grey sports romance? ALSO NO!
Donโt expect cutesy cat and mouse chase and fun found family moments, Luna knows how to pack a punch even when itโs not super dark. This was the complete opposite of what I expected and it was absolutely GREAT !
There is so much mystery, begrudgingly I have to say that you finish the book unsatisfied and thinking โWHY NOTHING WAS SOLVED? WHY PEOPLE JUST WALKED UNSCATHED? WHY DO I HAVE MORE QUESTIONS?โ
Clearly this is not a standalone type of series and I will have to read book 2 and keep it up until itโs over and I learn everythingโฆโฆ damn you Luna ! ๐
The book is exhilarating , thrilling, FULL OF SECRETS and mystery murders. There is secret society, sorority and the dirty disgusting disfuncional truth about the school ultra riches !
This book follows Nico a guy from a very poor side of the city, he is a soccer player chasing a dream, he is not an innocent boy but he is a good guy with hopes . He wants to do well in life so he can get a decent life for himself and family. Poor guy has no idea what is behind all the facade โฆ. ๐ฅบ
Shiloh is the rich girl, the Ice Queen of the school. She is daddyโs girl. She is no stranger to pain and she is entangled in a web of lies and deception. Her and Nico have instant a connection, but what happens to Nico in the first day in the University keeps him away from her, distant, cold, hateful, resentfulโฆ.. still he loves herโฆ
I am telling you the only reason this book is not a 5โญ๏ธ for me is because we got basically nothing of Nico and Shiloh together, they barely have a few moments and the books is over. I wanted a longer book, and in the end she tells him NOTHING of all the abuse and violence she was subjected and neither did Nico. So I was left floating because WE also didnโt see any of that since itโs very fast mentioned and not shown, whatever it happened it was off page and EVERYBODY AND THEIR MOTHERS knows how I feel about things happening off pageโฆ. I need to get the details and I fear that wherever the story takes us in the next books , Shiloh and Nicoโs time is over and we wonโt get those confessed tender moments where he can support understand and be there for her knowing he wasnโt the only one going through the abuse and vice versa her been there for himโฆ.. UGH ๐คฆ๐ปโโ๏ธ
Regardless itโs a great story and I will keep up with the series to find out the major plot ! Luna never disappoints, I can wait , already downloaded the second one and itโs a MM ! ๐
September 19, 2025
Genuinely concerned about these characters! So many questions and im so invested in june. The mmc is going through so much abuse and i liked the fmc i just need her to ask more questions because we are left here wondering who is behind the blogs, who is the murder? Hello? But its only book 1 so๐ญ
August 30, 2025
Only Luna could make me love a soccer romance of all things. All my favorite tropes secret society, dark college romance, slow burn, hate to love, murder mystery, but add in a little soccer!
Shiloh, oh I have some fighting words for her, spoiled, elitest, and self absorbed. She did my baby Nico so dirty, while Iโd still punch her on sightโฆshe did redeem herself at the very end there. When Shiloh accidentally bumps into Nico heโs hoping to make the elite Sirens soccer team on a scholarship, while she has ulterior motives for calling her dad to make sure he gets it, asking her dad to sponsor him, he is also there for other reasons as well. Only Shiloh might as well have dug Nico a grave, because nothing comes for free at Villalargos.
Nico grew up on the wrong side of town, after losing his parents his grandmother raised him and his siblings. After another tragedy, Nico not only wants to better his families future, but also get answers as to what happened. Only he definitely bit off more than he could chew, and he may find himself the center of a murder investigation. The one girl he canโt stop thinking about, is also the same girl he canโt even stand to look in the eyes.
This was dark romantic suspense at its finest! This will keep you guessing until the very last page, but even then you still wonโt have all the answers, because everyone at Villalargos is a liar.
Thank you so much to Luna K Wicked for allowing me to read this pre-release in exchange for my honest review.
Shiloh, oh I have some fighting words for her, spoiled, elitest, and self absorbed. She did my baby Nico so dirty, while Iโd still punch her on sightโฆshe did redeem herself at the very end there. When Shiloh accidentally bumps into Nico heโs hoping to make the elite Sirens soccer team on a scholarship, while she has ulterior motives for calling her dad to make sure he gets it, asking her dad to sponsor him, he is also there for other reasons as well. Only Shiloh might as well have dug Nico a grave, because nothing comes for free at Villalargos.
Nico grew up on the wrong side of town, after losing his parents his grandmother raised him and his siblings. After another tragedy, Nico not only wants to better his families future, but also get answers as to what happened. Only he definitely bit off more than he could chew, and he may find himself the center of a murder investigation. The one girl he canโt stop thinking about, is also the same girl he canโt even stand to look in the eyes.
This was dark romantic suspense at its finest! This will keep you guessing until the very last page, but even then you still wonโt have all the answers, because everyone at Villalargos is a liar.
Thank you so much to Luna K Wicked for allowing me to read this pre-release in exchange for my honest review.
August 18, 2025
Play Dirty was so good i was hooked on it. i didn't even stop reading this at all . nico, my poor nico ๐ข he didn't deserve all that I wanted to fight so many people .
he has my heart, my tears. I just wanted to comfort him so badly.
the way the entitlement of those rich students and the parents I hated them even more cause all they care about is protecting themselves.
Thiago he cracked me up and understood nico when he had panic attacks he knew .
I honestly didn't trust tati through it all she is a snobby rich girl . I did like her at all .
shiloh man, I was fighting for my life trying to defend her in the beginning, like girl be for real . but she grew on me, and she been through some shit . nico has been worse the way he was treated omg I cried .
Asher can kick rocks. I didn't like him. I definitely didn't like Brad he gave me the creeps .
the epilogue had me wilding!!!!!
he has my heart, my tears. I just wanted to comfort him so badly.
the way the entitlement of those rich students and the parents I hated them even more cause all they care about is protecting themselves.
Thiago he cracked me up and understood nico when he had panic attacks he knew .
I honestly didn't trust tati through it all she is a snobby rich girl . I did like her at all .
shiloh man, I was fighting for my life trying to defend her in the beginning, like girl be for real . but she grew on me, and she been through some shit . nico has been worse the way he was treated omg I cried .
Asher can kick rocks. I didn't like him. I definitely didn't like Brad he gave me the creeps .
the epilogue had me wilding!!!!!
May 29, 2026
๐งaudiobook review
This was giving me a gritty, bingeable CW show on crack. Way darker, way sexier, way spicier, but somehow just as addicting.
I absolutely loved the combination of the college sports setting, the secret society, and the murder mystery. It felt like there was always something going on, and the plot kept me hooked from start to finish. The twists and turns kept coming, and every time I thought I had something figured out, the story threw something else at me.
The trauma definitely does not take a backseat in this one. It shows up right from the beginning, and I was cringing a little because some of it was rough. Please check your trigger warnings going into this one. But alsoโฆ this is a secret society romance, and if thereโs one thing secret society people are gonna do, itโs be absolutely nasty.
What really worked for me was the atmosphere. Think everything you love about Gossip Girl and Pretty Little Liars: the drama, the betrayal, the secrets, the mystery, the rich elite who think theyโre untouchable, and the people from the wrong side of the tracks trying to survive in their world.
Our FMC comes from money, while our MMC is very much from the opposite side of that divide, and I loved the tension that created. Between the class differences, the secrets, and all the shady shit happening behind the scenes, there was never a dull moment.
I also have to give a shoutout to the audiobook because it was fantastic. There are so many characters in this story, and the narrators did an incredible job making each voice feel distinct. It was easy to follow, easy to get invested, and honestly made the whole experience even more entertaining.
I had an absolute blast with this one. It was messy, dramatic, addictive, and full of the kind of twists that make you keep saying โjust one more chapterโ until suddenly iโm running out of things to clean around my house because Iโm trying to finish the audiobook to find out what the fuck happens๐คฃ
This was giving me a gritty, bingeable CW show on crack. Way darker, way sexier, way spicier, but somehow just as addicting.
I absolutely loved the combination of the college sports setting, the secret society, and the murder mystery. It felt like there was always something going on, and the plot kept me hooked from start to finish. The twists and turns kept coming, and every time I thought I had something figured out, the story threw something else at me.
The trauma definitely does not take a backseat in this one. It shows up right from the beginning, and I was cringing a little because some of it was rough. Please check your trigger warnings going into this one. But alsoโฆ this is a secret society romance, and if thereโs one thing secret society people are gonna do, itโs be absolutely nasty.
What really worked for me was the atmosphere. Think everything you love about Gossip Girl and Pretty Little Liars: the drama, the betrayal, the secrets, the mystery, the rich elite who think theyโre untouchable, and the people from the wrong side of the tracks trying to survive in their world.
Our FMC comes from money, while our MMC is very much from the opposite side of that divide, and I loved the tension that created. Between the class differences, the secrets, and all the shady shit happening behind the scenes, there was never a dull moment.
I also have to give a shoutout to the audiobook because it was fantastic. There are so many characters in this story, and the narrators did an incredible job making each voice feel distinct. It was easy to follow, easy to get invested, and honestly made the whole experience even more entertaining.
I had an absolute blast with this one. It was messy, dramatic, addictive, and full of the kind of twists that make you keep saying โjust one more chapterโ until suddenly iโm running out of things to clean around my house because Iโm trying to finish the audiobook to find out what the fuck happens๐คฃ
June 4, 2026
Thank you Luna for gifting me with this Audio, Anthony Palimini and Shiloh James, delivered a phenomal performance , Production of Blue Nose Audio .
Drama
Toxic
Secret Society
Depravity
Social Stratification
Trauma..so much trauma
Spice
Suspense
luna writes some of the most toxic stories, this one is so stickyyyyy, messy and the drama will keep you on your toes!
Shiloh is part of the elite, the privileged if you will, on the other hand Nico need to be approved to join the elite college he is attending thanks to her recommendation, her dad the president got him on the soccer team... and his own entertainment ...uuugh I hate him!
Nico's obsession with Shiloh is tainted with a very disturbing memory, and when you find out why he can't look into her eyes, it will break your heart..
Let's be fair, they both have secrets, and no matter how hard I tried to understand where the story was leading, Luna would turn the wheel and change the direction completely. I was left gasping more than once!
There is also a mysterious toxic "character" if you will, * The Pulse* knows everything about everyone, he can ruin anyone's reputation, and they like posting their darkest secrets!
The Level of Toxic in this book is sooo high, it should come with "HAZARD" Sign on it !
You can't help but fall for Nico, and feel for all the trauma Shi is going through, I mean seeing what she saw, I wouldn't recover .
Sooo good, and I'm coming back for more
May 24, 2026
Shiloh + Nico
-dark elite university
-murder mystery
-secret society
-enemies to lovers
-soccer player
-rich girl x poor boy
-slow burn
one thing i can appreciate (& also i feel hits so differently, hardly) is when the cliche dark romance past sa trauma plot lineโฆis a part of the mmcโs story instead of &/or along with the fmc. it just creates even more lingering tension & makes the conflict crazier! iโm not quite sure how i feel about the set up of this book/series yetโฆ.i donโt think this couple got a whole lot of resolution or closure quite yet & weโre supposed to get a different couple each book so far soooo i just hope we kind of circle back to them or some kind of resolution at least.
-dark elite university
-murder mystery
-secret society
-enemies to lovers
-soccer player
-rich girl x poor boy
-slow burn
one thing i can appreciate (& also i feel hits so differently, hardly) is when the cliche dark romance past sa trauma plot lineโฆis a part of the mmcโs story instead of &/or along with the fmc. it just creates even more lingering tension & makes the conflict crazier! iโm not quite sure how i feel about the set up of this book/series yetโฆ.i donโt think this couple got a whole lot of resolution or closure quite yet & weโre supposed to get a different couple each book so far soooo i just hope we kind of circle back to them or some kind of resolution at least.
May 15, 2026
ALC Review
๐:โญ๏ธโญ๏ธโญ๏ธโญ๏ธ
๐ง:โญ๏ธโญ๏ธโญ๏ธโญ๏ธโญ๏ธ
๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ
Duet Narration: @Shiloh James Narrator & @AntPalmini
Dark romance? Soccer? Secret society? Secrets? University? Gossip girl vibes? And SUSPENSE?
Yes pleaseee!๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ฅ
I wasnโt kidding when I said I was going to speed listen to this audio!๐๐ฅ It was amazing and I was hooked !
This book was an emotional and suspenseful ride.
Mi corazon broke so much for Nico๐ฅบ he deserved better in life. I liked the FMC. She definitely redeemed herself at the end for me. I liked their chemistry along with the tension. They were both so possessive and the hate was real. There was a lot of push and pull that was done so well. They deserved each other.
OMG the narrators did a phenomenal job! I could literally feel all the emotion because it did have some heavy topics and they did it so well๐ฅน among the side characters ! Great job to the narrators !
You can preorder 05/20
Release date is 05/27
Book available on KU!
โNot when everything in my life feels dead. And sheโs the only thing that makes me feel alive.โ
โI want to kiss Shiloh. I want to crawl inside her and make a home out of her heart. Iโve wanted Shiloh from the moment I laid eyes on her.โ
โBreeding her because sheโs mine to fill. To use. To ruin. To love.โ
๐:โญ๏ธโญ๏ธโญ๏ธโญ๏ธ
๐ง:โญ๏ธโญ๏ธโญ๏ธโญ๏ธโญ๏ธ
๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ
Duet Narration: @Shiloh James Narrator & @AntPalmini
Dark romance? Soccer? Secret society? Secrets? University? Gossip girl vibes? And SUSPENSE?
Yes pleaseee!๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ฅ
I wasnโt kidding when I said I was going to speed listen to this audio!๐๐ฅ It was amazing and I was hooked !
This book was an emotional and suspenseful ride.
Mi corazon broke so much for Nico๐ฅบ he deserved better in life. I liked the FMC. She definitely redeemed herself at the end for me. I liked their chemistry along with the tension. They were both so possessive and the hate was real. There was a lot of push and pull that was done so well. They deserved each other.
OMG the narrators did a phenomenal job! I could literally feel all the emotion because it did have some heavy topics and they did it so well๐ฅน among the side characters ! Great job to the narrators !
You can preorder 05/20
Release date is 05/27
Book available on KU!
โNot when everything in my life feels dead. And sheโs the only thing that makes me feel alive.โ
โI want to kiss Shiloh. I want to crawl inside her and make a home out of her heart. Iโve wanted Shiloh from the moment I laid eyes on her.โ
โBreeding her because sheโs mine to fill. To use. To ruin. To love.โ
November 8, 2025
Unfortunately this just wasnโt for me. I couldnโt follow along. My brain just couldnโt get into it untill part lll
Before that it just didnโt keep my attention.
I usually love Lunaโs stories but I didnโt love this one.
But it probably a me thing so if you love sports/dark romance/secrete socially reads, this might just be for you.
Before that it just didnโt keep my attention.
I usually love Lunaโs stories but I didnโt love this one.
But it probably a me thing so if you love sports/dark romance/secrete socially reads, this might just be for you.
June 20, 2026
โญ๏ธโญ๏ธโญ๏ธโญ๏ธโญ๏ธ/5
๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ.5/5
This was my first dark romance, dark academia romance and I was throughly sat and enjoyed every minute of it. This gave me Pretty Little Liar vibes with the text messages, the blog. There are so many secrets, lies and betrayals. It kept me turning the page and wanting to know how this story ends!
Alsoooooooo, Luna making this a hate to love. CHEFS KISS. ๐ค๐ผ But beneath that you can see how badly these two want each other and I throughly enjoyed that.
Villalargos University is like no other University. There masks, crowns and petals and it matters who you are. Shiloh is known as the ice queen and her father is Coach J. Shiloh is spoiled and used to getting what she wants. She wants Nico and she gets Nico. Well in a roundabout way, Nico becomes a soccer player with her Dad being his sponsor/donor. But what makes this even more twisty and difficult for Shiloh is Nico is dating her best friend June. Meaning, Nico is off limits.
But Nico and Shiloh share a secret. That no one knows but the two of them. But Nico holds his own secrets that haunt him.
But being at Villalargos University everyone pays a price. You can trust no one. Because everyone is hiding something. It gutted me hearing what these young students went through and had to loose and sacrifice. My heart broke for Shiloh and Nico and what they had to endure throughout this story. You are concerned for them, rooting for them to break this nasty cycle and reclaim their power.
Shilohโs and Nicoโs love story isnโt gentle or soft. Itโs brutal and it pulls at your heartstrings seeing everything they have to go through, the trauma theyโve endured and shaped them into who they are. But these are two souls that are destined to be together and you see just how fiercely they care about each other when the other is in danger.
That epilogueโฆ. MAโAM. WHAT?! ๐ฑ
This was my first book by Luna K Wicked and I can guarantee you it wonโt be my last book by her. Luna packed emotion, plot, spice and suspense and kept the chapters short and the story engaging and leaving me wanting more after each chapter.
๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ.5/5
This was my first dark romance, dark academia romance and I was throughly sat and enjoyed every minute of it. This gave me Pretty Little Liar vibes with the text messages, the blog. There are so many secrets, lies and betrayals. It kept me turning the page and wanting to know how this story ends!
Alsoooooooo, Luna making this a hate to love. CHEFS KISS. ๐ค๐ผ But beneath that you can see how badly these two want each other and I throughly enjoyed that.
Villalargos University is like no other University. There masks, crowns and petals and it matters who you are. Shiloh is known as the ice queen and her father is Coach J. Shiloh is spoiled and used to getting what she wants. She wants Nico and she gets Nico. Well in a roundabout way, Nico becomes a soccer player with her Dad being his sponsor/donor. But what makes this even more twisty and difficult for Shiloh is Nico is dating her best friend June. Meaning, Nico is off limits.
But Nico and Shiloh share a secret. That no one knows but the two of them. But Nico holds his own secrets that haunt him.
But being at Villalargos University everyone pays a price. You can trust no one. Because everyone is hiding something. It gutted me hearing what these young students went through and had to loose and sacrifice. My heart broke for Shiloh and Nico and what they had to endure throughout this story. You are concerned for them, rooting for them to break this nasty cycle and reclaim their power.
Shilohโs and Nicoโs love story isnโt gentle or soft. Itโs brutal and it pulls at your heartstrings seeing everything they have to go through, the trauma theyโve endured and shaped them into who they are. But these are two souls that are destined to be together and you see just how fiercely they care about each other when the other is in danger.
That epilogueโฆ. MAโAM. WHAT?! ๐ฑ
This was my first book by Luna K Wicked and I can guarantee you it wonโt be my last book by her. Luna packed emotion, plot, spice and suspense and kept the chapters short and the story engaging and leaving me wanting more after each chapter.
June 3, 2026
3.5 stars!
i genuinely donโt know how to review this one! i want to start off by being honest and saying i almost dnf this. part 1 and like half of part 2 (?) was extremely slow for me, i get why though because the power and politics in this campus needed to be shown! and the build up needed to happenโฆ BUT when this story picked upโฆ IT PICKED UP. i appreciate how unique this story was!!
i am so glad i stuck this one out because WHAT? so much stuff happened. this was giving gossip girl but darker and i loved that! i enjoyed the dark academia vibes.
Shiloh, girl i feel for you but i am not a fan of you. ๐ญ๐ญ
Nico, ahh my heart broke for him through this entire story. i love him so much. i think you deserve so much better than Shiloh.
that epilogue??? HELLO? i will definitely be continuing this series ๐
i genuinely donโt know how to review this one! i want to start off by being honest and saying i almost dnf this. part 1 and like half of part 2 (?) was extremely slow for me, i get why though because the power and politics in this campus needed to be shown! and the build up needed to happenโฆ BUT when this story picked upโฆ IT PICKED UP. i appreciate how unique this story was!!
i am so glad i stuck this one out because WHAT? so much stuff happened. this was giving gossip girl but darker and i loved that! i enjoyed the dark academia vibes.
Shiloh, girl i feel for you but i am not a fan of you. ๐ญ๐ญ
Nico, ahh my heart broke for him through this entire story. i love him so much. i think you deserve so much better than Shiloh.
that epilogue??? HELLO? i will definitely be continuing this series ๐
May 31, 2026
OK so hear me out because I almost DNFโd this in the beginning and Iโm REALLY glad I didnโt.
โญ๏ธ 4โ4.25 stars
๐ค Dark academia romance
โฝ๏ธ Elite college soccer
๐ Secret societies, corruption, obsession, murder vibes
Play Dirty by Luna K. Wicked starts a little slow while youโre trying to figure out the politics and power structure at this insane elite university, but once it picks up? Oh it PICKS. UP.
Shiloh is the daughter of one of the most powerful men tied to the university, basically born into this world of legacy, control, and expectations. Sheโs surrounded by privileged chaos, fake loyalty, and a sorority thatโs way more sinister than it looks on the surface. Then people start ending up dead. Sheโs getting cryptic messages. Secrets start unraveling. And suddenly itโs very clear something dark is happening behind the scenes.
Our MMC is a star soccer player whose entire future depends on Shilohโs father sponsoring him at the universityโฆ except her father is also tied to some truly twisted shit thatโs actively ruining his life. So this man is fighting every feeling he has for her because she represents the very family destroying him โ and meanwhile heโs absolutely gone for her anyway.
The tension in this book? GOOD.
The chemistry? Toxic in the best way.
The atmosphere? Rich dark academia energy with corruption, manipulation, secrets, power plays, and โwho the hell can you even trustโ vibes.
And the ending??? Yeah no. Immediately need book two because Luna absolutely said โsuffer.โ
If you like:
๐ค dark academia
๐ค morally gray obsession
๐ค elite university corruption
๐ค secret societies
๐ค touch her and die energy
๐ค mystery mixed with romance
โฆyouโll probably eat this up
โญ๏ธ 4โ4.25 stars
๐ค Dark academia romance
โฝ๏ธ Elite college soccer
๐ Secret societies, corruption, obsession, murder vibes
Play Dirty by Luna K. Wicked starts a little slow while youโre trying to figure out the politics and power structure at this insane elite university, but once it picks up? Oh it PICKS. UP.
Shiloh is the daughter of one of the most powerful men tied to the university, basically born into this world of legacy, control, and expectations. Sheโs surrounded by privileged chaos, fake loyalty, and a sorority thatโs way more sinister than it looks on the surface. Then people start ending up dead. Sheโs getting cryptic messages. Secrets start unraveling. And suddenly itโs very clear something dark is happening behind the scenes.
Our MMC is a star soccer player whose entire future depends on Shilohโs father sponsoring him at the universityโฆ except her father is also tied to some truly twisted shit thatโs actively ruining his life. So this man is fighting every feeling he has for her because she represents the very family destroying him โ and meanwhile heโs absolutely gone for her anyway.
The tension in this book? GOOD.
The chemistry? Toxic in the best way.
The atmosphere? Rich dark academia energy with corruption, manipulation, secrets, power plays, and โwho the hell can you even trustโ vibes.
And the ending??? Yeah no. Immediately need book two because Luna absolutely said โsuffer.โ
If you like:
๐ค dark academia
๐ค morally gray obsession
๐ค elite university corruption
๐ค secret societies
๐ค touch her and die energy
๐ค mystery mixed with romance
โฆyouโll probably eat this up
August 17, 2025
โขbeta reviewโข
Damn, I donโt know even know where to start with Play Dirty. Being able to have the opportunity to beta read this was a dream. Luna you are fucking AMAZING. I loved being able to watch your mind work. Thank you for every opportunity to read one of your stories and be apart of your team ๐ค๐ฆ
This book is EVERYTHING. If youโre looking for Gossip Girl meets Elite then this is the one to read. Play Dirty is a dark romance and the themes are DARK. Luna is known for her erotic horror and darker romances which makes Play Dirty a little different from what sheโs usually written. Play Dirty shows just how much range Luna has as an author. A literal 5 star read.
We have a soccer team,the golden girl and a murdered girl,secrets and lies, betrayals, AND everything is not what it seems at Villalargos University.
Play Dirty is definitely a slower burn but itโs so worth it for Shi and Nico. Once you get to the spice, fuck yea itโs spicy. Masquerade masks anyone? ๐ And my god the fucking tension, the yearning, itโs all so fucking delicious.
Youโre getting dark academia, secret societies and a best friendโs boyfriend forbidden romance.
Play Dirty is one of those books that make you feel something and draw you into a forbidden world that you donโt want to leave. Even though this is only a 263 page book there is so much depth and background to each character that appears on page. Every character has a story and each story is crucial to the very end.
10/10 - 5 โญ๏ธ read and you will not regret it!
Damn, I donโt know even know where to start with Play Dirty. Being able to have the opportunity to beta read this was a dream. Luna you are fucking AMAZING. I loved being able to watch your mind work. Thank you for every opportunity to read one of your stories and be apart of your team ๐ค๐ฆ
This book is EVERYTHING. If youโre looking for Gossip Girl meets Elite then this is the one to read. Play Dirty is a dark romance and the themes are DARK. Luna is known for her erotic horror and darker romances which makes Play Dirty a little different from what sheโs usually written. Play Dirty shows just how much range Luna has as an author. A literal 5 star read.
We have a soccer team,the golden girl and a murdered girl,secrets and lies, betrayals, AND everything is not what it seems at Villalargos University.
Play Dirty is definitely a slower burn but itโs so worth it for Shi and Nico. Once you get to the spice, fuck yea itโs spicy. Masquerade masks anyone? ๐ And my god the fucking tension, the yearning, itโs all so fucking delicious.
Youโre getting dark academia, secret societies and a best friendโs boyfriend forbidden romance.
Play Dirty is one of those books that make you feel something and draw you into a forbidden world that you donโt want to leave. Even though this is only a 263 page book there is so much depth and background to each character that appears on page. Every character has a story and each story is crucial to the very end.
10/10 - 5 โญ๏ธ read and you will not regret it!
August 30, 2025
OH MY GOSH!!!!!
I freakin loved this book!!!! This book shows that not only women can go through some sexual trauma at the hands of others. Most dark romances have the girl being broken down and this was such a mix of trauma, trauma bonding and pure need pouring through these characters. It was written so amazingly well that it emphasized all the tropes pretty damn equally!!! Another amazing book for Luna! Seriously Add This Book To Your Cart Now!!!
Shiloh and Nico met Freshman year and tension between them and the secrets built for years before we find out all the secrets they have both been hiding. This fโd up University seriously makes the students understand the meaning of โnothing comes for freeโ even for the rich students. These parents and donors are all corrupt posโs.
This is like Tell Me Lies meets Gossip Girl and throw in some soccer and a depraved secret society who run it all. She is the rich IT girl and Nico is the poor soccer player on scholarship. They had so much tension between them but their reasons hidden deep why they stayed apart. What an explosive come together when they started finding out these secret though. The way they were finding things out? Just WOW!!! You wonโt know who you can really trust in this one. You will be mad at them at them all at times but grateful at others. The perfect mix of it all
I cannot recommend this book enough or push for everyone to read it enough!!! Itโs so damn good!!!
Enemies to Lovers
Dark Academia
Secret Society
Sports Romance
It Girl / Poor Boy
Forbidden Romance
Murder Mystery
Best Friends BF
I freakin loved this book!!!! This book shows that not only women can go through some sexual trauma at the hands of others. Most dark romances have the girl being broken down and this was such a mix of trauma, trauma bonding and pure need pouring through these characters. It was written so amazingly well that it emphasized all the tropes pretty damn equally!!! Another amazing book for Luna! Seriously Add This Book To Your Cart Now!!!
Shiloh and Nico met Freshman year and tension between them and the secrets built for years before we find out all the secrets they have both been hiding. This fโd up University seriously makes the students understand the meaning of โnothing comes for freeโ even for the rich students. These parents and donors are all corrupt posโs.
This is like Tell Me Lies meets Gossip Girl and throw in some soccer and a depraved secret society who run it all. She is the rich IT girl and Nico is the poor soccer player on scholarship. They had so much tension between them but their reasons hidden deep why they stayed apart. What an explosive come together when they started finding out these secret though. The way they were finding things out? Just WOW!!! You wonโt know who you can really trust in this one. You will be mad at them at them all at times but grateful at others. The perfect mix of it all
I cannot recommend this book enough or push for everyone to read it enough!!! Itโs so damn good!!!
Enemies to Lovers
Dark Academia
Secret Society
Sports Romance
It Girl / Poor Boy
Forbidden Romance
Murder Mystery
Best Friends BF
August 26, 2025
I could NOT put this book down! Iโm going to start off by saying this: if you like dark romance, add this to your TBR, especially if you enjoyed the LORDS series. Dark academic, secret society, enemies to lovers, and a lot of sexual tension and spice.
I loved the main characters and how their relationship changed throughout the story. There was SO much angst and tension (if you love a good enemies to lovers, this is for you). This is also dual POV, which was a major bonus, and the spicy scenes were 10/10.
There was SO much going on in this book and SO many secrets. There was definitely a good balance of spice and plot. The suspense was killing me, which was the main reason I couldnโt put this down (thatโs all Iโm going to say about that so I donโt spoil anything).
Overall, another amazing book by Luna K. Wicked! All dark romance fans needs to add this to their TBR! ๐ซถ๐ป
I loved the main characters and how their relationship changed throughout the story. There was SO much angst and tension (if you love a good enemies to lovers, this is for you). This is also dual POV, which was a major bonus, and the spicy scenes were 10/10.
There was SO much going on in this book and SO many secrets. There was definitely a good balance of spice and plot. The suspense was killing me, which was the main reason I couldnโt put this down (thatโs all Iโm going to say about that so I donโt spoil anything).
Overall, another amazing book by Luna K. Wicked! All dark romance fans needs to add this to their TBR! ๐ซถ๐ป
October 18, 2025
Buckle up for this one buttercup. This is definitely one the darker romance books Iโve read, so be prepared if you go in blind. I donโt really know what to say about this one without giving some spoilers so Iโll just say Iโll definitely be anxiously waiting for the next book to see what happens though.
December 17, 2025
Haphazard plot that just felt like it was being added to in real time with little to no explanations.
Oh- and I also missed the part where this is a romanceโฆ.. where and when did they fall in love?!?! AlI got was one insta love moment in the beginning
Oh- and I also missed the part where this is a romanceโฆ.. where and when did they fall in love?!?! AlI got was one insta love moment in the beginning
August 1, 2025
a soccer team. a murder mystery and a whole lotta feelings.
okay so when i say dark. dark yes. by luna standards? nope she's actually lowkey beautiful & i can't quite believe how much has unfolded in such a short story. from the bottom of my heart i am obssesed like no other with everything about this story. written to perfection. character development is immense but particularly on nico (our main MMC) is wow. some of the best development i have seen. the story has a murder mystery feel but also contemporary elements and let me tell you a lot of conversation starters. please talk to me about all of the beautiful things in here. wether it is rep for male victims,greif rep.. luna truly has it covered in a sensetive yet very authentic way and i can't quite believe i would ever love a sports romance but this isn't a typical sports romance i would say.
not only will you be questioning the main characters intentions but also the side characters. angsty but also highly emotional. i don't honestly know how you can do both at the same time but here we are. i do honestly think this story is one that will keep you on your toes. from beginning to end it has you feeling like you are IN THE STORY not just reading it? think like an immersive game? the story although a slow burn picks up pace so fast towards the end,sheeshhh i love!
my fave scenes were defintely the studio scenes, the locker room too.. SPOILER FREE FROM ME. something about it just really was so immersive and so visual for me,feels super contemporary to me and has a great undertone to be considered as such,like murder mystery is the forward facing plot,but it defintely has a contemporary feel underpinning the story.. shit man i'm speechless and that doesn't happen often,i also didn't think nico would be so loveable to me,i usually don't vibe with mmc's that well but this one really struck me,nico's story is super personal and similar to my own and i feel like he is going to be VERY relatable to men who read this story,so defintely highly suggest men to read this too. it's approached in such a beautiful way & a very considerate way of victims,specifically male victims๐ญ
anyways.. ratings? whilst i stop crying
plot first this time? 5โญ๏ธ the plot is one of the best plot lines i have read.. AND also my first sports romance - the plot is HEAVILY focused in this and it is not a spicy story by nature. think gossip girl. it has a murder mystery forward facing plot but a contemporary sub plot with darker elements. it's a very heartfelt plot i feel. it feels very sensetive to a lot of the darker underbelly of the secret society world and it's actually really eye opening.. it's not secret society like mafia,it's like life of higher society,rich & poor kinda thing? the pacing is my favourite though,a slow burn novella? sign me up. it's gripping but yet slow enough to really understand the world building needed. as this is the first in a series,we have a LOT of world building but honestly i've cried a 1000x and got twists for DAYS! the plot is also very digestible,it feels like you don't have the pull from gossip girl to understand the meanings,
loving the poetry esk elements - very very well written - feels very full on but also luna be giving us IMMERSIVE like the description of the setting,the description of the clothing,the lighting. SO IMMERSIVE something luna does best!
characters? 5โญ๏ธ literally don't know how to describe the characters without giving too much away but ill try hehe. very very loveable characters but also characters that evoke very strong emotions,like me i hate one of the female characters lol,the main characters.. shiloh and nico. my heart can't take any of it,nico is the most loveable mc i have ever read about. ever. he comes from hard hard times and holy shit does luna put him through it. real fucking bad. imo he is the most loveable character of the whole story,shiloh is a love or hate,she's an ice queen and she does some questionable things throughout but she is pretty loveable if you're like
down bad and understand why she does what she does. side characters don't usually strike me but a lot of these characters.. brad,wyatt,tati all evoked such strong hatred for me,which i mean is a good thing because you will become invested in this. i'm so sure of it. and you'll love the characters too.
spice?? ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ the spice is beautifully written but she is NOT a smutty spicy story. this is a slow burn and the spice is actually quite sad for a lot of it. it shines a light heavily on SA and more specifically male victims and this has been written in such a way,i feel like it is approached very sensitively and considerately (check your tw's obvuously) but as somebody who has read a lot of MC's with SA & have direct irl expierence,this is written very authentically and a lot of the spice in this does blur the line between non-consensual and dubious consent but when you get to the spice between the main mc's it all makes sense,and the scenes,the locker room and the studio (no spoilers here) they are beautiful. so fucking beautiful it brought tears to my eyes. the spice is built on lust,hatred and turmoil for most of this but shit, it's a very eye opening read and i feel like male victims will find some healing in this story,and will find they can get their power back๐ฉถ
overall?? โพ๏ธโญ๏ธ luna will forever blow me out of the water with how incredibly talented she is with multi faceted writing of different genres, this is not dark by luna standards but yet underpinning it all is some dark dark elements and you feel it. you feel everything with the characters. not only do you feel how the characters feel you feel truly in shock and awe most way through this. a sports romance yes. but something more. a healing story of victims of SA,power and money and how two different worlds collide. the most beautiful story i've ever read all year,every single tear was worth it. everything. i will love this story till the dawn of time๐ญ
and i will forever be shi-co's #1 fan๐ญ๐ฉถ
okay so when i say dark. dark yes. by luna standards? nope she's actually lowkey beautiful & i can't quite believe how much has unfolded in such a short story. from the bottom of my heart i am obssesed like no other with everything about this story. written to perfection. character development is immense but particularly on nico (our main MMC) is wow. some of the best development i have seen. the story has a murder mystery feel but also contemporary elements and let me tell you a lot of conversation starters. please talk to me about all of the beautiful things in here. wether it is rep for male victims,greif rep.. luna truly has it covered in a sensetive yet very authentic way and i can't quite believe i would ever love a sports romance but this isn't a typical sports romance i would say.
not only will you be questioning the main characters intentions but also the side characters. angsty but also highly emotional. i don't honestly know how you can do both at the same time but here we are. i do honestly think this story is one that will keep you on your toes. from beginning to end it has you feeling like you are IN THE STORY not just reading it? think like an immersive game? the story although a slow burn picks up pace so fast towards the end,sheeshhh i love!
my fave scenes were defintely the studio scenes, the locker room too.. SPOILER FREE FROM ME. something about it just really was so immersive and so visual for me,feels super contemporary to me and has a great undertone to be considered as such,like murder mystery is the forward facing plot,but it defintely has a contemporary feel underpinning the story.. shit man i'm speechless and that doesn't happen often,i also didn't think nico would be so loveable to me,i usually don't vibe with mmc's that well but this one really struck me,nico's story is super personal and similar to my own and i feel like he is going to be VERY relatable to men who read this story,so defintely highly suggest men to read this too. it's approached in such a beautiful way & a very considerate way of victims,specifically male victims๐ญ
anyways.. ratings? whilst i stop crying
plot first this time? 5โญ๏ธ the plot is one of the best plot lines i have read.. AND also my first sports romance - the plot is HEAVILY focused in this and it is not a spicy story by nature. think gossip girl. it has a murder mystery forward facing plot but a contemporary sub plot with darker elements. it's a very heartfelt plot i feel. it feels very sensetive to a lot of the darker underbelly of the secret society world and it's actually really eye opening.. it's not secret society like mafia,it's like life of higher society,rich & poor kinda thing? the pacing is my favourite though,a slow burn novella? sign me up. it's gripping but yet slow enough to really understand the world building needed. as this is the first in a series,we have a LOT of world building but honestly i've cried a 1000x and got twists for DAYS! the plot is also very digestible,it feels like you don't have the pull from gossip girl to understand the meanings,
loving the poetry esk elements - very very well written - feels very full on but also luna be giving us IMMERSIVE like the description of the setting,the description of the clothing,the lighting. SO IMMERSIVE something luna does best!
characters? 5โญ๏ธ literally don't know how to describe the characters without giving too much away but ill try hehe. very very loveable characters but also characters that evoke very strong emotions,like me i hate one of the female characters lol,the main characters.. shiloh and nico. my heart can't take any of it,nico is the most loveable mc i have ever read about. ever. he comes from hard hard times and holy shit does luna put him through it. real fucking bad. imo he is the most loveable character of the whole story,shiloh is a love or hate,she's an ice queen and she does some questionable things throughout but she is pretty loveable if you're like
down bad and understand why she does what she does. side characters don't usually strike me but a lot of these characters.. brad,wyatt,tati all evoked such strong hatred for me,which i mean is a good thing because you will become invested in this. i'm so sure of it. and you'll love the characters too.
spice?? ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ the spice is beautifully written but she is NOT a smutty spicy story. this is a slow burn and the spice is actually quite sad for a lot of it. it shines a light heavily on SA and more specifically male victims and this has been written in such a way,i feel like it is approached very sensitively and considerately (check your tw's obvuously) but as somebody who has read a lot of MC's with SA & have direct irl expierence,this is written very authentically and a lot of the spice in this does blur the line between non-consensual and dubious consent but when you get to the spice between the main mc's it all makes sense,and the scenes,the locker room and the studio (no spoilers here) they are beautiful. so fucking beautiful it brought tears to my eyes. the spice is built on lust,hatred and turmoil for most of this but shit, it's a very eye opening read and i feel like male victims will find some healing in this story,and will find they can get their power back๐ฉถ
overall?? โพ๏ธโญ๏ธ luna will forever blow me out of the water with how incredibly talented she is with multi faceted writing of different genres, this is not dark by luna standards but yet underpinning it all is some dark dark elements and you feel it. you feel everything with the characters. not only do you feel how the characters feel you feel truly in shock and awe most way through this. a sports romance yes. but something more. a healing story of victims of SA,power and money and how two different worlds collide. the most beautiful story i've ever read all year,every single tear was worth it. everything. i will love this story till the dawn of time๐ญ
and i will forever be shi-co's #1 fan๐ญ๐ฉถ
July 29, 2026
Excuse me?! Why is no one talking about this book?!!!!!
I came across this on Romance.io while looking for a sports romance for one of my challenges. In no way shape or form did I expect to plummet into the level of depth and immersion this book delivered. Filled with a campus conspiracy, a secret society paired with anonymous threats, corruption, multiple murders, twist after twistโฆ I could go on. What this book is described as only scratches the surface of what it actually has to offer. Luna Wicked casually pulled the rug out from under me multiple times and sent me spiraling into more chaos.
Nico quickly became one of the most interesting characters I have read in the genre. Every new piece of his past completely reframed the way I viewed his actions. Watching him wrestle with his trauma, trust and everlasting feelings for Shiloh added so much emotional weight to both the story and their relationship. His confession to her completely shattered me. Im not spoiling it. Go read it. Moments like that elevated this far beyond your typical dark romance.
One of my favorite aspects was how well everything balanced together. The romance never overshadowed the mystery. The mystery never overshadowed the characters or their development. Even the spice felt like it belonged exactly where it was. And let me say thisโฆ. sparks were flying between these two. Even their teasing had the perfect amount of tension. The elite university setting and Gossip Girl-esque anonymous blog gave the constant feeling that no one could be trusted. Only made this ridiculously more addictive. Every answer opened another door instead of neatly wrapping everything up.
My only real complaint was Shiloh. The first few chapters really paint her in a bad light. The rich socialite ice queen who only cares about image. Luckily the more we spend time with her, you understand why she is the way she is. Again I have to praise Wicked for the beautiful development of these characters. There were also two Twilight references that pulled me out of the story but everything else brought me right back in. One other note I want to keep in mind is the writing style. At times it becomes eloquent but the majority I would categorize as easy to read.
This is far more than a spicy college romance. It's a story about trauma, abuse of power, grief and healing. Wicked managed to make every piece of this synchronize with each other. I will definitely be picking up book two ASAP.
I came across this on Romance.io while looking for a sports romance for one of my challenges. In no way shape or form did I expect to plummet into the level of depth and immersion this book delivered. Filled with a campus conspiracy, a secret society paired with anonymous threats, corruption, multiple murders, twist after twistโฆ I could go on. What this book is described as only scratches the surface of what it actually has to offer. Luna Wicked casually pulled the rug out from under me multiple times and sent me spiraling into more chaos.
Nico quickly became one of the most interesting characters I have read in the genre. Every new piece of his past completely reframed the way I viewed his actions. Watching him wrestle with his trauma, trust and everlasting feelings for Shiloh added so much emotional weight to both the story and their relationship. His confession to her completely shattered me. Im not spoiling it. Go read it. Moments like that elevated this far beyond your typical dark romance.
One of my favorite aspects was how well everything balanced together. The romance never overshadowed the mystery. The mystery never overshadowed the characters or their development. Even the spice felt like it belonged exactly where it was. And let me say thisโฆ. sparks were flying between these two. Even their teasing had the perfect amount of tension. The elite university setting and Gossip Girl-esque anonymous blog gave the constant feeling that no one could be trusted. Only made this ridiculously more addictive. Every answer opened another door instead of neatly wrapping everything up.
My only real complaint was Shiloh. The first few chapters really paint her in a bad light. The rich socialite ice queen who only cares about image. Luckily the more we spend time with her, you understand why she is the way she is. Again I have to praise Wicked for the beautiful development of these characters. There were also two Twilight references that pulled me out of the story but everything else brought me right back in. One other note I want to keep in mind is the writing style. At times it becomes eloquent but the majority I would categorize as easy to read.
This is far more than a spicy college romance. It's a story about trauma, abuse of power, grief and healing. Wicked managed to make every piece of this synchronize with each other. I will definitely be picking up book two ASAP.
August 30, 2025
3.5 stars
This was my first book by this author, check your trigger warnings for sure. This story is dark, but I can definitely see why she says itโs not the darkest. You get some dark themes, but they are never described in graphic detail. And yes, there are some spicy moments, but the majority of the story focuses on the mystery behind the school and what happened.
I was surprised with the premise and did get sucked in to the beginning of the story. You get thrown in quick with heavy moments. What these characters go through to be in this college. The messed up logistics of how they run things. I always love a secret society and my gosh the secrets were there.
I just felt like there was a lot going on in such a short time. It definitely kept my mind reeling. The pages turning. But it also felt like I needed so much more context. And then the ending happened and everything was just fine so quick. Almost like it was rushed. We did get a little cliffhanger if the reader continues to the short epilogue. It makes you want to continue the series.
Thank you to the author for the ebook arc in exchange for my review!
This was my first book by this author, check your trigger warnings for sure. This story is dark, but I can definitely see why she says itโs not the darkest. You get some dark themes, but they are never described in graphic detail. And yes, there are some spicy moments, but the majority of the story focuses on the mystery behind the school and what happened.
I was surprised with the premise and did get sucked in to the beginning of the story. You get thrown in quick with heavy moments. What these characters go through to be in this college. The messed up logistics of how they run things. I always love a secret society and my gosh the secrets were there.
I just felt like there was a lot going on in such a short time. It definitely kept my mind reeling. The pages turning. But it also felt like I needed so much more context. And then the ending happened and everything was just fine so quick. Almost like it was rushed. We did get a little cliffhanger if the reader continues to the short epilogue. It makes you want to continue the series.
Thank you to the author for the ebook arc in exchange for my review!
September 3, 2025
โญ๏ธโญ๏ธโญ๏ธโญ๏ธโญ๏ธ
๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ
๐Dark academia
โฝ๏ธEnemies to lovers
๐Morally grey love interest
โฝ๏ธForbidden romance
๐Forced proximity
โฝ๏ธRich girl/ Poor boy dynamics
Omg Luna you did it again!! Iโm obsessed with this book!!! Itโs like a mix of pretty little liars and gossip girl but darker and add secret society with arranged marriage I loved every minute of it!! Shiloh and Nico were definitely put through the wringer they get suck a dark twisted world. It broke my heart to read what Nico was put through. They definitely have a it always been you relationship going. The tension between Shiloh and Nico was everything!! Luna always delivers with the perfect balance of spice and plot!!
Whenever I review Lunaโs book always trying to keep it vague and not spoil anything I would recommend going in blind if you donโt have any TW it makes it so much better!! โผ๏ธIF YOU DO PLEASE CHECK TWโผ๏ธ
๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ
๐Dark academia
โฝ๏ธEnemies to lovers
๐Morally grey love interest
โฝ๏ธForbidden romance
๐Forced proximity
โฝ๏ธRich girl/ Poor boy dynamics
Omg Luna you did it again!! Iโm obsessed with this book!!! Itโs like a mix of pretty little liars and gossip girl but darker and add secret society with arranged marriage I loved every minute of it!! Shiloh and Nico were definitely put through the wringer they get suck a dark twisted world. It broke my heart to read what Nico was put through. They definitely have a it always been you relationship going. The tension between Shiloh and Nico was everything!! Luna always delivers with the perfect balance of spice and plot!!
Whenever I review Lunaโs book always trying to keep it vague and not spoil anything I would recommend going in blind if you donโt have any TW it makes it so much better!! โผ๏ธIF YOU DO PLEASE CHECK TWโผ๏ธ
March 17, 2026
4.5!
Omg I couldnโt put this down!
Itโs so dark! And the mystery had me turning the page!
Definitely check triggers. This academia secret society dark romance was soo good! Think nightshade and Lola kings silver falls series! But darker!
My only โoofโ about this book, would be we didnโt get enough of the characters together intimately. They had this strong hate towards each other. And then once truths started to come out they became obsessed. Nothing wrong with it, there just wasnโt any down time of them being together to โfall in loveโ. I just wish we had more of that. Thatโs why itโs a 4.5 for me.
Other than that, LOVED IT! The vibes! All the characters, the mysteries! I was here for it!
Canโt wait for the next books!
Omg I couldnโt put this down!
Itโs so dark! And the mystery had me turning the page!
Definitely check triggers. This academia secret society dark romance was soo good! Think nightshade and Lola kings silver falls series! But darker!
My only โoofโ about this book, would be we didnโt get enough of the characters together intimately. They had this strong hate towards each other. And then once truths started to come out they became obsessed. Nothing wrong with it, there just wasnโt any down time of them being together to โfall in loveโ. I just wish we had more of that. Thatโs why itโs a 4.5 for me.
Other than that, LOVED IT! The vibes! All the characters, the mysteries! I was here for it!
Canโt wait for the next books!
August 19, 2025
~ Beta Review ~
Play Dirty by Luna K Wicked is a Dark Academia packed full of secrets, lies, trauma, a little bit of murder mystery, and lots of emotion that you can literally feel coming from the characters. I donโt know how Luna was able to pack SO MUCH into the pages of this book, but she did and boy was it a lot to unpack!
I loved this book! I love Lunaโs writing style in all of her books. But she did really great with this one. The characters and their personalities were put together very well. You can literally feel their emotions come straight off of the pages. You can tell when an author puts a lot of effort into their characters and their stories, and with this one you can tell Luna worked really hard to give these characters life.
The plot in this book is so thick! There were so many twists and secrets that kept coming into the light that I was stuck in the book so I could figure out who did what, or who did who, or what happened! All of the questions were asked. Whether or not those questions were answered, well youโre just going to have to read and find out! Because that is a journey I am not going to spoil for anyone!
I am definitely excited for the rest of this series to come out. This one is going to be one heck of a series that I think anyone should get their grubby little hands on and read! I 10/10 recommend it! 5 Stars from me.
Play Dirty by Luna K Wicked is a Dark Academia packed full of secrets, lies, trauma, a little bit of murder mystery, and lots of emotion that you can literally feel coming from the characters. I donโt know how Luna was able to pack SO MUCH into the pages of this book, but she did and boy was it a lot to unpack!
I loved this book! I love Lunaโs writing style in all of her books. But she did really great with this one. The characters and their personalities were put together very well. You can literally feel their emotions come straight off of the pages. You can tell when an author puts a lot of effort into their characters and their stories, and with this one you can tell Luna worked really hard to give these characters life.
The plot in this book is so thick! There were so many twists and secrets that kept coming into the light that I was stuck in the book so I could figure out who did what, or who did who, or what happened! All of the questions were asked. Whether or not those questions were answered, well youโre just going to have to read and find out! Because that is a journey I am not going to spoil for anyone!
I am definitely excited for the rest of this series to come out. This one is going to be one heck of a series that I think anyone should get their grubby little hands on and read! I 10/10 recommend it! 5 Stars from me.
September 8, 2025
This book ๐๐ While it wasnโt quite as dark as Lunaโs offerings that doesnโt mean you shouldnโt check the trigger warnings because it has its moments!
Tha pain and trauma both Nico and Shiloh both carried around with them was heartbreaking. There are secrets between the two. I will admit it took me a while to warm up to Shiloh but I got there and Iโm glad I did. This isnโt an easy read. You canโt just skim it otherwise you will miss important things that really matter! As usual from Luna the spice was really spicing and I loved it. Every page is important and has something meaningful on the page and kept you hooked right from the beginning. I had to put the book down and remind myself to sleep/eat and hydrate.
I will always buy anything Luna writes
Tha pain and trauma both Nico and Shiloh both carried around with them was heartbreaking. There are secrets between the two. I will admit it took me a while to warm up to Shiloh but I got there and Iโm glad I did. This isnโt an easy read. You canโt just skim it otherwise you will miss important things that really matter! As usual from Luna the spice was really spicing and I loved it. Every page is important and has something meaningful on the page and kept you hooked right from the beginning. I had to put the book down and remind myself to sleep/eat and hydrate.
I will always buy anything Luna writes
October 2, 2025
ARC Review
This was so different than Luna's other books and it had me hooked! Full of secrets, corruption, mystery, and twists! If dark academia, secret society, best friends boyfriend, forced proximity, sports, angst, and spice check your boxes then check out Play Dirty!
This was so different than Luna's other books and it had me hooked! Full of secrets, corruption, mystery, and twists! If dark academia, secret society, best friends boyfriend, forced proximity, sports, angst, and spice check your boxes then check out Play Dirty!
October 14, 2026
First time for me with this author and I did in fact enjoy this. This was such an interesting read and it reminded me so much of Gossip Girl, although I've have neither read or watched that, so I don't know where that came from honestly ๐คฃ
That epilogue left me scared, so I'm off to the next book!
That epilogue left me scared, so I'm off to the next book!
May 15, 2026
There was so much happening at Villagros University!
From the trauma, the secrets and the secret society. All of it broke my heart!! Every book Luna writes I immediately get sucked in and traumatized, I love it๐ญ
From the trauma, the secrets and the secret society. All of it broke my heart!! Every book Luna writes I immediately get sucked in and traumatized, I love it๐ญ
September 6, 2025
"๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐? ๐ฟ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐? ๐ฟ๐๐๐ ๐ด ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐? ๐ฟ๐๐๐ ๐ด ๐๐๐๐๐๐'๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐//๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐, ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐?"
LUNA!!!! This is hands down my FAVORITE Luna K. Wicked book! I don't even know where to begin with this review, there is SO MUCH to unpack!! The first thing I will say is, this book is dark and HEAVY! So please, please, PLEASE...read your trigger warnings!! Luna has given them all to you, there is no excuse...as always, your mental health comes first...so please take that into account before diving in.
This review is going to be pretty vague, because as with most of Luna's books, its better to dive in with as little information as possible and buckle up for the ride. This is a DARK sports romance...and while the soccer is there, it definitely takes a back seat to the other tropes that are here. We have romantic suspense, shmurder, betrayal, SECRET SOCIETIES!!! You know how I feel about the secret society men ๐๐๐. Forbidden love and so many secrets that you will be questioning YOURSELF while reading this book...no one can be trusted.
This book gave me a lot of gossip girl vibes, but on a deadlier and more elite level. Nico is our MMC and Shiloh is our FMC...and while the story absolutely centers around them, the side characters aren't so side...they are absolutely just as prominent, and at times I almost forgot who the MC's actually were ๐ but I loved it!!
Classic tale of rich girl meets poor boy...but much darker. I will admit....Shiloh was not my favorite...In fact I hated her for the majority of the book...but as you get to the halfway point and learn more about whats ACTUALLY going on, she does redeem herself. Now...NICO!?!?!?! ๐ญ๐ญ๐ญ I wanted to reach through my kindle and hug him so bad. The things he had to go through and endure were so painful to read. I could feel his pain through Lunas writing...I found myself shedding a tear on more than one occassion.
The burn for these two is slow...they start off as sort of enemies who eventually find their way to love...it was definitely touch and go for them and my heart stopped multiple times while reading trying to figure out what would happen and if they would allow themselves to give in to the feelings brewing between them...but when they did??๐ฎโ๐จ๐ฎโ๐จ๐ฎโ๐จ The spice was SPICING in a way that is VERY LUNA...and I loved every minute of it!
There's so much I want to say about this book, that I want to share and scream about but I DO NOT WANT TO SPOIL IT! I want you guys to be stuck to your kindle and diving into this dark and chaotic world just like I was...so go...read...enjoy...fall in love...in anger...in frustration...and buckle up because this series is only getting crazier!! ๐ค๐ค
Thank you SO MUCH to Luna K. Wicked for the INCREDIBLE opportunity to ARC read this phenomenal book!๐ค๐ค๐ค
โฝ๏ธDark Sports Romance
๐คSecret Society
โฝ๏ธDark Academia
๐คCollege Setting
โฝ๏ธForbidden
๐คForced Proximity
โฝ๏ธRich Girl x Poor Boy
๐คBetrayal
โฝ๏ธGossip Girl Vibes
๐คSECRETS
โฝ๏ธSlow Burn
๐คTrust NO ONE
โฝ๏ธEnemies to Lovers
๐คPrimal Play
โฝ๏ธTrauma (Both MCโs)
๐คSA
โฝ๏ธBlackmail
๐คAbuse of Power
โฝ๏ธMorally Grey MCโs
๐คStrong Side Characters
โฝ๏ธRomantic Suspense
๐คShmurder Mystery
โฝ๏ธANGST
๐คBest Friends Boyfriend
โฝ๏ธTouch Aversion
๐คSecret Past
โฝ๏ธDual POV
๐คHEA
LUNA!!!! This is hands down my FAVORITE Luna K. Wicked book! I don't even know where to begin with this review, there is SO MUCH to unpack!! The first thing I will say is, this book is dark and HEAVY! So please, please, PLEASE...read your trigger warnings!! Luna has given them all to you, there is no excuse...as always, your mental health comes first...so please take that into account before diving in.
This review is going to be pretty vague, because as with most of Luna's books, its better to dive in with as little information as possible and buckle up for the ride. This is a DARK sports romance...and while the soccer is there, it definitely takes a back seat to the other tropes that are here. We have romantic suspense, shmurder, betrayal, SECRET SOCIETIES!!! You know how I feel about the secret society men ๐๐๐. Forbidden love and so many secrets that you will be questioning YOURSELF while reading this book...no one can be trusted.
This book gave me a lot of gossip girl vibes, but on a deadlier and more elite level. Nico is our MMC and Shiloh is our FMC...and while the story absolutely centers around them, the side characters aren't so side...they are absolutely just as prominent, and at times I almost forgot who the MC's actually were ๐ but I loved it!!
Classic tale of rich girl meets poor boy...but much darker. I will admit....Shiloh was not my favorite...In fact I hated her for the majority of the book...but as you get to the halfway point and learn more about whats ACTUALLY going on, she does redeem herself. Now...NICO!?!?!?! ๐ญ๐ญ๐ญ I wanted to reach through my kindle and hug him so bad. The things he had to go through and endure were so painful to read. I could feel his pain through Lunas writing...I found myself shedding a tear on more than one occassion.
The burn for these two is slow...they start off as sort of enemies who eventually find their way to love...it was definitely touch and go for them and my heart stopped multiple times while reading trying to figure out what would happen and if they would allow themselves to give in to the feelings brewing between them...but when they did??๐ฎโ๐จ๐ฎโ๐จ๐ฎโ๐จ The spice was SPICING in a way that is VERY LUNA...and I loved every minute of it!
There's so much I want to say about this book, that I want to share and scream about but I DO NOT WANT TO SPOIL IT! I want you guys to be stuck to your kindle and diving into this dark and chaotic world just like I was...so go...read...enjoy...fall in love...in anger...in frustration...and buckle up because this series is only getting crazier!! ๐ค๐ค
Thank you SO MUCH to Luna K. Wicked for the INCREDIBLE opportunity to ARC read this phenomenal book!๐ค๐ค๐ค
โฝ๏ธDark Sports Romance
๐คSecret Society
โฝ๏ธDark Academia
๐คCollege Setting
โฝ๏ธForbidden
๐คForced Proximity
โฝ๏ธRich Girl x Poor Boy
๐คBetrayal
โฝ๏ธGossip Girl Vibes
๐คSECRETS
โฝ๏ธSlow Burn
๐คTrust NO ONE
โฝ๏ธEnemies to Lovers
๐คPrimal Play
โฝ๏ธTrauma (Both MCโs)
๐คSA
โฝ๏ธBlackmail
๐คAbuse of Power
โฝ๏ธMorally Grey MCโs
๐คStrong Side Characters
โฝ๏ธRomantic Suspense
๐คShmurder Mystery
โฝ๏ธANGST
๐คBest Friends Boyfriend
โฝ๏ธTouch Aversion
๐คSecret Past
โฝ๏ธDual POV
๐คHEA
September 15, 2025
2.5 Iโd say. (Wish Goodreads allowed half stars)
A 3 is usually a book I liked but it fell flat in areas. I donโt know if I enjoyed this one at all, so it has to be less than that, but 2 is too low. This was supposed to be a quick read, but it took me a short while just because I couldnโt connect to it.
I wanted to love it, but unfortunately a lot of it just felt repetitive in scenes and I found it hard to like most of the characters. FMC was just awful, almost from start to finish. Nico (MMC) was probably my favourite, but I wish the story of his sister was expanded on as it seemed to be leading to a big plot point and then dropped off.
Iโm no newbie to dark romance, but this just didnโt really click with me, and thatโs not because of the themes or triggers, I think itโs more to do with the confusing story with little resolve. There was a small epilogue that seemed to promise more, but this hasnโt intrigued me enough to want to continue reading if more is written in the series.
It wonโt put me off reading more Luna K Wickedโs work. Iโve heard some great things. This was my first, but this just wasnโt for me. Some work, some donโt. ๐
A 3 is usually a book I liked but it fell flat in areas. I donโt know if I enjoyed this one at all, so it has to be less than that, but 2 is too low. This was supposed to be a quick read, but it took me a short while just because I couldnโt connect to it.
I wanted to love it, but unfortunately a lot of it just felt repetitive in scenes and I found it hard to like most of the characters. FMC was just awful, almost from start to finish. Nico (MMC) was probably my favourite, but I wish the story of his sister was expanded on as it seemed to be leading to a big plot point and then dropped off.
Iโm no newbie to dark romance, but this just didnโt really click with me, and thatโs not because of the themes or triggers, I think itโs more to do with the confusing story with little resolve. There was a small epilogue that seemed to promise more, but this hasnโt intrigued me enough to want to continue reading if more is written in the series.
It wonโt put me off reading more Luna K Wickedโs work. Iโve heard some great things. This was my first, but this just wasnโt for me. Some work, some donโt. ๐
August 30, 2025
If you love dark romance, this is a great book! I read this as an arc and you are instantly hooked from the first page. Luna does an amazing job with engaging you as the reader and following the story. This is dark so please check the triggers as there moments and parts that are emotional. The way both the FMC and MMC come together in the end was satisfying and meeting other characters too added to added to the experience of reading this. I recommend reading if youโre into dark romance, secret society vibes, enemies to lovers, a slow burn thatโs so worth it!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 362 reviews