Play Dirty - Permainan Kotor

by Sandra Brown, Julanda Tantani (Translator)

Setelah lima tahun mendekam di penjara, Griff Burkett pun bebas. Tapi ia tak mungkin kembali ke kehidupannya yang dulu sebagai pemain rugby, karena ia sudah berkhianat terhadap timnya dan penggemarnya demi segepok uang.

Foster Speakman, pemilik dan CEO SunSouth dan istrinya, Laura, adalah pasangan emas. Mereka sukses dan kaya raya, namun takdir menolak memberikan satu-satunya keinginan yang mereka rindukan: seorang anak. Konon katanya uang tak dapat membeli segalanya. Tapi uang bisa membeli seorang pemain rugby hina yang baru keluar dari penjara dan tidak punya masa depan.

Misi yang disepakati Griff untuk suami-istri Speakman menuntut kerahasiaan. Namun saat sebuah pembunuhan terjadi, lagi-lagi Griff menemukan dirinya menjadi pihak yang paling dicurigai. Berhasilkah ia membersihkan namanya, dan bagaimana ia menahan diri agar tidak jatuh cinta kepada istri sang miliuner, Foster Speakman?

Genres: Romance, Romantic Suspense, Mystery, Suspense, Fiction, Thriller, Contemporary

648 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published August 14, 2007

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.

Sandra Brown is the author of more than sixty New York Times bestsellers, including STING (2016), FRICTION (2015), MEAN STREAK (2014), DEADLINE(2013), & LOW PRESSURE (2012), LETHAL (2011).

Brown began her writing career in 1981 and since then has published over seventy novels, bringing the number of copies of her books in print worldwide to upwards of eighty million. Her work has been translated into over thirty languages.

In 2009 Brown detoured from romantic suspense to write, Rainwater, a much acclaimed, powerfully moving historical fiction story about honor and sacrifice during the Great Depression.

Brown was given an honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from Texas Christian University. She was named Thriller Master for 2008, the top award given by the International Thriller Writer’s Association. Other awards and commendations include the 2007 Texas Medal of Arts Award for Literature and the Romance Writers of America’s Lifetime Achievement Award.

Reviews

[A. · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 Stars

Loved it! Another winner by Sandra Brown.

A standard SB hero, a little bit less standard heroine (with a stick up her ass) and a standard storyline, though not as suspenseful as in her newer books. The bad guy is revealed from early on but the plot is still enjoyable.

What was nonstandard was the romance aspect.





A billionaire in a wheelchair pays a fallen athlete to get his wife pregnant. In an au naturel way. The wife loves her husband. The athlete feels torn. They just want to get over with it. But getting pregnant is not always easy. You have to do the deed more than once. Yum.

Never in my reading life have I come across such delightful unusual sex scenes. The awkwardness, the discomfort, the clumsiness, the embarrassment… It was hot as hell.



I’m not going to reveal what happened in the end but you can imagine.

QUICK REVIEW:

Enjoyment: 4.5/5
Writing style: 5/5
Storyline: 4/5
Hero: 4/5
Heroine: 3/5
Secondary characters: 4/5
Hotness/steam level: 3/5
Romance: 3/5
Angst level: 2/5
Darkness level: 2/5
Humor: 1/5
Depth of the book: 4/5
POV: multiple, third person
Triggers: miscarriage, “cheating”

[Mo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read the blurb for this one and said to myself.... "Who is going to read that silly book?" Put it out of my head. Have been on a bit of a SB marathon and sort of wanted to keep reading her books. Saw some friends had given this one 5 stars so decided to take the plunge. I loved it.

After five long years in federal prison, Griff Burkett is a free man. But the disgraced Cowboys quarterback can never return to life as he knew it before he was caught cheating. In a place where football is practically a religion, Griff committed a cardinal sin, and no one is forgiving.

Enter stage left, Foster Speakman, owner and CEO of SunSouth Airlines, and his wife, Laura. They have a proposition for Griff and, as he is down on his luck with little money and no job prospects, he accepts.

He was bored.
And possibly for the first time in his life, lonely.

"I'd say 'Fuck you, lady', but I already did."

He wasn't as much of an alpha asshole as some of her other heroes. His childhood had been tough. He felt unworthy of love, I thought.

Time. It had become his enemy.

There was no time to get bored with this one. It seemed to be full on, all the way.

"He stuffed his shirttail into his jeans as though he was furious at it. He buttoned up his fly with dispatch, but his belt buckle presented a challenge. When he finally managed it, he slapped it lightly into place and turned to face her. 'Why did you lie to me?'"

He felt an expanding pressure inside his chest. He'd never felt anything like it before, so he couldn't put a name on it.

My review might be a bit vague but I think you are better off going into a SB book without knowing a lot about it.

When he came, so did she.
And it was crashing.

[♥Sharon♥ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Play Dirty is another Sandra Brown winner for me. Honestly, I didn’t expect to enjoy it as much as I did. I read the blurb, pieced a little bit together, and I wondered if this story was going to work for me. Well, she did it again. SB writes in such a way that she doesn’t waste any time sucking you in and then as your turning the pages of each chapter she gives you these teasers that she so strategically strings you along with throughout the book. I must say she really has perfected that talent! :)

If you have read my other reviews for her books you know that they are pretty vague. I always worry that I am going to give away something that I shouldn’t. Read through the blurb. SB gives you everything and only what you need to know.

Griff Burkett had life by the balls. But things began to spiral in a direction that left him condemned by the very people that looked up to him and who loved him. He had done the unthinkable and was paying the price.



Laura Speakman had a happy life. I guess, but maybe not really. A decision was made. Something happens. And life as she knew it changed. Moving on and coping wouldn't be easy.



What Griff, Laura and her husband Foster agreed to really wasn’t an ideal situation for anyone involved but the end goal was beyond worth it for Laura and Foster. Griff was really ambiguous about everything. Secrecy was easy enough. It is the unexpected that would mess with him.



Things are often not what they seem. People aren’t always who they appear to be. On the outside they appear one way and on the inside they are crumbling….cracking.



I’m not sure if I got my fill of sexy times in this one but what happens between Griff and Laura was different. It was sensual. It was emotional. (IMO)



There were the typical SB twists and turns. Things that happen in the last 40% will keep you on your toes. There was that asshole character too. Stanley Rodarte really got on my nerves. Gosh I really hated him.

I was hoping for one ending but got something different. I loved it though. Thinking about it now, it really was the perfect way to end it.

[Amy | Foxy Blogs · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s that time of the year again ➜ the SUPER BOWL!!! Play Dirty was my pick for a football book to get ready for the game on Sunday.

Griff is the former Dallas Cowboy quarterback who has just been released from prison. He did 5 years for his dirty playing on the football field. He was being paid to throw games. We meet Griff on his release day from prison. Unfortunately, the city of Dallas has not forgotten how Griff disgraced himself and America's Team.

Right away the plot takes off because Griff has been offered a secret business proposal from an affluent couple; the Speakmans. They own an airline and are highly regarded in the community. The business deal Mr. Speakman offers Griff is one that will assure that Griff will never have to worry about money again. BUT EVERYTHING MUST STAY BETWEEN THE THREE OF THEM. If anyone finds out about this deal Griff will no longer collect his yearly million dollars.

Legally the deal is legit but morally it leaves Griff questioning his self worth. At first the money appeals to him but as the task continues he is left feeling used.

A little over halfway through the story something happens that throws a huge wrench in this secret business deal. The suspense picks up and the reader is left wondering if Griff is guilty. All the evidence is stacking up against him. The author leaves the reader waiting for clues to figure out WHO and WHY they did it. Yes, it is resolved at the end of the story.

Mo has this way with her reviews that after I read them my interest is piqued. Since my romance genre reading didn't start until three years ago I've never heard of most of these established authors until I look to see what Mo's reading. Thanks, Mo, for always knowing what book to recommend to me.


STANDALONE

[Ingie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Written March 21, 2015

4 1/2 Stars - Stunning thrilling crime drama (with a nice romantic twist)

I was really impressed by my first Sandra Brown novel (Envy - 4.7 stars) just some week ago. When I saw this 13:40 hrs audiobook for Audible sale ($6.95) I couldn't resist. Even this time narrated by the amazing fantastic Victor Slezak. Just he alone is worth all those hours and $$$.

• • •

Wow! I liked a "SB" incredible much...again
Quite scary, fast paced, heartbreaking exciting. All the time with a high quality well-thought-out plot. I couldn't guess the journey to the end even if I tried.

If you like me enjoy crime novels as well as romances is this yet another one I dare to recommend you.

***********************************************

Play Dirty is set in a present times Dallas, U.S.
It is most of all the story about the disgraced 'Cowboys' football quarterback Griff Burkett who at last is a free man after some hard long years in federal prison.

Free but a lonely man without future or any friends
Five years ago was Griff caught cheating, a cardinal sin. A sin no one is forgiving. Not even all these years later. He might have been the lucky goodlooking blond footballs star. That's all forgotten now. Without money, job, friends, relatives or a clue how to start a 'life' again is it quite hopeless. — But maybe is there a possibility? — This adventure starts when Griff gets an odd proposal to make a rich mans wife pregnant. Is it for real? And all those dollars.

Foster Speakman, owner and CEO of SunSouth Airlines, and his wife, Laura Speakman, are (or at least was) a golden couple. Two successful, ambitions driven, business associates who later became a beautiful enviable married couple. Then a horrible accident in ways changed their wonderful love-filled life and they can no longer get what they (both?) want most of all; their own baby kid.

***********************************************

These characters aren't always easy to like and take to your heart. They surely have lacks and less good sides. This isn't in any way a sweet romantic pink Barbie fairy tale world. Far from lovely sugary smexy moments to start with.

I have to admit that I didn't even like any of them that much in the beginning, but they 'grows' on you. My heart kind of pained for Griff's bad luck, dumb decisions and, at least to start with, quite egotistic and incomprehensible remarkable actions and life-choices. Not just Griff's, the Speakman couple's as well. ~ But this is so wittily and cleverly done so not until half through the book, if even then, was I absolutely sure who to really care for and not.

There were some really nasty, cruel situations here. Sometimes when this ugly 'Enemy Number One' (the blackhearted dirty Detective Stanley Rodarte - maybe the biggest nasty asshole I so far met in a book...) was around (I don't want to spoil more) wasn't I far from cover my ears and drop my earphones. I'm not exaggerating if I say that it was a good deal of exhausting scary moments. Like in horror movies are usually an elaborate malicious threat (from a scary villian) much more frightening than an bloody act or hard fight. Nail-biting...

Good stories should never be spoiled or revealed, and in that was be destroyed for others, too much. Especially not if it's a crime / suspense story with a very nicely done and clever intrigue. So this may be enough for now.

***********************************************

I already like Ms Brown's style so much but I must warn you, Play Dirty is not the usual kind of sweet romance I most often read. More a crime fiction with an added romantic love-story (and a few very sweet moments), than a sweet steamy romance book. ~ But 'hey - high five' so freaking well done. And grand romantic...

[ More than one time under these thirteen (quick) listening hours, did I congratulate myself for my good choice in audiobooks. ]

And the end? Will you get a nice 'romances' HEA?
Don't worry, there is a good satisfying end here and I left "them" in a good HEA like place.

***********************************************

Okay now is it two. — There are tons of Sandra Brown books to choose between. So my dear GR friends: Please recommend me your favorite SB books. Which should I start with?

I LIKE - terribly exciting well-made novels


*****
A 'Favorite Sandra Brown Novels' list to check out here on GR.

[Mo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Her older books are definitely better than her recent books (at least I think so) ... it was a re-read but I still enjoyed it. Listened to part of it on audible too - Narrator is great, Victor Slezak!

[Tracey · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an entertaining, well-written, romantic suspense thriller. It has a likable female protagonist, an engaging male protagonist, murder, mystery, intrigue, twists and turns, and an unexpected conclusion. I listened to the abridged audiobook, and the narrator, Mr. Victor Sleza, has a captivating voice and does an outstanding job voicing the characters.

[Sheyla ✎ · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's always a thrill when I embark into another Sandra Brown novel. She writes compelling characters, thoughtful plotlines and has plenty of good twists to keep this suspense reader happy.

Griff Burkett is fresh out of prison when he's asked to meet Foster Speakman and his wife Laura. Griff went to prison for five years after being found guilty for taking payment by his bookies in exchange for forfeiting a game while he was the Dallas Cowboy's quarterback. Everyone in Texas despises him for doing it and despite five years gone by, everyone still remembers what he did.

As Enemy #1 and without any of his football money (which he lost before going to prison) it's hard to find a new job offer. When Speakman offers him money in exchange for performing a special service, first he thinks Foster is crazy but by the end of the night, he's agreeing to do what they want from him.

Laura Speakman loves her husband. She will do anything he asks of her. She will even do the crazy thing he's requesting from her. At first, she doesn't trust or likes Griff but when she gets to know him, she's conflicted. She realizes she has developed feelings for him. She tries to severe her connection with him but then a murder brings them closer together.

I had fun reading/listening to Play Dirty. It had plenty of suspense, an evil character to hate and two good twists.

As for the characters, I liked how Griff was not cookie-cutter perfect. He was down on his luck and he had to start over from scratch. I loved that Laura was a cut-throat businesswoman. She worked as hard as her husband or maybe even more. I'm not sure how she could have fallen for Foster who was manipulative and deceitful.

Cliffhanger: No

4/5 Fangs

MrsLeif's Two Fangs About It | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 STARS

Finally. For the first time in his life, he'd done something right and good.
He should have known that it wouldn't last, that he would somehow mess it up.

Loved it. A page-turner I couldn't put down. This is an older Sandra Brown release. I think it has a 2007 publication, which may explain the intensity of the story and the depth of her characters, both bad and good. I will admit that the implausibility of this one was way off the charts, but maybe that's what made it so compelling. There wasn't quite as much guesswork involved in solving the crimes. The bad players were pretty well laid out, but she still managed to shock me a couple of times, which I wasn't expecting.

The hero in this story had quite a hole to dig himself out of. It's tough moving on from the label of social pariah. And the heroine rubbed me the wrong way for quite some time. I wasn't sure how or if she'd be able to redeem these two in my mind, but by the end, you must know by my rating alone, that she did indeed redeem them. Now there were a few issues that I won't mention, due to spoilers that left me a little perturbed. But I can definitely see why she chose to end things the way she did.

All in all, an excellent read. If you are already a SB fan, you will love this one. If not, this is a good example of her classic romantic suspense. Her newer releases don't have the same sparkle as these older ones, at least in my opinion.

[Jacqueline J · Rating 5 out of 5]

I couldn't put this book down. I really liked it mostly I think because Griff was such a flawed person. I liked that he went bad after having been given such a new start on life with his high school coach. So many novels have them all turned around and on the straight and narrow never to stray again. I get tired of shiny perfect heros all the time. The only thing that bothered me is that he didn't seriously look for a job after getting out of prison. He basically talked to one guy about a job. I'd have liked it better if he had beat the bushes a bit and tried sooner to straighten himself out and get an honest job. But I guess the point was, he was always looking for the easy money. Still I do like my flawed characters to grow and learn and he really didn't do that until the very end.

Still it was a page turner. Griff was a wonderfully drawn character and made the entire book. I choked up a couple of times.

[Vanessa Booked Up · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! Every bit of 5 stars. I loved it.

[Robin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Former Dallas Cowboy Quarterback Griff Burkett spent five years in Federal prison for throwing a game. Now he's out of prison with no friends and no job opportunities in sight. Foster and Laura Speakman, owners of SunSouth Airlines, contact Griff about a job. Foster is paraplegic after an automobile accident. Foster and Laura want a child which he is incapable of fathering. He proposes that Griff father the baby with Laura the natural way. If successful, he will give Griff one million dollars per year to keep it a secret. Griff has a hard time believing that Laura will go along with this plan; but when she agrees, Griff says he is in. What Griff doesn't foresee is his nemesis, Stanley Rodarte, showing up to wreak havoc on Griff's life. Rodarte plans to destroy Griff, and he might use Laura Speakman to do it.

Well, this book certainly had a unique plot. I had to set aside my disbelief and go along with the fact that a man would propose that his wife have sex with another man in order to get pregnant. After getting past that fact, I enjoyed this story very much. There were lots of twists and turns that I didn't see coming. I didn't know how Griff was going to dig himself out of the hole he was in, but I was along for the ride. My rating: 4 Stars.

[-ya · Rating 4 out of 5]

reread: br with Amanda:)

first read/2014
Griff is unlike any other heroes in SB novels I have read.
Is he a loser? Yes.
Is he an alpha? No.
Did he make bad decisions that changed his life for the worse? Yes.

Are MCs relatable ? No.
The romance? Unusual. No hearts and flowers.
Pace? Page-turner.

Surprisingly I really enjoyed reading this rather weird, a bit unrealistic story that hooked me from page one. The author placed Griff in such an ill-fated situation that I couldn’t help but wholeheartedly root for him despite his many flaws. It is an interesting pick for fans of Sandra Brown.

[Mei · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sandra Brown's book are often a guarantee!

After several not so good books, finally a ood one!

I really enjoyed the twists and turns in the story! I loved how everything matched andhow the love story developed!

There's a plain villain (who I wanted to castrate!), the undecover villain (who I wanted to make tetraplegic!), the wronged hero (who I wanted to punch!) and the heroine (coereced by her love to act in a very improper way). WOW! What a mix!

Nobody is innocent here. Most of the characters are simply human (to the exception of the dirty cop!) with human weaknesses and failings.

What worked for me is how thirs actions and reactions drove the happenings here! Soooo good!

[Sateem ó_ò · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

Can't win 'em all I guess ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

This was more of a romance than it was a mystery or a suspense book. Which would've been fine if I was in the mood for it, but I really wasn't.

I knew from the get-go that that guy was a complete and utter lunatic, so there went the Mystery.. out the window.


As for the suspense, there was some, but I couldn't help but to compare it other SB books, and in that regards, I found this one lacking.

¯\_(ツ)_/¯¯\_(ツ)_/¯¯\_(ツ)_/¯¯\_(ツ)_/¯¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[Pepa · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 ⭐
Reseña completa: https://masromance.blogspot.com/2025/...

Seguramente en otro momento serían 3 o 3'5, pero entre lo que estoy leyendo ahora destaca muy positivamente.
No es una novela romántica, prácticamente eso empieza al final, final del todo. Pero me ha atrapado, aun sabiendo quien iba a ser el malo y un aconteciniento de la mitad que lo estaba esperando en cualquier momento.
Griff y Laura tienen una relación fría y de negocios, no os voy a engañar. Es de lo menos romántica que he leído en una novela de Sandra Brown. Pero creo que los personajes son estupendos y el retrato social está bien logrado, con algún que otro tópico.
arriesga al poner un antihéroe, exestrella de fútbol y mentiría si no dijera que se debería haber quedado así.
Yo me lo he pasado muy bien leyéndolo, pero plantea un tema moral e ilegal que no a todas puede gustar

[Pilar S.C. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Una trama original con escenas inesperadas cargadas de ingenio y desconcierto. Desde luego, no es una novela que deja al lector indiferente.
Los personajes muy bien perfilados y un final memorable.
Una novela maravillosa, desde luego.

[Jennifer Kyle · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 Stars

[Jane Stewart · Rating 2 out of 5]

Subject did not appeal to me. It was not entertaining. It was unpleasant and depressing. I wanted it to be over.

S. Brown is a talented writer. I don’t know what she was thinking when she chose this subject. Maybe she wanted to try something different. The only value I see is for athletes to learn from someone else’s mistakes. The hero Griff is a pro quarterback. He makes stupid choices. He does stupid things. He goes to jail. Everyone (the public) hates Griff for what he did. An evil cop is stalking Griff throughout the book. The cop beats up Griff and anyone who is a friend to Griff. The cop’s hatred of and power over Griff is depressing.

I can accept a flawed hero but I did not like the author misleading the reader by implying Griff was bad and later showing that he was not so bad. When some truths were revealed I was annoyed at the way the author had twisted things. See Spoiler 2 below.

I prefer stories told in a linear logical time line. I’m willing to accept some flashbacks, but this book is full of flashbacks and backstories. Examples: 1. A couple is going to have sex. The author then jumps to a future time. Later we hear what happened during that sex scene. 2. Griff has a meeting with someone. The author then jumps to a future time with Griff on the run from the cops. Later we get the backstory of what happened during that meeting causing Griff to be on the run. 3. Griff appears in someone’s hotel room. Later we learn how he got past the security cops to get there. 4. And then we hear what he did to get away from the cops earlier in item 2. This method allowed the author to take short cuts in the telling. For example in item 4 she only told “a few of the things Griff did while on the run” instead of having us in his mind and seeing his actions while running.

The publisher’s blurb says millionaire Foster hires Griff to impregnate his wife Laura. It says Griff quickly realizes he’s been set up. I would not describe it that way. There is no complicated “set up.” And it’s not “quickly realizes.” See Spoiler 1 below.

Don’t read this for romance, although there is a hint of future romance at the end. I liked the happy ending for Griff.

NARRATOR:
The narrator Victor Slezak was excellent.

DATA:
Narrative mode: 3rd person. Unabridged audiobook length: 13 hrs and 43 mins. Swearing language: strong but rarely used. Sexual language: none. Number of sex scenes: 4, briefly told. Setting: current day Texas. Book copyright: 2007. Genre: mystery suspense thriller.


CAUTION SPOILERS:
1. Regarding the blurb: It’s not a complicated set up. It’s simply kill the guy instead of pay him.
2. Author contrivances that annoyed me. A guy planned to do something bad, but doesn’t do it, but he felt guilty so he confessed to doing it. In another case as a teen he took the blame without explaining things. Another, an innocent person touches a murder weapon leaving his prints on it.

[Preeti ♥︎ Her Bookshelves · Rating 3 out of 5]

Love Sandra Brown's romantic sus-thrillers but this one did not impress me as much as say Lethal did.

I love me an ex-con H and this book is mostly through the H's pov but he seems too beat down and powerless at places for me to enjoy the book. And the villain, too sinister and all-powerful.
The second half is somewhat better with few shockers and twists.

The h/H love seems a bit forced. And after all the shyte hits the fan, I don't think the h is in a good mental place to actually want to be with any man for a long while, even the H. (Even though the author later gives them some space.) And not just because of the public perception although I do fear they'll never be free of innuendos and aspersions in the future.

[Fani *loves angst* · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my, this was great! It's a 500 pages book and I read it in less than 3 days because I couldn't put it down. The action was non-stop, the hero gorgeous with a traumatic past to wake up the maternal instinct in me and there were no unecessary descriptions or deviations to drag you away from the plot. I loved that the plot started right away with the couple suggesting to the hero to father their baby, and I did not have to wait for introductions to the protagonists and their history before starting with the main story. I have to mention my only pet peeve, that the romance was very limited; this was mainly a suspense book with just a touch of romance to appeal to the female readers. Despite buying it for the romance as well as the suspense however, I did not regret it since I enjoyed it anyway. Highly recommended for readers looking for adventure and suspense; readers interested only in romance might have to skip it.

Edit: Upgraded to 5 stars on second read. I really love Griff and compared to a couple other Romantic Suspenses I read recently, this one's much better even in the romance department. One problem I still have with it though, is that I could not feel Laura's love for Griff; Brown didn't convince me it was anything more than lust and some affection. And I wouldn't place my hand on fire about Griff's love for her, even though it seems more likely than hers for him. But I do believe that they have a chance in love after all, so I'm ok with it.

[Jackie · Rating 5 out of 5]

First for me by this author and it has been a while since I read a romantic suspense. I really enjoyed this. Loved the writing style and loved the basis for the story. Ex NFL player and ex con hired to impregnate a very wealthy businessman's wife. DELICIOUS trope of forbidden love. The author didn't go down the route of exposing the bad guys too early by making all the characters flawed but likeable until she unraveled it slowly at the end.
I am only giving four stars because I wanted more of the romantic relationship between Griff and Laura. I understand this is romantic suspense so that is on me...there was going to be other elements of the story that needed to be told for the suspense element. It was smoking hot but I needed so much more...there was a lot of side stories and Griff had a lot going on which I wasn't as invested in as much. I wanted more time with Griff and Laura together. The way Griff fell in love was so sweet, Laura was trying to be honorable but you could see they were helpless to fight what it was between them.

I just wanted to add to this review to say I think it has one of the best (forbidden) sex scenes I have ever read, we get it as a flashback in the hero's pov and the tension leading up to it and the way they give in even knowing it is cheating is so well done. Bravo!

[Sandra Hoover · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another addictive read - a masterful job of manipulation of characters and plot. No one does it better. While I picked up on one character's deceit, there were still some surprises to be had. Intense & heart-racing action from cover to cover. A Must Read!

[Ariannha · Rating 3 out of 5]

Me ha gustado la historia, aunque detesté enormemente al detective.
La pareja con una relación si se quiere un tanto brusca y apresurada.
La historia, no tiene tanta intriga o suspense como otros libros de la autora.
Para pasar el rato!

[Audrey Dry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Creo que ha sido la primera vez que no he sabido cómo calificar un libro. La sensación la he sentido muchas veces, pero no como esta vez. Esta vez ha sido muy diferente.

Para empezar, voy a confesar que me encanta Sandra Brown, es una de mis autoras favoritas en este género de romance-suspense, y debo decir que nunca deja de sorprenderme. Sin embargo, en este libro me lo ha puesto muuuuy difícil.

La historia comienza con Griff saliendo de prisión. Un ex quaterback que cumplió condena por chantaje. Griff ha sido uno de los personajes que más me ha costado digerir. Al principio me caía mal, luego bien, luego mal y, menos mal, que en el final resultó caerme bien. Es un tipo con mucho carácter, el cual no controla. Es volátil. Al principio no llegaba a comprenderlo, luego tampoco. Las únicas veces que me caía bien era cuando demostraba algo de cordura y simpatía. (Bueno también me cayó bien cuando en un capítulo iba vestido con un polo, vaqueros y botas vaqueras. No sé quién en su sano juicio se viste así. ¿Vas a jugar al golf o hacer el camino del Rocío? Pensé que si lo volvían a meter en prisión, se lo tenía merecido por alterar el orden público XD. Lo siento, pero tenía que decir algo al respecto).

Por otra parte, Laura ha resultado ser agradable todo el tiempo. Su sufrimiento y silencio me ha parecido doloroso, aunque tampoco es que en el libro se profundice mucho en el sentido psicológico.

El marido, Foster… No sé qué pensar de este personaje, pero sí sé lo que voy a decir. En la sinopsis dice que es un excéntrico millonario. De acuerdo, voy a obviar la parte de “millonario” y voy a centrarme en “excéntrico”. Este personaje padece un TOC, y que yo sepa, padecer algo así no te hace ser excéntrico. Loco no está, seamos claros, lo que tiene es mala leche. Una cosa es tener un TOC de perfeccionamiento o lavarte las manos cada x tiempo, y otra diferente es ofrecer a tu mujer para tener un hijo concebido de forma natural como si fuera un sacrificio. WTF. Entiendo el motivo por el que ella accedió, pero el TOC no tiene nada que ver para actuar de una forma tan cruel.

Otra cosa que me llamó la atención fue que al parecer su empresa tuvo éxito gracias a su TOC. Ya ¬¬ … Seamos honesto, su fama y capacidad empresarial no tiene nada que ver. Llegó lejos porque sabía hacer las cosas, no porque sentía la necesidad de hacerlo perfecto. ¿Por qué digo esto? Muy simple. Las personas con este trastorno se encierran en su propia perfección, que puede ser correcta y lógica para los demás o no serlo. Casi siempre NO lo es. Se encierran en bucles que no tienen sentido dentro de la normalidad, pero sí dentro de su cabeza. Este personaje tiene un TOC del perfeccionamiento, que bien no podía ser lógico para los demás (de hecho, no lo era), así que no se puede adjudicar que el TOC le haya dado fuerza empresarial. Honestamente, es imposible. Es millonario porque tiene capacidad emprendedora, no porque tenga que hacerlo como su TOC indica.

Otro punto negativo, honestamente me ha parecido horrible, es que hay un personaje que es de El Salvador. Digamos que en cierta parte del libro se hace cierto comentario sobre más allá de la frontera. No sé cómo era el comentario exacto porque no marqué la página, pero era algo así como “se va de vuelta a la selva”. No suelo ser una persona sensible ni suspicaz, pero ese comentario está fuera de lugar. ¿Qué pasa, que más allá de la frontera es la selva y la parte de arriba es el mundo civilizado? Me pareció muy fuerte, e incluso racista. Independientemente de cómo estén las cosas en un país (y ningún país es perfecto), las personas son personas, y no animales salvajes que viven en un jungla. Fue una línea muy desafortunada.

Ahora voy a hablar de la parte que sí me ha gustado.

La relación de Laura y Griff ha sido extraña, porque a pesar de que en la primera mitad apenas tienen escenas en común, luego se vuelve dulce. Las primeras relaciones íntimas que mantienen son duras por la situación en la que se encuentran. Sin embargo, la primera relación que mantienen de verdad es muy sexy. En la segunda mitad de la novela su relación es más estable, aunque en ciertos puntos Griff me caía un poco así así.

La historia en general es muy entretenida, y es algo muy positivo. Me ha gustado desde el primer momento a pesar de los puntos que no me han agradado o no he comprendido. Mantiene el suspense y desarrolla bien lo que piensa cada personaje. En resumen es un libro que he disfrutado, y aunque me he debatido entre darle 3 estrellas o 4, al final he optado por 4 porque ha cumplido su función, que es entretenerme.

[ElaineY · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF'D AUGUST 3, 2022
I'd been meaning to relisten to this but kept putting it off as I recalled it was very different from the SB books I'd become used to. Mainly, that there was no romance between the two protagonists to speak of, and that it was a rather depressing book.

But I decided to try, hoping I might just like it this time round. Unfortunately, I was disgusted with it! Not because of anything actually disgusting, but because I couldn't believe SB could actually think such a stupid idea - Laura's husband wanting Griff to impregnate his wife "the oldfashioned way" - via sex, rather than artificial insemination. While Foster Speakman's rationale was logical, his solution - Griff screwing Laura - was not at all plausible because it just wasn't necessary. Back in 2007 when the book was released, I was injecting ink into my printers when it needed topping up. My refills came with plastic syringes and I was wondering why on earth wouldn't Foster just do that? These plastic syringes are easily available or, use plastic droppers. I have one six inches long though I forget what the hell I needed it for - no, it wasn't to inject sperm into my vagina.

Anyway, you get what I mean. It was very lame way to get the protagonists together, sexually, and not at all worthy of Ms Brown. I couldn't continue...

-----------------------------------------------
REVIEW: JANUARY 2007
Narrator: Victor Slezak
After staying away from Sandra Brown the last few years, I was pleasantly surprised by Ricochet last year. So when my bookstore handed me Play Dirty, I decided to buy it, hoping that SB had returned to her previous sensual romances.

Well, I was wrong about the sensual romance. There is hardly any between the H&H so don't go buying this book expecting a good ol' Sandra Brown of old - the one who gave us the unforgettable Slow Heat in Heaven, Where There's Smoke, etc.

Having said that, Play Dirty wasn't bad even if I missed the steamy romance. It IS suspenseful and fast-paced and Griff was a refreshing change from the typical romantic suspense hero. You know the one. He's totally alpha, is the expert at his profession and in control all the time. Not so with Griff. I have never wanted a book to end just so the hero could be put out of his misery. Griff's circumstances, from start to end, are such that I was groaning in sympathy and helplessness for him.

This is not to say SB's latest hero is a loser but he must have appeared jinxed to himself. Griff's character is well-developed and I was relieved, actually, for the lack of sex, considering the circumstances. The heroine did not fare so well in this book as it was very much Griff's story. As a result, Laura's character was underdeveloped and it was hard to sympathize with her. If SB had given me a chance to know her better, I would have been able to buy into Griff's falling for her. As it was, he hardly got the chance to know her and all the reader gets is a bit of background info on her relationship with her husband. All Griff and Laura had were a couple of sessions of sex-for-procreation and even though they do finally do it for pleasure, that does not for a Romance Novel make.

The solution to the possible problem posed by Griff to Laura's husband is so obvious the reader would be able to pre-empt it the minute Griff agreed to the plan. Despite this, the book is good enough to have kept me turning the pages wondering what would happen next and why. While I enjoyed the book as I was reading it, in hindsight it is not the type of story I would automatically buy within this genre. I still want a strong romance when I plonk down my money for a romantic suspense and Sandra Brown these days does not give me that. In my opinion, her books shouldn't be put under the Romantic Suspense category anymore.

Note: I had to put this book under Romantic Suspense even though I don't consider it a true romance but I don't read non-romantic suspense these days so no point creating a shelf for it.

[Veronika Can · Rating 4 out of 5]

Iš dalies situacija atrodo nelogiška ir visiškas absurdas, bet autorė sugeba taip įtikinti, kad viską priimi ir viskuo patiki. Įtraukiantis siužetas su daug veiksmo. Lengvai skaitosi.

🖋️ Anksčiau ar vėliau žmonės tave palieka, tai kam vargintis? Ilgainiui paaiškėja, kad vienam geriau.
🖋️ Neišvengiamas kliovimasis tik savo jėgomis tapo asmenybės bruožu.
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🖋️ Mylėjau iš pat pradžių.

[Serena Miles · Rating 4 out of 5]

me ha gustado muchisimo... esta autora es de mis favoritas jejejje

mi nota es un 8

[Michelle [Helen Geek] · Rating 5 out of 5]

November 2019 -- 5 Stars

[Jackie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not enough romance, thriller/mystery, and overall character interaction! Still enjoyed it though!