Summary
Don’t play dirty.
That’s the code I live by on and off the field.
The other?
Don’t get distracted.
Not by the media, not by hookups, and definitely not by our rival team’s ridiculously charming star player, who loves to whisper dirty nothings to me every time we play ball.
And sure, his offers are tempting, but he’s the love ‘em and leave ‘em type, and I want the real thing.
So I resist.
But the night he steals second on me in the biggest game of the year, the guy’s a whole lot harder to ignore. Especially after a filthy postgame kiss leaves me wanting all the things I can’t have.
What’s the risk in playing dirty just one time?
Excerpt
I really should stop flirting with Josh Spencer.
Truly, I should.
But, c’mon, he flirts right back just as hard.
Like at the golf tournament earlier this year. The dude stole glances at me seven times on the course. Three more at the luncheon after.
Yes, I counted.
And that was a whole lot of eye-fucking.
Which is fine by me. I don’t mind being ogled by sexy, driven men I’d like to take out on a date. Bonus that we play the same sport and get the demands of the job.
But I haven’t asked him to grab a drink yet. Asking a guy out is like waiting for your pitch. You’ve got to have patience and find just the right moment.
Maybe I’ll have the chance tonight when I step into the batter’s box in the fifth inning of a September game against our rivals.
The Union pitcher throws a fastball that paints the corner of the strike zone. A good pitch, except I put an even better swing on it and send it deep into the outfield.
And pull up on second base.
It’s a warm night. A sheen of sweat streaks his temples. His jersey sits close against his chest. Hello, hottie.
I catch my breath from hustling out a double, stripping my batting gloves off and stuffing them in my back pocket. “Busy night out here for ya, Spencer?”
“Hi, Garnett,” he sighs, comically loud.
“Nice to see you too.”
“We really need to stop meeting like this.”He pretends to be all business, but I can see the twinkle in his deep brown eyes.
“I’d agree, but I do like hitting doubles against your team,” I say since it’s my second of the night.
“Wish I could say the same,” Josh says.
“Hit a triple when you’re up next, and you can come visit me.”
“Count on that.” Josh’s lips curve into a grin, one he quickly schools.
“Aww, you’re looking forward to seeing me,” I tease.
That earns me a well-deserved eye roll. “Obviously.” Josh stares off at the mound for a beat, then gives me a quick glance as he says drily, “It’d mean I’m on third base.”
Ah, hell. I can’t resist. “Is third base your favorite?” I ask, laying it on thick in the innuendo department since that’s what I do.
In slo-mo, he turns his gaze to me once more, giving me the full effect of those gorgeous brown eyes. “No. I prefer all the way,” he says.
Well, then.
Review
(audiobook+ebook) It’s short, so you can’t expect much from it. But it works.
Both authors bring their own thing to this book: one is all about the banter and the tropes, the other knows baseball like the back of their hand. They mix well, making it a pleasant read. I felt the cameos from their series were little more than fanservice though, as they didn’t bring anything to the story.
As for the story itself, it’s pretty formulaic. Rivals to lovers, check. Flirty banter, check. Sexy situations, check. Grumpy/sunshine, check. In fact, this last trope is so prominent that the characters aren’t more defined than that. Even their backstories don’t add much to them.
And since it’s so short, there’s little to no angst, and nothing really threatens their relationship, there’s no conflict. They just need to come to terms with being together, which is the journey told in this story: how they become a couple. That’s it.
The narrators did their job. They were well cast for the characters, one acting like a cocky athlete, the other like a grumpy cinnamon roll, like they were born to do it. So even though they couldn’t bring all their talent to such a light story, they did well enough that it was two hours well spent.
Quickie
- Series: Dirty players #1 (can be read as a standalone, but connected to other series by both authors)
- Hashtags: #MM romance #sports romance #baseball #enemies to lovers #novella
- Triggers: N/A
- Main couple: Chris Garnett & Josh Spencer
- Hotness: 3/5
- Romance: 4/5
- + short and to the point
- – not a lot happens
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