Playing Deep

Miami Piranhas, Book 5

By: Beth Bolden

Narrated by: Darcy Stark

Kenyon Ellis knows getting involved with Julian Anderson is an enormous mistake—but from the very first night, he finds him annoying, intriguing and ultimately, irresistible.

One, Kenyon is a player, and Julian is a reporter, so hooking up with him, no matter how spectacular the nights are, is a terrible idea.

Two, he’s falling for him, even if Julian continues to be prickly and impossible. But every time Julian’s walls shift, Kenyon sees the real man behind the attitude, and he only wants more.

Three, between the Piranhas and the charity work he’s committed to, Kenyon really doesn’t have the time for a relationship—but a relationship with Julian turns out to be exactly what he wants.

Maybe even exactly what he needs.

But when Julian starts calling out his performance on the field, the last thing Kenyon expects is to feel betrayed. But is it betrayal? Or does Julian simply see something in Kenyon he’s lost along the way?

The answer leads him not only to love, but to the biggest crossroads of his life.

The fifth and final Miami Piranhas book.

©2023 Beth Bolden (P)2024 Beth Bolden

Amazing !

With the main characters getting together so early in the story I had a hard time imagining how the book could be so long and wow I was not disapointed ! Kenyon and Julian’s story developped so beautifuly, both their relationship with each other and their personnal journey in life. I have a feeling this will be the last Piranhas book but I’m hoping we’ll get a new series with whatever will happen with the condors !

Very angsty

Kenyon Ellis, running back for the Miami Piranhas NFL team, doesn't expect to fall for anyone, least of a journalist. But when a one-night-stand with hard-hitting sports writer Julian Anderson turns into more after an unexpected second meeting, everything both men think they want becomes blurred by inexplicable emotions, liberally seasoned with drama. Julian, as Kenyon in the beginning, is mistrustful and seems to suffer from foot-in-mouth disease when it comes to the footballer. For his part, Kenyon must weigh his ignorance about all things commitment--a weakness he shares with Julian--against the truth his heart is telling him, and ultimately against his future goals. There are the usual discoveries, both by themselves and others, the anxiety around being caught, and the inevitable misunderstandings leading to arguments and a breakup ... all very standard. Overall, I found Kenyon more "likable" than Julian, and the end of the story was a bit of a tearjerker.

I found Mr.Stark's performance less engaging this time around than in the story before. Sometimes it was hard to know who was speaking because the voices were not as clearly defined. Additionally, he was very breathy in this story for some unknown reason. Thankfully, these were minimally distracting.

Bittersweet ending

This was a great but bittersweet goodbye to these characters. I really loved the development of their relationship, it was sweet and fun listen with good narration.

Wonderful story!

I love the connection between Kenyan and Julian. The love these men share is amazing and neither wants to admit it. Also the fact that Kenyan has decided to retire and Julian got a job for his team. I definitely recommend this book to everyone who likes mm sports romances.

Great Ending to a Wonderful Series

Beth Bolden has ended the Piranhas series with a bang. Kenyon has been the reclusive member of the offensive. Always invited to every event the team celebrates but usually ducking out early. Now we know why. Between games he runs a nonprofit that helps children with reading disabilities. Enter Julian, who Kenyon met in a bar hookup. Julian is a sports reporter who doesn’t recognize Kenyon. Oops! Once they realize what each other does, they continue hooking up.
They both realize what risks they are taking but they are really good at lying to each other and themselves. They slowly start building a relationship except they don’t realize it. What is amazing is that almost everyone else sees that they have feels for each other. Just so you know their chemistry is off the charts hot.🔥🔥🔥
Without giving anything away I will just say that this book wrapped up the amazing season of the Piranhas. While listening I felt like I was watching a game on television. I was turning pages at a rapid rate trying to get to the end of the games. We see all of the players we’ve grown to love and we watched Asa and Scott coach the hell out of this team and we watch Kenyon and Julian find their family.

Saved the Best for Last!

AUDIBLE REVIEW

Once again Darcy Stark brought the characters to life with his narration, and it was just as wonderful to listen to this series finale as it was to read it. Beth Bolden really has a way of bringing her books to a level of reality that engages the readers and makes you look forward to what is going to happen next. Worth adding to your book and audible libraries!

Kenyon & Julian ❤️‍🔥

Oh how I’ve missed this world!! Their family dynamic as a team, how each player and/or coach is always there for the other, and their team statements in its entirety.

Witnessing the growth of Kenyon and Julian’s relationship was exhilarating! Their highs and lows kept me from mesmerized, not to mention those steamy scenes filled with heat and fire 🔥🥵

Darcy brought another stellar performance, nailing each and every character’s personality and bringing life to such an incredible series!! He kept me engaged in the story, with front row seats for the ride, without any pitstops. Julian’s character had me hooked line and sinker with the nonchalant demeanor, too! Ten stars for Darcy Stark!!

A Footballer and a Reporter's Hurt/Comfort Romance

Playing Deep begins with a short-lived enemies-to-lovers vibe and quickly morphs into a forbidden-ish no-strings romance (until it sprouts feels) between a pro football player and a sports reporter.

Kenyon and Julian make a fiery couple and their relationship is not without some angst. I'd only read the first two books in this series beforehand, and this story felt a little more emotion-heavy than those. It's far from an angst-fest, though, just two guys trying to sort through deepening feelings they hadn't expected to develop for each other.

Julian is rather prickly, arrogant, and closed off (or at least tries to be, for reasons), and Kenyon is understanding and loving without being a pushover. I was actually a little surprised how this book is very much a hurt/comfort romance (one of my favorite tropes).

I'm glad the author elected to stick with the same narrator throughout the series. I'm a fan of Darcy Stark (his delivery style in particular is unique, in a good way) and I enjoyed his performance here.

This story was easy to follow as a standalone, but it being the series finale, I think I would've benefited from having read/listened to all the books to more fully appreciate the nuances. I received a free review copy of this audio book and have left this honest review voluntarily.

Kenyon

As this series comes to its conclusion, we finally get Kenyon's story. We knew he was 'sneaking out' to meet someone. And of course, that someone is the very person he should not be meeting. A meet cute, a reveal, a little bit of drama and then we finally get a coupling working their way to a HEA. This was an enjoyable story. And I'm coming to associate Darcy Stark with Beth Bolden's stories. He does a great job bringing that little bit of extra to the story.

I just love it!

While I'm a diehard Beth fan, this is my first book narrated by Darcy. Wow. I had such a good time listening to it! After having spent a few evenings with it while doing puzzles, my time is now dark and sad without having more of it to hear.
I do love all of Beth's football books. This one is the last in the Miami Piranhas series, and I'm so sad to see the end of it. Kenyon is so self-assured (he should be, he's a pro athlete!), well-spoken, and s*x on legs. Julian is too, along with smart and secretive.
Julian is just as determined to succeed as Kenyon is. He has a harder fight in some ways. While Kenyon's fight is physically hard and a mental challenge, Julian is fighting himself is some ways. He's had to give up and switch careers, give up what he loved. Journalism is very a cutthroat field where it seems everyone is using/being used for personal gain. He faced the adversity of growing up in foster care, too.
That's not to say that Kenyon doesn't have struggles outside of football. His foundation is very important both to him and to the kids it will help. He's so very dedicated to it.
So, two very determined and dedicated men, scorching hotness, and a narration that's fantastic. Perfect!