Playing Dirty

A Miami Piranhas Novella

By: Beth Bolden

Narrated by: Darcy Stark

All Wade Lewis wants during rookie preseason camp is to play great football and to make it to the final 53-man roster.

He absolutely does not want Tristan Nicholson.

His complete and total opposite.

His teammate.

His competition.

And his roommate.

During the day, Tristan unexpectedly proves to be helpful on and off the field, but at night, when the lights go out, Tristan also becomes the only man he can’t resist.

First he’s a friend, then astonishingly, he becomes a lover.

And then he becomes the last thing Wade ever expected: everything.

©2022 Earl Gray Publishing LLC (P)2023 Earl Gray Publishing LLC

Adorable guys

Oh my, these two are the definition of cute. Not animosity or rivalry. Just nice guys who want to see someone else do well. In the process of them lifting each other up and supporting one another, they find not just a friendship but a strong love.

If you’re looking for something low-angst with two really adorable guys being young men, living their dreams, and finding love, then you can’t go wrong with Playing Dirty.

It was also a fantastic audiobook. Narrated by Darcy Stark, he made it highly enjoyable, capturing them both so well. It really made my work day pass a lot faster.

fun couple, great start to the series

‘Playing Dirty’ is a prequel novella which I originally read as part of ‘Your Book Boyfriend's Boyfriend’ Prolificworks giveaway and it was wonderful to experience it all over again and through the smooth tones of Darcy Stark. It’s a shame Darcy Stark isn't as prominent an MM romance narrator as some because he has a lovely voice and it is always enjoyable listening to him.

Tristan is an out and proud football player well known for his Instagram following and LGBTQ+ advocacy work; and Wade is a closeted bisexual guy who has yet to experience anything with a man despite wanting to. They are both rookie players who end up rooming together during training camp and support each other and build up each other’s confidence wonderfully on the field, and off the field their mutual attraction cannot be denied. They are super adorable together and two MCs I really like and would happily read more about.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this audiobook.

Young Football Love!

Wade and Tristan are both such genuinely nice guys! As Football players they are actually very different with Wade being what you picture as the big man. Tristan holds his own in the game with all his speed! I enjoyed that this story spent some time on the actual games and descriptions of the plays. This is a prequel so it is a bit insta attraction and love but that works well for these two and their dynamic. They are tentative and sweet! We get great introductions to the other guys and I am already in need of Beau Junior's story! Darcy has the perfect voice for Tristan's personality!

Great look at the Piranhas

This prequel does a great jog with Tristan and Wade’s story and setting the stage for future books. Does the football world justice.

Loved All the Playing...Could've Used More Dirty

It'd been a while since I'd listened to an audiobook narrated by Darcy Stark, and listening to "Playing Dirty" reminded me how much I enjoy his voice. He delivers an engaging performance of this sweet teammates/friends-to-lovers novella.

Tristan and Wade, both rookies trying to make it on the Piranhas roster, are paired up as roommates during training camp. Theirs isn't an "only one bed" scenario, but sharing close quarters certainly helps fuel the would-be teammates' budding romance. That they formed a genuine and supportive friendship along the way added to the sweetness of their story.

One thing I always enjoy about this author's sports romances is the amount of actual on-page sports time they contain, be it in practice, training, or actual competition. This isn't an in-name-only football story, and including some on-the-field time helps flesh out the characters and add some realism to them being elite athletes.

So, while there is a fair bit of Playing at play here, there's not nearly enough Dirty. But, like I said, it's a largely sweet story, and it effectively sets up the rest of the series. I received a free review copy of this audio book and have left this honest review voluntarily.

Such a great prequel !

Playing dirty introduces us to Tristan and Wade. Both football players hoping to make it to the final roaster of the Piranhas NFL team. I appreciated the dynamic between the two with Tristan being an out and experienced gay man and taking Wade the inexperience bisexual man under his care. Only, the relation that builds between them gradually makes Tristan able to be more vulnerable and Wade to be more confident! Darcy Start did an amazing job at narrating this audiobook ! I cannot wait for the next book in this series.

Absolutely adorable.

Absolutely adorable. Just a couple of rookies, busting their asses to make it in the big league whilst finding an instant connection and chemistry with a team mate. Luckily, on top of all of that, they are roommates. Wade and Tristan made for a great start of these Piranhas players finding their soulmates.

Darcy Stark did a great narrating. Great voices and inflections. Would definitely listen to him again.

Too much football, not enough relationship

I liked this audiobook, but could have done without all the detailed descriptions of the football stuff. Maybe some readers like it, but I personally just don’t care much about that aspect.

Amazing series starter!

Wade and Tristian are hilarious and so sweet together! Their chemistry is off the charts from the very beginning and it was amazing to see how they navigate their developing relationship during their rookie seasons! While on the surface these two don't have much in common, it is quickly clear that what they do share is what really matters. I loved seeing Wade discover an entire new side to himself with Tristan and get even more comfortable with who he fundamentally is. Tristan was so outgoing and confident from the very first page but it was wonderful for him to see just how much he has to offer to the world besides his looks and social media presence. I love Beth Bolden's books but I really love this series! They are always so amazing, full of characters you just can't help but fall in love with! The only negative I have is that I wish it was longer! This was a fantastic introduction to the Miami Piranhas world and there are already to many characters I want to see find their HEA in future books! I loved the end of this novella and hope we will get to see even more of these two in future books! This is the first book I have listened to narrated by Darcy Stark but I loved it! They did a fantastic job of bringing the story to life without being a distraction from the characters and storyline. I hope they will narrate the rest of the series!

Adorable roommates to lovers

Book-

Wade and Tristan are both genuinely nice guys who are attending summer training camp (preseason football thing) as first year draft picks. Tristan is out and proud whereas Wade knows he's bisexual but has never acted on it. They are assigned a room together and as they get to know one another, they not only develop feelings but they also build up one another regarding their talent and self esteem. The way they treated each other was honestly my favorite part.

Nice guys and a solid plot built around football and love- as always, Beth worked her magic and made me love a book about a sport I have zero interest in actually watching. This book introduced all the heroes for The Piranhas series without distracting from Wade and Tristan's romance.

Performance-

I loved this so much! I read the book prior to listening so I already knew the story was fabulous but listening was such a great experience! The performance of this book definitely delivered. Wade's accent, Tristan's cheekiness, and all the sweetness I loved from the story were done perfectly. Nothing felt rushed or exaggerated or out of place.

And oh lordy, I cannot tell you how spot on Coach Asa's Alabama accent is! I'm already stalking Audible for the release of that audiobook because I know it's going to sound amazing!

Overall, I enjoyed and would recommend the audiobook.