PLAYING DIRTY by Taryn Leigh Taylor works as a standalone
romance, but readers who enjoy this book might want to go
back at some point and read the previous book -- PLAYING
TO WIN. When hotshot defenseman Cooper Mead hits on a
pretty bartender at the local watering hole, he never
dreams that he's meeting someone who will change his
life. Lainey Harper is just as complicated and full of
secrets as Cooper, and I like how they unexpectedly help
change each other's lives for the better. I'm a romance
fan and I love hockey, so this tale of love and hockey
soothes my soul.
When Lainey and Cooper first meet, she is annoyed by his
pick-up attempt yet intrigued, and he is even more
attracted by the clever way she rebuffs his advances than
her good looks. Taryn Leigh Taylor manages to keep things
smoking hot while still delivering a story that is
multifaceted and intense. A good chunk of PLAYING DIRTY
focuses on the walls that Lainey has put up emotionally,
and her struggle to connect on any substantive level with
Cooper or her half-brother, and Cooper's teammate, Brett.
Over the course of the book, Lainey and readers soon
discover that Cooper is more than just a pretty face and
to-die-for body. Cooper's struggles with dyslexia and
maintaining autonomy when it comes to his career make him
a fascinating character to read about. Likewise, Lainey's
unresolved issues over her feelings for her late father
and her former hockey career, make her a compelling
heroine. One thing I really like about PLAYING DIRTY is
how Cooper comes to the realization himself about how to
set things right in his life, rather than screwing up and
being forced to see the error of his ways.
PLAYING DIRTY has the kind of witty verbal foreplay I
love, and a sexy character-driven romance. After reading
PLAYING DIRTY, I wish the author would write a book about
Brett when he's a bit older. I look forward to reading
Taryn Leigh Taylor's next book.
A game they both want to win
Lainey Harper has never been a puck bunny. She wants
nothing to do with hockey or hockey players—not after
what she's been through. So why can't she resist Cooper
Mead?
Portland's newest hockey star, Cooper, is all muscle and
charisma. And he's Lainey's worst nightmare. Hooking up
with him would bring back memories that Lainey needs to
keep buried. And risk the hard-earned anonymity she's
sacrificed everything to protect.
When Lainey finally gives in to Cooper's sexy charm, the
chemistry's intense—but so is the media exposure. And now
Lainey's got even more to lose than her secret—she's got
Cooper.
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