Valerie King hated celebrating her birthday, that's why she was sitting all alone in a bar nursing another martini. When yet another man accosts her, she's ready to tell him off, however this one is different. He seems a gentleman and actually has a sense of humor, and for the first time that day, Val laughs. She knows he's Kyle Leighton, one of the Sydney Smoke players, the team her father coaches. Being new to the team, Kyle doesn't know who she is; players are barely allowed to look at coach Griff King's daughter, and Val's father didn't even want Kyle on his team. But Kyle makes her feel good when it counts, and they are so attracted to each other, that they find themselves in bed the same evening, without Kyle ever knowing who Val really is. Her father never needs to know...

Readers already familiar with the series already know how gruff Griff is (I couldn't resist!), but newcomers will get the gist of his personality quickly, and what a personality it is. The only reason Val and Griff's relationship is difficult is because of Griff's overprotectiveness, the reason for which was handled extremely well by Ms. Andrews; Val and her father's relationship is really heartbreaking. I also fell for Kyle nearly as quickly as she did; he is a very witty man, open-minded, and definitely someone to have in one's corner. They are stuck between a rock and a hard place, as admitting to the budding relationship could be detrimental to Kyle's rugby career, but they cannot keep their hands to themselves. While there are few mentions of rugby playing per se, I loved reading about the team dynamics, and how Tanner proved himself to be the perfect captain when things got out of hand.

Griff is an incredibly impressive character: a former rugby star himself, he is so redoubtable and so well written, that his temper is nearly a palpable thing. I think I must have recoiled in fear at some point, because he is such a powerful presence. He is intrinsic to the romance, because he is the sole reason that Val and Kyle have issues. The dialogues are spectacularly well written, be it the playful and flirtatious banter between Val and Kyle or the shout-out matches exchanged between the men, players and coach, which couldn't have sounded more realistic, and the sex is sizzling hot.

The Sidney Smoke Rugby series is such a favorite of mine, that I picked up the book solely on the series title, which coming from me says a lot. PLAYING DIRTY is another brilliant feather in Amy Andrews' well-decorated cap, and the best news is that there are two other books remaining in this series. Bring it on!