Search - Play Dirty

Sandra Brown has usually been a reliable “comfort read� for me. I know the ingredients of her stories: cocky guy, reasonably intelligent sexy woman, they meet and loathe each other but somehow end up entangled with each other and some sort of mystery, fall in love and escape what ever plot they are involved in. Easy reading and a bit clichéd, but usually fun and interesting with twists and turns and lots of sex.

What can I say about Play Dirty? It has the standard ingredients: Griff Burkett is a recently released felon, jailed for throwing a football game for money. Foster and Laura Speakman are the wealthy owners of SunSouth Airlines who hire Griff to be the father of their unborn child, since Foster is a paraplegic. This ‘job’ involves secrecy on many levels, but a down and out Burkett needs the money. Complications ensue as a nemesis from the past, the nasty and vindictive Stanley Rodarte, comes poking around his sole mission to destroy Griff.

The basic premise of the book is quite off putting, as the Speakman’s wish to have a baby the natural way, not resorting to artificial insemination. I had a problem believing this would actually happen. The character of Griff is not especially likeable, although Brown tries to make him more appealing by saddling him with an unhappy childhood. Laura is such a wimp in her personal life, never standing up to her husband, although she is supposed to be this brilliant business woman. I didn’t much care for her character and found no chemistry between her and Griff, or her and Foster. Overall the mystery was ridiculous; I figured out most of it long before the end, and the final line of the book made me wince. This book probably deserves 2 stars, but because I have liked Brown so much in the past I give her an extra one, but her next book better be a winner or another of my favorite authors is going on my “never again� list.

Yet another great one from Sandra Brown!! I couldn't put it down. The main character is hard to like at first but he warms up. The plot was excellent and even though some of it was predictable, there were also some great twists. A definite read if you love SB!

I almost didn't bother reading this because the last few Sandra Brown books have been predictable and disappointing. But I was happily surprised. Play Dirty was suspenseful and had twists & turns that kept me turning the pages. I enjoyed this one very much.