Book Review — The Play by Karina Halle

“Do your tattoos tell a story?” I manage to ask.

He keeps on staring, completely unreadable. Then he looks down at his arm and it flexes beautifully. “Everything tells a story.”

• Buy THE PLAY (Kindle)
• Buy THE PLAY (Paperback)

I read this book in one sitting and loved it! It was a heart-warming, sexy romance featuring a swoony yet damaged Alpha hero with a painful past and a heart of gold, and a feisty, free-spirited heroine who he fell in love with. If you’re looking for a great new read, definitely give this one a shot!

The story is about Kayla who is seriously tired of dating and sleeping around for fun. Her friends have all settled down, she hasn’t met the one and so she decided to take a vow of celibacy. But the vow is cut short when she meets Lachlan, a smokin’ hot Scottish rugby player who is everything she ever dreamed of. He’s tall, tatted, broody and mysterious, but also very kind-hearted with a soft spot for rescuing stray dogs. But he’s reluctant to open up to anyone, making it hard for her to get to know him more.

“It isn’t until the two of them are thrown together one long, unforgettable night that Kayla realizes there is so much more to this brooding macho man than what meets the eye. But even with sparks flying between the two, Lachlan can’t stay in America forever. Now, Kayla has to decide whether to uproot her whole life and chance it all on someone she barely knows or risk getting burned once again.”

“Why the hell did I have to meet this beast, this superman, who blows my mind in the bedroom, mows down rugby players for a living, rescues helpless animals, looks like a fucking god, and just happens to cook, just before he has to leave?”

I’m such a fan of the “opposites attract” kinds of romance and there’s no doubt that Kayla and Lahlan were about as opposite as could be. She’d grown up in a loving family, his had abandoned him. She was loud and outspoken, he was quiet and mysterious. She literally had no filter, he kept so much private. And yet… they just ‘clicked’ together, each somehow bringing out the best in each other.

At 432 pages, this is a fairly long book, but it flows very smoothly and even though I originally just intended to read a few chapters yesterday evening, I actually ended up reading the whole book in one sitting because I got lost in the story and just didn’t want to stop reading.

There’s very little drama, no cheating or triangles, it’s more just focused on some big life choices and hurdles to get through for both of them separately and together as a couple. I really enjoyed the writing style, I swooned over the romance, and felt very invested in their story. It’s sexy, hot, and steamy, but also well balanced with a forward moving plot, and loads of swoony feels.

I clear my throat, trying to act cool. “So, am I your girlfriend or what?”

He grins at me. “You’re my girlfriend. My girl. My woman. And I’m all yours.”

“My man,” I say, kissing the stubble on his cheek. “My beast.” I pause. “My sex slave.”

“Bloody right I am,” he says before kissing me so deeply that it steals my breath away.

This can be read as a complete standalone novel. It is slightly interconnected with the previous two books (see below) but you can definitely read this without reading the other two. Basically, the only difference is that if you’ve read the other two books, you’ll be fully aware of her friends’ stories, and if you haven’t read them then her friends will just be random side characters to you. But knowing their stories doesn’t help appreciate this one so it’s really completely up to you and you’ll be fine either way.

Now, the final thing to mention is the author is very generously donating a portion of the proceeds from the sale of this book to animal charities this week only (first week of release). Charities include Best Friends Animal Society, Battersea Dogs & Cats, Bad Rap, ASPCA and others that focus on rescues, adoption and fostering for dogs and cats. Right now, this book is priced at $2.99 with $1.00 from each sale being donated. Next week, price will go up to $4.99. So if you’re planning to read this book, get your copy now and help contribute towards the animal charity donations 🙂

“Just say the words, please. Tell me that you want to stay, that you’ll try and I promise you, I promise you, I will make it work out.”

Rating: 4 – 4.5 stars. Contemporary Adult Romance (can be standalone).

• Buy THE PLAY (Kindle)
• Buy THE PLAY (Paperback)

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*** 3 STANDALONES ***

You can either read any of them separately, or in order.

THE PACT (Linden & Stephanie)
Buy for Kindle | Buy in Paperback | Read my Review

THE OFFER (Bram & Nicola)
Buy for Kindle | Buy in Paperback | I haven’t read it

THE PLAY (Lahlan & Kayla)
Buy for Kindle | Buy in Paperback | Read my Review