Playing Dirty (Monkey Business Trio #1) by C.L. Parker Review

PLAYING DIRTY is absolutely the best title for this read. Shaw and Cassidy are explosive together in both good and bad ways. Both are strong willed, determined, ambitious, and want to succeed and win at all costs. However for them there is a fine line between attraction and repulsion and that line gets so blurred that they themselves can no longer distinguish between the two.  When dealing with each other both Shaw and Cassidy can get ugly and petty but I have to admit that I found their interactions entertaining. In some instances Cassidy could come off as immature and catty but in all fairness Shaw saw and pushed all of her buttons. 

Shaw in all of his alpha-ness could definitely lean toward the bully side at times. Aggressiveness and being very harsh when dealing with Cassidy had him skirting the line of likability. Shaw has a lot going on underneath is jerk-like demeanor and it was nice to see that he had more depth than what is originally shown. 

PLAYING DIRTY has plenty of  humor, good descriptive sexiness, a storyline that wraps you up and keeps you engaged along with characters that will leave you wanting more. Speaking of wanting more PLAYING DIRTY played a bit of a dirty trick on me. There's a BIG cliffhanger at the end! I did not know this going in and it was devastating to discover! I'm not even sure that it was completely necessary for this one to end in a cliffhanger. I could see their story being able to be completed in one book and the series continuing on with another couple taking center stage for book 2. Yet it is what it is and there is a cliffhanger at the end. PLAYING DIRTY was an enjoyable read for me but the cliffhanger definitely threw me for a loop. 

Happy Reading!

Monica

**I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.**

Synopsis

Shaw Matthews plays to win, and he intends to snag a coveted partnership at San Diego's hottest sports agency by signing America's top athlete. Only one woman stands in his way: rival agent Cassidy Whalen. But eliminating the competition will be Shaw's pleasure when he concocts an ingenious plan to seduce Cassidy and show the beautiful ballbreaker who's the better man for the job. That is, until Cassidy turns the tables—and their steamy encounters start breaking all the rules. 

Cassidy has worked hard to make it in a man's cutthroat arena, and she isn't going down without a fight, not even against the six-two alpha hunk whose rock-hard body awakens desires she's never known before. As Cassidy shares night after night of unending passion with Shaw, the game begins to change. Now Cassidy stands to lose everything—unless a fiery contest of wills can become a winning proposition for two people who keep raising the stakes. 

Playing Dirty is an erotic romance intended for mature audiences.

PLAYING DIRTY Monkey Business Trio By C.L. Parker

A Bantam Trade Paperback Original • May 12, 2015 • $15.00 • 978-1-101-88294-8 • 336 pages

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