Reviewed by Larissa
TITLE: Dirty Steal
SERIES: Dirty Players, Book 2
AUTHOR: Lauren Blakely and KD Casey
NARRATOR: JF Harding and Evan Parker
PUBLISHER: Nothing to Lose Productions
LENGTH: 2 hours and 12 minutes
RELEASE DATE: September 28, 2022
BLURB:
One bed, two players, and another chance in this steamy stand-alone sports romance….
After how this season has gone so far—don’t ask—the last thing I need is a distraction.
Like, say, my spring training one-night stand showing up in my dugout. If it’s not annoying enough that the hot new shortstop with the heart-stopping smile has been traded to my team, the golden guy now needs a place to stay.
When one of my bigmouthed teammates suggests the new star player shack up in my spare room, I’ve got myself a helluva problem—and it’s getting bigger with my eager, interested, and too-sexy teammate sharing my kitchen, my shower…and then, late one night, my bed.
But before I know it, all these late nights together are making me want things I just can’t have with my teammate.
And if I’m not careful, he’ll be stealing my heart, too….
A scorching-hot only-one-bed-in-the-room/teammates-to-lovers second-chance stand-alone romance….
REVIEW:
Dirty Steal is the second novella in Lauren Blakely and K.D. Casey’s co-penned Dirty Players series. These books are standalones so you can easily read Dirty Steal without having read Dirty Slide. In fact, Dirty Steal bears little resemblance to Dirty Slide with the exception of the authors, the word “Dirty” in the title, and the fact that it’s a romance between two baseball players. It all feels different – the characters, the storyline, and even the tone. Where Dirty Slide told an edgy, testosterone-fueled, enemies-to-lovers romance, Dirty Steal is much milder in tone, with two main characters in Derek and Adam that are easy to like and connect with. The story is less fiery and more swoony, with plenty of pining and romantic moments.
That’s not to say that it isn’t sexy, though. Derek and Adam have delicious banter full of double entendres and obvious chemistry that converts into some seriously incendiary between-the-sheets escapades. Derek is cocky and sure of himself, oozing charisma and BDE. Adam, however, is confident and self-assured, but he’s the shy, quiet type. In a room full of people, Adam prefers to hang back and listen while Derek is happy to grab the limelight. But Derek pushes Adam out of his comfort zone making him ask for what he wants – both in their relationship and in the bedroom. Adam, in turn, forces Derek to intuit his cues and feelings. It enables Derek to achieve a level of intimacy with Adam that he hasn’t before. There hasn’t been anyone before for either of them that made them want to take risks, to go after what they want, in arenas other than baseball. They find they are compatible in all the best ways.
I wish Dirty Steal was a longer book because I really connected with Derek and Adam as a couple and would have enjoyed spending more time with them and getting their story in greater depth. That being said, the Dirty Steal audiobook provides a more fulsome experience than the story on text alone. That’s because Derek and Adam’s story comes to life through the robust, engaged vocal performances of JF Harding as Adam and Evan Parker as Derek. They elevate this short, sexy story into something more.
Harding’s honeyed voice perfectly pairs with Adam’s shy, sexy, sweet nature. He’s able to convey Adam’s confidence and vulnerabilities, determination and hesitations with his complex portrayal. Parker is perfection as Derek. He’s got vocal swagger for days and the smoky, growly, deep timbre he gives Derek is hypnotic. I could listen to that rounded raspiness all day and night. So damn sexy. Both Harding and Parker nail the cadence of the story and use the intonations, dynamics, and pacing needed to tell the story as the authors’ intended. Their performances are nuanced, precise and impressive.
I wholeheartedly recommend the Dirty Steal audiobook. It’s a low-angst, hot, heady romance brought to life by Harding and Parker, two top-notch narrators. It’s decadent, delicious, and dirty in all the best ways.
RATING: 
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