Playing Dirty
- its.brittanyb
- 3 days ago
- 2 min read
"That’s exactly what he does—drives me insane, makes me reckless and rash, and I don’t know if I love or hate it. Probably a little of both.”
REVIEW
Would I read this again? Yes No Maybe
Spicy Level Legend How spicy is this book?
Tropes | Trigger Warnings |
Stepbrothers, Enemies to lovers, Opposites attract, college sports romance | Mild homophobia, drug/alcohol use |
SUMMARY
Want to just skip to the spice? I got you - Chapters 10, 15, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 24, 28, 29, 31, Epilogue
Madden and Theo are stepbrothers, who are rivals on their baseball teams. Their colleges are one town away and have always been huge rivals. Each year, they play a version of “capture the flag”. The captains of both teams hide their respective flags on their campuses and the other team tries to find it first. Madden happens to be captain of his team.
When they have to go on a ski vacation with their parents - Theo’s captain tells Theo he should try and sweet talk Madden into revealing where the flag is hidden. Not only do the boys end up sharing a room but also a bed. It's a very tense situation and they just try to avoid each other. On their last night, they end up in the hot tub together and somehow making out. Theo gets freaked out and legit runs away.
It takes a few weeks but Theo finally apologizes to Madden and tells him he isn’t freaked out because he’s a guy. What he doesn’t admit is that he is freaked out simply because Madden is on the opposing team. Theo thinks his friends will be absolutely fine with the fact that Madden is a dude and his stepbrother. But they won’t be cool with the fact that he is the captain of the opposing team. Theo takes their team rivalries very seriously but Madden does not. While Theo is there apologizing for running away, he tells Madden that he wants him. So then they start fooling around in secret.
They do this for a few months. Madden’s friends find out and they accept Theo but Theo is still hesitant to tell his friends. Again, not because Madden is a boy or his stepbro, but because he is on the rival team. After going to see one of Madden’s best friends in a play, Madden decides to show Theo where the flag is at. Theo doesn’t want it. They fight about it. Madden is trying to show Theo how much he cares for him by giving him the flag but Theo is trying to show how much he cares about Madden by not taking the flag. When they are in the car, Madden gives Theo the flag. They argue some more and then they get into a car accident.
Theo’s leg is broken, which Madden feels responsible for, but Theo is thankful that it's him and not Madden. At the hospital, their parents find out about them. After Theo is discharged, Madden takes him home, where Theo’s friends find out about them. Theo’s team ends up winning the flag which helps them forgive Madden for being on the opposing team and also for driving during the crash that broke Theo’s leg.
