Play Me Hard is book 3 in the Play Me Series by Tracy Wolff. These novellas should be read in order.Sebastian you are making me fall even more in love with you!!! This man is incredible! He is falling in love with Aria and is there for her when she needs him, even if she doesn't want to admit it. She is strong and independent, but some times you need someone to be there for you. For Aria, this is Sebastian.The past that Aria has is still a mystery to me and I am dying to find out what it is. The past of Sebastian is partially revealed and is intriguing me to the point that I am dying for book #4. WELL-WRITTEN, SEXY, AND ROMANTIC, ALBEIT RATHER SHORT FOR THE PRICEThe PLAY ME five-part serial is a well-written, sensual story, steeped in romance and intrigue surrounding two compelling (and combustible!) characters.Aria Winston is a beautiful young woman who has far too much ‘smarts’ to be stuck in her current job as a waitress in the opulent Atlantic Casino in Las Vegas. A strong woman with a defined sense of right and wrong, Aria has become a champion of the abused casino waitresses. In an altercation with a “whale,” a sadistic high-rolling gambler, Aria gains the attention of Atlantis heir Sebastian Caine, who has left his illustrious career as CFO of a prestigious charitable foundation in order to run the casino for his ailing father.The whales are the richest of the Vegas gambling set, and it is common for the bets they place to reach the level of tens of millions of dollars. Due to the money they bring to the casino, the inappropriate behaviors of many of the whales (which include touching, verbal disrespect, and propositioning, even demanding, the waitresses for sex), are subtly encouraged or, at best, ignored by hotel management. One evening, a particularly sadistic whale begins abusing a waitress, and after being denied help by hotel management, Aria takes it upon herself to come to the aid of her fellow waitress and teach the whale a lesson.Sebastian Caine is the son and heir to the owner of the Atlantis; his father is rehabilitating (long-term) from a series of mini-strokes. Sebastian has taken a sabbatical from his career and settled in to run the casino. The offended whale customer is demanding Aria’s dismissal as well as other concessions, and Sebastian shocks the whale, his own staff, and Aria when, instead of firing her, he chooses to defend her and her cause in support of the long-abused waitresses.The relationship which develops between Sebastian and Aria is complex and very entertaining because it is interesting, smoking hot in the romance department, and layered with intriguing circumstances as Sebastian’s support of Aria, and Aria’s own significant baggage (which she’s told no one about) create many complications both within and outside the casino. In PLAY ME HOT, Sebastian attempts to get closer to Aria. His possessiveness and her secrets create obstacles for Aria, captivating the reader with the intensity of their relationship, which is emotionally and sexually chargedAria is a tough cookie who does not fall into the disadvantaged good-girl-who-needs-a-break cliché. She fights for herself and for her relationship with Sebastian, and it’s fun to watch. Sebastian first looked at Aria as a gorgeous gal he wanted nothing more from than some fun of his own kind (and yes, he’s got a few kinks!), but he is determined not to behave as one of the “haves” who abuse Aria and the other “have-nots,” so he approaches her carefully. Aria and Sebastian express themselves in alternating points of view, one of the best aspects of this novel. We get to feel each of the characters as their complex personalities evolve together, both of them realizing that, in each other, they just might find something that they didn’t know they wanted and had not been looking for.One of the story's strongest features is the alternating points of view. We hear and feel both Sebastian and Aria as their complex personalities evolve together, both of them realizing that, in each other, they just might find something that they didn’t know they wanted and had not been looking for.My only criticism of this series is the short length for the purchase price of each installment. It’s a pricey story, but a very good one in its genre. Readers may want to consider downloading all five parts of this serial at once; when I finished reading part one (PLAY ME WILD), and Sebastian had Aria right where he wanted her, I needed to pick up part two (PLAY ME HOT) IMMEDIATELY! Now that I've finished the five-part serial, I'm headed straight for Sebastian's friend, Ethan Frost, and his stories (RUINED and ADDICTED). Miss Wolff has me hooked on her alpha males and their empowered females!PLAY ME is full of romance, scorching heat, excitement, and intrigue, and at its heart is the strength of a true love relationship between two complex, well-developed characters. That’s what I call a rockin’ good romance!THE PLAY ME SERIAL (Tracy Wolff) - all parts publish on 12/2/14PLAY ME WILD #1PLAY ME HOT #2PLAY ME HARD #3PLAY ME REAL #4PLAY ME RIGHT #5**I received a free copy of the Play Me series from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.**
What do You think about Play Me #3: Play Me Hard (2014)?
So glad I'm not waiting in between books! Such awesome Tracy Wolff at work here!
—kwesino
Still hate the small book serial format. I am not in love with either character.
—dag
Tracy Wolff is amazing I love this series. The ending left me gasping for air
—andre
