Playing Dirty in Alaska by Samanthe Beck

Updated: Jan 27, 2022

I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

“Let go of me.” “Is that any way to thank a guy for saving you from a face-plant?” “Thank you. Now, are we done here?” He loosened his hold, then felt and heard her shaky exhale and smiled. Into her ear, he said, “We’ve never been done, Bridge. We’ll never be done.”

Playing Dirty in Alaska is the second book in Samanthe Beck’s Captivity, Alaska series and can be read as a standalone.

Filled with playful humour and fiery chemistry, Playing Dirty in Alaska was a delightful & captivating second chance romance and I loved every moment of it.

When Bridget Shanahan’s brother leaves the family’s airfield in her hand’s while he goes on his honeymoon, she knows it’s time to step up and behave like a responsible adult. So of course, that’s when her old collage boyfriend & the man who shattered her heart, Archer Ellison III shows up in her small town of Captivity, Alaska.

Archer is just as hot and just as compelling as Bridget remembers & he’s intent on winning back her trust and her heart. He knows it won’t be easy, but after an impulsive bet that would have sent Archer packing goes awry, Bridget has no choice but to rely on him for help.

“The attachment you feel? It isn’t physical. It’s something deeper. I’m not even going to need four weeks to prove it to you.”

I adored the humour in this book. Beyond being entertaining, the witty camaraderie between the characters was an excellent way of illustrating the friendships & bonds between the characters, particularly between Bridget and Archer. The easy way they fell back into their friendship and old rhythms despite Bridget’s reluctance to risk letting him back into her life was a great way to give readers a quick glimpse at what their relationship was like while they were in college, as well as capture the intensity of the lingering chemistry between them even after four years apart.

It also helped put the reader into Bridget’s shoes & imagine, if not experience, the full force of emotions she would have felt when Archer broke her heart & why she would be so reluctant to let him back into her life.

“Five years, four weeks—doesn’t matter, either way.” Using the cold metal stair rail for help, she pulled herself to her feet. “I’m not ready. I’m never going to be ready. Walk away, Archer. You know how. Find someone else.”

I loved Archer so much. There’s nothing better than a romance hero who is completely, utterly, and unapologetically besotted with the heroine, and Archer more than fulfilled that role.

“My heart breaks every day just looking at you.” Her breath faltered. “Then don’t,” she whispered. “Don’t look at me.” Yep. That would be her answer. As much as it killed him, he couldn’t stop himself from smiling. “It’s no good. My heart broke worse all those days I couldn’t look at you.”

The chemistry between Bridget and Archer was off the charts. Their history added so much depth to the tension and anticipation between them & made for more than a few explosive interactions between them.

The evil smile she wore when she tipped her face to the camera again said it all. “What next?” It took two swallows to find his voice. “I want you to touch yourself the way I tell you to—the way I would touch you if I was there to do it.”

While there was a lot of charm & humour throughout the book, there were also some sombre moments as Bridget deals with the guilt she feels around the death of her twin brother, Shay. Shay died in a plane crash prior to the start of the first book in the series, Wild in Captivity, which focuses on Bridget’s older brother, Trace. But I found that these more sombre moments didn’t take away from the overall light-hearted mood of the book.

Playing Dirty in Alaska was a wonderfully fun novel with loveable characters and an engaging plot, and I can’t wait to revisit Captivity, Alaska and all its charismatic residents when the next book comes out.