Play with Me

Angels of Désirer, Book 3

De: D.L. Darby

Narrado por: Janine Granda, Robert Hatchet

Carmela: Someone is trying to kill me.

For weeks, I’ve been receiving letters at my club with the same warning: they’re coming for me.

And they’re leaving a trail of bodies in their wake.

When my ex—a high-profile senator—says he’s flying in an experienced detective to handle the case, the last thing I expect is a cocky, condescending jerk who I can’t seem to take my eyes off of.

Anderson Brooks is the worst person for the job, and now we have to work together to attempt to lure the murderer out, by putting on a show at my exclusive club.

The line between lust and hate is thin, and we blur it like watercolors on a canvas.

Neither of us wants to work with each other.

Now, if we could stop ending up in bed together, that would be great.

Anders: I get called to New York when Carmela Lane starts getting threats from someone who’s murdering members of her club. I’m supposed to keep her safe, but the fact that we despise each other doesn’t make it easy.

Neither does the fact that we can’t seem to stop tearing each other’s clothes off.

With her life on the line, it’s a race to catch the killer.

That is if we don’t end up killing each other first.

Play With Me is the third book in the Angels of Désirer series, which is an interconnected stand-alone series. It can be listened to alone. This book deals with heavy themes. Please check the warnings.

©2024 D.L. Darby (P)2025 Blue Nose Publishing

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ this is a six star listen!!!

Welcome back here, everybody to another audiobook review! So I had such an amazing time listening to this book! I thought the banter and tension between Anders and Carmela was just perfect. I loved the back-and-forth between them with Anders basically being like I don’t wanna touch you and I can’t stand you in the line of work you do but in his head he’s like I really want to be with you and I really want to touch you and then Carmela she’s basically like I hate you and you don’t know anything about me and in her head she’s thinking the same thing as Anders, she was just like I really just want to be with you too. It’s just amazing banter intention me and my friend Summer have basically come to the conclusion that Carmela is the long lost sister of Rachel from the Devils disciple series just by the way Carmela acts throughout this story. But like the tension and the yearning is just as good as the banter because like you can tell it’s there in every chapter between Carmela and Anders and you just want them to be together finally. But I had an absolutely great time, listening to this from Blue Nose AUDIO. Our two narrators Robert and Janine did absolutely amazing jobs and I’m super glad that this got to be my first time listening to both of them because they just absolutely knocked this audiobook out of the park . Like if I could actually rate higher than just 5 Stars, this would definitely be like a six star read!!! like this is beyond amazing, I had such a phenomenal time listening to it and I really can’t wait to go by to listen to book one of the series because I have gotten to listen to book 2 obviously this is book three and I get to listen to book 4.

Enemies, Fire, and Désirer… My Favorite Yet! 🔥

I think this might be my favorite in the Angels of Désirer series so far! This time we dive into Carmela’s story, the woman behind Désirer, and finally get to see what shaped her into the powerhouse she is. We get a glimpse into her past and how she met Mick, and honestly… my heart broke for everything she went through with him. He gave me the ick real fast.

When Carmela starts receiving threatening notes, an investigator named Anders is brought in to help but here’s the twist: she meets him before knowing who he is, and the two share one insanely steamy night together. 👀 The next day? Surprise! He’s that investigator, and when he finds out what she does for a living, he immediately judges her, calling her a prostitute and insisting he’s “not into that type of woman.” Cue my rage and my obsession.

From there, it’s enemies-to-lovers tension at its finest. Anders starts off as a total ass, but honestly… there’s just something about a man who falls hard once he realizes the woman he underestimated is everything he never knew he needed. The chemistry? Explosive. The twists? Didn’t see them coming. I was absolutely rooting for these two the entire time. Carmela’s fiery, fierce personality paired with Anders’ commanding presence made every scene feel like a power play and I ate it up.

This audiobook was perfection. This was my first time listening to Janine Granda, and she nailed Carmela’s Latina accent and attitude. She brought out every layer of fire, sass, and vulnerability in her performance. And Robert Hatchet? That man never disappoints. His tone fit Anders perfectly authoritative, confident, and undeniably sexy. Together, their duet chemistry was phenomenal.

Enthralling & Excellent➞Story & Narration🎧

I have been loving the “Angels of Désirer” series, and D.L. Darby has outdone herself with her third addition to the series, “Play With Me” a thrilling dark romantic suspense, that hooks you right from the start, becomes your obsession, for the need to know what happens next. I found Carmela, the owner and head angel of Club Désirer, to be an intriguing character and was looking forward to her story, and wow, what a story it is. With flashbacks to the past, we learn what brought her to running an adult entertainment club, and about the man in her life who disappointed her younger self and continues to do the same in her present life. Someone is sending Carmela threatening notes, and they stepped up their game by sending those notes with dead bodies, in her club, that someone infiltrated the club undetected. To help with the investigation, they bring in a detective from California, for his discretion and expertise. Anders Brooks arrived the night before their meeting and wound up having a steamy encounter with a bombshell of a woman, the same woman he was to meet the next day, Carmela. Once Anders found out who Carmela was and what she did, he was just downright rude and judgmental, but Carmela had dealt with jerks like him before and gave as good as she got. He wound up staying to handle the investigation despite protests from both sides, and once he opened his eyes to see what Carmela and the club did for others, he changed his tune. The chemistry between those two was electric, loved the push and pull and the banter between them, and before I knew it, I was rooting for these two. There are many layers to this story, and it was amazing to watch it all unfold, from secrets revealed, to the twists and turns, to trying to figure out who was behind the threats and wondering what was going to happen next. There is so much more, including non-stop drama, angst, thrilling suspense, heartfelt emotions, and steamy romance. I loved the direction the author took her characters in the end, and it was great to see the characters from the earlier books make appearances too. D.L. Darby, thank you for this incredible story and wild ride.

🎧📚🎧And for the incredible audiobook production performed by the perfectly cast voice artists, Janine Granda and Robert Hatchet. They did an amazing job bringing these characters to life, giving each a voice that was fitting for a perfect portrayal of each. Granda absolutely nailed it as Carmela, grasping every aspect of her personality, from her vulnerabilities in her younger years to the witty and fierce woman she became. Hatchett did the same for Anders and was just as amazing with showcasing all aspects of his personality, from his angsty, judgmental self to his caring and protective self. Both were fantastic at performing the roles of all the side and secondary characters, too. These entertaining storytellers are a pleasure to listen to, and their captivating performance keeps you hooked to the story.

An Absolute Can’t-Miss Dark Romance! Stellar Duet Narration!

Play With Me is the third audiobook in D. L. Darby’s fantastic Angels of Désirer dark romance series. I have thoroughly enjoyed every audiobook in this series, but this just might be my favorite so far. Carmela has been this enigmatic figure in the background of the first two books in the series, so I was thrilled to finally get her story. And what a story it was! We had been told a little about her affair with the senator in previous books, so I was expecting this story to be about them. What I was not expecting was the brash and sexy detective, Anders, to come in and upend everything I thought would happen in this story. And while we do get the full details of Carmela and the senator’s relationship, the true love story is between her and Anders, although it’s certainly not an easy romance. Carmela is being threatened and some of her clients are being unalived, so the senator brings in Anders to solve the case and protect Carmela. They have an instant connection that leads to a very hot one-night-stand before they officially meet for the case. Anders has some pretty strong biases about Carmela’s profession based on his last case, so despite his attraction to her, he fights any kind of relationship. He soon finds he’s mistaken about her, though, and his feelings are too strong to ignore. Carmela is just as attracted to him but refuses to be looked down on or demeaned. She is a fiery force to be reckoned with, and Anders is no match for her. I loved every minute of this story! There was romance, intrigue, action, witty banter, a kick-a$$ heroine, an alpha MC, and the spiciest of spice—basically dark romance catnip. And I cannot wait for even more in book four!

Janine Granda and Robert Hatchet knocked this story’s duet-style narration right out of the park! Both completely embodied their characters and brought so much passion and emotion to their performances that I was hanging on every word. They brought D.L Darby’s amazing writing to life so beautifully and so completely that there’s no way for this audiobook to be anything other than an absolute can’t-miss title for any fan of dark romance audio!

Boss lady & her doberman

Janine and Robert absolutely nailed it with these two! The chemistry, emotions, everything was so well done. Their first meeting? 🔥 Absolute fire. I was hooked right from the start. Hello, tension for the rest of the story! The love-to-hate vibe made everything even better. Anderson, you really thought you could resist her? A for effort! Their “I can’t stand you” moments made the tension and sparks so much stronger.

Carmela was hands down the best FMC of this series! I loved her girl-boss energy. She’s strong, flawed, and has a past that refuses to stay buried, with secrets waiting to explode. Her determination to prove she can run her club no matter what was everything.

Anders… oh, this determined detective fell hard for his queen. He tried to resist but didn’t stand a chance. You’ll love how protective and devoted he becomes. Total Doberman energy! The story had betrayal and twisty who-did-it moments, and when everything unraveled, wow. Carmela’s story was something special and so much more.

D.L., you wrapped up this ending beautifully and added the perfect extra icing with the bonus content!

Play With Me

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶🌶🌶.5

"You’re an amazing woman, and it’s time you start treating yourself with the same respect you demand from everyone else."

♡Play With Me was everything I hoped it would be & more! The storyline was addicting, suspenseful, spicy & oh so twisty! I definitely felt like my brain was being played with multiple times throughout this push & pull relationship while I was screaming "just do it!" I loved Carmela & I love how her story played out!

The duet narration for this audiobook was fantastic! Janine & Robert both did a phenomenal job bringing this amazing story to life!♡

~As Always Happy Reading~

Carmela & Anders

Carmela is such a freaking baddie and everything I wanted and more. And the man that tamed her…Anders 🤤 He was so down bad from the initial meet cute at the bar, but I mean can you blame him?!

The suspense aspect in this book at me EATING it up and being suspicious of EVERYONE! There were a few twists that had me gasping and screaming.

With every book I read by D.L. Darby I become more and more obsessed with her writing and storytelling! I am so excited to listen to Die with Me even though I’m a little suspicious over the MMC (iykyk)

This audiobook was produced by BNA and performed in duet narration by Janine Granda & Robert Hatchet. This was my first book with Janine Granda and I AM OBSESSED! She did a fantastic job bringing this baddie to life. Robert Hatchet never fails me and is always a top tier male narrator really honing into the emotions throughout the story!

Seductive, emotional and absolute perfection!

D.L. Darby has created a seductive and ravishing world with Angels of Desirer.

This series has remarkable story lines and characters, and gets into sensitive topics in a tasteful and respectful manner, all while giving readers the "down and dirty" we've come to love from this series and her exceptional writing. This audiobook was absolutely incredible! Robert Hatchet and Janine Granda were exceptional bringing Anders and Carmela to life. Their dynamic was narrated to perfection.

Their connection and instant attraction let me know I better hunker down because I was about to go on a ride. The love/hate, push/pull between Anders and Carmela will have your ears smoking. I found myself wanting to kick Anders between the legs, and then getting on my knees to kiss it better. The mystery and suspense will keep you on the edge of your seat trying to figure out whodunit while the spice will have you hot and bothered. Play With Me was an addictive blend of emotions, spice, twist & turns, mystery and intrigue, and the fateful conclusion and HEA that makes for a 5 star listen that can be enjoyed again and again. The emotional growth in Carmela and Anders both individually and together forged a bond between them that could not be broken. I absolutely devoured this audiobook and highly recommend not only this installment but the entire series.

cara & "smooth guy"

𝟰 🌶

𝗠𝗖𝘀: 𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘮𝘦𝘭𝘢 𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘦 (𝘤𝘢𝘣𝘳𝘦𝘳𝘢) ♡ 𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘣𝘳𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘴

𝙏𝙞𝙢𝙚 𝙞𝙨 𝙖 𝙨𝙚𝙡𝙛𝙞𝙨𝙝 𝙩𝙚𝙢𝙥𝙩𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙨. 𝙎𝙝𝙚 𝙖𝙡𝙬𝙖𝙮𝙨 𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙫𝙚𝙨 𝙪𝙨 𝙬𝙖𝙣𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙢𝙤𝙧𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙝𝙚𝙧.

💭 this is my 1st read of 𝘋𝘓𝘋 & will def not be my last. im normally not into cheating (tho off page & not between mc's), but it def gave much 𝙈𝙐𝘾𝙃 drama to the story, which eventually led to 𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗺𝗲𝗹𝗮 & 𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀' meeting. she owns a shmex club & needed security detail after some1's apparently tryna unalive her; he got the job coz of his detective background. i found the title fitting coz 𝙤𝙤𝙤𝙛!! did they play 𝗛𝗔𝗥𝗗!! when i say "𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘺", i meant:

1. solid 𝗰𝗮𝘁 & 𝗺𝗼𝘂𝘀𝗲 trope
2. the 𝙎𝙋𝙄𝘾𝙀!!

🎧 the narrators gave such an entertaining performance in this duet narration. 𝘫𝘢𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘦 𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘢 was full of passion & very sensual, while 𝘳𝘰𝘣𝘦𝘳𝘵 𝘩𝘢𝘵𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘵... 𝙜𝙤𝙤𝙙𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙨!! the timber of his voice was juz so deep & soothing🫠 they made the spice 💯spicin🔥

dark contemporary romance | romantic suspense | detective/bodyguard x madame/club owner | hate to love | shmex club | age gap | fake dating | who done it? | stalkr | serial unaliver | found fam

‼️ 𝙪𝙧 𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙖𝙡 𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙡𝙩𝙝 𝙢𝙖𝙩𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙨. ✔️🆃🆆/🅲🆆

dark enemies-to-lovers

Carmela and Anders were hot 🔥 They initially met and had ONS, but the next day discovered Anders was the bodyguard hired to protect her. Carmella has a tangled past with the Senator, but that doesn't stop him from protecting her. I loved unraveling Carmella's relationships with all of her men. Even though Anders had a rocky start he was the one who got to know the real Carmella.

Narrated in duet by Robert Hatchett and Janine Granda. Janine is a new to me narrator and was phenomenal as Carmella 👏