I loved this book! I know absolutely nothing about gaming but I loved this whole story. Emilia is a field hockey star with her whole future mapped out by her parents. She wants something for herself so she starts gaming and she's awesome at. She wants to prove she's just as good as the boys! All the characters in this book are great but Emilia and Jake were just so charming and wonderful! I loved reading about them. Once, I started this book I couldn't put it down! Don't Hate The Player is a wonderful, funny and charming YA romance. I couldn't have loved this one more! I would absolutely read this one over and over again!

Y'all know that I'm here for any videogame / esports based books at this point, especially when they focus on overachievers hiding their identity from their peers. I loved the vivid descriptions of gaming and the Discord-style chats from Team Unity, oh the multimedia! If there's a sequel, I'm so down.

*Thank you to NetGalley and Bloomsbury Children's for an ARC in exchange for my honest review*

This book was so cute and was not what I was expecting when it came to a book about e-gaming. The relationship from beginning to end with Emilia and Jake was cute and they brought out the best in each other. I loved how the cultural/parental influence had a major impact on Emilia and how that was dealt with and resolved. But my favorite was the new team Unity and them taking care of their own and caring about each other. I would very highly recommend this book!

This was such a fun ride.

I love video gaming, but I'm not involved in the whole eSports realm, but this was such a fun way to enter the world of competitive gaming. Emilia is an AMAZING gamer and I really loved watching her and Jake form a relationship.

What really makes this novel shine is the banter and dialogue between Emilia and Jake. They have a way of teasing one another that feels SO natural.

I totally recommend DON'T HATE THE PLAYER to anyone looking for a fun and cute rom-com in a competitive gaming landscape.

Disclaimer: I got this arc in exchange for a review.

I ABSOLUTELY LOVED THIS!! Okay, so this good for fans of the Opposite of always!! it's about gamers and non-gamers. With quarantine, I've been getting back into gaming regularly so this was so much fun! Emilia wants to prove herself in a community that's mostly male-dominated. I loved Emilia and Jake.