Well, this was a cute story. A case of dual identities and online role player games - will it end in game over or happily ever after?

I'm not sure I was really sold on the romance though - it felt a bit like insta-love on one side, and I wish I'd felt the attraction a bit more from the other side.

My thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this book! It was such a really sweet romance between really likeable characters Sam a strong business woman dealing with grief and finding funding for her fledgling business and Luke a lovable yet nerdy guy who has trouble finding love. It was really enjoyable story and I really enjoyed the online gaming aspect as i felt it brought out a different aspect to the character. Id defiantly recommend this one.

Received this arc for an honest review

Shamadhi has left her job to start her own business designing inserts for handbags. Things are going slow for her but she is still working at it. While doing that at night as a destresser she has been playing a video game and has also entered a contest with a chance to play with a professional for a new game if selected.
Before the game starts she meets a guy Luke in her building at work who ends up helping develop a new web page for her brand, he also helps with her pitch as well. The two of them are getting closer, but then she is selected for the game and is paired with the gamer Blaze who she has known about for years since she used to watch her brothers play. Blaze though is a recluse and no one knows who he is. Before the game begins Luke is under pressure because his business partner wants to sell half of the company and he is now needing to come up with the money to buy him out. You must read this story to find out the twist. This is a very good story and kept me going throughout and I am not a gamer at all. I really liked all of the characters as well.

"Playing for Love" by Jeevani Charika
Release Date: 2.11.2022

Samadhi "Sam" Ranaweera runs a fashion business during the day and games at night. She is hype when she is chosen to play in a tournament with gamer, Blaze.

Blaze is cocky and self-confident, so Sam is ready to bring her game to impress him! She has no idea that Blaze is actually Luke Burneside, the shy guy from her office.

Sam doesn't even notice Luke, even though he brings her coffee everyday, because is is falling for Blaze!

This was a sweet storyline. I swooned for Luke. Even though I don't game, I can understand how people have a different persona online. It was interesting learning about the YouTube gaming world, but I found it confusing.

Thank you to @NetGalley for the opportunity to read in exchange for my review.

#netgalley #netgalleyreads #playingforlove #romcom #romanticcomedybook #contemporaryromance #bookstagram #bookstagrammer

This was a great book and I think it will really send you teamluke or teamblaze, I can safely say I stuck with one all along. It was such a good story and some amazing characters.

Also, is it just me, or does anyone else want to buy those bag inserts?!

Huge thanks to NetGalley and HQ for my advanced copy of this book.

Playing for Love is a sweet, contemporary romance novel which follows Sam and Luke, two coworkers who are more connected than they realise. Sam has a crush on a famous YouTube gamer and Luke has a crush on Sam, but there’s more to Luke than meets the eye as he’s got a secret identity.

I really liked the premise of the story, I’ve not come across any romance novels before tha incorporate gaming so I was really excited to see how this worked. The author did a great job at describing the gameplay as I could totally picture myself there and I felt really immersed in it.

I thought Sam and Luke were both very likable characters, however, I found their chemistry to be lacking and it wasn’t as strong as it could have been. One thing that really irritated me was just how long it took the pair to figure out who each other was and that aspect of the book just felt really unrealistic.

Overall, this is an okay book, I enjoyed it for the gaming plot, but sadly couldn’t get on board with the romance aspect as it felt too insta love for me which I’m not a fan of.

4.5/5 stars.

This book was so fun! I loved the main characters, loved the plot, loved the way the two love interests finally came together in the end. My only critique of this book was that the plot itself was so very unrealistic—like would this ever really happen?—but the story was so fun and captivating that this didn't bother me that much. I think the author did a great job managing the different identities of the characters and a really great job describing the gameplay. I could imagine myself in the game as well as in the characters' normal lives. I would definitely read another book from this author!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advance copy of this book.

I really enjoyed this book. It was sweet and easy. Just what I was looking for at this time.

The premise itself was refreshing as there are not a lot of romances that delve into the gaming world. I also like the parallel storylines, one IRL and the other via the gaming world. The only drawback for me was the chemistry between Luke and Sam. I was not as invested and felt there could have been a bit more tension and excitement in the romance department.

I would suggest this book for anyone looking for a unique perspective on the mistaken identity trope with YA (light and not steamy) type of romance.

I want to thank NetGalley, Jeevani Charika and HQ, HQ Digital for the e-ARC of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are honest, my own and left voluntarily.

A refreshing romance, with a modern day twist.

Sam and Luke are wonderful characters, Sam an independent woman with a love of hangbags, watching gamers on YouTube and having everything in order. Luke a hard working, YouTube gamer (Blaze) and a socially anxious, kind hearted soul.

Sam enters a competition to win money towards her startup handbag insert business as Bravhura, hoping to be matched with Blaze. Her long term virtual reality crush.

Helping each other in two different worlds, work and gaming. But with no idea of who their gaming partner is. Working together to win a competition that could change both their lives. It was so magically written in the will they, won’t they find out moments.

Sam loves Blaze, Luke loves Sam. Could it be any more complicated?

For me, Luke’s kindness shines through and made the book for me. My social anxiety really felt for Luke and using gaming as a way to alleviate that and be another person.

I game myself and it was so great to finally pick up a romance linked to gaming. I thoroughly enjoyed the game concept and the relationship development of the gaming duo.

The end to this beautiful book made me smile and has stayed with me. Make sure to read this book!

A big thank you to NetGalley and HQ Digital for the opportunity to share an early review of this fantastic book in exchange for an honest review.

This book was just lovely, it was so relatable, fun, funny and cheerful. I really loved and related to the characters and it was definitely what I was looking for in a light hearted lovely read. I absolutely loved it and read it in one sitting, just brilliant!

3.5 stars

Playing for love is a quick read . Sam and Luke are coworkers. Sam has a crush on a gamer and youtuber Blaze who is really Luke. Luke has a crush on Sam. And things just plays off like that I loved the concept. It revolved most around the gaming world, I liked Sam and Luke but the spark was missing . It was third person pov. The writing was ok. If you like cheesy romcoms, this one is you . I would surely recommend it ,

OUT 11TH FEBRUARY

Super cute, sweet romance that spans two worlds - real-life and online gaming.

Samadhi (Sam) and Luke work out of the same coworking space, and Luke has a bit of a crush. Sam, however, can’t see past her own crush - on fellow online gamer, Blaze. Unbeknownst to everyone, Blaze is really Luke - but due to his costume, he’s unrecognized in real life. When Sam, as her alter ego, Bravura9, has a chance to play with Blaze, she ends up hurting Luke’s feelings. What happens when they find out the truth about each other in real life?

I liked the premise of the story, and Sam and Luke were both very likable characters! I do think that their chemistry wasn’t as strong as it could have been, especially with their real life personas.

Thank you to HQ Digital and NetGalley for an early review copy of this book. Review is being left voluntarily; all opinions are my own.

Everything in this book was so well thought and realistic I forgot I was reading. At first I thought this book would have the miscommunication trope (ugh) since it's about multiple identities but it didn't and everything was revealed at the right time. Each character was complex and had their own backstories apart from the main romance, everything was so perfectly executed that I read this book with a smile on my face the whole time.

A light, fun read set in the gaming world. Sam has an online crush and ends up getting to meet them in person. A bit cheesy but enjoyable none the less.

Sam has followed a YouTuber called Blaze for years, with his commentary on the games that he plays. Luke is a shy nerd who's alter ego is Blaze, outgoing where he is introverted and full of confidence. They end up paired together in a tournament with pro players playing with an amateur and Sam doesn't believe her luck. Little do they know that they actually work in the same office complex and have already met.
I play games at a low level, but do not follow anyone on YouTube, but understand the concept. Sam's just started a new business making accessories for handbags, something that I know nothing about apart that my wife seems to have loads of these. Despite this I found that I really enjoyed this story, I could understand and sympathise with both of them and was rooting for them as the tournament went on. So for me this was a fun story, with some thoughtful moments in it, that I read in a day. Recommended for those who want something different.
I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher through Netgalley, however this did not influence my review of the book.

Thank you Netgalley for a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
Playing for love is a comedy romance focusing on the world of online gaming. I have not read anything to do with gaming so I was interested to read this, and I was not left disappointed. The writing took me a while to get use to but after that I started to really enjoy the plot. In the book we follow Luke who runs a small business, and Sam who is currently crowdfunding for her small business to do with insert bags for handbags. Luke starts to help Sam with her pitch for a business. Meanwhile behind the scenes, Sam has signed up to play in a video gaming contest called SyrenQuest, in hope to play with her gaming idol "Blaze", little does she know, that she knows Blaze in real life, and he is completely different. Sam struggles at the beginning of the gaming contest, as she is the least experienced but with practice she gets better, as well as finding her self form a crush on Blaze. Paths start to cross and both find their personal and professional lives getting messy. This was a fun romance book, that kept me hooked, while also talking about grief and friendship.

Playing for Love is a cute story of hidden identities and work place crushes. Whilst there is nothing abhorrently wrong with the story, it’s just… fine. I enjoyed reading it enough to say I liked it and give it 3 stars but it’s lacking certain elements for me and missed the mark in a few areas.
I needed more *feelings* from our main characters.
- I didn’t really believe in Luke’s crush on Sam at work or why when she was always a bit stand off ish and rude to him
- I couldn’t believe that Sam would actually not give men in real life a go because she was so in love with Blaze… who doesn’t exist?
- We’re told that there is tons of flirting between the online alter egos during the game play and I just didn’t pick up on any of that myself unfortunately so all the romance just fell flat in the end

I really liked the idea of this book and was excited when I received it as I love the hidden identify and secret crush tropes but this one just didn’t live up to my expectations in the end.

I received an ARC from the publisher and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own.
Playing for Love is a fun romcom focused on the world of online gaming. And while I’m not into it myself, particularly the competitive elements tapped into here, I do have a passing familiarity with some of this world from watching a few smaller gaming YouTubers over the years. And even without that, I found the landscape of the gaming scene fairly easy to get into.
I really liked both leads. I liked that Sam had ambitions to design handbag accessories. But more than that, I also liked observing the gaming scene from her perspective as both a woman and someone who’s not at all prominent, especially in comparison to her partner, big time gamer, Blaze.
While “secret identity” books can be a toss-up in whether they will work, I did like how it came across where Luke was concerned. He’s a sweet guy in real life, but doesn’t have the confidence in real life that he has when he’s playing games as Blaze. When he discovers his partner for a competition is actually Sam, his work crush, it does complicate things, especially as he inadvertently hurts her, but I appreciated how it was handled for the most part. The deception does take some suspension of disbelief, especially without any mention of voice modification, but I guess in some ways, the presumption that “people won’t know because of such-and-such reason” is par for the course for double-life/secret identity stories.
This book is charming and fun, and I like the subtle way it plays with certain tropes so they’re fresh, fun, and satisfying. If you’re looking for a cute romantic comedy, especially if you like the secret identity/double life trope, you should try this one.

Playing for Love featured an exciting new subgenre of video game romance and it felt specifically tailored for someone like me. I’m an avid romance reader, but I have a great love for video games ever since I watched my older brother play The Legend of Zelda in the early 2000’s. While I lack the prowess myself, I live vicariously through the plethora of tutorials found on Youtube. Playing for Love combines my two fondest hobbies through the inclusion of a “Let’s Player” finding love both on and offline. Let’s Players are Youtubers who run witty commentary over video game footage to entertain their audience. I’m well versed in this quasi-celebrities, like Jacksepticeye and SuperMega, and it’s neat to find their ilk in a love interest position. Playing for Love had a unique plot of falling in love with your favorite Youtuber, but there was very little chemistry despite the vast number of hearts their avatars possessed.

There were plenty of elements that worked in Playing for Love’s favor despite its lack of palpable romantic attraction. It featured an interracial relationship, a girl boss trying to start her own business, and a completely unique formula for romance. It was fascinating to see our couple interact through the video game with their fictional avatars, but unfortunately they were very awkward in their real life encounters. They didn’t discover their real identities until much later in the story and there was no immediate spark offline. Luke was very sweet and soft, but his virtual counterpart Blaze is where his real charisma came out. This was a slow burn romance, but I prefer my books at an accelerated pace with more action in the first quarter.

Playing for Love may have moved at a glacial pace, but the video game plot is a device I would really love to see in the future of romance novels. This is the new millennium and Nintendo’s not just for the boys anymore. Us ladies are also interested in Playstation, Xbox, and what any other gaming company has got to offer. It’s time to move it into mainstream media and pair it alongside the romance community. Jeevani Charika has taken a step in the right direction with the theming, but I just would have preferred more kissing much earlier in the novel. We may have been playing for love, but I could definitely use some cheat codes to improve my gamer score.

The story has a four star rating from me since it was an okay read. Nothing new, but it was fun to read. I like how the author used miscommunication to bridge both characters together. Sam’s business idea is very ideal too. I use bag inserts for organization too. So I know that it is very useful for people like me. As for the story, I am happy to say that this is a true romance story. It has the HEA and a cute ending. There was no epilogue but the ending wrapped everything so well. Its pace was good too. This book I can recommend to people who love stories that use secrets as a plot device.