Virtual crushes become reality in this “play”ful romance book. In this novel we follow our main characters Sam and Luke as they navigate their crushes, most of whom are real people. Yes, I’m talking about a video game. Yes, that was a sad excuse of a pun in the first line.

Our story takes us through a work-related romance, or would be if it wasn’t so one sided. Luke is crushing hard on Sam; Sam on the other hand has been in love with a gamer named Blaze – who so happens to secretly be Luke.

In a crazy, fantastical way (that only happens in books), our girl Sam enters a video game competition for a chance to meet her crush Blaze in person. She not only gets picked to be in it, but is partnered with him and believes her life is complete. But what started out for Luke to be a fun, stress-free competition quickly takes a turn when he realizes that he needs the prize money.

While I’m not usually a fan of the awkward/bad communication trope in books, I couldn’t help but laugh at their conversations. While we know who’s-who the whole time, it was too funny seeing them tiptoe and talk their way around each other. When they finally connected to dots and put everything together, well let’s just say it wasn’t the introduction they thought it would be.

Fun, witty and such an adorable romance novel. I absolutely loved how this book played out and enjoyed it from start to finish. While I related to Sam a little too hard in the whole ‘I have no idea how to play video games, but I’m trying my best’ kind of way, I couldn’t get enough.

If work-related romances are your cup of tea, you will definitely enjoy this. I was so thrilled to be able to read this book before it was published and hope that you find this book as loveable as I did.

Book Rating: 4/5
Spice Rating: 2/5

A sweet secret identities romance with a refreshing backdrop around gaming and YouTube. For the most part it was a fun easy read, sprinkled with some serious issues about family and grief that were handled well.

I enjoyed both sides of the secret identities. The 'real life' slow burn romance had a nice up to date feel around Crowdfunder small businesses. I wasn't entirely convinced about the 'revolutionary' bag idea (as I've seen these kind of things for a while now) but the story around it was heartwarming and the interaction between the two main characters getting to know each other was sweet.

The gaming side of the story was a lot more fast paced and fun, and I really enjoyed the gameplay story aspect which was engaging and an interesting way for the alternate identities to get to know each other. I also really appreciated the commentary on women in gaming and the real problems that they still face in today's society.

Of course with the secret identity trope comes miscommunication, that's to be expected. However for my taste the problems arising from the miscommunication went on far too long. I would have appreciated the reveal to come earlier in the story and the latter part of the story concentrating on how to resolve those issues and to see a bit more of their relationship once they were together.

This was a delight to read. Once again, a bit of suspension of disbelief is required - they didn't recognize each other when they met in person??? BUT, it can be forgiven in the spirit of cosplay. Gamers in particular will love this, but anyone with a competitive spirit will be in on this title. Loved it!

Ever since her mum died, Samadhi has watched YouTube streams of video gamers to help her destress. Sam plays games herself as well, so when she's selected in a contest to partner her all-time favourite streamer, Blaze, in a competition to promote a new game, it's her lucky day. Except that in real life she's trying to get her fashion business off the ground and she needs all her time to do that. Blaze is a swashbucking pirate type - with a big following and as well as wanting to make sure she doesn't embarrass herself in front of the internet, she's also got a bit of a crush. Ok, make that a lot of a crush. But what she doesn't know is that in real life, Blaze is actually Luke - the shy guy from her office who has been helping her with her crowdfunding campaign. And of course Luke doesn't know that Sam is Bravura. And every day as Luke is working up the courage to ask Sam out, Sam is falling a little bit harder for Blaze. How will the competition end - and will Sam realise who Luke is before it's too late?

So I love a double identity/mistaken identity romance which is something I could list a whole bunch of historical romances with that trope and obviously there are also films like You've Got Mail, Pillow Talk, Some Like it Hot. And this is a delight. I really appreciated that Luke never took advantage of the fact that he realised who Sam was first (which is my problem with You've Got Mail and Pillow Talk if I think too hard about it) and there is also plenty of competency porn and calling out of people being icky to women in the gaming world and in the bottom half of the internet. But the slow burn romance is the main attraction here - and it's a delight to watch especially as I wasn't quite sure how it was all going to work out.

This is the first book that I've read by Jeevani Charika - but she also writes as Rhoda Baxter and I've heard her interviewed before on the Smart Bitches podcast and have been meaning to try and read some of her books. And I enjoyed this so much that I'll definitely be doing that. If they're all as much fun as this, I've got some really good reading in front of me. I complain a lot about wanting more romantic comedies and how hard it is to find them - so I really enjoyed finding one and I'm hoping that the act of buying some of the back catalogue will help the algorithm put some more my way!

A mistaken identity rom com for the YouTube age, this funny and sensitive story follows Sam, a wannabe entrepreneur, and Luke, a workaholic nerd who use an office space. While Luke has been living a double life for years, donning his gaming headset at night to become famous streamer Blaze, Sam’s own double life is just about to begin.

When a gaming company announces a new immersive game experience and wants to pair up amateur gamers with professional ones, Sam leaps at the chance to enter, desperately hoping to be paired up with her secret teenage (and still now) crush… Blaze!

Little does she realise the YouTube sensation is actually her office buddy, and he’s got a crush of his own…

Fun and compelling read which I devoured in a couple of days!!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for providing an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I know absolutely nothing about the world of gaming, but that did not stop me enjoying this book.

An unashamed 'chick-lit' romance – uncomplicated and a very quick read. Think Cyrano de Bergerac crossed with Pride and Prejudice set in a modern-day office complex and the gaming world.

Who will she go for – the avatar or the slightly nerdy, but oh so nice computer whizz in the office? Read it and find out...

This was the first time I've read a novel by Jeevani Charika, and I ended up finishing the book in one go and far too late into the night for during the week. It's a sweet romance with two shy main characters, set in the world of online gaming.
Sam and Luke are colleagues in real life, and neither of them initially realize who they're playing with when their gamer personae, Blaze and Bravura, are teamed up for an online competition. And while Luke is falling for Sam in real life, Sam is fangirling over Blaze. I enjoyed the element of hidden identity in this story and the nerdy setting with cosplay and the convention. Both the main characters are very likeable, but I absolutely adored Luke. A warm, cozy hug in the form of a romance - definitely one I'd recommend if you need a feel-good read!

Thank you to NetGalley and HQ Digital for this digital ARC.

A quick, fun read.

There's miscommunications gallore in this one.

The overall narrative was fine, but I had a hard time connecting with the characters. There was a lot going on with kind of two intertwined plots. This was rather predictable, but cute for the right reader.

Well, this is the first book I’ve read about gaming! Sam and Luke are colleagues and friends in real life, but neither knows they’re also colleagues and friends in another, virtual life.
An unusual boy meets girl, with a lot of “imposter syndrome” in it - neither thinks they’re as capable as they really are. And a touch of Cinderella…
Great fun!

Gracias Netgalley y a la editorial por la copia a cambio de una reseña honesta.

Estaba súper intrigada con este libro, lo arranque bien me llegó el email confirmando que me lo enviaban.

Esta historia tiene dos tramas paralelas, una en la vida real y otra en el mundo de los juegos en línea. Sam y Luke tienen dos vidas.

Sam (Samadhi) está iniciando un negocio "Shanthi Bags", sin el apoyo de su familia ya que no lo saben. Ha invertido sus ahorros en una pequeña oficina dentro de The Nest y espera que su campaña de crowdfunding funcione.

Luke es un chico tímido que
invierte todo su tiempo trabajando en proyectos y le resulta difícil comunicarse con la gente, especialmente con la chica que le gusta.

Luke juega juegos en línea como Blaze, mientras que Sam acaba de empezar a jugar en Bravura.

Sam ha sido una gran admiradora de Blaze durante toda su adolescencia y finalmente tiene la oportunidad de conocerlo en la vida real. Sin saber que Luke y Blaze son la misma persona.

------------

Pero a pesar de que el concepto es interesante, lamentablemente, la ejecución no me cerró por completo e incluso me llegó a parecer un poco aburrido ( esa fue la razón por la cual me tarde más de dos semanas en leerlo).

No sentí que Luke y Sam tuvieran ninguna química real o chispa entre ellos en absoluto. Luke está enamorado en secreto de Sam, Sam deja en claro que no se siente atraída por él.A Sam le gusta mucho un YouTuber llamado Blaze desde su adolescencia cuya cara nunca ha visto... Formaron una linda amistad en el trabajo, pero en términos de romance y coqueteo no encajaban bien juntos.

Quería más coqueteo, más bromas, más escenas en dónde se desarrolla su relación.

This is a first time read for me by this author and reading the blurb it seemed like an interesting trope to read. I haven't read too many tropes involving the gaming world and I thought this would be a fun read. I was not wrong - I enjoyed the story and found myself laughing and smiling throughout. It's a feel-good story with cute and endearing characters you can't help but fall in love with. Luke and Sam were great, very relatable and realistic. Shy and sweet heroes are so adorable and appealing and Ms. Charika really nailed it with Luke's character. The plot was interesting and kept my interest from start to finish and the storyline flowed smoothly. This was a quick, fun, lighthearted read - perfect if you want to just escape for a bit with a nice cup of tea or whatever your preferred beverage. Adorable story and I'm glad to have had the opportunity to read it.

I received a complimentary copy from Netgalley and am voluntarily leaving my review.

Sweet romance with blended lines and miscommunications galore. A quick, fun read.

Thank you to Netgalley and HQ for the ARC.

I really enjoyed this book, mainly because I love a bit of hidden identity romance!

Although I am not a gamer, it was interesting to read a book set in this work. Also loved the fact the characters worked in a start-up incubator type place, really set in reality!

I did feel some of the dialogue was a bit clunky but it didn't spoil my enjoyment of the story and I was rooting for both characters by the end of the tale!

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the eARC in exchange for a honest review.

I requested this book because a was intrigued by the premise: Sam is trying to start her own business; Luke is the shy guy from her office, but also Blaze, an online popular player she’s obsessed with. They’re unaware of each other identities online. While Sam ignores Luke in real life, she falls for Blaze.
Although I wasn’t swooning, I liked this book.
I found both characters relatable and the romance was cute and sweet. I appreciated the way the relationship grew slowly through their gameplay and the dual pov is the perfect choice for this book.
I also liked the insight on the online gaming world, which I admit I know very little about.
I would have like to see more romance, if that makes sense, and unfortunately, I’m not a fan of miscommunication in general.
I really loved the premise and the idea behind the book, I just wished to see more chemistry between their real life identities. In the end, does Sam really know the real Luke? Does she like him for who he is?
It was still a cute read and I think this is perfect for you if you want to read a clean romance set in the gaming world.

I really enjoyed this book I just wish it was a little longer. I think that they should have interacted a bit more as their characters because without it, it just feels like a parasocial relationship. I understand that that is kind of the idea but I feel like a bit more interaction between them would make it more believable. I loved when they were just Luke and Sam though I do wish before the reveal that they would have hung out together besides just being at work.

I received a copy through netgalley.

I loved this book, it's one of those 'can't put this book down' novels and i read it in just over a day. Maybe a bit predictable but a great romcom read

Sam is trying to launch her company, Shanthi bags, after being laid off from her previous job. It’s been a dream of hers for years and she is finally taking the leap. In her down time, Sam likes to watch Blaze’s video gameplay on YouTube. Blaze has been a comfort for Sam through some rough patches in her life. So, when she finds out about the chance to possibly meet Blaze, she enters the lottery. Soon after she finds out she’s been selected to compete in the online tournament with Blaze himself!

Things turn complicated when a shy, nerdy colleague named Luke decides to help Sam with her crowdfunding page. Luke has a crush on Sam, but she has eyes for Blaze. What Sam doesn’t know, is that Luke IS Blaze. Neither one has any idea that their online gaming tournament partner is someone they know in real life.

This was such a cute story! I absolutely adored Luke! He was so sweet and I related to his shyness. Luke created Blaze as an online alter ego to escape the real world— which is definitely something I understand. While I don’t portray a whole new person on booksta/booktok/booktwt, I do find myself more open and outgoing in my conversations. It’s so much easier to talk to people who share a common interest— especially online.

The square like romance (which was really just the same two people) was so entertaining. Watching Sam fall for the online persona, while Luke fell for Sam, was a fun ride. I also loved reading from both POVs and I think dual POV romance is becoming a favorite of mine.

While fun, this book was also emotional to read. Sam lost her mother at a young age and found Blaze during this difficult time. Sam’s inspiration for her business is her mother and her love for her purses. The purses which Sam still has to this day and give her a lasting connection to her mom.

I adored the concept of this book, two people intertwined between real life and their online personas.

Luke and Sam work in the same co-working hub, but at night they are a team battling in a major online gaming contest as Blaze and Bravura. Luke has a major crush on Sam, who in turn is falling for Blaze. A geeky and fun romance book about gaming, YouTubers, and two people trying to understand who they are and the world around them.

Although this was somewhat entertaining, the romance was lacking. I'm not a fan of the miscommunication trope, and in this case, it just went on for too long. In the end, I wasn't convinced Sam actually understood who Luke was outside of his Blaze persona, and couldn't find an actual spark between them.

I think the idea was original and refreshing, but it needed to be a bit more refined.

Sam and Luke are such relatable characters. I love both of these characters and how they are just like people I know in the real world. This book is an easy read with chapters from the 2 character's perspectives. It's pacey and charming and I devoured it during a short break away. Loved every minute of it.

Thanks to HQ and Netgalley for the ARC of this book!