This is modern romance. Set in the world of gaming - which is completely unknown to me. It was good to learn a bit about gaming - it's always been a mystery as to why people would watch other people playing video games. This was quite exciting and it was interesting to see the real life discussions this engendered. I think younger readers may identify more with this but this oldie found it an enjoyable lighthearted read. #netgalley #playingforlove

I have one word for this book: CUTE!!

Luke is into Sam but Sam just sees him as the sweet, nerdy guy from work. When they end up gaming online together anonymously, Sam is attracted to Luke but Luke is too into the girl at work to notice her…

This was such a cool and original concept and like nothing I’ve ever read before. Because parts of Sam and Luke’s relationship builds inside the game world it was almost like reading little snippets of a fantasy.

Of course, it was a predictable story but it was definitely the romantic, funny and lighthearted book I was hoping for ❤️

Playing For Love - Jeevani Charika

Thanks to Netgalley and HQ for the ARC.

Ok. This review was hard to write. This book is from a new to me author, and it features a trope that, while not my favourite, is one I can enjoy.

However, it just didnt work as well as I was hoping for me.

The basic premise is Sam is a woman attempting to start a business. Through her life she has followed a Youtube Gamer named Blaze. She suddenly gets the chance to play with him when she wins a contest. She plays under her alter ego Bravura.

Then there is Luke, who works in Sam’s office and has a large crush on her. He also has the secret identity of Blaze.

So, Sam, starts to fall for Blaze not knowing he is Luke. Luke in return is falling for Sam, not knowing she is Bravura. What follows is identity hijinks.

I like the premise, mistaken identity can be really fun. The basic plot, as an outline was fine for me. I even like Luke and Sam as individual characters. Each have their motivations and the differing approaches they each have to how they treat Online vs Reality is very interesting and enjoyable to think about.

The execution tho. It just seems so choppy and weird at times. Luke and Sam, they have a few moments of cuteness, but overall not a ton of on page chemistry. A majority of the book is spent focusing on each of them pining for the other’s identity, but shows very little of them falling for the other part of them.

For example, Sam spends the whole book almost in love with Blaze and suddenly she is like I will choose Luke over Blaze always. But there is just not really any kind of meaningful lead up to that moment, so it just falls flat.

That and just the flow of the book. It jumps around weirdly. Scenes that feel like they should be longer just like…get bypassed. Plus the whole plot was supposed to pretty much be over like…2-3 weeks, which I know in romances is not super short, but just for the amount of action happening. It was just a bit rough.

Overall it’s not a bad book. I finished it, I wasnt dragging my feet to finish. I was content to read it. But it is def not one I will be reaching for again any time soon.

I really enjoyed this book. It was easy to engage in their relationship and mostly I loved the characters.
I could not stop reading. First time to read this author and She rocks. Already looking for her other books. Perfect Valentines read.

This novel is really nice and well written and I liked it. I particulary enjoy the fact that the story has two parallele storylines, one in real life and one in the videogames world. I don’t know the videogames world, so I was intrigued by this.
The characters are great and loveable. I fell in love with Sam. I think her character is very realistic and I love the struggles she has with her job and her family. I love that she is trying to start a business, but she’s not quite success at start. Luke is also really cute, a little bit creepy at the start, tbh, but he learns a lot during the story.
I’m sad to admit that I don’t feel the chemestry between Sam and Luke. I love both of them and love their journey, but the romance leaves me emotionless. I like their friendship more. What a pity!
However, I will recommend this book, because it’s really sweet and the characters are so retable, especially Sam.

Thank you HQ stories for the arc!

This was a sweet and funny read by a new author to me.

Sam, a struggling bag insert creator, is a huge fan of online gaming streamer, Blaze. When the opportunity arises for her to compete to win enough money to help her business, she finds herself teaming up with Blaze.

Meanwhile Blaze, aka Luke, works in the same offices as Sam, and, unlike his online persona doesn't have a great deal of confidence. He is immediately drawn to Sam, but at first her feelings are less invested. As such, there are two parallel storylines going on, with feelings developing between Sam and Luke, and Bravura and Blaze, and with neither knowing the other's alternate identity.

Overall, I really enjoyed the premise. And the plot is mostly successful, with plenty of cute moments. I did feel it was a little too safe at times, and some of the gaming parts were over-descriptive for me. That said, I enjoyed the way their relationships developed and there was a satisfying ending.

Overall Rating: ❤❤❤1/2 rounded up to ❤❤❤❤
Heat Rating: 🔥
Emotional Rating: 🥰🥰😂💓

'Playing for Love' is a romance novel which follows the lives and blossoming feelings between Sam, a young aspiring handbag designer, and Luke, a shy, unassuming guy who leads a secret double-life as the famous YouTube gamer 'Blaze'. Sam grew up watching Blaze, finding comfort in his game streams after the passing of her mother, and develops affection towards his confident, kind personality. When Sam wins the chance to play with Blaze in a gaming competition, she grabs it with both hands. The prize money would also help with her under performing handbag company Shanthi Bags, a tribute to her late-mother. These feelings begin to get tangled, as Luke develops a crush on Sam, but Sam is too busy distracted by her unrequited feelings for Blaze. Will Sam find out the truth about who Blaze really is?

I found this book quite enjoyable to read, and I definitely was gripped to find out what will happen between Sam and Luke. There were moments where I was so engrossed in their double-lives and evolving feelings towards the other in their separate lives. However at times, this did come off as somewhat immature. Their reactions and thoughts could be compared to that of teenagers, which didn't match with the narrative of them being young adult professionals. In this aspect, I wonder if this would have been better suited as a Young Adult novel, and the characters younger in age to reflect these thoughts and feelings that are often had by those in their teenage years.

I loved the game play, and i think Charika captured this aspect brilliantly. The accuracy of the media and public reaction to their online romance was very captivating. As someone who has never been to a convention, I feel this was described in a way that made it really easy for me to follow along with what was going on, and could feel the tension and pressure on Sam in these moments. The twist when Blaze/Luke figures out his teammate is Sam was also done very well, but again, was handled in a way that come across almost a little too childish to feel real.

I would have loved to see the side-plot of Sam and her relationships with her family, particularly her father, fleshed out more and developed in more than just one part of the chapter. Her business being a tribute to her late mother was very touching, and this would have been a great read if developed more throughout. We got small moments of Sam talking to her cousin and brother about it, but it felt too rushed to have it go as smoothly as it did when her father finally finds out. The buildup to it almost felt a little anti-climactic.

As a whole, this was a very enjoyable read, and I would be excited to read more for Charika. This is a great romance for a younger audience, and one I would definitely recommend!

I loved the whole playing a game aspect of the book. It was unique and new to me. I also loved Luke being a Gaming YouTuber, a successful one at that. Not to mention, Sam aspiring to own a business around purses to honor her mother. However, I did not feel the connect between the two characters. It felt forced to me. Also, uncomfortable at times because Sam is so in love with her idea of who 'Blaze' is while you can tell that Luke really likes her. Still, I do enjoy that secondary characters were there to remind both of them that you can't force someone to love you or be into you. Overall, I did enjoy a lot of this book and I hope to see more game based romances in the future.

Thank-you NetGalley and HQ Digital for the chance to review this book.

It was nice to read a book where gaming was a driving force to the plot.
I really enjoyed reading about these characters.
Sam and Luke were really great!
This book had a very interesting premise and that alone was a plus.
The writing style on this was great too.
This was my first book by the author, and I can’t wait to read more!
More detailed review to come with Spoilerly bits after a week of release.

What can I say, when I'm not reading I'm either gaming or sewing and since I finally got back into console gaming it's more often than not the former.
Obviously then when I saw Playing for Love incorporated romance and gaming (with a teeny bit of fabric craft thrown in) I was all over it.

The premise is simple-ish.

In real life we have Sam and Luke renters in a collaborative working space and acquantences at best though Luke would like it to progress much further.
In the digital realm of Syren Quest our protagonists take on the roles of Bravura and Blaze respectively. Blaze is a famous YouTuber and longtime object of Sam's adoration.

What ensues is a tale of cyclical affections, video games, business startups and parasocial relationships.

Even though the story is fairly predictable (even if it's told in an unconventional manner) I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Knowing what's going to happen doesn't stop you oohing and aahing at the twists and turns however. Or wondering what will happen when they find out that them and their digital counterparts are one and the same.

The only glaring flaw I found was within the worst couple of chapters when we discover Luke is 'in love' with Sam. A woman he has never even spoken to. Friends, if someone you've never spoken to declares their love for you run far and run fast. Trust me.

Thankfully in this case the ability to see into Luke's thoughts means we're aware that he's simply down bad and nothing more. Still blissfully unaware as to why though.

If you're on the hunt for your next fluffy romance then I highly recommend. Likeable characters, unusual plot and lots of awkward staring. What's not to love?!

“Playing for Love” by Jeevani Charika is an adorable slow-burning contemporary romance in dual pov following a series of dilemmas and secret identities woven into a battle of virtual reality and real life.

“It’s only a game…”

Two People. Two Identities. A promotional video game event that will determine one thing…will the quest of unrequited love interfere?

"Playing for Love" follows the heroine, Sam, who has recently left her job to create a line of interior bags for purses in honor of her late mother, and hero, Luke, running his personal clientele business alone as his partner fails to contribute leaving his only escape to his professional streamer persona, Blaze.

Sam has always sought comfort in video game streams after watching her siblings after her mom passed. But one, in particular, stood out, and when an opportunity to not only raise money for her business but to meet the infamous Blaze? There was only one option...she never thought they would choose her to be his teammate. The minute Luke's eyes set on Sam, he can only be described as head over heels and jumping to assist her in her business start-up. He has made his feelings clear, but Sam has her eyes set on someone else. Neither would have suspected they were teammates breaking the internet with an alternate will-they-won't-they spark.

When I started this book, I did not expect to love it as much as I did. Although the beginning was a slow start, it became all worth it in the end. The back and forth between these two characters had slowly had me addicted to a point I could not decide where my heart was as it yearned for more. The side characters had surprisingly enjoyable interactions with the main characters, and the added dialogue with them never felt like a drag. The main characters had my heart aching and begging, especially Sam. Her story was so incredibly unique and relatable in all aspects. It was definitely a book that stood out from my usual taste but gave me a warm feeling in my heart I do not usually find in others.

I would highly recommend this book if you are someone in the mood for a quick read that is simple and enjoyable. I have no doubt it has the power to make others smile, blush, or even bring tears to their eyes.

Thank you to HQ Stories and Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

(Thanks NetGalley and publisher for this eArc!!)

Playing for love was a cute lighthearted romance.
👜☕️ 💻 🎮🔑🎉 💕

Here we have a love Square 🟥 with only two people.

We’re following parallel storylines as Sam and Luke meet in real life and their secret online gaming personas are partnered up for a competition. Sam has always been obsessed with Blaze’s commentary over his online games. Luke is Blaze but that’s a secret. Luke is obsessed with Sam, who he spilled coffee on (this is irrelevant🤷🏽‍♀️). She is actually his online gaming partner, Bravura. Again we know their personas but they don’t know 😉.

If you’re in the mood for a very charming and comfy romance this is a great 👍🏽 one. Also, I love secret identities and love squares now!

A Book with similar vibes would be 'The Bookish Life of Nina Hill'. by Abbi Waxman

I absolutely loved it! It gives me proper “The Love Hypothesis” vibes - a cute romance. The main character is amazing and I really liked how stressed her roots were. The fact that there are kind of two stories happening at once - the real life and the game/online life, was such an interesting concept.
I very much enjoyed this and I would recommend it to anyone who’s looking for an easy and pleasant rom com!

Luke is falling for his coworker Sam. Sam has been in love with the online gamer Blaze since she was a teenager. Blaze is playing in a video game tournament with a rookie gamer going by the name Bravura. But Blaze is Luke and Sam is Bravura.

This was really cute! I loved the blending of genres between the workplace rom-com and the action/adventure VR video gaming. The dual identities was a fun trope as was the fall out that was bound to come with it.

This was such an interesting premise for a book and I was gripped the whole time. I couldn't wait to see what would happen next for our MCs or their alter egos. I thought it was really cool how we got to see a bit of who the characters wanted to be if they thought it wouldn't effect their daily lives.

I wasn't sure how the ending was going to work and I was a little worried they were going to gloss over some of the issues that had become apparent throughout the conflicts, but I was pleasantly surprised and satisfied by the ending!

A super cute rom-com with a side of action/adventure. Very enjoyable!

Thank you Netgalley and HQ for the wonderful ARC!

Thankyou for giving me the chance to read in advance. Funny and witty and thoroughly enjoy it until the end. Would highly recommend.

After losing her job Sam begins her own company whilst simultaneously keeping herself entertained watching online gamer Blaze who she has been watching since her teens. She also meets Luke who works from the communal work space in Sam’s building where he helps her with launching her business.

In order to further help fund her new business Sam enters a gaming competition where she is ultimately paired with her online crush Blaze. (Not a spoiler) Luke has actually been living a double life as Blaze which leads to the two being blurred once Sam enters both his personal and online life.

As a gamer myself I really enjoyed the story around the tournament and whether they would win as well as the issues surrounding the gaming world such as sexism being addressed. Playing for Love was a quick, easy and fun read which I feel would also be appropriate for YA readers.

I don’t think this book would be for everyone but anyone who loves the gaming world will enjoy this book. The romance happens extremely fast considering how little everyone interacts but it didn’t take away from rooting for the characters. The book also featured some really likeable and diverse secondary characters who helped make it such an enjoyable read. Playing for Love is a great palette cleanser between heavier, intense romances and I look forward to reading more from Charika.

A big thank you to Netgalley and HQ digital for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

a very true to life read, relatable characters, I loved the read it was light hearted and easy to read.

When Sam unexpectedly wins a place to test out a virtual headset with a new game, she gets paired with YouTuber and online gamer Blaze. Together they have to play a couple of knockout rounds to reach the final, which will be played live at a gamer’s convention. Sam can’t believe her luck, testing and playing the game with her idol Blaze, and she can definitely use the potential prize money should they win.

Sam is working hard to get her start-up business off the ground, a business honouring her mother’s legacy and love for handbags. Luke, who has a crush on Sam, offers his help with her crowdfunding page and gives her pointers on how to improve her business pitch.

Will Sam, who fan-girls over Blaze, ever notice Luke?

I absolutely loved this book by Jeevani Charika. I especially enjoyed the game play- but I understand this is not for everybody. It helped me getting to know the differences and similarities between online personas and the individuals in real life, and for me it gave Sam and Luke more depth.

An absolute fabulous read!

Thank you NetGalley and HQ, for my eARC in exchange for my honest unedited review.

Thank you to NetGalley and HQ Publishing for an ARC of this book. All opinions in this review are my own.

This book was adorable and I loved it. It was a two-person love triangle, but it had so much angst & miscommunication. I still got my HEA/HFN while having a diverse cast of character experiencing all sorts of things. It has video games, small businesses, fighting misogyny, and character growth & healing. I was able to read this book so fast because it was an easy read but addicting & so cute. I really enjoyed it. 4.75/5

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

While this book is enjoyable to read, I did find it quite cliché at times and the characters were sometimes a little stiff. The ending all seemed to wrap up quite quickly as well. Not as good as other recent modern romance books such as The Heart Principle.