4.5 stars

this was delightful and definitely one of my favorite sapphic romances of the year! single player follows workplace rivals cat (she/her) and andi (they/she) as they're forced to team up to write potential romance plots for an upcoming, much-buzzed-about video game release. i'm not particularly a gaming nerd, so i'm sure a lot of the video game references in this book went over my head, but i still LOVED following characters working in video game development. i was so invested both in their romance and in the game they were helping write.

both characters have major guards up-- cat because of her lack of romantic history and her feelings that she isn't living up to the expectations of her parents and the people around her, and andi largely due to a previous doxxing scandal that changed her professional and personal life. because of this, it takes a while for these two to crack each others' defenses, which was kind of painful as a reader, but ultimately really rewarding, i think. i found cat very relatable (even when she did cause significant secondhand embarrassment), and while i didn't always find andi likeable, i understood their reasons for behaving the way they did. i also loved seeing a nonbinary love interest in a sapphic romance and would love to see more of that in the genre (selfishly, andi is the epitome of *~my type~* so obvi they were fun to read about). there is a side fake-dating plot that i didn't expect and that affected cat and andi's relationship dynamic in an interesting way. by the time the two main characters get together, i was fully rooting for them.

overall, i think this is an excellent debut that a lot of folks are going to enjoy as much as i did. i'd say this is a must-read for sapphic romance lovers and ga(y)mers alike.

i received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. this does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

This was a really fun dual POV Sapphic grumpy x sunshine coworker romance debut that sees two women videogame designers forced to work together to come up with some new romantic storylines. Amazing on audio narrated by my very fav, Natalie Naudus, this had great women in STEM rep, lots of D&D gameplay, a cast of diverse, queer characters and the perfect amount of spice. Perfect for fans of authors like Cathy Yardley or Jeevani Charika. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early audio and digital copy in exchange for my honest review!

Thank you Alcove Press and Netgalley for allowing me to read an e-ARC of this book.

First off, I gotta say I squealed when I read the “quote” ahead of chapter one. It’s a fake quote from Dragon Age: Inquisition from Varric to Dorian (two of my favourite characters) and I had JUST finished playing that game before I sat down and picked up this book.

I adored all the video game references as well as the D&D references. I loved how no game was too small, too insignificant. That all kinds of games were valid.

I loved how much Cat loved in-game romances. I was instantly drawn to her as a character because same, girl. Same. Her passion enveloped me and I was so excited for her and her journey through this book (her overuse of the term ‘normie’ notwithstanding).

Andi was harder for me to like, which is a shame because as a she/they nonbinary character, I wanted to adore them. She hates Cat for no discernible reason other than “writes romance” which, while I knew there was layers to that, rubbed me the wrong way. I know she had a lot of trauma and I felt that was well depicted, but it doesn’t excuse her behaviour.

The amount of times Andi behaves like an absolute ass, realises they’ve behaved like an ass, acknowledges to themself they should apologise, then doesn’t, is genuinely exhausting. It doesn’t matter if your apology comes hours or even days late. The apology for shitty behaviour still matters and not apologising just lets the other person think you don’t think much of them.

BUT Andi grew on me. Eventually. And I ended up really enjoying their slow burn romance.

This is a proper enemies to lovers romance, a slow burn with no quick fix. I highly recommend to any level gamers who love romance.

There is so much to love about this debut novel by Tara Tai. It is an interoffice, enemies-to-lovers romance, with both video games and D&D woven heavily into the plot. As I am a huge fan of both video games and D&D, I was pretty locked into this book.

The romance aspects were also pretty solid. And I even found some of the erotic imagery quite eloquent and tasteful. However, what I didn't love is that the main character, Cat, is like an emotional roller coaster. Her awkwardness is endearing, but her random mood swings left me cringing. It mostly clears up towards the end of the book, but at the beginning she presents as toxic and vehement—just very yuck.

Cat's unpleasant personality aside, this is a well-paced book with plenty of witty bits that left me smiling.

So,, don't be intimidated by the 55 chapters in this book as it was mostly short chapters and in a dual POV of both main characters.

The premise was interesting but sadly I just don't feel connected to this book, the characters and the story. Even the draggy slow burn felt unnecessary as it felt like the slow burn relationship only happens just to complete the ending.

There are also times I felt the gamers/nerds are feeling super interior over the ones who did not play game and Cat's cringiness makes it even insufferable.

Thank you NetGalley & publisher for this eARC.

With the most delicious tension between the enemies-to-lovers main characters, Single Player will pull you deep into the gaming world and keep you turning pages even if you are not a gamer. So well written, so real it felt as if I were in the story with Cat and Andi. A fantastic debut!

I loved this so much. I love gamer romances and this is my first sapphic one! Did not disappoint. Super fun, super funny with lots of banter. Loved the writing, the pacing and I learnt alot about d&d!

Thank you to NetGalley for giving me an ARC in exchange for an honest review. DNF at 12%. I will not be finishing this book. It is not for me. The characters have barely interacted and the story is not gripping me. I’m only reading and reviewing because it makes me and because I don’t want to hurt my feedback ratio.

This books is EVERYTHING! Really everything. It’s a boss/worker, rivals to friends to lovers, slow burn romance with a lot of sexual tension. I love it so much! But it’s also more than that. It’s a powerful reflection on videogame’s world: the sexism, the hateful revenge against women, the racism, the homophobia…
It’s a powerful book with a really wholesome love story.

Thank you Netgalley and the author for the arc.

Tara Tai's debut SINGLE PLAYER has rewritten my heart's coding.

Cat (she/her) and Andi (she/they) utilize very different armor styles to protect themselves. Cat people pleases and masks her trauma, desperate for acceptance. Andi locks down their emotions before anyone has a chance to break their heart. Yet, for all their safeguards - when they meet their person - masks drop and locks spring free unable to resist each other.

But that armor doesn't crash down all at once. Forced to co-develop multiple romantic storylines for a CRPG, Cat and Andi struggle to see eye-to-eye on the relevance of love in gaming. Tempers flare, lines are drawn, and they obliviously fall in love as they get on eachother's nerves. More so, they feel safe to be their authentic selves.

This is love.

Cat drops the impulse to select the "correct" dialog and speaks/word vomits her truths when challenged by Andi.

Andi actively listens to Cat instead of predicting outcomes. They choose to be in the moment rather than escape conflict.

This is love.

When they've been othered by family who fears their career. They understand each other.

Othered for being queer, non-binary, Asian in a cis white hetero dominated industry. They defend each other.

Othered for being soft, nerdy, shy in a society that expects comformity. They celebrate each other.

When they've been lead to believe they are too difficult to love. They risk their hearts and choose each other.

I may have digressed into an all vibes sorta review, but I'm so genuinely in love with the story gifted to us by Tara Tai. SINGLE PLAYER has my highest recommendation for it's humor, compassion, tension, drama, and love. It's brilliant. All of it.

Thank you NetGalley and Alcove Press for an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

A fun, light, and funny romance with plenty of moments that make you gasp in horror as messy relationships unfold in this sapphic romance between a young Asian woman who got an internship and her boss who also is a renowned Asian queer woman with she/they pronouns in the videogame world.

Rating: 5/5 stars
Steam level: Open-door scene; additional reference to steamy moments

Thoughts (some spoilers):
Whenever I find a book that fits me so perfectly, a book with characters that reflect some of the deepest, most hidden parts of myself, I can’t help but take a moment to sit with my feelings and bask in the uniquely gratifying and poignant experience of being seen. Single Player has easily become a favorite of mine due to the compassionate characterizations of the main characters. The way each personality intertwines with the romance makes for a gorgeous modern-day masterpiece. Trauma and culture are represented with care, and the writing is genuinely funny, endearing, and romantic. As a fellow gamer, the incorporation of gaming in all of it was the cherry on top.

Andi and Cat are such beautifully written characters. Cat is kind, somewhat starry-eyed, and incredibly outspoken, sometimes to a fault. She struggles with insecurities and living authentically for various reasons. On the other hand, Andi has their walls up. On the surface, they’re confident and sure, but they’re also introverted, awkward, and a bit emotionally unavailable, which makes sense due to the bone-deep trauma that they have.

When Andi and Cat are brought together in the context of work, it makes sense why they clash. Cat represents significant moments of grief in Andi’s life, which threatens their carefully constructed emotional walls. How could Andi not respond cautiously and defensively? In response, how could Cat not feel the all-too-familiar echoes of hurt and rejection from these perceived slights? After factoring in attraction and feelings, the resulting angst is magnetic.

Witnessing Andi and Cat come together to find growth and healing in the most precious slow burn was equal parts touching, romantic, and personally satisfying. Just when it seems like the book can’t get any better, the epilogue hit, which was also very rewarding.

I would recommend this book to any fan of romance novels and gaming. I couldn’t stop smiling when reading this, and I hope others enjoy it too.

I received an advanced reader’s copy. All opinions are my own.

Cat has finally landed her dream job, working at a gaming company, albeit as a temp. She's felt different and bullied her whole life, including classmates and her own family, but she should fit in here. Unfortunately, Cat's new boss, Andi, is well-known for her work and definitely acts like she's better than everyone. Cat's been hired on to add romance to the new video game they're building, but Andi is completely against it. Can Cat and Andi work together to build a video game that represents everything they value equally?

This was a great rivals to lovers/workplace romance about feeling different than everyone and trying to fit in. Cat goes through life pretending every conversation is a video game, believing how good her life goes depends on every interactions with MCs and NPCs. Andi hides her/their insecurities behind shields and pushes other people away. This had great queer representation and included some fun gaming and Dungeons and Dragons scenes. Great book for anyone who's ever felt less than and loves gaming.


*** I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. ***

I really loved “Single Player” by Tara Tai. This book is laugh-out-loud funny with relatable and loveable characters. As someone who doesn’t know a lot about gaming, I appreciated learning more about that world. I also appreciate that this is a queer enemies-to-lovers romance and one of the main characters is non-binary. Tai also deals with issues such as bias and bullying in the gaming industry. While I am not usually a fan of workplace romances, I appreciated this one. Great debut by Tara Tai. Looking forward to more. Thanks to Alcove Press and NetGalley for the ARC.

This was a good sapphic workplace romance. There were several references to games I have played or heard of in the past and I loved all of the gamer terminology. I will admit I didn't love Andi at first but over time she grew on me and I ended up liking her a lot. I also really ended up liking Andi & Cat as a couple.

I did get a touch of Tomorrow, Tomorrow and Tomorrow vibes from this book which was great because I loved that book as well.

Overall this was a fun read and if you are into workplace romance with gaming and fake dating, I definitely say give this one a try.

Thank you NetGalley and Alcove Press for access to the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

"Single Player" offers a refreshing sapphic romance set in the gaming world, where two Asian women go from competing against each other to finding love. The story blends rivalry and romance and it turns into a fun, entertaining romance story !

"Single Player" becomes multiplayer in this gamer-centric workplace romance from Tara Tai. On Cat's first day at Heartrender Studios as a temp writer she collides (literally) with Andi Zhang, a giant in the gaming industry and her new boss. Cat and Andi have different visions for the game they'll be working together on, and the tension grows ever greater between them. Can they work together to bring the game to new heights? Or will scheming executives and an ill-advised fake-dating scenario lead to game over.

While this didn't totally work for me, readers who are more drawn to workplace rivals-to-lovers romances (who are also gamers) will find plenty to enjoy.

I am mostly not a fan of boss x employee relationships, and was a bit annoyed that most of the good part of the relationship happened at the end - don't get me wrong, I get what a slow burn is, but maybe this was a bit too long of a burn?

I did like the story though, and I am a big nerd so I really like anything that references nerd culture!

"I believe hope is our beating hearts reminding us that there is still life in this world worth fighting for. That there is still love in this world worth feeling."

If the last 10% of the novel was replicated throughout all of it, this would have been an easy five stars. Unfortunately, it was confined to the last 10% (which meant the good stuff was super rushed).

There are some obvious pros to this novel. The own-voices representation is STUNNING, and I hope that this book is a sign to publishers that the world needs more Asian leads, more enby leads, and more sapphic romances. I appreciated how much of their own background they put into Cat and Andi, and the love of gaming is so clear. I am not a gamer, but I really liked how many metaphors were used throughout (like how Cat works through dialogue options, or how courage is described as taking initiative). The enemies to lovers was done FLAWLESSLY; the couple was believable both as enemies and as a couple, which I feel like is rare in this trope. Their emotions towards each other were palpable.

Alas, I was frustrated by how everything was thrown in to the last 10%. A slow burn is awesome, but not when everything about the relationship is saved for the end. While I understand the need for a final boss, there needed to be smaller enemies throughout the heroes' journeys. Don't just slow burn the relationship, slow burn the portrayals.

And maybe this makes me a terrible person, but I found Cat to be insufferable throughout most of the book. The 2012 gamer speak was just wayyyy too much...I mean, at one point she says "Self control? I haz it." The constant reference to "normies" left a bad taste in my mouth. The way that anyone who doesn't play games is seen as inferior and the way the minor characters (or NPCs, as the book constantly reminds us) felt really superficial. As if we must be constantly reminded how Nerdy our characters and how Important It Is To Be Nerdy. Can we leave that kind of language and rhetoric in the last decade?

Thank you to NetGalley, Alcove Press, and the author for an eARC in exchange for my honest review. Let's continue to write sapphic, enby romances, shall we?

Grumpy x sunshine
Queer
Workplace romance
Enemies to lovers
Fake dating
One bed!!! 🤭

This was a fun read exploring two seemingly opposite protagonists who start off on the wrong foot both wondering if they are capable of finding love.

Cat (she/her) who’s bubbly and sweet, gets her dream job as a writer to incorporate romance into an upcoming video game. While her boss, Andi (she/they) thinks romance in a video game or in general is overrated and unnecessary!

The two butt heads and constantly keep saying the wrong thing out loud to each other!

I enjoyed the insights into the gaming industry and the elements of incorporating romance into a character’s backstory. I’m not much a of a gamer but I can appreciate a good story!

Both protagonists are Asian and queer, but I liked how they were both already accepted by their families (with a brief history of how they overcome it but it wasn’t the main part of the story). The next most Asian thing was how Cat’s parents kept trying to set her up and kept asking when is she gonna get a girlfriend!! I guess it gets to a point where it doesn’t matter who as long as they get married and have kids 🤣

For Andi, she has a lot of past trauma from being named the token minority (as an Asian trans non-binary person) working in a white, male dominated field. While she’s working to overcome it — her closest friends (especially her ex) and mum never really got her. They kept telling her to just move on and basically gaslit her that being stalked and trolled online isn’t that much of a big deal.

Honestly, there doesn’t seem to be much of a plot until the very end. It’s definitely not a miscommunication trope type drama cause they actually don’t talk to each other at all 🤣 but overall, it was slow-burn romance at best.