Wound up listening to this post-pub date on audio and thoroughly enjoyed!

What I liked:
- Asian-American/queer/NB rep
- being queer was not the conflict
- the DND sub-plot
- gaming fems and thems!!! and the gaming development in general

Thank you NetGalley and Alcove Press for the ARC.

Apologies for the late review.

I liked the premise and I thought it would be good. It was ok. Not as enjoyable as I thought it would be.

But there are other aspects of this book to explore such as gaming and women in STEM and broken relationships. It explores deeper interior conflicts between partners and familial issues as well.

I wanted to love this book. The premise is so cute! I think the pacing was a bit off. And while I really enjoyed Cat and Andi’s individual character arcs, they took quite some time to get there. Overall it was enjoyable.

This was a fun read! I enjoyed so many different aspects of this book. Firstly, it wasn't obvious to me from the cover (because yes I judge books by the cover) that this is a sapphic romance. Friends, I should have known! It was beautifully written and the characters felt really real. Second, I am not super keen on video games BUT the story that the author weaves of the two leads and their work with the video game narrative and romance sub-plot was really interesting and opened my eyes to the depth and complexity of work that goes into designing games. Third, linked to the second, I learned a LOT of new words, and not big ones that I had to look up - but video-game world specific language. At first I wasn't sure but I really liked how it brought authenticity to the story and believability to the character's dialogue and way of being. Tai has written some really great characters and put the spotlight on women in gaming that I never thought I'd be drawn to or enjoy and voila - here it is!

Thank you to Alcove press and the author for an advanced copy of this book.

3.75 stars

This is a cute, queer, enemies to lovers, work place, slow burn romance, that even has a little bit of fake dating in it. I love both Cat and Andi, and thought the dynamic between the two was written very well. The tension was written so that when it snapped it was such a great point of the story. Two video game writers?? This book if perfect for the nerdy romantics out there.

This is a delightful and lighthearted romance that is a perfect fit for readers who enjoy queer, contemporary love stories, particularly those who appreciate the intersection of gaming culture and identity, and are looking for a fun and uplifting tale of enemies-to-lovers romance.

HOLY PALUTENA! THIS WAS A STELLAR DEBUT!!!
✨🎮💕

I am happy to announce I have a new book crush, & you will too once you read this!
ANDI ZHANG IS 🔥😍

Next time you’re out book shopping, this is one you MUST want to pick up!

“Single Player,” reignited my love for video games. In fact, I am sad I’m am currently pushing through having trigger finger & unable to pick my switch up. This story has me craving the feeling of getting lost in a game.

“Single Player,” features 2 main characters who are both highly driven & wildly talented. I admire Cat & Andi’s passion for their jobs & their love for gaming. Cat is hired to write the romances for characters in the game that Andi is developing. The way these two meet for the first time had me giggling & kicking my feet (pretty much the whole story had me that way lol).

Something I absolutely loved about the writing in this story is all the micro-yearning/noticing of little things. “I fixate on the striations of fabric hugging her lower ribs.” “My brain is still hung up on the way Cat smelled when she brushed past me.” YOU DON’T JUST NOTICE THE LITTLE THINGS ABOUT ANYONE, YOU BOTH ARE CRUSHING!!!!!

Tara did a lovely job with the gaming references. I feel like they add so much comedy & heart to the story. Even if you aren’t well-versed with gaming or DND references, this is still a VERY enjoyable read.

Natalie Naudus narrates the audiobook for, “Single Player,” PERFECTLY. If you are looking for a sapphic rom com to listen to, this is a great choice!

Read this if…
You want a sapphic workplace romance with high tension that will have you laughing out loud.

A major thank you to @dreamscape_media for the ALC & to @alcovepress for the digital ARC through @netgalley in exchange for my honest review

Thank you to Alcove Press and NetGalley for this free advance reader copy!

An insightful look into gaming, women in STEM and those who feel unwanted by previous partners 𝘚𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘭𝘦 𝘗𝘭𝘢𝘺𝘦𝘳 was really fun dual POV novel with wonderful enby and sapphic representation.

Hopeless romantic and video game connoisseur Cat Li feels she has finally landed her dream job to work with her hero Andi “Andz” Zhang, developing what is expected to be gaming’s next hit.

But when Andi is the opposite of the person she’s built up in her head, Cat struggles to find her place in the workplace, and she struggles in her attempts to show Andi how much romance can add to a game.

I particularly found Cat’s POV relatable and enjoyed the scenes where her insecurities led to her “acting” like a video game player on a quest. It is highly relatable to feel you must put on a front to hide your true self. In true romantic fashion, Andi could see through this front from the beginning, allowing their mutual attraction to grow.

Tai has given a fresh perspective to workplace romance in this debut novel. I particularly enjoyed the detail with which she explained the gaming development process and gaming culture. As someone who has essentially never played a single video, I was worried I’d be unable to follow along the numerous gaming references. However, through her writing, Tai made sure both gamers and those clueless like myself would be able to follow along.

There is a considerable subplot involving dungeons and dragons, which is another world I have no context for and yet inexplicably enjoyed. I particularly liked the aspect of Cat learning the game along with the reader and never felt my lack of knowledge limited my ability to enjoy those scenes.

This was a SLOW BURN; that was the only part that left me wanting more! These two wanted to deny themselves, and I really wanted them to give in! Ultimately, it was worth the wait.

Overall, I appreciated this debut novel and look forward to reading whatever Tai published next!

Cat and Andi both had difficult relationships. They both live in a Cis male dominated professional world. As they stumble into each other's orbit, it's rocky. Over time their connection grows while they navigate both a messy personal and professional relationship.

Happy release day eve to this gorgeous book! I absolutely loved Tara Tai’s Single Player, and you can get it tomorrow!!

Two video game creators go head-to-head in this delightful, queer enemies-to-lovers workplace romance debut, perfect for fans of TJ Alexander and Helen Hoang.

This book was so much fun! Tara did a phenomenal job of creating a realistic enemies-to-lovers story where you could see exactly where their communication fell apart and why. I loved both of their journeys and the way their growth arcs complimented and pushed each other forward. I’m so excited to read whatever Tara comes up with next!

Overall: 4/5
Spice level: 1.5/5
Tropes: workplace, slow burn

This was a good debut from the author. I read this as an arc last month.

Cat and Andi had this weird chemistry that was very slow to show itself. Cat's temping at the game devour company that Andi helps run, but Andi feels that Cat's in the way while also realizing she's a beautiful distraction.

This book has fat rep, lesbian rep, and non-binary rep.

The pacing is extremely slow to the point where I was wondering when the characters were going to actually get together. Also, if someone isn't a gamer (video or otherwise), there will be scenes that are convoluted and filled with tech jargon that can be hard to follow.

Once the romance arc finally entered the room, it was pretty good, and I felt like this was a decent debut from the author.

Two video game creators go head-to-head in this delightful, queer enemies-to-lovers workplace romance.

^from the publisher and it’s perfect! Thank you NetGalley and @alcovepress for a digital copy of this book to review.

I really enjoyed this book! We have Cat and Andi, two video game creators who have to work together on a new game. Cat was hired to write romance for the game but Andi doesn’t want it. As you can imagine…. It goes over well!

Cat and Andi’s dynamic was really fun, and made me laugh quite a bit. They were so openly hostile with each other, and everyone else around them could see the sparks before they did! I loved Philo and Cat’s roommate Lou for that!

The video game world was really interesting, intense, and opened my eyes a bit as someone who is not an active gamer. I gotta say though that DILF game sounds so fun. Also the D&D campaign sounded great!!

There was actually some pretty heavy backstory sprinkled throughout that I enjoyed. Brought depth to the characters. Insecurity, family dynamics, fear of not finding a partner. Very relatable.

The chemistry was electric and this is a SLOW burn people but so worth it. I thought the enemies/rivals to lovers was done so well here. Love that ending!! And the epilogue!!! A really fun debut that kept me turning pages.

Loved this unique romance novel about video games. The queer rep is also well done. I was drawn into the book from the start until the very end—a quick read for me. Highly recommend!

This story grew on me as I read it. At first I had no idea how these two were supposed to fall in love, as they were hardly in the same room or alone together. Then you had this instinctual type of protectiveness slash envy from the boss.
I feel like it took a while for the romance to take off but I did enjoy all I learned about game making and the story building behind it all.
The big story of romance writing taking skill and creativity is really important.

Tara Tai’s Single Player delivers a delightful blend of workplace rivalry, romance, and the immersive world of video game development. This queer enemies-to-lovers debut centers on Cat Li, a spirited writer of romantic storylines, and Andi Zhang, her stoic and guarded boss. The narrative shines as a character-driven romance against the innovative and often high-pressure game design environment.

I feel like Tai skillfully navigates themes of trust, ambition, and vulnerability. Cat’s optimism and romantic ideals initially clash with Andi’s pragmatic, romance-averse mindset, creating sparks that slowly become heartfelt connections. The workplace tension feels authentic, grounded by the vivid backdrop of game development challenges, from creative differences to high-stakes corporate politics.

I genuinely loved this so much more than I initially thought I was going to.

Cringe moments aside, there was more about this to love than I expected. It's a **very** slow burn, with a lot of conflicting pining, 'will they/won't they' along the pages. It grabbed me early, kept me going and then at around 66% it grabbed my by the neck and kept me invested until I needed to finish it.

This was one of those instances were the interconnected plots paid off. It came off messy but in the way that I felt it emulated the chaos of real life and how small the world feels at times in communities like this. There was so much alive in this world, that I really didn't mind the slow burn. There was character development that both Cat and Andi needed to go through before they could get together. I really appreciated this different approach to their character arcs instead of giving us a third act breakup in the last 15 pages. Add a sprinkle of drama, because the gaming community totally lacks in that department(/s), and it gave me an ending that felt perfect for Cat and Andi.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

As soon as the character went G's stands for money in gamer code I was out. Like I aint an idiot, this book was written in 2024 and aimed at an audience most likely who are 12 or older in 2025 and therefore would know what this means. I felt like the author was treating the audience as if they are a child and stupid and as if they are inferior like no, not for me.

This is a 4.5 for me. I loved this, it was so cute and fun and warmed my heart. I loved how nerdy both MCs were and the grumpy x sunshine dynamic between the two of them. I think between the two MCs Andi was my favorite. I just love Grumpy characters who are really just softies on the inside and the reason why Andi was "grumpy" was due to how the industry and those around them treated them. They were screwed over and used by their last company/mentor, the industry full of basement dwelling misogynists harassed them not just online but in real life. That would make anyone standoffish and grumpy. Which is why I loved Cat for them because that is exactly who Andi needed a sweet person who will also stand up and fight for them at the same time. Yes, Cat is a sweet and cheerful romantic, but she can and does stand up for herself and for those she cares about and even does that for Andi at a crucial moment that Andi really needed to see someone stand up for them. I also really enjoyed how nerdy they were. While I personally don't play any PC or Table games, I have lots of friends who do so for me as I was reading this book, I just felt like I was watching a romance between two of my good friends unfold and it was fun to watch.

Overall loved the book, characters, plot and writing and I think for a lot of nerds, queer or just plain romantics will enjoy this book.

This book is about Cat who lands the opportunity of a lifetime to be an intern on the writing team for an upcoming game writing the romance portion for some of the main character profiles. This is literally her dream as it combines her love of Games and romance together. So, it should be smooth sailing right... That is until she meets who boss who is none other than the infamous Andi Zhang who is not only arrogant but apparently a hates romance and love and sees no need for Cat input on the game. All Andi cares about is bringing to market an amazing game to show the industry they are a serious developer especially after everything that happened early on in their career resulting in them being doxed and harassed on the internet. Unfortunately, the man funding the game has other plans and thinks this game needs romance to target a growing female gamer demographic. This means that Cat and Andi will have to work together with their clashing personalities and ideas for the game and come up with something they can both be proud. That is if they can stay on track and ignore the growing heat and tension between the two of them. Especially as there are those who are trying to bring about the downfall of not just the game but Andi as well.

I received an ARC Copy in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley.

Cat and Andi are two chaotic, awkward potatoes and watching them fall in love is charming.

While this is being marketed as enemies-to-lovers, and it has the e-t-l vibes, I think it is more about these two being ridiculous every time they come into contact with each other. Which is perfect for me as a reader because I don’t love the enemies-to-lovers trope.

This was a fun world to get lost in. Everything from the workplace setting to the side characters made this a very immersive read. The last-minute villain story arc was exceptional and I loved the way things were resolved.

If you are looking for a queer, nerd reference heavy romance story, this might be the one for you.

I received a digital ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

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.