Cat + Andi

-sapphic romance
-workplace romance
-gamers
-annoyance to love
-fake dating (not with the fmc👀)

the dynamic that was built between these two was soo good & intriguing!! i loved the slow build & all the tension!! i wish there was more time for us to get some of the sneaking around or some love of them both! really funny gaming narrative in here tho!

I was given an E-ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin Random House.

I really enjoyed this novel. It's an enemies-to-lovers romance that takes place between an asian woman and an asian non-binary person who are writers in the same videogame studio. Cat is a fan of Otome games (romance games catered to a female audience) and believes in the power of love. She is hired as a temp to join the game studio in order to add romance to their upcoming game Andi is a lifelong gamer who has been unlucky in romance, unable to write it, believes it is not for them, and that videogames can have a powerful narrative without romance. The two of them start at odds with each other.

The novel is a bit of a slow burn, but I loved how things developed between the two main characters. I am also a gamer so appreciated all the gaming references. I think the romance between Cat and Andi was really sweet and well written.

If you're a gamer and a romance lover, this novel is definitely for you. I hadn't realized until I got to the author bio at the end that this was Tara Tai's debut novel. Definitely give it a read when it comes out!

I really liked the video game company setting and the characters but some subplots (including a pretty big one) feel like they just kind of got dropped most of the way through in favor of the getting together/wrapping up the big workplace conflict. overall a rec though and I'd read another book by this author in the future!

Alcove Press and NetGalley provided an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed here are solely my own.

It took me a bit to really get into this story, but once I was about a quarter of the way through the story I was locked in.

Some of my favorite things:
✅ POC main characters
✅ Queer representation
✅ Nonbinary representation
✅ Believable enemies to lovers trope
✅ Satisfying slow burn

My not so favorite things?
➖ A major subplot was never truly wrapped up; it could have been eliminated entirely in order to streamline the book and improve the pacing.

Still a very enjoyable story. I recommend!

I thought this was really good. All the characters are so fun and I loved all the different representation in the book. I think the two main characters really grew throughout the book to become more understanding and they stepped into their own personalities wonderfully. It was fun to read a queer book that still talked about serious issues but ended happily and had a bunch of fun silly moment. It was very well written and I love every character deeply.

Queer messy Asian American D&D feels? Yes please happy pride to me! This book was so fun to read, and tugged at my heart at all the right times. I also really appreciated that the family dynamics are realistic in both their complexity and the love that's really clear.

This one is for they gaymers! And I mean it, this book is full of video game and nerdy references, cosplay and D&D. "Holy Palutena" did not annoy me as much as all the pop references in Here We Go Again but please take that into account when reading, I'm not sure why so many references are all the rage in romance, we could do without.

Cat (she/her), is a video game romance writer, having recently worked on the book equivalent of Hades (Charon's Scythe), she is hired to join the team for the book equivalent of Baldur's Gate III as the executives are pushing for romance arcs to break into the young female demographic. The problem is the project lead: Andi or Andz (they/she) who made a name working on a critically-acclaimed, gritty video game and was harassed and doxxed for not being a white cishet man in the industry. Andi hates romance, they think it's unnecessary, don't like executives meddling, and have a different vision for the project. Cat will need to convince them that her romantic vision for the companions is worth shipping with the game.

Andi is a character that I know some reviewers will hate. She lacks people skills, is abrasive, not good at apologizing, and is clearly aromantic-spectrum (and maybe autistic) coded. It's also a character who went through a traumatic doxxing, and has to constantly prove their place in their industry, as an Asian queer trans person, especially when it comes to more gritty and "serious" writing. Andi feels like not everything needs romance, that the aforementioned female gamer demographic doesn't need to be baited into a game by romance storylines and she knows that her job is a precarious one. They are jaded and suspicious of the rookie who wants to prove her place and change everything. She's also a cool masc with a bike and nice arms if that will sway you?

Meanwhile, Cat is your awkward character (seriously me on first dates) who wants to make her family happy by (fake) dating a nice girl because they can't bother to value her work. She's a dating sim lover (peep the Dream Daddy or rather Fantasy DILF mention) who struggles with dating but loves her friend and while she can lack confidence, she knows how to find it in times of need.

It's an enemies to lovers (or rather hate to love) that doesn't get solve immediatly and require both characters to grow as people and see each other's side before working together.

Also the book makes a point of telling you that the Traitor Baru Cormorant is a really good book, and that's enough for five stars

Thank you to NetGalley and Alcove Press for the ARC

I'm not a gamer, but I adored this novel. An enemies-to-lovers with an endearing romance. I was surprised by how much I liked the gaming component, but I think the relationship developement and cute moments just made up for it. I highly recommend it

The novel pits two video game creators against each other in an enemies-to-lovers narrative that is as engaging as it is heartwarming. The workplace setting provides a unique stage for romance to unfold, filled with playful banter and a competitive edge that keeps the pages turning.
As a fan of queer romance, this book hits many of the right notes with its representation and the chemistry between the characters. Their dynamic is the core of the story, providing both tension and tenderness in equal measure. However, for those not well-versed in gaming culture, the references and jargon can feel overwhelming at times, potentially alienating readers who are less familiar with the subject matter.

I thought this book was so cute. I love the trope of enemies to lovers when they are in the same career or have the same interest. I think the chemistry between them and how it developed was adorable and well crafted. Cat and Andi are fun characters to follow and even though I am not a huge fan of videos games I found myself wanting to play the games they were created just because I wanted to support the two of them. I know that sounds stupid but I just loved them so much and reading their story. It was a cute romance and I highly recommend it.