Playing Flirty is an endearing, kind and nerdy romance involving gaming, both video and board, and Lord of the Rings. It also looks at learning how to build a life gaining the things missing in childhood without allowing those needs to negatively dictate adulthood. I was very impressed by how there were no bad guys. The FMC ends her relationship not because her ex is a cheating sleaze but because she needed more than he could provide. The book seemed to go on a little too long but it’s not a huge criticism. I enjoyed Playing Flirty and the group of friends depicted.

Thank you to Forever (Grand Central Publishing) and NetGalley for the advance reader copy. All opinions are my own.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this arc!!

What a good book! I enjoyed this more than I thought I would. I loved the main characters! They had great chemistry and worked so well together. I loved how the book just flowed. My first by this author but will not be my last!!!

In my opinion, there's no better way to spend an evening than by playing board games with my best friends. So it's no surprise that I was sucked into this book from the start when our main characters meet up with their best friends for their weekly game night. I was unable to put the book down as the game theme was woven throughout the book.

When Rose's best friends get engaged, she is stuck helping with the wedding logistics with her nemesis, William. They agree to play nice for the sake of the bride and groom to be, which they end up turning into a game, each desperate to win the next round. Their game gets taken to a whole new level when Rose needs William's help to win a competition she's entered. The more time they spend together, being nice to one another reveals feelings they never thought they could have for one another...

My thoughts:
This was an absolute delight to read - it was the perfect combination of nerdy references and sexual tension. Rose's struggles were relatable and portrayed well- from feeling stuck professionally to being in a stale relationship. As she navigated each of these pieces of her life, she hit bumps in the road that made it even more relatable. I think the best part of the book, though, was Rose and William's friend group. I loved watching them care for each other and root one another on.

There is one part of the book that I struggled with. I strongly believe it is the responsibility of the author + publisher to list any trigger warnings at the beginning of the book, especially rom-coms like this one. People pick up romance books for an escape from reality and the happily ever after, but, that experience can be tarnished when trigger warnings are not listed. This book does include depictions of sexual harassment and gaslighting in the workplace, and the eARC did not include a trigger warning. I hope that by the time this book is released to the work in January 2025 the trigger warnings are listed at the beginning of the book.

Read this book if you love:
🕹️ He falls first
🎮 Best friend's brother
🕹️ Enemies to lovers
🎮 Slow burn
🕹️ Closed door romance
🎮 Found family
🕹️Board games
🎮 Lord of the Rings references

I have posted this review to Goodreads and Storygraph. I will post about this book on my instagram @thecozybookgal closer to the publishing date.

This novel had my nerdy heart giddy with joy as I watched Rose & William's relationship grow and deepen in this sweet, funny and heart warming closed door romance.

Rose is feeling stalled in her career and her lackluster relationship (which I can relate to) but the one place she feels like she belongs is at game night with her friends and her best friends half brother, William. William is a successful game creator and also super competitive at game night.

When Rose has the opportunity to enter her board game into a contest, there's only one person who can help her win. Rose & William team up and soon the sparks are flying between the two as the chemistry and witty banter heats up 🔥

Thank you Forever for the ARC!

In an opinion not shared by many other readers, this book was not an overall winner for me. I really liked the premise, and it looked like Rose would be geeky-girl representation without the "not like other girls" nonsense. Sadly, that was not enough to carry the rest of the book.

As a personal pet-peeve, dont claim your protagonist is a big board game player, even making a fancy board game, and then have them playing, like, Monopoly or whatever. Settlers of Catan was the closest the group came to a game on par with what Rose allegedly created, so it was a bit incongruous for the group. (And yes I very much do feel like a gatekeeping meanie by saying this, no offense intended to Bananagrams and other fan favorites.) Otherwise though, geekdom was pretty standard and well represented the archetypical comic-con "nerd."

The relationship didn't exactly sizzle and the "closed door" spice was so very well locked behind that door that I often had to re-read scenes to even extrapolate what had happened. I don't mind a book with off page adult activities, I just wish it had translated better here.

Lastly, the workplace harassment subplot did little to add to the overall plot. There is no actual resolution and it seems to only serve as a vehicle for the male love interest to act like a jerk. This was not "touch her and die" trope, this was drama for no plot progression.

Overall, this book just didn't hit for me. As mentioned, lots of other readers seemed to love it, so see if it might be your jam.

This is a nerdy persons dream book! I loved all the references and the cute moments. And the romance was so cute!

You don’t need to love games (or even have seen/read LOTR, like me lol) to fall in love with Shameez Patel’s absolutely delightful Playing Flirty! This novel was like a cup of hot chocolate on a cold day - so cozy, so charming, and so clearly made with love and affection for Rose and William, who just can’t keep apart. Both characters are so damn lovable (and Rose, particularly relatable) and the secondary cast as well adds so much depth - you really can see and hear this little friend group. William was delicious, and this had one of the best first kiss scenes I’ve read in ages - he was my fave combo of flirty but still mysterious, tall with enormous shoulders and hands, and so SMITTEN with Rose. Fans of Jen DeLuca, Penny Reid, and Alison Cochrun will be head over heels for this swoony, nerdy romcom.

Thank you to Forever and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

4.5 ⭐️

I was a bit wary going into this because geeky FMCs are so often done a disservice and just ooze NLOG vibes with no discernible personality. But I liked the premise of rival game nerds and it’s a new author, so I gave it a chance.

Let me tell you, I am so glad I did. I adored Rose. Her character development throughout the book is so good. She’s got a good (on paper) job, is working on her MBA, has loving parents (tbh, I think everyone loves her parents 😂), plus her own found family, and more interests than just games (even if one of those interests is excel spreadsheets, but like, me too Rose, me too).

And William! I feel like we could’ve gotten a bit more out of him, however, I find often that depth is given with dual POV, which we didn’t have here. Still, he’s a great MMC and I love them together.

Overall, the story is fun, very bingeable, low spice (a few steamy scenes, but nothing explicit) but good tension (the kitchen 🫠), lots of nerdy references, good and sometimes awkward flirting, and some laughs.

I also really liked the “plot twist”, and I put that in quotations because it’s pretty obvious to the reader so it’s not much of a twist imo, but seeing it unfold and the characters figure it out was so much fun.

Thank you NetGalley, Forever, and Grand Central Publishing for this advance reader copy! You can pick up Playing Flirty by Shameez Patel on January 14, 2025!

Playing Flirty is a perfect mix of nerdy, sexy, funny, and heartwarming romcom! I love Rose' and William's sizzling chemistry and their bond over games of all kinds. The story has countless video games and The Lord of the Rings references that's perfect for nerds!

**** TROPES ****

~ "Nemesis" to lovers ~
~ Found Family ~
~ Silent broody MMC ~
~ Slow burn ~
~ Closed door spice ~

**** TRIGGER WARNINGS ****

~ FMC deals with sexual harassment in workplace ~

I highly recommend picking up Playing Flirty by Shameez Patel if you are looking for an adorable, geeky contemporary adult romance!

Absolutely loved this slow-burn Adult Contemporary read, full of gaming and nerd culture and a silent, broody love interest. 'Playing Flirty' is all about found family and shenanigans, while also about discovering who you are, and unlearning some of the bad stuff from childhood. Highly recommended!

‘Playing Flirty’ concocts the ultimate long game with two nerdy, sexy leads who increasingly want to devour each other in every round they play. Their dynamic is so effective due to their emotional arcs and nuanced character building. The developments that they have, together and as individuals, make all of the heated moments that much more satisfying. Their pristine chemistry, crackling banter, and the palpable cocktail of tension and yearning are delicious. This book settled into my bones with its realistic depth dipping its toes into workplace sexual harassment, overwhelming life goals, and personal fears. The commentary on the line between what constitutes harassment and compliments being all within the intent of the speaker left me speechless at how succinctly truthful it was. What will stay with me most is the discussion on the idea of being ‘too much’ and how taking up any sort of space is never a negative thing. Sometimes you read a book that explores truths about yourself you didn’t know you needed to hear before reading the words across the page and I’m really grateful for Shameez Patel’s prose here.

4.5 stars! Thank you to NetGalley, Forever, and Grand Central Publishing for this advanced copy! You can pick up Playing Flirty on January 14, 2025.

This book was the perfect mix of nerdy, sexy, funny, and heartwarming! I loved William and Rose's banter and hate-to-love relationship. Their bonding over games of all kinds was so sweet and right up my alley, Even though the spicier scenes were behind slightly closed doors, the tension that Shameez Patel built up was delicious, and I appreciated the moments of "will they/won't they" more anyway.

I also didn't expect this book to convey so much about feeling stuck in your life and feeling like you're not accomplishing the goals you set out for yourself. Rose's struggles with her job and lackluster relationship were relatable and understandable, helping us see her character growth vividly.

I can't wait to read more from Shameez Patel!

Ok this one was SO cute and nerdy and I ate it up! I love Rose and William (and their buddies!) so much. It was steamy and fun, lighthearted, and the ending!! 🥹🥹🥹🫠

This delightful, adorable, nerdy romance will have you swooning. If you're a fan of Lord of the Rings references (who isn't?), gaming, and steamy, brooding moments on balconies or in kitchens, then you will adore Playing Flirty. Debut rom-com author Shameez Patel brings us a slow-burn love story packed with laugh out loud worthy moments as you root for these two to finally stop denying their chemistry and get together. And when Will finally catches on? Totally worth the slow-burn waiting!

I gotta say, this was not for me at all. But i think it could be fun for someone else! so take my review with a grain of salt.

I was drawn in by the concept (board games! LOTR!) but I dont think the "nemesis" to lovers trope was executed well at all. I didn't get enough hate or tension for the transition to lovers to feel satisfying. I also think some of the game and LOTR metaphors were way overdone and it got repetitive and tiring. Some of the secondary characters were not fully fleshed out, but others (like Rose's mom and best friends) were fun.

I'll also add that it needs a cw for workplace sexual harassment (and parts of this plot didnt feel fully resolved but that was probably just me).

Overall, it could have been done better but I didn't DNF so it was at least good enough to finish.

Playing Flirty sounded like the book of my dreams but fell short of what it was trying to accomplish. It needed more spice and the harassment storyline did not have a satisfying resolution. The writing also felt quite juvenile at times. Overall not quite what I expected.

A cute, nerdy, and entertaining rom-com that will get you out of a reading slump! I loved all the references and connected well to the main characters.

“For someone who loves these games, you sure are afraid to roll the dice”

If you like Lord of the Rings references, and embracing your inner nerd while also getting a romance then this is for you. While I don’t know a lot about games (except the basics like Monopoly, Snakes and Ladders and a few video games by name only) this truly felt like a callback to a dying industry. So many games now are on our devices and Patel really makes the case for Overpowered.

William and Rose have tension and it’s spanned for years. While it was a lovely story, there were some aspects that were kind of predictable and the big reveal for me (while cute) sadly, didn’t have the emotional payoff. The set up in the beginning gave away a lot, so the reveal didn’t have the punch I think readers will like.

Please note, Playing Flirty also has Rose dealing with sexual harassment in the workplace. I’m happy to see authors showing characters standing up for themselves while also imparting knowledge.

Now I have some thoughts on the subplots of the book, and this area has some spoilers.

Bringing back Patrick was shaky. Maybe it was an attempt at redemption and closure but it wasn’t working for me. At that point in the story, Rose had grown significantly. Taking ownership, action, and charting her own course. It felt like we were going 3 steps backwards story-wise instead of forward.

Instead, I wish the conflict and familial trauma Will and Shaun were dealing with could’ve taken more of the lead. We had to wait a long time (about 87% in) to really get to the root of why the brothers have such a rocky relationship with their father. But it never was truly explored. It’s a significant part of William’s character arc that we didn’t get to know. When it finally came around it felt rushed when it could’ve been beefed up.

Overall solid debut, and a quick read. I love supporting my South Asian authors and I love the growth and expansion. Giving this 3.5 stars. Congratulations, Shameez!

Thank you so much Forever for the ARC.

I really enjoyed Playing Flirty. It was full of banter and sizzling chemistry between the main characters. Rose and William are part of the same gaming group but constantly but heads until all of that competitiveness turns into something hotter. If grumpy best friend’s brother and secret relationship tropes are for you than so is this book While the book centers around a group of friends who game together it does not shy away from heavier topics such as childhood trauma, and sexual harassment in the workplace. I think the author handles all of the topics beautifully. It was a fast enjoyable read and I found that once I started I couldn’t put it down. If you are looking for a fun, funny contemporary that is an ode to nerds of all kinds this is the book for you!

Thank you so much to Forever and NetGalley for the advance ready copy of Playing Flirty by Shameez Patel!

Rose is a regular participant in Game Night with her friends. She gets to work with her best friend Shaun, who at the beginning of the book is about to propose to their mutual best friend, Neema. Rose’s game night nemesis is Shaun’s half-brother, and game designer, William. Rose has developed a game and starts to work with William to prepare to enter it into a contest.

Soon the two of them begin playing a game of their own.

I loved this book so much!! Once I started it I couldn’t put it down. Shaun and Neema are wonderful and Rose and William have such great chemistry. I love a story where one of the MCs has a perceived nemesis. I enjoyed how these two partnered together on Rose’s game and everyone’s belief and encouragement of her throughout the process. If you also like a secret relationship, situationship trope, this is one to check out.

I will definitely be getting a copy of this book upon release and will be checking out future titles from Shameez Patel!