Playing Flirty had my nerdy little heart jumping with joy. There are a lot of gaming, both video and board, references throughout not to mention the numerous Lord of the Ring references. Although the references felt a little heavy handed in the first couple of chapters, it started to level out to an amount that worked for me. This enemies-to-loves story is so absolutely adorable. For once in a romance I'm not sure if there is a completely unlikeable character. Even Patrick, who is possibly the most unlikeable, isn't completely unlikeable and just isn't a good fit for Rose. I love the chemistry between Rose and William, which was apparent very early on. If you're looking for a steamy open door romance, this isn't it. It is a lot more pining and when "sexy time" happens it's behind closed doors.

I've been recommending this to my friends since I've read it. We fit the mold for who the readers are as gamers in our own ways. I can't wait for more people to experience the joy that comes with Playing Flirty. Although this may be the last encounter I have with these characters, minus a reread, I will be picking up whatever Shameez Patel writes next.

Thank you to Forever and Netgalley for a copy in exchange for review consideration.

This is a great nerdy romance for boardgame fans, but I did end up with somewhat mixed feelings. Mainly that's because of the tone of this book. This is a genuine romcom, which I normally love, but in this case the humour didn't quite land for me, pulling me out of the story. That's of course very much a personal preference, so I can see this working really well for others. I did think the romance was very sweet.

Rose Marie Jones is a game designer who lives to spend time doing her “nerdy” pursuits. She works an office job with her best friend, who is getting engaged to her other best friend, and she spends her evenings working toward her MBA. However, her dreams are to publish her own board/roleplaying game. The highlight of her life is her weekly game night with her friends and with William Ashdern, a video game designer and a rival of Rose’s. After realizing that they challenge and excite each other in a unique way, Rose and William give in to their incredible attraction.

I was really excited to read this book due to my love of “nerd culture,” like Dungeons & Dragons and Lord of the Rings; however, the gaming and nerd culture feels more peripheral and less central to Rose’s identity. While the book did have a few hobbit jokes, the characters did not seem to be authentic gamers or nerds. Also, aside from the knowledge that hobbits are short, the author does not include many insider “nerd” references. The book has a lot of other extraneous minor plot lines, including a predictable harassment issue at the heroine’s place of work. At times, the events feel quickly summarized or rushed to completion.

The characters do occasionally seem like a sweet found family, but they also seem very young. If you are old enough to have actually seen one of the Lord of the Rings movies in the theatre, you are going to feel like one of the Golden Girls while reading this. I often read books with characters in their 20s, but this book feels (nearly) like it belongs in the New Adult genre, which may appeal to some readers. The scenes with intimacy are also abbreviated and very mild. This style is preferable to some readers as well, but it is different from other mainstream contemporaries.

I do think that William is a likable hero. His longing for Rose shines distinctly, and I like how the author made him loyal and committed, rather than wavering or commitment phobic. Even though this book did not really meet my expectations, it may work for new-to-romance readers who want a straightforward contemporary format with a hint of quirkiness.

Overall rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Thanks to NetGalley for the book. As always, these are my opinions and no one else’s!

'I shoved my phone into my pocket. “I can climb anything.” William straightened, and his mouth kicked up on one side to reveal the mischievous smirk he wore far too easily. “Good to know.”'

Playing Flirty was amazing! It was was such a cute rivals to lovers rom-com! Rose & William are such a fun pair of MC's and seeing their growth and helping each other reach their potential was *chef's kiss*

This was my first novel from Shameez and I would happily read another cute Rom-Com from her in an instant!

I enjoyed it so much that I binge read it in about 8hrs.

Thank you to Forever and NetGalley for the advance reader copy and to Hachette Audio and LibroFM for the complimentary audiobook. These opinions are my own.

I am loving this trend toward romances that feature game nights. Rose loves playing board games with her friends and is working to develop her own. She and William have an ongoing rivalry when they play. But the tension in their banter suggests something might be going on. And then he agrees to help her prepare to submit her game to a competition.

I was worried it was heading toward a love triangle, but I ended up not having any issues with how it went. And I am very anti-love triangle or any form of cheating.

There were a couple items that I think were meant as surprise twists that I definitely saw them coming. But the overall plot and pacing worked great for me.

And I just loved William as the hot game designer. He definitely gave off the hot nerd energy. And the way he shows up for her... And then he has so many layers. He was my favorite part of the book.

I also enjoyed just how much the book leant on game design. It even referred to rounds in lieu of chapters (and they were nicely short). There were lots of game metaphors sprinkled throughout, both in dialogue and the surrounding prose. And the games covered a whole breadth from D&D to more traditional board games.

Nirvi Shah is a new-to-me narrator who voiced this 9 hour audiobook very well.

CW: harassment at work

3.5★ (rounded up)
This book did a great job of balancing fun, lighthearted love and found family with serious topics such as workplace harassment and parental resentment/hatred/complicated relationship (so many ways to define it. The love was full of fun nerdy-ness that I found adorable and alsofull of vulnerability and rawness that I was appreciative of. This is my first book from this author but certainly not my last. I love a good nerdy hero and this being a nerdy fmc AND mmc made it that much better!

4.75 stars rounded up!

This book is every nerdy romance reader's dream! We have a FMC who loves board games, video games, Lord of the Rings, cosplay, etc. We have a MMC who loves those things and is a video game developer. I LIVED for the game night scenes and now want to get into doing that with some of my friends. What a fun tradition!

I also really really appreciated the progression of the FMC's relationships in this story. She starts out in an unsatisfying relationship, and I liked seeing her accept the demise of that relationship before starting anything with the MMC. I loved the yearning and the pining of the MMC and how he was so obviously into the FMC. Rose and William are everything to me!

This is lower on the spice scale. There was great tension, but not a lot of description. I usually like my romance books to be a bit more descriptive, but this book did a great job with plot, characterization, and tension, so I didn't really miss the more descriptive steamy scenes.

My one pet peeve with this story was how long it took the MCs to REALLY get together. At a certain point, nothing was keeping them apart and it annoyed me that they weren't together yet. Haha

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an e-arc in exchange for my honest review. I will definitely be reading more from Shameez Patel in the future!

I really enjoyed this sweet gamer ( board and consol) romance.
The Lord of the Rings references were easy enough to understand - even as someone who has not read or watched the franchise.

I absolutely adored their meet-cute 🤫. Both main featured couples were absolutely adorable, and I'd actually love to read Neema and Shaun's backstory.

I did guess the two "twists" but still really enjoyed the build-up to it.

Overall, even as a non gamer, this is a fun read.

3.5 rounded up. This book is fun, with a unique concept that was enjoyable overall. I loved that Rose was so ashamedly nerdy for games and I think that will speak to a lot of female readers who don’t see themselves represented in fiction.

But the book left a little to be desired for me as far as writing goes. Structurally it could have been better, especially with sketches of the characters (not the kinds of things revealed to create tension or advance the plot, but the kind that makes you connect to a character or get a better sense of them). Details kept being dropped in later in the book that would have been nice to know earlier, like not knowing that the characters lived in San Diego until several chapters in. Or not knowing that Neema was from Tanzania until over halfway through the book. The world the characters inhabited didn’t feel as vibrant as it could have.

And overall the pacing just felt a bit slow and the story too long. One of the subplots could have been cut. Patrick. The boss. Gandalf. It felt like there was too many balls in the air that dragged the story on unnecessarily.

Also I know this was an ARC so I don’t know if some of this will be fixed before publication but I could tell the author was not American by some of the wording that slipped in, like being really confused by why the characters kept talking about when they were “studying” when it turned out she meant when they were going to college.

All that being said, I don’t think it was a bad book and will probably be enjoyed by a lot of readers. I just feel like it could have benefited from a better edit, and that’s probably just a me thing.

Thank you for Forever and NetGalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

In this loose rivals-to-lovers novel, Rose teams up with her best friend’s brother, William, to perfect a board game for a competition. As readers, we are supposed to feel the rivalry between Rose and William leading up to the alliance, but it plays more like an older brother annoyed by his pesky brother’s friend. I really enjoyed the dialogue and witty, flirty banter between Rose and William as the relationship progresses between the two.

The FMC gets everything she wants in a typical romance with a happy ending. There are some things in this one that Rose doesn’t get. But she realizes that things happen for a reason, and she makes the most of things.

Content Warning: One of the subplots involves workplace harassment of Rose by her boss. This really didn’t add to the story other than to show how her best friend and Willi stick up for her and, more importantly, how Rose sticks up for herself.

A truly enjoyable read. A rom com with a great core cast. It is a fun read about amazing friends, love, romance, family, wedding planning, work and work/life balance, terrible bosses and some really heavy emotional issues. I loved the title and just thought it would be all light and fluffy. Mostly it is, but there are some tough situations that made the book more and better for it. The writing is smart, witty, ironic, creative and has a lot of heart. I look forward to what comes next from this author.

Another debut that's a must read!

Rose is relatable with her life goals and spreadsheets-she feels like everything has to be planned (engagement, marriage, the future) and gives herself deadlines. Meanwhile, William is easy going, goes with the flow, and sort of an introvert unless it's game night. Rose and William are opposites in that way, but they both have a passion for games-video games for William, and board games for Rose. Game nights always brings out their competitiveness and rivalry. Yes, they are rivals, however, not to the point of hatred which I really like. William is seen as "mean" William. His personality reminds me of a boy with a crush on his brother's friend. He has always had a thing for Rose; he disguises it with their rivalry. On the other hand, Rose is in a committed, yet unhappy relationship. She does not deny that William is attractive, but he is also her best friend's half-brother and did not really want to cross that line. Working on the board game brought them closer, and honestly, they were the perfect pair to develop to do it! Their situationship was a little frustrating because I just wanted them together! Lol Still loved their playing flirty though and the build up of their relationship.

>> Archnemesis/ rivalry
>> Video games/ board game culture
>> Loved Rose's parents!
>> Complicated family (William's side)
>> Toxic workplace (was not a fan of Rose's boss)
>> Supportive friends

The first time I read Playing Flirty was two years ago, and it was a slightly different draft to the one I will hopefully have in my hand later this month. I fell in love with Rose and William in March 2023, and it gave me all the warm fuzzies to visit those feelings again and to discover that I still love them as much now as I did then.

I adore Rose, William, Neema and Shaun, their friendships and relationships; I love the board games and gaming elements as well, and we all know we’ll never look at syrup again (If you know, you know.)

I’ve always thought of Patrick as “white bread” - boring but harmless. Upon this read though, I realised I thoroughly dislike him and he’s not harmless because he’s constantly condescending towards Rose, which in turn affected her self confidence. So he definitely moved up on my poop list.

Dear sweet Lincoln, I can’t wait for you to get your moment to shine and I squealed at the easter egg thrown in there.

Shameez writes for those of us who love banter, laughing, wordplay, and being unashamedly nerdy, and of course, we’re all suckers for a good love story.

I enjoyed this nerdy, best friend's brother romance. The characters were well drawn and perfect for each other, the romantic build was delicious, and the main plot line was well done. My only complaint is in the execution of the romantic scenes. I have a hard time rating this book on a spice or steam scale because, though technically we were in the bedroom during the romantic scenes (open door), there was absolutely no detail or description given of the acts being performed (closed door). It felt off, especially given the heat of the build-up, and would make this difficult for me to recommend to readers as an influencer and librarian. Given that, I would likely only recommend this to readers looking for a closed door romance or even for older teen readers.

Overall, I loved the diversity and nerdiness of the characters as well as the romantic build, but I was left with no way to vent the steam that built up in this cute love story. I look forward to trying another from the author in the future though.

3.5 stars. This is a very cute and very sweet read. It’s also extremely predictable, but sometimes you need that. A low-angst read, but TW for workplace harassment.

Thank you to Forever and NetGalley for the ARC!

I really wanted to enjoy this story as the premise sounded cute, but unfortunately even though it was cute, I just couldn't connect with the storyline of gaming. So I would recommend this book to anyone who is a big gamer and a lover of romance. And I also may give this book another shot at a later date.

Thanks to NetGalley and Forever for the advanced copy of this book.

Thank you to Forever Publishing for an advanced reader copy! (Finished in 2024)

The goods:
- I loved all the board games you got to see and how it related to the different ups and downs of Rose and William's relationship.
- Rose's parents were a breathe of fair air, even if they do a cause a little chaos themselves...
- I enjoyed Rose and William both having roles in the wedding side plot that they could also focus on in between the games
- The book wraps up nicely, which is always a requirement for me with standalones.

The loss of a star:
- I just felt the pacing was a bit all over the place and i never settled fully into the pacing. Maybe that's how D&D sessions feel? It wasn't my favorite.

Overall, if you enjoy board games and romances, this should definitely be your next read.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. Thank you, to NetGalley and the publisher, Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for the opportunity to read this book.

I devoured this novel so quickly. It was a fast-paced read with great dialogue which made it enjoyable. I did not find myself straying away from reading this one as I often do with romance books because they sometimes become monotonous. The gaming aspect (both board and video) was so fun and as a self-professed nerd, it made it even more interesting for me. The fandom references were great and the banter between William and Rose was so witty and comical. The extremely slow burn of their romance is one of my only minor complaints about this book. I love a good slow burn but this one felt just a tad excessive, even in the scope of the characters “finding themselves” in the balance of falling in love.

Overall, I enjoyed reading this book and would happily pick up other tomes by this author.

Thank you to NetGalley, Forever Publishing & Shameez Patel for the chance to read this book in exchange for my honest review.

Gaming enemies to lovers with a SURPRISE beloved trope at the end (not baby). The banter, the tension- the pull between the MCs. Swoooooon. The burn was slow and forbidden. Sneaking around is SO fun- can't let the friend group know something is happening! The spice existed but was veiled/vague.

Legit HATED every scene the boss man was in. HATED. But that's the point.

This book was great!

3.25 stars - As a board game lover myself, I though this was a fun premise for a book! Between her crazy workload at a job she only kind of likes, her MBA studies, and her decidedly less-than-passionate relationship, Rose is becoming convinced her Life Plan is further from her reach than ever. Thank goodness she still has Game Night - the one day a week where she gets to embrace her inner competitive streak and her love for all things gaming. Even the continued presence of William, Shaun's older brother and Rose's nemesis, does little to dampen her spirits, and once they're forced to 'play nice,' Rose starts to realize she might even like having him around. Purely so she can rub her victories in his face, of course.

Overall I thought this was a cute and entertaining rom-com, and the banter was a definite highlight. I adored Rose and Neema's friendship, and the chemistry between her and William was great, if possibly a little too quick for me at times. In the end, Shaun started to rub me the wrong way, and one moment in the final pages felt like it was tied up too nicely, but ultimately I would recommend this read if you're looking for something lower-stakes and delightfully nerdy.

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