2 Soot Sprite Stars ⭐️
Spicy Level: 0.5🌶️/5

I struggled with this book for multiple reasons, WHICH I FEEL IS TERRIBLE OF ME, because I feel some sort of camaraderie with the author being from the same country!

𝙎𝙮𝙣𝙤𝙥𝙨𝙞𝙨:
Rose Marie Jones is stuck in a job she hates while working toward her MBA. Her one reprieve? Weekly game nights with her workplace bestie Shaun, his fiancée i>(and also her bestie) Neema, and a handful of their friends. The only downside is that her nemesis William (aka Shaun’s brother and roommate) is always there too, making it his mission to beat, one-up, and annoy Rose at every opportunity. But when Rose decides to enter a board game creation contest with a game she’s been secretly developing, the only person with the skills to help her win is... William. And the more time she spends with him, the more she starts to realise that maybe he’s not the nemesis she’s always believed him to be.

𝙏𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝𝙩𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙁𝙚𝙚𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙨:
So why did I struggle? Firstly, the lack of chemistry in the "main" couple. Their characters felt weak, and it honestly felt like Rose had more chemistry with Shaun than with William, which made the intended romance feel forced. Then it felt like William was very superficial or surface level, and that the only reason he was her "nemesis" was because he had a typical schoolboy crush and believed that being mean to a girl and "pulling her pigtails" is how you show her you like her.

Then the relationship with her ex dragged super long in the story and made the plot feel incredibly slow because they took forever to break up before there could be any traction in her relationship with William.

Then I have a little gripe with how surface-level and almost insulting the depiction of geek culture was. It felt like the author had a checklist of “nerdy” things rather than an authentic understanding of all the fandoms it tried to incorporate. Instead of a thoughtful, immersive portrayal, the book leaned on outdated stereotypes and shallow references, almost like taking a bunch of nerdy "spaghetti" and throwing it to the wall hoping some of the aspects would stick.

An example of this is the characters were supposedly hardcore geeks, attending Comic-Con in full cosplay, yet their go-to board games were Monopoly, Cluedo, and 30 Seconds. Games that, while fun for the whole family, are NOT what dedicated board game lovers and RPG players reach for. People who design epic board games are NOT casually pulling out Monopoly every week. It felt like the book was written by someone who had only ever seen geek culture through a pop-culture lens rather than lived it.

Then there was the FMC’s cosplay to her year-end function she ORGANISED. If she was truly a passionate cosplayer, there would have been talk about the intricate costume planning, the materials, the design, and the dedication that goes into crafting an outfit months in advance. Now I understand Rose had a lot going on in her life at this time, but TRUST ME WHEN I SAY a person who loves to dress up and has a cupboard full of costumes (totally speaking from experience here) is not "last minute" a Catwoman "Casual Cosplay" from their wardrobe. It was the equivalent of saying someone is a “huge reader” but only mentioning that they’ve read Harry Potter.

It felt like she was throwing in a Lord of the Rings reference here, mentioning a popular superhero there, and boom, she had geek representation! But I feel that real fandoms have layers, passion, and niche interests that go way beyond what was presented, and it made me frustrated since I AM one of those people who is basically ROSE. I have over 30 award-winning board games and have won cosplay competitions, went to Comic-Con dressed in multiple cosplays, and have spent over 3000 hours in an online MMORPG. I am a big nerd and she made me feel silly how she portrayed us.

Also, I didn't like that the book couldn't really decide if it wanted to be a clean romance or wanted to be a more open-door romance, and that hesitancy held back the writing. I think it would have been better to fully embrace a clean romance style rather than straddling the line awkwardly if she wasn't as comfortable writing smut.

AND LASTLY... One of the reasons I often dislike the "best friend's brother trope" is because it reeks of hypocrisy. William is Shaun's brother, roommate, bestman and friend and you seriously have to hold someone in high regard to MAKE THEM YOUR BEST MAN... yet somehow he’s not good enough for his best friend? That same best friend who introduced Shaun to her best friend, trusted him and did nothing but support and CHEER FOR THEIR RELATIONSHIP! But the moment there’s even a hint of something between Rose and William, Shaun pulls out the line "it’ll get awkward if things go wrong." It’s selfish and unfair, especially when Shaun did the exact same thing to Rose by starting to date her Best Friend... WOULD IT NOT HAVE BEEN AWAKARD FOR HER IF THEY BROKE UP? If anything, Shaun should be thrilled Shaun and Rose are getting together because it means two of the most important people in his life could become family. That should be the dream, not a problem!

𝙏𝙧𝙤𝙥𝙚𝙨 and 𝙈𝙞𝙘𝙧𝙤 𝙏𝙧𝙤𝙥𝙚𝙨:
▶ Best Friends Brother
▶ Banter
▶ Enemies to Lovers
▶ Nicknames
▶ Slow Burn
▶ Cages her with his Arms
▶ Always been you
▶ "More"

Overall I think this book had amazing potential but with a little refinement and clearer direction (like picking only one fandom to be obsessed about as an example) would have made this miles better!

Thank you to Netgalley and Hachette Audio for the Gifted Copy.
All thoughts and opinions are my own

If you love rom-coms packed with sizzling chemistry, laugh-out-loud banter, and a touch of emotional depth, Playing Flirty by Shameez Patel is a must-read! From the very first page, this book had me grinning like a fool, completely swept up in the playful, electric tension between the two leads.

The story follows a dynamic, headstrong heroine who isn’t looking for love but somehow finds herself in a game of flirtation she never expected to lose. And then there’s the hero—oh, be still my heart! He’s charming, cocky in the best way, and absolutely determined to turn their playful back-and-forth into something real. Their banter is effortless, their connection undeniable, and the slow-burn romance? Absolute perfection.

But Playing Flirty isn’t just about the swoons—it’s also about growth, self-discovery, and the vulnerability that comes with letting someone in. Patel’s writing is fresh, funny, and full of heart, making it impossible to put this book down. The supporting characters add so much vibrancy to the story, and the romance? It’s the kind that gives you butterflies.

If you’re a fan of flirt-to-love romances with sparkling dialogue, tension that builds deliciously, and a story that leaves you giddy, Playing Flirty will steal your heart. Highly recommend! 💕

This was a cute little romance but was kinda cheesy and pretty predictable. I loved that they all got together for board games and thought the couple was likeable but overall give the book 3 stars.

Une histoire sympa et mignonne, qui met en avant un univers rarement exploité en romance : les jeux de société et les jeux vidéos, et j'ai trouvé ça rafraîchissant et sympa.
J'ai également apprécié la place accordée à l'amitié, qui est pour moi autant au cœur du livre que l'univers des jeux. En revanche, je ne suis pas charmée plus que cela par la romance, et plusieurs fois au cours du livre, j'ai trouvé que l'histoire souffrait de nombreuses longueurs. 3.5 ⭐

I had just finished reading a heavy non-fiction book and was looking for something light hearted and easy to read as a palette cleanser. Playing Flirty was exactly what I was expecting The main characters were likeable and I got invested in them both, as well as liking the secondary characters. I thought the plot around the board games and meeting for game nights put a bit of an interesting twist on what is a fairly common romance trope. Was it predictable? Yes. Was it cheesy? Yes. But did I enjoy it? Also yes. If you're looking for a deep, emotional romance then this book isn't for you.

I actually listened to the audiobook and thought the narrator did a great job and she sounded like how I imagined the characters would sound.

Playing Flirty is a story about a group of friends who enjoy a weekly game night. The main character, Rose, creates a board game of her own, and her friends convince her to enter it into a board game contest. The problem is that Rose is a bit of a control freak and this game needs to be perfect. She enlists the help of William, a member of the friend group and game night rival, and professional game feedback provider.

This was a cute read, but I don't think I would read it again. I enjoy playing games, but it was a little too much on the gamer side for me. Very cute, witty banter between Rose and William, but definitely a slow burn. I think I missed the Gandolf story because it is mentioned several times throughout the book and I never quite understood the reference. The book does go through some more difficult topics, such as a Rose experiencing inappropriate advances from her boss, leaving her job, and deciding whether or not she should part ways from her current boyfriend, who is a 100% match on her spreadsheet.

The cosplay, gaming, and banter caused this opposites-attract style novel to feel playful and fun. The story itself reads more as a YA novel, although the character does experience some more adult themes. The narrator was easy to understand and entertaining. Thank you Netgalley for this opportunity in exchange for an honest review.

I absolutely loved this narrator. This book is a love letter to nerds. featuring both board games and video games. Figuring out yourself and friends who seriously are there for everything. listening to this audiobook made the tension even more better.. 10/10

First thing’s first: thank you Netgalley for the ALC of this book!
Playing Flirty was nerdy cringe love done right! Rose and William had me kicking my feet and giggling and only cringing a tiny bit every now and then. The slow burn was excellent and I think this book worked so well as a closed door romance. I thought this was well narrated and I loved the whole cast of characters. I really enjoyed this book!
3.75⭐️

I loved this book so much. The narrator did a fantastic job the entire time. The book had a slightly slow start to it, but I knew the payoff would be worth it so I stuck with it and got HOOKED eventually. This was a well done slow burn in my opinion.

This one is for the nerds! Whether you love cosplay, D&D, board games, or game nights with friends, you’re going to love this new romance release! Playing Flirty follows a group of friends through their weekly game nights and when our main character enters a board game competition, she finds an unlikely ally!

I was blown away by how authentic, sweet, funny, and honest this story was. I was captured from start to finish and highly recommended adding it to your TBR ASAP! This was the easiest ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I’ve given out this year!

The audiobook narration was done perfectly- with such a large cast of characters, the narrator made sure we could track exactly who was talking at all times.

It was a cute romcom in the midst of it all, but there's many things that didn't work for me. Rose was a boring character. William was very one dimensional. It was very slow and nothing happening it parts, it just felt underwhelming to me.

2.5 ⭐️
This was a cutesy gamer nerds love story. It was just a little too “vanilla” for my taste.
Once a week Rose meets up with her best friends to play games. William is the half-brother of her male best friend and her ‘arch nemesis’ whom she must beat at every game. She is in a relationship with a douchebag, Patrick who doesn’t seem to care much about her or their relationship. She deals with a boss making unwanted inappropriate comments to her in the work place. There was an issue between William and his dad that was sorta wrapped up abruptly at the end of the book without much backstory.
I didn’t really connect to the characters.
Rose was so boring. 🥱
I think I just didn’t jive with the writing style of this author and that’s okay. I can see how other readers will enjoy this book.

Thank you publisher and NetGalley for an audio copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Playing Flirty is a fun and quick read that walks us through the story of Rose and her life as a young adult figuring out adulthood. This rom-com includes themes such as forced proximity, rivals, best friends brother, second chance romance, fade to black romance and nerdy/gamer characters.
**Trigger warnings!** workplace harassment and blackmail, toxic parent/child relationship. In my opinion the harassment depicted, while never ok, is relatively mild in nature.
This is a relatively short book, but the story was well developed and wrapped up nicely. A quick and easy read that I don't want to put down is always welcome!
The reason for giving 4 stars instead of 5 was for the fact that I felt the characters were depicted in a more juvenile way than their ages in the book. Not a bad thing to be younger, but I would have assigned them younger ages for the maturity levels depicted.
As for the characters, I enjoyed all of them... Except Patrick and Markham. They both suck ha!
Overall, I definitely recommend giving this a listen (or read). I'll be on the lookout for more from Patel, and would gladly listen to another audiobook narrated by Nirvi Shah... She did an excellent job bringing Rose to life, and especially Rose's mom.
Thank you to Hachette | Forever, the author and NetGalley for an ALC of this audiobook!

This author is new to me, but I will be keeping an eye out for anything else they publish. I loved the story and the characters. The pacing of the story was great and the characters were relatable.

REVIEW: Playing Flirty by Shameez Patek

Playing Flirty is a cute rom-com about board games, video games, best friends, family, and other nerdy things, like cosplay. Rose is trying to plan her future, but things seem to change for her. Things at her job aren’t going well; her boyfriend, Patrick, is becoming more distant, and she is helping her best friend plan her wedding with the best man, Will, who happens to be her other best friend’s brother and her enemy.

Playing Flirty is a contemporary rom-com with a twist of nerdiness. I love that it follows a group of nerdy friends with weekly game nights. There were a bunch of nerdy references, such as Lord of the Rings, cosplaying, and video games. The friend group dynamic gave a strong, found family vibe, and their relationships were fun to watch. I also enjoyed the enemies-to-lovers trope within the story.

Unfortunately, Playing Flirty missed the mark on parts of the story. I had difficulty connecting to the characters, especially the main character, Rose. Part of that could be the story, and the characters mainly were on the surface level with little depth. There were hints of good character and story development, but they only scratched the surface. Also, I wasn’t getting much chemistry from the main two characters, especially with how quickly things seemed to move. Lastly, the ex-boyfriend becomes too much of a plot point when there should have been more time on Will and Rose. Even with many red flags, Rose still considers him an option.

Overall, I did enjoy the nerdiness, the found family, and some of the cuteness of Playing Flirty.
I just felt it lacked some depth that could make this story better.

Thank you, Hachette Audio | Forever, for the free advanced copy for my honest review!

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I like the idea of the book, but I can only hope this is a debut and the author improves in the future. This book comes off as sophomoric - the main character falls flat, there isn’t believable chemistry, and there are way too many subplots. I love that the author included diverse perspectives but many of the lines felt cliche and not genuine. It honestly feels like this is all an idealized version of the perfect nerd world, with the perfect friends, the incredibly hot and adoring MMC, but it was written by someone who doesn’t have many lived experiences with these things. I might give this author a chance in the future, but I hope they improve their writing before then. 2.5⭐️, 2🌶

What a cute rom-com! Rose Marie loves game. Her hyper competitive side comes out whenever she’s around Willam, her best friend’s half brother. I really loved the banter between these two. I also liked how they talked about roses struggles with her job. A lot of this book was very relatable which I enjoyed.

I do wish that trigger warnings had been spoken about the beginning of the book.

I think the narrator did a great job. It did feel like it was recorded slow so I made sure to set the speed higher!

If you love rom-coms or stories about board games, id definitely recommend this book. Thank you so much NetGalley, Shameez and Hachette Audio for the E-ALC!

Rating:⭐️⭐️⭐️

#NetGalley #PlayingFlirty

Playing Flirty was a fun and quirky rom com, and excellent escapist read.

I loved Rose’s bolshy, competitive but slightly reserved character, and the way she played off William. Their gradual build of chemistry felt authentic and made for a more satisfying storyline. I enjoyed their unapologetic nerdiness, and their passion for board games and gaming.

The story was well paced, but I did find it took me a little while to get used to the rhythm and style of narration. Once I did though, I thoroughly enjoyed the dramatisation of Rose and William, and thought the narrator did a wonderful job of capturing their emotional experience and personalities.

Overall, a relaxing and enjoyable read, with two very loveable main characters.

Thank you Hachette Audio for a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed are my own.

The story is charming and engaging, making for a delightful read from start to finish. If you're in the mood for a cute and fun romance, this book is a perfect pick!

This was such a good book. I loved the story and the writing so much. The characters were great and the story flowed smoothly. Will definitely read more books by this author in the future.