4.5 stars! Thank you to NetGalley, Forever, and Hachette Audio for this advanced copy! You can pick up Playing Flirty now.

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!

Thank you NetGalley for the audiobook arc. This is a cute nerdy romcom. She is in a dead end relationship and after spending more time with her best friend’s half brother putting the finishing touches on her board game that she created they start “playing” a game of flirting. She ends her dead end relationship, and only after her ex publicly purposes marriage does she really realize that a life that she had with him was not what she wanted anymore. Super cute romcom filled with witty banter and closed door/ fade to black romance scenes.


🔹Nerdy
🔹Banter
🔹He falls first

Audiobook Narration Review: 3.5/5 - Solid performance. Definitely a decent listen, but lacked that extra oomph that would make me give it 5⭐️. This is one you will need to speed up, the narrator speaks rather slow and the pauses felt a bit excessive. I do wish the narrator would have spoke with a little more spirit some places felt like they lacked inflection.

Book Review: 4.5⭐️

Filled with tension, A+ banter, and all the nerdiness your heart could desire, Playing Flirty was the perfect romcom to sooth my game-night loving soul.

What I loved…
- plenty of tension
- A+++ banter
- Lord of the Rings references
- nerdy vibes
- Video game designer MMC
- curvy, smart, and organized FMC
- closed door/fade to black spice
- all star side characters
- plenty of depth
- read in a single sitting!
- (view spoiler)

What I didn’t love…
- the writing style/prose drove me slightly nuts with the use of -ing words rather than direct past tense versions.
- see below spoiler re:workplace harassment subplot

One of the main subplots is a workplace harassment, and while I didn’t love a particular aspect of the subplot, I loved how her male BFF/coworker handled the situation!