Lauren Johanssen is the marketing director for a company that fields professional esport gaming teams. The CEO is very old school, with a boys will be boys mentality that is somewhat encouraged in the gaming industry. Lauren convinces the CEO to take the risk on a female gamer who wins one of the latest amateur championships. As their set up for housing for the men on the team is dorm style he insists the girl live with Lauren.

Sam O’Brian is older than most of her teammates. At 25 she is a medical massage therapist. And games for fun. Joining the team she not only gets grief from some of her teammates but is bullied online for her race and sex. It doesn’t give a great impression of the industry. But I liked that the book, through Lauren, has ideas that will change the mentality of gamers and encourage a largely untapped female market.

Sam and Lauren quickly hit it off. Lauren loves coming home to Sam’s home cooking. And Lauren tries to buffer Sam somewhat from the extras put on her by the CEO. As a couple they are sweet. I will say as a non gamer, some of the game explanations went over my head, and weren’t very interesting to me. I was more into the story for the sexism, racism issues and of course for romance.

Intimacy is behind closed doors, so I wondered if this was geared for a YA audience, although the MC’s are in their mid twenties. I enjoyed the story, especially where it ends up. (3.5 Stars)

A loved the story and thought Sizanne did a great job bringing to life the obstacles one might face in a profession that is deemed to be and respected as male only. Without giving too much away, Sam encounters racism, sexixm etc as she enters the world of professional gaming. I recommend getting a copy, You wont be disappointed.


Thank you Boldstrokes Books and NetGalley.

In Good Game by Suzanne Lenoir we follow Sam O’Brien as she gets tapped to join a professional gaming team. While on the team Sam has to deal with sexism and racism. Lauren Johanssen, the team’s marketing executive, is trying to help the team and Sam suceed. Unfortunately, what the team wants isn’t always what’s best for Sam. Lauren and Sam grow closer as they support each other and navigate a very sexist industry together.

This book definitely showed the misogyny and racism that can be a part of online gaming. This felt very realistic. After reading this it’s no surprise why some people turn away from gaming.

I wish there was more emphasis on the actual game play. As a non-gamer, I wanted to spend more time reading about Sam interacting in that space. When there was gaming scenes I really enjoyed reading it.

I liked the romance between Lauren and Sam, but some of it felt a bit repetitive. Also, the ending felt a bit rushed.

I also really liked the side characters in this book, especially Sam’s dad. They definitely strengthened the story.

Overall, it was a good story, cute romance and low spice. I enjoyed that it involved online gaming.

Thank you NetGalley, Bold Strokes Books, and Suzanne Lenoir for the ARC.

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC. Good Game by Suzanne Lenoir is an engaging and thought-provoking novel that delves into the competitive world of sports, friendship, and personal growth. The story follows characters navigating their ambitions, relationships, and challenges, both on and off the field. Lenoir’s writing is vivid and relatable, capturing the emotions and complexities of the characters’ experiences. The book offers a blend of drama, inspiration, and excitement, making it a great choice for sports enthusiasts and readers who enjoy stories of perseverance and self-discovery. Overall, Good Game is an enjoyable and empowering read.

3.5

As a former competitive gamer, I was really excited for a Sapphic romance set in the gaming scene. Especially starring women in their mid and late 20s. And while the misogyny and vitriol is VERY real and was well depicted, the gaming aspect and the romance both fell a little flat for me.

I've been doxxed, and that is not only maddening, but it can be TERRIFYING and it was depicted as just a bit of an inconvenience for Sam. There was so much opportunity for her to explore her emotions more about her concern for her dad and friends and that was left undone. The romance part felt pretty surface level and left a lot to be desired from meaningful connection with each other. Which made the final chapter feel very jarring. There were a few scenes that should have been included instead of summarized and the reader told what happened instead of actually exploring it.

That all said, the couple of times where the competition did take the forefront were fun to read. I wanted more of it. I know some readers wanted more spice, but I actually liked the fade to black. I think it fit the vibe more. I loved the efforts to make gaming safer for girls and women in the future.

Rep: bi femme (MC), butch lesbian (MC), mixed-race (MC), PTSD (SC), anxiety (SC)

CW: misogyny, bullying (not between MCs), racism, death of parent (in past)

This is an opposites-attract romance with a great message about being true to yourself, but it falls a little short in chemistry. Sam and Lauren have a sweet dynamic, and the story tackles important issues like sexism in gaming, but the fade-to-black romance makes their connection feel less intense. The gaming talk is also a bit much for non-gamers, which can make some parts drag. Still, the characters are likeable, and the story has heart, even if it doesn’t fully deliver on the sparks.

Absolutely loved this story! The misogynistic pushback adds tension and drives the plot, while the strong female characters shine in a world that resists them. The focus on computer gaming and esports is awesome, but it takes a back seat to the emotional storyline—so if you're looking for a hardcore gaming story, this isn’t it. Highly recommend!

I was curious to read this book as it is set in the 'gaming ' world. Although I have have some minor gaming experience I wondered if I would appreciate it. I loved it - and learnt a lot about gaming culture.
Lauren works as PR for a gaming company that has teams of fulltime gamers employed in competitions etc.
Sam is an amateur gamer and a woman. She is selected to join the team - the first woman on the team in a field dominated by men (and boys - people age out of gaming in their 20s apparently).

The boys live in dorms - and Sam can't live with them so she moves in with Lauren. There's more than one bed - but they are in forced, close proximity.

They get closer as we witness the online abuse that Sam is subjected too - especially as she is good - better than a lot of the boys. The trolling isn't just online though - there is a fair amount of misogyny headed he way from the team players and management.

This was really interesting - and must have taken a fair bot of research - opening my eyes to the world of gaming. I'm not at all surprised by the misogynist trolling though.

As the relationship between Lauren and Sam progresses career choices force them geographically apart for a while.

There is no epilogue but the end ties things up nicely with a cute aeroplane surprise.

I enjoyed this book far more than I was expecting so I would recommend it. Although there are a fair amount of 'youths' in the story I would not put this book in a young adult category.
.

That was actually a good game. Both MCs took risks and won in the end - in more ways than one!
The book is very much about gaming. The world itself, the players and their environment and how they deal with it.
Not always good and sexism, racial discrimination, doxxing etc. are addressed.
Women in the gaming scene are also a big topic that Sam has to deal with, including her appearance.
Compared to the others, she has to change because she is too androgynous.
You can see that this isn't a normal gamer romance. In my opinion, the romantic aspect deserved more attention. More details about Lauren and Sam's relationship.
I like it to be very detailed in the hot scenes, but I also understand that that shouldn't be the focus.
A little more would have been nice, though.
Because the two of them are great when they finally find each other and allow it.
Thanks to Bold Strokes Books and to the Author for the ARC. This is my honest review!

I am not a gamer but the description for this book was interesting so I thought I would request it. I learned a lot about the gaming industry, in particular the misogynist and racist elements of that world that the author handled quite well.

The relationship between gamer Sam O’Brien and gaming marketing executive, Lauren Johanssen was interesting in how they supported each other, but I never felt any exceptional chemistry between them. The book also lacked any detailed love scenes. 3.25 stars

I received an ARC from Bold Strokes Books and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this sapphic romance with a pro video gamer and a marketing exec at a gaming company! It definitely hit the sexist, misogynist, racist world that gaming can be, but handled it in a really thoughtful way. My only gripe with this story was I didn’t get as much of a feel for the video game that was the main feature of the story, so that fell a bit short for me. But I was really satisfied with how the story played out in the end!

Sam O’Brian might be blasting her way up the pro computer-gaming charts, but her dislike of the spotlight and her baggy clothes, undercut hair, and queer vibe make her a hard sell as a poster girl. Enter polished marketing executive Lauren Johanssen—ambitious, driven, and a people pleaser. Her new company wants to recruit Sam for its local eSports gaming team to fix their boys’ club image. They also want Lauren to pretty up Sam’s look to appeal to the masses. While Lauren’s up for a challenge, the more she’s pushed to change Sam, the more she likes her just as she is. She’s sworn never to date a professional gamer again, but she might be falling for the guarded, sweet gamer who still lives with her dad.

When I picked this up, I didn't realize it was closer to YA than adult, but I can live with that. This story was heavy on the gaming and slow burn on the romance. I like slow burn romances, but the plot needs to hold my interest more then. I'm not a gamer, and this didn't hook me as much as I'd like - but I did enjoy the story. I think this is geared more to younger audiences! 3.5⭐

I received an advanced complimentary digital copy of this book from Netgalley. Opinions expressed are my own.

I am not a gamer in any way but wanted to give this book a try despite this fact. Always nice to read and learn about something new. However, I was a bit disappointed since the writing was really dragging at time so for me I was unfortunately never invested in the story. There were also a lot of horrible men thinking women cannot be good at e-sport and a lot of homophobia and racism on top of that.

The romance between Sam and Lauren was also a bit lacking with everything being fade to black and I never really felt that they had any real chemistry and showing they were right for each other.

I chose this book without realizing it was more of a young adult story, which has been a bit disappointing for me. Because half of the story is explaining games I don't know, abusive situations between genders and between races, and general bad behavior from superiors towards subordinates and among peers.

The romance is between two seemingly opposite women and is somewhat inconceivable, although it may be believable to some. The overall feeling is positive, despite everything

My review should not be taken as a reference, I made a mistake in choosing this book and I am not the right person to rate it properly.

I received an ARC of from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

This book is a slow-burn lesbian romance set in the world of professional gaming. It follows Sam, an androgynous-looking rising esports star, and Lauren, a marketing executive who’s been told by her shithead CEO that Sam “looks too much like a guy” to be their poster girl. As their romance develops, the story also tackles the very real toxicity that women in gaming face - verbal abuse, harassment, and the constant stream of rape or death threats - and tries to consider what we and gaming companies can do to help.

I really enjoyed the romance itself - it was sweet, and I liked watching Sam and Lauren’s relationship grow. The dynamic between Sam and some of the nicer players was also a highlight, especially as she worked to prove herself to the sexist ones. However, the book sometimes felt like it was trying to explain gaming to non-gamers in ways that felt a bit awkward to me as a gamer. The male characters, in particular, came across as over-the-top caricatures of sexist gamers. I get that it was probably done to heighten the stakes, but some of the dialogue actually made me laugh and pulled me out of the story.

Overall, I did enjoy this! It was cute, and it was nice to read something adjacent to my interests. I’d rate this 3.5 stars, but since Goodreads doesn’t allow half-stars, I’m rounding up to 4. If you’re into the idea of a gamer romance, this is for you.

As an avid gamer myself, I was excited to read this one. Although I'm not very well versed in the world of esports, I could still relate to a lot of elements of this book, particularly the toxicity towards female gamers. I was glad to see it talked about as a central theme in this book and not brushed under the rug.

However, in terms of the gaming aspect itself, there were a few key moments that felt a little skipped over. For instance, the wins or losses were mostly just stated instead of actually described. This is the case for more than just the gaming as well, there are quite a few times in the book where events take place between characters or time passes and it is just told to us instead of letting us experience those moments. I wasn't as big a fan of that aspect, I feel like it can take away from the development of the story and the characters.

As far as the romance, I thought it was okay. I liked both characters individually, but together their chemistry felt lacking for me.

Overall though, this one is still a good read for fans of gaming and sapphic romance. It explores issues of toxicity in gaming, and features two strong characters 3.4/5 stars.

ARC REVIEW - *Good Game* by Suzanne Lenoir is the kind of romance that grabs you from the start and doesn’t let go! It’s packed with witty banter, undeniable chemistry, and a fierce battle—not just for gaming glory, but for identity too.

Sam O’Brian is climbing the pro gaming ranks (which isn't easy... Have you heard the things gamers say to girl gamers??), but her grunge-inspired, unbeknownst kindhearted attitude isn’t something she thought could be appetizing for a professional gaming career.

Enter Lauren Johanssen, a polished marketing exec with a mission and a goal: bring more females into pro-gaming and make Sam more “marketable” while helping their eSports team clean up... Because it was a *mess* for Augustan Gaming's Siege Encounter on aisle Team Baltimore Barrage...

This book is a total win for opposites-attract trope lovers and the geek enthusiast gamers! Sam and Lauren’s dynamic is electric from the start—filled with laugh-out-loud moments, swoon-worthy tension, and plenty of heartfelt depth. *Good Game* isn’t just about gaming; it’s about defying expectations, staying true to yourself, and discovering connections where you least expect them.

An absolute five-star read for anyone who loves competitive banter, geeky fun, and slow-burn romances with an emotional core!

**Thank you to NetGalley and the author and publisher for the opportunity 💕**

I loved this! I was hooked from the first chapter. Not only is it an adorable sapphic romance but also the way it tackles womens spaces in the gaming community was such a fresh take and also completely realistic. If you're a gamer and also enjoy sapphic romance then this is a 100% recommend.