I thought this was a cute and overall enjoyable read.
The premise definitely captures your attention but I found myself wanting a bit more throughout the book with details and character development.
The premise with the reality show was definitely unique in my opinion and really caught my attention to wanting to know what this book was/ is about!
Many of the conflicts were easily solved and it made the impact of them not as impactful. However overall it’s still a enjoyable read and I would recommend it!

This was a really cute book. Mia and Noah definitely did not have a great start and their misconceptions of the other set off a chain of events that lead them to where they needed to be.

I love the premise of the book because it was very engaging and fun. I love that it’s a reality show within the pages of a book. Each character added so much to the story and really gave it such a feel good read.

I love that Noah could be himself around Mia which is hilarious since they absolutely dislike one another. Their banter and need to push the other really had both Mia and Noah growing in ways they didn’t imagine!

A perfect read for the start of spring and warmer weather!

Thank you Lyla Lee and HarperCollins Children's Books for the ARC!

The Cuffing Game was a fun and light-hearted read! The challenges were and the game was overall very interesting to read about. I wish it was more creative with the games and challenges.

The evolution from the initial idea to the final lacking depth. I wish that part could have been more creative in my opinion. The dual POV was amazing to see both perspectives. The emotional and childhood hardships as an Asian was very relatable to me.

Overall, it's a fun, engaging and dramatic reality drama with some of YA readers' favourite tropes!

I really like the dating show plot. The characters could be so frustrating. It's one of those stories where you just want to yell at the characters to have it out. Overall it's a good premise, funny, and enjoyable. I would recommend!

Overall I found this book quite enjoyable, though a tiny bit frustrating.

Why frustrating? Mostly because of how obstinate the FMC was - BUT I think the author does a great job of giving enough context (family life) to understand why Mia is the way she is. The same goes for the MMC, Noah. I found their growth as characters satisfying and realistic enough.

That said, the characters were pretty fun and I liked the variety of personalities. Ms Lee does a great job at explaining how the show works, and the formatting of the chapters helps.

The premise of the book is accurate, though I think this book would be most enjoyed by niche group of readers (affiliated, Asian, college, and/or film industry people).

This book was so cute! The romance was so tension filled and wonderful! And the banter was so fun. Highly recommend.

I thought this book was cute. It didn’t really have any spice in it, which I surprisingly didn’t mind. I think Matias was my favorite character, but Violet and Carlos were my favorite couple. I like that each couple started out with someone but then eventually ended up with who they were supposed to be with. Also I’m happy that Celine and Kyle ended up with each other but both of their characters were kind of awful.

I thought this was a cute premise. It could use a little bit more detail, I thought it seemed a bit rushed. It felt like I was reading a really great first draft of a book rather than a book that was ready to go to print. Overall I'd say it was a cute and light hearted read.

3.75 rounded to 4. It was a cute YA rom-com. Loved the idea behind the book and for a dating show on with college kids. I think the show itself was chaotic but in the best way. showing how messy things can get but also that everyone is human and has real feelings despite what is always shown via shows.

*Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collin’s for this ARC

Thank you to Harpercollins and Lyla Lee for the ARC of the Cuffing Game for an honest review.

I love a good dating show, so I was so excited for this one! I think the story had so much potential but unfortunately the characters just felt very flat. I didn’t feel anything towards the characters as I was reading. I was flying by the book because it was very told, instead of showing story.

It might have been just not for me, I think the plot has so much potential and it could be that others would love it more than I did.

Thank you Lyla Lee and NetGalley for this eARC.

If you're looking for a cute YA read, this one may be for you. This book follows Mia, a college student studying filmography, as she develops and shoots a dating show. As a YA reader, I don't expect tons of character development, and that is what I got with this read. It was nice while I was reading it. Will it be one I remember forever......
I would have loved a little bit more a dive into Noah's life.
3/5 Stars

First things first, but the cover? It is so gorgeous. The artwork is beautifully done, and the characters are conveyed perfectly. That being said, it’s not exactly how I envisioned Noah and Mia while reading, but still, it’s a gorgeous design that draws you in.

Now, onto the book itself. The Cuffing Game has a reality TV dating show premise that feels fresh and unique, something I haven’t really seen done before, at least not in this way. The reality show element was definitely the highlight of the book for me. I loved how it wasn’t just about Mia and Noah; we got to see a variety of personalities and interactions, which made the world feel fuller and more immersive. Every contestant had their own quirks, which kept things engaging.

However, while I enjoyed the overall premise, the romance between Mia and Noah fell a little flat. I just didn’t feel the connection between them. Mia’s dynamic with Noah was especially frustrating because she has this massive crush on him but treats him pretty terribly, which made it hard to root for them. I get the whole hiding a crush trope, but at times, it felt unnecessarily mean spirited. Noah, on the other hand, was a well developed character. His background and personality were built up really well, and I could see where he was coming from. Mia, however, felt less fleshed out and I never felt like I fully understood her, even by the end.

The writing itself leans toward the corny side, which sometimes works, but I wasn’t a huge fan of it here. It made certain moments feel forced rather than natural. That said, the ending, while predictable, was still cute and satisfying.

Overall, The Cuffing Game is a fun, lighthearted YA romance with an entertaining reality TV setting that takes center stage. If you’re looking for a college set dating show with lots of drama and a unique concept, this could be a great pick. But if you’re hoping for deep romance, it might not fully deliver.

Thank you to NetGalley, Lyla Lee, Harper Collins for the eARC of this book.

Thank you to Harpercollins and Lyla Lee for the chance to eARC The Cuffing Game.

I wanted to love this book, I genuinely did, but it wasn't for me. Between the writing style, overall concept, and storytelling, I found myself feeling disconnected from the characters and plot, making it a struggle to keep pushing through. I feel Mia and Noah needed more. They fell very flat for me, and the romance between them didn't feel real. But, to be honest, the romance between all of these characters felt very forced for the plot and sake of the story.

People more into Love Island and other dating shows may find this more interesting than I did. I loved the concept and idea of The Cuffing Game's story. I think my biggest issue is the characters and execution.

I want to be fair because I can acknowledge this book just wasn't for me. I'm going to put it at 2 stars.

I wrote a full length review that accidentally got erased. But anyway, I don’t think this was very well written. This read like it was written by someone who didn’t know young people at all. No one says “crush” this much, or ever tbh. It was soo cringy how often this word was used. Also the age gaps. I know it’s not that bad and is worse in a lot of other books, but I didn’t love the freshman and senior duos. I just don’t think this was necessary. This applied to the main couple and many others as well. I definitely think that this book isn’t worth a read, and I’m disappointed since the synopsis seemed so promising.

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins for the e-arc! All opinions are entirely my own.

If you’ve ever wanted to read a cute, Love Island type of story, look no further!! Lyla Lee has written love island but for college students and it’s absolutely adorable.

I really enjoyed all of the side characters in this and I was pretty invested in the on-going drama. One thing to note, while I did enjoy the conflicts that were occurring throughout the book, I honestly felt a bit disappointed they were solved and written away so easily at the end. I personally just felt the ending was too wrapped up in a bow and I would have loved if there had been consequences to certain character’s actions or even just different reactions. It felt too clean and a bit rushed and would not have been realistic for actual college student, unfortunately.

I also really struggled to see the full chemistry between the FMC, Mia Yoon, and the MMC, Noah Jang. I felt a lot of their romance was ultimately told to me, rather than being shown to me and I just wanted more from them. It definitely picked up towards the end and by the final chapter, I could believe they had fallen in love. I also really liked how both characters felt relatable in their own ways, especially with their shared anxiety over school and life in general.

Ultimately, I really enjoyed this book and I felt it was incredibly cute. Again, the side characters were some of my favorites in the story and I devoured it in one night!! I look forward to reading future works by Lyla Lee!

Thank you to NetGalley & HarperCollins for the ARC!

First things first, can we talk about the cover? Because it’s STUNNING. The artwork is done beautifully, and the characters are conveyed perfectly. It’s not I envisioned Noah & Mia looking when I read.

Now to the book itself, The Cuffing Game. I enjoyed this, mostly. I really liked how the reality show was the main focus and how we were able to read about more than just Noah& Mia despite it being in their POVs. All of the characters were present, and all of them had their own quirks and personalities. I felt Noah was very thoroughly built up, and I could understand and see where his background came into play. Mia was a bit different. We learned about her, but I still felt I didn’t fully understand her? Even as the book came to an end, she felt like an open-ended question to me.

I felt that Noah and Mia’s romance was complicated. Mia has this big crush on Noah, yet she treats him like dirt, and it rubbed me the wrong way. I understand masking a crush, but she was so mean to him and barely gave him the time of day.

I will say, though, that this was a really fun read. It’s marketed as YA, which is correct. I thought the writing was done very well, despite my dislike for third person. It was a cute college story that I’m absolutely certain people will enjoy.

Rating: 2.5/5
The reality-tv-dating-show plot is very unique; feels like something that hasn't been done before. That being said, the story itself fell a little flat for me. I didn't really feeeel the connection between Mia and Noah. I think that the reality-tv-show-dating-game in itself is the biggest focus and most memorable part of this book, rather than the romance- which to me is disappointing. (Also the overall writing is very corny, which works sometimes, but I wasn't a big fan of it here. The ending was pretty much exactly what I envisioned happening, but I liked it and did think it was cute.

I pretty sure I would have like this one better if it hadn't been a Pride and Prejudice retelling. I think we have plenty of Pride and Prejudice retellings and that could just be because it's only my fourth Jane Austen. There's other Austen you can retell. And what do that have to butcher that first line.

While I know it was a reality show, it was a bit messy. It felt kind of similar to a reality show that I would see on Netflix. I was happy for all the couples that came about but I wish I got to know them a bit more.

4⭐

Thank you Lyla Lee and HarperCollins Children's Books for the ARC!

I loved this book so much more than I expected that I would. Lyla Lee has amazing writing skills to keep the readers hooked into the narrative without wanting to take a break.

Not many YA books in the market have Asian Representation or LGBTQ books but this book is carefully and smoothly balanced and includes both aspects, without making it seem like it was forced. It’s not often that we see such a wide range of gender identities and backgrounds represented so seamlessly. It made me feel even more comfortable to read the book.

The evolution from the initial idea to the final version of The Cuffing Game was fun to read about. The challenges and the game were interesting to read about. However, I felt like some of the aspects of the game were lacking depth. I wish that part could have been more creative in my opinion.

The dual POV allows the readers to see a broader perspective of the characters. We get to see how the character evolve and overcome tough situations and obstacles. The exploration within this dynamic was very interesting but at sometimes, the romance felt very rushed.

Overall, if you love dramatic, engaging, TV love reality drama, loath to love, and found family --- you'll love THE CUFFING GAME.