'Playing Flirty' by Shameez Patel

5 stars!

Book Blurb:

"A board game designer is forced to work alongside her nemesis in this charming and geeky rivals-to-lovers romcom perfect for fans of Olivia Dade and Jen DeLuca.

 
For Rose Marie Jones, risks are a hard no–except for Game Night. For one precious evening a week, Rose can forget about her demanding boss and her lackluster sex life and focus on beating the pants off her friends. But none of them brings out her hyper-competitive side quite like William Ashdern.

Her best friend’s half-brother, William is the paragon of a sexy nerd. The tall, dorky, and handsome game designer is Rose’s playing nemesis. But when Rose decides to enter a contest with the board game she’s secretly invented, there’s only one person who can help her win.

Now what has always been a game between Rose and William is getting a lot more serious. And after spending her entire life trying not to lose, Rose might finally be ready risk it all–and play to win."


My Review:

Absolutely loved this slow-burn Adult Rom-Com, full of gaming and geek culture and a silent, broody love interest. 'Playing Flirty' is all about found family and shenanigans, while also about discovering who you are, and unlearning some of the bad stuff from childhood. Highly recommended!

'Playing Flirty' releases on January 14th - grab a copy!

#PlayingFlirty #NetGalley – I voluntarily read a Review Copy of this book. All opinions stated are solely my own and no one else’s.

'While We're Young' by K.L. Walther

4.5 stars!

Book Blurb:

"A whirlwind romance inspired by Ferris Bueller’s Day Off about four friends whose hearts are broken and mended over the course of an epic senior skip day—from the bestselling author of The Summer of Broken Rules!

Grace, Isa, and Everett used to be an inseparable trio before their love lives became a tangled mess. For starters, Grace is secretly in love with Everett, who used to go out with Isa before breaking her heart in the infamous Freshman Year Fracture. And, oh yeah, no one knows that Isa has been hanging out with James, Grace’s brother—and if Grace finds out, it could ruin their friendship.

With graduation fast approaching, Grace decides an unsanctioned senior skip day in Philadelphia might be just what they need to fix things. All she has to do is convince Isa to help her kidnap Everett and outmaneuver James, who’s certain his sister is up to something.

In an epic day that includes racing up the famous Rocky steps, taste-testing Philly's finest cheesesteaks, and even crashing a wedding, their secrets are bound to collide. But can their hearts withstand the wreckage?"


My Review:

Author K.L. Walther does a great job seamlessly interweaving 4 POVs and some flashbacks. All 4 of our main characters get to narrate, and 'While We're Young' is all the better for it!

Miss Student Body President and everyone-loves-her, Grace, is the mastermind behind an unofficial Senior Skip Day during which she goes joy riding all around Philadelphia with her two best friends, Isa and Everett. Though the trio's friendship did not heal in the aftermath of Everett breaking up with Isa, years ago, Grace has remained close with both. She designed their Philadelphia itinerary with the goal to heal the friendship between them. 

This is simultaneously a light and fluffy, feel-good read while also touching upon heavy topics. The secrets these teens keep from each other are fairly minor, and make for some really good witty banter and heartfelt friendship reconciliation - Grace's crush on Everett kept from Isa because of girl-code, and Isa sharing kisses with Grace's brother, James. The heavier topics involve death of a parent, potentially losing a house they grew up in, and cheating on a spouse.

'While We're Young' releases on March 4th - grab a copy!

#WhileWereYoung #NetGalley – I voluntarily read a Review Copy of this book. All opinions stated are solely my own and no one else’s.