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christinefitz's review
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Loved this one; light spice, lots of hate-yearning, very slow burn, workplace romance. Great enby she/they rep, I could relate to their dysphoria so much at points. Gaming references galore, and some TTG references too.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexism, Sexual content, Transphobia, Stalking, Alcohol, and Dysphoria
Moderate: Cursing, Fatphobia, Panic attacks/disorders, Blood, Vomit, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail
giasbookhaven's review against another edition
emotional
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Single Player, drives readers into the lives of gaming industry characters as the deadline for their release quickly approaches. Cat, a shy, self-conscious and introverted romance writer is brought on as an intern to carve out a romance subplot for a game in development. Head of the team and lead writer is Andi, a nonbinary fiercely driven and serious person whom is actually very much against the idea of bringing romance into the game.
Cat and Andi are polar opposites and while I think enimes to lovers fit this pair, I couldn't help but think of them as a grumpy/sunshine pairing.
Cat and Andi's friendship starts off on the edge of a sharp cliff over their disagreement over romance in the game. But as we get to know them both, readers will realize that they have more in common than they know.
Cat's people pleasing and talkive personality masks her self-doubt and fear of being alone without ever having found someone to love who loves her back. She navigates her life going through ranked and situational responses and scenarios that players usually encounter in video games😆( Now I do something like this but not in like game form. What does that say about me?)
And Andi is focused on the bigger picture of things. Only pausing their focus to sleep and play DnD on the weekends. Having been burned badly by love and the industry in the past, their straight(not literally🙃)and narrow approach to life hides the pain, hurt and panic they carry.
There's something to be said about a story that delivers a slow-burn romance but also character developments that happen before the main couple actually become official
In my opinion, Single Player will have all millennial game lovers praising and cheering this book. The game and character nods blended into the story always had be smiling.
And I loved all the characters in this bool but Cat and her one-off catch phases topped it off for me.
I don't know if there's a TW option for this but there's a lot of anti-nonbinary talk and anti DEI in this book. Even though I am not in the gaming industry, I could see a lot of the toxicity of the CiS white characters as being based off of reality.
Cat and Andi are polar opposites and while I think enimes to lovers fit this pair, I couldn't help but think of them as a grumpy/sunshine pairing.
Cat and Andi's friendship starts off on the edge of a sharp cliff over their disagreement over romance in the game. But as we get to know them both, readers will realize that they have more in common than they know.
Cat's people pleasing and talkive personality masks her self-doubt and fear of being alone without ever having found someone to love who loves her back. She navigates her life going through ranked and situational responses and scenarios that players usually encounter in video games😆( Now I do something like this but not in like game form. What does that say about me?)
And Andi is focused on the bigger picture of things. Only pausing their focus to sleep and play DnD on the weekends. Having been burned badly by love and the industry in the past, their straight(not literally🙃)and narrow approach to life hides the pain, hurt and panic they carry.
There's something to be said about a story that delivers a slow-burn romance but also character developments that happen before
In my opinion, Single Player will have all millennial game lovers praising and cheering this book. The game and character nods blended into the story always had be smiling.
And I loved all the characters in this bool but Cat and her one-off catch phases topped it off for me.
I don't know if there's a TW option for this but there's a lot of anti-nonbinary talk and anti DEI in this book. Even though I am not in the gaming industry, I could see a lot of the toxicity of the CiS white characters as being based off of reality.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Panic attacks/disorders, Toxic relationship, and Toxic friendship
Minor: Body shaming, Cursing, Hate crime, and Gaslighting
kalira's review
emotional
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
(I received a free ebook ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.)
So I read this book in one shot, and then I spent a little while sitting with it going I am shrieking internally and coherent review whomst??? I have too many feelings!
Just FYI.
I adore Andi and her . . . awkward or locking up moments were searingly relatable - so were her brief panic moments, and her wait fuck just a second too late times. (Note I mostly used she/her for Andi (stated enby in the book) in this review; she/they are used in the book, she a bit more often.) Cat was delightful as well, though at times (especially early on) her determination to fake her personality, and thus simplifying it into game choices, made me want to shake her. The game/dialogue choices became charming as she unfurled a little more from that level and type, however! And I was more frustrated with her determination to hide everything about herself/present the Right Options To Progress The Narrative, than the device used. (I loved Andi seeing through that - even if they didn't know what they were seeing, exactly. Also? Love how Cat can't help but be herself around Andi, failing miserably when she did try, briefly, to put up that Proper Mask sort of interaction - which put Andi off/unsettled them even before Cat failed out of it.)
(Also, while I am a huge geek and perennially online person, I'm not necessarily that kind of video game geek; there are plenty of references, some familiar to me and some not, but while they add to the narrative for sure, nothing vital is missing if you miss a reference, either.)
They had good friends! (Friends, exes, fake girlfriend, friends with benefits. . .) Good as characters and good for them. (Parents maybe a little less so; good characters, perhaps, but - long distance as they were - a bit less than great for their kids.) I appreciated that (for Cat, for Andi, and for their friends) the characters' reactions when misunderstandings, lies, and stupid decisions (when hey came out) were largely at a reasonable level. Not brushing it off but not blowing into huge misunderstandings and separation, either. Sometimes people let awkward interactions or weird messages go without asking or getting upset, because, you know, things happen. Sometimes people blew up overthinking about simple things that didn't need that much focus or were very much not meant in that way, because, you know, sometimes it's like that.
The antagonist(s) were hackle-prickling and unfortunately a familiar Type. Seeing them get at least a little comeuppance? Delicious. The biggest jackass sailing off pretty much scot-free? *sighs* Unfortunately - as Andi notes - hardly surprising.
Not to spoil anything, but. . . Their first kiss was cute - and then awkward, oop - their second was lovely - and their first time together was great! (Very nice especially after all the tasty leadup, emotionally and with physical attraction; I'm just clinging to her because I don't want to fall off the back of her motorcycle and die indeed, Cat, I'm sure. And nothing to do with her collarbones, or cheekbones, or forearms. >.> Not to mention she's so small and cute she would fit right under my chin and she always- Not that there's anything but irritation there, either, Andi. Totally. Nothing about too-bright smiles for example.)
It was so sweet and so great to see them growing to like one another - and stand up for one another, in different ways - but especially to see them understand one another, first without any underlying knowledge and feeling out more intuitive grasps - and not sure they wanted to go there; after all, they don't like each other - to working to help each other and sharing important things and broadening those points of understanding. Every time I braced myself for a misunderstanding that would Blow Up . . . it failed to materialise - not in a foreshadowed poorly way, in a thank goodness, they reacted reasonably! way. Anxieties and all!
Cat knowing where to find Andi when she might have felt the need to disappear and drop off the grid? (Or at least 'where' as a category and how to find her.) Absolutely fabulous. Andi's reaction to her being there? Awesome!
The alternating POVs (not strictly alternating; sometimes we stuck with one or the other for two in a row, where it was needed) were used to excellent effect, and allowed us to see both their perspectives on their developing relationship (and the things hidden from one another), as well as the moments of understanding, appreciation, dawning with full background to appreciate it ourselves.
By the time I got to the ending I was definitely fidgeting with anticipation and delight, and . . . well, as said - I have a lot of feelings. They're still vibrating in my chest now as I round out this review.
I also have to tack on - contemporary/mundane settings are not generally my favourite, and boss/employee romances can be fun (fiction) or they can easily squick me. This one was awesome - and the boss/employee dynamic is far less than the description might make one assume. (Andi didn't hire Cat, doesn't have the power to fire her, and while Andi assigns her work, is not really a typical office boss in dynamic or time together.)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing and Sexual content
Moderate: Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, and Sexism
Minor: Alcohol