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A review by amandasbrews
Playing Flirty by Shameez Patel
5.0
Playing Flirty is a warm hug to all the nerdy romantics out there who love to hunker down and learn a new game. Rose is a board game enthusiast working in a demanding corporate job and in a relationship that's lost it's spark. Her weekly game night is her only chance to blow off some steam, if she doesn't bicker with William, who always seems to draw out her hyper-competitive side. But when one of the group members gets engaged, William and Rose start their own game of "playing nice" for the sake of their friends.
My favorite part of this story is how the dichotomy between Patrick and William shines a light on how romances are also so deeply about character growth. Romances give us such a cozy structure to allow the characters to grow with us in a familiar way. In Playing Flirty, we're able to see how different people impact our lives in different ways through William and Patrick. Through William and Rose's "playing nice", it's so clear that both of them are growing together into better people, whereas when she's with Patrick, it's reminiscent of times in her life that have since past. This dichotomy is a firm reminder of Rose's growth throughout the novel.
I also really loved how Patel was able to balance having William spend the entire novel trying to prove that he's worth Rose's love while simultaneously messing up along the way. It gives this story so much sincerity and realness. It wasn't that William was in his head about not being ready, it's that he actually needed to grow to be with Rose. It makes William such a genuine character and companion to Rose. This balance also makes William such a refreshing light of a character that it's impossible not to fall in love with him.
Playing Flirty is so much more than the love story between two people, it's a love story for anyone who has ever had a dream while being stuck in corporate America. The way that Rose thinks about her game is a pure love that any creative can understand. It's a pull that only comes from a genuinely pure love for the craft and one that can only be captured by a writer who truly loves to tell stories.
My favorite part of this story is how the dichotomy between Patrick and William shines a light on how romances are also so deeply about character growth. Romances give us such a cozy structure to allow the characters to grow with us in a familiar way. In Playing Flirty, we're able to see how different people impact our lives in different ways through William and Patrick. Through William and Rose's "playing nice", it's so clear that both of them are growing together into better people, whereas when she's with Patrick, it's reminiscent of times in her life that have since past. This dichotomy is a firm reminder of Rose's growth throughout the novel.
I also really loved how Patel was able to balance having William spend the entire novel trying to prove that he's worth Rose's love while simultaneously messing up along the way. It gives this story so much sincerity and realness. It wasn't that William was in his head about not being ready, it's that he actually needed to grow to be with Rose. It makes William such a genuine character and companion to Rose. This balance also makes William such a refreshing light of a character that it's impossible not to fall in love with him.
Playing Flirty is so much more than the love story between two people, it's a love story for anyone who has ever had a dream while being stuck in corporate America. The way that Rose thinks about her game is a pure love that any creative can understand. It's a pull that only comes from a genuinely pure love for the craft and one that can only be captured by a writer who truly loves to tell stories.