Two Can Play is about Viola, who is a lead game designer at a midsize gaming studio in Seattle. The company she works for has just landed a big contract to create the third installment of a game based on a book series that she loves. However, it comes with a catch: they must work with another similarly sized gaming studio – one of which they have multiple grudges against, and the feeling is mutual. As far as her team is aware, she is the only one who doesn’t hold any real animosity towards them; that’s only because she never told them about her interactions with Jesse, the lead game designer at the other studio.
She has had an unrequited crush on Jesse ever since she met him in an interview years prior. Her crush, though, is thoroughly quashed when she overhears him say he was extremely uninterested in her at her cousin’s engagement party.
Because of previous (and current) tensions between both companies, the head studio arranges a retreat for everyone to team build and get along. This means Viola cannot get away from Jesse no matter how hard she tries.
This turned out to be a cute, short romcom that I enjoyed immensely. It took me only about 3-4 hours to read the whole thing, and I probably would have read it faster if I had just sat down and read it without distractions. (Work was my distraction)
As a gamer nerd, I especially appreciated the game references throughout the novel. Though Fallout 76 was indeed a dumpster fire when it first came out, it has gotten better over the years, and I currently enjoy playing it!
As a book nerd, I loved the idea of the book that the game will be based on, and honestly, I want to read it. I’m assuming it’s something made up for Two Can Play, but it was a cool concept. So I’m secretly hoping Ali Hazelwood writes up the book series she mentioned within this book.
Lastly, one of the biggest things I appreciated was the actual communication the main characters have in the book. Yes, there’s a miscommunication, but it makes sense once it was brought to light. So many times, the “miscommunication” trope is used badly, and the characters have no real reason not to speak to each other properly.
If you want a low-stakes, light-hearted romance, then you should try this one out.
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Katastrophe Chef 
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