Well, here we are friends, my first book review of the year and I didn’t even read it. I listened to it. Of course, there is nothing wrong with that! I love a good audiobook while driving or painting.

I ask that you please bear with me as I figure out how I am going to do these book reviews in the future. I have indubitably not thought this out far enough. It’s like I woke up sometime this month and said hey, let me do blog stuff. I feel like I am back to square one, learning how all this works again. I won’t hold you up any longer, let’s talk about this book!

The Synopsis

(Synopsis brought to you directly from GoodReads)

An enemies-to-lovers spicy romance set in the world of video gaming from the bestselling author of The Love Hypothesis—available only in audio!

Viola Bowen has the chance of a lifetime: to design a video game based on her all-time favorite book series. The only problem? Her co-lead is Jesse F-ing Andrews, a.k.a. her arch-nemesis. Jesse has made it abundantly clear over the years that he wants nothing to do with her–and Viola has no idea why.

When their bosses insist a wintery retreat is the perfect team-building exercise, Viola can’t think of anything worse. Being freezing cold in a remote mountain lodge knowing Jesse is right next door? No, thank you.

But as the snow piles on, Viola discovers there’s more to Jesse than she knew, and heat builds in more ways than one.

My Rating

My Reivew

First of all, I will say that I love Ali Hazelwood. I love everything she has written that I have read. I fall in love with her books so fast! I have heard a little controversy around her and how some people feel like she writes the same story over and over again, but honestly, I want all her books. I want to devour every single one. That being said…I loved this story!

I did listen to this on audiobook and I borrowed it from my local library. I was shocked to find that it seems to only be available as an audiobook. I’m not mad about it, I loved the narrator.

It took me two days to listen to this one, so I believe it is more of a novella than a novel. Another non-issue for me.

This story was fast passed, which I guess comes with the novella territory. I enjoyed the insight into the game programming world and I like to think that it really is like that. Both Viola and Jesse were amazing characters that I felt we got to know and understand. It also feels like that are in character with what a stereotypical game programmer would be like. Both being quiet and reserved and very work motivated.

As much as I loved the story there is one thing that really bothers me. I don’t like that it is labeled as an “enemies to lovers” story. Viola and Jesse did not hate each other, nor did they dislike each other. They were not mean to one another and there was never any bad words between the two of them. It was more like that had a civil distance between the two of them because of past misunderstandings.

With that being said, I enjoyed how quickly the misunderstandings were cleared up quick and the story progressed. Maybe had this been a novel length story, we would have seen more of the interactions with the two characters and felt a slight hate or dislike between the two of them. Unfortunately, for me it just felt like a distance you would keep if you found out your crush only liked you as a friend so you stayed out of their way.

There isn’t much more to say about this story. I found myself sitting in my car longer than normal to listen to a few more minutes. It was one of those stories that I wanted to take it all in at one time because I just needed to know how things played out.

In the end Two Can Play kept me on the edge of my seat, entertained, and left me with a smile on my face and a warmth in my heart. If you like any other books by Ali Hazelwood, I highly suggest giving it a listen. If you like romance stories with a little spice, give it a listen. Did I forget there was spice in the book? Very well done spice for someone who isn’t a fan of the spiciest of spice.

Have you read/listened to this book? If so, what did you think about it?