Single Player
A Novel
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4.4 • 5 Ratings
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- $14.99
Publisher Description
LIBRARY JOURNAL - STELLAR SELECTIONS | BEST BOOKS 2025
Two video game creators go head-to-head in this delightful, queer enemies-to-lovers workplace romance debut, perfect for fans of TJ Alexander and Helen Hoang.
Cat Li cares about two things: video games and swoony romances. The former means there hasn't been much of the latter in her (real) life, but when she lands her dream job writing the love storylines for Compass Hollow—the next big thing in games—she knows it’s all been worth it. Then she meets her boss: the infamous Andi Zhang, who’s not only an arrogant hater of happily-ever-afters determined to keep Cat from doing her job but also impossibly, annoyingly hot.
As Compass Hollow’s narrative director, Andi couldn’t care less about love—in-game or out. After getting doxxed by internet trolls three years ago, Andi’s been trying to prove to the gaming world that they’re a serious gamedev. Their plan includes writing the best game possible, with zero lovey-dovey stuff. That is, until the man funding the game’s development insists Andi add romance in order to make the story “more appealing to female gamers.”
Forced to give Cat a chance, Andi begrudgingly realizes there’s more to Cat than romantic idealism and, okay, a cute smile. But admitting that would mean giving up the single-player life that has kept their heart safe for years. And when Cat uncovers a behind-the-scenes plot to destroy Andi’s career, the two will have to put their differences aside and find a way to work together before it’s game over.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
The television show Mythic Quest meets Sally Thorne's The Hating Game in Tai's bighearted debut. Aspiring video game writer Cat Li lands her dream job writing love interests into the new game Compass Hollow for one of the most prestigious video game developers in North America. She'll be working under wunderkind narrative director Andi Zhang, who interchangeably uses she/her and they/them pronouns. Unfortunately, prickly Andi assumes the new hire violated a nondisclosure agreement after a run-in with a reporter, Cat antagonizes Andi instead of correcting them, and the pair butt heads continuously over whether or not to follow boss Brett's admonition to add romance to Compass Hollow. It doesn't help that the woman Cat is fake-dating to avoid disappointing her family happens to be Andi's ex. Sparks fly, however, after Cat defends Andi from a vindictive former boss. Now the pair must figure out how to develop romance both in-game and IRL. Though some of the workplace enemies-to-lovers antics feel a bit immature, it's easy to root for both protagonists, and Tai writes about the video game industry with impressive nuance. Gamers will find plenty of enjoyable Easter eggs, and even those who've never picked up a controller will become invested in the ins and outs of game development. Meryl Wilsner fans should check this out.
