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Hearts Pursuit
Horrendous date left my heart feeling like a battered piñata, I knew a gaming marathon would be the perfect remedy. But when I passed out with my portable gaming system in hand, I was transported into the heart of my favorite dating simulation universe! Now, yours truly, is the main heroine attending a whimsical, enchanted academy, armed with magical prowess, EXP, and MANA galore. Dorm life in the academy is magical, especially when my roommate is an enchanted plant with a knack for being judgmental. Plus, she keeps telling me she’s my guardian, whatever that means. Not to mention, I’ve unlocked heart-fluttering connections to some of the men here. Picture six dreamy love potentials, each with their own heart-o-meters and some seriously adorable meet-cute-events. Dating games were my jam, but they always made you choose between the love interests. Why settle for one love interest when I can have six? My goal is to create the ultimate harem and max out their heart-o-meters! Who needs to pick a single beau when you can have a heart-throbbing team? No more tough love choices for this heroine!
536 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 18, 2024
241 people are currently reading
449 people want to read
About the author
Lyra Winters
29 books801 followersLyra Winters is a twenty-something Kentucky woman who adores the book world. When she's not typing away on her laptop or daydreaming book ideas, Lyra is occupying her time taking care of her two spunky daughters and dreamy husband. She's addicted to Coca-Cola, 2000's rap music, and bubble baths. Her dream is to write love stories that touch the reader's hearts.
Visit her website at https://www.lyrawinters.com/
Visit her website at https://www.lyrawinters.com/
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 172 reviews
January 20, 2024
3 stars.
Cute, but super cheesy. Like way too cheesy for my personal tastes.
I know it was based off of those relationship simulation games, and mangas, but it had a little too much of that same cringy dialogue for me to really get into it.
Dont get me wrong. I liked the concept, and the video game aspects were really cool.
But the little dramas were really predictable and the dialogue was just too unnaturally sweet at times.
Plus there was zero group activities of any kind, and the relationships, because of the format, felt too much like step by step achievements rather than connections being built.
I was just hoping for it to be a better version of what it was based off of, but really it just seemed like same same in a different format.
🤷🏻♀️
Some people are gonna absolutely love that about it.
I’m just not a fan of that particular type of cheese.
Cute, but super cheesy. Like way too cheesy for my personal tastes.
I know it was based off of those relationship simulation games, and mangas, but it had a little too much of that same cringy dialogue for me to really get into it.
Dont get me wrong. I liked the concept, and the video game aspects were really cool.
But the little dramas were really predictable and the dialogue was just too unnaturally sweet at times.
Plus there was zero group activities of any kind, and the relationships, because of the format, felt too much like step by step achievements rather than connections being built.
I was just hoping for it to be a better version of what it was based off of, but really it just seemed like same same in a different format.
🤷🏻♀️
Some people are gonna absolutely love that about it.
I’m just not a fan of that particular type of cheese.
January 19, 2024
Dnf @ 32%
The premise was actually really cool but did not like the heroine or any of the guys. The heroine made it her whole personality to have a reverse harem and it was just annoying. I didn’t understand why she liked these guys, besides the fact that she found them to be hot. She was a 29 year old woman that reverted back to being 21 but gave off the personality of a 14 year old. The guys were no different. Didn’t get that anyone was in their 20’s.
I also need my heroine to play it a bit cool sometimes as well. Primrose was just too thirsty to care. Should have taken the plants advice and just chill.
Conversations didn’t flow and seemed way too scripted… and just really cheesy.
The premise was actually really cool but did not like the heroine or any of the guys. The heroine made it her whole personality to have a reverse harem and it was just annoying. I didn’t understand why she liked these guys, besides the fact that she found them to be hot. She was a 29 year old woman that reverted back to being 21 but gave off the personality of a 14 year old. The guys were no different. Didn’t get that anyone was in their 20’s.
I also need my heroine to play it a bit cool sometimes as well. Primrose was just too thirsty to care. Should have taken the plants advice and just chill.
Conversations didn’t flow and seemed way too scripted… and just really cheesy.
March 4, 2024
DNF@32%
Cringe and cheesy.
Cringe and cheesy.
September 24, 2025
2 stars ★ ★ ☆ ☆ ☆
☆⋆｡𖦹°‧★ Hearts Pursuit☆⋆｡𖦹°‧★
⁺₊★·.´🎧✩°｡ 0:56 ──♡───── 3:32 ⁺₊🎧★·.·´
🎶 “Video game lover, we should **** with each other” 🎶
A gaming marathon gone wrong lands her inside her favorite dating sim - only this time she is the heroine at a magical academy, complete with spells, EXP, and a snarky plant roommate who insists she is her guardian. Between enchanted classes and whimsical dorm life, she soon discovers six swoon-worthy love interests, each with their own heart-o-meter and meet-cutes.
— ⋆｡ﾟ☁︎｡⋆｡ ﾟ☾ ﾟ｡⋆• THOUGHTS⋆｡ﾟ☁︎｡⋆｡ ﾟ⋆—
CONCEPT: GOOD Dialogue: CHEESEY. Overly? YES. Entertaining? At times, but other times I was hit with secondhand embarrassment. It was definitely something. Primrose treated it more like a game she needed to win than a set of genuine relationships. It felt like she was collecting men rather than building connections with them. Nothing felt natural, and the dialogue only made it worse. Everyone was overly obsessive and insta-love. All their “meters” for her were maxed out at first glance, while hers took time to develop. Colt, Cyrus, Al, Tate, Wells, Raiden… none of them truly moved me. Some even annoyed me. Cyrus especially with the poetry - just no. Wells was decent. Colt and Tate were bearable, the least cringe, and actually on board. Al dropped everything to be with her, risked his future, and ended up shunned. Raiden was… okay, obsessive king.
— ⋆｡ﾟ☁︎｡⋆｡ ﾟ☾ ﾟ｡⋆ OVERALL⋆｡ﾟ☁︎｡⋆｡ ﾟ☾ ﾟ｡⋆—
Would I read again? Absolutely not.
☆⋆｡𖦹°‧★ Hearts Pursuit☆⋆｡𖦹°‧★
⁺₊★·.´🎧✩°｡ 0:56 ──♡───── 3:32 ⁺₊🎧★·.·´
🎶 “Video game lover, we should **** with each other” 🎶
A gaming marathon gone wrong lands her inside her favorite dating sim - only this time she is the heroine at a magical academy, complete with spells, EXP, and a snarky plant roommate who insists she is her guardian. Between enchanted classes and whimsical dorm life, she soon discovers six swoon-worthy love interests, each with their own heart-o-meter and meet-cutes.
— ⋆｡ﾟ☁︎｡⋆｡ ﾟ☾ ﾟ｡⋆• THOUGHTS⋆｡ﾟ☁︎｡⋆｡ ﾟ⋆—
“Why settle for one love interest when I could have more?”
CONCEPT: GOOD Dialogue: CHEESEY. Overly? YES. Entertaining? At times, but other times I was hit with secondhand embarrassment. It was definitely something. Primrose treated it more like a game she needed to win than a set of genuine relationships. It felt like she was collecting men rather than building connections with them. Nothing felt natural, and the dialogue only made it worse. Everyone was overly obsessive and insta-love. All their “meters” for her were maxed out at first glance, while hers took time to develop. Colt, Cyrus, Al, Tate, Wells, Raiden… none of them truly moved me. Some even annoyed me. Cyrus especially with the poetry - just no. Wells was decent. Colt and Tate were bearable, the least cringe, and actually on board. Al dropped everything to be with her, risked his future, and ended up shunned. Raiden was… okay, obsessive king.
— ⋆｡ﾟ☁︎｡⋆｡ ﾟ☾ ﾟ｡⋆ OVERALL⋆｡ﾟ☁︎｡⋆｡ ﾟ☾ ﾟ｡⋆—
Would I read again? Absolutely not.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 28, 2024
As an actual dating sim player, who has been in the fandom long before CL Stone’s very, very popular Tokimeki Memorial: Girl’s Side crossover AU, Ghostbird, took it to the Western book world, I have to say that Primrose (and I guess the author and her editors) have clearly never played any actual dating sims, of any kind. First because she insists on calling them ‘dating simulators’, like the basic bitch she is, and secondly because every second thing she mentions about the genre is patently fucking wrong.
Primrose says she played through all the routes of her favorite dating sim after a bad date.
Any dating sim whose every route can be played in an evening is automatically trash. Hakuouki’s first release, arguably the world’s most popular otoge (until the day TokiMemo has an official English edition) takes around 40 hours to finish. And that’s without counting the extra material added in later releases, which add around 20 more hours of content.
Primrose says all character’s backstories are found in their Character page.
No, and stupid. The point of a dating sim is to get to meet a character’s backstory by interacting with them. Extra data can be found there, but not the main shit you're meant to discover as you know him.
Primrose is surprised the game world she has been taking to has six available love interests.
Hakuouki, which she should have played if she was half the connoisseur she claims she is, has 12.
“(Alderige) had more depth to him than all of the studious types in the games I’ve played combined.”
At this point in the book all Al has done is tell her she’s pretty and shown he’s a hard worker. If that’s deeper than any game with routes that take multiple real hours to finish, she has been reading fortune cookies and not any even vaguely decent simulator, dating or otherwise.
But okay, let’s pretend I am not a fucking nerd, and approach it like a reader who has only experienced western WhyChoose books, and have never touched a videogame in my life. Surprise, the book still sucks.
Given the premise of a gamer going into her favorite dating sim, with antagonists named “Chad”, “Karen” and “Kevin”, I figured this was meant to be a tongue-in-cheek story. But it wasn’t, and the story is all the worst for it.
What I liked:
- A slow-build harem where the first guys encourage the heroine to go for the others.
What I didn’t like:
- Everything else.
Let’s start with the heroine. The author did very, very well in removing her from the cover because it is hard to feel sorry for a girl that looks like that because, oh no, her great big source of insecurity is that her sister is prettier. She never doubts she herself is hot, but woe is her, there exists hotter people in the world. Tragic, really.
Then there’s the plot. At first, when she thinks she’s lucid dreaming, her harem-building dreams make sense as an achievable goal because that’s what dating sims are like. However, she eventually figures out she’s not dreaming but in fact, is in a new world – and rather than change her approach to the men from ‘game goals’ to ‘actual people I need to treat with kindness and respect’, she changes nothing and proceeds as usual.
This shows an essential lack of understanding of the genre in both books and games, which is wild to think about given the author has plenty of WhyChoose books. Yet rather than give a heroine multiple strong relationships that she’s unwilling to sacrifice in order to settle for one, she goes ‘I wanna date these 6 men I have barely talked to, and will be offended when they don’t all immediately jump at the chance of doing so’.
Just look at the way she treats Alderige and Cyrus. The way she fucking stalks her teacher ‘just to have a talk’ because he is uncomfortable dating a student is insane and very much on par with Karen’s every action. No means no, even if you're Primrose. But the book doesn't care.
Speaking of: Karen! You can have a stereotypical mean girl without making her such a misogynistic joke, incapable of basic self-respect. She could have had more going on in her life besides her need for Tate’s dick, but that’d take effort and empathy. It’s pretty insane how lazy the writing is whenever she is involved. Even when she participated in class in good faith, she was wrong. The scene with Tate’s parents straight up comparing their height, eye and hair coloring, arguing that she’s better for Tate because ‘they’d make pretty babies’ was a particular low, lazy, uncreative joke. The only emotional impact it had was ridiculousness because people, particularly smart people who run their own successful businesses do not talk like that. Hell, even the most socially inept learn not to talk like that before they’re let out in society, and they rarely get invited to fancy dinners.
Other stuff that bothered me:
- How come when the guys find out she’s a reincarnation, no one asks her flower buddy about things like, hey, are you God? Did my beloved dead grandpa reincarnate in another world? Do only young people reincarnate? If I live a happy life and die old, then what? When faced with something as monumental as that knowledge, I expect a wee bit of an existential crisis. But no, the guys just go "hmm yeah it makes sense that you're a reincarnation. Never heard of that being a thing before, but why not."
- If Primrose having her hearts filled since day 1 is so rare, how come the guys don’t immediately use it as an explanation for their relationship with her? Shouldn’t they be crowing it from the rooftops? Rather than constantly having to defend her from the slut-shaming crowd.
- Why did the menu stuff never come up again? She can invoke a magic menu from the air, yet only does it once. We never even see the men do it.
- The moment she realized she had died in her previous world; why didn’t she start looking up her own past? She had to wait for Karen to inform her she’s an orphan because she didn’t bother to figure out if maybe in this new world she had a family hoping for a phone call?
- Cyrus and C. Russ. Agni Draco. And she didn’t immediately figure it out? Seriously? Seriously?
This is the second book I try by this author and a confirmation that her work is not for me. I found some charm in Fate Hollow Academy, even not enough to continue past the first book. Still, it left me with enough of an impression that I gave this a try. But never again.
Primrose says she played through all the routes of her favorite dating sim after a bad date.
Any dating sim whose every route can be played in an evening is automatically trash. Hakuouki’s first release, arguably the world’s most popular otoge (until the day TokiMemo has an official English edition) takes around 40 hours to finish. And that’s without counting the extra material added in later releases, which add around 20 more hours of content.
Primrose says all character’s backstories are found in their Character page.
No, and stupid. The point of a dating sim is to get to meet a character’s backstory by interacting with them. Extra data can be found there, but not the main shit you're meant to discover as you know him.
Primrose is surprised the game world she has been taking to has six available love interests.
Hakuouki, which she should have played if she was half the connoisseur she claims she is, has 12.
“(Alderige) had more depth to him than all of the studious types in the games I’ve played combined.”
At this point in the book all Al has done is tell her she’s pretty and shown he’s a hard worker. If that’s deeper than any game with routes that take multiple real hours to finish, she has been reading fortune cookies and not any even vaguely decent simulator, dating or otherwise.
But okay, let’s pretend I am not a fucking nerd, and approach it like a reader who has only experienced western WhyChoose books, and have never touched a videogame in my life. Surprise, the book still sucks.
Given the premise of a gamer going into her favorite dating sim, with antagonists named “Chad”, “Karen” and “Kevin”, I figured this was meant to be a tongue-in-cheek story. But it wasn’t, and the story is all the worst for it.
What I liked:
- A slow-build harem where the first guys encourage the heroine to go for the others.
What I didn’t like:
- Everything else.
Let’s start with the heroine. The author did very, very well in removing her from the cover because it is hard to feel sorry for a girl that looks like that because, oh no, her great big source of insecurity is that her sister is prettier. She never doubts she herself is hot, but woe is her, there exists hotter people in the world. Tragic, really.
Then there’s the plot. At first, when she thinks she’s lucid dreaming, her harem-building dreams make sense as an achievable goal because that’s what dating sims are like. However, she eventually figures out she’s not dreaming but in fact, is in a new world – and rather than change her approach to the men from ‘game goals’ to ‘actual people I need to treat with kindness and respect’, she changes nothing and proceeds as usual.
This shows an essential lack of understanding of the genre in both books and games, which is wild to think about given the author has plenty of WhyChoose books. Yet rather than give a heroine multiple strong relationships that she’s unwilling to sacrifice in order to settle for one, she goes ‘I wanna date these 6 men I have barely talked to, and will be offended when they don’t all immediately jump at the chance of doing so’.
Just look at the way she treats Alderige and Cyrus. The way she fucking stalks her teacher ‘just to have a talk’ because he is uncomfortable dating a student is insane and very much on par with Karen’s every action. No means no, even if you're Primrose. But the book doesn't care.
Speaking of: Karen! You can have a stereotypical mean girl without making her such a misogynistic joke, incapable of basic self-respect. She could have had more going on in her life besides her need for Tate’s dick, but that’d take effort and empathy. It’s pretty insane how lazy the writing is whenever she is involved. Even when she participated in class in good faith, she was wrong. The scene with Tate’s parents straight up comparing their height, eye and hair coloring, arguing that she’s better for Tate because ‘they’d make pretty babies’ was a particular low, lazy, uncreative joke. The only emotional impact it had was ridiculousness because people, particularly smart people who run their own successful businesses do not talk like that. Hell, even the most socially inept learn not to talk like that before they’re let out in society, and they rarely get invited to fancy dinners.
Other stuff that bothered me:
- How come when the guys find out she’s a reincarnation, no one asks her flower buddy about things like, hey, are you God? Did my beloved dead grandpa reincarnate in another world? Do only young people reincarnate? If I live a happy life and die old, then what? When faced with something as monumental as that knowledge, I expect a wee bit of an existential crisis. But no, the guys just go "hmm yeah it makes sense that you're a reincarnation. Never heard of that being a thing before, but why not."
- If Primrose having her hearts filled since day 1 is so rare, how come the guys don’t immediately use it as an explanation for their relationship with her? Shouldn’t they be crowing it from the rooftops? Rather than constantly having to defend her from the slut-shaming crowd.
- Why did the menu stuff never come up again? She can invoke a magic menu from the air, yet only does it once. We never even see the men do it.
- The moment she realized she had died in her previous world; why didn’t she start looking up her own past? She had to wait for Karen to inform her she’s an orphan because she didn’t bother to figure out if maybe in this new world she had a family hoping for a phone call?
- Cyrus and C. Russ. Agni Draco. And she didn’t immediately figure it out? Seriously? Seriously?
This is the second book I try by this author and a confirmation that her work is not for me. I found some charm in Fate Hollow Academy, even not enough to continue past the first book. Still, it left me with enough of an impression that I gave this a try. But never again.
January 22, 2024
3.5 ⭐️ // 3 🌶️
Okay, so this is a good book, I feel like ultimately this wasn’t the right book for me, and there are plenty of readers who will L0VE it.
What I enjoyed:
the whole concept of being “sucked into a video game” only your life is now that world and not fake.
I loved the elemental magic parts and watching her learn about earth, wind, fire and water magic.
Primrose was unapologetically herself and had zero time for nonsense and made points of letting everyone know how she felt.
Each guy had a clear personality which made it easy to decipher them all and keep tabs on who was who and what they brought to the table. Sometimes with so many guys, they can lose their identities but this doesn’t happen in this story.
What didn’t work for me
It honestly felt like it could have been about a 100 pages shorter.
The antagonist, Caryn was a lot. The MCs kept giving her chance after chance to mess with Primrose, I would have liked to see her dealt with sooner and focused on the relationships more.
In line with that. I feel like the relationships were all rushed at the end and each chapter felt repetitive until all 6 had claimed their love. I wish there could have been more about the characters development versus some of the conflicts from side characters.
Okay, so this is a good book, I feel like ultimately this wasn’t the right book for me, and there are plenty of readers who will L0VE it.
What I enjoyed:
the whole concept of being “sucked into a video game” only your life is now that world and not fake.
I loved the elemental magic parts and watching her learn about earth, wind, fire and water magic.
Primrose was unapologetically herself and had zero time for nonsense and made points of letting everyone know how she felt.
Each guy had a clear personality which made it easy to decipher them all and keep tabs on who was who and what they brought to the table. Sometimes with so many guys, they can lose their identities but this doesn’t happen in this story.
What didn’t work for me
It honestly felt like it could have been about a 100 pages shorter.
The antagonist, Caryn was a lot. The MCs kept giving her chance after chance to mess with Primrose, I would have liked to see her dealt with sooner and focused on the relationships more.
In line with that. I feel like the relationships were all rushed at the end and each chapter felt repetitive until all 6 had claimed their love. I wish there could have been more about the characters development versus some of the conflicts from side characters.
January 29, 2024
Wow
I put this on my TBR pile for to long. The summary didn’t explain that she was “reincarnated” and I didn’t want to end heart broken if she got all the guys and woke up at the end of the book back in her real life.
I truly enjoyed this book. It was light hearted, no world ending disasters the female lead character had to solve since she was the saviour of all man kind. It was just a girl, finding love, with a bunch of hiccups in the way. There isn’t much magic to the plot, but the storyline kept me hooked until the end. I’m sad it ended actually. It was perfectly balanced, the relationships developed at a natural pace while also fitting into a standalone. Multiple point of views, and at the end of each chapter it shows how many hearts were filled with each of the guys. Loved this book!
I put this on my TBR pile for to long. The summary didn’t explain that she was “reincarnated” and I didn’t want to end heart broken if she got all the guys and woke up at the end of the book back in her real life.
I truly enjoyed this book. It was light hearted, no world ending disasters the female lead character had to solve since she was the saviour of all man kind. It was just a girl, finding love, with a bunch of hiccups in the way. There isn’t much magic to the plot, but the storyline kept me hooked until the end. I’m sad it ended actually. It was perfectly balanced, the relationships developed at a natural pace while also fitting into a standalone. Multiple point of views, and at the end of each chapter it shows how many hearts were filled with each of the guys. Loved this book!
January 17, 2024
This book was Amazing. I devoured it. I love everything by Lyra! She is one of my favorites. I love the world she created in this book.
Primrose is such an interesting female character. I love how she’s just blurting everything out in the beginning because she thinks it’s a dream/ game. I found it hilarious!
All the boys are amazing in their own way. My favorite is definitely Cyrus! The slow burn with him was awesome and totally worth it!
I love the video game set up. How she gets meet cutes, and earns hearts as well as the heart events. It literally is a video game world with magic!! But now it’s real to her!
Primrose is such an interesting female character. I love how she’s just blurting everything out in the beginning because she thinks it’s a dream/ game. I found it hilarious!
All the boys are amazing in their own way. My favorite is definitely Cyrus! The slow burn with him was awesome and totally worth it!
I love the video game set up. How she gets meet cutes, and earns hearts as well as the heart events. It literally is a video game world with magic!! But now it’s real to her!
October 7, 2025
⭐ 5 / 5 — A total comfort read that stole my night (and my heart 💖)
💞 The Characters
💬 “If you’ve ever daydreamed about being inside your favorite game, this book is your sign.”
P.S. 2 Is this even a good time to say that I never got over Armin and that I’m so happy they released his alternative life route? Probably not… but whoever gets me, gets me. 😌💖
It’s been so long since a book captured me the way Heart Pursuit by Lyra Winters did. I started reading it around 7 p.m. and didn’t stop until 4 a.m. (which is saying a lot from someone who loves her 8 hours of sleep 🫣). The only reason I didn’t read it faster was because I didn’t want it to end. That’s how deeply it got me — not just the story, but the warmth, the charm, and that feeling of being home inside a fictional world.
This book was exactly what I needed: comforting, creative, and genuinely original. It follows Primrose, a girl who’s always been the “shadow” of her sister, overlooked by her family and dismissed for her passion for books and video games.
After a disastrous date, she turns to her comfort game… and suddenly wakes up inside it! The whole concept instantly reminded me of my My Candy Love era — that cozy nostalgia of imagining yourself inside your favorite world. It was such a refreshing, heartfelt premise, and it delivered beautifully 💕
💞 The Characters
One of the things I loved the most is how the characters are so distinct and alive. The six MMCs — all so different yet so sincerely invested in the FMC — gave me serious heart eyes 😍 (and yes, I absolutely fangirled at the cheesy parts).
🎓 Al — The student president. Disciplined, confident, maybe the “responsible one,” but with a side that softens so fast when it comes to the FMC.
🎮 Colt — The golden-retriever gamer. His energy, warmth, and playful nature made him instantly likable. The kind who lights up every small moment and makes the FMC feel seen.
⚽ Tate — The sporty flirt. Competitive, fun, and the ultimate cheerleader for our girl. Always rooting for her, always a little too charming 😏.
🖋 Cyrus — The poet / professor type. Kind, reflective, sometimes a bit hard to read — but when he opens up, oh, he understands her like no one else.
🎨 Walls — The painter. Artistic souls bring softness, and Walls totally embodies that — the one who sees beauty in her quiet moments, in what she doesn’t say.
📷 Raiden — The photographer. The quiet observer. He sees everything, captures emotions others miss, and his care comes through in the subtlest ways.
I loved how each one had their own flavor, and how they connected to her differently — no cookie-cutter “all love interests are identical” vibes here. Even though the romance leans instalove, it doesn’t feel hollow because those little reassuring moments (the whispers, the glances, the soft touches) give it weight and tenderness.
Primrose isn’t painted as a victim or trapped in overexplained trauma. She feels real — the kind of girl you’d be friends with. Someone who hides behind books and games, whose passion is brushed aside by her family, but who still holds onto her own world. I related so hard to her love for stories and gaming. Her journey from being “the shadow of her sister” to someone with emotional strength and self-worth felt earned and deeply comforting.
💖 Why This Book Worked For Me
• 🎮 The gamer / system elements are chef’s kiss. Heart-O-Meters, EXP, mana, magical guardians — all of it made me fangirl in the best way.
• Low drama (in the best way). The story doesn’t waste time manufacturing conflict — it lets relationships grow through trust, connection, and sweetness.
• 🧸 Comfort vibes galore. Reading it felt like wrapping yourself in your favorite blanket.
• Soft romance, not overwhelming. There are steamy moments, but they fit naturally and feel earned.
• Multi-POV magic. Mostly first-person from the FMC, with glimpses into the MMCs’ perspectives — just enough to make your heart ache a little.
If I had one tiny wish, it’d be that this wasn’t a standalone. The pacing works, but with characters and a world this lovable, I’d happily spend many more chapters in it.
💬 “If you’ve ever daydreamed about being inside your favorite game, this book is your sign.”
P.S. If anyone has any recs with the “sucked inside a video game” trope, please contact me ASAP 🥺
P.S. 2 Is this even a good time to say that I never got over Armin and that I’m so happy they released his alternative life route? Probably not… but whoever gets me, gets me. 😌💖
January 16, 2024
So I really loved this story a lot. I'm not really into the gaming thing but I found it so enjoyable.
This would be the perfect read, just in time for Valentine's day.
Primrose is so sweet, kind and beautiful but also has a back bone and knows her worth. When she wakes up in her game she isn't really sure what to think other than how amazing it is and can't wait to see where it takes her in relation to love. She quickly realises not all is as it seems and starts to fall for 6 beautiful yet all so different men.
This book takes you on a bit of a journey with Prim finding true love but also alot of reflection on her "past" life. I actually felt so sorry for Prim and what her life was like before the game. I also feel for some of the guys too, some had really shitty pasts as well as parents that weren't great.
Her guys are so beautiful. You have Tate, which is your cheeky jock who you can't help but love. Colt, Tate's best friend and a lover of video games, his bunnies and super chill. Al or Alderidge, he is their student body president who loves to follow rules and has a bit of a hard time accepting what Prim wants. Wells is your dark and brooding artist. I love his relationship with Prim, it's really sweet and innocent almost. Cyrus is Prim's teacher and a lover of words. His and Prim's relationship took a little longer to progress but when it did, it was so cute. Finally Raiden, this guy, I love him, he is a lover of photography and as soon as he sees Primrose he knows he done for. I think Raiden is my favourite, I don't know why but he just is. I love his energy and the way he treats Primrose.
I love all the guys and how they treat Prim, she deserves it but Raiden captured my heart the most. The each bring something to the relationship and I'm so glad that Prim fought for what she wanted. They are have faced challenges but I think that's what also brought them together in some ways and made them stronger as a unit.
Read this book, it's so good 🩷🩷🩷
Honourable mention to Leaf and Liza. Love them 💖💖💖
Thank you so much to Lyra and her amazing team for giving me the chance to ARC read. I am forever grateful 🙏
All opinions are honest and my own 🩷
❤️ why choose
❤️ multiple pov
❤️ virgin fmc
❤️ meet cutes
❤️ dating simulation
❤️ found family
❤️ spicy scenes
❤️ magical academy
❤️ sweet and fluffy
❤️ heart o meters/ exp and MANA meters
This would be the perfect read, just in time for Valentine's day.
Primrose is so sweet, kind and beautiful but also has a back bone and knows her worth. When she wakes up in her game she isn't really sure what to think other than how amazing it is and can't wait to see where it takes her in relation to love. She quickly realises not all is as it seems and starts to fall for 6 beautiful yet all so different men.
This book takes you on a bit of a journey with Prim finding true love but also alot of reflection on her "past" life. I actually felt so sorry for Prim and what her life was like before the game. I also feel for some of the guys too, some had really shitty pasts as well as parents that weren't great.
Her guys are so beautiful. You have Tate, which is your cheeky jock who you can't help but love. Colt, Tate's best friend and a lover of video games, his bunnies and super chill. Al or Alderidge, he is their student body president who loves to follow rules and has a bit of a hard time accepting what Prim wants. Wells is your dark and brooding artist. I love his relationship with Prim, it's really sweet and innocent almost. Cyrus is Prim's teacher and a lover of words. His and Prim's relationship took a little longer to progress but when it did, it was so cute. Finally Raiden, this guy, I love him, he is a lover of photography and as soon as he sees Primrose he knows he done for. I think Raiden is my favourite, I don't know why but he just is. I love his energy and the way he treats Primrose.
I love all the guys and how they treat Prim, she deserves it but Raiden captured my heart the most. The each bring something to the relationship and I'm so glad that Prim fought for what she wanted. They are have faced challenges but I think that's what also brought them together in some ways and made them stronger as a unit.
Read this book, it's so good 🩷🩷🩷
Honourable mention to Leaf and Liza. Love them 💖💖💖
Thank you so much to Lyra and her amazing team for giving me the chance to ARC read. I am forever grateful 🙏
All opinions are honest and my own 🩷
❤️ why choose
❤️ multiple pov
❤️ virgin fmc
❤️ meet cutes
❤️ dating simulation
❤️ found family
❤️ spicy scenes
❤️ magical academy
❤️ sweet and fluffy
❤️ heart o meters/ exp and MANA meters
May 23, 2025
saved this book to my tbr because I was excited to see a plot summary unlike any of my other books. I was not disappointed, I was brought out of my reading slump with something new and fun!
The genre of this book can fit into any and all of the following: Fantasy/RomCom/Contemporary/Paranormal...it's one of a kind!
Waking up in a videogame is a nightmare when you're picturing Jumanji, but a dream if it's a dating simulation game!
I loved how original this storyline felt, after reading a lot of Romantasy and ContempRom books, some of the storylines feel very repetitive. I enjoyed that although the tropes were typical, the overall story was original and unique for me.
The writing felt very similar to Zodiac Academy by Caroline Peckham and Susanne Valenti (which I was obsessed with and read every single book of the series) so I enjoyed the aura of young adult academia in this world.
***Possible Spoilers below***
I enjoyed that although Primrose (FMC) was brought up by a toxic family that did not provide healthy or loving relationships, she was able to form healthy relationships with her MMCs. It was hard to pick a favorite of the guys because they all had their adorable personalities.
Leaf was a great character, I want her ability to conjure flowers from everywhere.
I also wish we could see more of the "Hearts Pursuit" world! Are there other magical beings like leaf? Animals, plants, etc. - I thought "Cotton" was going to have some antlers or magical abilities when we first encountered him. It would be so interesting to read a spin-off that explores more of this world!
What I loved:
Reverse Harem
Spicy/Steamy scenes!
HEA
Magic system
No cheating within MCs
Pretty easy journey for the FMC, no huge hurdles
What I didn't necessarily love:
Wanted more spicy scenes, especially with more than one MMC!
Some of the FMCs dialogue felt off-brand for her - threw me off a few times
Not enough MMC POV Chapters, but did enjoy the ones in the book
Would I recommend? ---- Absolutely, yes!
Any "buts"? ---- It's not a plot heavy book, but it is a really fun read, easier on the mind. Took me about 50 pages to really get into it.
Spice? ---- 3.5/5
The genre of this book can fit into any and all of the following: Fantasy/RomCom/Contemporary/Paranormal...it's one of a kind!
Waking up in a videogame is a nightmare when you're picturing Jumanji, but a dream if it's a dating simulation game!
I loved how original this storyline felt, after reading a lot of Romantasy and ContempRom books, some of the storylines feel very repetitive. I enjoyed that although the tropes were typical, the overall story was original and unique for me.
The writing felt very similar to Zodiac Academy by Caroline Peckham and Susanne Valenti (which I was obsessed with and read every single book of the series) so I enjoyed the aura of young adult academia in this world.
***Possible Spoilers below***
I enjoyed that although Primrose (FMC) was brought up by a toxic family that did not provide healthy or loving relationships, she was able to form healthy relationships with her MMCs. It was hard to pick a favorite of the guys because they all had their adorable personalities.
Leaf was a great character, I want her ability to conjure flowers from everywhere.
I also wish we could see more of the "Hearts Pursuit" world! Are there other magical beings like leaf? Animals, plants, etc. - I thought "Cotton" was going to have some antlers or magical abilities when we first encountered him. It would be so interesting to read a spin-off that explores more of this world!
What I loved:
Reverse Harem
Spicy/Steamy scenes!
HEA
Magic system
No cheating within MCs
Pretty easy journey for the FMC, no huge hurdles
What I didn't necessarily love:
Wanted more spicy scenes, especially with more than one MMC!
Some of the FMCs dialogue felt off-brand for her - threw me off a few times
Not enough MMC POV Chapters, but did enjoy the ones in the book
Would I recommend? ---- Absolutely, yes!
Any "buts"? ---- It's not a plot heavy book, but it is a really fun read, easier on the mind. Took me about 50 pages to really get into it.
Spice? ---- 3.5/5
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 26, 2024
A fresh new RH otome game inspired book
⭐️ (star) - 5/5
🌶️ (spice) - 2.5/5
💖 (bfs) - 4.5/5
I honestly wasn’t expecting much since I’ve watched so many anime and read so many mangas about rpg reincarnation or transportation but this was a pretty new and innovative concept actually! I’m seriously loving the RH otome game representation! Although I felt the transition between irl and game world could have been a bit smoother, the world building actually lends itself to the storytelling without making it weird and awkward. Using pop up text boxes and a designated guardian (read as glorified guide) is a really smart and simple way to explain to the reader the abbreviations and terms that only someone who plays otome games would know. As someone who plays those games, I felt this was pretty accurate to what it’s like to experience playing the game and IMO it’s similar to the starting concept behind “belle” the anime where they built this virtual world/game world where YOU can be the main character. Contrary to Belle though, this is more RPG style meets otome rom-com. Seeing the statuses at the end of the chapters honestly made the experience so much better and a lot more authentic since after each chapter of an otome game, you’d get an update. I loved that the love interests all had different personalities and that we had references to prior books by Lyra. I am a big RH/why choose girly like our primrose so the whole book was really satisfying to read. The nicknames just took the whole cake for me. Overall, I think this is a fun and relatively easy read and it was nice to see a geeky girl portrayed as more than just frigid like other books I’ve read. I definitely recommend this book to anyone who likes otome games or just anyone looking for a new type of RH book to read!
⭐️ (star) - 5/5
🌶️ (spice) - 2.5/5
💖 (bfs) - 4.5/5
I honestly wasn’t expecting much since I’ve watched so many anime and read so many mangas about rpg reincarnation or transportation but this was a pretty new and innovative concept actually! I’m seriously loving the RH otome game representation! Although I felt the transition between irl and game world could have been a bit smoother, the world building actually lends itself to the storytelling without making it weird and awkward. Using pop up text boxes and a designated guardian (read as glorified guide) is a really smart and simple way to explain to the reader the abbreviations and terms that only someone who plays otome games would know. As someone who plays those games, I felt this was pretty accurate to what it’s like to experience playing the game and IMO it’s similar to the starting concept behind “belle” the anime where they built this virtual world/game world where YOU can be the main character. Contrary to Belle though, this is more RPG style meets otome rom-com. Seeing the statuses at the end of the chapters honestly made the experience so much better and a lot more authentic since after each chapter of an otome game, you’d get an update. I loved that the love interests all had different personalities and that we had references to prior books by Lyra. I am a big RH/why choose girly like our primrose so the whole book was really satisfying to read. The nicknames just took the whole cake for me. Overall, I think this is a fun and relatively easy read and it was nice to see a geeky girl portrayed as more than just frigid like other books I’ve read. I definitely recommend this book to anyone who likes otome games or just anyone looking for a new type of RH book to read!
January 18, 2024
This has everything you want and need in a lighthearted fantasy.
Primrose wakes up in the setting of her favorite dating sim video game. Including the EXP, heart events, and mana and magic system.
Rating System:
C- 10
A- 10
W- 10
P- 10
I- 10
L- 10
E- 10
Total- 70 = 5⭐️
This is the first book I've read with this kind of trope, and it was seriously a fun read. I didn't want to put it down and just binge read the whole book. This is a why-choose romance, and while it also had an insta-love element, they all did have to work for their relationships.
The characters were all written well. They were diverse and had good backstories without being too complex for a standalone story. The magic academy atmosphere, while something I have read several books in, also had its own twist; the dating sim and how the magic worked was unique. I’ve always liked Winters writing style, but honestly I think this is my favorite book of hers so far. It kept me engaged, laughed and cried, and I felt for the characters. The fast pace for the relationships totally worked for this story. Sometimes, the fast and/or insta-love storyline can feel cheesy, but it was the right fit for Hearts Pursuit. The “transported into a video game” trope plotline was so different than anything I’ve read. I’m secretly hoping Lyra will write in this world again. (Oops, no longer a secret!)
This book is written in a way where you’re invested in Prim’s current life and not how she left her previous one. Things are explained about how she ended up at the academy, and it quietly fades in to the background; closing that plotline door without us even realizing it. This was such a cute, fun, and lightheaded story, I’m needing more!
Primrose wakes up in the setting of her favorite dating sim video game. Including the EXP, heart events, and mana and magic system.
Rating System:
C- 10
A- 10
W- 10
P- 10
I- 10
L- 10
E- 10
Total- 70 = 5⭐️
This is the first book I've read with this kind of trope, and it was seriously a fun read. I didn't want to put it down and just binge read the whole book. This is a why-choose romance, and while it also had an insta-love element, they all did have to work for their relationships.
The characters were all written well. They were diverse and had good backstories without being too complex for a standalone story. The magic academy atmosphere, while something I have read several books in, also had its own twist; the dating sim and how the magic worked was unique. I’ve always liked Winters writing style, but honestly I think this is my favorite book of hers so far. It kept me engaged, laughed and cried, and I felt for the characters. The fast pace for the relationships totally worked for this story. Sometimes, the fast and/or insta-love storyline can feel cheesy, but it was the right fit for Hearts Pursuit. The “transported into a video game” trope plotline was so different than anything I’ve read. I’m secretly hoping Lyra will write in this world again. (Oops, no longer a secret!)
This book is written in a way where you’re invested in Prim’s current life and not how she left her previous one. Things are explained about how she ended up at the academy, and it quietly fades in to the background; closing that plotline door without us even realizing it. This was such a cute, fun, and lightheaded story, I’m needing more!
January 18, 2024
ARC Review of Hearts Pursuit by Lyra Winters
* * * * * *
A standalone fantay reverse harem read that has your hearts thumping and MANA levels rising! Hot protective and obsessed men, psycho exes, nasty parents, ultimatums and an epic second chance at life.
Primrose was not doing well in her life.
She was judged, pushed, controlled, belittled and always compaired to her big sister.
Now she wakes in a world she is used to seeing on her screen.
She's taking charge of her life now, and has decided to get some love in her life from not one, not two, but SIX hunky men.
Will she get what she wants, or will she have one of her hearts smashed?
I loved how quirky Primrose was, especially when it came to the separate introduction to her men. One by one their meetings with Primrose had her in the most interesting situation or getting a great view, with her saying something she would have never said before.
Colt is funny, missing out on too much.
Tate is sweet, too bad about the psycho.
Raiden is adoring, he's got some issues - some bad and some seriously hot.
Cyrus is a teacher I would want to study with, his sister is awesome too.
Aldridge is a great tutor, he too has some issues.
Wells is an amazing artist, even if extremely moody.
We get a lot of nasty cow action which has me begging for someone to slap her and teach her a lesson, but Primrose handled several situations in style!
Another thumbs up to Lyra Winters.
* * * * * *
A standalone fantay reverse harem read that has your hearts thumping and MANA levels rising! Hot protective and obsessed men, psycho exes, nasty parents, ultimatums and an epic second chance at life.
Primrose was not doing well in her life.
She was judged, pushed, controlled, belittled and always compaired to her big sister.
Now she wakes in a world she is used to seeing on her screen.
She's taking charge of her life now, and has decided to get some love in her life from not one, not two, but SIX hunky men.
Will she get what she wants, or will she have one of her hearts smashed?
I loved how quirky Primrose was, especially when it came to the separate introduction to her men. One by one their meetings with Primrose had her in the most interesting situation or getting a great view, with her saying something she would have never said before.
Colt is funny, missing out on too much.
Tate is sweet, too bad about the psycho.
Raiden is adoring, he's got some issues - some bad and some seriously hot.
Cyrus is a teacher I would want to study with, his sister is awesome too.
Aldridge is a great tutor, he too has some issues.
Wells is an amazing artist, even if extremely moody.
We get a lot of nasty cow action which has me begging for someone to slap her and teach her a lesson, but Primrose handled several situations in style!
Another thumbs up to Lyra Winters.
January 15, 2024
From the author who brought me one of my favorite academy series…who the MCs are not 18 comes another academy standalone. Primerose is a girl who loves video games. Being the sister who is usually the one who is left behind and ends up always being compared to her “golden sister” and the one that all the guys drool over she finds herself immersing herself in sim and dating video games. After falling asleep one night and having what she think is a dream she “wakes up” inside the video game she was playing. Here there is magic and while she knew that from the beginning she remains focused on finding her love interests and making out their Heart-o-meters.
I really enjoyed this. I haven’t really read any romances similar to this one before. The only other one I can think of there is a lot of action and is kind of opposite to this. I found that I really liked the pacing and I was always curious to see what ineractions would make the heart-o-meters go up or down. I really do hope that even thought this is a standalone that maybe she Lyra makes another world similar to this or maybe even another RH in this world. As always I really can’t wait to see what she has up her sleeves next. If you are wanting another standalone by her I would recommend My Rotten Love Life! Happy reading!
I really enjoyed this. I haven’t really read any romances similar to this one before. The only other one I can think of there is a lot of action and is kind of opposite to this. I found that I really liked the pacing and I was always curious to see what ineractions would make the heart-o-meters go up or down. I really do hope that even thought this is a standalone that maybe she Lyra makes another world similar to this or maybe even another RH in this world. As always I really can’t wait to see what she has up her sleeves next. If you are wanting another standalone by her I would recommend My Rotten Love Life! Happy reading!
May 22, 2024
This is probably THE cringiest? book I have ever read. I love Lyra Winters, her work is amazing - Fate Hollow Academy Series is in my top three favorite books.
As a gamer and anime lover I wanted to love this one.. and I did.. but I also didn't?
The cringe was sooo bad and it kind of ruined the fmc for me. But more so was that she was obsessed with "building her harem" and it made it feel like the guys were seen as a prize to be won? Or like.. she DESERVED to have all of them even before she met/got to know them. It made her come off super self-absorbed/centered.
"My harem being in jeopardy upset me," ... *rolling eyes emoji* "but I wasn't angry. Not like I would have been when I thought this was a dream or a game. I was sad. I was sad that I was MISSING OUT on Cyrus and Wells... even Al." pg 257... "missing out" ...
The guys were great as always. They deserved better.
Also I felt like there could have been soooo much more to the story. Definitely could have benefitted from being a trilogy or something so that we could get more of the world building.
I am still giving it three stars because I really enjoy Lyra's work and the writing itself is well done. If you don't mind cringe with your fast paced love stories then it's fine! I just know how cringy gamers could be and it was giving me flash backs.
As a gamer and anime lover I wanted to love this one.. and I did.. but I also didn't?
The cringe was sooo bad and it kind of ruined the fmc for me. But more so was that she was obsessed with "building her harem" and it made it feel like the guys were seen as a prize to be won? Or like.. she DESERVED to have all of them even before she met/got to know them. It made her come off super self-absorbed/centered.
"My harem being in jeopardy upset me," ... *rolling eyes emoji* "but I wasn't angry. Not like I would have been when I thought this was a dream or a game. I was sad. I was sad that I was MISSING OUT on Cyrus and Wells... even Al." pg 257... "missing out" ...
The guys were great as always. They deserved better.
Also I felt like there could have been soooo much more to the story. Definitely could have benefitted from being a trilogy or something so that we could get more of the world building.
I am still giving it three stars because I really enjoy Lyra's work and the writing itself is well done. If you don't mind cringe with your fast paced love stories then it's fine! I just know how cringy gamers could be and it was giving me flash backs.
January 17, 2024
This is a standalone RH set in a dating gamer world.
Primrose is a gamer girl and loves dating games, when she wakes up in her favourite game she sets about getting to know all the guys she's interested in and making sure she gains hearts on their 'heart-o-meter'.
I really enjoyed the unusual storyline for this book, being inside a gaming app was fun to read. Prim was sassy, confident, funny, and unapologetic.
The story is set in a magic college so all the main characters are 21ish and this makes the story fairly slow-burn, at least for the first half as she goes about getting to know all the guys. There is also a 'mean girl' to add some drama, however, this did give it more of a high school feel rather than college.
We have 6 MMC's and they are all different. We have sporty, funny, serious, teacher, arty, rich kid - something for everyone. We also have a helpful plant called Leaf as Primrose's guide to the world - very bizarre and didn't fit within the rest of the world-building.
I love the graphic with the heart-o-meter updates - super helpful rather than trying to keep track myself.
- RH
- college/academy based
- main characters are 21
- dating gamer world
- 6 love interests
- slowish burn
Primrose is a gamer girl and loves dating games, when she wakes up in her favourite game she sets about getting to know all the guys she's interested in and making sure she gains hearts on their 'heart-o-meter'.
I really enjoyed the unusual storyline for this book, being inside a gaming app was fun to read. Prim was sassy, confident, funny, and unapologetic.
The story is set in a magic college so all the main characters are 21ish and this makes the story fairly slow-burn, at least for the first half as she goes about getting to know all the guys. There is also a 'mean girl' to add some drama, however, this did give it more of a high school feel rather than college.
We have 6 MMC's and they are all different. We have sporty, funny, serious, teacher, arty, rich kid - something for everyone. We also have a helpful plant called Leaf as Primrose's guide to the world - very bizarre and didn't fit within the rest of the world-building.
I love the graphic with the heart-o-meter updates - super helpful rather than trying to keep track myself.
- RH
- college/academy based
- main characters are 21
- dating gamer world
- 6 love interests
- slowish burn
February 1, 2024
4/5 stars.
I randomly saw Lyra Winters post about this new book on TikTok and I never ran so fast to read it on Kindle Unlimited.
I was about 5% disappointed with this book but I honestly really enjoyed it. Maybe a little too much on the quirky side for my taste but I love anything this woman writes.
The only gripe I had with this book was really the anti-climactic ending to Harold. It was set up in such a way that it felt like he had something sinister planned or some unknown love to Aldridge but he just graduated and that was the end of it? For how long this book was, I was expecting something a little more excited and drama filled.
And the tease of a threesome?! How could that not make it in!
And Leaf...I loved the character but she just felt...forgotten a lot of the time. She was Prim's guardian but I never actually saw her really do anything but give information here and there and offer snarky remarks.
I liked this book, there's just a few things I'd personally change to just fill those holes. Figuratively and literally, if you know what I mean.
I would also LOVE to see a novella just on Wells since he was not in the book that much due to his art and I loved his character the most. So...hint hint Lyra.
I randomly saw Lyra Winters post about this new book on TikTok and I never ran so fast to read it on Kindle Unlimited.
I was about 5% disappointed with this book but I honestly really enjoyed it. Maybe a little too much on the quirky side for my taste but I love anything this woman writes.
The only gripe I had with this book was really the anti-climactic ending to Harold. It was set up in such a way that it felt like he had something sinister planned or some unknown love to Aldridge but he just graduated and that was the end of it? For how long this book was, I was expecting something a little more excited and drama filled.
And the tease of a threesome?! How could that not make it in!
And Leaf...I loved the character but she just felt...forgotten a lot of the time. She was Prim's guardian but I never actually saw her really do anything but give information here and there and offer snarky remarks.
I liked this book, there's just a few things I'd personally change to just fill those holes. Figuratively and literally, if you know what I mean.
I would also LOVE to see a novella just on Wells since he was not in the book that much due to his art and I loved his character the most. So...hint hint Lyra.
January 27, 2024
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️.🌶️
Wholesome, smutty, funny, goodness. Hearts pursuit managed to pursue and steal my heart the same way Primrose walked in and stole my boy's heart. I was invested from the moment I read the dedication page
"To the anime lovers who wish getting summoned to another world would end in finding love with six different men."
As a huge anime fan myself I was excited to read something different and fun, while still being light-hearted and smutty as well, And this book hit all the boxes and then some. If you are a big fan of fantasy, anime-looking hot guys with flamboyant hair who are so stinking cute and loveable then don't hesitate to read this book.
Primrose is a loveable and sassy female main character. She was headstrong, unshakable, strong, goofy and cute. From the moment the first love event popped up, I knew from there this book was going to be a cute love story and it was amazing. From the slight mean girl drama from an ex-girlfriend to learning how to control mana the storytelling was perfection. I wish there were more books so I can get more of this story. Not so patiently waiting on Lyra's next work!!
🌶️🌶️.🌶️
Wholesome, smutty, funny, goodness. Hearts pursuit managed to pursue and steal my heart the same way Primrose walked in and stole my boy's heart. I was invested from the moment I read the dedication page
"To the anime lovers who wish getting summoned to another world would end in finding love with six different men."
As a huge anime fan myself I was excited to read something different and fun, while still being light-hearted and smutty as well, And this book hit all the boxes and then some. If you are a big fan of fantasy, anime-looking hot guys with flamboyant hair who are so stinking cute and loveable then don't hesitate to read this book.
Primrose is a loveable and sassy female main character. She was headstrong, unshakable, strong, goofy and cute. From the moment the first love event popped up, I knew from there this book was going to be a cute love story and it was amazing. From the slight mean girl drama from an ex-girlfriend to learning how to control mana the storytelling was perfection. I wish there were more books so I can get more of this story. Not so patiently waiting on Lyra's next work!!
January 19, 2024
Waking up in an unfamiliar room after falling asleep on her couch playing on her gaming device, Primrose becomes a heroine in her favorite dating simulation game that she’s played for years. Finding out that she is now enrolled in a magic academy where she will not only learn how to use magic, but she will also be able to interact with her six love potentials. Her guardian, an enchanted plant, is there to help guide her through her journey.
Prim ends up having comical and adorable Meet-Cute-Events on her first day arriving at the academy. She has been obsessed with being able to have her own reverse harem of men, so she plans to do just that. After all, it’s her dream.
I have read a bunch if not all of Lyra’s books, this one is not what I expected when I started reading. I honestly wasn’t sure I was going to like it, however, I’m super glad I stuck it out. It had some laugh-out-loud moments. Raiden, Colt, Cyrus, Aldredge, Wells, and Tate are the perfect matches for Primrose’s personality. I enjoyed reading a new type of trope than I normally read, and I have to say, it did not disappoint. I would 10 out of 10 recommend giving it a try!
Spice would be 3/5
Character development is a 4/5
Story 5/5
Prim ends up having comical and adorable Meet-Cute-Events on her first day arriving at the academy. She has been obsessed with being able to have her own reverse harem of men, so she plans to do just that. After all, it’s her dream.
I have read a bunch if not all of Lyra’s books, this one is not what I expected when I started reading. I honestly wasn’t sure I was going to like it, however, I’m super glad I stuck it out. It had some laugh-out-loud moments. Raiden, Colt, Cyrus, Aldredge, Wells, and Tate are the perfect matches for Primrose’s personality. I enjoyed reading a new type of trope than I normally read, and I have to say, it did not disappoint. I would 10 out of 10 recommend giving it a try!
Spice would be 3/5
Character development is a 4/5
Story 5/5
January 18, 2024
I love all of Lyra Winters books, especially the academy series. So reading this I was extremely excited. I don’t know much about video games or mana but I enjoyed the story as a whole.
The FMC is transported into her favorite video game. Where she has her heart o meter and mana to complete at her academy. Each interaction with a possible love interest is amazing and I loved the meet-cute events. The MMCs I loved! While most of the POV is from Primrose I enjoyed the guys’ POV throughout. I love a strong FMC and Primrose brought that but also her vulnerabilities. The book had quite a few LOL moments for sure.
I wasn’t sure if I would be able to enjoy the book because of my lack of knowledge on gaming but it was all explained very well. I thoroughly enjoyed the story and ended up reading most of it in one sitting. I’m so glad I read this book, it was just as amazing has her other stories.
Characters: 💕4.5/5
Spice:🌶️ 3.5/5
Story: 📖 5/5
Recommend to a friend: Absolutely! 🙋🏽♀️
The FMC is transported into her favorite video game. Where she has her heart o meter and mana to complete at her academy. Each interaction with a possible love interest is amazing and I loved the meet-cute events. The MMCs I loved! While most of the POV is from Primrose I enjoyed the guys’ POV throughout. I love a strong FMC and Primrose brought that but also her vulnerabilities. The book had quite a few LOL moments for sure.
I wasn’t sure if I would be able to enjoy the book because of my lack of knowledge on gaming but it was all explained very well. I thoroughly enjoyed the story and ended up reading most of it in one sitting. I’m so glad I read this book, it was just as amazing has her other stories.
Characters: 💕4.5/5
Spice:🌶️ 3.5/5
Story: 📖 5/5
Recommend to a friend: Absolutely! 🙋🏽♀️
January 16, 2024
TOO CUTE!
Anyone else have “kiss kiss fall in love!! stuck in their head? If you’ve ever played an otome game or wished shows like Ouran, Boys Over Flowers, Brothers Conflict etc were rh- this is definitely the one!
Never have I read anything more relatable:
“Fictional men were superior, obviously. Who didn’t love falling in love with all of the types of guys you were interested in over and over again? The only downside of dating simulations was that the games always made you choose between the love interests.
Why settle for one love interest when I could have more?
It was poor craftsmanship, honestly.
It was 2023.
Come on, gaming creators.
Catch up to the times.”
The guys each had their own story and personality and I liked that it wasn’t always insta “5 hearts” love. But I loved that it didn’t just have the sim aspects but fantasy magic as well!
It’s an adorable standalone that gave me all the warm fuzzies and perfect read for Valentine’s Day coming up
Anyone else have “kiss kiss fall in love!! stuck in their head? If you’ve ever played an otome game or wished shows like Ouran, Boys Over Flowers, Brothers Conflict etc were rh- this is definitely the one!
Never have I read anything more relatable:
“Fictional men were superior, obviously. Who didn’t love falling in love with all of the types of guys you were interested in over and over again? The only downside of dating simulations was that the games always made you choose between the love interests.
Why settle for one love interest when I could have more?
It was poor craftsmanship, honestly.
It was 2023.
Come on, gaming creators.
Catch up to the times.”
The guys each had their own story and personality and I liked that it wasn’t always insta “5 hearts” love. But I loved that it didn’t just have the sim aspects but fantasy magic as well!
It’s an adorable standalone that gave me all the warm fuzzies and perfect read for Valentine’s Day coming up
January 19, 2024
This is the sweetest book I've read in the longest time. Low drama, low angst, a lot of fun, a lot of love. There is of course a mean girl, some ridiculous parents who need to be put into their places and family both those who just don't get it and those who you just can't live with out.
Primrose our female lead is strong, confident, kind hearted and just wants to love and be loved. Little does she know building her own family is the best way to do that. Hopefully her new guide in her new reality is on board with what she wants. Leaf has quite the attitude but she cares for Primrose.
But her job getting Prim settled into her new reality is about to get interesting when Prim decides she's not going to choose one love interest but pursue them all.
As I said it's lighthearted and sunny and so much fun it was a nice change of pace.
The entire book was a joy to read. I have voluntarily left this review.
Primrose our female lead is strong, confident, kind hearted and just wants to love and be loved. Little does she know building her own family is the best way to do that. Hopefully her new guide in her new reality is on board with what she wants. Leaf has quite the attitude but she cares for Primrose.
But her job getting Prim settled into her new reality is about to get interesting when Prim decides she's not going to choose one love interest but pursue them all.
As I said it's lighthearted and sunny and so much fun it was a nice change of pace.
The entire book was a joy to read. I have voluntarily left this review.
January 24, 2024
This book. Its quirky, cringy, funny, cute, childish, immature, cheesy. The dialogue was too cringe and not realistic.
I like the whole "she died and was reborn" theme, but all the relationships was blunt and forward, promises of happy ever after 2 seconds after they met, thats just not for me.
I couldnt stop reading though, it was just entertaining enough.
Thoughts while reading:
And I feel like she is a bit of a tease. Colt who was probably the most in love with her had the lowest amount of filled hearts for the longest time. But she wouldnt allowed Tate or Colt to sleep with her but did other stuff with the other guys.
For my first dip in a fantasy book that wasnt harry potter or twilight, it was okay. But I hope my future fantasy reads will be more realistic in terms of relationships.
and the noodle and gods they say all the time, its giving me the icks.
Raiden is giving off major stalker vibe
I like the whole "she died and was reborn" theme, but all the relationships was blunt and forward, promises of happy ever after 2 seconds after they met, thats just not for me.
I couldnt stop reading though, it was just entertaining enough.
Thoughts while reading:
And I feel like she is a bit of a tease. Colt who was probably the most in love with her had the lowest amount of filled hearts for the longest time. But she wouldnt allowed Tate or Colt to sleep with her but did other stuff with the other guys.
For my first dip in a fantasy book that wasnt harry potter or twilight, it was okay. But I hope my future fantasy reads will be more realistic in terms of relationships.
and the noodle and gods they say all the time, its giving me the icks.
Raiden is giving off major stalker vibe
January 15, 2024
This is a definite must read a perfect read to prepare for the Hallmark holiday Valentine's Day! You will meet Primrose our fmc who in the human world is your average video gaming girl who loves playing dating simulations. She wakes up and is in the magical world of her favorite dating simulation. There are hot 🥵 men who she meets at meet cute events where ❤️'s will appear. There is of course a mean girl. Each of the guys she meets is different who each have their own set of characteristics. You will find something to love about each one! You will also want to strangle them at times but the read makes it all worth it. A girl who was once considered ordinary becomes the main focus, twists I never expected, love, magic and owe Leaf! I loved Leaf and the snarky attitude! Read to find out who the magical men are that Primrose falls for!
January 29, 2024
Reverse Harem
Multiple POV
Dating Simulation Vibes
Slow Burn
6 Men
College/Academy
Our FMC gets sucked into her video game - or something eerily similar!
Primrose goes to bed one night playing a dating simulation game only to wake up the next day in it. With the help of her guardian, Leaf, she has to figure out this new world of magic, go to classes and also get 6 men to fall in love with her. On top of all that, there of course is a mean girl who wants to ruin her life and steal one of her men back from her.
Without giving too much away, this book had so many fun moments and it was just a pleasure to read. At the end of each chapter you get to see where all the guys heart-o-meters are at so you know where the relationships stand. It's got some spicy scenes mixed in with each guy and each of them have their own baggage to unfold throughout the story. L.W. did a wonderful job with this one and I'm sure it'll be one I come back to from time to time as the characters were so much fun!
Multiple POV
Dating Simulation Vibes
Slow Burn
6 Men
College/Academy
Our FMC gets sucked into her video game - or something eerily similar!
Primrose goes to bed one night playing a dating simulation game only to wake up the next day in it. With the help of her guardian, Leaf, she has to figure out this new world of magic, go to classes and also get 6 men to fall in love with her. On top of all that, there of course is a mean girl who wants to ruin her life and steal one of her men back from her.
Without giving too much away, this book had so many fun moments and it was just a pleasure to read. At the end of each chapter you get to see where all the guys heart-o-meters are at so you know where the relationships stand. It's got some spicy scenes mixed in with each guy and each of them have their own baggage to unfold throughout the story. L.W. did a wonderful job with this one and I'm sure it'll be one I come back to from time to time as the characters were so much fun!
January 27, 2024
I'd say it's really more of a 3.75 than a 4.
I would make a guesstimation that a high percentage of RH why choose romance readers have cut their teeth on rh anime and otome games first. If that guesstimation is accurate that this author definitely knows her audience.
I remember reading her dedication and saying something like, "Yup, pretty much me." Although, I was okay going through multiple romance lines, rather than wanting to romance them all at the same time. It just made the gameplay longer.
The only reason this didn't fully hit the 4 star mark was there were moments that some of the dialogue felt hollow. I thought, perhaps, that the author might have done this on purpose though because Primrose does go through the beginning of the book thinking she is in a dream in the game.
I would make a guesstimation that a high percentage of RH why choose romance readers have cut their teeth on rh anime and otome games first. If that guesstimation is accurate that this author definitely knows her audience.
I remember reading her dedication and saying something like, "Yup, pretty much me." Although, I was okay going through multiple romance lines, rather than wanting to romance them all at the same time. It just made the gameplay longer.
The only reason this didn't fully hit the 4 star mark was there were moments that some of the dialogue felt hollow. I thought, perhaps, that the author might have done this on purpose though because Primrose does go through the beginning of the book thinking she is in a dream in the game.
February 7, 2024
My first DNF by this author and I HATE to do it. Honestly Lyra is a super talented writer with an amazing imagination.
This story however wasn’t executed great.
Spoilers:
1) the whole video game thing is cool and unique and while it’s not my thing I can still get behind the idea. However, it just makes the whole story a little too unbelievable, even for a magical world.
2) the guys are kinda annoying and one dimensional.
3) the guys aren’t okay with sharing her at first and that kinda ruins it for me.
4) usually Lyra does an excellent job with her spice to plot ratio, however in this one I gave up at about 60% and there still wasn’t anything happening in that area and not all of the guys had come around yet to sharing her.
5) the teacher in her harem tries the whole push her away because it’s taboo thing, yet it’s not actually taboo and he doesn’t even care for his job. So it makes the whole reason for pushing her away redundant and unnecessary.
6) our FMC personality is over the top. There is zero build up to trying to get the men to share her and falling in love. Even after finding out the world is real.
This story however wasn’t executed great.
Spoilers:
1) the whole video game thing is cool and unique and while it’s not my thing I can still get behind the idea. However, it just makes the whole story a little too unbelievable, even for a magical world.
2) the guys are kinda annoying and one dimensional.
3) the guys aren’t okay with sharing her at first and that kinda ruins it for me.
4) usually Lyra does an excellent job with her spice to plot ratio, however in this one I gave up at about 60% and there still wasn’t anything happening in that area and not all of the guys had come around yet to sharing her.
5) the teacher in her harem tries the whole push her away because it’s taboo thing, yet it’s not actually taboo and he doesn’t even care for his job. So it makes the whole reason for pushing her away redundant and unnecessary.
6) our FMC personality is over the top. There is zero build up to trying to get the men to share her and falling in love. Even after finding out the world is real.
January 15, 2024
Seriously one of the cutest books ever! I read manga and light novels and loveeeeee the idea of making a book inspired by the isekai genre. But seriously this is one of the cutest and most wholesome books I’ve read in a long time. There is not much spice in this book, but it makes up for it other ways.
Primrose lives a life where video games are her escape, especially dating sim games. The only part she hated about these games is having to choose! Why couldn’t she have all of the guys! Little did she realized she wake up in her favorite dating game one day and become the protagonist! This time though she’s not choosing, she wants all six of them to herself. She will do whatever it takes to fill their heart-o-meters to max.
Primrose lives a life where video games are her escape, especially dating sim games. The only part she hated about these games is having to choose! Why couldn’t she have all of the guys! Little did she realized she wake up in her favorite dating game one day and become the protagonist! This time though she’s not choosing, she wants all six of them to herself. She will do whatever it takes to fill their heart-o-meters to max.
January 18, 2024
3.5⭐️
3 🌶️
This is my second book I’ve read of Lyra’s. I love the RH, why choose tropes of her books.
This one is no different. FMC Primrose wakes up in a strange room after a terrible date to find out she is in her favorite video game “Hearts Pursuit”.
I loved the premise of the story, I wasn’t sure where it was going. I love the fact that Primrose just blurts out what she is thinking, no filter on this girl.
The whole video game aspect is pretty interesting and new for me. There are heart-o-meters that go up and down, mana, and exp for everything that is done, and of course in true Lyra fashion there is magic.
I also love that this is a stand alone book, I love series but sometimes you just need a stand alone, every once in a while. Everything got resolved by the end. HEA <3
3 🌶️
This is my second book I’ve read of Lyra’s. I love the RH, why choose tropes of her books.
This one is no different. FMC Primrose wakes up in a strange room after a terrible date to find out she is in her favorite video game “Hearts Pursuit”.
I loved the premise of the story, I wasn’t sure where it was going. I love the fact that Primrose just blurts out what she is thinking, no filter on this girl.
The whole video game aspect is pretty interesting and new for me. There are heart-o-meters that go up and down, mana, and exp for everything that is done, and of course in true Lyra fashion there is magic.
I also love that this is a stand alone book, I love series but sometimes you just need a stand alone, every once in a while. Everything got resolved by the end. HEA <3
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